The actresses of the Harry Potter movies who joined the films as children have undergone a dramatic transformation from child stars to grown-up starlets. And they are giving their older competition a run for their money.

Miss Emma Watson, for instance has been appearing as Hermione Granger in the Movies since she was eleven. Playing the sharp student Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series, the British actress has been delivering the role of the self-righteous character with full credibility.

Now seventeen, the young celebrity is eager to shed her schoolgirl image. In keeping with this desire, Watson who's the new face of Chanel recently attended an exclusive dinner party hosted by fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld sporting a shimmering sequined Chanel jacket, black frock and a sexy siren red lipstick.

At the event in London Emma Watson was seen in the august company of A-Listers Kate Moss and Kylie Minogue and she partied the night away with the likes of Claudia Schiffer, Jodie Kidd and Kelly Osbourne. Emma's glamorous arrival comes just days after she unveiled her grown up new look in the pages of In Style magazine wherein she looks utterly different from the celebrated schoolgirl she plays in the films. The shoot was inspired by the theme of the fifties.

Emma was recently voted Britain's Greatest Female Role Model in a magazine poll earlier this year, easily beating actress Keira Knightley and model Kate Moss. She has also been chosen to be an ambassador for Chanel's fashion range, often appearing on the red carpet and as a cover girl in its lavish outfits.

Talking about the Half-Blood Prince movie and kissing Ron:

"Kissing Rupert's going to be sooo awkward. I'm trying not to think about it ... it's all part of the job I guess. Don't tell him I said that. Rupert's lovely. Girls would probably give their left arm to be in my position, so I'm certainly not complaining."

Some time ago one came across a news item that Warner Bros Pictures was under fire for an electronically enhanced photo of "Harry Potter" star Emma Watson advertising the newest movie in the series. In the new poster for the Imax 3D cinemas version of the film, the actress appeared to have had her bust enhanced.

A similar photo in ads for the regular film version of "Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix" was un-altered. Warner Bros. released a statement saying the enhanced image was not approved.

"This is not an official poster. Unfortunately this image was accidentally posted on the Imax website. The mistake was promptly rectified and the image taken down," the statement said. Whether the news item was true or not, the idea of using the sex appeal of the actress already seems to have germinated in some minds in the past.

Another actress who joined the cast as a child actress is Bonnie Wright. She first appeared in the movies portraying the role of Ginny Weasley at the age of ten. She too is shortly turning seventeen and will play Harry's love interest in the remaining two movies. Like Emma Watson, she too will have to enact a very well described kissing scene in the seventh movie with Daniel Radcliffe. When asked about her role in an interview:

How would you like your character to end up?

Bonnie: "I would like to see her join Harry in his quest to fight Voldemort. I don't think he should have to go it alone."

The actress Evanna Lynch also joined the cast at the young age of sixteen enacting the role of Luna Lovegood. Like Bonnie Wright she too will be turning seventeen shortly. Emma and the rest of the cast are due to start filming the sixth wizard film, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince, on the 18 December.

The actresses playing the roles of students are coming off age at a rapid pace. It will be interesting to see if they keep them the frumpy little schoolgirls as the movies come to an end or allow them to be a bit sexier. I hope it is the latter.