New Harry Potter TV adaptation: What details are you hoping get included?

[SirSamVimesCityWatch]

Things that weren't in the film adaptations, either due to technology not being available to show it on film, budget, or cutting due to run time.

Little detail: in the Philosopher's Stone, one of the ways the Hogwarts letters are delivered to the Dursley house is rolled up inside a dozen eggs, passed through the window to Aunt Petunia (as the door is already nailed shut). I would love to see Aunt Petunia cracking open eggs and finding a Hogwarts letter inside each one.

Big detail: The whole scene in which the Weasley family attempt to come get Harry from Privet Drive ahead of the Quidditch World Cup, by connecting their fireplace to the Floo network, then can't get out as it's an electric fire, end up blasting half the living room apart and Fred & George "accidentally" let Dudley eat a Ton Tongue Toffee.

What's yours? One big detail and one little detail allowed each!

I thought it's "bushy"? But I read these books in French so I'm probably the worst person to remember accurately! For example, in the section where Snape says his pupils are dunderheads they're gherkins in the French version 🤣 I don't think either frizzy or bushy are inherently negative though, it's just what made her distinctive and nonconformist (particularly in the era of super straightened hair when they were published).

The book parts where Dumbledpre spends almost a year showing Harry about the history of Slytherin's ring. Tom Riddle, Merope, Marvolo, Morfin.

How Merope used love potion on Tom senior.

The whole story in St. Mungo's, all the books, going back and seeing Lockhart again.

So much in the order of the Phoenix. Whole story about Tonks & Lupin.

Neville - he could be The Boy Who Lived! It was basically 50/50 between him and Harry.

The moment when Harry and Ron are watching the sorting ceremony and speculating on why Snape isn’t there - and it’s because he’s behind them. They ruined that joke (one of the funniest moments in the books for me) by needlessly having Filch catch them. Utterly pointless including the buildup then removing the punchline.

I’m not familiar with current British actors so have no suggestions, except to keep any of the “JKR evil terf” brigade and their hangers-on away from it.

'I like a breeze around my privates.' That line made me laugh like a drain. And the two wearing a kilt and a poncho and, what was called in the book' thigh length galoshes, but I think means fisherman's waders.

Little thing (literally) - Pigwidgeon. I loved his relationship with Ron!

Big thing (that seems small) - the Horcrux foreshadowing. I'd like to see the scene from TOOTP where they come across the locket at 12 Grimmauld Place and the one in THBP where Harry finds the diadem. Obviously neither seemed significant at the time but I can remember suddenly "getting it" marginally before Harry did and feeling ridiculously pleased with myself, a woman in my 30s at the time...

Where Neville’s mum presses a Juicy Fruit (I think, it’s been a while) wrapper into his hand in St Mungo’s.

Honestly, I haven’t read them since becoming a mum cos that BROKE me and still does.

Absoloutley. And I'd like a nod to it in COS too when the diary is used. Even just some pondering looks from Dumbledore.

Oh yes.

Neville's parents' story was one of the sad losses from the films. And Matthew Lewis would have done it so well.

'She did not seem to want to speak, or perhaps she was not able to, but she made timid motions toward Neville, holding something in her outstretched hand.
"Again?" said Mrs. Longbottom, sounding slightly weary. "Very well, Alice dear, very well- Neville, take it, whatever it is..."
But Neville had already stretched out his hand, into which his mother dropped an empty Droobles Blowing Gum wrapper.
"Very nice, dear," said Neville's grandmother in a falsely cheery voice, patting his mother on the shoulder. But Neville said quietly, "Thanks Mum."
His mother tottered away, back up the ward, humming to herself. Neville looked around at the others, his expression defiant, as though daring them to laugh, but Harry did not think he'd ever found anything less funny in his life.
"Well, we'd better get back," sighed Mrs. Longbottom, drawing on her long green gloves. "Very nice to have met you all. Neville, put that wrapper in the bin, she must have given you enough of them to paper your bedroom by now..."
But as they left, Harry was sure he saw Neville slip the wrapper into his pocket.'

And yes, I think Matthew would have played it beautifully.

Why?? Why would you do that?!

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Yes me too! Far too pleased with myself. A proper "oh!!" moment.

I just want them to cast child actors who can actually act.

That is definitely the dream!

Oh the scene with Neville's mum is so heartbreaking. And it says so much about Neville, the quiet way he puts the wrapper in his pocket even though his gran says he's got lots already.

Such a lovely understated way to show a relationship.

Oh man. Oh man.

Thank you 😭😭😭

No seriously though. What a scene. What a headfuck.

Fleur and Bill. The bit where MIL from hell assumes Fleur won't want to marry Bill anymore...when in fact, Fleur's first thought is that the werewolf bite meant Bill wouldn't love her anymore. 🥺

I hope Ron and Hermione are actually true to the books! In the films all his best lines went to her, she had none of her flaws so was a complete mary sue while he was a bumbling idiot. Why mess around with, and ruin two brilliant characters? You have to have 'are you a witch or not' in book one to fully appreciate 'are you a wizard or not' in book seven!

All that magic and they couldn’t help the Longbottoms 😭

I actually find it weird that their backstory wasn’t a thing at hogwarts as was the Potters’. Ron would have heard surely.

I always assumed that it was so horrific people didn't talk about it to their kids. It was well known at the time - Dumbledore talked to Harry about it being such a shocking case as it was after the fall of Voldemort and everyone felt safe, and the pensieve scene with Barty Crouch Jr being sentenced and taken to Azkaban shows the court is packed. Ron doesn't know, but Malfoy does, I think. He makes a joke in front of Neville about St Mungo's (and Neville has to be held back from attacking him, go Neville!) which suggests he might know about the Longbottoms. But I get the feeling that people like the Weasleys don't talk to their kids about what happened as it is just too horrible to contemplate.

Completely OT but I love your username, OP. Sam Vimes is my favourite Discworld character!

Thanks, @Catsmere ! I love him too 😍

I mean I suppose if you think about it, their kids would have been toddlers at the time, and I wouldn't talk to a child under about 5 about upsetting stuff that had happened in the news. Possibly the older Weasleys knew about "the Longbottom case" but Ron and the twins might have been totally unaware, or vaguely knew the name "Longbottom" as something bad but didn't make the connection.

I want more of Mad Eye Moody too. The scene where the Advance Guard come for Harry in OoP, and Moody berates Harry for putting his wand in his pocket 'better wizards than you have lost buttocks!' Things like that, which made the characters feel 'real' rather than cyphers playing a role.

Yes, definitely! And the interplay between him and Tonks too, as she was his protégé and he her mentor at the ministry.

"Who d'you know who's lost a buttock?" was her response I think 😁

What's with Idris Elba as Dumbledore?!?!? Absolutely not! The man is too young and far far far too handsome. Not to mention he plays a hard man, action character. Dumbledore is not that at all.

Olivia Coleman as Mrs Weasley is inspired.

Bill bailey would be far far better as a Peter pettigrew rather than a hagrid.