Final Countdown For Harry Potter

Music and laughter filled the air tinged a sense of sadness with the realization that the magic is almost gone.

Fans started lining up outside Century Cinemas Corte Madera at 10 a.m. Thursday for a midnight screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2. This is supposed to be the final chapter in the wizard's adventures.

Midnight showings were sold out in Corte Madera, Novato and just about everywhere else.

Devoted fans of J.K. Rowling's books and the movies grew up with a young Daniel Radcliffe and that's what brought them out in force Thursday.

There's a definite strategy to camping out in line. A group of friends at the front of the line brought chairs, snacks and magazines. They reserved spots for each other and friends. And what would a party be without pizza? Yes, there are restaurants that will deliver to the sidewalk.

The sold-out crowd was in a festive mood as they waited for the theater doors to open and the final battle between good and evil to begin.

But what will fans do once it's over? One Novato resident said "There's always the Twilight saga."