Muggles Line Up for 'Harry Potter'

Hundreds of people, many of them dressed as Quidditch players and professors, gathered outside South Bay movie theaters Thursday night in anticipation of a midnight screening of the final installment of the Harry Potter movies.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 follows the final book in J.K. Rowling's bestselling series about the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Deathly Hallows Part 1 was released last November.

"It's crazy because we like grew up with [the characters] and it's so fun to watch them grow up," said Grace Cuffel, who had drawn the mark of the villainous Lord Voldemort on her forearm.

Cuffel had waited in line with her friends at the Promenade on the Peninsula for the 3D screening of the film since 2 p.m. Thursday.

As they stood in line at the Promenade, Torrance residents Jasmin Takemoto and George Najjar said they had been planning to see the movie for about a month.

"We have our prefect badges and everything," said Takemoto, who was dressed as a Quidditch player from Gryffindor. Najjar, on the other hand, decked himself in Slytherin robes.

"George is more excited about this than his graduation," she added with a laugh.

"It's the end of my childhood," Najjar said.

Other theaters with midnight showings included the AMC Theater at the South Bay Galleria and the AMC Rolling Hills in Torrance.