Harry Potter lives on in our hearts and in movies like this

When Harry Potter and all his magical friends bade goodbye in 2011 after Deathly Hallows Part II was released, we all grieved. It was like parting with an old and dear friend but with that flicker of hope that one day, we will see them again. Since then, Harry Potter lovers held on to anything that resembled the magical world of Hogwarts.

And 2016 was the year all Harry Potter fans enjoyed because aside from the release of the Cursed Child, we were once again whisked away to a fantastical world via the movie Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them.

The movie, which is JK Rowling’s first venture into scriptwriting, was expected to fill the void left behind by everyone’s favorite series (a void that cannot be filled despite several visits to Harry Potter-inspired theme parks). Taking place in 1926, Fantastic Beasts is centered on Newt Scamander, a magizoologist played by Eddie Redmayne, who finds himself more comfortable in the company of animals than humans. The plot follows Newt's adventure with his newfound friends, former auror Tina, her sister Queenie and a muggle named Jacob in New York City, where his magical creatures get lost in the concrete jungle. In true Rowling fashion, the movie, which showcases adults and not children, deals with socio-political themes and where the mingling of a no-maj and magicians are strictly kept under key.

Despite a century (and treatment!) difference between the Fantastic Beasts and the Potter series, Rowling did not disappoint in dropping a Harry Potter reference or two (or more!) to satisfy fans who still daydream about Hogwarts.

Despite being in different time frames, the stories align

Newt Scamander’s character was first introduced as the author of one of Harry’s first year text books, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (See: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone). The movie also nods to the fact that Luna Lovegood marries Scamander’s future grandson in the final installation of the series.

The Villain Was Once Bestfriends with Albus Dumbledore

A true blue Harry Potter fan may have discovered a thing or two about Dumbledore over the years of poring through its pages. One known fact is that he had a best friend named Gellert Grindelwald when he was a teen, but the friendship ended when Dumbledore chose to do good and Grindelwald chose, well, evil.

Newt was a Hufflepuff

All throughout the film, you can see an ode to Hogwarts through Newt’s Hufflepuff scarf. Despite being away from Hogwarts, he knows where his loyalty lies.

The Quidditch Nod

This was evident in the scene where Mary Lou, the head of No-majs, addressed Scamander in a crowd and accused him of being the “seeker of the truth,” to which he said, “I’m more of a chaser really.” The No-maj doesn’t understand it as it’s a reference only wizards and witches in the Potter series will get instantly.

While Harry not once crossed the screen (sorry!), these references sure set our Harry Potter loving hearts aflutter.

Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them is now showing.