Harry Potter reunion: Fans confused after photo of Emma Roberts used for Emma Watson in Return to Hogwarts

‘How did this happen?’ one social media user tweeted, reacting to the mix-up

Harry Potter fans were left confused after a photograph of Emma Roberts was misidentified as Emma Watson during the reunion special.

Return to Hogwarts, which premiered on New Year’s day (1 January), celebrated 20 years since the first Harry Potter film was released in 2001.

It featured interviews and conversations between the cast about the making of the films, the relationships that developed on and off-screen, and the global significance of the franchise.

Fans, however, were quick to point out that a photograph of the wrong actor was used at one moment during the special.

On Saturday (1 January), social media user Vee Delmonico pointed out that a childhood picture of American Horror Story star Emma Roberts was shown by mistake during a segment about Emma Watson (who played Hermione Granger).

The photo of Roberts sitting at a table with Minnie Mouse ears appeared on screen when Watson was discussing her early relationship with the Harry Potter book series, authored by JK Rowling.

Delmonico posted a screenshot from the scene in Return to Hogwarts alongside Roberts’s original Instagram post (dated February 2012) of the same photo as evidence of the mix-up.

The Independent has reached out to Warner Bros for comment.

(=HBO Max)

Delmonico’s post left fans in hysterics, with many wondering how the picture made it to the special’s final edit.

Earlier this week, fans joyfully reacted to Watson recounting the moment she “fell in love” with her Harry Potter co-star Tom Felton (who played Draco Malfoy).

In her four-star review for The Independent, Roisin O’Connor writes that the most “magical” moments in Return to Hogwarts are spawned from the younger cast candidly describing their experiences on-set.

Return to Hogwarts is currently available for viewing on HBO Max in the US. Fans in the UK can watch the reunion special on streaming platform Now.