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Harry Potter TV series confirms Slow Horses star as Dobby – as Tom Riddle and new Ginny Weasley cast

The season 2 cast is taking shape.

Dobby the house elf wearing a simple robe and with his arms behind his back.

Warner Bros

Published: Saturday, 5 September 2026 at 10:37 am

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A flurry of casting announcements has been made for the second season of HBO's Harry Potter series, ahead of the first instalment later this year.

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As production gears up for the second season though, there are a few new faces joining the cast in some iconic roles.

It's now been confirmed that Lenny Rush (Am I Being Unreasonable?) is set to take on the beloved role of Dobby, the house elf who was treated cruelly in the original books and ultimately ends up helping Harry.

In the movies, Dobby was a CGI-generated character voiced by Toby Jones (pictured above) so it begs the question of whether or not that will also be the case in the series, or whether Rush will be bringing the character to life himself.

BAFTA award-winning Rush is also known for his roles in Dodger, Doctor Who and co-hosting Children in Need. He has more recently starred in Channel 4's adaptation of A Woman of Substance and is set to appear in the forthcoming sixth season of Slow Horses.

Lenny Rush attends the BAFTA Television Nominees' Party and is wearing a grey suit and blue shirt, appearing in front of a purple and pink backdrop.

Lenny Rush. Shane Anthony Sinclair/Getty Images

The role of Ginny Weasley has also been recast, with it being confirmed that Bonnie Hill (Girl Troop vs Aliens) will be taking over the role from Gracie Cochrane, who plays Ginnie in season 1. It was reported earlier this year that Cochrane wouldn't be returning for another instalment of the fantasy series "due to unforeseen circumstances".

Billy Barratt – who is best known for his roles in Responsible Child, Invasion and more recently ITV's Gone – will be taking on the role of Tom Riddle, the young version of Lord Voldemort.

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Their casting announcements follow in the footsteps of Kit Harington, who was recently confirmed to be joining the season 2 cast as the deceptive Gilderoy Lockhart, taking over a role that had originally gone to Nicholas Hoult.

Season 1, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, premieres at Christmas, airing on HBO in the US and streaming on HBO Max globally from 25 December 2026.

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Harry Potter author JK Rowling has faced backlash in some quarters due to her views on transgender rights. In 2020, she published a lengthy statement detailing her stance on sex and gender debates – the essay was criticised and disputed by LGBTQ+ charities including Stonewall.

Rowling has also shared her views on social media, including in a 2024 post on X (formerly Twitter), in which she insisted that "there are no trans kids" and opposed the idea that a child can be "born in the wrong body".

In May 2025, Rowling set up the JK Rowling Women's Fund, which describes itself as offering legal funding support to "individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights".

Harry Potter actors including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, have distanced themselves from Rowling's views and have issued statements supporting the transgender community.

Others, including Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Jim Broadbent, have defended the author from the criticism she has received.

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Harry Potter will be available to watch on HBO Max from 25 December 2026.

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Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of Morgan Cormack, smiling against a lime green background

Morgan CormackDrama Writer

Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.

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