HBO’s Harry Potter series loses a main cast member.
The wizarding world of Harry Potter is one of the biggest franchises in the world. Valued at over $30 billion spanning across literature, films, theme parks, video games, merchandise, and more, the magical world is just getting started. HBO announced it would be adapting the original novels, with a novel being adapted per season to ensure that it remains faithful to the source.
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01
What spell is used to disarm an opponent, famously becoming Harry Potter’s signature move throughout the series?
AStupefy
BExpelliarmus
CProtego
DPetrificus Totalus
✓ Correct! Expelliarmus is the Disarming Charm. Harry used it so often that it became his trademark spell — even using it in his final duel against Voldemort in the Battle of Hogwarts.
✗ Not quite! The answer is Expelliarmus. Stupefy is a Stunning Spell, Protego is a Shield Charm, and Petrificus Totalus is the Full Body-Bind Curse. Expelliarmus forces an opponent’s wand out of their hand.
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02
In “The Prisoner of Azkaban,” Hagrid introduces his Care of Magical Creatures class to a proud hippogriff. What is the creature’s name?
AFang
BNorbert
CBuckbeak
DAragog
✓ Correct! Buckbeak the hippogriff became a key part of the story when Draco Malfoy insulted him and got injured. Harry and Hermione later saved Buckbeak from execution using the Time-Turner.
✗ Not quite! The answer is Buckbeak. Fang is Hagrid’s boarhound, Norbert is his baby dragon from the first book, and Aragog is the giant Acromantula in the Forbidden Forest.
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03
What potion allows the drinker to assume the physical appearance of another person, and plays a major role in “The Chamber of Secrets” and “The Goblet of Fire”?
APolyjuice Potion
BFelix Felicis
CVeritaserum
DAmortentia
✓ Correct! Polyjuice Potion transforms the drinker into someone else for about an hour. Hermione brewed it in their second year to infiltrate the Slytherin common room, and Barty Crouch Jr. used it to impersonate Mad-Eye Moody.
✗ Not quite! The answer is Polyjuice Potion. Felix Felicis is liquid luck, Veritaserum is a truth serum, and Amortentia is a powerful love potion. Polyjuice Potion is the one that changes your appearance.
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04
How many Horcruxes did Lord Voldemort intentionally create to split his soul and achieve immortality?
AFive
BSeven
CFour
DSix
✓ Correct! Voldemort intentionally created six Horcruxes: the diary, the ring, the locket, the cup, the diadem, and Nagini. Harry became an accidental seventh Horcrux, making the total number of soul fragments seven — the most magically powerful number.
✗ Not quite! The answer is six. Voldemort deliberately created six Horcruxes: Tom Riddle’s diary, Marvolo Gaunt’s ring, Slytherin’s locket, Hufflepuff’s cup, Ravenclaw’s diadem, and Nagini. Harry was an unintentional seventh piece.
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05
How many points is the Golden Snitch worth when caught by a Seeker during a Quidditch match?
A50 points
B150 points
C100 points
D200 points
✓ Correct! Catching the Golden Snitch awards 150 points and ends the match. This is why the Seeker position is so crucial — catching the Snitch almost always wins the game, though famously at the Quidditch World Cup, Viktor Krum caught it but Bulgaria still lost.
✗ Not quite! The answer is 150 points. The Golden Snitch is worth 150 points and also ends the match. At the 1994 Quidditch World Cup, Krum caught the Snitch for Bulgaria but Ireland still won because they were more than 150 points ahead.
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06
What form does Severus Snape’s Patronus take — revealing his lifelong love for Harry’s mother, Lily?
AA phoenix
BA wolf
CA doe
DA stag
✓ Correct! Snape’s Patronus is a doe — the same as Lily Potter’s. When Dumbledore asked “After all this time?” Snape famously replied, “Always.” It’s one of the most emotional reveals in the entire series.
✗ Not quite! The answer is a doe. Snape’s Patronus matches Lily Potter’s because of his deep, enduring love for her. James Potter’s Patronus was a stag — the male counterpart. The doe is what led Harry to the Sword of Gryffindor in the frozen lake.
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07
What magical object must you look into to see the Mirror of Erised’s true purpose — and what does it show the viewer?
ATheir deepest, most desperate desire
BTheir future self at their most powerful
CTheir greatest fear
DTheir happiest memory
✓ Correct! The Mirror of Erised (“desire” spelled backward) shows the deepest desire of whoever looks into it. Harry saw his parents, Ron saw himself as Head Boy and Quidditch captain, and Dumbledore claimed he saw himself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks.
✗ Not quite! The answer is their deepest, most desperate desire. “Erised” is “desire” spelled backward. The inscription reads: “I show not your face but your heart’s desire.” Dumbledore warned Harry that the mirror gives neither knowledge nor truth, and men have wasted away before it.
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08
The three Deathly Hallows are the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and which third object that Harry himself possessed?
AThe Marauder’s Map
BThe Sorting Hat
CThe Pensieve
DThe Cloak of Invisibility
✓ Correct! The Cloak of Invisibility was passed down through Harry’s family — he inherited it from his father, James. Unlike ordinary invisibility cloaks, this Hallow never fades or weakens, making it a true relic of Death from “The Tale of the Three Brothers.”
✗ Not quite! The answer is the Cloak of Invisibility. Harry inherited it from his father on his first Christmas at Hogwarts. Together with the Elder Wand and the Resurrection Stone, these three objects make up the Deathly Hallows from “The Tale of the Three Brothers.”
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Deadline has reported that Gracie Cochrane, who will be portraying Ginny Weasley in season 1, is leaving the series, and the role will be recast ahead of season 2 production. Cochrane and her family released a statement explaining that her departure from the series is due to “unforeseen circumstances.” The news of her departure comes after the announcement that the Harry Potter series has been renewed for season 2, with production expected to begin in the fall.
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, Gracie has made the challenging decision to step away from her role as Ginny Weasley in the HBO Harry Potter series after season one. Her time as part of the Harry Potter world has been truly wonderful, and she is deeply grateful to Lucy Bevan and the entire production team for creating such an unforgettable experience. Gracie is very excited about the opportunities her future holds.”
HBO has since commented on the young actress’s departure from the series and stated, “We support Gracie Cochrane and her family’s decision not to return for the next season of HBO’s Harry Potter series, and we are grateful for her work on season one of the show. We wish Gracie and her family the best.”
Cochrane’s role as Ginny Weasley is a larger part of the main story as seen in the last few movies and novels, as the Weasley family remains a constant throughout the movies and books. She was playing opposite Alastair Stout’s Ron Weasley, Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Tristan and Gabriel Harland as Fred and George Weasley, and Ruari Spooner as Percy Weasley. Ginny is described as fierce and independent in the novels, who starts as young and shy before blossoming into a talented witch.
Season 1 of HBO’s Harry Potter series is titled the same as J.K. Rowling’s first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and will have eight episodes to showcase the book in its entirety. Stout has been cast as one of the three major roles alongside Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter. Set photos have revealed production taking place around London, England, with the majority of the Weasley family spotted in Waterloo.
HBO’s Harry Potter series will premiere on December 25.
Release Date
December 25, 2026
Showrunner
Francisca Gardiner
Directors
Mark Mylod
Dominic McLaughlin
Harry Potter
Janet McTeer
Minerva McGonagall
