DeKALB | Potter fever has hit DeKalb.

On Thursday, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Part 1” premiered at midnight. People came out to be one of the first to see the long awaited movie.

“I’m running on four hours of sleep, but it’s tradition so I go every year,” said Alicia Artner, junior English major.

Since the move premiered at midnight during the school week, some of those who attended had to be in class the next morning. This did not seem to dull the enthusiasm of the patrons, however. Some arrived early to ensure they were able to purchase a ticket, while others arrived at the last minute, having bought their tickets in advance.

“I’ve been here since 6:15 p.m.,” said Michelle Kampen, sophomore early child medicine major. “I haven’t seen [the movie] yet, but I know it’ll be worth it.”

Carmike Market Square 10, 2160 Sycamore Road, showed the movie on all of its screens at the same time. Moviegoers were allowed their choice of any of the screens.

Harry Potter fans had differing thoughts on the fact that the movie was split into two parts.

“Its a good idea, and I think J.K. Rowling should have done it [for the books],” said Shondra Moon,

senior computer science major.

Others were leery of the film choice, suspicious of the movie maker’s intentions.

“I’m OK with it so long as they did it to preserve the plot, not make more money,” said Lindsay Schmeling, graduate costume designer. She said the movie makers may have felt there was too much going on plot wise in the final book for one movie to be enough.

Alexis Paull sophomore sociology major, saw time constraints as an issue.

“If we had to watch everything that happened in the book, we would be here until six in the morning,” she said. “The theater would have to serve breakfast for us.”

Besides the make-up and length of the movie, some debated the merits of the Harry Potter books versus the movies.

“The books are always better,” Moon said. She said people usually compare the books to the movies. As a result, people may be disappointed, she said.

Spencer Gribble,junior psychology major, had differing thoughts on the movies.

“You have to take the movies for what they are,” he said. “If not you will, of course, be disappointed.”