POSTPONUS AGEISTUS! Adult Pottermaniacs desperate to attend a Harry Potter day reserved for children have cast a spell, causing the event to be postponed so organisers can figure out how to cater to a wider age group.
The City of Perth library vastly underestimated the legion of grown up Harry fans dead-keen to get into an event designed for 12-18-year-olds.
“What’s with the age restriction!!!” Maddy Lewis posted to the Facebook page in her best Moaning Myrtle impression. “I’m way older than 18 and desperate to go.”
Calling themselves ”professors of youth services”, library staff at first drily explained the day had been “carefully designed with activities and content relevant for this age range”.
“We are overwhelmed with the response from people outside of the teenage bracket and may consider events suitable for other age brackets in the future.”
That was met with Deatheater-like venom: ”Bullshit not good enough,” 24-year-old Heaven-Leigh Rawinia Ormsby posted. “There’s a kid in every adult so not happy!”
A few days later the library announced it was postponing the event.
“Dear witches, wizards and muggles. Thank you for the tremendous interest in the Harry Potter event, the professors here at the City of Perth library are both thrilled and overwhelmed by the response.”
While the original plan had been to cater for under-18s and get them familiar with the new library and staff through the lens of a Harry Potter night, “we want to be able to provide a magical experience for all library patrons”.
Meanwhile, there’s some respite for wizened wizard worshippers: Northbridge venue Jack Rabbit Slims reckons there’s so many drinking-age Potterheads around Perth it’s banking on being able to fill 10 Harry Potter-themed quiz nights across May, June and July.
by DAVID BELL
Perth Voice Interactive 
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