Potter stars gather for premiere

The stars of the latest Harry Potter film, including Irish girl Evanna Lynch, have arrived for the European premiere of 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'.

Louth schoolgirl Evanna, beat off more than 15,000 hopefuls to scoop the role of Luna Lovegood in the latest Potter blockbuster.

Hundreds of fans, mainly young girls, crammed into London’s Leicester Square in torrential rain to chant “Harry, Harry, Harry” – drowning out the occasional dramatic crack of thunder.

Speaking about the female attention he attracts, Potter star Daniel Radcliffe said: “I can’t complain. It’s rather wonderful, really.”

Speaking of his first on-screen clinch with Katie Leung, who plays Cho Chang in the film, he said: “She’s a very good kisser.”

Radcliffe’s co-stars Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) were also expected at the event.

'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' sees Harry, played by 17-year-old Radcliffe, return to Hogwarts for his fifth year, but his integrity is called into question when some of the wizard community believe the story of the teenager’s recent encounter with Lord Voldemort is a lie.

The world premiere took place in Tokyo and broke box office records.

Critics have given the film mixed reviews.

The seventh and last book 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' is released on July 21.

Internet retailer Amazon.com said nearly 1.6 million people worldwide had pre-ordered the book.

That beats the 1.5 million advance orders which the website took for the sixth book 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'.

J K Rowling made a rare public appearance at the premiere and spoke of finishing the final book in the series.

“Finishing it was very, very emotional. It was a combination of relief and sadness really,” she said.

“It’s been a hell of a month. I’ll want to know what the people in my house think of it.”

The publicity-shy writer said that to see the crowd congregated in Leicester Square was “fantastic”.