The finale Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2 ends Harry’s story, but misses a big opportunity by deleting Lupin’s son Teddy.
In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 there are numerous omissions and changes for book connoisseurs, nevertheless the final film of the series gives a bombastic finale. Only the fact that Harry is deprived of his godson Teddy Lupin in the 8th film is a small drop of bitterness. Because his existence would have made the farewell even more perfect.
Teddy Lupin is missing from the 8th Harry Potter film: this is his story in the book
Actually, Teddy Lupin’s storyline runs throughout the last installment, but the 7th and 8th Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows movies eliminate all of his moments from the last novel *. In summary, what happens in the J.K. Rowling book is:
Potters and Lupins
In the Harry Potter films, Harry’s never-shown godson gets only one contextless mention in part 8: when the ghost of the slain Remus Lupin appears to Harry as he walks into the forest to meet Voldemort. Here Lupin thinks others will tell his son what his parents died for.
Why Lupin’s son would have made the Harry Potter finale even better
Of course, a film adaptation never avoids making deletions from the book. But of all the Harry Potter characters omitted from the books, Teddy Lupin’s absence hurts for several reasons. Indeed, his inclusion would have made the Harry Potter conclusion even more rounded:
Platform 9 3/4 without Teddy Lupin
For one thing, Harry Potter fans were hit hard by the deaths of Lupin and Tonks in the last instalment and a visible child as their legacy could have provided some consolation for the painful loss of the beloved parental figures.
On the other hand, of course, orphan Teddy mirrors orphan Harry, except that in Teddy’s case he is shown to have fared better: As a touching circular ending to the orphan story, he lives an alternative life to Harry’s tale of woe with the Dursleys in the book. And after Sirius, Harry also gets to fill the important godfather role.
Incidentally, Teddy Lupin was even cast for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2 and was present during filming: actor Luke Newberry played Lupin’s son, but fell victim to editing. Evidence of his existence can only be found in behind-the-scenes photos:
It is all the sadder that we never really got to experience Harry’s godson as part of the Potter universe (not even in the bonus material). But who knows: If the rumours of a planned Harry Potter remake are confirmed, perhaps a remake will tackle Teddy Lupin anew.
