EActually there are only two reasons to go to a class reunion: Either you want to know what has become of the others. Or you want to assure yourself of what you once were.
The viewer of “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts” (from January 1st on Sky) doesn’t notice much of the former. No inside information about the relationship life of the stars, no comparative record of their careers, no gossip about the absent JK Rowling.
In return, one can enjoy nostalgic retrospectives all the more, touching answers to the question: What was it like for you back then? Making history by the age of 10 or 11?
For this project, the original cast was loaded back to Hogwarts. As the famous intro melody plays, the actors can be seen breaking letters with the Hogwarts seal on them. A little later Emma Watson gets on the train and throws her former play alias classmates around the necks. While everyone comes to the festive ball, toasts, dance and can’t get enough of each other, the names of the actors appear on the screen in gold letters with roles and assigned houses.
20 years after the premiere of the first film, ten years after the eighth and final part of the series: Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger). The other Weasleys – Bonnie Wright (Ginny), Mark Williams (Arthur), James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George) – the Malfoys – Jason Isaacs and Tom Felton – Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange), Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid) , Gary Oldman (Sirius Black), Alfred Enoch (Dean Thomas), Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom), Toby Jones (Dobby) and Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood). And Ralph Fiennes, who gave the noseless and nameless Lord Voldemort a hissing breath that still freezes your blood today.
Some are missing
The deceased are remembered with a twinkling starry sky: Richard Griffiths (Vernon Dursley), John Hurt (Mr. Olivander), Helen McCrory (Narcissa Malfoy), Richard Harris (Albus Dumbledore) and Alan Rickman (Severus Snape). The absence of the creator, JK Rowling, is not mentioned. One can only speculate whether it is because of the focus of the anniversary on the films or because of Rowling’s recent transcritical activism, as a result of which many fans turned away from the bestselling author.
Nevertheless, she got a place in “Return to Hogwarts”, for example in interspersed interview sequences from 2019 or in the hymns of praise by the actors. “So many people have fallen in love with J. Rowling’s writing,” says Bonnie Wright. Robbie Coltrane emphasizes how many children around the world Rowling moved to read – at a time when, like Radcliffe, there was talk of the “death of reading”.
Anyone who expects revealing interpretations or new theories on the Potterversum will be disappointed. The 140-minute PR homage – rich in scenery, costume, music and cast, but poor in knowledge and plot – clearly centers the actors, their experiences and feelings. After all: erotic fan fiction fantasies based on hooking up with evil are served.
We learn not only that Emma Watson had feelings for Tom Felton alias Draco Malfoy, even if “nothing romantically ever happened between them”, but also that Daniel Radcliffe, 32, had a crush on Helena Bonham Carter (55). In a letter addressed to his co-actress after the last shoot, he expresses his regret that he was not born ten years earlier so that he might have had a chance with her.
Finally, we hear Rupert say, “I love you” to Emma, at a climax of approaching sentimentality. She cries, but leaves the statement unanswered. Rupert quickly followed up with a “friendly”. Both laugh.
Fusion of role and person
Nothing breaks with the rust-red-chestnut-brown Butterbeer mood of the films. No wild revelations about animosity among the actors, no subsequent complaints about harsh shooting conditions. Instead, they keep talking about family, friendship and the greatest fun of their lives.
“We did the most extreme form of method acting,” explains Watson. It had gone so far that when she played the farewell scene from Harry, she thought of the actual farewell to the film set. At some point, and then it became problematic, the actors no longer knew how much belonged to their person and how much belonged to their role. “Even my name didn’t feel right anymore,” admitted Rupert.
Alfonso Cuarón, who succeeded Chris Columbus and directed the third film, tells how he once gave the children homework. You should each write an essay in which you characterized your figure. Daniel kept it short, Emma delivered a 12-page essay, and Rupert… didn’t submit anything. “I thought Ron wouldn’t do it,” says Rupert, who chose to stick with his role. Cuarón smiles: “Rupert is Ron. To 100%.”
Lack of courage to continue
Daniel Radcliffe, who can no longer hold back tears, sums it up: “It’s been ten very good years,” he says. And thus reminds of JK Rowling’s last words with which she said goodbye to the boy who was alive: “Everything was fine”.
A conclusion that unfortunately does not apply to this fan collage that you can find hundreds of times on YouTube. One would have wished the producers had more Rowling’s courage to keep going, that is, to a genuine sequel (like this year for example with “Sex and the City” or “Wetten, dass …?”) – with all the risks that come with it .
There would have been a promising book from Rowling’s pen: The unofficial eighth volume, the play “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”, takes place 19 years after Harry’s victory against Voldemort. So far you could only see it on stage. Watson, Radcliffe and Grint still have nine years.
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