HBO’s Harry Potter Season 2 casts its Ginny, Tom Riddle and Dobby

Bonnie Hill takes over as Ginny Weasley, with Billy Barratt as young Tom Riddle and Lenny Rush as Dobby. The actress she replaces posted a message wishing her luck.

HBO has filled three of the biggest roles in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets before Season 1 has even aired.

Bonnie Hill will play Ginny Weasley in Season 2 of the Harry Potter series, taking over from Gracie Cochrane. Alongside her, Billy Barratt is cast as a young Tom Riddle, and Lenny Rush will play Dobby.

Season 1, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, premieres on Christmas Day 2026.

Why was Ginny Weasley recast?

Cochrane stepped away after Season 1.

Her family announced the decision on May 18, citing “unforeseen circumstances.” They said her time in the wizarding world had been a good one and thanked casting director Lucy Bevan and the production team.

HBO said it supported the family’s decision and was grateful for her work on the first season.

Nobody involved has said more than that. She is a child actor whose family made a call about her life. That is where the story ends.

An open casting call for the role went out in early July, seeking a child between 10 and 12 living in the U.K.

Cochrane’s response to the recast

She posted about it herself, which is not how these usually go.

On Instagram, alongside the official image of her replacement, Cochrane wrote “Handing over the wand” and wished Hill luck.

Recasting a child actor is an awkward thing for a production to navigate publicly. Cochrane made it considerably less awkward in about four words.

Why Ginny matters more in Season 2

Because the character barely appears in the first book and then becomes the engine of the second.

In Philosopher’s Stone, Ginny turns up at King’s Cross with the rest of the Weasley family and is still a year away from starting at Hogwarts. She is offscreen for nearly the whole story.

In Chamber of Secrets, she is a first-year, and she is at the center of the mystery. The plot runs through her and through Tom Riddle’s diary.

Which means Hill and Barratt’s scenes together carry the season. Whoever cast those two had to think about chemistry, not just individual auditions.

Who else is in the Harry Potter series?

The trio is Dominic McLaughlin as Harry, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, chosen from tens of thousands of auditions in an open call.

The adult cast includes John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy and Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy.

Francesca Gardiner is showrunner, with Mark Mylod directing. Both came off Succession.

The plan remains one book per season across seven seasons, filmed at Warner Bros. Leavesden Studios in the U.K.

When does Harry Potter premiere?

Christmas Day, on HBO and HBO Max.

That is earlier than originally planned. HBO had said 2027 when the series was announced, then moved it up.

For Universal‘s Wizarding World parks, the timing lands well. A new Harry Potter generation arriving in living rooms on Christmas morning is the sort of thing that shows up in park attendance the following summer, and Universal has Potter lands on four continents waiting for it.

Season 2 production is expected to start in the fall, which means Bonnie Hill’s first day at Hogwarts is coming up fast.

Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.

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Hat Tips:

• Deadline (May 18, 2026), the exclusive on Cochrane’s exit and the family and HBO statements

• The Hollywood Reporter, via subsequent coverage (September 2026), the Bonnie Hill casting alongside Billy Barratt and Lenny Rush

• Variety (2025 and 2026), the full cast list, the production setup and the Leavesden filming base

• ScreenRant (September 2026), Cochrane’s Instagram response

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