Harry Potteris one of the most beloved franchises of all time, with millions of fans around the world diving into the magical wizarding world each year, via the books, movies, stage play, theme parks, fan works and more. However, the woman who started it all, author J.K. Rowling, has become a controversial figure in recent years, due to her public remarks on gender and repeated accusations of transphobia against her.

Given Rowling’s inextricable link to all things Potter, fans were curious to see if and how the author would be featured in the new Harry Potter reunion special on HBO Max, Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts. 

As it turns out, Rowling does appear in the special, however, it is made clear that, unlike the rest of the film’s returning cast and crew, she did not participate in any new interviews for the anniversary, which marks 20 years since the release of the first Harry Potter film. 

Instead, the author is featured in a handful clips — discussing her take on the film adaptations, the casting of Daniel Radcliffe, and more — each of which feature titles explaining that the interviews were conducted in 2019, to be part of the Warner Bros. Studio Tour that now takes place at the sound stages in Leavesden, England, where the Harry Potter films were shot.

“While Jo is unquestionably responsible for the course my life has taken, as someone who has been honored to work with and continues to contribute to The Trevor Project for the last decade, and just as a human being, I feel compelled to say something at this moment,” Radcliffe wrote.

“Transgender women are women,” he continued. “Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I.”

Radcliffe went on to say that, given the rates of discrimination faced by transgender and nonbinary youth, it’s “clear that we need to do more to support transgender and nonbinary people, not invalidate their identities, and not cause further harm.”

Emma Watson also spoke out in support of her transgender fans at the time, though she did not call out Rowling by name. 

“Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are,” Watson said. “I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are.”

Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts is streaming now on HBO Max.

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Whether you’re set on watching the ball drop, or want to ring in the new year with alternative programming, here’s your guide to New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day viewing:

Friday

Ralph Macchio and William Zabka suit up for Season 4 of the “Karate Kid” spinoff “Cobra Kai.” Anytime, Netflix

A woman looks back on the mistakes she made as a young mother in first-time director Maggie Gyllenhaal’s 2021 drama “The Lost Daughter.” Olivia Colman (“The Crown”), Jessie Buckley and Dakota Johnson star. Anytime, Netflix

The new Fab Five suit up for a sixth season of the rebooted makeover series “Queer Eye.” Anytime, Netflix

They may be through with the past, but the past isn’t through with them in the new mystery drama “Stay Close.” With Richard Armitage and “The Good Wife’s” Cush Jumbo. Anytime, Netflix

Cincinnati battles Alabama in the “Cotton Bowl” and Georgia meets Michigan in the “Orange Bowl,” with the winners of each contest facing off for the national title on Jan. 10. 3:30 and 7:30 p.m., ESPN, ESPN2

Times Square in NYC is the place to be — or not to be, what with the omicron variant running amok — in this year’s “New Year’s Eve Live With Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen.” 5 and 10:30 p.m., CNN

From New York to New Orleans and all points in between comes the special “All-American New Year 2022.” 7 and 10:30 p.m., Fox News Channel

The stars of New York’s Metropolitan Opera lend their pipes to a gala New Year’s Eve edition of “Great Performances at the Met.” 7:30 p.m.. PBS

Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, et al., twang their way into 2022 in the special “New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash.” 8 and 11:30 p.m., CBS

“Today’s” Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager host while celebrity guests supply the snark in the special “2021: It’s Toast!” 8 p.m., NBC

Journey, Daddy Yankee and LL Cool J are among the acts slated for “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2022.” 8, 10 and 11:30 p.m., ABC

Judy Collins and Tony winner Lea Salonga lend their pipes to the NYE special “United in Song: Celebrating the American Dream,” hosted by Chita Rivera. 9 p.m., PBS

“Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” host Guy Fieri has a series of misadventures in the Aloha State in his new travelogue, “Guy: Hawaiian Style.” 9 p.m., Food Network

The new stand-up special “Gary Owen: Black Famous” catches the comic cracking wise about his d-i-v-o-r-c-e and other domestic matters. 9 p.m., Showtime

Miley Cyrus and “SNL’s” Pete Davidson are mistress and master of ceremonies for the special “Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party.” 10:30 p.m., NBC; also on Peacock

Saturday

Wizards, assemble! Daniel Radcliffe and company reunite to reminisce in the special “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts.” Anytime, HBO Max

Leeza Gibbons, Mark Steines and Micah Ohlman host live and local coverage of the “133rd Rose Parade” in Pasadena. 11 a.m., NBC, ABC

Exterminate! Exterminate! Those dastardly Daleks are up to their old tricks in the annual “Doctor Who” holiday special. Jodie Whittaker stars. 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., BBC America

Utah faces the Ohio State University in the “Rose Bowl,” from Pasadena. 5 p.m.. ESPN, ESPN2

Take this waltz: The Vienna Philharmonic tunes up for “From Vienna: The New Year’s Celebration 2022” on a new “Great Performances.” Hosted by “Downton Abbey’s” Hugh Bonneville. 8 p.m., PBS

A big-city marketing exec learns you can go home again in the TV movie “Where Your Heart Belongs.” With Jen Lilley. 8 p.m., Hallmark Channel

An amnesiac woman worries she may have had an affair she can’t remember in the TV movie “Deadly Infidelity.” 8 p.m., Lifetime

“Star Wars’ ” John Boyega plays a burned-out public defender who goes over to the dark side in the 2021 crime thriller “Naked Singularity.” 10 p.m., Starz

“I think I was scared.”

“I think I’m scarily like my character,” Grint says. Cuarón agrees. He tells a story of giving the actors an assignment to write an essay in character. Grint didn’t do it. “I say, ‘Rupert, where’s your assignment? He says, ‘Well, uh, I thought that Ron wouldn’t do it. So I didn’t do it,’” Cuarón says. “Rupert is Ron. One hundred percent.”

Melissa Andrade admits that she was a little nervous in the minutes leading up to the practice run for Farmington’s first ever New Year’s Eve ball drop. But as the “ball” — a surprise wrapped in plastic that won’t be revealed until the event itself — was successfully raised and lowered to the surface of the Riley Park Ice Rink, Andrade felt a wave of relief that was soon replaced with anticipation for this year’s big event.

“I’m really excited now. It’s been so much work through the holidays; we made the chocolate frogs ourselves. But the practice run for the ball drop made everything seem like it’s going to be okay,” says Andrade, Assistant to the City Manager for the City of Farmington.

“I want to reiterate that this event is a lot of work made possible by the time given by our volunteers. The people stepping up to help out during the holidays has been phenomenal.”

A surprise New Year’s Eve ball drop, chocolate frogs — downtown Farmington’s New Year’s Eve celebration is a themed-one, called Harry Potter and the Holiday Skate. The event started a few years ago and was typically held on the Saturday between Christmas and the New Year, but with New Year’s Eve falling on a Saturday this year, the decision was made to make it a full-blown New Year’s Eve celebration.

The first Harry Potter-themed event at Riley Park Ice Rink took place in 2018 and was an immediate success, Andrade says — although she’s quick to point out that the event itself was actually her daughter’s idea. Andrade expected 50 to 70 people to show up to the ice rink that inaugural night; the crowd would number in the hundreds.

After COVID-19 canceled its 2020 iteration, Harry Potter and the Holiday Skate returns bigger than ever. The event officially begins at 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 31, in downtown Farmington’s Riley Park Ice Rink. Planned activities include a Horcrux scavenger hunt, Quidditch toss, and a Harry Potter-themed costume contest. Professor Pemberton’s Wands Accoutrements, Clever Creations by Amy, The Cheese Lady, and Dearborn Music will also be on hand.

As for the ball drop, a kid-friendly one is scheduled for 9 p.m. in Riley Park. The main event will see the mystery New Year’s Eve ball dropped at the stroke of midnight, lowered from a Farmington fire truck’s extended ladder to the surface of Riley Park Ice Rink.

Hot cocoa, chocolate frogs, and butterbeer will be served, and since the ice rink is part of the Syndicate’s social district footprint, festival-goers will be allowed to purchase alcoholic beverages from participating bars and restaurants to bring into Riley Park itself.

The New Year’s Eve celebration should be one that appeals to both children and adults, a family-friendly event that ties in a well-loved story that is beginning to be passed from one generation to the next.

“Harry Potter is as popular as ever, both kids and adults love it,” Andrade says. “Those books came out twenty years ago and the kids that grew up reading it are now adults and there are new generations of kids that now love it, too.”

Harry Potter and the Holiday Skate is scheduled from 8 p.m. to midnight on New Year’s Eve in downtown Farmington’s Riley Park. Tickets for the event, $10 for individuals and $30 for families, are available online and in-person.

Editor’s note: BuzzFeed does not support discriminatory or hateful speech in any form. We stand by the LGBTQ community and all fans who found a home in the Harry Potter series and will work to provide a safe space for fans. If you, like us, feel impassioned about trans rights, learn more or donate here.

Fans of the Harry Potter saga could not imagine the Blockbuster wizard films without Emma Watson playing the role of Hermione Granger, but the actress herself has confessed that years ago she considered retiring from the franchise, as well as how she had a huge crush on fellow actor, Tom Felton.

How did Emma Watson think about leaving Harry Potter?

This unexpected revelation came during “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts,” the HBO Max’s reunion show, and it was revealed that Watson contemplated leaving her role as Hermione before filming the fifth movie.

Yeah. I think I was scared. I don’t know if you ever felt like it got to a tipping point where you were like, this is kind of forever now

Emma Watson on Harry Potter saga

“You were considering pulling out, I’ve never really spoken to you about that,” actor Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) told Watson.

“Yeah. I think I was scared. I don’t know if you ever felt like it got to a tipping point where you were like, this is kind of forever now,” the actress responded to her former casting partner.

Even David Yates, who directed the last four “Harry Potter” films, said when he joined the franchise, one thing David Heyman the series producer “and the studio spoke to me about was, Emma is not sure she wants to come back to do another Potter.”

Tom Felton, the actor who brought the character of Draco Malfoy to life, also pointed out the pressure Watson, who was the only main female lead in the saga, was under.

“People definitely forget what she took on and how gracefully she did it. Dan and Rupert, they had each other. I had my cronies, whereas Emma was not only younger, she was by herself,” Felton said.

Why did Watson decide to stay with the franchise?

Although Emma Watson thought about leaving the successful film saga, it was the very love and support of Harry Potter fans that allowed her to find the confidence to stay as Hermione.

“The fans genuinely wanted you to succeed, and we all genuinely have each other’s backs. How great is that?” she said.

How Watson’s big crush on Tom Felton came to be

For years now, after a few chance meetings between the two, Potterheads have been wishing for a romance between Watson and Tom Felton, and now the actress confessed that she had a huge crush on Draco Malfoy.

“I walked into the room where we were having tutoring. The assignment that had been given was to draw what you thought God looked like, and Tom had drawn a girl with a backward cap on a skateboard,” Watson said.

“And I just don’t know how to say it – I just fell in love with him. He was three years above me and so for him he was like, ‘You’re like my little sister.'”

Felton knew about Watson’s feelings for him.

“I think I was in the hair and make-up chair and someone said something along the lines of, ‘Yeah, she had a crush on you,'” Felton said

“I became very protective over her,” he added. “Yeah, I’ve always had a soft spot for her and that continues to this day. There’s always been something that’s like, I don’t know, a kinship.”

“I used to come in every day and look for his number on the call sheet, it was number seven, and if his name was on the call sheet, it was an extra exciting day,” she admitted. “He was three years above me and so for him he was like, ‘You’re like my little sister.’”

click to enlarge

• Joe Vaughn for Frame
• Frame’s Harry Potter-themed feast will be on select dates from Jan. 6 to Jan. 23

Witches, wizards, and muggles alike will have a seat at the table for Frame’s Harry Potter-themed feast in January. And yes, wearing a cape and scarf to cosplay as a member of your favorite Hogwarts house is highly encouraged.

The Hazel Park pop-up restaurant will host “A Very Magical Feast” on select dates from Jan. 6 to Jan. 23. Menu highlights include the “Quidditch Snitch,” a saffron risotto with sweet corn and golden aioli, and the “Great Hall Feast,” which features a spread of turkey legs, mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and an apple cider glaze.

Butterbeer and Firewhisky will also be available.

Guests can choose to dine in one of Frame’s swanky yurts, each decorated to represent a different house, or inside the restaurant, which will be decked out as the Hogwarts Great Hall. Yurts fit up to six people.

For more information or to make a reservation, visit Frame’s website.

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It has since become one of the world’s most-loved fictional worlds with grown aldults still awaiting their letter from Hogwarts.

Many of us grew up alongside Harry, Ron and Hermione, glued to the books and eagerly awaiting the cinema releases, while younger generations are only just discovering the magical world beyond Platform 9 3/4.

Most of us will have seen every movie multiple times, and we all know someone who thinks they’re a Potter expert.

So, it’s time to test your (or their) knowledge with the ultimate Harry Potter quiz.

There are five different rounds, from spells and potions to Hogwarts and creatures, and questions range from common knowledge to very niche. 

See how many you can get right.

Harry Potter quiz – How many can you get right?