My brother and I left our house, went to the train station and got a train to Charing Cross.
After pulling in at the station, we exited and spent 10 minutes finding the local Waterstones. Upon doing so, we 'cased the joint' as my brother puts it. There were about a dozen people there, sitting like hobos, some dressed in Gryffindor robes, pointed hats and reading books. We walked to a nearby bus stop, sat down and formed a plan, rehearsed then got psyched.
By the time we were 'discussing' what "I read on the internets" loudly by the Pottermaniacs, we were nearly by the front of the queue, however, we shouted back a spoiler as we got further away. After berating my brother for his wimpiness I suggested we go on to the big time: Piccadilly.
We got the tube from Charing Cross to Piccadilly Circus then emerged, looking at
After trying to figure out where we were relative to the Waterstones, we wandered around a little. We saw some kids dressed up and, after some hesitation, tried to follow. Just like a scene out of a film, we lost them to the crowd, but not before getting closer to our destination. I needed to take a leak so we stopped at a Burger King. On my way into the toilet, I noticed a guy and his two young Gryffindors. I told my brother we'd follow them. After some time we unknowingly went along the road the Waterstones was on and turned down an alley adjacent to it. On the corner of the Waterstones and alley, we'd seen some Pottermaniacs, but assumed they were hanging round. However, down the alley, was a throng of fans. It turned out the ones on the corner were queuing for the shop, hundreds of metres down the road.
We proceeded down the street, no longer, guided by the man and his kids, and found the queue continued. A couple, probably Waterstones employees, were handing out 'Innocent Smoothies'. My brother and I went down a side street to discuss what we should do. As we had discovered many people were present outside the queue, he decided he wouldn't shout out the spoilers. Additionally, the density of the crowds meant escape would be impossible.
I said I'd probably continue with the plan and we decided to see what was going on in front of the bookshop. It was incredible. People were on the ground eating pizza, camera crews that seemed to be from Asia were present, some cameramen climbed rails and lampposts to get a shot at the action. Traffic had practically stopped, as so many people were in the road. We heard snippets of conversations, and gleaned that some people had been there
for two days. Despite how surreal it was, I couldn't help but enjoy the wonderful atmosphere.
Everyone present was united by the same common obsession, people were laughing, discussing the series, making predictions, singing songs and holding signs. Nords, Americans, Chinese and many others were there, and I got that incredible feeling one gets from being in the focal point of something massive.
After what seemed about a mile, we'd passed the Waterstones but were surprised to find that there was a line on this side too, albeit a mere trickle in comparison. We turned down a side street and my brother said we could make paper aeroplanes with spoilers on them to lob into the crowd. Again, it fell to me to actually execute the plan, but first we required a pen and paper. We went to Piccadilly Circus, took free information sheets and bought a pen. We went back closer to the Waterstones and I folded the paper into shape, after which my brother wrote upon them. Armed with the paper aeroplanes, which I launched inconspicuously to the ground, we again trooped past the fans. I responded to the adolescents shouting loudly and obnoxiously ("Hurr... Harry and Draco fall in love... Hurr!") with "No that's not what happens!" followed by a spoiler. After reaching the end then going back (I got recognised by one girl ("He's the one who spoiled the book earlier!") and another gave me a light push), I grew bolder.
We went down the first alley again and as the line thinned, I started shouting the spoilers as loudly as possibly. Many people gave me evil looks and some covered their ears and/or sang "La la la la la". My brother, given gusto by this, played along, saying that he was never coming out with me again and that it wasn't on. We went round the back of the bookshop and for streets and streets until the line finally thinned out. The leftovers were stragglers who got a dose too, and we turned right out of the backstreets, onto the road with the Waterstones.
On these last, final 'runs', I shouted the spoilers at the top of my voice, and got some good reactions. Noting the time, my brother and I headed back to the underground and took it to Charing Cross. Noticing we were going to miss the train, we decided to do one final sweep on the first Waterstones, on The Strand. The line had grown substantially, now probably two to three hundred metres long. My brother got cold feet and I told him to go ahead while I walked along.
I noticed some American teens making a petition. When they were done, they asked me if I wanted to sign it. I replied that no, I didn't, as I already knew that [insert spoiler here]. This was met with a "Go away." and a "Fuck off.".
After regrouping, my brother and I went past once more then walked away. We noticed some young girl Gryffindors walking away too and we ran past, shouting the spoilers. One of them responded, in a wonderful American accent, with what can only be done justice through sound, not words.
Me trying to imitate.We got a train back to our first station then went and actually bought the book from a local WHSmiths.
