A new batch of Harry Potter AI art imagines Harry and Ron as babies, and the images aren’t as adorable as you might imagine. Based on the beloved novels by author J.K. Rowling, the first Harry Potter movie was released in 2001. The first film introduces Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, an eleven-year-old boy who realizes he is actually a wizard. He is aided on his magical adventures by Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson).
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Now, new AI-generated images shared by Brittany Earnest on Instagram imagine what Harry and Ron would look like as babies next to their respective pets, Hedwig and Scabbers. Check out the art below:

Both images feature iconic elements of each character, such as Harry’s round glasses and Ron’s red hair, but the faces of both babies are weathered and wrinkled in such a way that neither of them truly looks like an infant. The combination results in images that are actually somewhat unnerving.

Harry Potter’s Age Was The Right Choice

The new AI Harry Potter art imagining the main characters as babies raises an interesting question regarding whether the books and movies would still work if they featured either younger or older versions of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Had the trio been younger than eleven during the events of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, for example, it’s possible that the film could have attracted an even younger audience. Older, and the movies could have captured a more mature teen demographic.

Ultimately, of course, it’s clear that featuring Harry as an eleven-year-old in the first movie was the right choice. This allows the franchise to capture a wide age range, appealing to kids around that age without being inaccessible to older audiences as well. Plus, had he been any younger, the darker elements of the film’s story likely would have had to have been toned down or removed.

Crucially, starting Harry at eleven allows him to grow and mature as the story progresses. As the books and movies go on, they start to explore the characters’ romantic lives and the awkward nature of being a teenager, magical or not. As Harry ages, the stories also become darker, adding further weight to the fight against Voldemort and the story’s stakes. While it’s intriguing to imagine a more kid-oriented version of Harry Potter with very young versions of the characters, it’s clear that Rowling chose the perfect age at which to start Harry’s journey.

Source: @brittanyearnest/ Instagram