4 Harry Potter Characters Who Need Bigger Arcs In the TV Reboot (Besides Draco Malfoy)

Sometimes it’s a good thing when a book series gets adapted into a TV show instead of movies, because there’s a much better chance of it staying faithful to the source material, giving characters more room to grow, and just being more enjoyable to follow. The Harry Potter movies shaped an entire generation, and it’s true that they’re still beloved (fans will hardly ever be able to forget them). But ever since the story was announced to be getting a TV reboot from HBO, expectations have been high an people have gotten even more excited. And why is that? Because besides being a saga that captivated the world and broke records, it’s also a way for fans to finally see the complete story, without having scenes and characters cut down or left out.

Other than the cast and the teaser trailer that’s already been released, not much about the show has been confirmed, and one of the things that has is that some characters will be getting more expansion (which even the original material didn’t quite manage to do). Draco Malfoy is one character already confirmed to receive more in-depth treatment in the series — but he’s not the only one who deserves it. We’ve picked 4 more Harry Potter figures who would be great candidates for more development and a bigger arc.

4) Luna Lovegood

When you think about the movies, Luna Lovegood is actually a character they got right in a lot of ways, but they never really had the time to develop her properly. She is quirky, funny, and different from pretty much everyone else at Hogwarts, but there is so much more going on in her life for her to be reduced to just the “weird girl” who believes in things other people don’t. It’s obviously still too early to cast her, but it’s good for the show to keep in mind that, when the time comes, she can be explored more, even to serve as a source of support for Harry like she does in Order of the Phoenix. Plus, this would also be really important for explaining her personality better.

Luna’s mother’s death seems to have affected her in ways that may explain why she became so comfortable being an outcast, and you can definitely understand that through the movies, but a lot of it is still more speculation than anything concrete. Besides, as time goes on, you realize that she is extremely perceptive and emotionally mature, which the adaptation does manage to show, but it’s so subtle that you can’t help but wonder why she never really got the development to match it. In Deathly Hallows, for example, she is kidnapped because of her father’s publications in The Quibbler, in an attempt to pressure him into turning against Harry. Seeing this situation explored in more depth would be something pretty much every fan would love, especially because the tabloid also plays a role in the rise of the Resistance.

3) Neville Longbottom

Sometimes, it even feels like Luna gets more space than Neville Longbottom in the movies, and that’s strange since he has one of the best arcs in Harry Potter — just knowing he could have been the Chosen One is reason enough. On top of that, it’s clear that he becomes a hero after so many years of being bullied and being a scared kid, but it would be much more interesting if we could actually follow that entire process. The books manage to do this through several small moments, but the films cut and shortened so many of them that his transformation feels much faster than it should. It would be essential for the show to fix this, simply by giving more weight to the little situations where he starts realizing that he is actually capable of doing something.

His relationship with his grandmother, the story of his parents, and the pressure of growing up in the shadow of two Aurors who were heroes of the First Wizarding War could also get more attention. The adaptation gives him the spotlight to face Voldemort and kill Nagini, and it’s a really great moment to watch, but maybe it would have meant even more if his journey had been developed better. He’s the one who helps keep Dumbledore’s Army alive, stands up to Snape and Carrows, turns the Room of Requirement into a base for the Resistance, and eventually takes on a leadership role among the students. Neville is just as important to the saga as Draco (if not more), so if one of them is already confirmed to have his arc expanded, the other should get the same opportunity.

2) Ginny Weasley

Of all the Harry Potter characters, Ginny Weasley is probably the one who lost the most in the transition from the books to the movies. Originally, she has a lot of involvement in the story and doesn’t spend much time being just the shy youngest Weasley sibling who has a crush on Harry. She grows up, becomes more confident, turns into a great Quidditch player, joins Dumbledore’s Army, and is one of the characters most willing to stand up to Voldemort. For some reason, her role in all of this ended up being reduced to just being the protagonist’s love interest, which is why so many fans were frustrated. And even though she gets more focus in The Chamber of Secrets, the adaptation made it seem like she was able to just move on after Tom Riddle’s diary was destroyed, when that really wasn’t the case.

She was actually manipulated by Voldemort, lost control over her own actions, and carried that trauma with her as she grew up, and that’s what could help explain why she becomes so much more determined later on. Ginny is indirectly connected to the discovery of how Horcruxes can be destroyed, and that’s no small thing. She’s extremely skilled, fights at the Department of Mysteries, and remains involved in the Resistance at Hogwarts. Also, it would make a lot more sense when she eventually starts a romantic relationship with Harry, because there would be a clear and believable reason for him to fall in love with her in The Half-Blood Prince. Even Bonnie Wright, the actress who played Ginny in the movies, has said she hopes the character gets a more worthy development in the reboot.

1) Severus Snape

Complex as he is, Severus Snape is perhaps the trickiest case since he doesn’t exactly suffer from a lack of importance — quite the opposite, he’s at the center of some of the biggest mysteries in the story. What the show can do is use the times the movies didn’t have to make him even harder to figure out. Alan Rickman in the role is absolutely remarkable, and the mystery surrounding the Hogwarts professor makes you want more of him, but the fact is that a lot of his backstory only comes to light when the plot is already reaching its end. It might be worth planting little pieces of information throughout the seasons about Lily Potter, his resentment toward James and the Marauders, and especially his relationship with Dumbledore.

And it would be very important not to turn Snape into a “good guy who was misunderstood,” because that would take away exactly what makes the character so interesting. He’s cruel to his students, particularly unfair to Harry, and makes some pretty questionable decisions, even while risking his own life to stop Voldemort. And even though the films did give him some screen time, there are still details about his personality that can tie directly into his past, such as his involvement with the Dark Arts and his family. To sum up, the point isn’t to completely redeem him, but to show why he did every single thing and whether, in the eyes of the audience, he actually deserves their mercy or not. With so many seasons, he would probably be the character that leaves the most room for discussion.

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