End of the Hogwarts Era

Maplewood fans of Harry Potter could not see the final film of the phenomenally successful series in their hometown last night so they traveled to two neighboring towns to partake in the Hogwarts mania.

Fans began arriving at 10 p.m. to say a bittersweet farewell to Harry Potter at the midnight showing in Millburn (other fans arrived even earlier in ).

The first two to arrive Thursday night had their robes, wands, a stuffed snake, stuffed owl and they each had their copies of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” with them, figuring there might be time to read a bit while they waited.

 “It’s a wrap up of our childhood; we just graduated from high school, and it’s the end of this, too,” said 18-year-old Samantha Storch, who was the second in line behind her friend Zoe King, 17, both of whom graduated from Columbia High School. “It’s fitting that it all ends now.”

Next in line, who’d also been there for two hours, was a group of girls from Gryffindor, although technically they graduated from Millburn High School last month.

“I’m proud to be in the Harry Potter generation,” said Hannah Flaum, 18, wearing a wizard hat. “It feels right. The fact that it’s ending is very bittersweet for sure.”

Most of the crowd had grown up with Harry and the gang from Hogwarts and they weren’t really ready to let go.

“I’m really sad it’s ending,” said Taylor Perretti, 17 and a Millburn High School Senior, who dressed in her Gryffindor best with a striped tie, knee socks and her round “Harry Potter” 3D glasses. “I’ve grown up on it.”

Also among the crowd were the winners of Patch ticket contest – Jean Fang and her 14-year-old son, Evan, of Short Hills, and Violeta Vukasinovic and her 9-year-old son, Zowie, of Summit.

“My boys grew up with these stories,” Fang said. “They were our adventure.”

Zowie, dressed in full Harry Potter regalia, was thrilled to have won because while he’s only read four of the books a half of the books, he’s seen all the movies.

“I can’t wait,” he said.

In the back row of the theater were perhaps the oldest among the crowd – Andy Marcell, and his wife, Debbie, both in their 50s, and Andy’s mom, Dolores, who was not divulging her age.

This made the 4^th midnight showing of a Harry Potter movie the trio from Maplewood has attended.

Said Debbie, "I'm like a kid myself with these books and movies."

“These are events,” Andy said. “How many other things unite us as a  people that’s so much fun and harmless? Plus, the nicest kids are always at these Harry Potter movies.”

Read more about the SOPAC debut of Deathly Hollows II .