If there was a spell to prevent Harry Potter Fever, DeKalb needs it.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 premiered Friday, marking the end of a series following the seven books of the same name. The first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, was released in the U.S. in 1998. The first film followed in 2001. Local fans looked forward to the end of the saga, and have cherished the journey.

“It’s bittersweet that the movie is the last one,” said senior English major Suzanne Jourdain. “It’s going to be really sad, and I’m probably going to cry,” .

The midnight showing was the fifth one Jourdain saw. Fellow ‘Potter’ fan Alex Hanold also made Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two his fifth midnight showing. Hanold, an NIU alum with a BFA in visual communication, rewatched the previous films in the series and got premium seats at the theater.

“Regardless of the fact that there won’t be any more movies, I think I am more excited to have all of them released because you can enjoy the magic of the films in their entirety several times over and not be limited to what is out,” Hanold said.

Perhaps the lasting effect of the series lies in the idea that by having such a popular series, children and young adults became more eager to read.

“Just like it holds true for many, the books got me to read again, and I have been reading ever since,” Hanold said.

Jourdain can also attest to this.

“I grew up with Harry,” Jourdain said. “As I read the books, the characters were always my age or very close … I was always an avid reader but not much could make me as excited as a new Harry Potter book.”

The impact of the series is also cross-generational. Jordain said she plans to share the books with her kids. NIU Librarian Beth McGowan reads the books and sees the movies with her children. By using the series as a point of connection with her son, McGowan has established shared enthusiasm with him. And as a literary professional, McGowan knows the impact the books have on young readers.

“I’ve never lived through a literary experience like this,” McGowan said, likening the anticipation for the next novel to that of the wait others had for the next piece of a Charles Dickens story in the past. “I feel we are incredibly blessed to live through Harry Potter.”

However, she remains hopeful that another “superstar” novel can still come around and entice children to read. An engaging series like Harry Potter can get even the most unlikely fans to keep following a series. McGowan believes that any way people can get eager to read is good.

“I don’t think it’s a zero-sum game; it wets your appetite [for more reading],” McGowan said.

The influence of Harry Potter will likely be long-standing. Fans of all kinds can agree on that:

“I’m going to miss having Harry to look forward to, but it’s time,” Jourdain said.

“The books/films stand as an inspiration, not only to me or aspiring creative individuals, but to every person who was touched by the magic within them,” Hanold said. “Harry Potter will forever be a part of me.”

“I think it’s marvelous,” McGowan said. “I’ve had so much fun with my children through this.”