Bookstores and libraries throughout the Metro area planned special events for the much-anticipated release of the last Harry Potter book. The book was scheduled to go on sale at midnight.

Borders Books

Borders bookstores throughout the area are hosting a "Grand Hallows Ball" Friday night from 9:30 p.m. until midnight, when the books will go on sale. Borders stores in Portland, Vancouver, Beaverton, Bridgeport Village and Gresham will host activities including a costume contest, Potter Spelling Bee, Harry Potter trivia games, a Kiddie Karnival and prizes. The Beaverton store will also host an OMSI Magic Science show.

Powell Books

Leading up to the midnight release, Powells Books will host a magical street celebration for kids and adults behind their store at Couch St, between 10th and 11th, starting at 8 p.m. Friday. Party guests are encouraged to dress as their favorite characters from the books. Musicians and dancers will be on the main stage, and street vendors will sell food and beverages until midnight.

Powells Books also planned events at its Hawthorne and the Beaverton location.

Barnes and Noble

The Washington Square Barnes and Noble will stay open late on Friday, with a special Midnight Magic Costume Party starting at 8 p.m. Guests are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite character from the series of books. At the stroke of midnight, copies of the long-awaited final Harry Potter book will go on sale.

Harry on Hold at Libraries

The Multnomah County library was making the book available for checkout beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, but library officials said 2,006 people had already placed holds on the 500 copies in the library system. Libraries will also have copies on audio CD.

Record pre-sale for HP

"Deathly Hallows" has a print run of 12 million in the United States alone, and Internet retailer Amazon says it has taken 2.2 million orders for the book -- 47 percent higher than the pre-order for the sixth volume, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." Britain's Royal Mail says it will deliver 600,000 copies on Saturday -- one for every 43 households in the country; the U.S. Postal Service said it would deliver 1.8 million copies.