9 Spin Offs I Want to See in the Harry Potter World

With Harry Potter venturing into the realm of spin offs and prequels, there is some hope of other stories being explored in the Wizarding World. Whether these are sequels, or stories which have only been hinted at in the books, there is potential for new characters, environments, and tales that could be considered “lost.” From the Ministry of Magic, to the founders of Hogwarts, there are characters (and stories) we still know little about!

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1) The Four Founders

Hogwarts is made up of four houses, each of which was founded by Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, Godric Gryffindor, and Salazar Slytherin. Aside from embodying certain traits and having alliterative names that roll off the tongue, little is known about the founders. Every reader knows of the dispute between Slytherin and the other three; Slytherin only wanted to accept “Purebloods,” and his bigotry ultimately made him an outsider. Yet the story ends there.

There are questions a detailed story could explore. What were the founders like, personality wise? Were there times when Salazar actually got on with the others; what charm, or ability, enabled the others to work with him in the first place? Did Slytherin have any redeeming qualities? It’s possible the other founders had their flaws too: Rowena could have been too serious, and Gryffindor too brash.

How did the founders come together, and what was their process for building Hogwarts? Building an entire school, as well as inundating it in the appropriate charms, couldn’t have been easy. There may have been more to the process than was explained in legends; the founders may have encountered a series of conflicts, both within and without, in their mission to build a school.

Having a story following the four founders would not only flesh out Hogwarts’ history; it would also offer a chance to see the founders themselves as characters in their own right. Human and flawed, funny or devious, being able to relate to people who have only been names up to this point would be exciting.

2) The Marauder’s

There are arguments against writing about The Marauder’s. For one, readers already know how their stories end. The stakes may be lessened as a result, given readers will know, from the outset, who lives and who dies, and when. Readers also have their own ideas around how the characters would have behaved, and contradicting such head canons could spark controversies. The fan wars regarding James and Snape are enough to set forums on fire, and many felt satisfied with what the books did show.

However, this concept remains on the top of fan’s wish lists. Throughout the books, characters continually reference Lily—yet a common complaint from fans is that they never got to know Lily. They heard she was kind and had Harry’s eyes, and that was it. Clearly, there was more to Lily than a big heart. Snape continued to love her for more than a decade, and others spoke fondly of her. This makes readers curious about the talented Muggleborn, and having a story set in her day would allow readers to finally get to know Lily—as well as appreciate what Harry lost. Forming a connection with the girl who always came home with frogspawn in her pockets would also make her death in the main series more painful.

If Lily wasn’t enough, exploring Snape’s character further would also be intriguing. Lily and Snape were always friends. Snape was an outcast, and a practitioner of the Dark Arts, yet Lily remained his friend. What were his redeeming qualities? What did Snape and Lily have in common? What activities, or adventures, did they share together? The earlier years would be especially important; before falling in with the future Death Eaters, Snape would have felt less shame in being seen with a Muggleborn, and would consequently have spent more time with Lily.

Finally, there are The Marauder’s themselves. Seeing James begin as a bully, before becoming a better person, would make for an interesting character arc. There would also be great fun in seeing the various shenanigans the gang went through. What pranks did Sirius play? How was Pettigrew initially welcomed into the crew, and what was the process for creating The Marauder’s Map? Then there are the pivotal moments: Lupin confessing to his friends what he is; Pettigrew gaining acceptance; Sirius running away from home; and James saving Snape’s life. If these moments could have impact as recollections, what power would they have if experienced firsthand?

Actually forming relationships with these characters would be satisfying for readers, and there would be new characters: Lily and Snape had other friends at school, characters readers may not have heard of. There would have been romances, squabbles, and challenges for the kids. Did Sirius ever date a girl, and if so, who was she? If the series wanted to build up to something, it could even follow the characters into the war against Voldemort.

3) The Teachers

Every teacher at Hogwarts has a backstory. Pottermore articles offer a story for McGonagall that would have been worthy of a dedicated short story. A collection of short stories exploring the lives of each of the teachers, and the challenges they had to face, would not only flesh the characters out, but allow readers to fall in love with each again.

What special challenges did Flitwick face, being of non-human descent? Did he have to fight harder to prove himself? Did Madame Hooch have a troubled past? Who was Madame Pomfrey before she became the Herbology Professor?

Readers have gotten glimpses into the life of Dumbledore, but a series of shorts exploring his exploits as a student could show fans a new side of the character. Readers have always seen him as a tall figure with a silvery beard and half moon spectacles, but what was he like as a boy? The Fantastic Beast films even show Dumbledore as a young man, but seeing him as a teenager, when he was undergoing his most troubled and volatile phase of life, would be almost like meeting a new character. Knowing more about Aberforth, or Arianna, wouldn’t hurt either.

4) Voldemort’s Rise to Power

This story has been touched upon in a short film, though the film was fan made and other fans came away disappointed in the writing. Like so many other characters, Voldemort’s life is touched upon in recollections. Harry is able to witness a number of his exploits, first hand, through the pensieve, but Voldemort had seven years of life at Hogwarts. Seeing him in his day to day life could offer more depth to the character. What was he like with other students? Was he a fair prefect, or a tyrant? Did other students fear him, even then?

There is also Voldemort’s quest to create Horcruxes. Granted, seeing a man commit seven murders could be grisly, but The Fantastic Beasts films have already taken the franchise in a darker direction, and the books were never afraid to venture into such territory. Merope Gaunt bewitched a man and had a child with him without consent. The Tales of Beetle the Bard feature a man ripping his hairy heart out of his chest. A little girl dies in a bathroom, and is cursed forever to be a depressed ghost. After all of that, would Voldemort’s rise to power truly be too much? Seeing him as more human would also be intriguing.

5) Other Schools

Fans had mixed feelings about Rowling’s inclusion of schools from other cultures. In principle, it made sense. England can’t be the only country where wizards and witches are born, and the idea that wizards from all over the world work together is an intriguing one. Further reading even reveals that wizards from other countries get on well, regardless of how their Muggle counterparts are relating to one another. On the other hand, readers took issue with Rowling drawing from other cultures. Some felt the number of schools she included in certain areas was also unrealistic; Europe had three, while the vast continent of Africa only had one.

Still, seeing stories told in other locations would freshen the franchise. The Fantastic Beast films were novel for taking place in America instead of England. Some of the schools described by Rowling also sound downright magical. If Rowling herself couldn’t write these stories, it would be interesting to see her collaborate with other writers to feature a story, or several, in each of the other schools. Having a Japanese writer set a series in Mahoutokoro, a writer of African descent tackle Uagadou, and Rowling herself address other European schools would be a fun collaboration. The authors could connect the different stories if they wanted to, or keep them entirely independent of each other. Either way, such a collaboration would be in keeping with the spirit of the wizards themselves.

Different countries likely practice different forms of magic too. In writing a story in Japan or North America, a writer could invent new spells, different ways of casting familiar spells, and so on. What abilities are unique to each culture of wizards? What do they do the same, and what do they do differently? These stories, taking place on different continents, would also be able to feature large events and fresh characters without contradicting the events in Europe; the stories would function on their own merits, with Voldemort or Grindelwald being no more than passing references.

6) The Aurors

The Aurors are the peacekeepers of England’s wizarding community. They catch Death Eaters and address other dangers. Prospective students have to be talented and disciplined, making it one of the hardest professions to enter. The job is a dangerous one; one glimpse of Moody’s face showcases this. However, Aurors remain even in peaceful times. Even with Voldemort gone, the Aurors remain to catch lawbreaking wizards—specifically those who are practicing the Dark Arts and firing curses against others with an intent to harm or kill.

Sans Voldemort, what does the daily life of an Auror look like? When magic is factored in, crimes become more complicated. Polyjuice Potion would make identity theft rampant. Transfiguration would serve as an excellent means of concealing murder; a killer only needs to transform his intended victim into something small, and step on him. A Metamorphagus could become a prolific criminal, with Aurors straining to discover their true identity.

A series dedicated to magical crime would be intriguing, to say the least, and would introduce readers to a cast of characters old and new. This could be set in the era in which Kingsley is Minister. Readers could become further acquainted with Tonks’ co-workers, as well as witness the hole Moody’s absence has left. The genre of such a series would also be fresh: CSI meets Harry Potter could be an instant hit. Rowling has already written a series of crime novels. Would merging her two genres together be so difficult?

7) The Ministry for Magic

While the Aurors make up one of the more colourful departments, others include the Department of Mystery and the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts, to name only two. A delve into old Pottermore articles reveals a whole timeline for the Ministry, going through the Ministers, how certain departments were formed, and even some of the scandals faced by the government. Despite this, the articles read like something you might find in a Hogwarts textbook: they’re interesting, but there’s little chance of getting to know the characters themselves.

A story exploring the formation of the Ministry could flesh out the lore. What’s more, characters in other departments could be introduced. Even if the story follows the current Minister, meeting their co-workers, such as the first head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts sect, or the most toughened Aurors of the time, would be refreshing. The decision to form the Department of Mysteries could be a plot point in itself, with argument over it’s pros and cons.

8) Luna Lovegood

Luna Lovegood holds a special place in the hearts of fans. Most of the characters in the series are deserving of their own stories, but Luna’s perspective is one of the most unique. Luna is intelligent, kind, and adventurous. Her Ravenclaw background means she has a sharp mind, despite her dreamy demeanor, and her innocence would be endearing to see in a series. Having a set of stories actually told from Luna’s viewpoint would generate unusual prose; every encounter, every description, every paragraph, would be coloured by the mind of someone who believes in wrackspurts and the beneficial properties of gnome saliva.

All fans know is that Luna married one of the Scamander’s, and followed in Newt’s footsteps. The Fantastic Beast films initially excited fans by introducing the concept of a quirky naturalist looking to catalog, and catch, magical creatures. Despite the franchise’s name, the films moved away from this lighthearted concept to tackle bigger issues.

Following Luna would be an excuse to return to this idea. She has an open mind, meaning that she may even discover creatures previously unknown to the series. As Luna engaged with different animals, and related to other characters in her own way, fans would be continually reminded of Luna’s great goal: to find, and prove the existence of, the Crumple Horned Snorkack.

9) Golden Trio Descendants

The “Nineteen Years Later” epilogue had fans anxious to see what happened to Harry’s children. Though the name “Albus Severus Potter” garnered nearly as many eye rolls as “Renesmee,” fans were still excited by the idea of the wizarding world continuing beyond Harry. What fans eventually ended up with was The Cursed Child, a play which was amazing to watch but which suffered from writing that was equal parts poor and weird.

The Cursed Child had it’s highlights. Albus being sorted into Slytherin was an engaging idea, his friendship with a Malfoy even more so. The friendship between Albus and Scorpius, and Scorpius’s awkward attempts to befriend Rose Weasley, were a few of the winning moments in a story that was otherwise messy.

What was disappointing was how little was seen of Albus’s overall school life, or of his siblings and cousins. James Potter disappears after the opening scene, as do most of the other Potter and Weasley children. Albus’s school years are also skimmed over; little is known of his Professors, and the other students in the school seem to exist only to bully him.

A series actually following what other adventures Albus had, as well as what his siblings and cousins get up to, still feels missed.

The world of Harry Potter remains full of potential, both in it’s world building and in it’s characters. New stories could both flesh out existing characters and introduce fans to new ones. Whether it be the four founders, or the Marauder’s, stories that were only hinted at still wait to be fully told.

Which of these stories would you like to see? Are there stories you don’t want to see? Let me know! Personally, I really want the Luna Lovegood series now…