By Brenna Eagan, News Correspondent
Themed parties, frantic re-readings, costumes, and midnight screenings mean only one thing: It’s Harry Potter season again.
After 10 years of hanging out with Harry, Ron and Hermione, college-aged students are used to the build-up that comes with the release of a new Potter book or movie. But this time, the excitement is accompanied by a sad sense of closure. The premiere of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I” signifies the beginning of the end.
When author J.K. Rowling presented the seventh and final book of the series, fans still had the movies to cling to. This time, the crazed Potter fanatics that line up late Thursday night for a 12 a.m. showing might be slightly more subdued or somber than usual. They know that after this movie, they’ve only got one more until the legendary Harry Potter saga ends.
Of course, that isn’t stopping the pre-release celebrations. All week, students have been hosting movie marathons complete with Potter-themed treats, trivia and costumes.
“My roommate and I are going to make a special Harry Potter-themed dinner and get dressed up in preparation for the midnight showing of the seventh movie,” said sophomore political science major Claire Fogarty.
Fogarty is one of the Northeastern students who considers the Harry Potter series to be more than just a fleeting phenomenon.
“Harry Potter was an incredibly big part of my childhood through my teenage years,” she said. “We were around Harry’s age when the books came out and we’ve been the same age as the actors in the movies. We got to grow up with them.”
Though the book series has ended and the number of movie releases left is dwindling, Potter fans still have a lot to talk about. Last spring, Universal Studios completed a Rowling-approved Harry Potter theme park that allows fans to walk through the halls of Hogwarts, enjoy a Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks Pub and shop in the wizarding village of Hogsmeade.
In the next week, Potter-themed events in the area include a Harry Potter Scavenger Hunt from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 25 at the Harvard Museum of Natural History. The museum is celebrating J.K Rowlings’ series all month long.
However, at the heart of all the current Potter publicity are the midnight screenings. Regal Fenway Cinema has already sold out nine showings, according to their online ticketing website. Desperate last-minute ticket buyers may have to settle for catching the film at 3:30 a.m. or wait until a more reasonable hour… If they can bear it.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuYTztUNWIs[/youtube]
Trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
