InstagramIt's true what J.K. Rowling said: "Whether you come back by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home." Over the weekend, Matthew Lewis—who played Neville Longbottom in the eight-part Harry Potter film series—became the latest cast member to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in London. After the show (written by Jack Thorne, John Tiffany and Rowling), Lewis met the actors backstage and posed for pictures with Anthony Boyle, Sam Clemmett, Poppy Miller, Jamie Parker and Paul Thornley.
"A giant congratulations and an even bigger thank you to these guys and the rest of the cast of #CursedChild. To be in the movies was a dream come true but it became work and I forgot what it was to be a fan a long time ago. However, over the last two nights I was able to enjoy the world of Harry Potter once again," Lewis, 27, wrote on Instagram. "To lose myself in a story so rich and so powerful and, more importantly, that I had nothing to do with was truly magical. I felt like I was nine years old again, discovering it all for the first time and it is very, very special."
Since its July 30 premiere at the Palace Theatre, many of the film's actors—including Helena Bonham Carter, Rupert Grint, Miranda Richardson, Julie Walters, Emma Watson and Bonnie Wright—have come to see what became of Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.
Daniel Radcliffe, who played the titular character onscreen, has yet to see the play. In fact, he may never see it. "It would be a weird one. I could be completely wrong in this, but I feel like if I went to see it...there's going to be a lot of Harry Potter fans there in the audience, obviously, and would that then become a thing? Would it be more about them watching me watch the show, or would it take away from the show?" Radcliffe asked during an E! News interview in June. "I would never want to do anything that would distract or take away from the show."
Alas, Harry Potter's journey ends with The Cursed Child.
"I think we're done," Rowling informed reporters in July. "This is the next generation, you know. So, I'm thrilled to see it realized so beautifully but, no, Harry is done now. [The play] chimed perfectly with the material I had about the next generation and I could see it would work perfectly. I never wanted to write another novel, but this will give the fans something special."