Day 6

Harry Potter and the Agony of Anticipation: Can J.K. Rowling's new play keep the magic alive?

Preview performances began this week for J.K. Rowling's highly-anticipated new play, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child." Set 19 years after the end of the last novel, the play features Harry Potter as a middle-aged government worker whose son is about to start at Hogwarts.
A cast photo and the logo for "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child," the latest addition to J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter saga. (DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images, @HPPlayLDN/Twitter)
This week, J.K. Rowling's highly-anticipated two-part play "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" had its first preview performances at London's Palace Theatre. Around the world, Harry Potter fans are itching to get their hands on the script. 
Day 6 panelist and self-professed "#1 Harry Potter fan" Katie Aiani with her epic collection of Potter memorabilia. (Katie Aiani)
The story is set 19 years after the end of the last novel, and features Harry Potter as a middle-aged government employee whose son is about to start at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 
Toronto-based Harry Potter superfan and Day 6 panelist Rachel Kellogg.
The reviews from the handful of fans who've been lucky enough to get seats to the first performances have been positive so far
Panelist Evan Hoyle, decked out in full wizard regalia. (Hassan Arshad/CBC)

But around the world, Harry Potter fans who grew up with the original seven-book canon are anxiously waiting to find out whether the new storyline will live up to their high standards.

For a sense of how Harry Potter superfans on this side of the Pond are reacting to the hype around the new play, Brent speaks to self-professed "Potterheads" and Day 6 panelists Katie Aiani, Evan Hoyle, and Rachel Kellogg.

We're betting that all the hype around "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" will inspire a slew of fan-fiction plays — so we've developed our own Day 6 Harry Potter random plotline-generator for Harry's journey into middle age. Take it for a spin: