Teenagers from Bradford will be on tenterhooks over the Christmas period, waiting to see if they have the chance to star in the next Harry Potter blockbuster.

All week talent scouts have been scouring the city for two teenage Asian girls who could accompany Harry Potter and his fellow wizard and best friend Ron Weasley to a ball.

Casting director Shaheen Baig - who has worked on several other big-name films including Love Actually, Billy Elliot, The Others and Anita & Me - is looking to fill two major roles in the third JK Rowling adaptation, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

She spent last week visiting schools in the area searching for the perfect pair of Asian girls to play the characters Parvati and Padma Patel.

The chosen girls will have major scenes opposite the film's main stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint because they will be playing Harry and Ron's dates for the Yule Ball.

The story centres on Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and there are spells to be learned and even a Quidditch World Cup. But as ever it is Harry's nemesis, the evil Valdemort, who has to be dealt with.

But before he has to confront his sworn enemy, the two young wizards get to go to the ball.

Miss Baig said: "In this book they are actually written as twins but it has been incredibly difficult to find Asian twin girls so we decided to open it up and just find two girls.

"We're looking for two girls, if they happen to be sisters that would be amazing, but it doesn't really matter.

"We just want two good girls who have fantastic chemistry."

Miss Baig added: "I'll take all this material away and decide who we'll call back to the second wave of drama workshops which will be held just after Christmas.

"From then it's just a process of elimination and auditions will become smaller and smaller until we pick the final two girls."

Shooting for the film begins in April next year and it will be released in 2005.

Miss Baig said: "It's early days yet but you always have to start the kids early because it's such a lengthy process.

"I've met some really great girls in Bradford through the schools and the open audition so I hope that a fair amount of them get recalled."

Cousins Aliya Khan and Namira Khan were at auditions held at the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television, and are now hoping their dreams will come true.

Aliya, 15, a pupil at Allerton High School, said: "I've read all the books and seen all the films.

"It's a dream of mine to be in the film."

Namira, also 15 and a pupil at Allerton Grange High School, said: "It's a great opportunity; I'm a big fan of Harry Potter and I wanted to be part of it."

Another contender for the hand of Harry Potter was Chalada Barri, 13, a student at Challenge College.

She said: "I've always wanted to do something like acting or dancing.

"When I heard about the auditions I though it would be great and I'm looking forward to taking part.