Summary
TheHarry Potterreboot from HBO has big shoes to fill with the movies and the original cast holding a special place in the hearts of generations that grew up with J.K. Rowling’s Boy Who Lived. However, the series also has an advantage as it plans to be a more faithful adaptation of the books. It can showcase one pivotal moment from the books that the movies skipped completely, much to the fans’ displeasure.
TheHarry Potterreboot’scasting announcementshave already begun, with John Lithgow playing Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, and Nick Frost being perfectly cast as gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid, amongst others. The most exciting thing about the reboot series, however, remains its plan to span seven seasons, with each season dedicated to one book. This leaves plenty of room to adapt moments and characters that didn’t make it to the movies, like Peeves the Poltergeist, or a deeply emotional moment about Dumbledore.
TheHarry PotterHBO Series Needs To Give Dumbledore The Send-Off He Deserves
The death of Albus Dumbledore inHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Princeushers in the end of an era, not just because he was the greatest headmaster that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had ever seen, but also because he was Harry’s fiercest protector.His passing marks the loss of innocence for Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they step into adulthood and take up thefight against Lord Voldemortthemselves. His funeral, as described in the book, is tremendously heartbreaking yet beautiful, and as mentioned by Rowling, one of the most difficult scenes for her to write. There are details about what each character is feeling at the loss of Dumbledore, particularly Harry.
It’s a pity, then, thatHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the movie, wasn’t able to include Dumbledore’s funeral, despite there being initial plans to have it. The scene would have slowed down the pacing and stretched the film’s runtime.Thankfully, HBO’s reboot series won’t have a runtime problem. With some deft planning of the episodes, they could devote a few minutes to this bittersweet funeral scene.What’s more, the scene would be quite a star-studded affair, a sort of ‘Avengers Assemble’ moment, with several characters from the course of the story appearing to pay their respects to the great wizard.And it couldcast a powerful spellto impress old fans.
What Happens During Dumbledore’s Funeral In The Book?
InHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Princechapter “The White Tomb,” Harry fiercely insists that Dumbledore’s wishes be carried out and that he be buried on Hogwarts grounds. On the day of the funeral, a white platform is erected somewhere in the school grounds, and two columns with hundreds of chairs are arranged with an aisle in the middle that leads to the table. As Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione are seated together, they see a crying Hagrid walk down the aislecarrying Dumbledore’s lifeless bodywrapped in purple velvet spangled with gold stars, and place him on the platform.
Apart from the students, ghosts (and Peeves) and staff of Hogwarts, such as Professor Slughorn, Firenze the centaur, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood, Harry spots many familiar faces amongst the huge crowd. Attendees include the Weasleys—Arthur, Molly, Percy, Bill, and his fiancée Fleur Delacour—and the members of the Order of Phoenix—Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mad-Eye Moody, Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin, and Dumbledore’s old friend Elphias Doge. There’s a contingent of Ministry of Magic officials as well, including Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour, former Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge, and shockingly, even Dolores Umbridge, who seems to be faking her grief.
Other notable characters include Hagrid’s brother Grawp, Madame Maxime, the Headmistress of Beauxbatons, Durmstrang student and Quidditch champ Viktor Krum, Madam Rosmerta, the landlady of theThree Broomsticks pub in Hogsmeade, Tom, the barman of the Leaky Cauldron, Harry’s Squib neighbor Arabella Figg, the bass player from the Weird Sisters band, Ernie Prang, driver of the Knight Bus, Madam Malkin, the robe maker from Diagon Alley, and the woman who pushed the trolley on the Hogwarts Express. Harry also mentions spotting the barman from Hog’s Head, whose name he doesn’t know. But eventually it is understood that Aberforth Dumbledore, who is Albus’ brother and who ran Hog’s Head as revealed in The Deathly Hallows, was also present for his brother’s funeral despite their differences.
What’s more, even the Merpeople from the Lake and the centaurs from the Forbidden Forest show up to pay their respects, as it is mentioned across the series how Dumbledore has working relationships with both races. While the Merpeople sing their own lament for the Headmaster, the centaurs shoot a volley of arrows near his tomb as a mark of respect.
After an unnamed official presides over the opening remarks that speak of Dumbledore’s impact on the wizarding world, white flames suddenly erupt around the table with Dumbledore’s body, rising higher until a white tomb forms around the body, encasing it within. Harry believes he spotted in the flames a figure that resembled a phoenix, but Fawkes the Phoenix’s lament has not been heard for a long time, indicating that he was gone hours after Dumbledore’s death.
Dumbledore’s funeral could be a defining moment that the HBOHarry Potterseries could put its spin on andwin over the skeptical book fans.
