Thousands of Harry Potter fans flocked to greet the stars of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two at the world premiere in London of the final part of the film series in London on Thursday.
Despite torrential rain earlier, the sun shone as the stars spent more than three hours signing autographs.
The BBC reports the event occupied all of Trafalgar Square. A red carpet stretched 1.2km to Leicester Square where the film was screened.
Daniel Radcliffe, who has played the boy wizard since he was 11, told fans the films would be with them ''for the rest of their lives''.
From a stage next to Nelson's column, Potter's creator JK Rowling thanked the actors for ''the amazing things they did for my favourite characters''.
Turning to the fans, she said: ''Thank you for queuing up for the books for all those years, for camping out in a wet Trafalgar Square.''
Fans back chanted ''Thank you!'' and Rowling said: ''No, no, I'm already crying.''
Radcliffe, who earlier flew in from New York, said Harry's story would never end.
Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley, thanked the screaming fans saying making the films had been ''the best part of my life''.
Grint and co-star Emma Watson spent hours on the red carpet signing autographs.
Fans from around the world
Michael Gambon, who plays wizard Dumbledore, told the BBC he was sad that it was all over and expressed ''astonishment'' at the reception.
Other cast members on the red carpet included Clemence Poesy (Fleur Delacour), Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid), Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy), and Julie Walters (Molly Weasley).
Fans from across Britain, and as far as China and Argentina, were in Trafalgar Square to see the cast.
The BBC reports many had been been staking out their spot beside the enormous red carpet since Monday.
Many were dressed in Hogwarts robes and bore lightning flashes on their foreheads.
Others waved placards reading ''We're all potty about Potter'', ''Potter 'til I die'' and ''Harry Potter is over. See you in therapy''.
