Muggles (non-magic folk), across Ames will be rushing to local bookstores this weekend, in hopes to get hold of the new Harry Potter book.

“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” hits shelves at midnight Friday, and many bookstores in Ames and around the world are preparing to host release parties.

The fifth book in the famous series, written by J.K. Rowling, will be available on June 21 in Britain, the United States, Canada and Australia, according to www.amazon.com.

The Harry Potter series depicts the life of a young wizard and his adventures at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Most bookstores in Ames will start selling book five in the series at midnight, although one store has decided to wait until Saturday morning to begin selling.

Christine Peitzman, a clerk at the University Book Store (UBS), Memorial Union, said some parents don’t want to bring their children to a store so late at night.

“We’re having our party at 10:30 on Saturday morning,” Peitzman said.

UBS will show Harry Potter movies during the event, make wands and play a number of games, Peitzman said.

Borders, 1200 South Duff, will be hosting a release party from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Face painting and Harry Potter trivia are among the events scheduled to take place.

“We’ll have enough books to meet demand,” said Danielle Aastrup, Borders sales manager.

Big Table Books, 330 Main St. will also be hosting a party starting at 11 p.m. with prizes and treats, said Susan Bedell, store manager. Big Table Books has taken many book reservations, she said.

“We’re donating a portion of the sales [for customers] who preorder to a school of their choice,” Bedell said.

Hastings, 620 Lincoln Way, will be giving away a free Hershey’s chocolate bar with the reservation of the 38-chapter book.

Campus Book Store, 2300 Lincoln Way, declined to comment on what activities they might be doing.

Gary Wickering, an associate at Waldenbooks, 2801 Grand Avenue, said the store will begin their party at midnight.

A trading card game is scheduled to take place, and door prizes such as Harry Potter key chains will be given away. A section of the book will also be read aloud.

“We’ll be reading the first chapter,” Wickering said.

Wickering said employees and customers may dress up at their release party.

“Employees are encouraged to dress up [in costume],” Wickering said.

The amount of reservations for the new book ranges from about 75 to 745 at local bookstores.

Wickering said Waldenbooks stopped taking reservations June 2.

“Some people have been on this list for two years,” he said.

According to www.amazon.com, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is roughly 1/3 longer and one chapter longer than the fourth book in the series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Amazon reports that the fifth book is currently number one in book sales in the United States.

There are over 255,000 words in the fifth book, compared to 191,000 words in the Goblet of Fire, the longest of the first four books.