Thousands of girls dream to play in Harry Potter movie

Thousands of teenage girls auditioned on Saturday for a role in the next Harry Potter film. The girls, aged 13 to 16, waited patiently in long lines to try out for the part of trainee wizard Luna Lovegood in "Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix." In the book, Luna is described as being an unusual character who is considered somewhat of an outsider by her classmates. With her wand tucked behind her ear for safekeeping and a necklace of corks, the 14-year-old wizard often appears somewhat detached from what is going on around her. The successful auditioner will join cast members Daniel Radcliffe, who plays Harry; Emma Watson, who is Hermione Granger; and Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley in the film. First in the queue outside Westminster Central Hall in London was Kim Allen, 15. Dressed in jeans and a stripy top, Allen said she had been waiting in line since 11 p.m. (2300 GMT) Friday.

"There are three of us, and we slept outside, although we didn't sleep very well. ... I desperately want the part. I check the Harry Potter Web site every day and saw the auditions advertised on there." Annie Beatson, 15, said: "As far as we know, they are just going to be looking at us and seeing if any of us has got the weird characteristics they want. We were told we couldn't wear makeup, which is a nightmare."

Only British and Irish citizens were being auditioned, and each hopeful had to identify herself with a passport or birth certificate, and a proof of address, reports the AP. N.U.