HBO has cast Dobby, young Tom Riddle, and a new Ginny Weasley for Season 2 of the Harry Potter series, which will adapt Chamber of Secrets. On the latest episode of MuggleCast, Andrew, Laura, and Micah broke down the new casting with guest Barry, host of Retold: A Fantasy Podcast, then dug into your feedback on the new Philosopher’s Stone trailer. Here’s who is playing who, what it could mean for the show, and every listener theory we loved.
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Listen to the episode above, and read our full breakdown below.
Harry Potter Season 2 Cast: Who’s Playing Who
- Dobby: Lenny Rush
- Tom Riddle: Billy Barratt, who starred in the 2025 horror film Bring Her Back
- Ginny Weasley: Bonnie Hill, taking over the role from Gracie Cochrane, who played Ginny in Season 1
- Gilderoy Lockhart: Kit Harington, announced earlier
- Arthur Weasley: Rafe Spall
- Moaning Myrtle: Molly Hewitt-Richards
- Colin Creevey: Jasper Ambrose
Dobby, Tom Riddle, and Ginny were announced in early September, and Arthur, Myrtle, and Colin were revealed on September 15, after we recorded this episode. It all comes ahead of the series premiere on December 25, 2026 on HBO and HBO Max. Season 1 adapts Philosopher’s Stone across eight episodes, and Season 2 will take on Chamber of Secrets.
Will Dobby Be CGI in the Harry Potter Show?
The biggest question coming out of the announcement is how the series will bring Dobby to life. In the films, he was a fully computer generated character. Casting an actor has fans wondering if that’s about to change. As Andrew put it, “People are speculating they’re not going to go the CGI route potentially at all with Dobby.”
Laura isn’t so sure. She wondered if casting an actor of Lenny’s height might simply make motion capture more convenient, and said, “It’s hard for me to imagine they’re not being CG involved.”
Barry raised a practical point: the amount of prosthetics needed for a fully practical Dobby is a lot to put a child through. Andrew noted that Lenny is 17, and Barry replied that he’s a “young adult almost.” Micah compared the possibility to Warwick Davis, who was transformed through makeup into both Flitwick and Griphook for the films. Andrew agreed it would need the ears and the nose if it’s a real person in the role, and said it’s “very interesting” that they would cast it at all. Barry had looked up Lenny’s past work and pointed to Enola Holmes 2 and several episodes of Doctor Who.
Meet the New Tom Riddle
Andrew was immediately sold on Billy Barratt as the young Tom Riddle: “He’s got a Slytherin look. I don’t know how to explain it, but he’s got the baddie look to me.” Barry pointed out that he seems younger than the actor who played Riddle in the film, which fits a show that has been casting closer to the characters’ ages. He also thinks Billy looks “a little cool.”
Andrew noted that Billy is 19, while Christian Coulson, the Riddle of the Chamber of Secrets film, was in his 20s when he took on the role. Laura joked that Coulson “could play Voldemort in this series based on his age.” That led Barry to ask whether Voldemort has been cast yet. Andrew said there have been rumors, but he thinks the production is keeping that one under wraps.
Which Chamber of Secrets Roles Still Need to Be Cast?
When we recorded, the panel ran through the Season 2 roles fans were still waiting on:
- Professor Sprout, who has a bigger part to play with the Mandrakes
- Colin Creevey, which Andrew agreed will be a significant role (since cast: Jasper Ambrose)
- Moaning Myrtle, a role listeners reminded us about (since cast: Molly Hewitt-Richards)
- The Basilisk, a part Laura jokingly volunteered for
- The Cornish Pixies, which Micah added to the list
On Myrtle, Barry floated bringing back Shirley Henderson, who played her in the films: “She’s probably in her 60s now. She could do it. I believe in her.” Micah confirmed she is 60. Barry also loved the idea of familiar faces from the films popping up in the new series, and suggested that when the story reaches St. Mungo’s, the original actors could appear as patients in different rooms. Andrew called it “an unhinged idea,” and added, “I’m here for it.”
Could James and Oliver Phelps Play Fabian and Gideon Prewett?
One of our favorite listener ideas came from Abby. After Andrew accidentally called the new Fred and George “James and Oliver” on a previous episode, she suggested a cameo for the film twins, James and Oliver Phelps: playing Molly Weasley’s brothers, Fabian and Gideon Prewett, maybe in Season 5 when Harry learns about the original Order of the Phoenix.
Andrew called it “an awesome idea.” Between hosting a Harry Potter cooking show and appearing at conventions and signings, he said, the Phelps twins are “still very immersed in the world of Harry Potter.” Laura was confident: “I think they do it.” Micah agreed it was “such a great idea.” In the new series, Fred and George are played by real life twins Tristan and Gabriel Harland.
Watch the Official Philosopher’s Stone Trailer
Barry joined us right after the second trailer came out, and his verdict was simple: “I freaking loved it.” He watched it with his seven month old daughter, who was wearing her Harry Potter onesie. His only small criticism was that the colors felt a bit muted, though he admitted that makes details like the glowing house point hourglasses stand out. For our full scene by scene analysis, read our Philosopher’s Stone trailer breakdown.
Your Best Trailer Theories
The MuggleCast audience caught a lot in this trailer. Here are the listener theories and observations we discussed:
- “Big day, lads”: Listener Will thinks Seamus is excited because it’s the first Quidditch match. Andrew agreed: “My money is on the day of the Quidditch match.”
- Hermione’s summer reading: A listener suggested McGonagall may have recommended books to Hermione after explaining the wizarding world, which is why she thinks of them as summer reading. Laura said it makes Hermione more sympathetic, since she may be looking for a friend after not finding them in the Muggle world. Barry thinks the trailer sets up all three kids as misfits, with “Ron getting the ketchup on his sandwich and Hermione looking sad.”
- The Sorting Hat: Barry noticed that the hat doesn’t cover the students’ eyes the way it does in the book. Andrew wondered if that’s symbolic of “how inappropriate it is to sort them at this age.”
- The Patil twins: A listener thinks the two students seen at the Sorting are Parvati and Padma, who would be split into different houses.
- The Great Hall floor: Listeners in Europe told us the black and white floor is inspired by Oxford and other UK university halls, not a bathroom.
- Godric’s Hollow: We had wondered if one shot showed Hagrid’s hut, but a listener says it’s actually a house in the village where the show filmed its Godric’s Hollow Halloween sequence, based on paparazzi photos from the shoot. If so, the hooded figure could be Voldemort on his way to the Potters’ home.
- Matchsticks: Andrew corrected himself from the last episode. Harry isn’t levitating a matchstick in McGonagall’s class. The students are transfiguring their matches, just like their first lesson in the book.
- The class timetable: A listener noticed the colors show which houses share each class. Andrew called the prop “very thoughtful” and “delightful.”
- Book accuracy: Neville is still in his school uniform outside Fluffy’s room, since he was locked out of the common room, and Laura pointed out that Hermione is wearing a pink robe, just like in the book.
Our Predictions for Season 1 and Beyond
- Micah: The series “should open” with Snape overhearing the prophecy, which would set the TV 14 tone and show right away that this isn’t the films. He also expects more time away from Harry, based on producer David Heyman’s comments, so it won’t be “all Harry all the time.”
- Andrew: There will be another trailer before the premiere, since the latest one was billed as a teaser. He also expects the show to expand the books “in a lot of canonical ways.”
- Laura: Seamus’s “How we feeling, lads?” line is going to become a meme every time a new season is on the way. She also wondered if a final trailer could focus on Voldemort to explain why Harry is famous.
- Barry: Original film actors could make cameo appearances, possibly as patients at St. Mungo’s.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who plays Dobby in the Harry Potter TV show?
Lenny Rush plays Dobby in Season 2 of HBO’s Harry Potter series. HBO has not said how much of the character will be created with visual effects.
Who plays Tom Riddle in the Harry Potter TV show?
Billy Barratt plays the young Tom Riddle in Season 2.
Why was Ginny Weasley recast?
Gracie Cochrane played Ginny in Season 1, and Bonnie Hill takes over the role from Season 2. No detailed reason has been given for the change.
When does the Harry Potter TV show premiere?
The series premieres on December 25, 2026 on HBO and HBO Max. Season 1 adapts Philosopher’s Stone in eight episodes.
Will MuggleCast cover the Harry Potter TV show?
Yes! Beginning Wednesday, December 2, MuggleCast is switching to full coverage of the HBO series. We’ll release an episode soon after each TV episode airs, followed by a second episode the same week with even more detailed coverage. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss a thing: follow MuggleCast in your favorite podcast app or subscribe on YouTube.
For everything we know so far about the series, visit our Harry Potter HBO series guide.