HBO's Harry Potter series will fix a major Harry Potter problem from the first film and J.K. Rowling's novel (and it's for the best). The upcoming eight-episode adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, set to release on Christmas Day later this year, will introduce Dominic McLaughlin's version of Harry Potter to the world, showcasing the 11-year-old wizard as he discovers his magical roots and becomes a popular figure in the Wizarding World for his role in the fall of Lord Voldemort (at the cost of his parents' lives). As marketing for HBO's Harry Potter reboot enters full swing with the release of new footage from Season 1, a moment in the trailer shows that the new adaptation aims to fix what previous media lacked.
At the 1:16 mark of HBO's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone official trailer, Harry Potter can be seen trying to cast a spell during Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration class. This marks an important milestone for the reboot, as it shows Harry trying to cast a spell.
In the book, this Transfiguration exercise was a small, frustrating homework assignment that first-years had to do in class: turning a match into a needle. This is the kind of scene that the films skipped and would've included to enrich Harry's path to becoming a great wizard by the latter books.
Dominic McLaughlin's Harry struggled to turn a match into a needle, a seemingly simple exercise that later proved as hard as turning furniture into animals. J.K. Rowling's Book 1 revealed that Hermione Granger was the only one who made any difference to her match, impressing Professor McGonagall and proving that she is one of the brightest in Potter's class.
Harry himself gets honest with Professor McGonagall amid the frustration, telling her that everyone thinks he is a great wizard, but he does not really know anything. At one point, Snape even mocked Harry, telling him that he has no talent in the classroom despite being good at Quidditch.
This is understandable, considering that Harry isn't really an amazing, perfect wizard from the start. This is a deliberate decision, considering that he grew up with no prior training in wizardry due to being stuck with the Dursleys. Using magic, spells, and an actual wand are foreign to him.
This is unlike other characters like Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy, whose magic is ingrained in their blood due to their family's long history. Even Hermione, who was born out of a Muggle family, is a well-versed magic user due to her initiative to learn more about witchcraft and wizardry.
By showing Harry actually struggling with magic, HBO's Harry Potter reboot portrays the Boy Who Lived more accurately.
Why HBO's Harry Potter Decision to Show Harry Casting a Spell Is Brilliant
The first film made Harry famous before it made him a student, meaning there are already high expectations for him because of his major role in Lord Voldemort's downfall.
While the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone movie showed that magic surrounded Harry, it was less interested in the lesson. Harry did receive a wand, and he sits in class to learn, but he never intentionally produces magic on screen.
HBO's Harry Potter will fix that flaw by showing Harry pick up a wand as a beginner, trying to cast a spell even though he is unsure whether it will work. These baby steps are necessary for the greatness he is bound to embrace in the latter chapter of his story.
The reboot's character decision to show a glimpse of Harry casting a spell is brilliant because it restores Hogwarts as a lived-in school rather than a main driver of the plot. The series can use first-year magic exercises to emphasize Harry's struggles, clearing the way for his later heroics to be earned.
Book Harry's early raw magic is quite messy. He did unintentionally use magic, such as the vanishing glass in the zoo and touching Professor Quirrell to vanquish him and Voldemort during the final battle. However, Harry needs room for controlled spellwork, and this is what the reboot needs to utilize and set up in Season 1.
