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‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ premiere: Which star aged the best? – Metro US

‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ premiere: Which star aged the best?

It can’t be easy casting 10-year-olds for film roles that are meant to last the next decade of their lives. Who could predict which kids will flourish into happy, attractive and well-adjusted young adults, and which will grow into sullen, knobby-kneed disappointments? It’s all blind chance.

Which is why it’s surprising to see how well the Harry Potter stars have grown up since the bright Y2K days in which they were cast. Sure, they had the entire force of a billion-dollar global film franchise invested in keeping them on the straight-and-narrow, but still: very impressive!

Let’s run down how well the “Potter” stars have aged, with some of the cast’s adults thrown in for good measure!

Evanna “Luna Lovegood” Lynch

Lynch didn’t join the series until the fifth film, which is maybe why she looks almost exactly the same as when she started. Of all the kids, she definitely looks the most like a normal girl you’d run into at the pub some time.

Imelda “Dolores Umbridge” Staunton

She started off the series as “Vera Drake” glum, but now she’s Vera Wang glam! (We’re sorry for that one.)

Alan “Severus Snape” Rickman

Rickman has somehow gotten friendlier-looking as he’s gotten older. Booo! Bring back the icy imperious Rickman of 10 years ago!

Daniel “Harry Potter” Radcliffe

As was foretold by the ancient prophet Chris Columbus back 2001, Radcliffe has magically turned into Elijah Wood.

Helena “Bellatrix Lestrange” Bonham Carter

…while Bonham Carter has gone the way of couples everywhere and slowly morphed into her partner, Tim Burton.

Dame Maggie “Minerva McGonagall” Smith

Maggie Smith doesn’t look a day over 62! (That’s not a joke; she’s 76!)

David “Remus Lupin” Thewlis

Thewlis still looks almost exactly like he did in Mike Leigh’s “Naked” back in 1994, only now he resembles a feral dog less.

Rupert “Ron Weasley” Grint

Let’s be honest: When you cast a kid named “Rupert” in your film in the hopes that he’ll grow up cute, you’re playing with fire. But fortune smiled upon the “Harry Potter” producers … this time.

Bonnie “Ginny Weasley” Wright

How old is Ginny Weasley? Only 20? We’re definitely getting a “Most Beautiful Girl In The Whole Wide Room” thing from her.

Tom “Draco Malfoy” Felton

Draco went from albino greaseball to a skinny-tied mod. In the words of Mike Skinner, “Bit too much fake tan though, but yeah, you score high.”

Emma “Hermione Granger” Watson

Emma Watson. Emma Watson. For those of us born in the late ’80s, Emma Watson has been like your best friend’s younger sister: Cute but totally untouchable, and even more desirable because of it. She held the top spot on every list of this kind made since 2008, but in recent weeks, a dark horse has emerged, and overtaken her just before the finish line…

Matthew “Neville Longbottom” Lewis

There were hints — his long hippie hair in 2005’s “Goblet of Fire” film — that Lewis wasn’t going to grow up to be a chubby nerd, but they soon were squashed under a fat suit and a set of fake teeth for the fifth film. Now free of those cinematic shackles, Lewis is the clear winner of the Harry Potter aging contest. Sorry Emma Watson! If you’re even in New York and need some journalist to console you, just leave your contact information in the comments. (Foolproof plan.)