Harry Potter at Midnight

Despite my deep love for Harry Potter, before last month's "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I" came out, I had never attended a midnight premiere. I had a quiz, a speech, and a paper due the next day, and I was attending the movie with a group of upperclassmen I did not know extremely well, so for the few hours leading up to the movie, I was debating whether or not I had made the right decision by going.

As soon as we reached the theater (at 9:30 P.M.) and saw the enormous line of Harry Potter fanatics bracing the cold for a chance to get a good seat, decked out in their costumes and alive with enthusiasm, I knew I had made the right choice by going. Who cared if I was up all night? I realized that it was not about the time spent watching the movie or even the movie itself that mattered in the end, nor was it about being among the first to see it. What mattered was the energy in the air, practically palpable and the unity that every member in every audience of every sold out theater felt. What mattered was the horseradish Luna earrings, the ash-covered Seamus face, the "Bros Before Chos" t-shirt, the bad-ass Bellatrix fishnet tights, and the two strangers who happened to look just like Harry and Draco stand up to duel by request of on-lookers. What mattered was that the legacy that is Harry Potter has transformed people, has created an exciting imaginary world that the entire Muggle world can share and love at once.

I had never before been a part of something so unique, and that hour of sleep -- totally worth it.