When coverage of the recent Harry Potter movie world premiere plays on television, Eilish Mitchell will do something many fans can’t do.

‘I can point to a spot on the screen and say, ‘That’s me, I was there,” said Mitchell, a senior chemistry and forensic science major.

Standing outside the barriers in front of London’s National Gallery, Mitchell was one of 8,000 fans crammed in Trafalgar Square on July 7 trying to catch a glimpse of the stars of ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ and celebrating the final movie installment of J.K. Rowling’s book series.

Mitchell stood waiting, her digital camera poised at the giant television screen that projected the red carpet. Every few minutes, a star stepped onto the carpet and the crowd around her erupted into hysterics. A flurry of arms holding cameras rose above the heads in the crowd, aiming for the best shot.

‘This being the final movie, I knew it would be special and ‘the end of an era’ like everyone said,’ said Mitchell, who was in London this summer with SU Abroad. ‘I wouldn’t have the next one to look out for or wonder about.’

Eight days after the London premiere, dressed as Ginny Weasley, Mitchell attended the midnight premiere in Syracuse at the Shoppingtown Mall and saw the final film. Mitchell describes herself as a big fan of Harry Potter. She attended every midnight release of the books, as well as every midnight movie premiere. Last Winter Break, Mitchell visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando in Florida.

Elle Shimkus, a junior communications design major, shares Mitchell’s affinity for the magical series. Donning a Gryffindor shirt, Shimkus attended the midnight premiere at Regal Cinemas in West Manchester, Pa. Sitting in front of a moviegoer in a ‘pretty convincing’ Dolores Umbridge costume, Shimkus was surrounded by die-hard fans cheering and crying throughout the film.

Harry Potter has played a continual part in her childhood, Shimkus said.

‘It’s been a decade of waiting for the new book or movie to come out, so it never really seemed like it would actually end,’ she said.

Kathryn McCool, a senior psychology major, aligns herself with those die-hard fans. McCool said she’s read each book at least three times and still frequently watches the movies. She owns a myriad of Harry Potter memorabilia, including a time turner, Gryffindor tie, wand and Deathly Hallows shirt.

Does Harry Potter ever get old?

‘No, never,’ she said, laughing.

McCool said her initial feelings of excitement changed to sadness the day before the premiere. ‘It all hit me, like: ‘Well, what do I do now that this is all over?”

For McCool, midnight premieres are a lot more enjoyable than other showings because she’s surrounded by individuals who care about Harry Potter just as much as she does.

‘I usually feel like I’m the biggest freak in the audience, but when I see some other people, I think, ‘Okay, I’m normal,” she said.

During McCool’s midnight premiere experience at United Artist Cortlandt Town Center in Mohegan Lake, N.Y., a girl stood at the front of the theater reading aloud excerpts from the first Harry Potter book. An employee at the theater pushed around a cart of candy, asking: ‘Anything from the trolley?’ in a fake British accent, McCool said.

‘My friends started to realize that I’m not the only one like this,’ she said.

Although she was nervous about how certain scenes would unfold, McCool said she thought the most important sections of the book were included and that the actors successfully executed their characters’ emotions.

Lizzie Kelner, a sophomore communications design major, also said the movie was well made, even with unintentionally funny moments — notably Voldemort hugging Draco Malfoy — and scenes added in the film that don’t exist in the novel.

Kelner, whose goal has been to attend every midnight premiere, said the completion of the last movie is bittersweet.

 ‘The movies were a way to keep the magic of it all still alive and new,’ Kelner said. ‘Now, I just say there’s always Harry Potter World still left.’

At the premiere, she spotted a girl dressed as Hagrid, wearing a beard and an oversized T-shirt stuffed with a pillow. Kelner’s best friend went as Professor Trelawney, clutching a teacup.

‘Being around that kind of excited energy is always fun,’ she said. ‘And being with other Harry Potter fans will always feel like home.’

Surrounded by many fans at both the London premiere and the midnight showing in Syracuse,Mitchell said this movie was clearly popular worldwide, as she saw advertisement posters in Switzerland, Scotland and Germany during her SU Abroad travels.

‘It was definitely a bigger deal everywhere because this was the last time it would ever happen for this series and so many people love it,’ Mitchell said. ‘I think J.K. Rowling said it best at the London premiere: ‘Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.”

cbidwill@syr.edu

Published on July 18, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Colleen: cbidwill@syr.edu