Returning to Hogwarts after all this time

Time, mysterious as it is, has multitudes of invisible threads that connect us. One such thread is the Harry Potter series. Many of the actors, including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Matthew Lewis, Tom Felton, Alfred Enoch, Helena Bonham Carter, Gary Oldman, Evanna Lynch, and Robbie Coltrane from the Harry Potter film franchise reunite in HBO Max's "Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts".

From the Gringotts Bank and Dumbledore's Office to the Weasley's Burrow, they revisit old sets and indulge in nostalgic conversations. Interspersed between these conversations are some behind-the-scenes footage and movie clips.

As Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint sit by the fire in the Gryffindor common room, they openly talk and reminisce about their time on set – starting from first auditions, teenage crushes, and hilarious anecdotes to Watson's decision to walk away after the fifth movie, and deaths of beloved cast members.

The film is divided into four parts, each dedicated to two films so the four directors - Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuaron, Mike Newell, and David Yates can share their individual experiences and memories of working on set.  

Although Emma and Felton meet for a brief moment, we don't get to see them or the other two boys catch up with Slytherin's poster boy. Radcliffe does not have any interactions with Matthew, Bonnie, Alfred or Robert either which was a bit disappointing. Instead, he has a long chat with director of the first two films, Chris Columbus, about his vision and process of building the Harry Potter cinematic universe.

Essentially, "Return to Hogwarts" is a long, but not necessarily deep dive into the universe or the galaxy of stars within it. To everyone's dismay, thespian actors like Maggie Smith (Professor McGonagall), David Thewlis (Remus Lupin), Julie Walters (Molly Weasley), Jim Broadbent (Professor Slughorn), Imelda Staunton (Dolores Umbridge) and Brendan Gleeson (Mad-eye Moody) were not featured.

However, the ones that did appear, left a lasting impression. It was absolutely delightful to watch every scene that Helena Bonham Carter was in, especially when she makes Radcliffe read the note he wrote her back in the days. The entire Slytherin gang, Helena, Jason Isaacs and Ralph Fiennes seemed as though they haven't aged a day. Late actors including Richard Griffiths, Alan Rickman and Helen McCrory are fondly remembered.

Some of the stories shared were a repetition of "Creating the World of Harry Potter", which is a 2009 documentary series, showing an unfiltered behind-the-scenes look of the set, actors, and crew members.

Author of the Harry Potter books, JK Rowling, briefly appears. Her archive footage is used from 2019. Warner Bros apparently approached her for the reunion, but her team declined the offer, perhaps owing to the controversy after she unabashedly expressed her transphobic views. Nevertheless, there was hardly any mention of how her controversial opinions affected the multi-billion dollar series' reputation.

Like the golden trio, there are many people around the world who have grown up reading the books and watching the movies so "Return to Hogwarts" is one glorious trip down memory lane. Whether you are a long-time fan or just passing through, the reunion will invite an erratic rush of emotions. The film series may have ended a decade ago but after all this time, it still holds the power to entertain us.

We return to Hogwarts because it is our first fictional home. We may grow up, but we can never outgrow Harry Potter.