Harry Potter Season 2 Adds Rafe Spall as Arthur Weasley Alongside Moaning Myrtle and Colin Creevey

The wizarding world is getting even bigger.

With HBO’s new Harry Potter series preparing to bring the first book to television audiences this Christmas, HBO has already started filling out the cast for Season 2 — and three familiar Chamber of Secrets characters have now found their new faces.

Rafe Spall has officially been cast as Arthur Weasley, while Molly Hewitt-Richards will play Moaning Myrtle and Jasper Ambrose will portray Colin Creevey. HBO announced the trio on September 15, giving fans an early look at the characters who will become important as Harry’s second year at Hogwarts unfolds.

Rafe Spall Is the New Arthur Weasley

Perhaps the biggest announcement is Rafe Spall taking over the role of Arthur Weasley, Ron’s father and one of the most recognizable members of the Weasley family.

Spall will succeed Mark Williams, who played Arthur throughout the original Harry Potter movie series.

The new series’ version of Arthur will be part of a much more detailed television adaptation, giving HBO considerably more room to explore the Weasley family and Arthur’s life at the Ministry of Magic.

And there’s a fascinating connection hiding behind the casting.

Rafe Spall is the son of Timothy Spall, who played Peter Pettigrew — better known as Wormtail — in the original Harry Potter movies.

So, more than a decade after the original films concluded, the Spall family is returning to the Wizarding World, although Rafe will be playing a completely different character from his father.

That’s one of those pieces of casting trivia that feels almost too perfect for the Harry Potter franchise.

Molly Hewitt-Richards Is Moaning Myrtle

HBO has also found its new Moaning Myrtle.

Actress Molly Hewitt-Richards will portray the ghost who haunts the girls’ bathroom at Hogwarts.

The character was famously played by Shirley Henderson in the original films, most notably in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Myrtle isn’t simply a comedic ghost, either. Her connection to the bathroom becomes an important part of the mystery surrounding the Chamber of Secrets, making her casting particularly relevant for Season 2.

Hewitt-Richards has previously appeared in projects including Code of Silence and Casualty.

Jasper Ambrose Joins as Colin Creevey

The third new addition is Jasper Ambrose, who has been cast as Colin Creevey.

Fans will remember Colin as the enthusiastic young Hogwarts student who becomes fascinated with Harry and constantly carries a camera around.

His obsession with photographing Harry makes him one of the more memorable new students introduced in The Chamber of Secrets.

The role was previously played by Hugh Mitchell in the 2002 movie adaptation, but Colin didn’t return in the later films.

The HBO series should therefore give the character considerably more opportunity to exist within the Hogwarts story rather than appearing as a brief supporting presence.

Season 2 Is Already Taking Shape

What’s particularly interesting is that HBO is announcing these characters before Season 1 has even premiered.

The first season will adapt Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and is scheduled to premiere on Christmas Day 2026 on HBO and HBO Max.

Season 2 will then move into Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, meaning HBO is already building the larger ensemble required for Harry’s second year at Hogwarts.

And the casting announcements have been coming quickly.

Other Season 2 additions include:

Kit Harington — Gilderoy Lockhart

Bonnie Hill — Ginny Weasley

Lenny Rush — Dobby

Billy Barratt — Tom Riddle

Rafe Spall — Arthur Weasley

Molly Hewitt-Richards — Moaning Myrtle

Jasper Ambrose — Colin Creevey

Meanwhile, the central trio remains Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. The returning adult cast includes John Lithgow as Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Snape and Nick Frost as Hagrid.

The Weasley Family Is Getting Bigger

One of the most exciting aspects of this casting is how quickly HBO is building the Weasley family.

The series already has Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, with Alastair Stout as Ron, Tristan and Gabriel Harland as Fred and George, Ruari Spooner as Percy and Bonnie Hill as Ginny for Season 2.

Adding Rafe Spall as Arthur finally brings the Weasley parents together on screen.

For fans who felt that the original movies sometimes had to compress the Weasley family’s story because of their limited runtime, this could be one of the biggest advantages of HBO’s long-form approach.

Why These Three Characters Matter in Chamber of Secrets

At first glance, Arthur, Myrtle and Colin might seem like three completely unrelated additions.

They’re not.

Each character helps build the world around Harry as the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets begins to unfold.

Arthur connects Harry directly to the Weasley family and the wider wizarding world. Myrtle is tied directly to one of Hogwarts’ most important locations and eventually becomes part of the mystery surrounding the Chamber. Colin, meanwhile, represents Harry’s growing fame among younger students — something that becomes increasingly uncomfortable as the attacks at Hogwarts begin.

That means these aren’t simply recognizable names being added to fill out the cast.

They’re pieces of the Season 2 puzzle.

HBO Is Giving Chamber of Secrets More Room to Breathe

This is where the television format could make a major difference.

The 2002 movie had to condense J.K. Rowling’s second book into a little over two and a half hours.

HBO’s series doesn’t have that same limitation.

A full season gives the writers room to spend more time at the Burrow, explore Hogwarts beyond Harry’s immediate storyline and develop characters who were reduced or removed from the original movies.

That could be especially valuable for characters like Colin Creevey and Moaning Myrtle.

The new series is being written and executive produced by Francesca Gardiner, with Mark Mylod executive producing and directing multiple episodes.

Geeksterr Take

The casting of Rafe Spall as Arthur Weasley might initially look like just another casting announcement, but it could end up being one of the more important additions to the HBO series.

Arthur is the kind of character who benefits from having more screen time. He’s funny, curious, deeply fascinated by Muggles and, underneath all of that, a devoted father.

And Rafe Spall has the acting range to make the character feel different from Mark Williams’ beloved interpretation rather than simply copying it.

The same applies to Moaning Myrtle and Colin Creevey.

HBO isn’t just recreating the movies — it’s rebuilding the Wizarding World character by character.

With Season 1 still waiting for its Christmas debut, HBO is already giving fans a glimpse at where the journey goes next.

And if these early Season 2 casting choices are any indication, Chamber of Secrets could be where the new Harry Potter series really starts expanding beyond the story audiences already know.

What do you think of Rafe Spall as Arthur Weasley? And are you excited to see Moaning Myrtle and Colin Creevey return to Hogwarts?