Camping Out for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Premiere in NYC (Photos)

Camping Out for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Premiere in NYC (Photos)

By Margaux Herrera Tue., Jul. 12 2011 at 12:30 PM

Rupert Grint

We admit it. We're nerds. We camped out for the New York premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 last night.

It was hot. We were cranky. But it was awesome. There were a good 200 people, sleeping in shifts to watch everyone's things. We met fans from Chile, Peru, and France. Tom Felton (AKA Draco) paid us a surprise visit Sunday night and brought us pizza. Alan Rickman (AKA Professor Snape) showed up across the street at Lincoln Center and 40 people ran across the street at a green light to try to catch a glimpse of him in the window.

They told us the first 50 people would be getting wristbands to stand at the red carpet, and then spent all of Monday telling us we wouldn't. At long last, they showed up with wristbands that not only put us right at the red carpet, but also a surprise screening of the final movie. And yes, we did sob our way through the movie. Only they were dry sobs, because we were too dehydrated for real tears.

All photos by Maragux Herrera

It was hot and sunny all weekend. We ended up behind what must be the shortest building in all of Manhattan, and so not even the shade of the building was there to help.

One group of girls camped out for six days. They spent the week tweeting from @NYCPotterHeads. The poster was pulled off of the wall at a subway station in Queens and stuck in front of them so that people would stop asking what they were waiting for.

Photo by Rosie Diaz

Tom Felton brought us pizza. Yes, the guy who plays Draco Malfoy just showed up with nearly a couple dozen pizzas for all of us. According to one of the guards, the cast had been watching us from inside Lincoln Center after their press conference. They wanted to do something for us and Felton volunteered. Even sweeter, he was apparently told he could only bring a few pies and couldn't get out of the car, but ignored them and came anyway.

People slept in shifts to watch each other's things. Some crashed on blankets and chairs, but most creative (and we're betting most comfortable) were the inflatable rafts.

Tags:

Alan Rickman, Emma Watson, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton

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Kristin ♥

I was there since saturday night for this. I was one of the lucky few who got the special gray wristbands that got us not only ON the red carpet but inside the special screening. It was the best day of my life. It sucks that people who just got there monday or sunday night even, got wristbands, they did not deserve them. But I'm glad my whole group got them. We asked them nicely too. I am forever grateful to WB for making one of my dreams come true<3

Guest

Kristin - who were you with?? I feel like we definitely met, considering there were only a few of us who got grey wristbands!

Kristin ♥

I was with about 7 other people. angela, stacey, gabby, gigi, natalie, chelsea, desolina, and we were about 4th group back. we were one of the ones that got into movie too.

Stefan Landry

Crazy!

Melissa-Kristine Allingham

The WB people lingered awhile in front of me but I didn't get a wristband and we were all pretty angry especially since busses were constantly blocking our view and people who had just happened to walk by and stayed got a better view than us plus autographs. I was in the middle accross the street next to the banister and we just missed Tom and Mathew who both stopped at us. Glad I was there for the pizza though!

Arienne Davey

You must have been right near me. They stopped a few people before me. I had been there since 6:00 Sunday morning and didn't get a band. I was right up against the railing, which I got pinned to and almost got toppled over when Matthew came over. When I told WB we had been there since 6:00 on Sunday they actually told us that they didn't want a backstory! They gave bands out randomly and to some people who had just gotten there that afternoon. Very poorly planned and executed. I got some good pictures of some of the people, but the traffic cut off some good shots and not everyone turned around to wave across the street. I'm sure they thought that the crowds at the red carpet were all the ones who had been waiting the longest. It was a great experience in a lot of ways, but WB really disappointed a lot of 18 year old girls who traveled a long way to see them. I'm a bit older than that, but as a photographer really wanted the photo ops that I just couldn't get as well from across the street.

Melissa-Kristine Allingham

Hey I was up against the railing too! I was on the side that Tom and Mathew didn't go to. Tom left when he was just one person away from me, I cried.

Jasmine Mann

Yes I HATE WB because we had been there since Sunday around 10 pm and didn't sleep a wink. We were standing in the front and did NOT get wristbands and people next to us who came that morning got them. VERY disappointing after traveling so far to see them. Not to mention my camera died the second Dan came. It wouldn't have helped anyways seeing as the traffic kept blocking everything. Worst day ever.

Angie

camped out with my daughters and we got wrist bands for the red carpet fan pens (where we were held to see the stars). Worth every moment of it even though it was exhausting, hot as heck, and we slept on sleeping bags on the sidewalk at Lincoln Park. Just nutty but worth every second of it. - Angie