The air was heavy with the electricity of excitement as teenagers and adults brandished wands and murmured spells.

Kids traipsed from one packed theater to another, dueling each other and comparing their maroon and maize ties and eccentric glasses. People bounced anxiously in their seats, anticipating the movie premiere they’ve been waiting so long for.

This wasn’t a typical day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This was the midnight showing of the seventh Harry Potter movie.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1” raked in $125 million this weekend, according to the Washington Post. Twenty-five million of those dollars came from ticket pre-sales, according to the New York Times.

Harry Potter fans jumped at the chance to be a part of the magic and bought tickets in advance for the midnight premiere.

“I grew up with Harry Potter,” sophomore Evan Cernea said. “When he was a kid, I was a kid. And now we’ve both matured, and it’s time to reach the end of our wonderful friendship. And I have to do it at midnight.”

For years, Harry Potter books have been the pinnacle of enjoyment for many students. No matter their age, Harry Potter retains a special place in people’s hearts.

“When I read the books, I really felt a connection with reading itself, so that was really special,” freshman Becca Sherman said.

The Harry Potter series is more than just stories, some students said. The series is a life lesson — and sometimes a life style.

“It teaches you about friendship,” freshman Maddie Bucher said. “And love, and difficulties in life, and how to accept the bad things and just keep going. I love that about Harry Potter.”

When the curtain parted from the screen and the lights went down at 12:01 a.m., everyone simultaneously clapped and cheered.

Amidst two wars, an economic crisis and an effort towards bipartisanship, even if only for a moment, a significant portion of the population was united around “The Boy Who Lived.”

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“Harry Potter” premiere attendees duel in the theater before the movie