Harry's magic

The sixth installment of the Harry Potter movies opened in theaters Wednesday. Nationwide "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" earned $22.2 million from midnight debuts in 3,003 theaters, including Kerasotes Town Plaza Cinema in Cape Girardeau. The movie broke the record set by "The Dark Knight," which grossed $18.5 million from midnight shows last summer.

The seventh and final book of the series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," will be split into two movies. The first part is due in November 2010 and the second in July 2011. Here are three perspectives from younger moviegoers during opening day of "Half-Blood Prince".

Erin Bittle, 14, has been a fan of the Harry Potter books since she could read.

"The whole magic thing captivated me," said Bittle, who will be a freshman at Cape Girardeau Central High School.

She said she rewatched all the movies in preparation for the release of the new movie.

Austin Lashley, 15, of Delta (Elizabeth Dodd)

"It took me until about 4 a.m. to finish it," she said.

She said she also rereads the books on occasion.

"I just read them every once in a while to fill my head with it,"she said.

Bittle came to the movie with her parents and brother. She dressed up her 8-year-old brother Jeffrey with one of her old Halloween costumes.

"He kind of looks like Ron [Weasley], but he's got the scar on his head," said Laurie, their mother.

Erin Bittle, 14, of Cape Girardeau with brother Jeffrey, 8 (Elizabeth Dodd)

Lindsey Pingel, 19, and her sister wore homemade T-shirts for opening day. She said she got hooked on the series after her fourth-grade teacher started reading the books to the class.

Pingel said the Harry Potter books define people her age, who grew up with the books and movies. She said she hopes to carry on the tradition and read the books to her children.

"It's our generation that loves Harry Potter," said Pingel, who will be a sophomore at the University of Missouri in Columbia.

Pingel said she and her friends made "Dumbledore's Army" T-shirts for the fifth movie. She wore the shirt for the latest movie instead of dressing up.

"I feel like that's more for younger kids," she said. "I'll stick to my T-shirt."

Austin Lashley, 15, of Delta said his mother got him interested in reading the books when he was younger.

"It's all magical," he said. "You never know what's going to happen next."

He came to the movie with his mother, brother and grandmother. They said they bought tickets online to secure a spot for the 5:30 p.m. show.

Lashley said he read most of the books three to four times each.

"He reads the books faster than I can," said Maria Blyzes, his mother.

With two movies left, he said he is not looking forward to the end of the series.

"I don't want it to end," said Lashley, who will be a sophomore.