Harry Potter fans throughout America eagerly await Friday’s arrival. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1,” the first installment of the two-part final chapter of the beloved series, premieres in theaters across the country on that day at midnight.

The midnight release will ensure that for hours on Thursday, Potter fans will be queuing outside of theaters, excitedly discussing their theories about what the movie has in store.

Austin is no exception to the Potter phenomenon: with a heaping helping of midnight release showings as well as fancier fan-based events, there’s no denying that it’s a good city to live in for Potter fans.

Yule Ball: Alamo Drafthouse

The Alamo Drafthouse will be kicking off their Potter event on Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. with a Yule Ball hosted at the Highball next to the South Lamar location of the Drafthouse. The event includes a buffet-style feast, two “wizardly drinks” and a waltz lesson before the patrons take to the dance floor to dance their excitement away.

Tickets for the event cost $57 apiece and sold out within hours of going on sale on Oct. 15. Sales were limited to patrons 18 and older, so movie-goers won’t have to worry about dealing with squealing teenagers once the time for the film’s midnight release rolls around.

Patrons also needn’t worry about rushing to the theater and missing the party to save a seat—the theater will be using a reserved seating system similar to that used during Fantastic Fest.

Midnight Showings

No fewer than 11 Austin movie theatres are hosting midnight release events for Deathly Hallows Part 1. Show times range from 11:30 p.m. to a small group of 3 a.m. showings for those who don’t make it to the midnight showings and have plenty of caffeine on hand (although hardcore fans might not need it—it’s been said some can get by on adrenaline alone.)

Moviegoers are advised to arrive at the theater early— hours early—if they wish to secure prime seating. Certainly there will be droves of people celebrating the event in costume, so grab a robe or a wand (or both!) and gather early to see how many characters you can find.

The Film

The “Deathly Hallows” film has been surrounded by controversy since production began. Originally slated to be shown in one film, the producers decided that the book contained enough content that could not be sacrificed for pacing and broke it into two parts.

Many fans were both delighted and surprised by this decision. Delighted, of course, because their beloved series would have one extra installment and that surely this meant more care would be taken with the details of the film, but surprised because none of the other longer novels (“Goblet of Fire,” “Order of the Phoenix” and “Half-Blood Prince”) were split into two parts to ensure plot accuracy.

Initial commentary on the film from MuggleNet.com says that there are several moments added to Part 1 that explain bits that may have been left out of previous films. The website also describes the film as “gory…it feels real, and it feels like the emotion in the book.” Certainly, the book is more serious and delves deeper into the darkness of the human mind than any of the previous novels. MuggleNet also said that even if they were allowed to release a true review of the film at this point in time, they wouldn’t be able to in good conscience, having not seen Part 2.

A large amount of debate has also surrounded the question of where exactly the book will be split for the film. Near the middle of the novel, there are several events that could serve as prime breaking points, depending on whether the producers want to end the film on a serious, suspenseful note or on a slightly happier one.

So, Potter fans: continue your countdowns, keep your hopes up and go all out for the upcoming premiere, as there are only two premiere nights left before the Muggles take over the movies again.