Twenty years after the release of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” Harry Potter fans all around the world are reunited once again by the boy who lived. HBO Max’s “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts” is a nostalgic, emotional, and heartwarming reflection on the series that has made an eternal mark on the film and literature industries. 

The anniversary features many iconic actors that helped tell Harry’s story in the movies. With Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint reuniting the Golden Trio, James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley), Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort), Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid), and Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley), as well as an abundance of others, the cast comes together as if they never left the Hogwarts Express to reignite the love for JK Rowling’s work. While Rowling was surprisingly not a part of the reunion, pre-recorded clips from an interview in 2019 were shown — but many fans were disappointed not to see the one who brought the entire series to life in attendance. 

The special highlights never-before-seen behind the scenes footage of the production of each Potter movie, starting from “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” and ending at “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.” Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson are the main focuses of the program, talking about their experiences in the limelight from such a young age and how it affected them. From how they managed to get to the first audition to how they stay in touch as adults twenty years later, the legendary Potter trio shares parts of their experiences many fans — or “Potterheads” — would’ve never expected. 

One of my favorite parts of the reunion was the honoring of late Potter cast members, such as Alan Rickman (Severus Snape), Richard Harris (Albus Dumbledore), Helen McCrory (Narcissa Malfoy), and Richard Griffiths (Vernon Dursley). The stars shared their favorite memories of the cast members that could not be with them that day and honored the impact they made on the series and themselves. While emotional, this part of the reunion really showed me that the cast of Potter was truly a family, and the actors will never forget the ones they lost along the way of filming and after production ended. 

As bittersweet as I still am about my Hogwarts letter getting lost in the mail, this reunion brought me back to my pre-teens and reminded me of the space Harry Potter films have taken up in my heart. This reunion was beautifully done and an overall amazing watch, and I am not ashamed to say that I will forever be a Harry Potter fan.