Harry Potter's Padma And Ron Reunited 20 Years After Their Infamous Yule Ball Date, And The Actress Couldn’t Resist A Dig

Afshan Azad and Rupert Grint looking shocked in Harry Potter 4's yule ball scene
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

There are few franchises quite as popular as Harry Potter. What started with J.K. Rowling's novels have grown into theme parks, stage plays, and (of course) movies. The eight original Potter movies (which are streaming with a Max subscription) are re-watched by fans, who spent years watching the Harry Potter cast grow up. Padma and Ron recently reunited 20 Years after their infamous Yule Ball date, and the actress couldn’t resist a dig. Accio nostalgia!

When ranking the Harry Potter movies, most fans put the fourth film The Goblet of Fire high. Not only is there epic drama like Cedric Diggory's death, but there's also lighthearted scenes like the Yule Ball. Actress Afshan Azad played Padma Patil, and recently posted on Instagram a sweet reunion pic with Rupert Grint...while also poking fun at his signature character. Check it out for yourself below: 

They grow up so fast! It's hard to believe it's been so long since The Goblet of Fire hit theaters back in 2005, but it's been nearly two decades. Clearly there's a lot of love shared within the cast, although Azad couldn't help put poke fun at Ron. After all, he was pretty much a nightmare Yule Ball date.

While the cast of Harry Potter reunited on camera for the Return to Hogwarts special, conventions also offer the opportunity for the magical lot to get back together. For Grint and Azad, they were able to reunite and take a cute picture while at the London Olympia Exhibition Centre.

For more casual Harry Potter fans, in The Goblet of Fire, both Harry and Ron struggle with finding dates to the cross-school event The Yule Ball. They eventually ask sisters Parvati and Padma Patil respectively, but it's not a great night for any of that magical quartet... especially for Padma.

In both the book and movie, Ron never asks his date to dance throughout the entire night-- much to Padma's dismay. Instead he spends his time pining over Hermione, who was the date of Viktor Krum. This is one of the first big implications about just how strong Hermione and Ron's feelings for each other truly were, although it would take a number of years before they finally became a couple. 

It's always fun to see how much love is shared between the Harry Potter cast, including villains like Tom Felton and Jason Isaacs. Fans are holding out hope that the same actors might reunite again for a major project within the Wizarding World. Namely, a film adaptation of The Cursed Child, which features adult versions of the characters and their children. There are currently no plans for this project to come together, but that hasn't stopped fans from hoping.

The Harry Potter franchise is streaming in its entirety on Max.  Check the 2025 movie release dates to plan your trips to the theater next year.  

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.