Cathleen Allison/Nevada Appeal Aishwarya Krishnamoorthy, 10, left, and Raghavi Anand, 9, play during a Harry Potter party at the Carson City Library on Wednesday afternoon.
The question is: "Who gave Tom Riddle's diary to Ginny Weasley?"
Aishwarya Krishnamoorthy, 10, shot her arm into the air.
"Mr. Malfoy!" She declared.
The Bordewich-Bray Elementary School student was awarded with a book of her choice from the prize box. She spent several minutes contemplating her options before choosing "The Lord of the Rings," which she chose because it's big.
"I'm a big fan of Harry Potter," Aishwarya said. "I have all five books and I'm going to get the sixth one when it comes out. I have a gift card."
The questions posed Wednesday to a room of 60 children and teens in the Carson City Library were not difficult. At least not to those hooked on the Harry Potter series, written by J.K. Rowling. Some parents clustered around the edge wore astonished looks; others seemed to want to join in.
The trivia game was a competitive exercise on who could get their hand up first and then spit out the sometimes alliterative or phonetically challenging character names, such as Peter Pettigrew and Rita Skeeter. And then some children, such as 11-year-old Holly Roth, knew the answer down to the very chapter.
The question: Where did Harry Potter first come across the name Nicholas Flemel?
"On Dumbledore's chocolate frog card in Chapter Six of Book One!" said Holly.
She had entered the party clutching a copy of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," which Holly said she's reading for the seventh time. When asked why she came to the Harry Potter celebration she doesn't have an answer, but her friend whispers, "because you're obsessed."
There's no question where she'll be when the "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" is released early Saturday morning.
Sitting at the Gryffindor table - the children were sorted by picking a tag out of a witch's hat - was Kimberly Matus eating a vanilla cupcake from "Honey Duke's," which was just a table covered with sweets. The Leaky Cauldron was the table with the punch bowl.
"I'm just here because I love Harry Potter," the 14-year-old said. She wore a long black cape that her mother made and a pink striped tie. "The stories are so creative."
The library event celebrates not just Harry Potter but any fantasy book, said youth library assistant Melissa Forrest, who donned a purple crushed velvet cape for the event.
"It gets them wired up to go home," she said.
- Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.
Potter Pajama Party
WHAT: J.K. Rowling's sixth Harry Potter book, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," is due out Saturday.
WHERE: The Book Den, 1328 Highway 395 South, in Gardnerville is holding a pajama party
WHEN: 11 p.m. Friday. The store will start selling the book at 12:01 a.m. Wear your pajamas and receive an extra 10 percent off the price. Refreshments will be served.
Information: Call 783-1100.
Midnight Madness
WHAT: Midnight madness party with face painting, a trivia contest, activity tables
WHEN: 9 p.m.-midnight, books go on sale at 12:01 a.m.
WHERE: Borders Books, 911 Topsy Lane, Indian Hills
Information: Call 267-0755
