I stood in a queue, in my school uniform, outside one of the bookstores and watched the Penguin truck roll in. But once I got the book, I put away my cell phone, TV, papers - It was the quietest day of my life!
Gayathri ‘Potter’ Gopalakrishnan Media student and self-confessed auror
I was sick that day. I was so morose that I couldn’t go buy the book myself, I ended up bribing my neighbour to do it. What followed was one whole night of continuous reading and three days of writing the neighbour’s record (Yes, that was the bribe).
Maya Parameshwaran media student
I was in Class 12. I bunked my tuition, raced across the city after school to get to the book shop in T Nagar where I’d ordered it. I used every ounce of self control not to start reading it on the bus home and read it while making maggi, eating maggi and even while doing the dishes after. Kept reading until 3 am. When I was done, my sleepy father walked into the room and I told him, ‘Dad, he won! Voldemort is dead!’
Srividya Athirasala CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT
I was in the third year of college when the book released. I was such a big fan that I bunked college to finish the book. But I ended up getting caught by my bio-chemistry professor for reading Harry Potter underneath the desk in class. So much fun!
Mirnalini Venkataraman fellow at Teach for India
I was in class 11 when the book released. Once I got the book, I read all through the night. And I ended up getting 65 per cent on the Math test the day after. No regrets at all.
Vignesh Natarajan Engineering student
I remember standing in a queue really early in the morning the day the book released. And I remember closing my ears and joining in with the collective glaring at some moron who got the book, decided to flip to the last page and read from it aloud. I think he ran soon, worried there might be a small mob after him. Kalathmika Natarajan Researcher and long time Harry fan