Many Harry Potter fans are currently starting the new year teary-eyed after watching HBO Max's Harry Potter reunion, Return To Hogwarts.
The near-two-hour special sees the cast of the beloved Harry Potter film franchise come together once again to reflect on their time in the magical movie series. As well as the three main cast members - Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint - the retrospective featured big-name stars like Robbie Coltrane, Helena Bonham Carter, Gary Oldman, Tom Felton, and Ralph Fiennes.
As well as the actors, the show also featured in-depth interviews with the movies' directors and producers, such as Chris Columbus and Mike Newell.
However, one person who was notably lacking from the special was Harry Potter creator and author, J.K. Rowling.
The 56-year-old did feature in the show - but in archival footage from 2019 that barely amounted to one minute in length.
Rowling's name was also spoken of fondly by several of the show's star's, such as Luna Lovegood actor Evanna Lynch and Hagrid actor Robbie Coltrane, with the latter saying: "One of the many reasons I admire J.K. so much is that millions now read books who would never have lifted a book up in their lives, and you suddenly realize the power of writing."
And despite many articles circulating online stating that Rowling was denied an invitation to appear on the special, Entertainment Weekly has reported that this is not true.
According to EW, Rowling was invited to take part in the reunion, "but her team determined the archived comments from the writer were adequate."
It had been reported by publications such as The Independent that Rowling was not invited to take part in the show due to her controversial comments surrounding trans people.
Rowling faced backlash back in June 2020 after calling out an article’s use of the phrase "people who menstruate".
Per Entertainment Weekly, despite the author tweeting "trans lives matter", certain rhetoric she has used in the past has been linked to the TERF (Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminists) movement. This has led to LGBTQ+ organizations such as The Trevor Project and GLAAD condemning Rowling's comments.
Additionally, amid the controversy, Harry Potter stars such as Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson spoke out in support of the trans community.
Rowling's absence from the reunion was noted by viewers, with many taking to social media to share their differing opinions on the "hippogriff in the room".
On one hand, many viewers relished in the fact that Rowling hardly appeared in the show, with many finding enjoyment in the "filmed in 2019" disclaimer that appeared on screen in each of her segments:
"Lmao at the fact they left JK Rowling out of the Potter reunion & used old footage. Good riddance," wrote one Twitter user.
A second added: "It is so funny that they added 'filmed in 2019' for every J.K. Rowling portion of the reunion like 'we don’t associate with her anymore don’t worry'".
Others, however, felt like Rowling should have been included in the show:
One person tweeted: "Newsflash to anyone who can read, write, comprehend and use critical thinking skills. There would not be Harry Potter if JK Rowling didn’t write Harry Potter books. The fictional character is created because of JK. JK should have been at the reunion."
Let us know your thoughts on the Return To Hogwarts reunion in the comments section.