Harry Potter Season 2 Casts Dobby And Tom Riddle — Plus, Ginny Weasley Is Officially Recast
Three new faces have been added to HBO's "Harry Potter" series, and they just made Harry's second year at Hogwarts very complicated.
Seventeen-year-old actor Lenny Rush (pictured below left) has joined the adaptation's sophomore season as Dobby, the beloved house elf who attempts to stop Harry Potter from returning to Hogwarts for Year 2 of his studies. Additionally, Billy Barratt (Apple TV's "Invasion") has landed the role of former Hogwarts student Tom Riddle, who is later revealed — spoiler alert! — to be a young Lord Voldemort.
HBO
Dobby was previously voiced in the "Harry Potter" films by Toby Jones, who brought the house elf to life in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1." Tom Riddle was played by Christian Coulson in the "Chamber of Secrets" movie.
Meet the new Ginny Weasley
Additionally, the role of Ginny Weasley — Ron Weasley's younger sister and Harry Potter's eventual love interest — will be played in Season 2 by relative newcomer Bonnie Hill (pictured above). She replaces Gracie Cochrane, who will appear as Ginny in Season 1 of HBO's series, but has since departed the project.
"Due to unforeseen circumstances Gracie has made the challenging decision to step away from her role as Ginny Weasley in the HBO 'Harry Potter' series after Season 1," Cochrane's family said on her behalf in May. "Her time as part of the 'Harry Potter' world has been truly wonderful, and she is deeply grateful to Lucy Bevan and the entire production team for creating such an unforgettable experience. Gracie is very excited about the opportunities her future holds."
An HBO spokesperson gave the following statement at the time: "We support Gracie Cochrane and her family's decision not to return for the next season of HBO's 'Harry Potter' series, and we are grateful for her work on Season 1 of the show. We wish Gracie and her family the best."
Season 1 of the series adaptation, titled "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," premieres on HBO and HBO Max this Christmas; watch the latest trailer here.