The crew and cast of the Harry Potter franchise are forever linked by the fact that they worked on the beloved film saga. However, two of its members are now also linked by dual legal situations. Emma Watson, who’s famous for portraying Hermione Granger, was wrapped up in a court-related matter. Coincidentally, co-star Zoë Wanamaker – who portrayed Madame Hooch – ended up in court on the same day and for the same reason. With that, we have details on the wild turn of events.
Emma Watson was involved in a car-related incident in Oxford, England on July 31, 2024. At that time, a camera clocked the 35-year-old actress going 38 mph in a 30 mph zone and, before the incident, Watson reportedly already had nine points on her driver’s licence. EW reports that a hearing was held this week, and Watson did not attend. Ultimately, a judge of the High Wycombe Magistrates' Court ordered that Watson be banned from driving for six months and ordered her to pay a fine of £1,044, which amounts to roughly $1,400.
As for Zoë Wanamaker, the legal action against her stems from a situation that occurred back on August 7, 2024 when she was caught going 46 mph in a 40 mph zone. The trade reports that Wanamaker – like her aforementioned co-star – also had nine points on her license before this latest infraction. When the High Wycombe Magistrates' Court decided on Wanamaker’s punishment (on the same day as her colleague’s ruling came down), it was determined that she would also receive a sixth-month driving ban and a £1,044 fine.
It goes without saying that we cannot condone not adhering to the speed limit in a given place. That aside, it’s really hard to get past the irony of two Potter stars being cited for the same offense – and legally disciplined on the same day and in the same place. Another layer of irony is the fact that Wanamaker’s Wizarding World character instructs Hogwarts students on how to get around at top speeds with a broomstick.
The It's a Wonderful Afterlife alum only appeared in the original Harry Potter film – The Sorcerer's Stone – as Madame Hooch. Nevertheless, her role in the film remains well remembered amongst fans of the fantasy franchise (which is streamable with an HBO Max subscription). In 2022, the actress recalled the fun hijinks that took place on set, some of which involved cast members Maggie Smith and Richard Harris.
Of course, Emma Watson earned major recognition for playing Hermione in all eight Potter films. The past several years have seen the Perks of Being a Wallflower star keep a relatively low profile as she’s stepped away from acting. As she’s explained, Watson is “glad” she made that professional choice, as she now has a “feeling of having [her] own voice and creative space and sovereignty in some way that [she] don’t think [she] did before – more autonomy.”
When it comes to their respective vehicular situations, neither Emma Watson’s reps nor those for Zoë Wanamaker have commented on the court’s decisions, as of this writing. It remains to be seen whether they’ll choose to speak out on this turn of events.
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