Ready your magic quills, dust off those wizard robes and hats, raise your wands, and pack your Nimbus 2000 as you depart from Platform 9 & 3/4 once again! ‘Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts’ takes on a nostalgia ride like no other, reminding you of that magical time when you waited in line for the Day 1 screening of the latest Harry Potter movies.

Also Read | Harry Potter 20th anniversary reunion leaves fans emotional

Potterheads stepped into 2022 in the best way possible. The 103 minute-long reunion special is every fans’ dream come true, as cast and crew members get together and take a trip down memory lane. There’s no better feeling than watching your favourites visit the Great Hall, sit down at the Gryffindor common room, and walk past Gringotts Wizarding Bank. It feels like the magic never really faded away.

Also Read | Biggest secrets revealed at Harry Potter reunion ‘Return to Hogwarts’

‘Return To Hogwarts’ starts off with how the cast of Harry Potter- Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) were selected amongst the thousands who auditioned. While Ron and Hermione were easy to cast, it was challenging to find someone who would be able to play the role of Harry. Once they stumbled upon Daniel Radcliffe on screen, it was tough convincing his parents to let him audition. As Emma Watson said the three of them ‘clicked’ from the very first group reading.

Also Read | Emma Watson recalls crushing over ‘Harry Potter’ co-star Tom Felton

The actors, who were kids back then, were newly introduced to fame. Director Chris Columbus recalls how difficult it was for him to make them focus on one scene for long and sometimes they would just get excited and smile in front of the camera. From Sorcerer’s Stone to Deathly Hallow parts 1 and 2, different directors shared how the trio grew up on the sets. We also get to know that the personalities of the actors were very similar to their respective characters. Director Alfonso Cuaron gave them an assignment that they had to do, and each of them reacted in the same way as their character would. It’s not surprising that Emma aced the homework!

The film is split into four chapters and each part speaks about two movies. It’s a mixture of film scenes, the cast and directors talking to each other, and behind the scenes footage. As the reunion continues, from discussing the first to the last film, the audience gets to know many stories that played out on set, or should we call them ‘secrets’. Emma Watson reveals what was the most ‘horrifying’ thing she had to do on the sets, who Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy) originally wanted to play and which cast member had a crush on Tom Felton, to name a few.

The reunion didn’t only end up focussing on the three main characters. We got to hear stories from other cast members: Gary Oldman, Robbie Coltrane, Jason Isaacs, Matthew Lewis, Tom Felton and Helena Bonham Carter. A tribute was also paid to cast and crew members who aren’t here with us anymore. One of them was Alan Rickman (Snape), the actor who succumbed to cancer in 2016 after a tough battle. Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort) shares how he was intimidated by him in the final scene between Voldemort and Snape.

Also Read | Harry Potter ‘Return to Hogwarts’ reunion: Which stars didn’t return?

While Return to Hogwarts makes you feel emotional and nostalgic throughout, it’s the last 15 minutes during which you won’t be able to control your tears. The editing, the dialogues all strike a very emotional chord.

As Emma Watson said, “There’s something about ‘Harry Potter’ that makes life richer, like when things get really dark and times are really hard”.