DEL MAR — The clock was approaching midnight on July 20 when Lisa Stefanacci, owner of The Book Works in Del Mar, placed two sealed boxes on the front counter.

Dozens of eager eyes were instantly transfixed on the boxes, which had “DO NOT OPEN BEFORE JULY 21” stamped on every side. Inside were the first few copies of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” and plenty more of them were behind the counter.

“I had to sign a bunch of release waivers promising that I would hide the boxes and that I wouldn’t open them early,” Stefanacci said.

When the clock struck midnight, an enormous cheer went up inside The Book Works. Dozens of fans lined up to purchase their copy of the most anticipated book of the year and the final book in J.K. Rowling’s magical “Harry Potter” series.

According to Stefanacci, The Book Works in Del Mar figured it would be a good time to throw a party. “We’re usually open on Friday nights until 11 p.m. anyway, and I have a 10-year-old son who loves Harry Potter, so I said, ‘Why not?’”

Stefanacci even got other neighboring businesses to join in on the act: Thinker Things had children making “golden snitches” from the book’s high-flying game called Quidditch, and the Pannikin Coffee and Tea featured a screening of the Harry Potter movies.

Inside The Book Works were face painting, snacks and a raffle for the store’s first copy of the new book.“I think the series has attracted so many kids because it has all of these elements that draw them in,” Stefanacci said. “It has magic, adventure and excitement. And there is a growing up aspect to the stories, too, which kids can relate to.”

Eleven-year-old Larissa Garcia was at Thinker Things sporting a black wizard hat. “Harry Potter is really cool,” Larissa said. “And when you read the books, everything fits together like a puzzle.”

Larissa’s mother, Donna Silva-Garcia, said the Harry Potter craze reminded her of another fanatical movement that began 30 years ago.

“It reminds me of when ‘Star Wars ‘first came out,” Silva-Garcia said. “I stood in line for hours and I ended up seeing it 14 times!”

Some fans in attendance said they have “grown up” alongside Harry Potter. Sixteen-year-old Carrie Walters said she started reading the series when she was 9. Her friend, 17-year-old Rachel Greenstein, picked up her first Harry Potter book at age 11.

“There is something new in every book,” Greenstein said. “I think the author’s style of writing, the characters and their magic is what drew me in. We all want to do magic.”

When asked how long it will take her to finish the 759-page adventure, 9-year-old Olivia Kasdin was quick to answer.

“One night!” she exclaimed.

Olivia’s friend, 9-year-old Thea Hanson, was a bit more conservative in her prediction.

“Maybe 24 hours,” she said.