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For three young actors - Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout - that fantasy has become a reality after they were cast as Harry, Hermione and Ron in HBO's forthcoming Harry Potter TV adaptation.

Newcomers Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout and Arabella Stanton are the chosen ones to play Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, respectively, of the more than 30,000 children who auditioned during the open casting call.

"It was like all my Christmases had come at once," Alastair recalls.

Luke told Alastair: "To have someone like you, who is so beautiful, lovely and kind, having done all this, I'm glad it's your cells. I just can't thank you enough."

Luke Melling, 31, from Melbourne, Australia, says he was "staring death in the face" before receiving a stem-cell transplant from Alastair Hawken, of Grantham, Lincolnshire.