Harry Potter Spin-Offs We Want to See

One of the great things about being a geek is the fact that the various franchises we love often take place in deep immersive universes, which serve as a treasure trove of stories. Whether you dig the DC Universe or the Star Wars Universe, there is a whole of host of characters and lore to keep fans tied up for years. A while ago I wrote about ways Joss Whedon’s Buffyverse could continue on despite the series as well as its spin-off coming to an end. But there is on beloved saga to us geeks that is frustrating in the amount of unused potential there are stories for. After 7 books being adapted into 8 movies, JK Rowling seems content to be finished with her time in the world of Harry Potter, and as far as this writer is concerned she has more than earned a right to take a break after years of hard work. But the world she created in the Potterverse is is vast and full of strong characters full of characters who each have their own fanbase; leaving a rich place full of stories that need to be told. Here just a few of the potential spin-offs from the Harry Potter series that fans would love so much that they may get new Patronus’ out of it.

The First Wizarding War: Throughout Harry Potter’s personal journey in the books he found guidance and wisdom from those who battled the Death Eaters during the First Wizarding War. This is a chapter in magic history that begs to be explored. A possible book series could follow Voldemort’s rise to power and Dumbledore assembling his own army in the Order of the Phoenix in order to fight back. Fans already love the characters who would be involved; Lupin, the Weasley’s, Bellatrix Lestrange, and many others.  A chance to see them in their prime would be something to jump at in a story that would range from intimate character moments to sprawling battles. An added bonus would be to see a different perspective on key moments in Potterverse history like; Snape’s struggle with his conscience, Regulus Black and Peter Pettigrew betraying their respective leaders, and the dramatic trial for the Death Eater’s which followed once the war ended.

The Founding of Hogwarts: For centuries young practitioners of magic have learned their skills at the Hogwarts School of Wizadry and Witchcraft. In the north of Scotland four people with clashing personalities established a school to teach future generations the skills they would need. A book series based on the origins of this institute could follow the lead of the hit film X-Men: First Class and tell the story of how; Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin, and Rowena Ravenclaw, established the school and chose their first class of students. As the series progressed we could watch as the four founders decided who would be in their respective tutorship and see as Salazar Slytherin begins his feud with Godric Gryffindor, which would become a key event for the school.

Sirius Black: Fugitive: Harry’s shapeshifting godfather, Sirius Black, was the only person to ever successfully escape the prison of Azkaban in order to try to clear his name and protect Harry. After the events of The Prisoner of Azkaban, Sirius went into hiding from the Dementors and Aurors. A tale about this particular wizard on the run from the authorities while on dangerous missions from Dumbledore has the potential to be a magic themed crime drama like none else.

Aurors: An elite group of wizards chosen after a rigorous and dangerous training process, Aurors are revered for their willingness to endure danger and death in order to protect the wizarding world from the most evil of magic users. This demands to be a gritty crime drama aimed at older Potterheads, in the same vein as shows such as Spooks (or MI5 depending on which side of the Atlantic you are on) or Wallander. 

Snape: If Buffy’s Spike or Star Wars’ Boba Fett has taught us anything is that, fans love a morally ambiguous antihero. As the mean-spirited expert of potions, Snape was the bane of Harry Potter’s existence until the end of the series when he learned the secrets Snape had been holding all along. Why not do a book series from Severus Snape’s point of view as a double agent constantly in danger during the battle between good and evil, this could read like a cool fantasy take on an Ed Brubaker comics.