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The Scaglione family had no intentions of seeing Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in the 80-seat theater Wednesday afternoon.

They scanned the paper, wildly searching for their favorite movie, but came up empty handed.

That all changed when Mary Scaglione and her two children pulled up to the theater around 2 p.m. Wednesday.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix opened at Marco Movies with a 3 p.m. showing, said Brian Bell, the theater’s manager. With only minutes before the opening credits flashed across the screen, the small theater was already filled with fans waiting to see what happened to their favorite characters.

“I like Harry Potter because he’s the hero,” 10-year-old Andrew Scaglione said. “He’s the one that would save everybody.”

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the fifth movie in the popular Harry Potter series. The movie, and the book of the same name, follows the characters as they attempt to fight off an evil wizard.

Bell said the previous movies in the series have been among the biggest sellers at the theater.

“It’s been sold out every time we’ve had it,” Bell said earlier this week. “It’s probably one of the better shows we’ll have this summer.”

Bell said fans began lining up to purchase tickets around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, more than an hour before the first showing.

Mary Norko, 26, is among the millions of people who has seen all of the movies. On Wednesday the Naples resident sat in the front row of the theater munching on candy, waiting for the movie to begin.

“The previews I’ve seen seem to be pretty accurate to the book,” Norko said. “I don’t know what I’m expecting, I just know I wanted to see the movie.”

Norko, like many Harry Potter fans, said she is also eagerly awaiting the release of the seventh, and final, book.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows will be released July 21.

Andrew said he hasn’t read the books yet, but did listen to the books on tape with his father and with his sister, Rachel, 9.

“I just can’t wait to see what happens next,” he said.

•••

What does Harry Potter mean to you?

Tell us what the Harry Potter book series has meant to you in 300 words or less. A panel of Potter geeks will pick our three favorites and those writers will win a certificate for the new book, redeemable on the release day at Barnes & Noble in Naples.

We’ll run the winners’ responses along with others we quite liked on the cover of the Daily News’ Neapolitan and Gulf Life on July 21 and also online at naplesnews.com. All ages are eligible for entry.

E-mail features@naplesnews.com or write us at Naples Daily News, 1075 Central Ave., Naples, 34102. The deadline: Friday, July 13. Please direct all submissions to Harry Potter Contest and include your full name and a telephone number so we can verify your entry.