Harry Potter Is Officially Returning This Year

2 weeks ago 10
dominic-mclaughlin_0 HBO

Published Mar 25, 2026, 3:26 PM EDT

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We're being given a magical Christmas present by HBO Max this year, following the release of the truly enchanting first trailer for their upcoming Harry Potter series, which will be adapting The Philosopher's Stone. Despite widely stating that the series would not hit our screens until next year, those sneaky little beaters have whacked a bludger in our festive plans.

Yes, the Harry Potter series will now debut at Christmas rather than in the New Year. The new Harry Potter series stars Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, alongside John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid. The Weasley family includes Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, with Tristan Harland, Gabriel Harland, Ruari Spooner, and Gracie Cochrane appearing as Fred, George, Percy, and Ginny Weasley.

The Sorting Hat Awaits Which Hogwarts House
Are You?
A Personality Quiz · 10 Questions Four houses. One destiny. The Sorting Hat has considered thousands of students — now it's your turn. Answer honestly and discover where you truly belong at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

🦁Gryffindor

🐍Slytherin

🦡Hufflepuff

🦅Ravenclaw

Place the Hat →

01

What quality do you value most in yourself? Answer as honestly as you can — the Hat always knows.

ACourage — I act even when I'm afraid, because what's right matters more than what's safe. BAmbition — I know what I want and I have the drive and cunning to get there. CLoyalty — I show up for the people I love, no matter what it costs me. DWisdom — I think before I act and I'm always hungry to understand more.

Next Question →

02

A friend is being treated unfairly. What do you do?

AStep in immediately and confront whoever is responsible — I won't stand by. BWork out the best strategy to address it — a smart move beats a rash one. CBe by their side, support them, and help them through it however they need. DAnalyse what's actually happening and find the most reasoned, fair solution.

Next Question →

03

What does success look like to you?

ABeing remembered as someone who fought for what was right, whatever the odds. BAchieving the goals I set for myself — influence, status, and earned respect. CA life where the people I care about know I was there for them, always. DMastering my field, contributing something meaningful, and never stopping learning.

Next Question →

04

What is your greatest fear?

ABeing a coward when it mattered — looking back and knowing I did nothing. BMediocrity — fading into obscurity without making my mark on the world. CLosing the people I love or letting them down when they needed me most. DIgnorance — being wrong and not knowing it, or never reaching my potential.

Next Question →

05

You have a free afternoon at Hogwarts. Where do you go?

AOut to the Quidditch pitch or somewhere you can burn off energy with friends. BSomewhere quiet to plan ahead — the common room, plotting your next move. CThe kitchens, the grounds, or wherever your friends are — you just want to be together. DThe library — there's always more to discover and the afternoon is precious.

Next Question →

06

The rules say no. Your gut says go. What do you do?

ABreak the rules — if it's the right thing to do, no rule should stop me. BFind a way to get what I want without getting caught. Rules are guidelines. CProbably follow the rules — but I'd find a way to help within them if I could. DThink it through carefully — is the rule unjust, or is my gut just impatient?

Next Question →

07

What kind of friend are you?

AThe protector — I will go to the ends of the earth for the people I care about. BThe strategist — I give sharp advice and I'm the one who figures out how to fix things. CThe constant — I'm always there, always reliable, and I never make it about me. DThe guide — I help people think things through and see perspectives they've missed.

Next Question →

08

You discover a powerful but forbidden spell. What do you do?

ALeave it alone — power that requires crossing that line isn't worth it. BStudy it carefully. Knowledge is power, and power has its uses. CReport it to a trusted professor — this isn't something to handle alone. DResearch its origins first — understanding why it's forbidden is essential.

Next Question →

09

You look into the Mirror of Erised. What do you see? The mirror shows the deepest desire of your heart.

AYourself standing victorious, having faced the greatest challenge and won. BYourself at the height of your power — respected, successful, and in control. CYourself surrounded by everyone you love, whole and happy and together. DYourself with all the answers — every book read, every mystery solved.

Next Question →

10

The Sorting Hat pauses on your head. It whispers: "You could do well in any house. But what matters most to you — truly?" This is your tiebreaker. The Hat always listens.

ABravery. I want to be the kind of person who acts when others won't. BGreatness. I want to leave my mark and be more than ordinary. CBelonging. I want to be part of something good and never let my people down. DUnderstanding. I want to know the truth of things and keep growing forever.

Reveal My House →

The Sorting Hat Speaks Your House Has Been Chosen

After careful deliberation, the Sorting Hat has made its decision. You belong in…

🦁 Gryffindor

You have nerve. Not the reckless kind, but the deep, quiet courage that shows up even when you're terrified — especially then. Gryffindors don't act because they're fearless; they act because they understand that some things are worth being afraid for. You stand up for people when it would be easier to look away. You charge toward what's right even when the odds are terrible. Harry, Hermione, Ron — the heroes of Hogwarts's greatest chapter — all called the tower with the scarlet and gold home. And now, so do you. Welcome to Gryffindor.

🐍 Slytherin

You are driven, sharp, and utterly clear-eyed about what you want and how to get there. Slytherin has long been misunderstood — painted as the house of villains when it is, at its best, the house of those who refuse to accept limits placed on them by others. You are resourceful, strategic, and you play the long game. You know your worth. You protect your own fiercely. The dungeon common room with its view of the Black Lake is yours — and the ambitions that will take you further than anyone expects are yours too. Welcome to Slytherin.

🦡 Hufflepuff

You are the kind of person that makes the world genuinely better just by being in it. Hufflepuff is not the "safe" house or the "leftover" house — it is the house of those with the greatest heart, the most unwavering integrity, and a loyalty that never wavers even when tested. You show up. You work hard. You don't need glory or recognition — you do what's right because it's right. Nymphadora Tonks, Cedric Diggory, Newt Scamander — some of the wizarding world's finest. And now you join them. Welcome to Hufflepuff.

🦅 Ravenclaw

Your mind is your greatest gift, and you've always known it. Ravenclaws are the thinkers, the questioners, the ones who find a puzzle irresistible and a good book better company than most people. But Ravenclaw is not merely about intelligence — it's about the love of learning, the pursuit of truth, and the rare courage to admit you don't know something yet. You see the world with unusual clarity and depth. Luna Lovegood, Filius Flitwick, Rowena Ravenclaw herself — all extraordinary, all original. And so are you. Welcome to Ravenclaw.

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Who Stars In 'Harry Potter'?

Other Hogwarts students joining the series include Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown, and Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley. The wider adult cast also includes Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley, Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley, Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge, Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, Louise Brealey as Madam Hooch, and Leigh Gill as Griphook.

The Gryffindor bench is filling out too, with Orson Matthews cast as Oliver Wood, Asha Soetan as Angelina Johnson, Eire Farrell as Katie Bell, Serrana Su-Ling Bliss as Alicia Spinnet, and Ethan Smith as Lee Jordan. Hufflepuff’s lineup includes India Moon as Hannah Abbott, James Trevelyan Buckle as Justin Finch-Fletchley, Cian Eagle-Service as Ernie MacMillan, and Jazmyn Lewin as Susan Bones.

Ravenclaw’s students include Anjula Murali as Padma Patil, Aaron Zhao as Terry Boot, Scarlett Archer as Penelope Clearwater, and Eve Walls as Lisa Turpin. Meanwhile, Slytherin is getting a sizable roster of new additions, with Oliver Croft as Marcus Flint, D’Angelou Osei-Kissiedu as Graham Montague, Dylan Heath as Adrian Pucey, Cornelius Brandreth as Terence Higgs, Eddison Burch as Miles Bletchley, James Dowell as Lucian Bole, Henry Medhurst as Peregrine Derrick, and Laila Barwick as Pansy Parkinson.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone will premiere on HBO Max at Christmas.

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