Emma Watson's Schoolmates Were Banned From Talking To Her During Potter Years

Schoolmates of Emma Watson were barred from talking to her unless they were already friends, and also banned from asking for autographs during the time she was making the Harry Potter movies, it has emerged.

Pupils were given ‘penalty points’ if caught disobeying the Watson rules at the prestigious Headington School in Oxford, which were put in place to make the then child actress ‘feel like everyone else’.

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One former pupil called Lucy told student website The Tab: “Of course if you were friends with her you could speak to her, but no one was allowed to go up and ask for an autograph or anything.

Another added: “Nobody ever dared to ask her for an autograph. I remember being told about it quite formally, and was really scared of getting a penalty point. At the time it would have been so embarrassing.”

“She was filming a lot when she was at the school so she wasn’t there a lot, but when she was back, no one was allowed to speak to her, unless you already knew her as a friend,” said another.

“I think the school did it to make her feel like everyone else.

“I guess no one ever tried to speak to her, we just saw her around every now and then.”

If a student notched up three penalty points, then detentions would be issued, though seemingly, some pupils attempted contact nevertheless.

Ex-pupil Fionnuala Gregan said: “I once leant back on a cafeteria bench and my back touched hers.”

Zoe Wilks added: “She once asked me ‘is this the back of the pasta queue?’”

A representative for Headington School told the Daily Mail: ”There were no special disciplinary measures implemented during Emma’s time at Headington School.”

Watson, now 26, was cast as Hermione Granger in the ‘Harry Potter’ movies at the age of 9, filming them up to the age of 21.

Image credits: Grazia/Warner Bros