HBO Releases Surprise ‘Harry Potter’ Clip Of Hogwarts Banquet

HBO has released a surprise 90-second clip from its upcoming Harry Potter series, showing Hogwarts students at their start-of-term banquet after the new pupils are sorted. The preview offers an early look at the show’s take on a familiar scene and introduces the relationships between Harry, Ron, Dumbledore and McGonagall.

Dominic McLaughlin plays Harry, who asks Ron, played by Alastair Stout, whether Dumbledore is “a bit mad”; Ron agrees before Dumbledore conjures the feast with a click of his fingers. The headmaster and McGonagall discuss Harry’s resemblance to his father and his own character. The series premieres on HBO on 25 December, with John Lithgow as Dumbledore and Janet McTeer as McGonagall; Francesca Gardiner is showrunner and Mark Mylod directs multiple episodes.