Former ‘Harry Potter’ Stars Emma Watson and Zoë Wanamaker Hit with Six-Month Driving Bans

Hermione Granger may have memorized every single spell in the textbook, but Emma Watson has just lost her Muggle driving license for six months. The 35-year-old Harry Potter graduate was officially banned from driving after she was caught speeding in Oxford. And to add insult to injury, her former colleague Zoë Wanamaker (indeed, Madam Hooch) received the same sentence on the same day.

Evidently, not even the Wizarding World is spared traffic cameras.

Emma Watson’s Not So Magical Audi Adventure

Watson was spotted driving her blue Audi at 38 mph in a 30 mph zone on the evening of July 31, 2024. That eight mph difference landed her in the system, and although she failed to appear at Wednesday’s hearing at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court, the court still imposed a fine of £1,044 (about $1,400 USD) and added three penalty points to her license.

Unfortunately, those three points pushed her over the legal limit of 12. She already had nine. UK law is crystal clear. Hit twelve points and you’re off the road for six months. No Time Turner. No exceptions.

Emma Watson. Feminist icon. Ivy League grad. UN ambassador. And now a pedestrian until early 2026.

Madam Hooch’s License Also Grounded

And just when you thought it couldn’t get any more Hogwarts-like, legendary actress Zoë Wanamaker, who played Quidditch teacher Madam Hooch, was the next to appear in court. She was also driving too fast, but this time at 46 mph on a 40 mph speed limit road in Berkshire in August 2024.

Wanamaker, 75, had nine points on her record as well. Throw in three more, and you’ve got it. Suspension for six months. Same day. Same courtroom. Same joke of the universe.

Honestly, by now, it’s starting to look like the Sorting Hat cast a curse upon the graduates of Gryffindor to carry heavy feet.

The Judge Who Took Their Licenses, Not Their Dignity

District Judge Arvind Sharma presided over both proceedings,dispensing three extra points to both actresses as if he were handing out Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans. All these flavors were all “suspension.” Watson and Wanamaker failed to appear in court, though representatives for both have been asked to comment.

Wanamaker’s team declined to speak. Watson’s team hasn’t responded. We’re going to assume she’s too busy plotting her next global campaign or texting Belle for carpool options.

A Speeding Scandal Fit for Hogwarts

Let’s get real. This is one of the most adorable odd Harry Potter reunions ever. The last time the two of them had anything on the screen, Emma was eleven and Zoë was teaching on broomstick basics. Fast forward 24 years, and they’re both having their licenses taken away from them by the same judge.

Talk about a circle. Or perhaps just a speed trap time warp.

Online, the fans lost it. “Hermione just should have Apparated,” tweeted one troll. Others questioned whether Madam Hooch would require a refresher course on how to stop, not start, a broomstick.

Emma’s Life After Hogwarts Now Without a Car

Since the Harry Potter franchise wrapped in 2011, Watson has taken on blockbuster roles in Beauty and the Beast and Little Women, graduated from Brown University, and carved out a serious lane in activism. Her work with the United Nations and the HeForShe campaign has made her one of the most influential voices in global gender equality.

Still, even the most powerful witches among us aren’t immune to the humble traffic violation.

She’s managed to avoid controversy for most of her career. No meltdowns. No Twitter beefs. No arrests. So this little speeding ticket, or big speeding ticket, feels more like a blip on an otherwise squeaky clean record.

Zoë Wanamaker, Stage Legend, Quidditch Queen, Now a Transit User

Wanamaker has been a force in British theater and film for decades. Aside from her brief but iconic appearance in Harry Potter, she’s collected BAFTA nominations and dominated the West End. If anyone deserves to be chauffeured around like royalty, it’s her.

Or failing that, maybe she and Emma can carpool in a Ministry of Magic van.

Lesson Learned Don’t Mess With Muggle Speed Limits

This double whammy proves that not even witches can outrun the law. Especially not in an Audi.

Both women will be off the road for six months unless they pull a magical defense, which, last we checked, isn’t an option in UK traffic court. No broomsticks. No Portkeys. No invisibility cloaks. Just the bus and a strong sense of humility.

Let this be a lesson to us all. If you’re going to drive fast, at least don’t do it with twelve points hanging over your head. And maybe don’t do it at all.

Stay tuned. Or better yet, walk.