A painful wait for millions of Harry Potter fans will end Saturday when the latest adventure in the boy wizard series goes on sale in a spectacular launch that looks set to break all publishing records.
Millions of copies of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" - the sixth and penultimate volume in the series - are piled up in book stores and warehouses across Britain, the United States, Thailand and beyond awaiting the magic stroke of midnight (2300 GMT, Friday) when the pages can be turned.
At exactly one minute past the witching hour, author J.K. Rowling will read the first chapter to a select group of children at Edinburgh Castle, which will be transformed into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the occasion.
At the same time, thousands of other "Potter parties" taking place in book shops around the globe will go crazy as fans - young and old - scramble to get their hands on the first copies of the long-awaited book.
"I know this is ludicrous because I'm 41, a fully grown man, and should know better, but I feel like it's Christmas Eve and I'm about six I am so excited," said Matthew Perren, manager of the Edinburgh branch of Ottakars, one of Britain's top book stores, which has temporarily changed its name to Potterkas.
In a scene worthy of the novel itself, jugglers, fire-eaters and torch throwers will line a street outside gothic Edinburgh Castle - which dominates the Scottish capital - where Rowling was to arrive shortly before midnight.
She will be greeted by about 2,000 local school children and their families before hosting a private party for 70 special fans, aged eight to 16, from Australia, Britain, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa.
They will be brought to the castle with their parents in 12 carriages drawn by black horses adorned with black ostrich plumes and driven by coachmen dressed in capes.
Rowling, an Edinburgh resident who is almost as mystical as her creation, will then take her guests, who each won their place through competitions, inside and read to them.
A special television show on the independent British channel ITV will follow the events live, with images also broadcast on a huge screen outside.
On Sunday, the author will grant her only press conference - speaking to the 70 youngsters who must then write up articles for the world's media.
In addition, a 14-year-old Welsh fan, Owen Jones, is due to conduct the only one-on-one interview with Rowling, 39, which will be broadcast that evening.
"I am very excited, I can't wait to read it," said 11-year-old Leah Rea from Northern Ireland, who is on holiday in Edinburgh, echoing the sentiments of millions of other children and adults world-wide.
"I have been waiting for ages for the next book as the last one ended on a cliff-hanger and I am really excited to find out what happens," she said.
A record two million copies of the novel - which has attracted particular interest due to rumours that a key character dies - are expected to be sold in Britain and some 10 million world-wide within the first 24 hours.
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