HBO’s upcomingHarry Potterseries could finally include a major omission fromTheOrder of the Phoenixbook that the 2007 movie adaptation did not include. The first season ofHBO’sHarry Potteradaptationis not expected to be released until 2026, with each new season designated to a book of J.K. Rowling’s famous series.TheOrder of the Phoenixis set to be chronicled inHarry Potterseason 5, which may not even be released before the year 2030. That said, I’m already looking forward to the possibility of one key scene being portrayed after it was left out of the film.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenixis a pivotal book in the series, as themes and events in theHarry Potteruniverse begin to take very dark turns. This trajectory was set forth by Cedric Diggory’s death and Voldemort’s return at the end ofThe Goblet of Fireand continued throughoutThe Order of the Phoenix, including tragedies like Sirius Black’s death, all the way until the legendary finale ofThe Deathly Hallows. While Harry, Ron, and Hermione remain front and center throughout the books and movies,the longer format of HBO’s TV adaptation allows for more time to dive into the stories of supporting characters, such asNeville Longbottom.
HBO’s Harry Potter Show Must Finally Include Neville’s Parents
Neville’s Scene With Alice At St. Mungo’s Has To Be Featured
The lore surrounding the tragedy of Neville Longbottom’s parents is explored more in theHarry Potterbooks than it is in the movie. In the films, characters only speak about Neville’s parents occasionally, and the characters are only briefly featured in some images. The audience never actually gets to meet their characters, which was a big missed opportunity considering the heartbreaking scene with Neville with his mom, Alice, at St. Mungo’s inThe Order of the Phoenixbook.Neville’s parents were both Aurors and members of the original Order of the Phoenixwho were tortured to insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange.
In the aforementioned scene of Neville at St. Mungo’s inThe Order of the Phoenix, Harry, Ron, and Hermione visit Ron’s father, Arthur Weasley, at St. Mungo’s hospital after he was attacked by Voldemort’s snake, Nagini. There, they ran into Neville with his grandmother, Augusta, as they visited Neville’s mother, Alice, in the closed ward.Alice famously gives Neville an empty Drooble’s Blowing Gum wrapper, which Augusta tells Neville to throw away. Neville pockets it instead, an indication of how much he loves his mom. Before this scene, Harry, Ron, and Hermione never knew about Neville’s parents, making for a tragic scene.
Why Harry Potter’s Order Of The Phoenix Movie Cut The Longbottoms' St. Mungo’s Book Moments
Harry, Ron & Hermione Never Go To St. Mungo’s In The Movie
The St. Mungo’s scene was cut out fromThe Order of the Phoenixmovie because Harry, Ron, and Hermione never visited Arthur Weasley at the hospital after he was attacked by Nagini. In the film,Harry has a vision of Nagini attacking Arthurand quickly alerts Dumbledore.
The St. Mungo’s scene was cut out fromThe Order of the Phoenixmovie because Harry, Ron, and Hermione never visited Arthur Weasley at the hospital after he was attacked by Nagini.
In the next scene, Arthur is already home with his family and makes a toast of appreciation to Harry for saving his life. The film has a runtime of 2 hours and 18 minutes, andbringing the story to St. Mungo’s would have added at least another couple of minutes. David Yates and his creative team likely thought it was best to save time.
Neville’s TV Story & Ending Will Be More Effective By Introducing The Longbottoms
Neville’s Backstory & Character Arc Deserve More Attention In The TV Show
Including moments like Neville’s interaction with his mom at St. Mungo’s is exactly why this HBO TV adaptation exists. With a runtime that will likely be at least triple that of the movie,theHarry PotterTV series should include deeper explorations into supporting characters, especially Neville’s, since it is fascinating yet unaddressed by the films.
It will also make the themes of his story and redemption for his parents stronger than they were in the film, and essentially make Neville more of a main character. We’re still years from this scene potentially coming to life in HBO’sHarry Potter, but it truly is a must-have moment forThe Order of the Phoenixseason.
