Actor Matthew Lewis has lightly mocked his Harry Potter co-star Tom Felton over ageing, much to the delight of their dedicated fans.
In the Harry Potter film series, the nervous Neville Longbottom, played by Lewis, is frequently derided by the conniving Draco Malfoy, portrayed by Felton.
However, the tables have turned in the comment section on Instagram, a fact that may cause any diehard Slytherin dismay.
During a recent visit to Toronto, Canada, Felton had a photograph taken of himself wearing Slytherin robes while standing alongside a picture of his younger self in character as Malfoy, complete with his signature slicked-back hair.
The 32-year-old shared the photograph on Instagram, alongside the sardonic caption: “Ageing’s a bitch.”
Lewis, who is good friends with Felton in real life, was quick to pipe up with a mischievous reply, writing: “Speak for yourself lad!”
The 30-year-old’s comment has garnered more than 20,000 likes, with several Instagram users making the assumption that he was referencing the fact that he “Neville Longbottomed”.
A few years ago the phrase “to Neville Longbottom” - meaning that someone has become more attractive as they have matured in adulthood - entered popular usage online, inspired by Lewis.
The Me Before You actor admitted he never thought in his “wildest dreams” that he would have “coined a phrase”, adding that he was “quite proud” of it.
A number of Instagram users mentioned the well-known phrase as they responded to Lewis’ comment on Felton’s picture.
“You’ve got a whole term named after you, that’s not even fair! We can’t all Longbottom!” one person wrote.
“The man who aged so well it’s now called ‘Neville Longbottoming’,” another remarked.
Other Instagram users praised Lewis on his quick wit, several of whom made Harry Potter references.
“Best response 10 points to Gryffindor,” someone stated.
“My father will hear about this,” another wrote, alluding to a line frequently said by Malfoy in the Harry Potter book and film series.
Another Instagram user commented: “Someone get Tom some ointment for that burn. Ouch.”
