Deathly Hallows Release in Piccadilly
Wednesday, August 1st, 2007 08:28 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mothwingThere was an amazing amount of people waiting in front of Waterstone's at Piccadilly even by the time we got there, which was around 4pm, most of them dressed up, some in really complicated and crafty outfits. The mood these guys were in was really great, it was basically one gigantic, vaguely scary party. There were a lot of spontaneous discussions among strangers prompted by signs or dresses about the series, too, it was just awesome. I am not usually a fan of great, big crowds of people, but those guys in the queue were fun to be around.
There were people from the various internet sites handing out stuff, even, like SnapeCasters who handed out Snape's Personal Shampoo, a lady who went round offering to paint lightning-shaped scars and Dark Marks (we did not go for it, though), and all sorts of people handing out flyers of sites we all know. We really should have been wearing Pensieve tees, I thought later on.
We learned that some of those guys had been there since Wednesday, camping outside the book store, in spite of the heavy rainfalls, and many had come from other countries, too, flown in only for the event. Queuing next to us were several "Beauxbaton students" from France, but there were also Italian quidditch players, Eastern European house elves, Dutch Gryffindors and German Gryffindors. There were Death Eaters who invited Crocky to "duel" the DA with them - or would have, if the cowards had showed up (thus, the Death Eaters automatically won after the period of grace they had given the DAers was up). There was a "Dumbledore", there was a Mad-eye Moody, there were the four founders, there were the Malfoys, there were two Trelawneys, there was a Firebolt, there was Hogwarts, there were several people with Hedwigs in cages - in short, it was a lot of fun which truly frightened my grandma, who saw it on telly.
Crocky has taken these great pics:
Please note the person dressed up as Hogwarts.
The specimen up there in the Dobby outfit was not the only one. There was a group of house elves rather close to the entrance.
I have to admit that we cheated, though. We more or less spontaneously went to the MuggleNet realease event at Waterstone's and thereby lost our place in the queue - and since we did not fancy only buying the book at 1am we bought it at Victoria Station instead - where the queue was much shorter.
Also, we could have directly caught the last train there, if the London Underground had not hated us, with several trains from the District line simply not showing up - I bet they were flooded, too. This time, the night bus stopped for us, though.
And, a day later:
EVERYBODY who was reading a book on the bus, the tube, or wherever, was reading HP7.
It was really awesome. Due to the flooded lines and the repairworks in another people had a lot of time to kill, of course.
We did of course take the picture everybody and their Mum have taken:
... with people, of course.
There were people from the various internet sites handing out stuff, even, like SnapeCasters who handed out Snape's Personal Shampoo, a lady who went round offering to paint lightning-shaped scars and Dark Marks (we did not go for it, though), and all sorts of people handing out flyers of sites we all know. We really should have been wearing Pensieve tees, I thought later on.
We learned that some of those guys had been there since Wednesday, camping outside the book store, in spite of the heavy rainfalls, and many had come from other countries, too, flown in only for the event. Queuing next to us were several "Beauxbaton students" from France, but there were also Italian quidditch players, Eastern European house elves, Dutch Gryffindors and German Gryffindors. There were Death Eaters who invited Crocky to "duel" the DA with them - or would have, if the cowards had showed up (thus, the Death Eaters automatically won after the period of grace they had given the DAers was up). There was a "Dumbledore", there was a Mad-eye Moody, there were the four founders, there were the Malfoys, there were two Trelawneys, there was a Firebolt, there was Hogwarts, there were several people with Hedwigs in cages - in short, it was a lot of fun which truly frightened my grandma, who saw it on telly.
Crocky has taken these great pics:
Please note the person dressed up as Hogwarts.
The specimen up there in the Dobby outfit was not the only one. There was a group of house elves rather close to the entrance.
I have to admit that we cheated, though. We more or less spontaneously went to the MuggleNet realease event at Waterstone's and thereby lost our place in the queue - and since we did not fancy only buying the book at 1am we bought it at Victoria Station instead - where the queue was much shorter.
Also, we could have directly caught the last train there, if the London Underground had not hated us, with several trains from the District line simply not showing up - I bet they were flooded, too. This time, the night bus stopped for us, though.
And, a day later:
EVERYBODY who was reading a book on the bus, the tube, or wherever, was reading HP7.
It was really awesome. Due to the flooded lines and the repairworks in another people had a lot of time to kill, of course.
We did of course take the picture everybody and their Mum have taken:
... with people, of course.
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no subject
Date: Wednesday, August 1st, 2007 07:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Saturday, August 4th, 2007 10:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Wednesday, August 1st, 2007 10:57 am (UTC)But something I just don't get is why there are so many ugly looking dressed up people...there seems to be some special kind of "ugly book nerd" in this world?!?! *shrugs*
no subject
Date: Saturday, August 4th, 2007 10:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Tuesday, August 7th, 2007 04:55 pm (UTC)However, sometimes I even get the idea that it's less about the costumes but about, ahem, the faces and bodies of those people. They look like the Type A "Bookworm", "Undercathegory: Fantasy" Nerd.
But maybe I just start being mean here.
Let's just say that I think some look great and did wonderful jobs, and others don't.
no subject
Date: Wednesday, August 1st, 2007 07:54 pm (UTC)These two posts just so totally made my day... Especially since... No, no negativity in this comment... This is just soo awesome... I'll tell you about the other stuff later. :)
I just sorta really needed a happy post exactly like this... Aaaand, there it is... :D - Thx, hun. :)
But, but, but: you went to friggin' London and didn't tell me?? - You have me squeeing here in front of the screen, literally dancing around in joy for you two... I'm so happy for you guys... :) - I was curious and in fact gonna ask you if you went to any midnight release to get the book here, but buying it in London... Perfect... And what a way to spend some time together, what a way to get out of here and forget everything just for a lil while, and what a way to get the finale of Harry Potter... I envy you this experience... So cool!
Whee, and thx for sharing all the pics. :)
When I visited you in UK last year, as I went back to Germany afterwards, I had to change trains at King's Cross, too... I unfortunately didn't have the time to go see platform 9 or 10 and take photos there... I so wanted to... And you even got these AND 9 and three quarters as well... This is just so great... :)
Really too bad JKR won't write another one. :(
[Is it, after what happened in the last one, without spoiling anything, or is it for the better, it's over, the way you see it? ;)]
PS.: You ok again, flu- and otherwise?
*hugs again*
no subject
Date: Saturday, August 4th, 2007 10:34 am (UTC)I'm glad you're happy about the post, and I am curious about the negative things you did not say. Is everything alright at home? I hope things aren't as bad as I fear they are.
As for the book - well, it was fun reading it, but I don't consider it her finest, not at all - but most of my flist will tell you otherwise, so maybe it's just me. :)
*hugs* Take care!