Harry Potter fans were in for a real treat when the clock struck midnight on January 1, 2022. 

In celebration of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’s 20th anniversary, HBO Max released the highly-anticipated and overly nostalgic special titled Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts.

This is the first time since the end of the eight film that the trio — Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint — who played Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, respectively, were in the same room. 

From interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, fans were transported back to the magical world once more.

What to Watch This Week: ‘Harry Potter’ Reunion, Final Season of ‘This Is Us’

Here are some of the best moments from the reunion:

Emma Watson almost didn’t finish the films

In a very transparent moment, Watson admitted that she considered removing herself from the final few films. She reflected on her mental state during the time period admitting that she was very lonely and isolated. She explained that Grint and Radcliffe had each other, Felton had his Slytherin’s, but she was the only female and had no one to lean on. 

She also felt the weight of the the fame on her shoulders and said it was “scary” that the franchise was going to live “forever,” which added an immense amount of pressure. 

However, Watson vied for the role after becoming a fan of the books. She was Hermione, and thus, she found it in herself to finish out the films for the fans. 

Her co-stars admitted that they had similar moments of uncertainty but they never shared them with her. 

Alan Rickman knew the plot

The reunion paid tribute to the dearly departed actors that made the franchise such a success, including the late Alan Rickman, who played the striking Professor Snape. 

In one of the scenes, Radcliffe reconnects with Gary Oldman, who played Sirius Black, who admits that he wished he knew his character arc from beginning to end. 

Radcliffe then informed him that Rickman knew everything about his character’s trajectory. 

“He had the inside line,” Radcliffe admitted, adding: “He very, very early said to Jo (J.K. Rowling), he was like, ‘I think I need to know what happens.’ And he never told Chris [Columbus], never told anyone. Chris would literally say to him, ‘Why are you doing that like that?’ He’d say, ‘I’ll tell you later.’”

Rickman was able to portray Snape with so much subtext because he knew the final destination all along, and that might be the most beautiful thing in the world. 

Emma Watson and Tom Felton love each other

As the cast revealed, there were a loooot of hormones on the set of the fourth and fifth film when the characters are really coming into their teenager years. And that means that there were bound to be some on-set crushes!

There has always been an unspoken love between Watson and Tom Felton, who played Slytherin Draco Malfoy, and the two of them addressed the elephant in the room during the reunion. 

Watson explained that she “fell in love with him” when they were given an assignment to draw what they thought God looked like and “Tom had drawn a girl with a backward cap on a skateboard.”

She said she would come in and look for his name on the call sheet, and if she spotted the lucky number 7, she knew it was going to be an “extra exciting day.”

Felton, however, was a few years older than Watson, so he looked at her as a little sister. 

“Emma and I have always loved each other, really,” Felton said noting that he became “very protective” of her.

“I’ve always had a soft spot for her, and that continues to the day,” he said. 

While there is plenty of love between them, Watson clarified that nothing romantic has ever happened between them. But their friendship and love for each other does make us blush a little. 

Daniel Radcliffe reveals his surprising crush

Again, it’s all about those connections on the set of Harry Potter! Radcliffe reunited with the force that is Helena Bonham Carter. There’s no denying that she gave her character, Bellatrix Lestrange, her all. 

While fans were definitely in awe of her portrayal, Radcliffe got an up-close look. And based on the note he wrote her at the end of filming, he was entranced by her! 

In addition to her teeth, Carter dug up the letter and had Radcliffe read it out loud. 

“Dear HBC, it was a pleasure being your co-star and coaster in the sense that I always ended up holding your coffee. I do love you and I just wish I’d been born 10 years earlier. I might’ve been in with a chance. Lots of love and thanks for being cool,” Radcliffe read and blushed. 

We don’t blame him for shooting his shot! 

Kissing on-screen isn’t magical at all

While fans rooted for Ron and Hermione to end up together, filming that iconic kiss wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be. In fact, it was a lot less magical on set because the actors had a sibling bond.

Watson called the kissing scene “the most horrifying thing either of us has ever had to go through.”

“Kissing Rupert was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, she said, adding, “It just felt wrong, so wrong on any level because Dan, Rupert and I are so much siblings.”

Grint agreed noting that he “blacked out” for the moment. 

The behind-the-scenes footage shows the duo laughing throughout the filming because they couldn’t take it serious.

Later on, Grint tells Watson that he “loves her” but clarifies that it isn’t in a romantic way. 

Leave it to Ron to make things awkward even during a sweet and sentimental moment! 

There were plenty of other great moments including the search for the real Harry Potter (the directors pursued Dan!), the late Richard Harris who played the original Dumbledore believing that Fawkes was a real bird rather than an animatronic, the making of Voldemort (his nose was removed via CGI), Jason Issaac’s almost nabbing another role, the cast doing all their own stunts, James Phelps’ tussle with a director that left him with broken ribs, and so much more! 

You can watch the reunion on HBO Max now!