5 Surprising Moments from the ‘Harry Potter’ Reunion

After what feels like an eternity of anticipation, the new Harry Potter reunion is FINALLY here, and we have a lot to discuss.

There were tears, there were laughs, and there was lots of love in the new HBO Max reunion special Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts.  For Harry Potter superfans and casual viewers alike, there were tons of moments in this reunion that we HAVE to talk about.

WARNING: Spoilers ahead if you haven’t watched yet!

1. Daniel Radcliffe’s Letter/Helena Bonham Carter’s Antics

Leave it to Helena Bonham Carter to start the list off with two of the most unexpected moments in the reunion. Seriously, we did NOT expect her to pop her old Bellatrix teeth that she had held on to right into her mouth!

During the reunion, Dan and HBC sit down together to talk about their memories while filming. Helena Bonham Carter pulls out a letter written by Dan, shocking us all as she invites Radcliffe to read the letter aloud. In his letter, Radcliffe writes and admits “And I just wish I had been born 10 years earlier,” indicating that he had a crush on none other than HBC!

2. Emma Watson Thought About Quitting

Can you imagine Hermoine Granger being played by anyone other than Emma Watson? She completed the trio so perfectly, yet Watson revealed that at times, she felt scared and lonely. 

Director David Yates, who worked on Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, shared that he knew Emma was on the fence about whether or not she wanted to return. We’re so glad she did!

3. Alan Rickman’s Insider Info

Alan Rickman played Severus Snape PERFECTLY, and while it was already known that he had been given some insider info on how the character would turn out by author J.K. Rowling, we learned just how much that extended to his performance!

Daniel Radcliffe shared that Rickman would make specific acting choices throughout filming the movies, and when asked by the director would often tell them something along the lines of “you’ll find out later.”

4. There Were Some CRAZY On-Set Facts

When you hear of a broken rib on set, you probably imagine that a stunt went wrong. But while sharing some fun behind-the-scenes facts, we learned that director Mike Newell broke his ribs after challenging James Phelps (Fred Weasley) to a fight!

According to Newell, he wanted a fight scene in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to look more genuine, so he attempted to demonstrate his plan with Phelps. He then admitted that during the fight, he cracked a few ribs! Not only that, but it was also revealed that Richard Harris thought that Fawkes (the animatronic phoenix) was a real, very well-trained, bird!

5. Tom + Emma

We HAVE to talk about the adorable friendship between Emma Watson and Tom Felton. Watson shared that she had a crush on Felton, and looked forward to filming when he was on set. She even memorized his call number!

When Felton said, “I became very protective over her. I’ve always had a soft spot for her and that continues to the day,” our hearts MELTED!

There are SO many more moments we could talk about in this new reunion, and it was so nice to see the cast back together. What was your favorite moment? Keep following along for more news and discussions!

QUIZ: How Much Do You Know About the Hogwarts Houses?

What are your thoughts on the reunion special? Let us know in the comments!