By Ivy Sellers
It began with a dark-haired orphan boy who wears glasses and a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. Today, a wizard named Harry Potter is renowned across the globe.
At 12:01 a.m. Saturday, pages of the long-anticipated book, ?Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,? will finally be in the hands of eager fans curious to know the identity of the prince and the status of the series? beloved hero, Harry Potter.
Eight-year-old Riley Sarabia is among fans who can?t wait to find out who is the half-blood prince. He said he already has a guess.
?Voldemort is the prince ?cause he?s the only one who I think has half-blood,? Sarabia said.
Details of the sixth book in the seven-book series have been vigorously kept secret, with publishers enforcing strict orders on retailers worldwide as to how the books are handled before the slated release date.
Despite stern restrictions, a few copies of the book have managed to leak out onto bookshelves.
The Associated Press reported 14 books accidentally sold in a Canadian grocery store last week. A court order from a judge hurriedly hushed customers up, banning them from talking about, selling or even reading the book before its official release date.
In the U.S., a 9-year-old boy in New York and two men from Indiana got their fingers on advanced copies of the book when stores mistakenly placed it on their shelves days before the date of release, according to the AP.
The first book in the series, ?Harry Potter and the Sorcerer?s Stone,? hit American bookstores in September of 1998. By the time the first three books of the series arrived at the top three slots on The New York Times bestsellers list, the series? author J.K. Rowling had become a household name.
Some readers attribute the success of the series to Rowling?s ability to write at a level that appeals to various age groups.
?It?s so well written,? said Christie Hartvigsen from Tuscon, Ariz., studying humanities at BYU. ?It?s very impressive how she takes it to a kid-friendly level and then each book goes along and grows with the characters ? with more serious plots, etc.?
Fans say skeptics of the series just have to keep reading.
BYU student Meredith Eaton of Irvine, Calif., said she had no intention of reading the books when her younger siblings thought they were cool. It wasn?t until her older sister returned from a trip to London full of enthusiasm for tales of Hogwarts that she decided to give the books a try. From there, it was all over.
?I totally got hooked on them,? Eaton said. ?They deal in a light and fun way with very real and deep issues.?
She said the overriding themes of the book ? the constant battles fought between good and evil and the importance of family ? help people understand and appreciate Harry Potter.
?Anyone can relate to that,? Eaton said. ?Anyone can see where he?s coming from.?
Not only that, she said she just loves ?the witty British humor.?
The release of ?Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince? is being celebrated by bookstores around the world. Utah Valley bookstores are not to be outdone.
Barnes & Noble, Borders and the BYU Bookstore have all announced special release parties planned for the evening hours before the book is released.
Thousands of Harry Potter fans are expected to crowd stores tonight and participate in free workshops and activities as they wait their turn to pick up a copy of the book. Classes on wand and potion making will even be available.
Books come out of boxes at exactly 12:01 a.m., not a moment sooner.
Those who pre-ordered books will be the first to get their copies. After that, it?s first come first serve.
?We can?t guarantee a book to anyone who didn?t reserve it,? said Matt Grahl, general manager at Borders, ?but we think we have plenty.?
