I finished re-reading OotP last night at 2AM. Mum woke me at 4AM to go to the Galleria. So I was running on barely 2 hours of sleep as I couldn't actually fall into a proper sleep because I was so excited. Right now I'm still bouncing off the walls and have been doing so for about 13 hours now. Very excited. When we go to the Galleria, there were a couple of cars in the carpark, but we were the only ones at the door. The cars belonged to the bakers, who were inside in their bakeries making nice smelling stuff. A few minutes later, some girl arrived, her name was Kate. We had both been there when OotP came out, except one thing was different. The doors were closed.
When OotP came out, we were able to go line up in front of the bookstore, no problems or questions asked. There was even a dog running around for heaven's sake! Determined not to stand around outside, we hunted for an entry in, and we found an open fire door which some guy from Puffin Fresh was taking doughnuts in through. So we went in. We went in to the shopping centre through the fire door. That just shows how easy anybody can get in after hours, break a shop and steal stuff. But that's not my problem, so long as these doors are open for rabid Harry Potter fans to sneak in if they have the mind.
We weren't the only people in the shopping centre, people from Muffin Break and Doughnut King were making their bakery-ish food, it smelt real good too! So we set up camp in front of Angus & Robertson. Literally. We had chairs and everything. I was contemplating bringing my blanket with me, but then I figured I'd look too hobo-ish. Did I mention to you that I was wearing my pyjamas? Yeah, with pink ugg boots and a huge blue jumper coz it's winter over here and cold.
A few minutes later, Kate's friend Catherine came in through the fire door, so it was just us four camped out in front of Angus & Robertson. And the bakers making their bakery-ish food and stealing it. Seriously! In Doughnut King, this woman was making doughnuts, and then she took the doughnuts and ran away and never came back! It was fun watching the dougnut machine pop out doughnuts though. It was about 5AM before people started arriving at the entrance, however because it was locked, they couldn't get in.
Mum needed to go to the toilet, so I followed her to the toilet because it was near the entrance, just to see how many people were there. The key thing was to not make eye contact, coz then they'd want to know how to get in. I don't want people stealing my spot! I was in line first, that's right folks, I was first in line. I felt so proud and privileged, I've never been first in line for anything ever! Not including running to the bus or running to buy food at school...
When we went to the toilet, there were about 10 people waiting at the door. We made no eye contact, just giggled about how we were smarter than they were. Whilst Mum was on the toilet, I looked at some machine that was supposed to deposit pads. It was a rather scary machine really, there wasn't much too it, but it was creepy. No way would I buy pads from a creepy machine in the toilets. Scared myself even more by setting one of the hand-dryers off, I wasn't expecting that!
The lights were off in the shopping center, so it was quite dark. We're just sitting huddled in a corner in front of the book store, watching the bakers and talking about Harry Potter. Then the lights came on and it was all bright and we started talking about how funny it would be if the book store opened, but they didn't open the shopping center entrance. It's kind of cruel when you think about it, but in a time where getting a good spot in line is crucial, it's necessary.
We had about half an hour left to wait, and then suddenly this security guy who thought that he was all that came and was like "You're not supposed to be here, move". Fortunately for us, there were some people who come to the Galleria to have coffee and that in the morning. 6.30AM in the morning, what morons. So we were then like "Fine we'll go buy some tea then!". And we did. We bought tea and drank and we were like "Take that you loser of a security guy!".
He proved himself even more of a loser when it came closer to 7AM, and he taunted the people at the entrance. Waving the keys around, pretending to unlock the door but not. I was quite tempted to hit him with the chair I had, but I knew I had to control myself or I wouldn't get the book. I wanted the book so bad! The Angus & Robertson staff didn't come till about 6.45AM. When we saw the security guy who deserved to be whacked open the entrance, we were like "Quickly get back in front, hurry up with your tea, Mum!"
And then came running the 8-year-olds that we everyone older than them secretly plotted at some stage to beat up. Come on, you've all thought of it at least once, even a tiny bit! Well I know I have. Anyway, we're lining up, and this camera guy comes out of nowhere with some other guy in a suit. It's Channel 10! Now I'm not a big fan of Channel 10, but it was awesome! They interviewed some kids, they didn't interview me, that's good, but when we had to scream out I was like "SNITCHSEEKER.COM"
Then they let us have the book. They cut open the box and I was like "w00t!". And you know how I was first in line? I got the first book. I was like, fully squealing whilst trying to record it all on my camera. Yes, I have videos. Hooray for videos of Aussies wanting their book! After I got the book, I passed it over to Mum so she could pay for it. I had another mission in mind. I scooted over to the otherwise of the books, and I was like "Can I have a box?" (you can hear me asking in one of the video clips). AND GUESS WHAT. I GOT AN AUSSIE BOX! It's so cool, I've never had a Harry Potter book box. Yay!
Oh yeah and we almost forgot our book too! We payed for it but somehow forgot about it, and then we realised they overcharged us so we had to get our money back. It was AUD $30.00 and they charged us AUD $34.99! Even though Mum paid with credit card we were still able to get the money back, however getting money back and credits work. Me and my newly adopted box were on the other side of the bookstore, we couldn't get out coz there was so many people crowding in! So I was like "Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me" using my box to push my way through.
I started reading as soon as I got into the car, and I raced straight to bed to read it. I needed to go toilet so bad, but I knew I could wait. No way was anything going to stop me from reading my book! I just love sitting down and reading these books and just absorbing everything in one sitting!
And now I give you, the pictures! Please forgive the blurryness in some, I was shaking like mad, it was like I was having a fit or something. I was so excited!
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Muffin Break in the dark, the shopping center lights are off.
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w00t! Me in my pyjamas, covered up by my hobo-ish jumper in front of Angus & Robertson. I AM THE FIRST!
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Angus & Robertson's Harry Potter window display.
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The very dark bookstore, soon to be filled by lots of Harry Potter fans!
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Yay staff and you can see them with the boxes!
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*Spazz*
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YES THAT'S MY FINGER DON'T ASK.
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People!
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Searching for order forms.
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Blurry people! *Hangs head shamelessly at blurryness*
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I want my book!
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Harry Potter books.
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Me want now now!
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*Drool*
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Channel 10 camera guy, and the guy with his back to us is like, the talking dude.
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Staff.
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Yay my box!
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It's such a cool box!
And here are the videos! Please people,
download it to your computer and view it if you can. Right click on the link, and select "Save target as" if you're using IE, or "Save link as" if you're using Firefox. Try not to play it directly from the site. And for the paranoid, they've been scanned on Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition with the latest updates.
MVI_2924.AVI MVI_2925.AVI MVI_2926.AVI MVI_2927.AVI
I know I'm in one of those saying "Can I have a box?". Fear my Aussie accent of Aussieness! And seriously, I really was on TV. I happened to be in a shot where they were interviewing some other kid. But I was on TV! I've never been on TV, nor am I a fan of being on TV. My plans for the next Harry Potter book, is to sleep outside a bookstore in the city. Yes, like a hobo. If I have to create a fire I will! And hopefully by then I'll have a better laptop battery and someone will have an unsecure wireless network so I can post pictures of what sleeping outside a bookstore is like.
I'm guessing it's going to be cold and hard. But I'm up for it!
Waiting for the Half-Blood Prince 
My Mum's finger was in it too, she pushed down the flap of the box, you can't really see it, but in one of my videos, the first one I think, she ducks in and pushes it down. Mum's like "My finger is on TV!" 
