THE Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle will, as if by magic, be transformed into the assembly hall at Hogwarts School at the stroke of midnight on July 15.
In this historic setting, JK Rowling, the creator of Harry Potter, will launch the sixth book in the series with a first reading to 70 children.
Harry Potter and the HalfBlood Prince takes up the story of his sixth year at the school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Her youthful audience will be there not only to hear but to report on the event, after taking part in an exclusive news conference. The Herald's cub reporter will be among them, and that could be you.
If you are aged between eight and 16, find out more inside about our competition which could win you the chance to take part in this extraordinary weekend of events, staying at a luxury hotel and arriving at the castle in a horse-drawn carriage.
Before dispatching you on this quest, we will require you to demonstrate your acumen by conjuring up a news report based on a dramatic incident from the previous Harry Potter series.
The weekend begins on the Friday night when the 70 will meet Rowling, receive a signed copy of the book, and hear the first reading from the author herself. On the Saturday they will meet up to spend the day reading the book and devising their questions for the following day's news conference.
The Saturday night, however, will be devoted to banqueting.
Scholastic, Inc, the US publisher, has announced a first printing of 10.8 million copies, the largest run for a hard cover release there. The previous record holder was also Harry Potter, with the Order of the Phoenix, launched in 2003 with a first run of 6.8 million.
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