Preparing for Potter

She has read the books at least three times…maybe four. Her wand is at the ready, her tickets are purchased, and she has been planning her costume for the last several weeks.

“She” is Megan West, of West Caldwell, and this Harry Potter fan is just one of thousands of local potterheads preparing for the in the movie saga.

As the opening of the final movie, , approaches on Friday, July 15, fans nationwide are buying advanced tickets for the midnight show and planning to line up outside theaters Thursday night waiting for the clock to strike 12. 

And,  is ready! The theater will show the movie at 12:01 a.m. in 3-D, and again throughout the weekend in both 3-D and 2-D, with shows at 1 a.m., and 1:40, 4:20, 7 and 9:40 p.m.  

However, West and friends Anne Ruble, Emily Freed and Madeline Williams are going to the midnight show for more than just the movie. Dressed as Ginevra Molly Weasley, better known to fans as Ginny Weasley, West will enter the and take part in the trivia contest, hoping to take home one of the many prizes up for grabs.

“The grand prize will be a boxed set of the books, Harry Potter one to seven, donated by Scholastic Publishing; and passes to Harry Potter: The Exhibition at Discovery Times Square in NYC,” said Scott Buehlmeier, general manager of Caldwell Clearview IV. “In addition, there will be full light box theater posters from the movie, Clearview theater passes, theater snacks and other prizes.”

Ninth graders Jack Colette, Peter King and Jack Scordo will also head to the midnight screening in character. Although winning the contest would be great, they said they would have dressed in costume anyway.

Scordo, who also attended the midnight showing of , will come with wand in hand, and will return with Colette dressed as a Hogwart’s student, and King dressed as Potter. 

For Colette, who always pre-ordered the books and saw all seven movies in the theater, this is the first time he will attend a midnight show.

“I really like the books and thought it would be fun to see Part II at midnight,” said Colette. “I read all of the books twice, but read the final book three times.”

Eighth grader Dylan Austin has a different reason for attending the show. Although he doesn’t plan to dress up, he said he wants “to go before everyone starts talking about it and spoils it.”

So, with costume and trivia contests, and more than 50 percent of the tickets for the midnight show already sold, what else does the theater have planned?

“In addition to the trivia contests at each showing, we will give a free popcorn to anyone who brings in an unused article of children's clothing,” added Buehlmeier. “The clothes for popcorn will continue all weekend and we will donate the clothing to The Safe House in Essex County.”

Why a clothing drive amidst the hoopla that is Harry? Well, as J.K. Rowling said in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, “It is our choices, Harry, that show us who we truly are, far more than our abilities."