Faster than you can say quidditch, you can plan a magical midsummer’s evening for your child at a release party for “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.”

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The newest book of the Harry Potter saga goes on sale at midnight, July 16. But hours before that – on the evening of the 15th — thousands of wannabe wizards and witches will be able to revel at hometown versions of Harry’s world.

The Harry Potter series — about a downtrodden young boy who discovers one day that he is a wizard — ensnares even the most cynical child. Today’s children dream of attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry the way their parents dreamed of flying off with Peter Pan.

The turnout for Harry Potter book releases was so great for Books 1-5 that the smallish parties of bookstores and libraries have grown into Hagrid-sized events. For the Book 6 release, entire downtowns are joining in festivities to reap the financial rewards inherent in large crowds of motivated shoppers.

And motivated they are: Advance orders for Book 6 have been taken for months by bookstores and libraries. While an advance order usually can save you a place in line at the counter, those without them won’t have any trouble finding “Half-Blood Prince.” Stores are expected to stock up heavily for the release.

But now’s the time to plan your party.

Plan a bewitching night

This is one event that has slumber party written all over it. Bundle up your child and friends and whisk them off to the nearest event to get their copy of Harry’s latest. Let the kids make a wand, do a little face-painting and test their skills at broom quidditch. Once you get home, you can do a live reading of Chapter 1, until the kids fall asleep.

Here’s a sampling of events around the country:

In Naperville, Ill., downtown merchants will join with the public library and the county children’s museum to create Hogsmeade. Children can frolic from noon to midnight, playing Pin the Tail on the Dudley, making Harry Potter glasses and listening to Carillon concerts of Harry Potter music and the Downtown Alliance represents approximately 350 merchants and property owners in the city’s downtown business district.

In New York City: Jim Dale – the voice of the Harry Potter audiobooks – will read the last few chapters of Book 5 “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” at Barnes & Noble, Union Square. A Barnes and Noble spokeswoman said several thousand fans were expected to line up, and the store planned magically-themed events like fortune telling and wand-making.

In Henderson, Nev., two libraries have banded together to entertain local children until midnight, when they can pick up pre-ordered copies.

So, don’t miss out on all the Harry Potter hoopla. To find an event near you, just call your local library or bookstore to see what’s planned. Even mere Muggles should be able to manage to get in on the fun without too much muss and fuss.

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