HBO's Harry Potter differentiates itself by bringing this character left out of the movies

HBO has announced seven new cast members for the upcoming Harry Potter series, currently filming at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden. Among them, one name stood out in particular, not for the actor, but for the character they’ll be portraying: Professor Cuthbert Binns, the ghostly History of Magic teacher who never appeared in the original eight films.

For those who don't know, Professor Binns is one of the quirkiest characters in the Harry Potter books. He teaches History of Magic to the students of Hogwarts, including the main trio, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. However, Cuthbert Binns is different from every other professor in Hogwarts. That's because, unlike them, he is a ghost, meaning Binns has left his mortal plane.

Thus, this character's inclusion in the HBO series has fans hyped because it means that the TV adaptation is faithful to the books.

Harry Potter's Professor Binns explained:

It’s worth noting that Professor Binns was never a central figure in the story, which explains why he was omitted from the films. Still, he holds a special place among readers as a fan-favorite, making his absence from the movies a disappointment for many. Although the series spans seven books, Cuthbert Binns appears in the first five.

According to Wizarding World lore, Professor Binns taught History of Magic well into his old age. One day, he fell asleep and passed away as a ghost. After waking up in his ghostly form, Professor Binns went on to teach the class, and it is unclear if he has realized that he is a ghost or not. He passed away sometime in the 19th Century, and he continues to teach at Hogwarts to this day.

While he did not appear in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows, official canon states that he is still a professor at Hogwarts. It's just that everyone in Harry's batch dropped out of History of Magic after clearing their Ordinary Wizarding Level (O.W.L.). It should also be noted that he is often described as one of the most boring teachers in Hogwarts by all the books.

The only time that Binns captured the attention of all the students in the entire book series is in the second book, Chamber of Secrets, as Hermione asks him what the mythical Chamber was. This moment was given to Minerva McGonagall in the movie version.

The official Harry Potter site describes Professor Binns like this:

"Professor Binns taught History of Magic at Hogwarts until the moment he died, slumped at his desk. Not to be perturbed by his sudden demise, Professor Binns continued to teach as a ghost, boring students about various Goblin rebellions and Giant wars long into his afterlife."

What do we know about the upcoming HBO series?

We know that the HBO series will adapt the first book of the series, Philosopher's Stone. It has been confirmed that each season of the HBO series will adapt one book. On September 1, 2025, it was confirmed that Richard Durden would play the role of the ghostly Professor Cuthbert Binns. Other than him, HBO announced that Warwick Davis would be playing Professor Flitwick again.

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Want to meet Cuthbert Binns? Catch the Harry Potter show when it premieres in 2027.

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