“Dumbledore! Dumbledore!”: HBO’s First Harry Potter Clip Brings Hogwarts’ Great Hall Feast To Life, With A Scene Not In The Book
HBO shares its first full Harry Potter clip, a 90-second Great Hall feast with Dumbledore and McGonagall. Series premieres Christmas Day on HBO Max and JioHotstar.
The countdown to HBO’s “Harry Potter” series has a new marker. HBO posted the first full clip from the show on November 14, with the message “Welcome to Hogwarts!” The scene takes place after the Sorting Ceremony, on Harry’s first night at the school.
What Happens In The Clip
The students chant Dumbledore’s name, a moment that is in neither the book nor the 2001 film. Harry, played by Dominic McLaughlin, asks whether the headmaster is a little mad, and Ron (Alastair Stout) replies that he is. Dumbledore snaps his fingers and the tables fill with food, while candles float above. Fans reacted quickly online, with some commenting on the lighting and the quantity of food compared with the 2001 film.
View this post on InstagramAn Added Scene
The clip ends with Dumbledore and McGonagall talking at the staff table. She notes that Harry looks like his father, James, and Dumbledore says Harry has a character of his own. One review says this shows how the series can spend more time with the adult characters, rather than staying fixed to Harry’s point of view.
The Series
Paapa Essiedu plays Snape, Nick Frost plays Hagrid, and Warwick Davis plays Professor Flitwick. The eight-episode first season is run by showrunner Francesca Gardiner, with directors reportedly including Mark Mylod, Jessica Hobbs, Lucy Forbes and Benjamin Caron. In India, it will stream on JioHotstar.
Why It Matters
Releasing a full scene, rather than a trailer, signals confidence in the show’s central set piece, one of the most beloved moments from the books. Early reaction suggests the series will be compared with the films throughout its run, and the first clip shows how it plans to differ: longer, with more space for supporting characters.
What Next
The series premieres December 25. More clips and promotional material are likely over the next few weeks.
