Like any proper film adaptation, all of the most important Harry Potter characters survived the transition from the pages of J.K. Rowling’s book series to the screen. Yet, that does not mean that every character worth mentioning got their time in the spotlight.
Also like most film adaptations, some characters were lost in the shuffle. Some were given a playfully subtle shoutout, some had a planned cameo but ended up on the cutting room floor entirely, and others, well, simply will remain never made it past the page.
Well, now we will give them a voice. These are 8 characters from the Harry Potter books who never made a cinematic appearance.
Peeves
Many of the spirits that roam Hogwarts are friendly and even helpful, but Peeves (named for his tendency to annoy and his wardrobed resembling a court jester) is a different story and is even believed to be is a metaphysical manifestation of the Hogwarts student body’s inner mischievousness. British actor Rik Mayall was actually cast as the pesky poltergeist, who has appeared in every book, for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, but his scene was ultimately cut. However, Peeves has appeared in some related video games.
Charlie Weasley
Question for any Harry Potter fans who have only seen the movies: did you know that Ron Weasley has a fifth brother named Charlie? That detail might have slipped right past you because, save a brief glimpse of the character in the background of a family photograph in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (portrayed by Alex Crockford) and mentions in the dialogue, he is given no other screen time throughout the franchise. It is a bit disappointing as more inclusion of the second eldest Weasley sibling would have given us more sightings of his favorite creature: dragons.
Dennis Creevey
Another sibling of a notable character who got the short end of the stick is Dennis Creevey, who fell in the lake upon arrival at Hogwarts in his first year, and in only his second year, became a member of Dumbledore’s Army as depicted in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and by easily missable mention in the movie. The only other time he was to be mentioned in any of the films was in a deleted scene of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in which his older brother, Colin (who met a bitter end during the Battle of Hogwarts), mentions that he was the only wizard in his family, at the time, at least.
Winky
While most house elves pine for their freedom, Winky, was practically distraught by her freedom after being released from employment under Barty Crouch, Sr. and his family during Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. She would later take a position at Hogwarts and participate in the fight against the Death Eaters. Of course you never would have known that from watching the movies as she is never seen nor mentioned throughout the franchise. She was originally meant to make her cinematic debut in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, but her developmental process went no further than her concept art design.
Ludovic "Ludo" Bagman
Another character from the books who would have had their on screen debut in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was Ludo Bagman, who served as the Departmental Head of Magical Games and Sports for the Ministry of Magic and got deep into debt with some goblins during the Quidditch World Cup. Instead, the duty of providing participants of the Triwizard Tournament with basic instruction and necessary warning was given to Album Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) and Barty Crouch, Sr. (Roger Lloyd Pack). Yet, Ludo was heavily involved in the story of the 2003 video game Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup.
Augusta Longbottom and Neville's Parents
Eagle-eyed Harry Potter fans should be able to recall that Neville Longbottom's (Matthew Lewis) grandmother, Augusta Longbottom, does make just one blink-and-you-miss-it appearance, as played by actress Leila Hoffman, in the film series, escorting her grandson to Platform 9-3/4 in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. While she receives tragically less screen time than the books would have you believe, at least her contribution to the film is not resorted mainly to a glimpse of a photo, much like Neville's mother and father, Frank (James Payton) and Alice (Lisa Wood), members of the original Order of the Phoenix tortured into insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter). Neville tells this story to Harry in the Order of the Phoenix film.
In the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry encounters Neville and his grandmother at St. Mungo's visiting Frank and Alice. However, this brief, heartbreaking scene didn't make it into the film.
House of Gaunt
Descending from Salazar Slytherin was the House of Gaunt, a family that took incredible pride in their pure-blood wizardry, much so that members would marry their own close cousins in order to maintain the purity of their lineage. Well, as it tends to be the case with anyone who procreates with a relative, this would cause many issues within the family tree, both physically and psychologically, to that point that even Tom Riddle (a young Voldemort) was disgusted to have come from such people. The House of Gaunt were first mentioned in the penultimate novel of the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the 2009 film adaptation of which pays little to no mind to its history, save Dumbledore's claim that the Horcrux once belonged to Voldemort's mother, Merope Gaunt.
Phineas Nigellus Black
One of the sentient portraits hanging from the walls of Hogwarts is Phineas Nigellus Black (John Atterbury), who was once a headmaster of Hogwarts while still alive. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Albus Dumbledore asks to move to a his portrait located at the Order's headquarters in hopes to check on the location of Ron's father, Arthur Weasley (Mark Williams). While Black has a far more considerable role in the final book, his one brief scene in Order of the Phoenix is his sole appearance in the entire film series.
What do you think? Should these characters have been given a better piece of the spotlight in the Harry Potter films or do the stories succeed well enough without them and, furthermore, does their exclusion from the cinematic adaptation actually give them more power within the empathetic hearts of devoted fans? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for more updates on the fantasy franchise here on CinemaBlend.
