Ignoring the Rowling assholery, wasn't the point of the show to be closer to the books?
Mind you, I'm fine with significant reframing of characters in that way, it just runs contrary to making a show that's always going to be compared unfavorably to the movies, if they aren't going to serve the book experience. Like, what's the point? Hoping nostalgia will bring viewers that also happen to be fan fic fans and aren't going to knee jerk whine about changing genders and races?
Even if I had been interested in retreading the same ground this soon, this seems really stupid.