Seven books and eight movies later, it's the final installment in series. It opened at midnight Friday.
Midnight screenings of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" were sold out at several theaters across the city. People lined up at Navy Pier, arriving early to get tickets.
Some fans came to the AMC River East Theatre for a 3 a.m. Friday showing of the movie.
"I loved the movie, especially the fighting part. It was amazing," said Harry Potter fan Larry Brown. "It is the best one completely, hands down."
"Everyone was cheering along and clapping and really, like, in Harry Potter mode," said Harry Potter fan Darina Durnell. "It was so good, like it was the epic conclusion. It really was."
If fan frenzy is strong enough, this movie could become the first of the eight Harry Potter films to top $1 billion at the box office worldwide. The record-holder remains the franchise's first film, 2001's "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," with $974.8 million globally.
