Southdale Stricken with Potter Fever

When the iPhone's digital clock read 3:01 p.m. Thursday, Harry Potter fans awaiting the midnight premiere of the series' last installment at  knew they only had nine more long hours to go. But what if there were something to help pass the time? That was the question that Amy Siegel and Bridget Mulheran, marketing assistants for Southdale Center, decided to answer. 

"What can we do mid-day to keep people jazzed about what they're waiting for?" Siegel remembers thinking while planning "A Magical Wizard Event" (copyright and trademark laws barred them from using our favorite boy wizard's name).

What they came up with was one part wizard, three parts Potter. There was a character costume contest, a "snitch" building table (if you've seen the movies you know what this is, if not just Google it) and a potion recipe contest. 

"There were some interesting ones," Siegel laughs, talking about the latter. "Someone came up with a North Pole potion that would take you there after you drank it. Another person wrote out a 'Strength Potion' where the recipe called for muscles, skeleton, bones and some random root."

At the peak of the event, there were upward of 100 people hanging out, engaging in conversation about their one commonality—Harry Potter.

"We're trying to bring new events to the mall that are a little different, a little outside-of-the-box," said Siegel. 

And she picked the perfect day.

After the costume contest, the participants returned to their positions in line. The entire area was separated into sectors by theater with yellow caution tape, making the whole area look like a crime scene. There were fans with coolers, lawn chairs, blankets and pillows, all being kept under the vigil of a couple security guards.

"I've never seen any of the movies," said one guard, who asked to remain anonymous. "All I know is that the movie starts at midnight and there have been people here since eight this morning."

7:30 a.m., actually, according to Becca Doyle and Emily Mackmiller, who held down the first two spots in line.

"When we got here this morning everything was still gated and closed," said Mackmiller. "All the lights were off but the mall's doors were open so we figured it was OK."

In a few short hours Mackmiller, Doyle and enough Potter fans to sell out six of AMC's theaters finally saw the conclusion they'd long been waiting for. According to the Los Angeles Times, so did an estimated $45 million worth of movie ticket buyers.