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Arts & Entertainment

Wild About Harry

Local fans gather for the latest - and the last - Harry Potter movie.

BELLINGHAM -- For the 2,000-plus fans who crowded Regal Cinemas for a midnight showing of the latest Harry Potter movie, Thursday night brought both celebration and sadness.

They were eager to watch the teen wizard's next adventure, but crushed by the knowledge there will never be another. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2 is the eighth and final episode in the blockbuster series.

"For a lot of people, this marks the end of childhood," said Adrianna Lankford, 16, of Hopkinton, a fan since her toddler years. "A lot of us have grown up with Harry Potter. Our parents were reading us the first books before we could read them ourselves. He's been with us all our lives."

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"It's a rite of passage," added Lorraine Midgette, 19, of Woonsocket. "After tonight we'll never, ever see another fresh Harry Potter movie. All of us -- the people who grew up with Harry -- we'll have to move on."

Who could argue? Harry Potter is a pop culture phenomenon, an entertainment brand as big as Star Wars or The Beatles. Since 1997 there have been seven bestselling novels and eight blockbuster movies. (Hollywood split the final story into two parts.) Through it all, fan devotion has never wavered.

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Now it's over. Author J. K. Rowling has said she may write another book set in the same magical universe, but it won't include Harry. Just like a wizard, he’s vanished.

At the Bellingham Regal, most fans seemed to accept that finality. No one was ready to predict that Rowling would change her mind, despite the huge sum publishers and movie producers would pay for one more episode.

"When we leave this theater tonight, I don't know what we'll do," said Nicole Bajdek, 17, of Holliston. "We'll be devastated. Harry Potter is our life."

"I'm going to cry when it's over," added Lily Talerman, 14, of Norfolk. "It's been my whole childhood."

Fans began showing up at Regal Cinemas early Thursday afternoon. They were there to claim the best seats, having purchased tickets days or weeks ago. Most were teenage girls, and many wore costumes, including preppy uniforms and robes similar to the outfits worn by students at Hogwarts School of Wizardry, where the epic tale is set. Foreheads were painted with zigzags resembling the scar on Harry’s brow. Wands were everywhere.

"We've had people waiting here since 2 p.m.," said theater manager Jenna Piccirillo. "They read the books while their waiting, and play Harry Potter trivia. The same thing happened with other Harry Potter movies, but this is bigger, I guess because it‘s the last one. We sold out 12 auditoriums in this building. We would have sold out two more, but we're only allowed to show the movie on 12 screens."

In Bellingham, Regal Cinemas turned the event into a fundraiser for St. Jude's Children's Hospital by hosting a Harry Potter Mischief Party in the theater lobby, starting more than four hours before movie goers took their seats.

"We've got contests, merchandise, and costumed characters," said Piccirillo. "Vendors are selling movie collectibles, and even things they've made. One of our employees, Carol Salemmi, built a cardboard haunted forest. She planned the whole thing."

Ed the Wizard -- sporting a pointed hat and a beard down to his chest -- entertained fans with magic tricks. He threaded a string through a ring and asked a young woman to hold each end. He then grasped the ring with his hand; when he opened his fist, it was gone. 

 "I'm a professional magician," Ed explained. "I travel the northeast doing shows at schools, libraries, Renaissance Fairs, birthday parties and everything else. I also volunteer for a few charity events each year."

Good wizard Dumbledore, portrayed by fundraiser volunteer Bill Kennedy, stood guard before a cage that served as "the Ministry of Magic Prison." For one dollar, you could have a friend locked up. Dumbledore kept each prisoner behind bars until they correctly answered several Potter trivia questions, or paid another buck.

"A friend and I made the costume," said Kennedy, who wore a long robe and whiskers. "We use it at all sorts of charity events. Dumbledore and I have raised a lot of money for animal shelters."

Jennifer House of Upton explored the haunted forest with her two young children, Kellen, 8, and Ben, 7. "They both love Harry Potter, but Kellen's the really big fan," she said. "She's got the robe, the glasses, the wand. Today she even painted a scar on her head."

Despite all the fun, some fans skipped the party. Intent on getting good seats, they instead formed a line in a hallway. By 8 p.m., about 200 had gathered.

"It's the last movie -- that's an event," said Ali Weinstein, 16, of Hopkinton, bedecked in a black robe with a Hogwarts crest. "That's going to mean a really long line. Even people who don't consider themselves Harry Potter fans will be out here."

Jean Muza, 14, and Karly Derrigo, 14, both of Medway, amused themselves with a card game on the floor. "Sleep? That's for tomorrow," said Muza. "We'll probably stay in bed til really late."

Paul Darragh, 19, of North Attleboro, came packing a lap top and a software manual. He hoped to brush up on his tech skills during the wait. "I expected to be here a really long time," he said. "But it's worth it. I started reading the books when I was seven, and I've been to every midnight premier."

The books and movies recount an epic struggle between two magical forces, one good, represented by Potter and his Hogwarts classmates, and one evil, represented by Lord Voldemort, often referred to as He Whose Name We Do Not Speak.

Not everyone roots for the good guys. Ryan Doucet, 22, of Bellingham, waited in line five hours to cheer for the villain. "Harry Potter is pretty vanilla," he said. "But Voldemort is really intense. You can't even say his name! Harry could sure use some of that juice."

Connor Jackson, 13, of Medway, also showed an interest in the dark side. He arrived at the theater dressed as the unnamable bad guy, even wearing a plastic snake around his head. "A few days ago we got together with some friends and watched all the other movies, back to back," he boasted. "It took 15 hours."

"We planned this all summer," added his friend Sarah Lemmler, 13, who donned a fake white beard in emulation of Dumbledore. "We started planning while we were still in school."

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