Summary
TheHarry Pottermovies left out Molly Weasley’s meaningful backstory, but HBO’s TV remake must make it a heavier feature within the plot. The details of Mrs. Weasley’s past were only subtly revealed throughout theHarry Potterbooks, which made it easy for the movies to ignore. However, connecting the dots while reading makes it clear thatthe tragedies the woman experienced are intimately connected to her affection toward Harry. Understanding this strengthens the emotional impact of the kindness she showed the Boy Who Lived, which is precisely why HBO can’t skip this over.
It was evident in both theHarry Pottermoviesand books that Mrs. Weasley thought of Harry as an honorary son. She said as much inHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenixwhen she argued with Sirius Black about the sort of risks the boy should be exposed to. Ultimately, Molly is one of the few adults in the story who put Harry’s safety first rather than focusing only on his destiny as the Boy Who Lived. When looking at her experience during the First Wizarding War, which theHarry Pottermovies skipped over, it becomes clear why.
HBO’s Harry Potter TV Show: Cast, Updates & Everything We Know
Harry Potter is being remade as a television show for HBO and every detail about the next adaptation featuring the Boy Wizard can be found here.
The Harry Potter Books Only Subtly Mentioned Molly Weasley’s Brothers
Molly’s Two Brothers, Fabian & Gideon Prewett, Were Murdered By Death Eaters
Molly and Arthur Weasley were not part of the Order of the Phoenix during the First Wizarding War, so their experience during that time is often ignored. They were still a young family at the time, and rather than fighting, they chose to remain home with their five children. However, this isn’t to say that the Weasleys didn’t understand the risks of standing against Lord Voldemort.Molly’s two brothers, Fabian and Gideon Prewett, were both members of the Order of the Phoenix, as briefly revealed by the books, and were both murdered by Death Eaters.
Molly rarely talked about her brothers intheHarry Potterbooks, butthere are hints throughout her story that their deaths left a significant impact. Her anxiety about being part of the Order inHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenixwas clear, and her encounter with a Boggart revealed just how terrified she was that her family would be killed. Given the deaths of both her brothers at the hands of Death Eaters, these fears were far from baseless. She had been through the pain before, and though she chose to commit herself to the cause her brothers' had died for, it wasn’t an easy sacrifice.
Molly Weasley’s Tragic Family History Further Explains Why She Cared So Much For Harry
The Boy Who Lived Unknowingly Avenged Molly Weasley’s Family
The loss Molly Weasley experienced during the First Wizarding War adds a great deal of context to her affection toward Harry inHarry Potter. When Voldemort attacked the Potters, theOrder of the Phoenixwas at its weakest. It seemed that all was lost, but the Boy Who Lived miraculously ended the suffering. This would have meant a great deal to people like Mrs. Weasley, who had loved ones fall while fighting the Dark Lord. Harry was a hero in a far more personal way to Molly, but unlike others, this never stopped her from thinking of him as an ordinary boy who needed love.
Harry was a hero in a far more personal way to Molly, but unlike others, this never stopped her from thinking of him as an ordinary boy who needed love.
It’s interesting to consider Molly’s first time meeting Harry from her own perspective. He wouldn’t have just been the famous Harry Potter to her. She surely would have seen a boy who lost everything in the unknowing act of avenging her own loss—a baby who was all alone despite having saved the world. It’s no wondershe took him as her own son and protected him rather than expecting him to sacrifice more for the wizarding world. What’s more, Molly’s experience and perspective of Harry also explain her decision to give Harry a meaningful gift for his 17th birthday.
Fabian’s Death Makes Mrs. Weasley’s Birthday Present To Harry Potter Even More Touching
The Watch Molly Gave Harry For His Birthday Was More Than Just A Hand-Me-Down
In another moment missed by theHarry Pottermovies, theHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallowsbook sawMrs. Weasly give Harry a touching gift for his 17th birthday. It’s a tradition in the wizarding world for a wizard to receive a gold watch when they come of age. InHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Ron received a brand new watch from his parents, which was particularly special since the Weaslys kids rarely got new things. When Harry turned 17, however, he received a hand-me-down watch, but that isn’t to say it wasn’t meaningful:
“‘It’s traditional to give a wizard a watch when he comes of age,’ said Mrs. Weasley, watching him anxiously from beside the cooker. ‘I’m afraid that one isn’t new like Ron’s, it was actually my brother Fabian’s and he wasn’t terribly careful with his possessions, it’s a bit dented on the back, but — '
The rest of her speech was lost; Harry had got up and hugged her. He tried to put a lot of unsaid things into the hug and perhaps she understood them, because she patted his cheek clumsily when he released her, then waved her wand in a slightly random way, causing half a pack of bacon to flop out of the frying pan onto the floor.” - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
This is a touchingHarry Pottermoment regardless, but it becomes even more heartbreaking when considering the previous owner of Harry’s watch. Molly must have inherited Fabian’s watch after he was murdered, and she kept it all those years.Six of her sons turned 17 while she had possession of it, but she chose to give it to Harry, the boy responsible for ending the war that had taken Fabian’s life. None of this is overtly mentioned during this touching scene, and Harry might not have even considered it. The full weight of the moment can only be appreciated when observing the bigger picture.
Fabian’s watch is briefly mentioned in the epilogue ofHarry Potteras well, indicating that Harry continued wearing Molly’s special gift even all those years later.
Flashbacks To The First Wizarding War Would Be Valuable In HBO’s Harry Potter Remake
HBO’s Harry Potter Remake Can Dive Deeper Into The Past To Enhance The Story
It’s understandable that theHarry Pottermovies wouldn’t have enough time to include the nuances of Molly Weasley’s story. However, the same won’t be true for HBO’s remake. With a season dedicated to each of the books,there’s more than enough time to dive into characters’ individual stories, thus adding further context to emotionally weighty moments like Molly’s gift to HarryinHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The best way the upcoming series could go about this would be through flashbacks to the First Wizarding War, showing rather than telling what Harry ended when he survived Voldemort’s curse.
Harry himself might never understand what he really meant to Mrs. Weasley, but the upcoming remake can ensure that audiences do.
Since theHarry Potterbooks are told predominantly through Harry’s point of view, it takes reading between the lines to fully understand what Voldemort’s downfall meant to the adult characters after the First Wizarding War. However, theHarry PotterTV remake can go beyond this.Molly could have an entire episode dedicated to the losses she faced during Voldemort’s initial rise to power, thus making her fears inOrder of the Phoenixmuch more palpable. Harry himself might never understand what he really meant to Mrs. Weasley, but the upcoming remake can ensure that audiences do.
Harry Potter
Cast
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.
