Summary

• Percy Weasley's redemption story was overlooked in the Harry Potter movies, leaving out an intriguing character arc.
• The TV remake has the chance to correct this oversight and give Percy the depth and development he deserves.
• HBO's Harry Potter series can explore Percy's struggles and redemption in a way the books and movies never did.

The Harry Potter TV remake can fix the movies' flaws and expand on book storylines, and this means the HBO series can finally make up for one redemption arc that the source material and original adaptations botched. As book-to-screen adaptations go, the Harry Potter movies are generally well received — but they're far from perfect. It doesn't help that the books themselves have characters and subplots that deserve more attention. And the movies' limited screen time inevitably makes such issues worse, ensuring that some elements of the Harry Potter books are either cut or severely diminished.

This is even seen with the movies' Golden Trio — Ron, in particular, gets far less positive characterization than his book counterpart — so it's no surprise that it extends to Harry Potter's supporting cast. Players like Peeves the Poltergeist and Winky the House-elf are left out of the movies altogether. Other side characters are less fleshed out in the adaptations, even if they have individual storylines in the books. This is especially true of the older Weasleys. One of them has a redemption arc in the books that isn't captured on-screen. Fortunately, HBO's Harry Potter TV show can make up for this.

The Harry Potter TV Remake Can Finally Fix Percy Weasley's Redemption Arc

Percy's Character Stops Getting Attention In The Later Movies

Percy Weasley is introduced in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and the movies follow his book storyline faithfully — at least up until he graduates from Hogwarts. Both iterations of the story portray Percy as a pompous, type-A student who's fond of following the rules. His younger brothers often tease him for it, but Percy remains well-meaning during his interactions in the earlier books and films. This changes in the Order of the Phoenix novel, when Percy sides with the Ministry of Magic over Harry and Dumbledore, leading to a rift between him and the rest of the Weasley family.

The former Head Boy refuses to believe Harry's claims about Voldemort, suggests Dumbledore is unreliable, and distances himself from his parents and siblings

Percy's temporary estrangement from his family is a big deal in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and it continues through Half-Blood Prince. The former Head Boy refuses to believe Harry's claims about Voldemort, suggests Dumbledore is unreliable, and distances himself from his parents and siblings. He doesn't even visit Mr. Weasley when he's bitten by Voldemort's snake and admitted to St. Mungo's Hospital. Percy's character takes a dark turn in the books, and he's able to redeem himself in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Unfortunately, the movies don't show any of this.

The Harry Potter Movies Cut Percy Weasley's Book Storyline Completely

He Barely Has Any Lines In The Later Sequels

Those watching the Harry Potter movies wouldn't know Percy has an entire storyline to himself, as the adaptations cut Percy's betrayal and redemption arc completely. Although Percy appears at Hogwarts in the first few films, he's mostly used as comic relief. And while he shows up in some of the later movies, Percy barely has any lines. He doesn't break his family's hearts like he does in the books, and thus, there's no reason for him to make things right. It's likely the original adaptations didn't have enough time to focus on Percy, but his lack of depth is still disappointing.

Those watching the Harry Potter movies wouldn't know Percy has an entire storyline to himself, as the adaptations cut Percy's betrayal and redemption arc completely.

Percy's characterization is severely lacking in all the Harry Potter movies, and the removal of his only real storyline doesn't help that fact. Showing his falling out with his family would have made Percy a much more intriguing character in the films, even if it made him look bad. And his comeback in Deathly Hallows could have been a powerful moment — one that added even more excitement to the Battle of Hogwarts. Unfortunately, Percy doesn't get the chance to shine in the adaptations. Perhaps this shouldn't be a surprise, as even the books could have done a better job with him.

Even The Books Don't Do Percy's Redemption Story Justice

His Return In Deathly Hallows Could Have Been Handled Better

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince do a decent job of explaining why Percy isn't speaking to his family — and this turn of events is set up by his behavior at Hogwarts. The Harry Potter books don't flounder when it comes to Percy's initial characterization, but they could have done a better job with his redemption story. Sadly, it seems they didn't have enough time to focus on it, either. The books never show Percy coming to terms with the fact that he was wrong. However, they do see him making an epic entrance during the Battle of Hogwarts.

Percy's apology to his family takes place right before the fighting begins, and it sees him acknowledging his poor behavior and vowing to do better. The whole thing happens fairly quickly, and that's likely because the battle itself is about to unfold. Percy's redemption is made more tragic by the Weasley twins' willingness to forgive him — and the fact that Fred dies fighting alongside Percy later on. It's a shame that the books never show Percy interacting with his family further. It also would have been nice to see his internal struggle. Hopefully, the Harry Potter TV show can do his arc justice.

How HBO's Harry Potter Remake Can Improve Percy's Character & His Arc

Showing His Perspective Would Make A Huge Difference

The books and movies may not have done Percy Weasley's story arc justice, but HBO's Harry Potter TV show can make up for it. A television series will have more time to craft its characters and story than the movies, meaning it can expand on some of the supporting players further. Percy is a prime candidate for this, especially since his perspective can demonstrate just how conflicted witches and wizards were during The Order of the Phoenix. Fleshing him out will also paint a more complex picture of the Weasley family, something that's lacking in the original adaptations.

Given that the Harry Potter TV show can depict multiple points of view — whereas the books take place primarily from Harry's perspective — it'll be easy to make Percy's betrayal and redemption more compelling. Viewers will be able to see what he's going through while he's estranged from his family, and they'll understand what makes him come around in Deathly Hallows. Such details are necessary for a Harry Potter remake, especially if it hopes to set itself apart from the books and movies. There are numerous ways to do this, and Percy Weasley's character arc is undoubtedly one piece of the puzzle.