The Day Harry Potter Fans Waited For

Today, July 18, marks day four of post-Potter depression.

It’s not just my sentiments; plenty of exuberant Harry Potter fans cranked out their inner-geek to the max on July 15 to watch the midnight premier of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.  

The entire day felt like a dream – one that I will never forget.

The big event started on July 14. Well, technically, everything really began when we scrambled to get IMAX 3D tickets months before. The Monday before, three of my friends and I met at Michael’s to get supplies for our Hogwarts House-coordinated t-shirts. But we arrived at the theater the day before the actual premier to find optimum seats for the biggest movie of our lives thus far.

We walked into Regal Hacienda in Dublin at 11:30 a.m. and were greeted by a hoard of friends and ecstatic fans. Apparently, the group first in the IMAX 3D line arrived at midnight the night before! The four of us situated our spot in line, took pictures of our awesome t-shirts, and set out to make the most of our day.

While our parents thought we were crazy for getting there so early, we were rarely bored. In the IMAX lobby, a Harry Potter marathon was playing on two TV screens. A group waiting in line decorated their waiting area and provided snacks like Butterbeer. Nearly everyone was dressed up for the occasion – some even as characters in specific, like Dumbledore or Harry! The atmosphere was that of a party-filled Hogwarts. It’s difficult to describe it any other way than magical.

When we were let into our theater at 11 p.m., no one could contain his or her excitement. With countdown spurts and witty comments, it was hard to believe that “the end to our childhood,” the book series that we had all grown up reading, the movies the world loved to watch, was coming to a close.

I refuse to write about the movie itself in detail because I encourage everyone to watch it. Even if you haven’t kept good tabs on the rest of the saga, this end of a legacy is one you won’t want to miss.

As for my friends and I, we look forward to telling our story to anyone who’ll listen – not only about the day, but how Harry was with us for an entire decade of our childhood. And never forget what J.K. Rowling said at the premier in London: “Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.”