Recently, the new Harry Potter television series has received more casting announcements. This new HBO adaptation is set to tell the complete story of the original seven novels by J.K. Rowling over the course of multiple seasons, whereas the previous films only told each of the novels in two hours or less. After it was first announced in 2023, production started in 2025. Since then, there have been many announcements regarding who will portray various characters from the magical world.On February 20, 2026, news broke that a new actor named Louis Shelton had been added to the cast. He will be portraying older Ron Weasley for a very small number of scenes in one episode. As such, many fans of the show are eagerly awaiting to see how close this version looks and how well the book character was portrayed.Louis Shelton will not be playing the younger version of Ron Weasley, which will be played by Alistair Stout (a younger actor) throughout the entire series. Ron Weasley as many of the fans already know is Harry's best friend at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.According to the newly released report, Ron's portrayal by Shelton is going to be the same as it was in the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Ron will see himself as being Head Boy and Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team with the use of the Mirror of Erised. Shelton will play the role of older Ron in the vision that appears in the mirror. Shelton is a well-known performer from theatre, but this particular role will be short, based only on the scene where he is introduced. However, it is still a very important scene to the overall storyline of Ron from the first book, thus it is significant to the character.What does this casting mean for the Harry Potter adaptation?The decision to cast Louis Shelton as a specific version of Ron Weasley suggests that the new Harry Potter series will closely follow the narrative of the books. In the novels, the Mirror of Erised plays a role in showing how each character views their heart's desire. Harry sees his parents, and Ron sees himself with the achievements he has always wanted. In the old films, the mirror moment was simplified, with Ron describing what he saw instead of showing it. The HBO series, with more time and space to explore scenes, can now build on these moments that the films could not show in detail.The fans on the internet had a variety of reactions to the casting decision. Some fans expressed being pleased with the fact that the characters being shown in this new series will receive the same careful treatment as they did in the original books. Others like the fact that there will be different actors playing these characters at different ages, which will help provide a greater sense of closure on this story. The way little things like these add so much weight to the story and help communicate the dreams and aspirations of these characters is a way of recreating the same emotion of the original novels in this new series.The Mirror of Erised scene is meant to show what the character wants most in life. For Ron, that is recognition, success, and belonging. Seeing that on screen may also deepen the audience's understanding of him as a character. Louis Shelton's portrayal in that specific context could help explain Ron's personality and his inner world in a way viewers have only read in the books. That may make the show feel more personal and emotional for fans who love the stories.Other casting news for the series shows that each part of the story is being planned carefully. Lead roles like Harry Potter will be played by Dominic McLaughlin, Hermione Granger by Arabella Stanton, and the main version of Ron Weasley by Alastair Stout. The Harry Potter series will also include many other key characters, such as Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape, and Rubeus Hagrid. Though the actors for some roles have been announced, others roles are still yet to be announced.More details on the Harry Potter TV showTelevision allows the story of Harry Potter to be told in a way that film could not because it allows for room to breathe and expand in ways that the film versions could not. Many of the smaller scenes from the book are written in much more detail than what was presented in the films.Since the films only had a limited number of hours to complete the entire story, producers will have opportunities to include scenes like the Mirror of Erised. The series will also expand a lot on how the character of Ron is portrayed through this casting choice, being one of the first indicators of those plans.The additional casting of a Ron's older version is in the process of being filmed. This shows that this production team is putting much time and consideration into the overall plan for the expansion and development of the characters and the world of Harry Potter.If the Harry Potter series is going to be done over a long period of time, then there is a possibility that we will see many of the scenes expanded with additional material.Fans are still waiting for more official casting announcements, including who will play characters such as Lord Voldemort, Lily and James Potter, and others who will appear later in the Harry Potter series. As the show continues its casting rollout, more names and roles will likely surface in news headlines. For now, the announcement of Louis Shelton as older Ron Weasley is one of the first out-of-the-box casting moves that shows the adaptation's intention to dig deeper into small but meaningful scenes from the books.The upcoming Harry Potter series is set to premiere in 2027, and fans are already counting the days until they can see this new version of Hogwarts and its students come to life.