It is nearly impossible to imagine the Harry Potter universe without the brilliant Hermione Granger, but Emma Watson is revealing that behind the magic, she was struggling with a very difficult reality.
In a series of emotional previews for HBO Max’s Harry Potter th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts special, Watson sits down with her former costars to discuss a time when she almost called it quits. The revelation has sent fans into a tailspin on X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok as they process how close we came to a completely different ending for the beloved “Golden Trio.”
The crossroads happened right as the series was reaching its peak. Director David Yates recalled that when he signed on to helm Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, he was warned that Watson was “contemplating” leaving the franchise for good.
“The fame thing had finally hit home in a big way,” Watson shared during the candid special. “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.’”
While the world saw a global superstar living a dream, Watson’s costars are now reflecting on the heavy burden she carried as the only girl in the main group of young actors. Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy, noted that while the boys had “cronies” or each other to lean on, Watson was often navigating the whirlwind of stardom alone.
“People definitely forget what she took on and how gracefully she did it,” Felton said, praising his long-time friend. “She was not only younger but she was by herself.”
Even Daniel Radcliffe admitted that, as a young teenager at the time, he didn’t quite have the emotional maturity to recognize that his friend was struggling.
“As a -year-old boy, I was never going to turn around to another -year-old and be like, ‘Hey, how are you doing? Is everything okay?’” Radcliffe shared during the sit-down.
As it turns out, the pressure wasn’t unique to Watson. Rupert Grint confessed that he also had moments where he wondered what life would be like if he “called it a day,” though the cast rarely spoke about their shared anxieties at the time.
“We were kind of in the moment,” Grint explained. “It just didn’t really occur to us that we were all having similar feelings.”
Beyond the overwhelming spotlight, Watson’s dedication to her education also played a major role in her hesitation. Producer David Heyman previously revealed that Watson was “fiercely intelligent” and often wrestled with the balance between filming and her academic goals.
“Each time there was a negotiation, it was not about a financial [matter],” Heyman recalled of the contract talks. “It really was about, ‘Do I want to be a part of this?’”
Ultimately, Watson chose to stay, famously balancing her role as a blockbuster star with her studies at Brown University. She eventually graduated with a degree in English literature in , proving she truly is as brilliant as the character she played.
Fans can see the full, tear-jerking conversation when Harry Potter th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts begins streaming on HBO Max on Jan. . It’s clear that while the magic was on the screen, the real strength was the bond that kept the trio together until the very end.
