HBO’s Harry Potter Series Just Got a Perfect Update From Hermione Herself

Arabella Stanton, the 11-year-old Brit who’s stepping into Hermione Granger’s shoes for HBO’s decade-long Harry Potter reboot, is pulling double duty, but without the use of a Time Turner. Fans haven’t even seen her in costume yet, but she’s already making magic — literally — in a brand-new full-cast audio version of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Instead of one narrator telling the story, this new audio series goes full cinematic, with Cush Jumbo narrating and stars like Hugh Laurie (Dumbledore), Riz Ahmed (Snape), Michelle Gomez (McGonagall), and Matthew Macfadyen (Voldemort) rounding out the cast. Stanton joins Frankie Treadaway (Harry) and Max Lester (Ron) as the voices of the Golden Trio in the first three audiobooks — and, according to fans who’ve heard snippets, she’s already proving she’s the real deal. Stanton recently joked that she can’t say too much about her work because, well, she’s been magically silenced, as she said in a promotional interview for the audio book.

“I can’t say much, because they’ve cast a Mimblewimble tongue-tying spell on me. But I’ve just started filming, and it’s great at the moment.”

It’s not hard to see why Stanton landed the role. Like her character, she’s a total bookworm.

“I love books. I love writing, I love reading. I mean, I like school, but I don’t love school. And I think books are the main connection between Hermione and I.”

That mix of curiosity and honesty makes her sound like a kid who is Hermione Granger — not just pretending to be one, and fans won’t be shocked to hear she’s looking most forward to hearing magic get made:

“I can’t wait to hear all the spells. Hermione says so many spells and I can’t wait to hear the sounds of people casting them. I just love spells.”

If that doesn’t melt your heart, check your Sorting Hat — you might be a Slytherin.

How Was Arabella Stanton Cast?

Stanton’s casting followed a massive global search that reportedly saw over 30,000 kids audition for the three lead roles. HBO eventually settled on Dominic McLaughlin as Harry, Stanton as Hermione, and Alastair Stout as Ron.

Showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod were instantly sold on their chemistry. “The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold,” they said in a joint statement. “We can’t wait for the world to witness their magic together onscreen.”

The series will span all seven books across ten years of storytelling, with Season 1 expected to hit HBO in 2027.