something wicked this way comes

0:08:43.31
It is almost time. I hope you are all as excited as me. I know that some of you are, whereas others, well, we just might not be able to be friends this week. No offense, mind you. It's just the way it is. And you know how easy it is to become dead to me. Regardless, I've been wearing the most wonderful birthday present that Absent gave to me: my "Save Harry, Save the World" T-shirt. People have liked it. And it has helped me weed out those who are Friends of Edgy and those who are Dead to Me.

0:08:41.02
Today has been a day of preparation. Oh, and the Devil's Den is now dead to me. Though I will visit its corpse tonight, because, well, it is Harry Potter and that overrides any Death to Me-ness. You see, I showed up at the Den this morning a good fifteen minutes before the store opened so that I could get a ridiculously low wristband, as you know. And there was a line. I was happy to see a line. I mean, how often do people camp out of a book? So that was happiness.

0:08:33.58
But then I got to the wristband table to discover that we are only getting wristbands that indicate we reserved a copy. What was the point of being there at opening? Sheesh. And those wristbands aren't even numbered. Supposedly "corporate" made this decision. I think that's a lie though, because I happen to know the Union Square Devil's Den in New York City (where I bought Order of the Phoenix by the by) passed out numbered wristbands for this book.

0:08:28.53
So now Absent and I will have to cut short our party hopping in order to get a fairly passable position in line. Color me upset.

0:08:27.22
Fortunately, the wait is nearly over. I will no longer have to be upset that the NYTimes book reviewer is a prat and a git. Not that I've read her review anyway; I've merely downloaded it to my computer. And thus far I've only managed to accidentally stumble across one spoiler, which I've told Absent because I figure it just might help her Follow the Rules and Not Read the Final Chapters First. Honestly, though, I don't have much faith in her rule-abiding tonight. And I think Fred and George would be proud of her, even if Hermione would shake her head in shame.

0:08:24.44
I guess that's all for now. Oh. Maybe I should make predictions. How would that be? Hmm. Let's see here.

0:08:23.19
I lied when I said I wouldn't read any more of that dull book; I read one more chapter last night. It was rather interesting, because it pointed out that, in theory, there really needed to be at least one other Deatheater at Hogwarts during Half-Blood Prince. So it was speculating a polyjuicing of Peter Pettigrew as Remus Lupin or Bellatrix Lestrange as Trelawny. I find both of those to be interesting, though I would put more stock in the Lestrange/Trelawney prediction.

0:08:20.49
I still hold that the kids will return to school. I don't expect Harry to spend too much time there, but Hermione must have access to a library. Now, someone has pointed out that Harry now owns an extensive dark arts library with his inheritance of the Black estate. So I guess that could keep them away from Hogwarts.

0:08:19.24
One of the Weasleys will die; there are just too plain many of them for them all too survive. I'm putting my money on Charlie or one of the twins. Bill already got the werewolf affliction in the last book, Percy's a prat who we couldn't care less about, Ron is the best friend, and Ginny is the love interest. I guess one of the parents could die as well, but I think that in the end, they'll become the parents Harry has never had.

0:08:16.20
Snape is good. Of course, the only way he will prove this is by dying.

0:08:15.51
Wormtail will give Harry the final little bit of information that Harry needs to defeat Voldemort. And then his debt that he incurred in Prisoner of Azkaban will be fulfilled. And he will die. Likely killed by Voldy.

0:08:13.37
I think that's enough for now. I am undecided as to whether or not I will post my review tomorrow afternoon or not. I hate to throw out spoilers to those who aren't as determined to get through the book as soon as possible as I am. But I don't know if I can hold off for a couple weeks out of courtesy. We'll see.

0:08:12.12
Anyway, happy Harry Potter day!

0:08:11.59