> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Potter fans remain high on Hogwarts - URL: https://www.smdp.com/potter-fans-remain-high-on-hogwarts/ - Published: 2005-07-15T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T07:25:49.000Z - Author: Guest Author - Tags: local, Promenade, #archive-import *Potter o’ plenty at area bookstores* *By Special to the Daily Press* THIRD STREET PROMENADE — It’s become an addiction for many, a guilty pleasure of sorts — a craze so vast and sweeping that the new Pope felt compelled to warn against its subtle seductions. With the last year leaving them hankering for more, Harry Potter addicts will finally get yet another hit of Hogwarts tonight as bookstores across the nation celebrate the release of the latest installment in the boy wizard series with midnight festivities, ranging from simple to outright bizarre. More than 5,000 vendors across the nation will host parties to promote the release of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” the sixth in British author J.K. Rowling’s series, said Virginia Anagnos, senior vice president of Goodman Media, the public relations firm at the helm of the Harry Potter sales campaign. “The fans are excited. (The last Harry Potter book) sold 5 million copies in the first 24 hours. We’re trying to beat that record,” Anagnos said. Borders bookstore on the Third Street Promenade will join the likes of bookstores across the nation in setting out to lure muggles (non-magical people) their way with Potter-inspired fun — including facepainting, crafts and giveaways. “It’s going to be really crowded and loud and exciting,” said Becky Glenn, the general manager of the local bookstore. “It never ceases to amaze me. You get a lot of kids, obviously, lots of grown-ups without any kids at all, lots of people in costumes.” More than 270 million Harry Potter books already have been printed worldwide. In one Ohio town, locals are planning to transform their downtown main street into Diagon Alley — a mythical street in the Harry Potter books — with unicorn rides for kids and the local hotel serving as Hogwarts for the night. Not all the festivities are for the children, though, Anagnos said. The local pub will host a Harry Potter-themed bash for adults only. The boy wizard’s knack for bringing in the big bucks hasn’t faltered yet, as the success of Rowling’s books have spanned beyond the world of publishing. Three movies have spawned from the series and the shelves at the Santa Monica Borders are lined with Harry Potter jellybeans, bubble gum and diaries. Like most cult crazes, the line between dedicated and obsessed is beginning to blur for Potter aficionados. Half a dozen employees at the Santa Monica Borders re-read the first five books to gear up for tonight’s release, Glenn said. “We’re a bunch of geeks,” she added, laughing. Seth Wilson, a cashier at Borders, credits the series’ widespread appeal to character richness. “Good literature crosses all kinds of boundaries,” said Wilson, a 24-year-old who doesn’t believe Harry Potter books are just for kids. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/071505-03_02.jpg) Hundreds of the new Harry Potter book — being stored in the back room of Borders Books on the Third Street Promenade — have been reserved by Santa Monica residents. (Photo: Carolyn Sackariason/Daily Press) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 15, 2005.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/071505.pdf?ref=smdp.com)