HBO‘s Harry Potter series is arriving Christmas 2026, and it’s already doing things differently. The eight-episode first season covers Philosopher’s Stone from start to finish, something the 2001 Chris Columbus movie never had the luxury of doing at 2.5 hours.
J.K. Rowling‘s first book is packed with stories that never made it to the screen. With a full season and a creative team that has openly committed to a faithful adaptation of the books, the HBO show actually has a real shot at bringing those missing pieces to life. Here are some storylines from Philosopher’s Stone that the reboot could finally adapt.
1. Hermione Granger’s Potions Puzzle
Credits: Warner Bros.
Credits: Warner Bros.
Credits: Warner Bros.
In the book, Harry and Hermione get trapped between black flames ahead and purple flames behind, with seven mystery potions lined up in front of them: three poisons, two wines, one to go forward, and one to go back. Snape designed it so that magic alone couldn’t save you. As Hermione puts it herself: “This isn’t magic — it’s logic — a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven’t got an ounce of logic, they’d be stuck in here forever.”
For the HBO series, this scene is a no-brainer to bring back. It’s one of the best Hermione moments in the whole book and actually shows what makes her different from everyone else at Hogwarts.
2. Peeves the Poltergeist Disrupting Hogwarts
Peeves the Poltergeist in Hogwarts Legacy | Credits: Avalanche Software
Rik Mayall filmed Peeves scenes for the 2001 movie and still got cut (via The Independent). In the books, the fan favorite side character, Peeves, is everywhere. He pelts first-years with walking sticks, grabs students by the nose, and the moment Harry and Ron try to bribe him into silence, he immediately screams “STUDENTS OUT OF BED!” down the corridor. He actively makes Hogwarts feel chaotic and unpredictable.
None of that cut footage has ever surfaced publicly, but HBO doesn’t need it. They just need to finally give Peeves the screen time he deserved from day one.
3. Draco Malfoy’s Midnight Duel Trap
Credits: Warner Bros.
Credits: Warner Bros.
Credits: Warner Bros.
Draco challenging Harry to a midnight duel is one of the most Draco things in the entire first book, and the 2001 movie skipped it completely. In the book, Malfoy never actually plans to show up. He tips off Filch, sends Harry and Ron sneaking through the corridors at midnight for nothing, and nearly gets them caught. The only reason they stumble across Fluffy and the trapdoor at all is that they’re running from Filch after the trap backfires.
It’s a smarter, more conniving Draco than the movies ever bothered to show, and with eight episodes, the HBO series has every reason to give this scene the screen time it deserves.
4. Harry Potter’s Second Visit to the Mirror of Erised
Harry sees his parents, James and Lily Potter, in the Mirror of Erised | Credits: Warner Bros.
The 2001 movie showed Harry discovering the Mirror of Erised, and then skipped straight to Dumbledore finding him there. In the book, Harry goes back three nights in a row, growing so obsessed that he drags Ron along on the second visit, and by the third night, Dumbledore is already waiting for him, warning him that men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they see or driven mad, not knowing if it’s even real.
That progression matters because it shows Harry’s longing for his family is a vulnerability. The HBO series has the room to let those three nights breathe, and that changes the whole weight of the scene.
5. Norbert’s Astronomy Tower Smuggling Plan
Norbert, a dragon hatched by Rubeus Hagrid | Credits: Warner Bros.
The Norbert subplot is genuinely one of the most fun in the whole first book, and the movie completely ignored it. Harry and Hermione sneak a dragon up to the top of the Astronomy Tower at midnight, hand him off to Charlie Weasley’s friends on broomsticks, and watch him fly off to Romania, all while Ron is stuck in the hospital wing with an infected dragon bite. On the way back down, they forget the Invisibility Cloak and get caught by Filch.
For HBO, this is a ready-made adventure set piece with actual stakes, character comedy, and consequences. It also gives Charlie Weasley an actual introduction, which the movies never bothered to do.
6. The Search for Nicolas Flamel
Nicolas Flamel in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald | Credits: Warner Bros.
The movie handles the Nicolas Flamel reveal in about thirty seconds. Harry spots the name in a book, and that’s it. In the book, it’s an entire subplot. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville spend weeks searching through the library between classes and come up with nothing.
It’s a much better payoff, and makes the trio feel like real kids actually working to figure something out rather than stumbling onto the answer immediately. HBO finally has the runtime to explore it properly.
Which of these Philosopher’s Stone moments do you most want to see in the HBO series? Tell us in the comments!
Franchise:Harry PotterAuthor:J.K. RowlingBooks Released:7 (1997-2007)Movies Released:8 (2001-2011)
The Harry Potter reboot premieres on December 25, 2026, exclusively on HBO Max.
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