A Better Ending Than The Epilogue

September 1, 2025

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HBO’s Harry Potter TV show will have a far better way to end the series than the books’ and movies’ epilogue scene. While the upcoming remake has been advertised as a book-faithful adaptation, it’s doubtful that there won’t be any changes. Certain stories will have to be altered or presented differently to fit the TV format, and in some cases, this is great news.

For example, it would be largely beneficial for the Harry Potter TV show to move away from the epilogue featured in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. This final chapter of the series jumped forward 19 years to see Harry and Ginny bring their second child to his first time aboard the Hogwarts Express. It was a brief, touching moment that works well for books and movies, but not so much for our upcoming TV show.

The Harry Potter remake will have the long format of the TV show, and the ending must be adjusted accordingly. It would be far more beneficial for the new series to have an episode-long resolution that wraps up all the characters’ stories. There’s not enough to the epilogue to stretch across an hour. However, there’s a canon alternative moment that could bring the perfect balance.

HBO’s Remake Ending With Harry & Ginny’s Wedding At The Burrow Would Bring Deathly Hallows Full Circle

Rather than the epilogue scene at King’s Cross Station, the Harry Potter TV show should end with Harry and Ginny’s wedding at the Burrow. This is an event that we have never seen depicted on the page or screen, but it remains canon within the Wizarding World franchise. Seeing it for the first time would be highly valuable, but this wouldn’t just be fan service. Such an episode would bring Harry Potter‘s final installment full circle.

The key event at the beginning of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is Bill and Fleur’s wedding. Though there was that eerie sense that full-on war was approaching, Harry and the Weasleys did their best to put it aside for one joyous day. They achieved as much for a time, and the celebration was truly beautiful. However, it was interrupted by the Ministry’s official downfall and the start of Voldemort’s overt reign.

Returning to the Burrow for another wedding, post-war, would be valuable in the Harry Potter TV show.

It’s for precisely this reason that returning to the Burrow for another wedding, post-war, would be so valuable in the Harry Potter TV show. The purpose of the epilogue was to show the new, safe world that Harry had helped create. Harry and Ginny’s wedding would do this and more, bringing things back full circle for an event that could actually have a happy ending.

Moreover, Harry and Ginny’s wedding was surely attended by all the surviving power players of Harry Potter (unlike the epilogue). We could see Mrs. Weasley loving her new grandchildren, maybe little Fred, George’s son. Luna would be there as Ginny’s maid of honor, Neville would certainly be present, and Ron and Hermione could reminisce about their own wedding.

Overall, this would give Harry Potter TV show viewers exactly what they are looking for in an ending. It would be new, canon content that would bring literary balance to the overarching story. Moreover, the remake ending with Harry and Ginny’s wedding would allow it to avoid many of the biggest problems presented by the original epilogue.

Why The Harry Potter Epilogue Is So Divisive

An aged Harry, Ron, and Hermione look on in the Harry Potter epilogue.

The epilogue of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has been divisive since day one. When the book was released, readers criticized the fact that this final chapter left several important characters’ stories hanging. Add in the somewhat ridiculous names of Harry and Ginny’s children, and it was difficult to feel satisfied with this ending.

Things only got worse when the final Deathly Hallows movie was released. The aging-up was poorly handled, and there was something frustrating about these characters looking so worn down during our final moments with them. It just shifted the mood of this final installment in the widely beloved franchise.

One positive aspect of the Deathly Hallows epilogue is that it effectively portrays Harry with a family of his own. This is something he had always wanted, and seeing that achieved really was satisfying. However, this could be accomplished with even more impact during Harry and Ginny’s wedding. After all, this is the moment that Harry officially became a member of the Weasley family.

HBO Can Save The Harry Potter Epilogue For A Cursed Child Adaptation

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child cover art of a child cowering in a nest.

Though I maintain that a wedding would be a better fit for the ending of the Harry Potter TV show, this would no doubt be controversial as well. As divisive as the King’s Cross epilogue is, it’s still the official ending of Harry Potter. Still, HBO’s remake could feature a unique ending, and it wouldn’t mean that the 19-year-later scene would have to be tossed out entirely.

If the Harry Potter TV show is a success, spinoffs are inevitable. It’s perfectly possible that a Cursed Child adaptation (though with some major changes from the stage play) could become a reality. Since this story picks right up from the Harry Potter epilogue, this would be the perfect moment to bring Albus’ departure to the screen. Said and done, it would just be even more Harry Potter for us to enjoy.