One more day to go.. I can’t wait :)I’d pre-ordered the book a few months ago, parting with a much-needed RM50 note when I saw the advertisement for pre-ordering at the Popular Book Store in Megamal. But the urge to have the book was stronger.. naturally :)
Then there were bogus ‘drafts’ of the story circulated in emails which I read a tiny bit out of curiosity but stopped as I didn’t wanna spoil the book for me. But now the wait has finally come to an end.. only one more day to go!
I remember the first time I saw the Harry Potter book. I was in my first year in USM Tronoh and I had gone out with my friends to Kinta City. They had this MPH over there and since I love book stores, I’d always drop by to check on new books. It was then that I noticed the Philosopher’s Stone, neatly stacked at one end of the store, but without anyone taking notice. I picked up a book and went through the pages for a second before my friend called me as she was already starving, so I just put the book back where it was and followed her, without a second thought of the book.
A few days later, while at the library, I came across a book review section in the NST and guess what, they were reviewing The Philosopher’s Stone! Looking at the picture, I remembered that it was the same book I had picked up a few days earlier and somehow, I kinda regretted not buying it then as the reviews were kinda great.
However, destiny didn’t want us to be together yet, as every time I went to any bookstore to buy the book, I’d always find another book from other familiar authors that I’d find more interesting, and since I was a student on a one-book-per-visit-to-the-bookstore budget, I seemed to never get the chance to buy the book..
Then, towards the end of my first year, I heard that the book was to be turned into a movie.. and THAT finally grabbed my attention. Now, I don’t really remember if I watched the movie first or if I read the book first as the time between both events were only a couple of days.. but lets just say, the rest is history! I was hooked :D
In a matter of weeks, I had bought the complete 4-book set (the Order of the Phoenix was still in the making during this time) and I was glad to find a few friends who shared the same interest. It was the kind of book that changes every time you reread it.. yup, its THAT good!
Then, a few years later, I bought The Order of the Phoenix at Popular and by now, I had a housemate, kak Shima, who was as enthusiastic as I was and sometimes, when there was nothing else to do, we’d love to talk about the book, much to the confusion of my other housemate, kak Kathy, who couldn’t understand why we loved the series so much.. and as most fans would agree, to know it is to love it! Those who don’t read it would, I’m afraid, never understand.
The Half-Blood Prince was the first book I had to pre-order. I remember ordering it at Popular in Megamal and keeping the pre-order slip as if it was made of gold haha.. Parting with RM50 didn’t seem a lot to everyone, I guess, when it came to the book. Then, since kak Shima’s birthday was around the corner, I decided to surprise her with ordering the book for her as well, and I’m glad I did as I knew she LOVED the series as much as I did, and was glad to see her happily surprised face when I handed her her own slip. I had planned to pay for the whole book for her, but in the end, she insisted on paying the remaining balance for the book. Hoho, the book was price at RM99.90, I think!
When the day came for us to pick up the book, we woke up early and went to McDs for some breakfast, excitedly chatting about the book the whole way there. As I was about to eat, Baizurah happily text me, gloating on how she was the first between us to get the book (Cisss..). Oooohh, was she cruel, eh awak, Baizurah? :p She had ordered it at Prangin, I think, and they had this book launching party where she received a witch’s hat, scented candles, Hogwarts flag (or was that someone else?) and some other stuff I can’t remember.. I was soooooo jealous (and imagine, I was 25 at that time hahah!!! Not an 11-year-old!), vowing to get back to her haha..
After eating, we rushed to Megamal, only to be disappointed to know that the store only opened at 10.30. 10.30 am!!! Imagine that! Every else had already received their books and we were still waiting for the store to open. Right there and then I vowed that I WON’T pre-order the next book here (which turned out, I DID! Duhhh..)
While waiting, I saw this kindly apek, wearing apek shorts, a t-shirt and selipar jepun also peeking into the store. We smiled at him then he asked if we were waiting for the book to. I was surprised haha.. Turned out, he wanted to surprise his daughter (or was it grand daughter) with it as she was a great fan of Harry Potter. *sigh* So sweet la the apek..
Then, as the doors opened, we almost ran to the counter haha.. God! I must’ve looked like an impatient girl!
I was the first, yeay!!!!
The book came in a paper back depicting the cover of the Half-Blood Prince and I was smiling the whole time my book was being packed and handed. It was until I heard a voice telling me to face their way that I realized, a long line had formed behind me, mostly of children and school-goers. But since I was the first one to get the book, they wanted my picture while they handed me the book..
Ok, now I was embarassed..
Even kak Shima raised an eye brow and stifled her signature big laugh when she saw how horrified I was haha.. After the picture was taken, I quickly ran outta the store, opting to wait for kak Shima outside. Was laughed at by kak Shima all the way home.. cett!
Back home, we each chose our favourite settee to curl up with our book. I only had a couple of hours to read as I had classes the whole afternoon, and how I envied kak Shima as I went out for my class, while she was still engrossed in her book.. and thinking of Sentot who was, undoubtly, also not putting down her book.
When I came back home, nearing Maghrib, we had a quick bite before resuming our position in the living room. Kak Kathy didn’t even wanna watch tv that night, as she said the living room looked and felt like a library, with us hanging around there with heads buried inside our books.
Know how teruk you can be when competing with your housemate on who finishes the book? When I stopped to get a drink, I caught my housemate checking on what page I was reading haha.. but then again, I also did the same thing by frequently asking her what page she was on.. so childish, huh? :D
Before long, I had managed to surpass her.. yeay! Good thing I’ve always been a speed reader (though it seems to have slowed down now) so I was able to take more 5-minute-breaks without worrying about kak Shima finishing before me.
Then, suddenly I had this thought haha.. I went to kak Shima and told her Dumbledore was gonna die. Then I text Baizurah and told her the same thing hahah.. Then I was ‘hampeh’ly laughing at them wailing on how I was spoiling it for them. Truth is, I just made it up to tease them..
BUT, I didn’t know it was actually gonna happen at the end of the book!
Shoot!
I had already apologized for teasing them and they already knew I had made it up, but by then I didn’t wanna really spoil it for them anymore.. let them find out themselves.
But yes, they wailed again, thinking I really did wanna spoil it for them in the first place haha.. I honestly didn’t know Dumbledore was gonna die..
And yeah, I finished first.. but the end was a bit sad. Like the beginning of something you know won’t be the same, as most fans would know by the end of this book that the last book won’t be all fun and games anymore. Didn’t feel like gloating to kak Shima and Baizurah anymore (though I can’t remember if I told Soraya or not?!?)
Anyway, tonight, after my class, I’m going to kak Shima’s (she’s no longer my housemate, but I’m sleeping over at her place tonight) and gonna go bukak puase with her, then sleep and wake up real early to line up at 7am for the final installment of the series. Both of us pre-ordered them at different stores, but we’re going to both stores to pick up our books, then go have a quick breakfast at McDs (in honour of the last time we went to pick up our HP book together) and go back to our respective homes to read our books, yeay!!! Can’t wait..
But still.. :( *nothing to do with the book.. its just something that’s bothering me*
P/S
Btw, Baizurah a.k.a Sentot has vowed to NOT open ANY sms from me UNTIL she finishes the book hahaha..
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