INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — As the final minutes began to wind down before Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was to start, a crush of people poured into the lobby of the Majestic Theatre, many sporting the tell-tale scar of Harry Potter.
Others wore scarves of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and even Slytherin or the costumes of their favorite characters.
Savannah Geary, 16, wasn’t dressed as a wizard or muggle – instead, she took the animal route and dressed as Hedwig, Harry Potter’s owl.
“I figured it would make a really neat costume,” she said, picking at one of the feathers tied into her hair.
Hedwig always held a special place in her heart, starting 10 years ago when she read the first Harry Potter novel.
Using lace cuffs she picked up at a store, she hot glued feathers to make representative wings. Her mom tied small white feathers into her hair to give her a more birdlike appearance. She wore a white dress with ruffles and silver flip flops to complete the costume.
Aside from the sixth film – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince when Geary had Swine Flu – she’s made it to each of the midnight showings.
“It’s the end of an era,” she said, adding that one day, she’ll be able to tell her kids about being one of the first to see the films. “It’s a slice of history.”
Every one of the 11 “houses” in the theatre showed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 at midnight Friday – a first for Majestic Theatre.
“This is much bigger for us,” Cinemaworld Vice President Rick Starr said of the midnight showing, mainly due to the film being 100 percent digital.
He explained that with the digital film, he could show the film in each of the houses. Before, he was limited to the number of film reels he was provided.
“It’s a little sad,” Starr said of knowing Friday’s midnight premiere would be the last for Harry Potter.
Though the massive crowds would pack the houses to watch the movie, Starr said the draw would not have as large an economic impact as some would think.
“People still want to get out and have fun,” Starr said, adding that movies are still a less expensive summer diversion than that of a trip to a theme park.
Vero Beach High School Tenth Grade teacher Cindy Livings turned out for the midnight premiere dressed as Professor McGonagall.
“I’m a teacher in real life, so I had to dress as a professor,” she said while standing in line for concessions.
Livings said she had not missed a midnight premiere and was not going to miss the last one.
“It’s just fun,” she said, later adding, “I marvel at J.K. Rowling’s genius.”
She came with her daughter, Laurie Livings, who dressed as a member of the Slytherin house, complete with the “dark mark” on her forearm.
When asked how it could be that she would allow her daughter to dress like a Slytherin, Livings smiled.
“If you knew her, you’d understand,” she chuckled, watching as her daughter took off with a friend down the corridor to find seats.
Now that the family won’t have midnight premieres to count on, Livings said her family will continue their tradition by watching Harry Potter films at home, eating Shepherd’s Pie, “because it’s English.”