9 Harry Potter characters poised to get way more airtime in Season 1 of HBO’s TV series

This December, the magic is set to be flowing through every TV, and not just for Santa Claus' chimney-dipping.

Harry Potter and the wizarding world are returning to Hogwarts in the rebooted HBO series, upping the ante from the 20-year-old films with a much deeper look at life inside the castle.

Some of the most iconic characters are back, while the opening TV trailers show that the series will explore scintillating magical learning as much as its dark undertones.

With a longer runtime than the first three films combined, HBO's Harry Potter Season One (Philosopher's Stone) will have the opportunity to highlight a range of unsung heroes who never got the chance to be championed in the film adaptations.

So, using the books, enriched lore knowledge, and raw hope of seeing the legendary characters get a chance to shine, here are nine characters that are poised for huge roles in the series and will make a much bigger impact this time around.

Luna Lovegood

One of the best characters in the entire series, Luna Lovegood was only introduced to Harry Potter in The Order of the Phoenix, missing four years of time in the spotlight. While she was a fantastic addition to the later Hogwarts years, she was active around the school prior to her first appearance, meaning she will be studying at the school of witchcraft and wizardry in Season 1.

So far, there has been no confirmed casting for Luna, and the first trailers haven't shown much in the way of a snowy-haired Ravenclaw. But Luna is right at the top of the list of characters whose arc could - and should - be explored further in the opening season. By extension, we could even see her love interest, Rolf Scamander (descendant of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them author Newt), feature, although lore is ambiguous as to whether he is the same age.

Hermione Granger

This may seem like an odd addition considering that Hermione Granger is one of the Golden Trio in the Harry Potter books and films, but in Philosopher's Stone, her journey only begins as a know-it-all teacher's pet that slowly warms to the boys.

There's a golden opportunity for the HBO series to dive much deeper into the muggle versus wizard stereotypes, juxtaposed by her meeting the Weasleys and Malfoys in Diagon Alley or Hogwarts. The character is much more than the bookworm presented, and an extended run time could show just what sacrifices muggle-born families go through to place trust in a quirky professor like Dumbledore.

Read More: Harry Potter TV Series Gets Second Teaser New Release Date Dropped

Peeves

Book purists have been hoping to see Peeves on the big screen ever since the original Philosopher's Stone film aired, being the outright best character to be left out of the films. As a meddling poltergeist, Peeves wreaks havoc around the castle and is often a thorn in the side of Harry and Co., seeing right through their mischief.

Peeves has been cast (played by British actor and comedian Peter Serafinowicz) and will cook up a real storm in the opening season. We won't spoil anything, but he's awesome.

Professor Trelawney

Undoubtedly, more tertiary characters will be explored, such as the teachers, and Professor Trelawney will be one of them, considering the plays a big part in the entire storyline of Harry Potter.

Rather than just being the bonkers professor that teaches Divination, she actually puts Harry's (and even Neville's) entire arc into question with a prophecy told to Dumbledore in the Hog's Head pub. It would be great to see her 'Seer' ability on display and set up an intertwining battle of destiny between Harry and Neville, ending in the deaths of both sets of parents.

Draco Malfoy

Just like how Hermione has the chance to be explored further, Draco Malfoy and the entire Slytherin camp are hardly given a chance in the original Harry Potter film.

Instead of being an instant menace, HBO's Harry Potter Season 1 could really dig into the different kinds of Slytherin characters in the common room by following Draco, which extends to Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson. The slick-haired pureblood is one of the most morally grey people in the castle, and seeing the reasons behind his nastiness and prejudice against others would be a great way to explore Hogwarts and its dungeons.

Read More: Harry Potter casting hailed as 'outstanding' as DCU star joins in pivotal Season 2 role

Angelina Johnson

Angelina really doesn't do all that much in the films, or the books for that matter, but the HBO series could really tee her up to be a great background character that influences Hermione, Ginny (in year two), and the other Gryffindor girls.

Incredible at Quidditch, future wife of a Weasley, and a witty personality, Angelina is much closer to the main characters than is shown in the mediums so far, and HBO could definitely give her some more action.

Professor Binns

Already, we've seen Harry Potter do something that he never does in the Philosopher's Stone film: practice magic (yep, you read that right, he never casts a spell in the film). But there's a clear emphasis in the trailers that Harry will have to attend many more school lessons than we see in the films.

One of those will be History of Magic, with Professor Binns at the helm. The ancient ghost is hilariously boring to the point where students fall asleep in his classrooms, but sometimes comes out with some fantastic stories in the books, especially those about the Chamber of Secrets, Uric the Oddball, and Emeric the Evil.

Ernie Macmillan

We've gone through three houses already in the list, so it would be rude not to jump over to Hufflepuff, which is probably the least-represented of the houses in the films. While there are a few yellow-and-black-clad characters that could be explored more, Ernie is interestingly poised to be a big character going forward, and Philosopher's Stone would be a great way to introduce him.

Soon to be a rival of sorts with Harry Potter himself, we hope to see more fragmented friendships and relationships in the school, and bringing in Ernie sets up a great test for the Boy Who Lived.

Firenze

Finally, Firenze, the centaur who saves Harry in the opening film during a trip to the Forbidden Forest, is a much more complex character than is portrayed in the Philosopher's Stone.

As a divination master (soon a professor at Hogwarts) and a hero in the film, Firenze's book counterpart is much more intriguing, as his relationship with mankind sees him caught up in the politics of his herd. An incredibly powerful character that will be explored further this December.