19: Proper Potter Premiere Protocol

So I've told you when to go, what to wear, who to bring, and how to behave.  What I haven't told you yet though is how to stay awake.  This can be accomplished in many different ways and to be honest, your lack of sleep only becomes a pressing issue as you drive home at 3 am and fully realise the extent of your fatigue.

6.  In order to avoid being THAT person who complains that they are staying up too late, get a good night sleep the night before.  Don't stay up till three and then wake up at eight (then agian, only I wake up early in the summer) try and be well rested.  If that simply isn't possible caffinate yourself like its your job.  5 Hour Energy is good for five hours of the day, while sodas and coffee can also provide you that extra energy boost if you're certain a bathroom is within reach (bladder can and WILL be a problem).  If you shamefacedly begin to nod off at 5pm because you woke up at 6am because it was a school day and you still have to be educated, have a friend casually use you as an arm rest as they remain alert, because worst case scenario, onlookers think you're just an unfortunately place hobo, and you get a few ZZZZ's in.

But read carefully, false advertising can be a bitch

The Joys of the School day midnight premiere

3:30: we arrive at the mall, thinking we are ahead of the game and have some time to walk around before we get in line, when lo and behold there are already people in line at 3:30. for a midnight premiere. eight and a half hours away. We ran to the movie theatre and got in line fairly near the front. yay.
4:00: we've made friends! they are sitting in front of us and nice. They told us the people at the very front have been here since 10 in the morning. So they were waiting five hours already, and were prepared to wait nine more. Thats a 14 hour wait people. Oh and I gave Mary a wand for her birthday.
5:00: I took a nap on the floor of a movie theatre for 40 minutes which in any other circumstance would be kind of gross. It still was but I ignored that, more people are arriving and Mary is doing homework I listen to Mugglecast. Only seven hours left. Mary draws me a kick-arse Dark Mark.
6:00: I get my awesome Draco Malfoy (from A Very Potter Musical) costume on, complete with an amazing blond wig, baggy black pants, and a slytherin tie. I look pretty awesome
7:00: Dinner Time! Mary and I go downstairs to stretch our legs and consume fast food while looking like freaks. We bring our wands of course, because one never knows when danger is afoot. We draw some stares but honestly? if your just hanging out at the food court of a mall on a Thursday night you have problems.
8:00: Kaylee arrives, so do many others as the line stretches down the stairs and into the food court. I laugh because our spot is awesome and then feel slightly humiliated as soon as I see people I know from my school (who I don't actually know that well) see me in full Draco garb. oh well. our spot is getting increasingly more crowded as friends decide we have a fun spot in line (hi Marylee!) and the usher marks our tickets. I am #43 out of 2400 YIPEE
9:00: The usher says they are letting us into the theatre in 20 minutes and the whole theatre flips a shit. They let us in to theatre 7 and we ARE THE FIRST PEOPLE. so we get the best seats, I role around on the floor with a fellow actor and draco, and we lead the entire theatre in a rousing round of "the Mysterious Ticking Noise"
10:00: food is bought, and bertie bots are fun
11:00: We make everyone sing again, and they love us. Except for the two adult who try and steal our seats in the movie theatre. apparently they had "reserved seats" which is impossible. so they tried to bully teenagers and we won because there were more of us, we loved Harry Potter more, and we were a hell of a lot crankier, having been at a movie theatre for a third of a day.
12:00: the PREVIEWS START. we talk excitedly before an irate fan drops the f bomb and tells us to be quiet, we say we will during the movie and she storms out to tell the usher. everyone is a leetle cranky. BUTTHEMOVIECHANGESTHATBECAUSEITISAMAZING
2:30: numb I drive home at top speed and get home 15 minutes later. I promptly fall asleep on my bed.
For the next day I am a walking zombie, I couldn't tell you what happened if I wanted to.
So much fun though, and oh so worth it.