The Harry Potter books and movies clearly got one character wrong, but the show can finally make up for their pitfalls. Given how the Harry Potter movies consistently landed positive reviews from viewers and critics and even earned big numbers at the global box office, there isn’t much the upcoming HBO TV show can do to elevate itself above them. From Goblet of Fire‘s Triwizard Tournament to Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s time-traveling adventures in The Prisoner of Azkaban, the movies perfectly executed nearly all major arcs from the original books.

While the movies are not perfect and have a fair share of flaws and plot inconsistencies, they capture the essence of J.K. Rowling’s vision for the franchise. Owing to this, HBO’s Harry Potter TV remake bears the pressure of breathing new life into the overarching franchise to be accepted as a worthy adaptation. To achieve this, the HBO series has to give one character way more attention than the books and the movies.

The Harry Potter Books & Movies Both Underused Nymphadora Tonks

Nymphadora Tonks’ Arcs In Both The Books & The Movies Lacks Emotional Depth

In the original J. K. Rowling books, Tonks has some character development, especially after she is properly introduced in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix as one of the core members of the titular group. The books also highlight that she is a Metamorphmagus but only brush over other elements of her characterization. Her appearance is also relatively sporadic, with her primarily showing up only when all the members of the Order are together. Even her death towards the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is mentioned in passing, barely allowing readers to appreciate her sacrifice and bravery.

Owing to their limited runtimes, the movies further diminish Nymphadora Tonks’ role in the overarching narrative. Like in the books, she is first noticeable in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. However, the movies barely explore her abilities as a Metamorphmagus and hardly show any major developments in her relationship with Lupin. Her eventual death in the final arc of the film series also lacks weight because the movies do not invest any time into making her story emotionally resonant in any significant way.

The TV Format Will Allow Bigger Roles For Minor Characters, Like Tonks

The Show Will Have Significantly More Time Than The Movies

Unlike the movies, which had many narrative restraints because of their limited runtimes, the Harry Potter TV show has the potential to give characters like Tonks a bigger role. Most installments in the Harry Potter movie franchise have an average runtime of 2 to 3 hours. If the show covers one book per season, it will have at least double the number of hours to explore the same stories and character beats presented in the books and the movies.

With potentially 8–10 episodes in one season, and each episode having a runtime of 45 minutes to an hour, the series can focus way more on minor characters than the movies. From giving more detailed insights into how Tonks contributed during the Battle of Hogwarts and the Battle of the Department of Mysteries to highlighting the key moments of her relationship with Lupin, the show can walk through it all. While at it, the HBO series can also give other minor characters, like Bill Weasley and Astoria Greengrass, a similar treatment.

If The Harry Potter Remake Doesn’t Give Underused Characters Bigger Roles, What’s The Point?

The TV Show Must Make Good Use Of Its Extended Runtime

Given how most installments in the Harry Potter movie franchise did a commendable job of traversing the books to the big screen, a new reboot adaptation is not even necessary. However, since the movies were forced to gloss over several important arcs from the books and rush through many others, it makes sense that a TV adaptation is now in the pipeline. Owing to this, the Harry Potter TV adaptation would be pointless if it does not attempt to enhance the stories from the original books and the movies by giving underused characters bigger roles and focusing more on well-rounded character development and richer storytelling.