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Harry Potter Fans Pay Tribute at Final Movie Premiere at AMC The Regency

The midnight release of "Deathly Hallows, Part 2" marked the final "first" for a Harry Potter movie or book. For fans, it was time to pay tribute to The Boy Who Lived and his impact on their lives.

Kurt Bass returned to the same seat, in the same row, in the same theater that he sat in when the first Harry Potter movie was released a decade ago, in 2001.

In the minutes leading up to the midnight July 15 showing of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2," Bass was back at AMC The Regency 20 in Brandon.

“I wanted to return to the same place for the last movie, dead center, front row,” he said. “I’m taking the brunt of the action."

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His reasons for being there were shared by so many others, as they filled every seat in every theater showing for the last time a midnight premier release of a Harry Potter movie.

Many of these people had lined up as well for the midnight release of every book in the Harry Potter series — and there were seven of them, one for each year of Harry’s education in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

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Harry’s journey through school coincided with the middle- and high-school years of today’s 21- and 22-year-olds, who for eternity will have that unique distinction among Harry Potter fans.

“It’s like I knew him,” said Brandon Romero, 21, in line for the midnight showing with Tara Ledford, also 21. “I grew up with him, we’re the same age, and we went through high school together."

“I crimped my hair,” to look like Hermione Granger, added Ledford, who wore as well a long, brown wizard’s hat similar to that worn by Harry’s best female friend.

Indeed, many moviegoers dressed up in costume to reflect the world of Hogwarts and the characters of J.K. Rowling’s record-breaking series of books.

With his friends Jake Sullivan, Brian Perconti, Will Geer and Bradley Moore, 18-year-old Zac McCray came dressed as a student at Hogwarts.

“Being the last movie, and being the best book by far, I felt that I needed to be one of the characters,” McCray said. “I wish I could be Harry Potter, but I can’t, so I dress up."

On line outside the movie theater, Davina Quichocho, 20, joined her siblings, Darren, 16, and Dani, 17, along with their friends, Gerard Hamilton, 20, and Staci Reed, 20.

Dani Quichocho was asked, “What does Harry Potter mean to you?"

“I can’t, I’m going to cry,” she said. “Harry means my entire childhood, along with every good lesson I’ve ever learned about right and wrong."

Life lessons, from Harry Potter?

“Good conquers evil, never give up, if you have friends and family you’re never alone, learn when to ask for help and know how to take advice,” Davina Quichocho said.

“And never underestimate a dragon,” added Reed.

On line inside the movie house was the O’Sullivan family, who for every night leading up to the midnight premiere saw each of the preceding seven Harry Potter movies. (There are seven books and eight films, with the last book portrayed in two parts.)

Joanna O’Sullivan, 14, dressed as Hermione Granger. Her brother Quinn, 10, as Colin Creevey. Their dad, Jay, as Lucius Malfoy, and their mother, Kym, as Professor McGonaggall.

“Tonight we ate fish ’n’ chips and we made treacle tarts for dinner,” Kym O’Sullivan said, noting foods featured in the Harry Potter books.

As the theater darkened for the 12:01 showing, Angie Perez anxiously looked for a seat.

“Very important,” she said, of her reason for being at that place in time for the final first viewing of a Harry Potter movie in Brandon. “I am willing to stand up if I have to. I love Harry Potter. I grew up with him."

In the front row, in the center seat, Bass awaited the opening footage.

“I have to say I’m a fan of Professor (Severus) Snape,” Bass said, minutes earlier. “The reason why I like him is he intentionally looks dark and very evil but on the inside he’s by far one of the most misunderstood characters in the entire series."

He goes on to say why, but we’ll defer from giving the rest of Bass’ analysis, because while for this generation of Harry Potter fans the story is told, the journey of discovery for the next wave of fans is just beginning.


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