London, Dec. 20: The elder brother of Harry Potter actress Afshan Azad pleaded guilty in court today to assaulting his 22-year-old sister over her relationship with a Hindu boy.

But charges that Ashraf Azad, 28, and Abul Azad, 53, father of Ashraf and Afshan, had threatened to murder her in an alleged “honour killing” were dropped after the young actress changed her mind about testifying against them.

For the authorities and women’s rights groups, the worrying question now will be: why did she change her mind?

There will now inevitably be intense speculation, justified or otherwise, that Afshan has somehow been “got at” by agents threatening her with dire consequences on behalf of her Bangladeshi father and brother.

Cinema-goers all over the world first saw Afshan as Padma Patil in the 2005 film, Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire. She was Harry Potter’s classmate in the movie adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s novel and twin sister of Parvati at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The Indian-origin sisters, dubbed “the two best looking girls in the year” by one pupil, were nothing if not feisty.

Padma became a prefect and a member of Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore’s army and fought in the Battle of Hogwarts in 1998.

But Padma, or rather Afshan, was today due to confront what many will consider even darker forces — her own ultra-conservative father and brother in a real-life criminal trial at Manchester Crown Court.

In an alleged “honour killing” that was apparently nipped in time, Afshan was due to give evidence against her father and her brother, both from Longsight, Manchester, because they were accused of making a threat to kill her on May 21 this year.

Ashraf was also accused of “assault occasioning actual bodily harm” on the same date.

Both men initially pleaded not guilty.

Last month, Afshan attended the world premiere in London of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, the final film in the saga in which she has a part. She also acted in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in 2007 and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in 2009.

But in a dramatic development in court today, Afshan failed to turn up to testify against her father and brother, having earlier pledged that she would. There will now be speculation about what pressures, if any, were brought to persuade the young actress to change her mind.

Today, Ashraf pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He will be sentenced for the assault on January 21. The judge may ensure that British honour is served by rewarding his thuggish behaviour with an exemplary prison sentence.

Ashraf was also facing a charge of threatening to kill Afshan but a judge ruled a verdict of not guilty should be entered.

The actress’s father was also formally cleared in court of a charge of threatening to kill her.

Women’s groups will now try and find out if he put emotional pressure on the daughter he had allegedly threatened to murder by telling her: “Do you want to see your own father die in prison?”

Manchester Crown Court was told that the attack took place at the family home in Manchester on May 21.

Richard Varden QC, prosecuting, said Afshan was the victim of a “wholly unnecessary and unexpected assault” by her brother over her “association” with a Hindu man of whom the family did not approve.

Varden said: “She speaks of threats to kill made jointly by her father and her brother.”

The court heard she was so terrified that she climbed out of her bedroom window. Afshan then made a statement to police alleging assault.

But although she did, Varden said she subsequently “made it plain” that she “did not support any action” being taken against either her father or her brother because it could make the situation worse and place her in “genuine danger”.

The actress made various “retraction statements” but never actually went back on the allegations that she made in relation to her father and brother, Varden added.

The court heard her father wanted her to have a “forced marriage of some kind”.

A witness summons for Afshan, who now lives in London, was issued but she failed to attend court to give evidence, Varden reported. “Despite every effort made by the prosecution, expensive, time-consuming steps taken to secure the attendance of a victim of domestic violence, it has not been possible to serve her with the witness summons.”

The court heard, however, that her non-attendance would not have stopped the prosecution taking place.

In legal proceedings that took place in August, Varden had then told the court that Afshan would be giving evidence against her father and her brother when the full trial resumed on December 20.

Father and son, initially held in custody, were given bail on condition they remained at their home in Manchester, “did not contact Afshan or her partner”, and did not travel to London to threaten the couple.

Afshan had never acted before she was cast in the movies, and revealed she only went to the auditions with friends from her former school – Whalley Range High School For Girls – for “a bit of fun”, according to the Manchester Evening News.

Afshan was studying for her AS levels in Chemistry, Biology, English and Business Studies at Xaverian College in Rusholme when she was cast in the Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire. She has described appearing in the movie as “the best experience of my life”.

Ashraf's solicitor, John Wolfson, said: “I hope for the whole family’s sake this matter can be resolved quickly and happily.”

Some will now suggest that a family deal was done – Ashraf would plead guilty to assaulting his sister providing she agreed not to testify against her father and brother.