Matthew Lewis Reveals Which HP Character He'd Snog

Although actor Matthew Lewis has come a long way since starring in the Harry Potter movies, most fans still know him best as the awkward but well-meaning Neville Longbottom. The character — and the franchise — are so beloved that Lewis will still be associated with the wizarding world no matter how many years have passed since he last put on his Hogwarts robes. Millions of people will forever have strong feelings about JK Rowling's magical universe — including Lewis himself, as proven when he plays a quick game of "Snog, Marry, Stupefy."

If you're not caught up on your Potter terminology, that's Bustle's HP-themed version of the famous "F*ck, Marry, Kill" game, in which the person playing is given the names of three people, and determines which of the three options in the game's title they'd fall into. Previously, Bustle played the game with Potter star Tom Felton, who used the opportunity to profess his adoration for co-star Rupert Grint (despite, you know, Grint not being one of the options given). So while speaking with Lewis recently, I propose we play our own round, and the actor gamely agrees to give it a go.

So, I give him three Potter women — Hermione, Ginny, and Luna — to choose from, and it's clear from the start that Lewis isn't taking the game lightly. "OK, let’s think about this," he says, before taking a moment to reflect. "I’d probably snog Hermoine."

All right, that's one taken care of. As for the others?

"I’d have to stupefy Ginny, because Harry would kick my ass."

Fair enough. And that means for last...

"And I would marry Luna, because she’s bonkers. She’s crazy, and I imagine that would be a lot of fun."

Life with Luna Lovegood does sound fun. What makes Lewis' answers even better, though, is that he doesn't even seem realize that by saying he'd marry Luna, he's giving hope to all the Neville-Luna shippers out there; although Deathly Hallows: Part 2 reveals that Neville is in love with Luna, both Lewis and Evanna Lynch have gone on record as saying that their characters' romance wouldn't last long. When I mention to Lewis that his comments will excite fans of the duo, it seems to take him a moment to remember why — but when he does, he laughs and lets out a happy "oh yeah, of course!"

Yet even if Neville/Luna will never really happen, it's still great to know that Lewis is pleased to make Potter fans so happy, even as he's branching out into new projects. Most recently, the actor starred in the tearjerker Me Before You , in theaters now; the movie didn't just mark the debut of a long-awaited romantic drama, but also the first time that most American audiences had seen Lewis in a decidedly non-Potter role. Although the actor has worked steadily since 2011's Deathly Hallows: Part 2, his work has been limited to British movies and TV shows, and so his role in Me Before You is new territory for the actor.

Lewis seems to have mixed feelings about expanding his reach. "There is a degree of trepidation," he says. "But it’s just more excitement, really... American audiences haven’t seen a lot of things that I’ve been up to since Potter, so this might be the first thing they see, and I’m quite excited for them to see that."

Especially because, he adds, it's nothing like the character he's best known for. Says the actor, "Everything I’ve done since Harry Potter has been incredibly detached from Neville, and it’s been really fun to showcase completely different sides of my acting and to play all these wide and diverse characters."

Works like Me Before You certainly do show off Lewis' impressive range — but as his "Snog, Marry, Stupefy" answers show, that doesn't mean he's left his Potter days too far behind.

Images: Warner Bros; Giphy