Muggles spellbound by Potter's latest wizardry

By Abi Thomas and Peter de Graaf
Whangarei teenager Kealy Thorpe was too busy to eat on Saturday.
The 15-year-old was one of thousands of people, or 'Muggles', throughout the world with their noses in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, JK Rowling's seventh and final Potter book, after its simultaneous worldwide release at 11.01am NZ time.
"I didn't eat much, just kept reading," she said.
At Whitcoulls Whangarei, 70 people were queuing at the magical moment, and it was solid for around an hour. The first in line was Kealy, who had been waiting since 8.45am.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I'll be one of the first in the world to get it," she said.
The Pompallier College student was planning to head straight for the couch and not put the book down until she reached the last word on page 607.
Her predictions?
Ron and Hermione would definitely get together, Remus Lupin would die - and so would Harry.
"It'll all be very tragic," she sighed.
The prize for best-dressed Potter-holic in the Whitcoulls queue went to six-year-old Anna Towers of Whangarei. Clad in a witch's hat with pink fur trim and pink cape, and clutching a tiny silver wand, she was whisked to the front of the queue for her free copy.
Anna was looking forward to her mum reading the latest adventures of Hermione, her favourite character.
But it wasn't just kids queueing for the Deathly Hallows on Saturday. Most grown-ups claimed to be buying the book for their children.
Corinne Cohen, 47, of Whangarei, said she got to know Harry through her step-granddaughter.
"I know they're supposedly children's books, but they're extremely well written. I'm going to rush home and read it."
Whitcoulls Whangarei manager Steve Hey said the total number of books in stock was top secret, but a store record of 500 copies had been pre-ordered.
"It's the only book I've seen in 14 years that's produced this kind of frenzy," he said.
Whitcoulls assistant Claire Barker said it was the second "Harry Potter Day" she'd worked and she'd never seen the store busier.
She couldn't put a figure on the number of books sold on Saturday, but thought it would be around 1000. The store was still selling copies yesterday.
Yesterday afternoon, Kealy Thorpe had finished the 607-page volume after reading non-stop, and was contemplating the end of her favourite series.
"It was really good ... and it's all over. I don't know what to do now."
Her art homework needed to be finished after she'd closed the book, but she didn't think she'd be getting any strict Hogwarts-style detentions if she used Harry Potter as an excuse for lateness.
"I saw my teacher standing in the queue for the book, too."