"I do get recognized from 'Harry Potter' all the time," Gleeson said. "But I can get away with what I call 'my Harry Potter thing' because I play this one-eyed man in those films. I don't bring my trick eye out with me when I'm walking around.

"When the movies first came out," he said, "it was the parents who would recognize me and haul their poor children over. I'm this middle-aged person with no magic at all. No eye. All of these children were inevitably disappointed."

"I signed on for one 'Harry Potter' film and didn't expect a follow-up," Gleeson said. "The glory of it is that there are so many secrets involved with who is coming back and not. People on the set keep it close to the chest. But I can say that they want me to be around for the finale."

If they do, Gleeson will be happy to oblige them. "I love that this is a movie where the producers and directors really did look after the child stars," he said. "When I got the job with these kids, I wondered if I could put up with brat-ism. . . . I was a teacher for 10 years, so I have no tolerance for brats. No precocious movie kids for me. It wasn't remotely that way."