Fans miss Maggie Smith in Harry Potter reunion as McGonagall is absent

Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts premiered this new years weekend as the cast and Potterheads reminisced on the movies two decades after the release of the franchises’ first film.

As familiar faces from the cast reunited, some fans noticed popular cast members, including Dame Maggie Smith were missing. Following her absence in the highly anticipated event, some have taken to social media as they wish Maggie Smith had featured in the Harry Potter reunion.

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Maggie Smith absent from Harry Potter 20 year reunion

Dame Maggie Smith, whose acting career has spanned over six decades, has taken on many memorable roles during her career, with many familiar with the star for her portrayal as professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films.

Smith starred as the beloved Hogwarts professor in all eight movies, which concluded with Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2, released in 2011.

Following the 20th anniversary of the release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in November last year, the cast were seen to reunite this weekend as they celebrated the franchise’s popularity over the years.

Dame Maggie Smith sadly was seen to not take part in the reunion special in-person although she can be seen via archive footage. The reason behind her absence is yet to be confirmed.

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Fans miss the professor McGonagall actress

While the reason for her absence is currently unclear some fans have to Twitter as they admitted it wasn’t the same without the actress:

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Who else was missing from the reunion?

Dame Maggie Smith was not the only absence fans noticed as Molly Weasly actress Dame Julie Walters and Sir Michael Gambon, who played Albus Dumbledore, also did not take part in the reunion.

While there were a few familiar faces in the reunion missing, the reunion saw beloved trio Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson back together.

Other notable features included Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange), Ralph Fiennes (Voldemort), Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) and Oliver Phelps and James Phelps (Fred and George Weasley).

Amber Peake

Amber is a freelance writer on The Focus who mainly covers anything celeb, music, and entertainment related. Having graduated with a BA (Hons) in Journalism from Brunel University in 2020, she has spent the last two years reporting the latest celeb news and pop culture trends across leading and national publishers. Starting her career at Express.co.uk as a showbiz reporter, Amber began contributing on The Focus in 2021. As well as her work on the site, she has also written across other GRV Media publications, including both Reality Titbit and HITC. When she's not scrolling endlessly on TikTok, you'll find Amber wrapped up in yet another DIY crafting project.