Highlights

  • Emma Watson and Tom Felton's chemistry off-screen led to rumors of a romantic relationship.
  • Watson admitted to having a crush on Felton.
  • Felton's ex-girlfriend and Harry potter co-star was jealous of his relationship with Watson.

In the immensely popular Harry Potter film series, actors Emma Watson and Tom Felton rose to fame at ages 10 and 13, respectively, as the brainy witch Hermione Granger and the sly wizard Draco Malfoy.

Watson and Felton starred in all eight Harry Potter films, spanning over ten years. The two incredibly talented actors grew up alongside their other cast members, like Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley). It's only natural they've all formed a close bond in and outside of filming, but how close, one might ask?

Well, Emma Watson and Tom Felton have been caught up in romance rumors during the last years they filmed Harry Potter and for many years after the series ended. But did the two superstars ever date? And what have their fellow Harry Potter cast mates said about their rumored romance?

Did The Cast Of Harry Potter Believe That Emma Watson And Tom Felton Dated?

Despite their successful careers outside the Harry Potter franchise, actors Emma Watson and Tom Felton will likely be most remembered by audiences for their characters Hermonine Granger and Draco Malfoy.

While their characters were on vastly different sides of good and evil, their chemistry on and off the set was electric, leaving many fans wondering if the two were ever an item in the real world.

The romance rumor was seemingly put to rest when Watson, Felton, and many other Harry Potter cast members participated in the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts special, which aired exclusively on HBO Max on New Year's Day 2022.

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Based on the popular children's book of the same name by author J.K. Rowling, fans of the film series were treated to special behind-the-scenes moments and flashbacks during the hour-plus-long documentary film.

One of the more surprising revelations came when Emma Watson revealed that she loved Tom Felton.

According to Watson, she first fell in love with Felton when they were young.

The Bling Ring actress stated:

I walked into the room where we were having tutoring. The assignment that had been given was to draw what you thought God looked like, and Tom had drawn a girl with a backward cap on a skateboard. And I just don't know how to say it -- I just fell in love with him. I used to come in every day and look for his number on the call sheet -- it was number seven -- and if his name was on the call sheet, it was an extra exciting day. He was three years above me and so for him he was like, 'you're my little sister.'

While fans were shocked to find the depths of Watson's feelings for Felton, the actress had revealed in an interview with Seventeen magazine in 2011 that she had had a crush on him:

For the first two movies, I had a huge crush on Tom Felton. He was my first crush. He totally knows. We talked about it -- we still laugh about it. We are really good friends now, and that's cool.

Tom Felton confirmed Watson's revelation in the reunion special and added that he had also always loved her. The actor added that the moment someone revealed to him that Watson had a crush on him, it was during the time he was in hair and makeup; he said from that day forward, he developed a soft spot for her and began to become very protective over her.

Although Emma Watson and Tom Felton have repeatedly stated that they have never dated, the former referred to him as her soul mate in Felton's 2022 memoir "Beyond the Wand: The Magic & Mayhem of Growing Up A Wizard."

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In return, Felton mentioned in his book,

I've always had a secret love for Emma, though not perhaps in the way people might want to hear. That isn't to say there's never been a spark between us. There most definitely has, only at different times.

These romantic revelations have made many fans wonder if Watson and Felton's fellow Harry Potter cast members have ever considered them a couple or believed they had dated secretly.

In a 2019 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Rupert Grint, who played Harry Potter and Hermione Granger's friend Ronald Weasley, admitted that there was always something between Felton and Watson.

He added:

There was a little bit of a spark. But we were kids. It was like any kind of playground romance. I didn't have any sparks. I was spark-free.

Actress Evanna Lynch, who played Luna Lovegood in four of the later Harry Potter films, discussed the Watson and Felton dating rumors in a 2021 US Weekly interview:

By the time I got on set, they were all mature, and those hormones were calming down. They're both such charismatic and gorgeous people. It's hard to see how they wouldn't, but I don't know. I would never have the nerve to ask either of them about that.

Tom Felton Dated Another Harry Potter Actress Who Was Envious Of His Relationship With Emma Watson

While Tom Felton and Emma Watson have never dated, much to the chagrin of their legions of fans and admirers, they have dated other people.

Felton has been vocal about his relationship with another Harry Potter co-star whom he dated for several years.

Jade Olivia Gordon appeared as an extra in several Harry Potter films when she first met and began dating Tom Felton.

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According to a report on their relationship by Nicki Swift, the actor stated that it was love at first sight when he met Gordon at Hogwarts Great Hall. He added that although he found her very good-looking, he only spoke to her when they filmed another Harry Potter film a few years later.

Felton and Gordon dated from 2008 until 2016, and during that time, Felton stated that Gordon often questioned his feelings and close relationship with Emma Watson. The two were not only friends but would often harmlessly flirt with each other on the Harry Potter set, which has been captured in many behind-the-scenes videos.

According to The Daily Mail, a source close to Gordon said that it would drive her crazy how much Felton and Watson cared for each other, which caused some strain in their relationship.

In his memoir, Felton discussed his relationship with Gordon and her thoughts about Watson; he stated:

My girlfriend at the time knew straight away that there was something unspoken between us (he and Watson). I remember using the old familiar line: 'I love her like a sister'. But there was more to it than that.

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