Potter fans spellbound by Rowling at book signing

0 Comments | AFP, July, 2007

LONDON (AFP) —

Hundreds of eager fans braved darkness, exhaustion and chilly air to listen to Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling autograph and read passages from her latest book.

"Probably slim to none, but hey, one's always got hope, right?" said Jess Ciroi, a 20-year-old, who cites Rowling as her inspiration for becoming a writer.

Inside the Natural History Museum, Rowling was staging a reading of "Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows" for 500 lucky fans before signing books for a further 1,200.

But this still left dozens of fans queuing up outside in the vague hope of catching a glimpse of the author as she launched the seventh and final novel in the best-selling series.

Minutes after its release at 2301 GMT, Ciroi and her mother Wilma,...