Top 10 Biggest Reveals in Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Biggest Reveals in Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts.

For this list, we’ll be looking at details and behind-the-scenes facts from the “Harry Potter” reunion, some of which hadn’t been revealed before. Others we hadn’t heard the cast and crew speak about in depth before.

What was your biggest takeaway from “Return to Hogwarts?” Did you catch the Weasley twins mix-up? Let us know in the comments.

The “Harry Potter” franchise is wall to wall with technical wizardry. For all the CGI on display, the filmmakers also aimed to work in practical magic. In the reunion, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint reminisce about the Great Hall’s floating candles from the first film. To truly bring Hogwarts to life, the crew wanted to hang actual candles from tungsten wires, which would later be removed during editing. As you might imagine, this turned out to be a safety hazard. The fire would burn through the wires and they came falling down. The filmmakers thus decided to take the digital route going forward. Nevertheless, the cast still has fond memories of first entering the suspended candle-lit hall, praising Stuart Craig’s production design.

In “Goblet of Fire,” Professor McGonagall prepares students for the Yule Ball, enlisting Ron as her dance partner. Ron is visibly uncomfortable and apparently so was Rupert Grint. Not only had Grint never danced with a lady before, but his onscreen twin brothers had a little fun with him behind the scenes. James and Oliver Phelps asked an oblivious Grint if he knew all of his steps, convincing him that they had been rehearsing a complex dance routine for almost six weeks. Aside from adding to the awkward tension, we could totally see Fred and George Weasley doing this to Ron in either the films or books. Stories like this exemplify how the actors channeled their characters and evolved from a cast to a family.

Fawkes the Phoenix is one of the most impressive practical effects from “Chamber of Secrets.” The animatronic proved so convincing that the late Richard Harris mistook it for the real deal. According to Chris Columbus and Daniel Radcliffe, the original Dumbledore actor thought somebody had trained a large, red bird. The crew could see Harris through the cameras in the animatronic’s eyes. Wanting to maintain the illusion, they had the animatronic respond to Harris as he interacted with it. Radcliffe and Columbus didn’t have the heart to tell Harris that it was only a robot. If the “Fantastic Beasts” movies are any indication, Fawkes probably would’ve been mostly CGI today. However, only the magic of practical effects could give us a moment such as this.

Even with eight movies, there wasn’t enough time to explore every character dynamic from the books. Several deleted scenes would’ve added new dimensions to some relationships. In “Chamber of Secrets,” Lucius Malfoy was supposed to be introduced at Knockturn Alley. Lucius stops Draco from touching an object by slamming his cane. We briefly empathize with the younger Malfoy as we see how much he fears his father. Jason Isaacs underestimated how sharp and heavy the cane was, apologizing to a teary-eyed Tom Felton for accidentally cutting him. While this deleted scene can be seen in its entirety, the same unfortunately can’t be said about the full duel between Sirius and Bellatrix. The actors spend several days shooting this confrontation only for it to get cut.

Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy and Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockhart are among the most spot-on casting choices in the franchise. When Isaacs auditioned for “Chamber of Secrets,” though, he originally sought to play the egotistical Lockhart. He was a bit miffed when Chris Columbus subsequently asked him to read for Lucius. Isaacs was already cast as Captain Hook in the 2003 version of “Peter Pan,” and he didn’t want to play two villains in fantasy movies. Isaacs’ bitterness could be sensed as he read the part. In doing so, Isaacs ironically tapped into the character and it quickly became clear that he was perfect for the role. Despite his initial hesitance, Isaacs couldn’t be more grateful that the casting directors saw what he couldn’t.

Given the number of epic showdowns in this franchise, one might expect an on-set accident to occur here and there. One of the most painful injuries, though, stemmed from a humorous confrontation. Hoping to enter the Triwizard Tournament, Fred and George try cheating the Age Line with a potion. This backfires spectacularly, leaving the twins humiliated with long beards. While they laugh it off in the book, the film sees a brotherly squabble erupt between Fred and George. Not finding the fight convincing enough, Mike Newell switched places with one of the twins and tried acting it out. The 60-something-year-old director realized that he might have made a mistake as he felt some of his ribs crack. At least the scene ultimately turned out well.

It’s not uncommon for a young actor to develop an attraction to a co-star. It’s hard to imagine a reality where Harry Potter falls for Bellatrix Lestrange, however. When Carter asked Radcliffe for an autograph back in the day, he gave her something much more. Radcliffe professed his affection for Carter in a message, wishing that he had been born ten years earlier. When the two reunited for the franchise’s 20th anniversary, HBC couldn’t resist asking Radcliffe to read the declaration of love out loud. Carter still treasures Radcliffe’s words, even hanging his note in her home. Of course, she chose to display it in the bathroom, which speaks to their playful rapport.

Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy developed one of the most popular ships in the “Harry Potter” fan community. It’d even be touched upon in the fan-made “A Very Potter Musical.” While the characters don’t get together in any official canon, Emma Watson and Tom Felton share a close rapport in real life. During tutoring, the young actors were asked to draw their interpretation of God. Felton sketched a skater girl, which left Watson falling “in love” with him. Felton eventually became aware of her crush, although he apparently viewed Watson more like a little sister. Watson clarified in the special they never pursued a romantic relationship. “Dramione” shippers will be ecstatic to know, however, that their mutual bond has prevailed well into adulthood.

Some Wizarding World roles have been harder to recast than others, but we honestly can’t picture anybody playing Heromine other than Emma Watson. Before “Order of the Phoenix,” Watson was tempted to walk away from the franchise. The pressure of fame started to get to Watson during her teens and she wasn’t sure how to discuss these feelings with her co-stars. While not unknown prior to the reunion, Grint was surprised to find just how seriously Watson considered quitting. As close as she was with Radcliffe and Grint, Watson still felt like something of an outsider, being younger and the only female lead. Watson ultimately thankfully decided to stay on, although she might’ve left Hermione behind if “Harry Potter” didn’t have such a “genuine” fandom.

The final “Harry Potter” book hit store shelves the same year that “Order of the Phoenix” premiered in theaters. Up until this point, most of the cast had no idea how the series would wrap up. According to Radcliffe, the late Alan Rickman was the only actor in the loop. Since Severus Snape is such an enigmatic character, Rickman felt that he should know whether his journey ends heroically or villainously. Knowing that Snape was a double agent allowed Rickman to add new layers to his portrayal, although the filmmakers didn’t always understand what he was doing. When Columbus was confused by an acting choice, Rickman insisted that all would eventually be made clear. Just as Snape carried a secret for years, so did Rickman.