Most Controversial Harry Potter Storyline HBO Reboot Must Not Cut Out (Like Movies Did)

J.K. Rowling has used her books as a medium to metaphorically address real-world issues, including some really disturbing facts from the past and present.

The further we go into the books, the more we see it: Harry Potter addresses corruption, war, terrorism, stereotype-induced violence… And even slavery.

You see, the Wizarding World is incredibly conservative. While it's lowkey cute with all the robes, candles, and carriages, it's utterly problematic in terms of social context.

Wizards treat other magical sentient beings as the lower forms of life: for instance, most of them disregard centaurs, goblins, mermaids, and many others.

But above all the sentient beings wizards couldn't care less about, are house elves.

Until the fifth book, house elves kind of just exist. Both the readers and the characters are well aware of their slave-to-master relationships with wizards, but it doesn't exactly bother anyone until Hermione finally decides to make a stand in The Order of the Phoenix and fight for the house elves' rights.

Hermione's burning passion for freeing the little folks from their slavery is endearing, but no one takes her seriously.

And while it's kind of understandable why young wizards from magical families don't get her point — it's completely normal for them as they've been raised having house elves around, — curiously enough, none of her Muggle-born classmates are interested in joining her, too.

The entire S.P.E.W. storyline shows how even the people who grew up in the context of long-abolished slavery and the talks about social justice can turn a blind eye to something they've been taught to perceive as atrocious if it benefits them personally.

Neither Harry Potter nor Dean Thomas who have never had house elves around until enrolling in Hogwarts find Hermione's cause just — in fact, everyone is mocking her for wanting to help the little folks who've been enslaved many centuries ago.

Everyone takes them for granted, and no one wants to think of freeing them.

The Harry Potter movies completely ignored this sensitive and controversial issue: they just didn't include the S.P.E.W. storyline at all, and the movie Hermione was never worried about slavery.

But we don't think the series should inherit this approach.

Instead, HBO has to address it properly and talk about the uncomfortable truth: some problems are so ingrained into society they appear inseparable from it, but this doesn't justify those who refuse to stand up against them.

By showing the house-elves plot, HBO can speak about what's right and what's easy, and we're convinced they must not lose this opportunity.