First came Daniel Radcliffe’s ‘Harry Potter’ audition, now here’s the trio’s first screen test

We might know Daniel Radcliffe now as a swoon-worthy leading man, but that wasn’t always the case. At one point, he was just a li’l wizard. As for his other two partners in crime, saving-the-world crusader Emma Watson and Ed Sheeran body-double Rupert Grint, they were also once wee ones, still growing into their house robes. And they were all absolutely Adorable, with a capitol A.

Casting the boy wizard and his best friends must have been no easy task, and thankfully Radcliffe, Watson and Grint came out in the lead from all other hopefuls. But before they jumped on the Hogwarts Express, the three needed to prove they had chemistry together in some screen tests. You’ve seen Radcliffe’s screen test, and squealed over how cute he was as an eleven year old. Now it’s time to check out all three of them together, for three times the squealing.

In a video from August 2000 — because yes, it has a date, and it’s 15 years old — Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint hang out together, pouring over one of the books Hermione checked out as “light reading.” They’re looking up Nicholas Flamel, and YES, this is probably the first time in recorded Harry Potter history that Hermione has ever sassed Harry and Ron.  We’re watching magic happen.

Grint also does the cutest little eye roll at 10:15.

The whole video is worth a watch, and actually starts off with Radcliffe’s original screen test. If you want to jump right to the three of them, that begins at the 8:00 minuet mark. Clearly, even back then, this trio knew how to manage their mischief.

(Image via Warner Bros.)