Waiting for Harry

The queue party in Hampstead was more queue than party – a few Waterstones employees in witches’ hats and T-shirts saying ‘Muggle’ wandered up and down taking notes of children who had come in fancy dress, but the atmosphere was one of cheerful patience rather than festivity, with everyone waiting patiently until a New Year’s Eve-style countdown at midnight.

The only remarkable thing about it was the number of people who had decided to come and get their hands on a copy of the book at midnight. At 11, it had stretched as far as the crepe van – by midnight, halfway down the high street. There were about 300 people there, all very well-behaved: eager children twirling wands, acting out scenes from the films or speculating on the new book; teenagers smoking clove cigarettes, eating pizza, or sitting cross-legged on the pavement; and the odd sheepish-looking adult.