Harry Potter books overlook Dean's story arc: Will the HBO Harry Potter Reboot fix it?

The opinions expressed in this article are solely that of the writer. Reader discretion is advised.

The Harry Potter books written by J.K Rowling consisted of an impressive collection of characters as each book explored the students who found a place in Hogwarts and followed their lives of magic and their time at Hogwarts.

Although Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter's stories occupy the most of the space in print as well as on screen, there are certain side characters including Luna Lovegood, Ginny Weasley, and Neville Longbottom, who enjoy significant attention as fans flip through the pages of their stories and lives. However, there are still quite a few characters who deserve their own storylines.

As HBO's Harry Potter Reboot get closer, fans have wondered whether the show will dive into developing more specific storylines. Although most characters did get proper backstories, certain characters remained in the dark, appearing occasionally and often just providing plot pushes throughout the novels. One such character in the Harry Potter franchise is Dean Thomas.

In the novels, Dean Thomas is from the Gryffindor house at Hogwarts and is often seen with Seamus Finnigan. Bold, smart and loyal to Harry, Thomas enjoys short, but significant footage throughout the scenes as his character develops as an average Gryffindor boy, to a member of Dumbledore's Army.

CBR report:

"Dean’s backstory was cut from the final draft, with Rowling specifically stating that Neville’s was more important to the overall plot.

Although the character sees limited growth in the story's overall plot line, it has been revealed by J. K. Rowling herself that she has big plans for the Gyffindor Muggle-born. His limited time across all the pieces was a result of the limited time and space the projects had, where only certain aspects could be explored in depth.

This has been doubled down on by Rowling, who talked about director Chris Columbus being surprised at Dean's backstory material, as the author revealed on Pottermore,

"I think Chris was slightly taken aback by the amount of information I had on this peripheral character. I had a lot of background on Dean, though I had never found the right place to use it."

Considering as HBO's Harry Potter Reboot is longer and is most likely to focus more on each character's background, Dean Thomas' character may finally get the justice he deserves as his story arc gets explored.

More details on Dean Thomas and his time at Hogwarts

In the books, Dean is usually seen in scenes from the Gryffindor common room or in conversations with the golden trio. In the fifth book, he is a part of Dumbledore's Army and in the sixth book, he finds his romantic interest in Ginny, but the duo break-up shortly after.

As for his background, Dean's mother is a muggle, while the identity of his father is unknown - both in the films and the books.

However, J.K. Rowling did reveal some in-depth information on Dean's character on her website Potterverse as she said that she had deeper plans for Dean's character as his background and his life with his parents would have seen light.

Dean's mother was a muggle while his father was a wizard. Rowling reveals that Mr. Thomas died while protecting his family from the Death Eaters. Later on, his mother remarries and has other children, giving Dean a perfectly Muggle life in his childhood. This becomes the reason why Dean thinks he is Muggle-born when in fact, he is Half-blood. He gets attacked by Muggle-Born Registration Commission, leading him to leave Hogwarts as he fights for his own survival.

Dean's story is one of the few big plans the HBO Max's Harry Potter Reboot show might have for it's viewers as fans continue to look forward to it's release. More details are awaited for the show for now, as casting choices and speculations continue floating around.

The Harry Potter Reboot is expected to hit screens in 2027.