A Harry Potter Moment Too Dark for the Movies Is Practically Mandatory for the Reboot

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While a TV series is still some time off, HBO has plenty of great material to work with, including a particularly impressive moment involving Neville Longbottom. Neville, played by Mathew Lewis in the Harry Potter films, grows significantly throughout J.K. Rowling’s books. As a Gryffindor and close friend of Harry Potter, Neville remains a steadfast believer in Harry after Lord Voldemort’s return is revealed in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Although HBO’s Harry Potter series isn’t scheduled to air until 2027 at the earliest, excitement for the show is already building. While casting is still underway for many roles, Rory Wilmot was confirmed as Neville Longbottom in July 2025. Neville is a significant character in the Harry Potter books, and a pivotal scene from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows seems perfectly suited for television adaptation.

Lord Voldemort Attempts to Torture Neville Longbottom

While the Harry Potter films are fantastic, they left out a significant amount of material from J.K. Rowling’s books. This was due to both time limits and creative choices made during the adaptation process, meaning many memorable scenes never made it to the screen. For example, almost the entire battle at the Department of Mysteries from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was cut, as was Albus Dumbledore’s funeral in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Conversely, the movies sometimes added scenes that weren’t in the books for no clear reason. A well-known instance of this is the Marauder’s Map, which became a popular element in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

The final scenes of Deathly Hallows were packed with events, so even the two-part movie adaptations required cuts. One scene that didn’t make it into the films was likely removed because it was too violent. In the book, after Harry appears to be defeated, Neville Longbottom bravely confronts Voldemort. Voldemort responds by magically forcing the Sorting Hat onto Neville’s head and setting it on fire. Harry then reveals he’s still alive and frees Neville, explaining that a protective sacrifice – the same one Harry’s mother, Lily, made years earlier – shields Neville and all the Hogwarts defenders from Voldemort’s harm.

The sight of the Sorting Hat catching fire is unsettling for any fan of the Harry Potter series, given its importance in the books. HBO is demonstrating a commitment to a more accurate adaptation of the Wizarding World for television, and including this moment from Deathly Hallows is crucial. Many scenes from the Battle of Hogwarts were changed when adapted for the films – like Fred Weasley’s death – but the show seems to be staying truer to the original story. In the books, the Sword of Gryffindor appears through the Sorting Hat, while the movies showed it appearing in the Great Hall. By including the burning hat, HBO’s reboot is more faithful to the source material and creates a more intense atmosphere.

As a film enthusiast, one scene that always gets me is when Voldemort tortures Neville in Deathly Hallows. It’s so powerful because it really brings Neville’s character full circle. He throws himself at Voldemort, knowing it’s likely a suicide mission, but it perfectly embodies everything Gryffindor stands for – courage, determination, a bit of cleverness, and a willingness to fight for what’s right. But it also brilliantly diminishes Voldemort’s entire plan. All his striving for immortality and power – controlling the Ministry, hunting Muggle-borns – it all falls apart in that moment. Harry and Neville’s willingness to sacrifice themselves for the greater good ultimately renders Voldemort powerless, defeated not by strength, but by the very things he despised: love and empathy. It’s a beautiful, heartbreaking moment.

Neville Longbottom Is an Essential Harry Potter Character

Look, everyone focuses on Harry as the ‘Chosen One,’ but let me tell you, Neville Longbottom is absolutely crucial to what makes the Harry Potter series so compelling. Born just a day before Harry, on July 30, 1980, his early life was tragically marked by loss. His parents, Frank and Alice, were incredibly brave Aurors – real heroes during the First Wizarding War – but they were brutally tortured by Voldemort’s followers after the Dark Lord’s initial fall. As a result, Neville was raised by his stern grandmother, Augusta, and carries a lot of pain with him even before he sets foot in Hogwarts. It’s a heartbreaking backstory that really shapes who he becomes.

The early Harry Potter films briefly show Neville Longbottom’s upbringing with his grandmother, Augusta. However, the movie adaptation of Order of the Phoenix left out the important story of Neville’s parents, Frank and Alice, and even skipped the entire chapter dedicated to them. By the fifth book, it’s revealed that Voldemort specifically chose Harry as his equal – the prophecy in the Department of Mysteries described a boy born at the end of July to parents who had defied Voldemort several times. Both Harry and Neville fit this description, meaning Neville could have been the one destined to face Voldemort instead. Ultimately, Voldemort targeted the Potters, and that’s the path history took.

When Neville Longbottom was introduced in the Harry Potter books, many readers found it difficult to believe he could ever defeat Voldemort, especially since he was so forgetful as a young boy and constantly needed a Rememberall. Throughout his early years, and up until the fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Neville was mostly a shy, clumsy, and unremarkable character, occasionally providing some lighthearted humor.

Throughout his time at Hogwarts, Neville Longbottom undergoes a remarkable change, growing from an insecure student into a capable and confident wizard. By the final film, Deathly Hallows Part II, he’s almost unrecognizable. His efforts leading Dumbledore’s Army, his crucial role in the battle against Voldemort, and ultimately destroying the final Horcrux make him an essential and impactful character in the Harry Potter series.

The Harry Potter Movies Underutilize the Sword of Gryffindor

The Sword of Gryffindor, first seen in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, is a very old and powerful magical weapon originally belonging to Godric Gryffindor, one of the founders of Hogwarts. Although it’s later suggested the sword was actually made by goblins, it has the unique ability to appear to any Gryffindor who truly needs it. The sword is incredibly durable, can destroy magical objects protecting Voldemort (his Horcruxes), and even becomes stronger when exposed to certain substances, like Basilisk venom. In Chamber of Secrets, Harry receives the sword through the Sorting Hat, and its power, combined with tears, helps him defeat the young Tom Riddle.

In Deathly Hallows, we learn that Voldemort hid pieces of his soul – Horcruxes – inside items belonging to three of Hogwarts’ founders: a locket from Salazar Slytherin, a cup from Helga Hufflepuff, and a diadem from Rowena Ravenclaw. The Sword of Gryffindor is used to destroy a total of three Horcruxes. Before the events of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Dumbledore uses the sword to destroy a ring that once belonged to Voldemort’s uncle, Morvolo Gaunt. Later, in Deathly Hallows, Ron Weasley destroys Slytherin’s locket with the sword. Finally, during the climactic battle between Harry and Voldemort in Deathly Hallows, Neville Longbottom uses the sword to destroy Voldemort’s final Horcrux: his snake, Nagini.

The Sword of Gryffindor plays a key role in Deathly Hallows, especially the first part of the movie adaptation, though the film doesn’t fully explain where the sword came from. After Ron briefly abandons the hunt for Horcruxes, he returns and saves Harry from drowning. Harry finds the sword at the bottom of a lake in the Forest of Dean, diving in with a rope tied around his waist.

The first part of Deathly Hallows doesn’t clearly show how the Sword of Gryffindor ends up in the lake, especially since it was meant to be protected by the Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange. The book explains that the sword doesn’t just appear magically for Harry; someone deliberately placed it there.

One important detail missing from the film adaptations of Deathly Hallows is how Bellatrix ends up with the Sword of Gryffindor – actually, a very convincing fake. In both movies, she’s furious when she discovers it’s gone and even kills someone over it. The films don’t explain that Snape gave her this replica. The story of Neville obtaining the Sword of Gryffindor is a long, carefully developed plot point in the Harry Potter books, linking the sword’s significance to Neville’s growth as a character. The upcoming HBO reboot has a great opportunity to fully explore this storyline.

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2025-11-06 21:09