Observations while you're still reading Harry Potter

I read the book Saturday -- but I won't give anything away in this post, I promise.

I was talking to my friend Steve Friday about it and he told me how his son had pre-ordered the book and how they were looking forward to getting it Saturday. Without having to wait in line.

Me, too, I told him -- but I hadn't pre-ordered. Long Suffering Spouse figured this out several books ago: The local supermarket puts them out, steeply discounted, the day they're released. So, I told Steve, we'd probably have the book before he did.

"You mean we didn't have to do the pre-order or anything?" he asked, slightly incredulous. No, I told him, but by doing it his way he could feel a part of the worldwide publishing phenomenon.

I think that's when he hung up on me.

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Harry Potter was the lead story on both evening news shows I watched Friday. Reporters were dispatched to bookstores where people were dressed in costume -- some of them waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too old to be doing this in public. Or even in private.

The interesting thing was that the reporters on both stations that I watched clearly had no clue about the books or the movies or anything, lending further support for the theory that TV reporters spring, fully-grown, from beneath cabbage leaves in the garden. And just as intelligent.

I can understand that the typical 20-something TV reporter might not have any interest in reading the books -- but wouldn't you think that they could look up, say, reviews of the movies, just to figure out the character names and who's supposed to be good or evil? That would take -- what? -- five or 10 minutes of research on line?

And here's the truly scary part: These same reporters, tomorrow night, will be providing us with information about the Presidential elections, or the War in Iraq, or the state budget.... The Harry Potter story could have been painlessly researched. How much research do you think the typical reporter has done, then, on a "hard news" story -- where figuring out the background might require some actual thought? This may be scarier than anything J.K. Rowling has imagined.

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Youngest Son pressed me for details about the last book all day yesterday: He doesn't actually want to take the time or trouble to read it for himself. The books are so looooooooooong, he whines.

And this is from an incoming high school freshman -- and a decent student, supposedly, to boot.

So, finally, last night, I broke down. I told him about the plot twists:

• I told him that Lord Voldemort revealed that the Death Star was fully operational by opening fire on the Rebel fleet;
• Then I told him that Voldemort revealed that he, not James, was Harry's father -- and that Harry had a twin sister, Leia;
• And then, when Youngest Son didn't like those revelations, I told him that that the book consisted mostly of ticking noises....

Youngest Son got so frustrated with my disclosures that he called his older sister to see if she'd let him in on how it all turns out. (Older Daughter was one of those people in line at midnight, in Indianapolis. I don't think she went in costume. And if she did I don't want to know about it....)

Anyway, judging by Youngest Son's growing frustration, Older Daughter was apparently as helpful as I'd been.

Oh, I forgot. I promised not to give away anything here. I really hope that these few revelations didn't ruin anything for anyone....