“This.  Is.  Stupid.”

 

Joyce raised her eyebrows at Raquel. “I thought you liked staying up late.”

 

“Sure-when I’m at home and can do anything I want.  Not when I have to be at work and entertain little children with thoughts of Harry Potter.”

 

“I like Harry Potter.”

 

“Shut up, Steve.”

 

The three booksellers stood behind the counter, awaiting the doors to open and the official Harry Potter celebration would begin.  The seventh and final book was to be released that very night and the line outside the doors already spread into the parking lot.

 

It was planned to be a record selling book, and to help promote it, Nate’s Books was going to hold a celebration.  Every employee was brought in, the store was cleaned top to bottom, and special events were to be held.

 

In the children’s department, a large, flat screen TV had been set, ready to play the Harry Potter movies.  There were games throughout the store where children could win stickers, bookmarks, candy and assorted other Harry Potter goods.  There would be a costume contest and face painting. The party would last from 10 pm to 1 am.

 

“Hey, did you hear that Nate might actually come in tonight?” Steve said after a minute.  Joyce and Raquel looked at him. “I heard it from Shane.  He said that Nate said that he wanted to see just how well this book sells.  I mean, it is the last one-we should be selling hundreds-“

 

“Five minutes, everyone.” It was Shane, who unhappy about the whole Harry Potter thing to begin with.  He sneered at everyone who dressed up for the thing, especially Steve, who was head to toe in Harry Potter clothing.  Betty had black cat earrings and a witch’s hat, as if she confused Harry Potter with Halloween. Amber had on an outfit that Hermonie had worn in the 3^rd movie.  Tracy had a simple witch’s hat and Joyce wore a T-Shirt with the Harry Potter gang on it.

 

The others in the store had gone for the more normal look, basically because they didn’t care.  David was there solely to place the books on the shelf and Nicole, the inventory woman, was there to unpack the boxes. Raquel was there to sell, but she could care less about Harry Potter, but for the first time her gothic appearance blended in with the bookstore.

 

“Will you look at that?” Tracy asked David as she peered out the window at the waiting crowd. “They look like they’re ready to start a riot.”

 

“It’s amazing that no one cares about our store until Harry Potter is about to come out.” Raquel paused. “Wait, I still don’t care about the store.” And she walked off leaving David and Tracy alone at the window.

 

“Why does she still work here?” David asked.

 

“I ask myself that every time I see her,” Tracy answered.

 

“Stand back, guys,” Shane pushed his way between them. “It’s time to open the door. Aren’t you two supposed to be running the Quiddich game?”

 

“I’ll get the broomsticks from the back,” Tracy said.

 

“And I’ll help,” David volunteered.

 

Shane watched the two of them head to the back room. “Joyce!” he called. The tall, dark-haired girl poked her head up from the sci-fi section. “Why don’t you spy—I mean help Tracy and David set up.”

 

Joyce smiled. Everyone wondered about Tracy and David alone in the back room. No one was sure why they spent so much time back there alone, but they had their suspicions if no proof.

 

Shane turned back to the door where hundreds of little wizards had their hands and faces pressed up against the glass and the tops of their hats in the eyes of the kids behind them. The door opened outward. This was going to be difficult.

“I need a broom!” Shane announced. It was then he noticed Denae and Collin cuddling and kissing a little ways back in line. “And a shotgun!”

 

Unfortunately, only the broom was delivered, and after much pushing and waving of the broom, the door opened and the avalanche poured in. The store filled with life, laughter, crying, and reprimanding parents.

 

Raquel and Betty were in charge of registers, though for some reason Amber was up there too.

 

“Isn’t this exciting?” Betty chirped. “My grandkids are supposed to come in tonight. They love Harry Potter. I read it to them every time they come to visit. They’re both going to be dressed up in the most darling costumes I found online.”

 

“Don’t you think that Harry Potter is Satanic?” Amber asked.

 

“What!” Betty’s eyes got wide.

 

“Witchcraft, spells, magic. Doesn’t that sound dark and Satanic to you? What are you teaching your grandkids? They’re going to grow up to be devil worshippers.”

 

Betty gasped. “You two watch the registers. I have to go.”

 

Raquel leaned forward on the counter. “Congrats. You just told her that her grandkids are going to hell.”

 

Amber grinned.

 

The line at the register grew as the books were handed out from the reservation list. Betty had relieved Shane and joined Steve at passing them out and checking names off. Shane wandered the store making sure the games and activities went as planned.

 

“I wanna lightening bolt painted on my forehead,” demanded a six year-old boy dressed like Harry potter and clutching the new book to his chest.

 

“Ok,” Joyce said, dipping her paintbrush into yellow paint. “Hold still.”

 

“No! Use your magic.”

 

“I don’t have any magic.”

 

“You’re a liar! Mommy said tonight was going to be magical!”

 

Joyce wondered if Raquel should take over the face painting. “You’re mommy is the liar.”

 

The little went bug-eyed and he stepped back shocked that anyone would dare insult his mommy.

 

“Joyce, how could you say that?” Shane walked up only to hear the last part of the conversation. “What are you doing over here?”

 

“She called my mommy a liar!” the kid spat out.

 

“I can’t magically put paint on your face unless you come over here and hold still,” Joyce countered.

 

“Really? You’re going to magically do it after all?” the kid wanted to know.

 

“Yes, but you have to come closer, sit here, close your eyes, visualize the lightning bolt, and wait until the wet paint feeling on your forehead stops.”

 

The kid leapt into the chair. “Awesome!” He closed his eyes and swung his legs back and forth.

 

“See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Shane patted Joyce on the back and went to check on the next event.  Joyce rolled her eyes.

 

Tracy and David were having the time of their life trying to get the kids to stop sword fighting with the brooms.

 

“Hey!  You!  Kid with the witch’s hat-no, not you!  The red headed-oh, what’s the point?” Tracy leaned against a bookshelf and groaned. “I never want to have children.”

 

“Really?” David asked, eyebrows raised.

 

“What, you do?”

 

“Wait, what’s this about children?” It was Collin, who had managed to pull himself away from Denae at the thought of hitting some children with a broomstick. “You two are having children?”

 

“No!” Both of them cried together and Collin arched his eyebrows. “OK, OK, no reason to bite my head off. I just thought…well, never mind what I thought.  Especially if you don’t want children.”

 

Tracy rolled her eyes, knowing exactly what he was digging for. “So what about you?” She asked to change the subject. “Do you want children?”

 

Collin’s eyes widened. “Hell no!  I don’t want some snot-nosed brat running around-“

 

“WHAT?”

 

“Uhoh.” David muttered as all three cringed and turned towards Denae, who stood hands on hips, eyes wide, mouth agape.  He leaned over to Tracy. “Now look what you did.”

 

“Quick, let’s get out of here.”

 

“You don’t want children!?” Denae cried. “But…but what about all that stuff you told me the other day?  About starting a family?”

 

Collin held up his hands, as if defending himself from her.  “No, honey, I swear, I want kids-“

 

“I heard you!” Denae shouted, and the broomstick battle came to a halt as the children turned to face the couple. “I heard it from your own mouth!  You just said you don’t want children!”

 

“Well-not yet-I mean, maybe in a few years-“

 

“Now what did you do!?” Shane cried as he ran up to Tracy and David, who were quickly making their escape.

 

Tracy glanced over at the arguing couple. “Actually, you should be thanking us.  It got the kids to stop hitting each other with brooms. The last thing you want is a lawsuit, right?”

 

Shane paled at the thought. “No, definitely not.” He glanced again at Denae and Collin. “Still, if they get out of hand like they normally do-“

 

“Don’t worry about it.  We’ll get them out of here before they start throwing things at each other,” David assured.

 

“Do it now.” Shane stomped off to micro-manage the other employees.

 

“You told me last night you wanted to have kids right away!” Denae shrieked. Every customer in the store turned their head to watch the spectacle.

 

“Sugarbear, I only meant—“ Collin tried to recover.

 

“Don’t ‘Sugarbear’ me, you freak!”

 

“What should we do?” Tracy asked David.

 

“Get popcorn?”

 

“You’re a liar!” Denae tore a broom out of the hand of a four year-old boy and swung it at Collin, missing him but knocking over the Harry Potter countdown display. The four year-old burst into tears and his mom came to his rescue.

 

“Crap,” Tracy muttered. “Shane’s going to be pissed if she ruins anything.”

 

David grabbed the broom from Denae midswing and yanked it out of her hands. “Take this outside, please.”

 

Denae gaped at him. “You’re on his side?”

 

“I’m on whatever side that will let me keep my job.” David swung the broom around and pointed the bristle end toward Denae and shooed her like he would a cat. “Come on.”

 

“You men are all pigs!”

 

David waved them out the front doors, but the fighting didn’t stop. For the next hour Denae and Collin threw things against the wall that separated the café from the bookstore. Betty compensated by turning the movie up.

 

“Do you sell earplugs?” a customer shouted in Tracy’s ear.

 

“I wish.”

 

With the Quiddich game over, David walked around and helped customers, and Tracy decided to help Steve and Betty hand out the last of the books. The crowd started to thin as the clock neared 1 a.m. The first shift would leave soon, which would leave Tracy, Shane, Raquel, Steve, and Joyce to run the store the rest of the evening. Nicole would stay until all the books were unpacked, and Betty and Amber would be back at 10 a.m. to open the store, and David and would work the midshift until Shane and Joyce came back to close. Tracy was scheduled to work a late mid, but contemplated calling out sick.

 

“Daniel Radcliffe is so hot,” Steve said to a girl as he handed her her book after ringing it up. “He makes the best Harry Potter.”

 

“I have a poster of him above my bed,” the girl giggled.  “And his calendar, all the movies, all the books, all the stuffed animals. I like to lie on my bed, look around my room, and wonder what our wedding would be like.”

 

“Oh, my God.” Raquel muttered and turned to Amber. “I can’t take much more of this.”

 

“Good.” It was Betty, who had come up behind them.  They both turned to face her.  The older woman had a cold gaze turned to Raquel-it was a well known fact that the two did not get along. “Since you are tired of working the counter, why don’t you take over for Joyce at the face painting station.”

 

“But the party’s almost over and I was having so much fun here.” Raquel whined.

 

“I’ll do it.” Steve interjected. “I really don’t mind-I like to draw-“

 

“Yeah, let the queer do it.”

 

“Raquel!” Betty gasped.

 

“I’m not gay!” Steve protested. “I have a girlfriend.”

 

“What’s her name?”

 

“Susan.”

 

“That’s enough.  Raquel, take over for Joyce.”

 

Raquel and Betty glared at each other and finally Raquel turned away. “Bunch of fascists.” She muttered as she made her way over to Joyce, who looked a little green. “What’s with you?”

 

Joyce shuddered. “To get a kid to sit still enough to paint, I told him I’d eat some of those Harry Potter jelly beans.  He told his friends and-“ Another shudder passed over her. “It kinda got out of hand.” She blanched. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

 

“Well, it’s your lucky day.  Betty sent me over to finish the job. You can go throw up in the back room.”

 

“You’re going to work the last half hour painting on small children?” Joyce’s cheeks puffed up, and she put her hand over her mouth.

 

Raquel grinned. “I think I can manage.  Go throw up.”

 

Joyce staggered to her feet and disappeared.  Raquel eyed the line in front of her.  There were two kids-one who looked like she was going to fall asleep standing up and the other who looked like he had had way too much candy.

 

She glanced at the clock above the registers.  Twenty five minutes to go before they could shut down the activities and become a normal store again.  Twenty five minutes was way too long.

 

“What are you doing over here?”

 

Raquel glanced up at Shane and gave him her best smile. “Just doing what Betty asked me to do.  Why? Jealous?”

 

He ignored her. “Where’s Joyce?”

 

“Spilling her dinner in the backroom.  You wanna join her?”

 

Shane did not look amused. “Perhaps Steve would be better suited-“

 

“What’s the matter, Shane?  Don’t you trust me?”

 

A loud, squealing, “Hi there!” rang through the store. For the second time that night, the customers stopped what they were doing and a hundred heads poked up from the bookcases to see what could possibly be louder than the Harry Potter movie. “You all look so adorable!” Betty shrilled. “Everyone, come see how cute my grandchildren look in their Harry Potter costumes!”

“I’m going in the back with Joyce.” Raquel tried to walk away, but Shane grabbed her by the back of the shirt.

 

“No way. I’m going in the back with Joyce.”

 

The crowd parted as Betty trumped through with three little wizards in tow. Betty brought them to the back of the store to the face painting station.

 

“Raquel, this is Julie, Alexandra, and Andy,” Betty introduced the kids who were lined up tallest (and probably oldest) to shortest.

 

“Nice to meet you,” they chirped in unison.

 

“Will you please paint whatever they want for them?”

 

Raquel smiled, which was usually a warning of something bad to happen, but Betty was so excited about seeing her grandkids that she didn’t notice the mischievous thoughts brewing.

 

“Sure, Betty. Whatever you say. Who’s first?”

 

Betty left the three in Raquel’s care and helped customers with too much enthusiasm. Customers scurried out of sight to avoid her. Anyone she managed to catch stuttered, ”No thanks, I’m just looking,” and left the store soon afterwards.

 

Tracy wondered what to do next, and spotted the line at the register growing since Raquel had left.

 

“Need help?” Tracy took her place behind the second register.

 

10 minutes later, Shane started his rounds letting customers know the store was closing in 10 minutes, and if they have any questions, any questions at all, to please ask him and he would happily answer them.  Steve thought this was cool and followed behind him like a puppy dog. “We have more Harry Potter sticker books in our kids section over in the corner. I’ll show you right where they are. There’s a great one with a huge picture of Daniel Radcliffe. We’re closing in ten minutes, so you better hurry. It might start a stampede of fans over there.”

 

“What did you do?!” Betty suddenly shrieked across the store. One customer clamped his hands over his ears. A few dropped their books and snuck out.

 

“Wanna check it out?” Amber asked Tracy.

 

“Why me?” Tracy mumbled. She left the register and followed Betty’s cries to the face painting stand where Raquel stood smiling, a brush in one hand. The three kids turned and smiled up at Tracy as she approached.

 

“Do you like it?” the asked.

 

Tracy stifled a laugh. Raquel had painted devil horns, pentagrams, 666, fire, and other hellish symbols across their faces.

 

“That’s what they said they wanted,” Raquel said innocently. “I asked, and they said Harry Potter symbols.”

 

“Those are not Harry Potter symbols!” Betty gasped.

 

“I didn’t know. I haven’t read the book. Amber said Harry Potter was witchcraft.”

 

Andy, the shortest, waved his wand in the air toward the cafe. “Shazaam! Make them stop fighting!”

 

 “We have to go. I can’t let your mother see you like this!” Betty took the hand of Alex, the tallest, and they each grabbed hands in turn, and the line trailed into the restroom. There was a loud sob, and then running water.

 

“Good job,” Tracy said.

 

Raquel rolled her eyes. “Please.  What are they going to do?  Fire me?”

 

“They just might.”

 

“Have you heard of Nate firing anyone since he’s worked here?”

 

“Well, no, but-“

 

“Then there’s no problem.” Raquel moved past her and collected the painting supplies. “It’s suddenly quite over in that café. And do I smell smoke?”

 

Tracy sniffed the air. “Yeah, I think so.”

 

A siren wailed outside. Everyone in the store pushed their way to the glass windows, or outside to see what was going on. Tracy elbowed her way out into the parking lot, with Raquel and Amber behind her.

 

“Fire!” Tracy gasped.

 

Flames licked the wall between Harvey’s Hardware Store and the Cheap Deals Travel Agency.

 

“Everyone out of the building!” a fireman ordered.

 

Raquel spotted Denae and Collin standing ten feet away clinging to each other. “Wow. The kid really did get them to stop fighting…Or maybe I am literally going to get fired.”

 

“We have to get everyone out of the bookstore.” Tracy grabbed Amber by the arm and tugged her back inside. “There’s a fire! Everyone out!”

 

Shane looked up from the box he was unpacking. “Are you sure?”

 

“Are you blind? There are firetrucks everywhere out there.”

 

Betty emerged from the bathroom, her mascara smeared around her eyes like a raccoon. Her grandkids followed after her like ducklings behind their mother. “What’s all the commotion?”

 

“We have to evacuate the store. There’s a fire.”

 

Raquel appeared from behind Tracy. “Yeah. Your grandkid started it when he cast a spell to make Denae and Collin stop fighting.”

 

“Aaawww!” Betty gasped. Tears welled up in her eyes again. She grabbed Alex’s hand. “Let’s get out of here!”

 

By then the store was almost empty. Shane circled to the store and checked the bathrooms. “Let’s lock up.”

 

Betty, the kids, Tracy, Amber, Raquel, and Shane joined Nicole, Joyce, David, and Steve outside.

 

“This is awful! I didn’t have a chance to buy all the Harry Potter merchandise I wanted and now it’s going to burn up!” Steve clasped his head.  “This can’t be happening. I almost died!”

 

“Joyce, calm him down,” Tracy ordered.

 

It didn’t take long before the fire was put out. Most of the damage was in the travel agency. It stopped before it hit the café which would have been the next victim before it would have hit the bookstore. Shane reopened the store, but by then most of the customers decided to go home. They sold books to the last customers and closed the doors. Shane picked up the phone behind the registers and called Nate.

 

“I don’t want you to ever use that wand again,” Tracy overhead Betty telling Andy. “Some things are not toys. Some things come from the wrong source. Now your mom is going to be here any minute to pick you up. Let’s not tell her any of this, ok?”

 

Tracy shook her head and went into the back room. “Can you believe this?”

 

Raquel and Joyce were unloading Harry Potter boxes from a pallet. Nicole muttered under her breath as she fiddled around with the paperwork. “What a waste to unload all these books. I wouldn’t have bothered to bring them out of storage if I knew we wouldn’t sell them.”

 

“It’s not your fault,” Joyce offered.

 

“No, it’s Andy’s,” Raquel said.

 

“Tsk,” Nicole snorted. “It was probably the face painting. You probably cursed him.”

 

Shane came in the back, his face white.

 

“What did Nate have to say?” Tracy asked.

 

“He wasn’t happy. He was really looking forward to tonight.”

 

“So what’s going to happen?”

 

“I don’t know. He’s pretty pissed. I think we’re going to have a meeting.”

 

The conversation ended and a silence descended on the group.  Finally, Raquel reached over and picked up a paintbrush. With a large grin, she asked, “Anyone want their face painted?”