Michelle Slatalla of the New York Times explains, among all the questions about the new Harry Potter, the most important puzzler:

Among the questions they hope to answer this month: Is Sirius Black really dead? What will become of Dumbledore? And will I drive them to a local Barnes & Noble as the clock strikes midnight on July 16 to stand in line with other devotees to get the new book?

We won't have all the answers until the publisher, Scholastic Inc., releases the book. But there's one thing I do know. My bedtime is 10 p.m. So my challenge, as my daughters were dusting off their stopwatch, was to persuade them to preorder the book online.

As my momma used to say, "The less you say, the less you have to take back!" I've found myself doing LOTS of things with my kids that I thought I had NO interest in, just because they wanted to, there was nothing inherently wrong with it, and I enjoyed being with them and watching their excitement. Wonderful memories. And, surprisingly, gifts for me. Like a love for the national pasttime (which I hated until my older son started his 14-year baseball career!) and archery, which looks to be coming back into my life, again thanks to my older son. (My younger has brought snakes and a real appreciation for laughter!)

I enjoyed standing in line with my boys at midnight to get the last Harry Potter book. Granted, we didn't go to the overly advertized party, where the line went around the block several times and books ran out. But it was fun to go out for a snack late at night and then head to the store.

It's because it was unusual that it was so memorable.