The Harry Potter movies left out Molly Weasley's meaningful backstory, but HBO's TV remake must make it a heavier feature within the plot. The details of Mrs. Weasley's past were only subtly revealed throughout the Harry Potter books, which made it easy for the movies to ignore. However, connecting the dots while reading makes it clear that the tragedies the woman experienced are intimately connected to her affection toward Harry. Understanding this strengthens the emotional impact of the kindness she showed the Boy Who Lived, which is precisely why HBO can't skip this over.

It was evident in both the Harry Potter movies and books that Mrs. Weasley thought of Harry as an honorary son. She said as much in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when she argued with Sirius Black about the sort of risks the boy should be exposed to. Ultimately, Molly is one of the few adults in the story who put Harry's safety first rather than focusing only on his destiny as the Boy Who Lived. When looking at her experience during the First Wizarding War, which the Harry Potter movies skipped over, it becomes clear why.

The Harry Potter Books Only Subtly Mentioned Molly Weasley's Brothers

Molly's Two Brothers, Fabian & Gideon Prewett, Were Murdered By Death Eaters

Molly and Arthur Weasley were not part of the Order of the Phoenix during the First Wizarding War, so their experience during that time is often ignored. They were still a young family at the time, and rather than fighting, they chose to remain home with their five children. However, this isn't to say that the Weasleys didn't understand the risks of standing against Lord Voldemort. Molly's two brothers, Fabian and Gideon Prewett, were both members of the Order of the Phoenix, as briefly revealed by the books, and were both murdered by Death Eaters.

Molly rarely talked about her brothers in the Harry Potter books, but there are hints throughout her story that their deaths left a significant impact. Her anxiety about being part of the Order in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was clear, and her encounter with a Boggart revealed just how terrified she was that her family would be killed. Given the deaths of both her brothers at the hands of Death Eaters, these fears were far from baseless. She had been through the pain before, and though she chose to commit herself to the cause her brothers' had died for, it wasn't an easy sacrifice.

Molly Weasley's Tragic Family History Further Explains Why She Cared So Much For Harry

The Boy Who Lived Unknowingly Avenged Molly Weasley's Family

The loss Molly Weasley experienced during the First Wizarding War adds a great deal of context to her affection toward Harry in Harry Potter. When Voldemort attacked the Potters, the Order of the Phoenix was at its weakest. It seemed that all was lost, but the Boy Who Lived miraculously ended the suffering. This would have meant a great deal to people like Mrs. Weasley, who had loved ones fall while fighting the Dark Lord. Harry was a hero in a far more personal way to Molly, but unlike others, this never stopped her from thinking of him as an ordinary boy who needed love.

Harry was a hero in a far more personal way to Molly, but unlike others, this never stopped her from thinking of him as an ordinary boy who needed love.

It's interesting to consider Molly's first time meeting Harry from her own perspective. He wouldn't have just been the famous Harry Potter to her. She surely would have seen a boy who lost everything in the unknowing act of avenging her own loss—a baby who was all alone despite having saved the world. It's no wonder she took him as her own son and protected him rather than expecting him to sacrifice more for the wizarding world. What's more, Molly's experience and perspective of Harry also explain her decision to give Harry a meaningful gift for his 17th birthday.

Fabian's Death Makes Mrs. Weasley's Birthday Present To Harry Potter Even More Touching

The Watch Molly Gave Harry For His Birthday Was More Than Just A Hand-Me-Down

In another moment missed by the Harry Potter movies, the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book saw Mrs. Weasly give Harry a touching gift for his 17th birthday. It's a tradition in the wizarding world for a wizard to receive a gold watch when they come of age. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Ron received a brand new watch from his parents, which was particularly special since the Weaslys kids rarely got new things. When Harry turned 17, however, he received a hand-me-down watch, but that isn't to say it wasn't meaningful:

"'It’s traditional to give a wizard a watch when he comes of age,' said Mrs. Weasley, watching him anxiously from beside the cooker. 'I’m afraid that one isn’t new like Ron’s, it was actually my brother Fabian’s and he wasn’t terribly careful with his possessions, it’s a bit dented on the back, but — '

The rest of her speech was lost; Harry had got up and hugged her. He tried to put a lot of unsaid things into the hug and perhaps she understood them, because she patted his cheek clumsily when he released her, then waved her wand in a slightly random way, causing half a pack of bacon to flop out of the frying pan onto the floor." - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

This is a touching Harry Potter moment regardless, but it becomes even more heartbreaking when considering the previous owner of Harry's watch. Molly must have inherited Fabian's watch after he was murdered, and she kept it all those years. Six of her sons turned 17 while she had possession of it, but she chose to give it to Harry, the boy responsible for ending the war that had taken Fabian's life. None of this is overtly mentioned during this touching scene, and Harry might not have even considered it. The full weight of the moment can only be appreciated when observing the bigger picture.

Fabian's watch is briefly mentioned in the epilogue of Harry Potter as well, indicating that Harry continued wearing Molly's special gift even all those years later.

Flashbacks To The First Wizarding War Would Be Valuable In HBO's Harry Potter Remake

HBO's Harry Potter Remake Can Dive Deeper Into The Past To Enhance The Story

It's understandable that the Harry Potter movies wouldn't have enough time to include the nuances of Molly Weasley's story. However, the same won't be true for HBO's remake. With a season dedicated to each of the books, there's more than enough time to dive into characters' individual stories, thus adding further context to emotionally weighty moments like Molly's gift to Harry in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The best way the upcoming series could go about this would be through flashbacks to the First Wizarding War, showing rather than telling what Harry ended when he survived Voldemort's curse.

Harry himself might never understand what he really meant to Mrs. Weasley, but the upcoming remake can ensure that audiences do.

Since the Harry Potter books are told predominantly through Harry's point of view, it takes reading between the lines to fully understand what Voldemort's downfall meant to the adult characters after the First Wizarding War. However, the Harry Potter TV remake can go beyond this. Molly could have an entire episode dedicated to the losses she faced during Voldemort's initial rise to power, thus making her fears in Order of the Phoenix much more palpable. Harry himself might never understand what he really meant to Mrs. Weasley, but the upcoming remake can ensure that audiences do.