I’ve not read any of the Harry Potter books.

And I’ve little to no time for the films.

But I have a great deal of sympathy for the fans.

After camping out, some for more than 48 hours, suffering some hideous downpours they will eventually pick up what is the last book in the series.

I’m sure that to some extent, whether Harry lives or dies, the fact that for many a character they’ve grown up with will soon be no more must mute the excitement to some extent.

I imagine them leafing very slowly through the novel’s pages in order to savour the little wizard’s final adventure. That’s if all the fans haven’t been swept away in today’s flash floods.