Tom Felton And Emma Watson Addressed Their Relationship On The Harry Potter Reunion
They certainly have a lot of love for each other.
The Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts reunion special is a big deal in the fandom. In addition to being the largest assembly of the original cast since the films ended, it marked the first time Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, and Rupert Grint shared a screen since 2011’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. But for the longtime fans, there was another notable reunion, that of Watson and Tom Felton, who played Draco. Tom Felton and Emma Watson’s Harry Potter reunion quotes explain why their gathering was such a big deal.
Warning: Spoilers for The Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts reunion special follow. It’s not a surprise to hear Watson, Grint, and Radcliffe talk about the experience of growing up together on camera. When cast, they were 10, 12, and 11, respectively, and spent the next decade coming of age in the spotlight. All three consider themselves spiritual siblings.
But the relationships don’t end with just that trio. James and Oliver Phelps and Bonnie Wright were also cast in the first film as Grint’s Weasley siblings and appeared in all eight movies, and all four actors discussed having “two” families on set to bond with, a Weasley one and a Hogwarts one. That Hogwarts family also included Matthew Lewis, Devon Murray, and Felton, aka Neville, Seamus, and Draco, who appeared in every film.
But Felton and Watson had a special bond that started all the way back in the audition process. In the reunion special, Felton recalled their first time meeting at the initial casting. He sneered at her for asking questions about the sound equipment and filming process, but that didn’t stop them from becoming fast friends.
In fact, Watson said she crushed on Felton hard in the early days, starting when he drew a picture of a girl on a skateboard as his idea of “god” and Watson “just fell in love with him,” as she put it. “I used to come in every day and look for his number on the call sheet — it was No. 7 — and if his number was on the call sheet, it was an extra-exciting day,” she said. But Felton was about three years older than Watson, which, for pre-teens and young teens, is practically an entire generation of a difference. Felton looked at Watson as a little sister, someone who needed a bit of protecting, since she was younger than the rest of the main cast of kids.
That relationship continued through their decade on set together. As Felton noted in the special, unlike Radcliffe and Grint, who had each other, Watson was often isolated and had a rougher time with fans. It led her to consider dropping out of the franchise after the fourth film, as the reality of lifelong fame dawned on her. “There’s always been something that’s like, I don’t know, a kinship,” Felton said about his bond with Watson, noting that he “always had a soft spot” for her, which continues to this day. Watson shared a similar sentiment: “I think, really, the truth of it was, Tom was the one that I could often be more vulnerable with.”
In recent years, there have been rumors about Watson and Felton being more than friends. But Watson — who appears to still be dating California businessman Leo Robinton — flat-out denied any romantic ties with Felton on the special. “Nothing has ever, ever, ever, ever happened romantically with us. We just love each other,” she said stated in the special, before smiling at the camera and adding, “That’s all I can say about that.”
The Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts reunion special is streaming on HBO Max alongside all eight original Harry Potter movies.
