Grab your wands and broomsticks for a spellbinding night. There’s some midnight magic ahead for Harry Potter fans.

When the credits rolled on the last Harry Potter film, fans who had followed it for a decade had to face the fact that it was The End.

But now author JK Rowling has pulled another book out of the bag – Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – which is available in shops this weekend, when it also opens on the West End stage.

From wands and owls, to sorting hats and flying Ford Anglias, fans of the tales are known for their devotion to all things Harry and they will be packing bookshops all over the country this Saturday night to celebrate the book’s release.

Waterstones at Bluewater is holding a party from 10pm on Saturday, July 30, where fans can be among the first to get their hands on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. There will be games, activities, competitions and treats, including prizes for the best fancy dress.

Visitors can then collect their copy when the clock strikes 12.

No purchase is necessary to go to the party, but to buy a copy, due to Sunday Trading Laws, you need to have paid for your copy before midnight as transactions cannot be processed through the till after that time.

There’s also a party at Fremlin Walk Waterstones in Maidstone from 11pm on Saturday, July 30.

Tickets cost £10, which include a copy of the book. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult. Waterstones in St Margaret’s Street, Canterbury will also be opening at midnight for the book launch. Waterstones at Ashford will be holding a party between 10am and 4pm on Sunday, July 31 with a fancy dress competition, decorating a dragon’s egg and a quiz at 3pm .

For details go to waterstones.com.

THE NEW BOOK

Based on an original new story by JK Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first to be presented on the stage.

The epilogue to the last book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was set 19 years in the future, with Harry married to Ginny Weasley and a father of three.

Their son was nervously leaving for his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and pals Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, now married, were at the station seeing their own children off.

The new story picks up where this scene left off with Harry now working for the Ministry of Magic. His son Albus must struggle with the family legacy.

The Harry Potter novels have sold more than 450m copies and been translated into 79 languages.

THE NEW PLAY

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is being premiered on Saturday, July 30 in the West End at the Palace Theatre. It’s the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage.

The Cursed Child is performed in two separate parts. Part One lasts two hours 50 minutes and Part Two lasts two hours and 40 minutes. You can either choose to watch the two parts on separate nights or you can book to see both on the same day.

The hard part isn’t deciding how you want to see the play, it’s getting a ticket. The show is almost booked up until next May. However, every Friday at 1pm the theatre releases 40 tickets for every performance the following week.

More details at harrypottertheplay.com.