By Margaret A. McGurk
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Jen Vonderbrink, 10, (left) and Molly Seitz, 10, wait to get their faces painted Friday at Barnes and Noble in Kenwood. (Jeff Swinger photo) | ZOOM |

Long before the witching hour, fans in black capes and owlish glasses gathered to claim the long-awaited prize.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was released at 12:01 a.m. today. Bookstores around the Tristate were crowded with fans who spent the hours before the release playing games, competing for treats and reading excerpts from the first four books in the series.

"We have waited for this. It feels like the longest time since the last time," said Colleen Larsgaard of Mount Lookout. She arrived at the Barnes & Noble store in Kenwood with her son Colin, 12, who wore a black cape, striped shirt, glasses with tape on the bridge, and carried a stuffed owl and a magic wand.

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Colin said he's read all the Harry Potter books at least three times each. "They are just fantastic," he said. They even inspired him to write his own stories about the Hogwarts characters.

Edward J. Patterson, 11, of Norwood, and his 3-year-old brother Vincent, came with their grandmother Pat Patterson of Blue Ash. "I made a book about Harry Potter called the Blue Knights Sword," he said.

The fifth book in British author J.K. Rowling's fantasy series about the education of a young wizard topped preorder sales charts from the moment its release date was announced in January.

Scholastic Inc., publisher of the book in the United States, ordered a first printing of 8.5 million copies to meet expected demand.

Harry Potter's arrival came earlier for residents in Britain, which rang up the first official sales.

"I love it so much, I get goosebumps," said 12-year-old Lisa Brummett of Mesa, Ariz., after hours of waiting at the WH Smith bookstore at London's King's Cross rail station to buy the book.

"Harry Potter is the most magic thing there is," Lisa said, clutching the book to her chest and grinning from ear to ear. "Once I get out of here, I will start reading."

"It's kind of nice to escape to a place a bit more magical," said her sister, Stephanie, 16.

The girls' family rescheduled their two-week tour of Europe to be in London for the launch.

Rowling paid a visit to a Waterstone's bookshop in her home town of Edinburgh, Scotland, and gave out signed copies of her book to 40 schoolchildren.

"Much of the pleasure of being published for me is meeting the children who are reading the books," Rowling said.

The book was launched in Australia, South Africa and New Zealand at the same time as in Britain.

The book was produced under rigid security; even book reviewers were barred from seeing the book before its official release.

Rowling, recently revealed to be the richest woman in Great Britain, has achieved superstar status among fans. A British edition of the book signed by Rowling fetched more than $3,000 on June 14 in an eBay auction.

On June 26, Rowling will read portions of the book before 4,500 children at Royal Albert Hall in London. The event will be carried live on the Internet, www.msn.co.uk/harrypotter, and organizers predict it will draw the biggest live Internet audience.

Harry Potter has spawned a hit film franchise as well; screen versions of the first two books grossed nearly $2 billion. A third is in production now for release next summer and a fourth is due in 2005. Order of the Phoenix is also expected to be turned into a movie.

The Associated Press contributed.

E-mail mmcgurk@enquirer.com