The lines were long but spirits were high Saturday as hundreds of people waited patiently at the Skywarrior Theater on Naval Air Station Whidbey Island to see a sneak preview of the last movie in the Harry Potter series.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” was shown in 3-D to an audience of 600 Potter fans of all ages. The line to get tickets for the free 7 p.m. preview wrapped completely around Building 118, and then some. First in line was the Devonshire family of Oak Harbor.

“You can’t beat seeing a brand new movie like Harry Potter, and a sneak peek, for free,” said Sandra Devonshire. She and her sons, Cameron and Craig II, were in line at 5:15 a.m. “We’ve been here for other previews, so we know what it’s like.”

Even though they were the first in line, the Devonshires were not the first to get to the theater. 19-year-old Jordan Bump and his friend, 16-year-old Lizzi McAllister, came from Anacortes at about 10 p.m. Friday and slept overnight in the car. Turns out they should have gotten up just a few minutes earlier.

“I was driven to be the first in line,” said Bump of his early arrival. “I woke up at 5 a.m., but she told me to go back to sleep. Then 20 minutes later I heard voices outside and I thought, ‘Crap!’”

Still, Bump and McAllister were happy with their place almost at the front of the line. Bump entertained the folks near him by playing his guitar and singing. One song in his repertoire was the parody, “Like it’s Quidditch,” a parody of “Like a G6,” filled with references to the wizarding world of Harry Potter.

Many of the people in line, like Bump, have grown up reading the books and watching the movies.

“I was only 11 when the first movie came out,” said Bump. “They’re imaginative.”

“I’m really big into film, and I really like the cinematography of the last couple of movies,” said McAllister. “I like the scripts, and how they’ve stayed true to the books. And the writing has evolved with the characters. The writing got more mature.”

“I can mark each period of my childhood with one of the books or movies,” said Ally Duvick, 18. She got to the theater at 6:30 a.m.

In line behind her was Tonnie Corado-Williamson, who had been waiting since 8 a.m. Corado-Williamson and her friend, Miriam Kee, who work at Naval Hospital Oak Harbor, made their plans early.

“I coordinated this two weeks ago,” said Kee, who was planning in advance for the crowd. “I knew this was going to happen.”

People in line didn’t seem perturbed by the wait. Most folks brought chairs to sit in and activities with which to occupy themselves.

Some read books, some worked on handcrafts, some passed the pigskin back and forth. Children ran around while parents watched, soaking up the sunshine. Some groups were well prepared, bringing tables and passing the time by playing games.

“We’re playing ‘Go Fish,’” said 12-year-old Hannah Richards, who was there with her sister, Sarah, 14, and their friend Mallory Hunt, also 14.

“We brought our Harry Potter board games,” said Sarah, adding that normally their parents wouldn’t allow them to spend a day waiting in line to see a movie. “This is a special occasion.”

The trio also sported their own handmade wands, which rested on the table within easy reach.

“It even has intricate designs that are naturally made,” Sarah said, pointing out lines in the wood more than likely made by some kind of creature — although mother nature’s magic sounds more fanciful.

It was clear the people who were there had strong feelings about the characters created by author J.K. Rowling, and very definite opinions about just about everything.

“A lot of people think they’re just children’s books, but they have so much more meaning,” said Hunt. “The characters are real and believable. It’s a whole world unto itself.”

“I can relate to Ginny Weasley,” said Sarah Richards. “She’s shy, but she’s brave and courageous, too.”

“I like professor Snape because I know what happens with him,” said Sandra Devonshire. “And I like Hermione, because everybody underestimates her.”

“Whenever Harry and Ron are in trouble, Hermione saves them,” agreed Craig Devonshire II.

“This is a bittersweet moment for me,” admitted Kee. “I’m a huge fantasy novel person and I’m so into the characters that I kind of immersed myself in the books for a while and wished we had magic.”

“I love Harry,” said Corado-Williamson. “I only read the first book, so I don’t know what happens. I want to know, but yet I don’t want to know.”

And yes, some of the tried and true fans dressed up.

“I’ve dressed up for every book release and every movie. It’s fun,” said Kenzie Toner, 17.

Asia Pruyne, 18, said she used to try to dress up as various characters, but opted to go with her favorite house colors on Saturday.

She sported the scarlet and gold of Gryffindor, Harry Potter’s “house” while attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Her hair was pink though — a possible nod to the character “Nymphadora Tonks” in the book series. Pruyne said that unlike some, her favorite book is not her favorite movie.

“My favorite book is the first one, it still resonates with me. It’s a classic,” she said. “‘The Prisoner of Azkaban’ is my favorite movie. The cast is growing up and all the really interesting stuff starts happening.”

While most people picked the good guys as their favorite character, there was one person brave enough to admit he was a fan of Lord Voldemort.

“Since I was a kid, I’ve always liked the bad guys,” said Cameron Devonshire.

At 4 p.m., personnel from NAS Whidbey’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation program made the rounds, passing out tickets to everyone in line.

Just before 5:30, the doors were opened and the crowd slowly made its way into the theater. Long lines at the concession stand didn’t dim the mood either, and people waited patiently in line once more to get their movie snacks. The announcement that officials would start the movie early drew cheers from the crowd.

The lights went out, the glasses went on, and the crowd grew quiet as the final Harry Potter movie filled the screen.

The best way to describe the day is to use the words Kee uttered while waiting in line for concessions before the movie even started:

“It was worth it.”