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Last night I braved the midnight hour, and took my twelve year old daughter and her friend to go see the final movie of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2; maybe you’ve heard of it? What is possibly the most anticipated movie of the decade, opened Friday, July 15, at midnight. Or in our case 12:24 AM, but close enough. And truly, the whole experience was amazing, and not like anything else I have encountered. Warning; here there be spoilers, so if you have been under a rock for the last ten years, look away.

We got to the theater around 11PM, in order to get decent seats (silly us, but more on that later) and the place was as crowded as you might have expected. From college kids in costumes, to sleepy-looking moms, and middle-schoolers like mine practically vibrating with excitement, there was an undercurrent of anticipation that had everybody pretty thrilled. Our theater was nearly full when we got there, 1 1/2 hours ahead of the show time. We managed to find seats, and settled in to wait for the show.

And what a show it was! The movie starts off right where Part One of The Deathly Hallows ended, with Voldemort finding the Elder Wand. All of the main characters do an amazing job of portraying a feeling of inevitability and destiny, whatever that may be; that was really impressive for a young group of actors. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint have really come to inhabit these characters, and they absolutely blew me away. Each of them broke my heart at least once during the movie.

The other actors all shine as well. Alan Rickman, particularly, brings the character of Severus Snape full circle.  As he lays mortally wounded, with Harry unable to do anything but be with him, Alan Rickman’s face is raw emotion; regret, sorrow, and yearning all playing out in his expression, with Snape barely moving a muscle, and hardly saying a word. Dame Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonagall got the biggest laugh of the movie, with a single word (Hint- “Boom!” Watch for it!) Molly Weasley (Julie Walters) goes from heartbroken to motherly protection and vengeance in the blink of an eye, and had the entire theater cheering when she finally takes out Bellatrix LeStrange. And by the way, seeing Neville Longbottom come into his own, and become a hero, in the fullest sense of the word, is completely gratifying, and awesome!

But the movie of course, belongs to Ron, Hermione, and Harry. These three, who have spent their childhood and formative years under the shadow of Lord Voldemort, are a unit; defined by their shared destiny and their fierce devotion to one another. When Harry leaves them after the penultimate Hogwart’s battle to go meet his fate, he knows that he will die, as do they. Hermione clings to him, weeping, while he and Ron exchange a look that says everything. It broke my heart into tiny pieces (along with everyone else in the theater, if the sniffling sounds all around me were any indication.)

And oh, the audience. There was not a peep, while the movie was playing. I have never been in a theater where everyone, and I mean everyone was spellbound. College students sitting next to us, that before the movie, were chatting with each other, chock full of the unmistakable superiority that  only comes with being twenty, and knowing that you are it, were transformed into the wide-eyed children that they were when this series began. (Seriously, it was adorable how they went from “too cool for school” to unapologetic superfans, the moment the lights dimmed.) The theater manager, came in to announce just prior to the movie starting, that there was a record crowd, and there had never been a turnout like that before in the history of the multi-plex. As soon as the movie started, we were all in, one hundred percent. When the movie ended, people cheered, and the applause was deafening. My daughter and her friend were equal parts jubilant, and sad; thrilled by the movie, but so very sad that the series is over. And you know what? I get that. We took our daughter when she was barely two years old, to the very first Harry Potter movie (at that very same theater, coincidentally) and it has been a huge part of our lives for the last ten years. We have waited breathlessly for every book to be published, seen every movie within days of opening, and played countless games of Harry Potter in our backyard, with sticks for wands, and homemade cloaks. So yes, it is bittersweet to finally say goodbye to this amazing story, but I have a feeling that we will still be enjoying this series for a long time to come.

So go see it, see it now, as soon as you can.  The battle scenes are amazing, and the quiet scenes are incredibly moving.  The movie is visually stunning, and a fitting finale to what has been the most successful children’s series of all time.  Don’t wait for the DVD, this is a movie that was meant to be seen on the big screen. And seeing it with a group of people who are just as excited as you are, just adds to the enjoyment. As for me? I will be trying to rest up this afternoon, so we can take our younger two children to see it, at a more civilized hour. Seeing a movie on the big screen twice within twenty-four hours might make me crazy, but it will also make me very very happy to share this amazing experience with my family, who’ve grown up with Harry Potter.

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Will you be going to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 this weekend? Which movie or book is your favorite? Let us know your favorite things about the Harry Potter series in the comments!

Tracy Maher is a (very sleepy after her midnight movie adventure) party planning guru and director of marketing for DiscountPartySupplies.com. She has a husband, three children, and a cat that should be registered as a lethal weapon. She throws many parties, mainly as an excuse to cook (and eat) a lot of food!