Sixth Harry Potter book released

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the sixth installment of the popular series, was released at midnight on July 16 in stores all over the globe. Scholastic, the book's publisher, expects the sixth book to break all previous records, according to The Washington Post.

Over 10.8 million copies have been printed by the book's publisher, half of which are expected to be sold within the first 24 hours, said The Post.

Hundreds of people dressed up as their favorite Harry Potter character and waited in long lines for their copy of the long awaited book in bookstores all over the world. Magic shows, treasure hunts, fire-breathing and other magical activities kept anxious fans entertained while waiting for midnight to arrive.

Some eager fans were reported to have shown up at four in the afternoon on July 15 at Borders book store in downtown Silver Spring to be the first in line to receive the sixth book. Some people waited over two hours to receive a book.