Harry Potter’s Evanna Lynch: Why Luna and Neville Wouldn’t End Up Together
Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom may not have ended up together, but they did have a fleeting spark between them during Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
‘Harry Potter’ Stars Reuniting Over the Years
“I see it more as like a wartime romance. I think it was all the moments,” Evanna Lynch exclusively told Us Weekly of the characters during the Battle of Hogwarts. “I think everyone’s caught up in the trauma and the idea that they might die, and they were fighting for an honorable cause. They were just like, ‘I quite like you and let’s see, and maybe we’ll die, and this will be beautiful.’But I think that ended and then they both survived. And I think they’d probably both realized, you know, this is not quite right.”
According to J.K. Rowling, who penned the Harry Potter novels, Neville (Matthew Lewis) goes on to marry Hannah Abbott (Charlotte Skeoch), while Luna ties the knot with Newt Scamander’s grandson Rolf Scamander.
“I think Neville is probably a little too down to earth for Luna,” Lynch, 29, explained to Us. “He wants to have a stable job at Hogwarts. And Luna is a bit too kooky and out there for him and she wants to go out and travel the world. And their lifestyles just wouldn’t mix. So that’s how I see it.”
In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Neville tells Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) that he is “mad” about Luna and needs to tell her because they’ll “probably both be dead by dawn” after the Battle at Hogwarts. In the end, he and Luna sit together as he proudly holds the Sword of Gryffindor, which he used to kill Voldemort’s snake, Nagini.
Although Neville and Luna just remain friends, Lynch believes that her character does go on to follow in her father’s footsteps.
“I think she would have actually done like a David Attenborough style documentary on the wild, magical animals of the world. Not really based on fact because that’s the way she is. She is her father’s daughter. He writes all these strange stories in The Quibbler,” she told Us. “So I think it would be a show where part of it is amazing and you’re learning by animals. And part of it is like, you’re not sure if this is fiction or a documentary. How much is it her imagination? So I think she had done that. I actually think she would maybe have written some books.”
‘Harry Potter’ Stars: Then and Now
It’s been 10 years since the film franchise ended, but Lynch continues to remain close with the cast — and stays in touch via a group text chat.
“There is a Harry Potter group chat, which I only got invited into last year. I didn’t know it existed!” she said. “There were all these plans afoot [to meet up] but the pandemic happened, and it went quiet. Who is the most active? The girls are — maybe me, Bonnie [Wright] and Emma [Watson]. The boys chime in every now and then and there’s a happy birthday here and there.”
Radcliffe and Rupert Grint are not in her particular chat, however, explaining, “They’re not in it. No, not Dan and Rupert. I don’t want to say in case someone hears that and says, ‘I’m not in that group!’ I don’t want anyone to feel left out. There’s probably about seven or 10 of us.”
Daniel Radcliffe Through the Years
Lynch resides in London but recently traveled to New York City for the opening of Harry Potter’s first flagship store, which is located in the Flatiron District. The magical store includes several departments, such as collectibles, souvenirs, wands, books and sweets and treats. It offers 15 different themed areas, exclusive products, virtual reality experiences — and its own butterbeer bar!
Lynch had her first butterbeer years ago at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. “It would have been just with friends, and I haven’t had one in years because for so long they haven’t been vegan and I’m vegan. And they finally made one so this is my first one in a while!” she said.” I love it.”
For more with Lynch, read her Q&A below:
Us Weekly: What do you miss most about playing Luna?
EL: Oh gosh, I miss everything. I miss the fun costumes. She was such an easy character to play for me because she’s so peaceful and it was always a joy to kind of step into her energy. I just miss getting the opportunity to be that kind of person. Someone so peaceful and so accepting of the world and of herself. I miss all the gang, you know, the actors, the other students because I do see them every now and then, but not altogether. That was really a real privilege.
Us: What was your favorite Luna outfit?
EL: The designer, Jany Temime, she’s really a genius. She was so precise about all the little details. I think she enjoyed it all and all her work. I think she enjoyed — with Luna — making her standout and have little creative touches to each of her costumes. We’d be standing there getting dressed and she’d just kind of be poking at little things like, ‘You’re so cute, you’re so cute.’ I was a teenager wanting to be cool and she’s like, ‘Here’s a little Christmas decoration.’
Us: What other character would you have liked to play?
EL: Well, first of all, Luna is my absolute favorite. To me, I just won the lottery there. Let’s see, I think it’d be quite fun to play Sybill Trelawney [Emma Thompson]. I’m into astrology and the stars. I believe in all that stuff. So Trelawney would be fun.
Us: Do you watch the films when they air on TV?
EL: No, no! Maybe if it’s one of the older ones that I’m not in. I don’t really like to watch the ones I’m in. But I follow a lot of the book news and any new updates or developments. And I reread them often because I just need that to connect with myself every now and then. I think in my teens that was like my peak Harry Potter obsession. I was on a mission to try and read it as many times as possible, but I’ve stopped that because that’s a bit weird. I try to read other things and I was, like, I have to expand my mind, my material. The last time I reread them was last year because we had a Harry Potter trivia contest for charity between the cast. And I wanted to win so I reread them!
‘Harry Potter’ Stars: Where Are They Now?
Us: Did you take any props from set?
EL: They were strict, and I was also a goody goody. People did start doing that, but I was not daring enough. However, I think I kind of have something better. I took every call sheet. Every day on set they make a call sheet over everything, the scenes that are happening and who’s there. And the Harry Potter call sheets were so detailed because they add all the details of who was in for costume fittings and creature effects. I took every single one of them and I have a few boxes of those. And that to me is a very cool keepsake because I can look back and see what I was doing on what date.
Us: What is it like to be a part of such a beloved franchise?
EL: It’s surreal because I live a very normal and quiet life. I don’t get recognized all that much. I feel like I’m really lucky that I can fit into this world and be part of this huge venture like the New York Harry Potter store. But then I can go home and just live quietly and do my thing. I have a little passage into this really exciting world. And it’s surreal to me when I see things. Like, if I change the channel and there’s a Harry Potter movie on or when I get invited to big things or even having a big online following. I almost feel a bit removed. It’s a disembodied experience when I see those things. It’s all gratitude for me. It’s all been such a blessing and opened so many doors.
The Harry Potter flagship store in New York City’s Flatiron District opens to the public on Thursday, June 3.
