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Actor Matthew Lewis has lightly mocked his Harry Potter Tom Felton over ageing, much to the delight of their dedicated fans.
In the Harry Potter film series, the nervous Neville Longbottom , played by Lewis, is frequently derided by the conniving Draco Malfoy , portrayed by Felton.
However, the tables have turned in the comment section on Instagram , a fact that may cause any diehard Slytherin dismay.
During a recent visit to Toronto, Canada, Felton had a photograph taken of himself wearing Slytherin robes while standing alongside a picture of his younger self in character as Malfoy, complete with his signature slicked-back hair.
The 32-year-old shared the photograph on Instagram, alongside the sardonic caption: “Ageing’s a bitch.”
Lewis, who is good friends with Felton in real life, was quick to pipe up with a mischievous reply, writing: “Speak for yourself lad!”
The 30-year-old’s comment has garnered more than 20,000 likes, with several Instagram users making the assumption that he was referencing the fact that he “Neville Longbottomed”.
Comment left by Matthew Lewis on Tom Felton’s Instagram post (Instagram/Matthew Lewis) A few years ago the phrase “to Neville Longbottom” - meaning that someone has become more attractive as they have matured in adulthood - entered popular usage online, inspired by Lewis.
The Me Before You actor admitted he never thought in his “wildest dreams” that he would have “coined a phrase”, adding that he was “quite proud” of it.
A number of Instagram users mentioned the well-known phrase as they responded to Lewis’ comment on Felton’s picture.
“You’ve got a whole term named after you, that’s not even fair! We can’t all Longbottom!” one person wrote.
“The man who aged so well it’s now called ‘Neville Longbottoming’,” another remarked.
Show all 9 1 /9Every Harry Potter film, ranked Every Harry Potter film, ranked Harry Potter – every film ranked
Every Harry Potter film, ranked 8. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix The Harry Potter franchise’s greatest weakness, perhaps, was its need to mature at the same pace as its audience. And as that audience plunged into awkward adolescence, so too did the movies. The Order of the Phoenix may have its ardent supporters, but the film remains the lowest rated by critics (with 77 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes), as it most acutely represents the lag between the franchise’s bright-eyed, whimsical beginnings and the epic weight of its conclusion. However, this is largely due to the fact that director David Yates and screenwriter Michael Goldenberg, both newcomers to the franchise, made the attempt to adapt the longest Potter book into the shortest Potter film. The result made the rush to maturity look all the more thorny.
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Every Harry Potter film, ranked 7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 Splitting the last Potter book into two films was, inevitably, the right decision in order to save audiences from a rushed conclusion to one of the most popular franchises ever. Yet The Deathly Hallows Part II could only shine if The Deathly Hallows Part I was willing to take the fall and act as pure set-up to its successor. It’s arguably the most emotionally unsatisfying of the series, following Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) as they attempt to evade Voldemort’s clutches and destroy the Horcruxes, the artefacts containing the Dark Lord’s soul, the keys to his final destruction. The film trades on conflict between the trio, as Ron’s jealousy (as influenced by the locket) serves only to prefigure his eventual future with Hermione. Even the film’s animated history lesson isn’t enough to make this film memorable.
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Every Harry Potter film, ranked 6. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets The franchise’s second instalment certainly has its standout moments – it introduces both all-time legend Dobby into the game and lets Kenneth Branagh steals scene after scene as the vainglorious Gilderoy Lockhart. However, its bloated 161-minute runtime can make it tough work. Director Chris Columbus returned with as much enthusiasm as he expressed in The Philosopher’s Stone, delivering thrills in Aragog, the basilisk, the petrifications, the Whomping Willow, and the Quidditch matches. That isn’t enough, regrettably, to fully distract from its rather dry narrative, which delivers endless plot twists about the dark history of Hogwarts and the truth behind Tom Riddle’s diary.
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Every Harry Potter film, ranked 5. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Another of the adolescent-stage films of the franchise, The Half-Blood Prince could just as easily have fallen prey to The Order of the Phoenix’s tonal awkwardness, but there’s a much keener sense of the wider stakes here – Severus Snape (Alan Rickman)’s machinations make for particularly gripping viewing, culminating in a face-off that still has the propensity to shock years later. What’s crucial, however, is the sense of balance that’s also brought to this film, as the students of Hogwarts find moments for the old magic. In fact, the darkness of The Half-Blood Prince is more efficiently served in the film’s colour palette, relinquishing the need for too much angst from its characters, as cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel provides softer, murkier tones than seen before. Plus, the film’s narrative doesn’t feel stretched, even though it’s tasked with introducing the idea of horcruxes into the mix.
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Every Harry Potter film, ranked 4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Director Yates and screenwriter Steve Kloves faced the ultimate challenge with The Deathly Hallows Part II: to satisfactorily conclude a story 10 years in the making. Few would argue against their success, since the film is actually the highest rated of the entire Potter series (at 96 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes), although its reliance on narrative tricks and deceptions have made it slightly less appealing on repeated viewing. That said, there are some bold creative decisions here that save The Deathly Hallows Part II from simply feeling like a procession of notable character deaths, including the decision to relegate some of those deaths to offscreen. It’s a film that knows how to manipulate its audience, but also knows when to show restraint.
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Every Harry Potter film, ranked 3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire At this point, the Potter series was four films in, so a change of pace had become essential to the franchise’s survival. The Triwizard Tournament fulfilled that need magnificently, allowing the introduction of a more global perspective thanks to Fleur Delacour (Clémence Poésy) and Viktor Krum (Stanislav Ianevski), alongside a neat sequence of set pieces, from deadly mermaids to dragons. The Yule Ball also remains a visual delight. It’s an almost comically elegant backdrop for Ron, Harry, and Hermione’s youthful angst over dates and relationships. Add to that, the film boasts both Brendan Gleeson’s brilliant performance as Mad-Eye Moody and the film debut of Robert Pattinson, as Hufflepuff’s tragic hero Cedric Diggory.
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Every Harry Potter film, ranked 2. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) “You’re a wizard, Harry.” And, with that, thousands of childhoods became instantly filled with wonder, never mind the looming disappointment of realising a letter from Hogwarts was never going to turn up in the post. As tempting as it may be to ridicule The Philosopher’s Stone for its badly aged special effects (poor Fluffy) and objectionable child acting, there is no replacing the magic conjured in our very first look at Hogwarts, a soft glow emanating from its many towers. The film is a sugary sweet delight that rightly deserves its place as a modern children’s classic. It relishes in its air of joy and fantasy – and that cannot be underestimated, no matter how epic the series’ conclusion.
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Every Harry Potter film, ranked 1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban The franchise’s biggest risk is also its biggest triumph. As unexpected as the move may have been to hand the reins over to Alfonso Cuarón, fresh from his sensual coming-of-age tale Y Tu Mamá También, The Prisoner of Azkaban has become the ultimate Harry Potter movie. Cuarón could subtly warp the look and feel of this word to progress towards maturity, without disrupting what had been established in the first two films. It’s the most successful in doing so of the entire series. The balance between light and dark provides risk without sacrificing enchantment. The Dementor is the most frightening creation of this universe, while the Patronus is the most beautiful. The film captures the great tragedy of time itself, and our ceaseless fight to keep hold of those things destined to slip out of our fingers.
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Other Instagram users praised Lewis on his quick wit, several of whom made Harry Potter references.
“Best response 10 points to Gryffindor,” someone stated.
“My father will hear about this,” another wrote, alluding to a line frequently said by Malfoy in the Harry Potter book and film series.
Another Instagram user commented: “Someone get Tom some ointment for that burn. Ouch.”
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