10 Missing Harry Potter Magical Creatures HBO's Reboot Can Finally Include

HBO’s Harry Potter TV show will change much from the original screen adaptation, and hopefully, there will be room to include some of the overlooked plot elements from the books. Many of the creatures that populate the world of Harry Potter are instrumental in creating the magical atmosphere that captured the hearts of audiences and readers for years. However, not all were vital to the plot and overarching conflict of the movies, so they were left out in favor of ensuring a tight runtime and economical production. These constraints will likely be less prominent for HBO’s new TV series.

There are plenty of valid criticisms of the Harry Potter franchise that the TV show can fix, but envisioning how new mystical animals and fantastical creatures can be brought to life is one of the more fun discussions surrounding the upcoming show. While some viewers might question the need for a reboot of the series so soon after the movies concluded, the answer lies in the opportunities for growth the show will provide. Not only will these excluded creatures flesh out the world of the story, but they will also add visual excitement to every scene they’re in.

10 Giant Squid

The Black Lake’s largest resident should make an appearance in the show.

Though Harry encountered plenty of terrifying creatures during his swim in the Black Lake during Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, there was a notable absence in the fourth film. The giant squid, which is discussed in almost every book, is nowhere to be found in any of the movies. This is because creating a giant squid or adding one using VFX in post-production would have been too expensive for a creature that doesn’t impact the plot. Harry typically notices the squid only when he and his friends are by the lake.

If the HBO show is going to include the giant squid, it should do so in season 1, as soon as Harry arrives at Hogwarts. A giant squid is an incredible sight to behold for a young person being introduced to the world of magic for the first time. There are scenes by the lake that could feature a tentacle at least. While the squid is usually a relatively gentle creature compared to the other dangerous beasts in the series, it’s still a good reason for the characters not to jump in the lake.

9 Blast-ended Skrewts

The Skrewts are one of Hagrid’s ill-fated attempts at fostering a love for creatures in his students.

When Hagrid becomes the Care of Magical Creatures professor in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, he introduces the students at Hogwarts to increasingly dangerous animals. This continues throughout the books and movies and in the fourth book when he develops the Blast-ended Skrewts, which Harry, Ron, and Hermione must take care of for comedic effects. However, the explosions that come from the Skrewts grow more ominous and less funny as they mature. In the final challenge in the Triwizard Tournament, they’re terrifying.

The challenges in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire are greatly altered in the film, and the maze has the most changes. Instead of being filled with different threats and magical creatures, the maze came to life and targeted the champions. This meant there was no need to include the Blast-ended Skrewts, which Harry, Cedric, and the other competitors ran from many times in the maze. Though it would be a few seasons into the show, the series must take its time developing the labyrinth and its hidden challenges.

8 Lupin’s Grindylow

Many of Lupin’s best lessons and dark creatures don’t appear in the third movie.

Lupin is easily the best Defense Against the Dark Arts professor that Harry has during his time at Hogwarts, and casting him for the HBO series will be as important as finding the central trio. Additionally, it will be exciting to see the show spend more time on the relationship between Harry and Lupin, which influences Harry greatly throughout his life. Harry remembers the Grindylow in the tank in Lupin’s office in great detail and recalls it in The Deathly Hallows to prove his identity to Lupin after the Order is betrayed.

This callback would make more sense if the Grindylow was shown both in Lupin’s office and discussed more explicitly in Defense Against the Dark Arts class. One of Harry Potter‘s most powerful patronus appears because Lupin helps Harry learn to conjure one, and this isn’t the only way Lupin helps him throughout the books. Seeing more of the classes and what the students learn from Lupin would be a great addition to the series because it would help the audience better understand the nuances of the magical world.

7 The Sphinx

Another creature who is found in the maze during the Triwizard Tournament.

While many of the magical additions to the maze are physical challenges that the students must use their wits and reflexes to best, the Sphinx is something entirely different. Harry must use his intellect to solve the riddles presented to him by the Sphinx, and it’s a nice break in the action during the high intensity of the third task. If the Blast-ended Skrewts make an appearance in the adaptation of The Goblet of Fire, it’s even more important that the Sphinx does as well.

Harry’s interaction with the Sphinx is more engaging and telling than any of the other interactions in the maze. Unlike many of the creatures and so-called beasts that populate the wizarding world, the Sphinx is intelligent and communicative, and it’s out of fear that wizards hold it at arm’s length. Overall, the Harry Potter TV show must do a better job of discussing the discrimination and prejudice that runs rampant in the story towards anyone who isn’t a pure-blooded wizard.

6 Ghoul

The ghoul is part of the characterization and development of the Weasleys and the Burrow.

It’s difficult to forgive the Harry Potter movies for what they did to the Weasleys, as the loveable family and siblings often got the short end of the stick in the films. Though Harry sees them as the closest thing he has to family and never judges their home, the Weasleys are treated as second-class citizens by those around them and are sacrificed many times in the books. An interesting part of the Burrow and their home life is the ghoul that lives there. It’s used as an indication of their poverty and a quirk of wizarding homes.

Later on in the series, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione leave Hogwarts before their final year of school to hunt Horcruxes, the Weasleys use the ghoul as a cover for Ron’s absence. They do this to protect the rest of the family and ensure that Arthur can continue to work for the Order from his job inside the Ministry of Magic. It shows how far the Weasleys are willing to go to ensure that none of them are placed in harm’s way, as well as their dedication to Harry and fighting Voldemort.

5 Peeves

Though there are plenty of ghosts in Hogwarts, one of the most notorious is absent.

When discussing the ghosts who haunt the halls of Hogwarts, the likes of Nearly Headless Nick or Helena Ravenclaw might come to mind after watching the movies. However, the phantom that shows up the most in the books is Peeves the Poltergeist. Peeves’ personal mission is to cause mischief and mayhem wherever he goes. This causes many problems for Harry and his friends over the years, as they’re likely to be caught sneaking the halls at night if Peeves runs into them.

As there is already enough conflict and ground to cover in the story without including Peeves’ small pranks, it’s not surprising that he isn’t centered in the movies. However, as the show might focus more heavily on day-to-day life at Hogwarts, Peeves must be included. He’s an essential part of what makes Hogwarts the quirky yet dangerous school young wizards love. Additionally, knowing he’s out there imbues an extra sense of danger into every excursion.

4 Winky

She’s Dobby’s friend and ally who helps Harry in the books.

When Harry first meets Dobby in The Chamber of Secrets, the reader gets an inkling that what was shown in The Sorceror’s Stone was only the tip of the iceberg. Overall, if there’s one thing that the HBO show must improve upon, it’s the treatment of House Elves and the wizarding world’s compliance with their enslavement. Though Hermione is vehemently opposed to their situation, her crusades against the horrible treatment of House Elves are played for laughs in the books, and the movies avoid this sensitive subject completely.

While Dobby revels in his freedom and enjoys helping Harry fight Voldemort however he can, Winky does not share these feelings and is an example of what needs to be changed in the House Elves plotline. If the show decides to have Winky in the story, she should have more agency and be treated with more respect by those around her. Winky could be just as helpful and resourceful as Dobby if given the chance in the new show.

3 Nifflers

The cunning and treasure-obsessed animals need to be in more than the Fantastic Beasts movies.

The spinoff franchise Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was not as successful or popular as the original Harry Potter movies. However, it did open new opportunities for the wizarding world. Newt Scamander, the protagonist of the movie trilogy, is one of the most famous wizards who studied magical creatures, and he interacts with them in his movies more fully than Harry ever does. However, a few of the beasts that Newt encounters in his journeys were first mentioned in the Harry Potter books, if not in the movies.

The Niffler could be compared to a truffle-hunting pig, but instead, the creature is obsessed with shiny objects and treasure, making it the perfect companion for a wizard looking to make their fortune. Harry encounters them in The Goblet of Fire when Hagrid brings them to class and shows how they can hunt for gold. Of course, Harry doesn’t need to worry about money, so he doesn’t take heed of their abilities, but his other classmates are well aware of how much a Niffler could change their lives.

2 Bowtruckles

Harry is the first to learn how useful a Bowtruckle can be as an ally.

Similarly to the Niffler, the Bowtruckle is heavily featured in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them as one of Newt’s closest companions. Harry has few animal companions besides Hedwig and occasionally Buckbeak, and he’s rarely interested in magical creatures the way Newt and Hagrid are. However, even Harry must admit in the fifth book that the Bowtruckles are interesting. As the guardians of the trees they inhabit, Bowtruckles are in tune with their environment, something that could be elevated in the TV show.

Unlike Nifflers, it’s not Hagrid who shows the students the Bowtruckles, but his brief replacement who takes over his class in The Order of the Phoenix. While it’s upsetting to Harry, Ron, and Hermione that Hagrid is gone, they do learn about creatures who are slightly less dangerous under the care of the other professor. Bowtruckles have some defense against aggressors. However, they only attack when the tree they guard is under attack. As seen in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, they can be very loyal.

Related

10 Minor Harry Potter Characters The TV Remake Can Finally Explore In More Depth

While awaiting the new HBO Harry Potter TV show, it’s worth considering which minor characters from the books and films need to be expanded upon.

1 Hinkypunk

The Hinkypunk is only mentioned off-handedly in the third movie.

When Snape takes over as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in The Prisoner of Azkaban, he makes the students study werewolves so they’ll discover what Lupin is. It’s Hermione who objects to their divergence from the lesson plan set out by Lupin in the movie and mentions that they’ve been studying Hinkypunks. However, little else is said about these creatures, what they look like, or what they do. Though they’re also discussed in the books, Harry and the others must face one during their end-of-year exam for the course.

Exams are a large part of Harry’s experience at Hogwarts in the books, but in the Harry Potter movies, they’re less important. However, it’s always interesting when Harry has to go through a practical test that requires him to show off his magical skills. Though Harry gets thrown into danger by chance, it’s important to see that he’s learning other skills and developing his talents to prove that he’s more than the chosen one; he’s also a good wizard in general.

Harry Potter

Harry Potter is HBO’s remake of the iconic Wizarding World film series that consisted of eight films between 2001 and 2011. Each season adapts a book from JK Rowling’s popular series and provides more book-accurate details than the movies did. Upon the announcement of the Harry Potter TV show, the series received harsh criticism for the involvement of Rowling and for many thinking a reboot was unnecessary.

Directors

Mark Mylod

Showrunner

Francisca Gardiner