“Return to Hogwarts” – the special film celebrating the 20th anniversary of the “Harry Potter” brand – has aired. The work takes viewers back to the realm of memories.
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts premiered to fans on New Year’s Day. The special features many directors and actors who participated in the Harry Potter film series. During the reunion, they reminisced about old memories and revealed many intriguing untold stories.
**The Terrifying Draco Malfoy**
In the magical world of Harry Potter, the Malfoy family is a nightmare. On screen, the roles of the Malfoy father and son were portrayed by actors Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy) and Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), respectively. Acting alongside Jason Isaacs once made Tom Felton uneasy.
The actor shared: “Working with Jason was truly wonderful. But it wasn’t always that great. He could instantly turn into the grumpiest, most unapproachable, and unpleasant person I had ever met.”
Jason Isaacs agreed with Felton’s observation. The actor recalled a moment on set: “I remember grabbing the kid, trying to look grumpy, and seeing that sweet face constantly looking at me, gauging the situation.”
He also shared a moment of regret from the filming of *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets* (2002). In a cut scene, Lucius Malfoy used his walking stick to strike his son. “I didn’t realize the tip of the stick was so sharp. It hit Tom’s hand directly,” Jason Isaacs said.
Commenting on his co-star, Tom Felton said: “Jason was like a devilish father figure on screen. But when the director said ‘cut,’ he would come over and give you a hug.” The actor described Jason Isaacs as having a transformative acting ability akin to Jekyll and Hyde.
**Alan Rickman Was the Only One Privy to His Character’s Secrets**
During the program, actor Gary Oldman expressed his wish that he had known more about the true nature of the character Sirius Black he portrayed from the start. “I wish I had seen the bigger picture. You know, we only learned about the true nature of the characters as the books were released,” Oldman told Daniel Radcliffe.
Gary Oldman and Daniel Radcliffe appeared in the show.
The actor also wondered if the main cast was informed about future plot details while filming. Daniel Radcliffe responded: “Not us. Only Alan Rickman was. He was given some information beforehand.”
When Gary Oldman asked how that happened, Radcliffe explained that Alan Rickman (the actor who played Professor Snape) had approached author J.K. Rowling for more information. “He told Jo, ‘I think I need to know what’s going to happen,’” Radcliffe recounted about his late colleague.
“Indeed, Rickman needed to be informed about his character in advance, didn’t he?” Gary Oldman commented.
**Fond Memories**
During the reunion, director Chris Columbus and Daniel Radcliffe reminisced about a fond memory with Richard Harris, the first actor to portray Professor Albus Dumbledore on screen. According to their account, the actor believed the phoenix in *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets* was a real bird.
He thought it was a real bird that had been expertly trained to interact with the actors, not realizing that beneath its bright plumage was just a machine. No one on set at the time corrected Richard Harris.
When filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón directed *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*, he assigned the trio of main characters the task of writing essays about their respective roles. While Emma Watson submitted a lengthy essay, Radcliffe barely wrote a few words, and Rupert Grint did not submit anything at all. The actor reasoned that if Ron had been given such an assignment, he wouldn’t have done it either. He just followed what his character suggested.
The Yule Ball scene in *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire* was a significant challenge for Emma Watson. The actress shared about her awkward moment: “I knew that scene was important, and I knew it was going to be a nightmare.” The pressure was so intense that Watson fell down the stairs right in front of the camera.
**Emma Watson Had a Crush on Tom Felton**
Despite their characters being antagonistic, Emma Watson and Tom Felton shared a close bond. “Emma and I always had a fondness for each other,” Felton recalled the filming days of Harry Potter. Emma Watson revealed that she had a crush on Tom Felton after a tutoring session on set. “I just had a crush on Felton,” the actress said.
After all, Tom Felton and Emma Watson remain just friends.
Tom Felton recalled someone on set revealing to him that Watson liked him, and the actress did not deny it. “I would go to the set every day and check the shooting schedule for Tom Felton’s name. If it was there, it was truly a great day.”
While Felton admitted he was “always susceptible to Emma,” the actress clarified: “There was never any romantic relationship between us. We just liked each other. That’s what I can say.”
**Daniel Radcliffe Wrote a Love Letter**
Years later, actress Helena Bonham Carter – who played Bellatrix Lestrange – and Daniel Radcliffe reunited on screen in the 20th anniversary Harry Potter special. During their conversation, Bonham Carter showed a postcard Radcliffe had given her many years ago.
Daniel Radcliffe read aloud the letter on the back. The message remained sweet and innocent until Radcliffe suddenly fell silent. Bonham Carter urged the actor to read the rest of the letter, and Radcliffe continued.
The final lines of the message from young Daniel Radcliffe to Helena Bonham Carter read: “I love you and wish I had been born 10 years earlier. Maybe then I would have had a chance.” Helena Bonham Carter revealed she still hangs that postcard in her home.
**Emma Watson Once Wanted to Quit**
Director David Yates of *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix* revealed: “At the beginning, one thing David Heyman and the studio told me was that Emma Watson wasn’t sure if she wanted to continue with the Harry Potter series.” Emma Watson shared that she was quite confused about whether she wanted to continue playing Harry Potter at that time.
She mentioned recently finding pages from her diary from that period. Watson noted that after reading the old diary, she thought she had been very lonely at that time.
Watson’s comments resonated with Radcliffe. The actor said: “We never talked about it on set because we were all still kids. A 14-year-old kid couldn’t just turn to another 14-year-old and say, ‘Hey, how are you? Is everything okay?’”
As a teenager, Emma Watson felt pressured by the thought that Harry Potter might be linked to her entire life. “I think I was scared,” Watson said. But it was the support from fans that motivated Watson to continue with Harry Potter.
**The “Awful Kiss”**
The story of Hermione and Ron on screen (as well as in the books) is a journey from friendship to love. However, on set, Watson and Grint were more like siblings than romantic partners. This made filming their kiss a real challenge. “A horrendous experience,” according to Watson.
Director David Yates shared about the filming of this special scene in the final movie: “I spoke to both of them in the waiting room, making sure they felt comfortable. It was just like psyching up an athlete before an important match.”
Rupert Grint revealed he made things more difficult for his co-stars by showing up on set to watch the kiss scene. He apologized for the disruptions he caused at that time.
Grint shared: “I felt like I was going to faint. The last thing I remember was your face slowly getting closer.” Despite the discomfort of the scene, the actor mentioned it wasn’t the worst thing that happened. Emma Watson said: “Kissing Rupert was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. It felt so wrong, not right at all because Dan, Rupert, and I were like siblings.”
**An Important Part of Each Other’s Lives**
Rupert Grint shared: “Filming the final movie felt really weird for me. Especially when the film wrapped. I seemed to lose the boundary between myself and the character. I didn’t know where the character ended and I began, and vice versa.”
Watson said: “It felt like we had taken method acting to the highest level. You guys are like a part of my life. We have always been an important part of each other’s lives.”
“My life up to this point is intertwined with Potter,” Daniel Radcliffe said at the end of the reunion. He mentioned that he always feels proud whenever they meet the enthusiastic fans of the Harry Potter brand.
