HBO’s new Harry Potter series is already looking ahead to its second season, and three important characters have now joined the cast.
Lenny Rush has been cast as Dobby, Bonnie Hill will play Ginny Weasley, and Billy Barratt will portray the young Tom Riddle in Season 2.
The announcements add three familiar names from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the second book in J.K. Rowling’s series and the story that will serve as the basis for the show’s second season.
Who is playing Dobby, Ginny Weasley and Tom Riddle?
The three newly announced actors are:
- Lenny Rush as Dobby
- Bonnie Hill as Ginny Weasley
- Billy Barratt as Tom Riddle
Dobby is the house-elf who becomes an important part of Harry’s story in Chamber of Secrets. Ginny Weasley, the youngest member of the Weasley family, also becomes central to the events of the second story.
Tom Riddle appears in the story through the mysterious diary connected to the Chamber of Secrets and provides one of the season’s most important links to Voldemort’s past.
Bonnie Hill is replacing the original Ginny actress
The Ginny Weasley role is also undergoing a change.
Bonnie Hill will take over the character in Season 2 after Gracie Cochrane, who plays Ginny in Season 1, exited the role.
Variety reported that Cochrane left because of “unforeseen circumstances.”
The recasting means viewers will see a different actor playing Ginny when the HBO adaptation moves into its second story.
Lenny Rush joins the series as Dobby
Lenny Rush has been selected to portray Dobby, one of the most recognizable characters introduced in Chamber of Secrets.
The character is a house-elf who has a complicated relationship with Harry and plays a significant role in the events surrounding Hogwarts during the second story.
Dobby’s arrival is therefore one of the more notable additions to the Season 2 cast, particularly for fans familiar with the original books and films.
Billy Barratt will play young Tom Riddle
Billy Barratt has been cast as Tom Riddle.
The character is closely connected to the mystery at the heart of Chamber of Secrets. Riddle’s presence gives the second story a direct connection to the history of Lord Voldemort and helps explain the darker forces affecting Hogwarts.
The casting also gives the HBO series an opportunity to revisit a part of the Harry Potter mythology that was previously portrayed on screen in the original film adaptation.
When will Harry Potter Season 2 be released?
The first season of HBO’s Harry Potter series has finished production and is scheduled to premiere on HBO on December 25, 2026.
Season 2 is currently in pre-production at Leavesden Studios outside London.
The second season will be based on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the second book in Rowling’s seven-book series.
HBO has not announced a specific Season 2 premiere date in the casting announcement.
That means fans will have to wait for further production and scheduling information before a release window can be confirmed.
Who is playing Harry, Ron and Hermione?
The new HBO adaptation has already assembled its main trio.
Dominic McLaughlin plays Harry Potter, while Arabella Stanton plays Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout plays Ron Weasley.
The wider cast includes several major Hogwarts characters.
John Lithgow plays Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer portrays Minerva McGonagall and Paapa Essiedu plays Severus Snape.
Nick Frost has been cast as Rubeus Hagrid, while Rory Wilmot plays Neville Longbottom and Lox Pratt plays Draco Malfoy.
The series has also announced dozens of additional actors for familiar characters from Rowling’s books.
What is HBO’s Harry Potter series about?
The HBO adaptation is designed to bring Rowling’s books to television as a long-form series.
The story follows Harry Potter after he discovers that he is a wizard and receives an invitation to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
At the magical school, Harry develops friendships with Ron and Hermione while gradually discovering that Hogwarts contains secrets connected to his own past and the rise of the dark wizard Voldemort.
The second season will move the story into Chamber of Secrets, where the mystery surrounding a hidden chamber at Hogwarts becomes central to the plot.
Who is behind the HBO series?
The series is written and executive produced by Francesca Gardiner.
Mark Mylod is also executive producing and directing multiple episodes.
The production is being made for HBO in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television.
Rowling is among the executive producers alongside Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, with David Heyman of Heyday Films also serving as an executive producer.
What the new Season 2 casting means
The latest casting announcements show that HBO is already building out the world of Chamber of Secrets even before the first season reaches television.
Dobby, Ginny Weasley and Tom Riddle are all closely tied to the second story, making their casting an important early look at how the series will approach its next chapter.
For fans, the biggest immediate questions are now how Lenny Rush will bring Dobby to the screen, how Bonnie Hill will take over the role of Ginny and how Billy Barratt will portray Tom Riddle.
The first season is still ahead, but HBO has already given viewers a glimpse of what is coming next at Hogwarts.
