Fans, Fun, High Anticipation for 'Harry Potter' at Classic Cinemas in St. Charles

I'm sitting here in Theater 1 of Classic Cinemas, talking to folks eagerly awaiting the premiere of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1," and the one thing I've learned so far is that there is no such thing as hyperbole for Harry Potter fans.

"I'm here to watch Harry Potter, the greatest thing ever created by man and or bear," said Tezzy VonDerbrandt, 16, a student at St. Charles East who's going to be just a tad sleepy in class Friday. "I've read all the books twice, watched all the movies five times, yes."

And what do you expect you'll see tonight, Tezzy, at the nationally anticipated midnight showing?

"Oh, God, I think I'm going to see just beauty in motion, beauty personified. I've been here for like six hours waiting for the movie. It's going to be awesome."

But don't you think, with expectations so high, it will be hard for the movie to live up to the billing? Tezzy's friend Madeline Stammen, 17, also a St. Charles East student, had an answer for that.

"It's Harry Potter!" she said. "Nothing ever goes goes wrong with Harry Potter. It's great. Harry's just great, he's so hot. I just love it."

Tezzy and Madeline's friend, Sarah Conor, also of St. Charles East, likes the Rupert Grint character. "Ron Weasley, Ron  Weasley, Ron Weaaaaaasley!" she said.

Are they thinking at all about being out late on a school night? Their answers come flying faster than Harry on a broom chasing a snitch.

"School?" "Wands! Magic class!" "My trunk is already full!"

-RN