'Harry Potter' fans swarm film's LI debut

More than three hours before the midnight debut of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1," dozens of fans dressed in wizard hats, bright Potter scarfs and striped ties stood in line at the Westbury United Artists Theatre anxiously waiting.

The movie, based on part one of the final book by author J.K. Rowling, is the seventh film installment in the eight-part Warner Bros.' series.

Friends Laura Schneider, 27, of New Hyde Park, and Sabrina Rodriguez, 26, of Franklin Square, said they have read every book and attended every film debut together.

"We look forward to it, like the birth of a child," said Rodriguez. "I feel like it's an end of an era."

The first part of the final chapter of the Harry Potter saga made its debut on the East Coast Thursday. The second part of "Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows" is set for release in six months.

The women got to the movie theater at 4:30 p.m. and were the first in line to buy tickets. They came hours early, they said, to ensure they would snatch good seats for the midnight showing.

The pair sported black T-shirts with the phrase "Make Love, Not Horcruxes" splashed against their chests. That means, they said, be good like Harry and don't kill.

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Schneider, a lightning bolt tattoo on the back of her neck, said she recently returned from a trip to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a theme park within Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla.

"Harry is like a real person. It's the story of finding yourself. It's like finding your inner strength," Schneider said.

In 2004, the friends went to England and visited some of the sites mentioned in the books, including the London Zoo.

"Anything that was kind of mentioned, we went to," said Rodriguez.

Dennis Murphy of East Meadow, 25, said he's been sending text messages to his friends about the movie all week. "I can't wait to see the seventh book on screen," he said.