Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore has performed poorly with Harry Potter fans, leaving many wondering what the franchise's future looks like. It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what has made Newt's story so much less popular than Harry's. It could be that audiences have just lost interest since they already know how Albus Dumbledore's fight with Grindelwald will end and, later, how he will die.
This makes achieving a satisfying end for Dumbledore and the other characters in Fantastic Beasts challenging. Even the Harry Potter series didn't always have this perfected, with fans on Reddit voicing their displeasure at the deaths or wrapped-up stories of several characters. In their eyes, the likes of Sirius Black, Cedric Diggory, the Longbottoms, and even Bellatrix Lestrange deserved endings better than they got and have shared how they would have preferred to see these characters concluded.
Sirius Black
Sirius Black had several great quotes in Harry Potter, resulting in a character that was difficult not to love. For this reason, his death in Order of the Phoenix was devastating for many fans who, like Redditor Calliope_Laning, feel that Sirius should have had a chance at happiness.
"I feel Sirius should have gotten a way better ending," they said, pointing out that his life had been nothing but tragedy after his best friend's death. Sirius' death might have been essential to Harry's growth, but it would have been easier to let him go if he had had any period of true happiness in the series.
Molly Weasley
Molly might have survived the Harry Potter series, but for all that she went through and lost, Redditor Aki_14 felt she "deserved something grand" for her final moments on the page or screen.
While defeating Bellatrix Lestrange was a victory, Molly was about more than just protecting her children. Instead, the series could have ended her story by welcoming Harry to live permanently in her home or sharing a touching moment with her hurting family.
Cedric Diggory
Cedric Diggory's death showed Harry just how real Voldemort's return was and provided an example of the danger even children were in under the Dark Lord's reign. Still, as one of the few Hufflepuff personalities in Harry Potter, it would have been nice to see a little more of Cedric. Redditor 05nine noted he had "an entire future ahead of him," but it was all taken away.
Of course, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child does explore what would have happened if Cedric hadn't died, and it wasn't a much better end for the character. Since Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy humiliated him in the second task, Cedric Diggory turns to the Dark Arts. He becomes a villain himself (in that timeline)— still far from what he deserves.
Mad-Eye Moody
Mad-Eye Moody was easy for Harry (and audiences) to like, which made the reveal that he was actually Barty Crouch Jr all the more surprising. Then, the real Moody was hardly ever featured since he only appeared in short scenes in Order of the Phoenix and Deathly Hallows.
Audiences didn't even get to see Moody's death in Deathly Hallows firsthand but only heard the details of it from Bill. Given Moody's reputation as a battle-scarred warrior, Redditor SuspeceEmbassy said they would have liked to see a "more active" final battle for Moody. He deserved to go down in a dramatic blaze of glory.
Remus Lupin
Even though he is a Gryffindor, a great deal of Lupin's character arc revolves around his battle with cowardice. In Prisoner of Azkaban, he was too afraid to tell Dumbledore that Sirius was an Animagus, and in Deathly Hallows, he struggled to fight his impulse to leave his family.
This makes Lupin's death in the Battle of Hogwarts "pointless," according to Redditor Fawkes_91 since it negates his decision to stay and raise his son. It might have continued the trend of orphans of war, but Lupin raising Teddy alone would have been enough to drive that point home.
Nymphadora Tonks
Nymphadora Tonks is summed up in Harry Potter by her lighthearted nature. She brings levity to the Order of the Phoenix on top of her powerful abilities. This made her a fast favorite, especially for readers that appreciated her punk style.
However, to her fans' disappointment, Tonks is hardly seen in the year leading up to her death. This is why Redditor Narcissablack03 was disappointed with "Tonks'" ending, especially considering audiences didn't even see her final moments.
Alice And Frank Longbottom
Frank and Alice Longbottom survived the first wizarding war, but many said that the fate they suffered was even worse than death. Harry and co. got a glimpse of what they meant when they saw Neville's parents at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries in the Order of the Phoenix book.
Redditor MedianHue noted how Alice gave Neville a present "even though it was only a gum wrapper." It was a bitterly sweet moment that left audiences hoping to see a happy ending for Neville and his family. Of course, the couple is never shown again and doesn't even make it into the movies, so viewers never get their wish.
Lavender Brown
Lavender Brown wasn't portrayed as a particularly likable character, but Redditor CheruthCutestory pointed out that this was never a fault of her own. "This poor girl never did a thing wrong except being a bit girly," they said. Hermione didn't much like her, but that was only because she dated Ron.
Despite the messy dating history, Lavender still stayed at Hogwarts to fight against Voldemort, proving that she was far more than a ditz. In the end, however, the series never even clarified if Lavender died or made a recovery after Greyback attacked her—an unfair ending for the character.
Bellatrix Lestrange
Much of Voldemort's first lieutenant's life is a mystery, leaving Harry Potter fans to theorize about Bellatrix Lestrange. She was almost worse than her master, and the Cursed Child reveal that she had given birth to a daughter before her death was a surprise to all.
While Bellatrix's defeat by Molly Weasley was an exciting moment, one Reddit user thought that the villain's death would have been more satisfying if it had been "Neville" to "get her." After all, she had made it her personal mission to torture the boy, so it would have only been fair if he had finished her off.
Severus Snape
Their relationship was complicated, but Harry could never have defeated Voldemort if it wasn't for Severus Snape. He played an essential part in keeping Harry safe and ensuring he knew his destiny. However, the fact that Harry was never able to speak to Snape after learning the truth was a disappointment.
Snape's hatred for Harry is unlikely to have lessened, but some closure on their rivalry would have brought a great end to the character's arc. Plus, as pointed out by Redditor CheruthCurestory, it would have been satisfying to see Snape "able to confront" Voldemort and reveal that he had been a double agent all along.