“Yer a wizard Harry.” 20 years later and these words still ignite a spark amongst a generation that grew up with the magic that is the Wizarding World of “Harry Potter.” On New Years day, a wish for many fans came true as the 20th anniversary special of the influential series was released exclusively to HBO Max.

When HBO announced they were in the process of creating a reunion, fans were overcome with joy as they have been insisting on more content since the release of the last movie “The Deathly Hallows” in 2007. Although fans have been placated with the spin-off series “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” it doesn’t feature many references to the movies and feels like a completely different series. Those who grew up with the “Harry Potter” franchise were ecstatic at the possibility that they could relive their childhood and go home to a world they thought they left a long time ago. 

This reunion did not disappoint and it felt as though one was apparated back in time to the last movie release. It followed the old cast including the main actors, Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) as they reflect on the movies together. These influential actors visited the old set of Hogwarts and explored the hallways once again, leading fans down memory lane. They were shown walking through the Great Hall, their old Gryffindor common rooms and the Gringotts Bank.

It was set up to follow the original movies with a portion of the reunion dedicated to each individual movie. The actors would talk about their favorite moments on set and reminisce on their time together growing up as “Harry Potter” actors. Fan favorite clips from the movies were also played throughout the reunion, allowing fans to revisit the world once again. 

There was also a tribute to all of the actors that had passed. This was an exceptionally emotional part of the reunion for everyone, including the fans. It featured Alan Rickman (Severus Snape), Helen McCroy (Narcissa Malfoy), Richard Harris (the first Albus Dumbledore) and many others that have sadly passed over the years. 

The actors and actresses that were able to participate in the reunion talked about their favorite memories with those that could no longer be with them and reminisced on their acting careers in “Harry Potter” and time together. 

Although the reunion satisfied the fans needs for more “Harry Potter” content, they did not however include the actors recreating old scenes, such as the ending. Fans speculated that the reunion would feature certain scenes being redone as the actors were all together once again. While many were sad that this did not happen, the reunion was still a success in fans eyes. 

This reunion was the first time since the release of the last of the eight movies that all of the actors and filmmakers were in the same room. It was the perfect way to bring fans home and give a deeper glimpse into this series that greatly affected many lives. As Snape and Dumbledore would say, “After all this time? Always.”

Contact Makinzy Todd at [email protected]