HBO’s Harry Potter Is Finally Delivering On Fans Requests For More Quidditch

HBO has given us our first real look at its Harry Potter TV show, and it’s already something to get excited about. While we’ve had some sneak peeks at set images over the last year, the image shared by HBO on Instagram is an official look at what this new version of the Wizarding world will look like from the inside. It’s just a single still, but there are several subtle details that give us plenty to think about ahead of Harry Potter‘s season 1 premiere.

The official Harry Potter image shows young Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, his back to the camera, approaching the Quidditch pitch. He’s wearing the gold and scarlet robes of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, embossed with the name “Potter” and the number seven, traditionally associated with the position of Seeker. In Harry’s hand is a broomstick, which noticeably looks more broom-like than the Nimbus 2000 we know from the Harry Potter movies.

Ahead of McLaughlin’s Harry Potter are a slew of Hogwarts students, some of whom are wearing colorful Wizarding robes, while others don ’90s-style windbreakers. Additionally, the external wall of the pitch is adorned with the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff banners. This is an absolutely key detail. It means that this image doesn’t come from the lead-up to Harry’s first Quidditch match, which we saw in the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone movie, but one that is only featured in the book.

HBO’s New Harry Potter Image Promises More Quidditch Matches Than The Movies

Harry’s first Quidditch match on the Gryffindor team was against Slytherin. This is when he was nearly killed by Professor Quirrell, but managed to get back on his broom (thanks to some intervention from Hermione) and catch the Golden Snitch in his mouth after a daring dive. We would expect HBO’s Harry Potter image to feature the lead-up to this particular round of Quidditch, since it’s easily one of the most famous in the overall series. Of course, that’s not the case.

HBO’s image teases a Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff match, suggesting that season 1 of the Harry Potter TV show will feature an important game from Philosopher’s Stone that was missing from the movie. This was Harry’s second-ever game as Seeker, and he, Ron, and Hermione were notably nervous about it because Severus Snape had elected to serve as referee rather than Madame Hooch.

At that point in Philosopher’s Stone, the Golden Trio still believed that Snape had been trying to kill Harry in the match against Slytherin. So, they were sure the professor had volunteered to referee so he could try again. It’s eventually revealed that Snape was trying to protect Harry, though that didn’t stop him from making some unfair calls against Gryffindor. In an effort to get it all over with, Harry set a record by catching the Snitch after just five minutes.

HBO’s Quidditch Tease Is A Great Sign For The Overall Harry Potter TV Show

HBO has promised a book-faithful adaptation, so using an image of the Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff Quidditch game was a pretty strategic move. Of course, it goes a little beyond that, too. It’s no big secret that Quidditch is an absolutely beloved aspect of the Wizarding world. Ever since Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone first introduced it in 1997, fans have been begging for more. We wanted more matches in the books, and more matches in the movies. Overall, Harry Potter fans want​​​​​​more Quidditch, pretty please.

Unfortunately, Quidditch wasn’t an easy thing to bring to the screen back in the day. Just that single match in the Sorcerer’s Stone movie took months to pull off, so it was out of the question to add more to that initial movie. As technology evolved, things got a bit easier. Still, Warner Bros had no choice but to keep Quidditch matches as minimal as possible. Even the Quidditch World Cup in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was woefully stripped to its barest bones, since a match of that scale took too much time and resources.

With its new image, HBO is basically telling viewers that the Harry Potter TV show won’t hold back.

With its new image, HBO is basically telling viewers that the Harry Potter TV show won’t hold back. We won’t just get Harry’s first match. The show will have the time and budget to give us all the Quidditch we can handle. It also implies that all those other moments that the movies missed will finally be available for our viewing pleasure. This may just be one image, but it speaks a thousand words in answer to Harry Potter fans’ decades of requests.