Hanging with Harry

As some of you may have seen on Twitter, my arrival in London coincided with the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. This was super exciting, especially since my very first trip to London in summer 2004 was when Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban came out. I didn’t get a chance to see the movies early then or now (I promised Sammi I would wait to see it with her), but at least I got to see the fans.

I was fighting jet lag, but I knew I had to keep moving, so I stopped by Leicester Square on my way to the British Museum. The decorations were up at the two theaters, Odeon and Casino Empire, and a line had begun to form for those trying to get tickets to a midnight showing or a spot to watch the stars walk the red carpet. I was amazed at the dedication of the fans because, as you may know, London weather sucks. I went on my way, but I made plans to come back later at night.

After a bite to eat at my hostel, I braved the rain to see what was going on. The stars had already gone into the theater to watch the film, but split up between the two. There were big screens showing clips from the movie and the little square between theaters was made to look like the movie set.

I struck up a conversation with a guy as we pushed our way to see a tiny glimpse of the stars. We heard people start screaming as the actors came out of the theater. I could only see Emma Watson (only due to her recent radical haircut) and a bunch of old people from the movie. Watson had a slight wardrobe malfunction that night when her fashion tape meant to keep her dress on was showing for pictures.

Once the stars left, the crowds dispersed, taking pieces of the set with them. I was surprised I didn’t see more costumes, though. Either way, I can’t wait to see the movie! Check it out in American theaters today!