Harry Potter series announces new actors for Dobby, Ginny Weasley and Tom Riddle

HBO’s Harry Potter series is adding three young actors to its second season, which will adapt Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Lenny Rush will take on Dobby, Bonnie Hill will play Ginny Weasley, and Billy Barratt will portray the young Tom Riddle.

Rush, 17, will play the house-elf who tries to warn Harry Potter about dangers at Hogwarts. The actor has won a BAFTA and appeared in Am I Being Unreasonable?, Dodger and Enola Holmes 2. In the earlier film adaptations, Toby Jones provided Dobby’s voice for a computer-generated version. HBO has not said whether the new series will use CGI, motion capture or prosthetics for the character.

Hill, known for The Six Triple Eight and Girl Troop versus Aliens, will play Ginny as she begins her first year at the wizarding school. She will join Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley and Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley. Hill replaces Gracie Cochrane from the second season onward. Cochrane’s family announced in May 2026 that the actor would leave the role after the first season because of “unforeseen circumstances.” She will still appear in the season due for release in December.

Barratt, 16, will play Tom Riddle, whose younger self is linked to Lord Voldemort through an enchanted diary. He won an International Emmy at 13 for Responsible Child and has appeared in Invasion, Bring Her Back and Kraven the Hunter. The production has also replaced Nicholas Hoult as Gilderoy Lockhart, with Kit Harington taking the role. The series is currently in preproduction.

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