As the 20th anniversary special “Return to Hogwarts” for Harry Potter began, the classic tune we recognized from all seven of the movies rang in our ears. The iconic actors and actresses Emma Watson (as Hermione Granger), Rupert Grint (as Ron Weasley), and Daniel Radcliffe (as Harry Potter) welcomed us aboard on the journey down memory lane. The uniqueness of adapting “Harry Potter” novels by J.K Rowling into movies is how wonderfully all the aspects and characters were portrayed wonderfully with lots of accuracy. The cast members, the wintery ambience and the magical nostalgia brought us back to where it all started with a young boy and his scar, with a pinch of magic. 

The special, which can be found on HBO Max, lasted one hour and 42 minutes. The memories that came back along with the movies and novels had been successfully delivered during the anniversary special. The audience got the chance to view and fully understand the masterminds behind the films and the technical beauty aligning with each director’s different yet cohesive style. The audience also saw the reuniting of several actors and actresses, for instance, Daniel Radcliffe and Gary Oldman shared memories of their on screen as well as behind the scenes relationship, which was by far one of the most meaningful ones created by this movie series. Oldman had played the character Sirius Black, who acted as a mentor for Harry Potter during most of the series, creating a powerful bond that even the audience was connected to. 

Although we were able to watch many cast members reconvene once again, other cast members have unfortunately passed away since the filming of the series. The anniversary special commemorated the fellow actresses and actors with memories and old pictures, while also raising their wands as tribute for those who have passed. In particular, Alan Rickman, who played Severus Snape and held a special place in all of the cast member’s hearts, had passed away January 14, 2016. He was recalled as a “dear friend,” an “absolute legend” and a “warm person.” 

J.K Rowling had been subtly distanced from the reunion mostly due to her derogatory opinions and views towards the trans community. All of her thoughts being publicized had caused this distance from the anniversary special and had led to a missing piece during the reuniting of all the cast members. During “Return to Hogwarts,” the entire cast kept ease surrounding the sour subject and instead focused on themselves. 

All in all, the reunion brought us back on an emotional roller coaster rethinking all seven films we thought we knew. The reuniting of the kids and now adults who grew up on a screen together had caused the audience to shed a few tears without a doubt. Although the entire cast was not there to commemorate the dedication of filming the series, bringing back together all these memories let us go back in time for just a little while to the witchcraft and wizardry of Hogwarts.