Hogwarts has provided a home for many readers since the release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone came out in June 1997, and many more fell in-love with the series when the movie Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone hit theaters on November 16, 2001. Hermione Granger herself, Emma Watson, celebrated the movie’s 20th anniversary with a touching Instagram post on Tuesday November 16.
The 31-year-old actress shared two photos: one with herself and co-stars Daniel Radcliffe (who played Harry) and Rupert Grint (who played Ron Weasley), when they were all youngsters, presumably on the set of the first film. The second photo had many more people with a number of castmates and crew, presumably from when the eighth and final film Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 was filmed. She raved about her time onset and how she’s always known that getting to play Hermione was the role of a lifetime. “Harry Potter was my home, my family, my world and Hermione (still is) my favorite fictional character of all time. I think a journalist once said it was irritating how many times during an interview I mentioned how lucky I was and started counting… BUT I DAMN WELL KNEW!!! And still know,” she wrote.
In the emotional post, Emma seemed blown away by how much she and the other stars have grown from kids into young adults, as many fans definitely are also. “I look at my fellow cast members now and I am just so proud of who everyone has become as people. I am proud we were kind to each other that we supported one another and that we held up something meaningful,” she wrote. Emma also pointed to the fans for making the Wizarding World such an accepting place. “The magic of the world wouldn’t exist without you. Thank you for fighting to make it such an inclusive and loving place,” she said.
After thanking the crew, Emma mentioned that Potter fans have plenty of magic to look forward to, as a new special Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts will be available on HBOMax on January 1, which will see the main trio, as well as other cast members reuniting. She also shared a trailer for the special on her Instagram Story!
Other than Emma, a few more of her co-stars reminisced on the film for its 20th anniversary. Bonnie Wright (who played Ginny Weasley) shared a photo of herself, making her brief debut appearance in the first movie. She thanked author J.K. Rowling, producer David Heyman, and director Christopher Columbus for making the first movie an incredible experience. “Little me pictured on platform 9 3/4 at age nine would never have thought in her wildest dreams she’d find a family like I did on the sets of Harry Potter,” she wrote. Evanna Lynch (who played Luna Lovegood) also said she was excited for the special but joked about the fact that her character didn’t make her first appearance until the fifth movie Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. “Can we agree to not remind production I wasn’t actually in Philosopher’s Stone and was still in my Harry Potter themed bedroom drooling over their posters 20 years ago?” she joked in her Instagram caption.