We hate lines and we shy away from new things -- we're definitely a second- or third-generation adopter for tech, and a wait-for-the-paperback guy for books.

But we guess this Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows turned things sideways. We were conscripted by our significant other to fetch the new book at midnight. Cover to Cover, a great little bookstore in Noe Valley, turned the book's availability into an event, with crowds and costumes and even a band. As you may expect from "Stroller Valley," plenty of young people were there, as well as plenty of adults. Despite ourselves, we got caught up in the energy of the event. After the jump, check out how it all went down.

Photos by SFist Jer.

Photo of costumed teens posing happily with their new books. These guys were great. They'd never heard of SFist before, so we skipped the questions about Ed Jew and recent shenanigans on the J-Church.