During their time in the spotlight, the Harry Potter movies were all substantial box office hits. Part of the reason for this is because of the wonderful characters from this wizarding world, with the likes of Harry, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger all becoming iconic in the years since. The main trio obviously got plenty of screen time, along with major players Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape.
However, there were definitely some characters who deserved to be utilized more. Some were snubbed when it came to the big-screen version of the story, leaving fans a little disappointed as a result.
Draco Malfoy
This may be surprising given that Draco Malfoy appears in every single Harry Potter movie. But Tom Felton's character, while prominent during the first two blockbusters, then ends up taking a backseat role. Instead, he's just a tame bully — all bark and very little bite.
In the books, Draco is a far more menacing presence and that's something the movies failed to capture. Many moments from the original material, such as when he helped Rita Skeeter, gets Harry banned from Quidditch, and gets beaten up on the Hogwarts Express all failed to make the cut, leaving the character feeling a little underwhelming as a result.
Ginny Weasley
Ginny Weasley is another character who, like Draco, appears in every single Harry Potter movie. The books paint her to be a fiery redhead, much like mother Molly, but with warmth and personality in abundance. Bonnie Wright did well while playing the character but many of Ginny's scenes weren't included, with the movies choosing to focus on Harry, Ron, and Hermione instead.
Fans were deprived of the chance to see Ginny give Harry an embarrassing Valentine's Day card in Chamber of Secrets, come up with the name "Dumbledore's Army" during the events of Order of the Phoenix, and defend Hogwarts when the Death Eaters infiltrate in Half-Blood Prince — all of which would have fleshed out the youngest of the Weasley clan far more.
Colin Creevey
Colin Creevey is introduced in Chamber of Secrets. An enthusiastic Gryffindor student, he's absolutely besotted by Harry upon meeting the hero for the first time. Colin is then tragically attacked by Tom Riddle's Basilisk and, though he's restored to full health, that's the last fans see of the character.
Colin was replaced by a new character, Nigel, for the rest of the Potter movies from that moment on. And while the decision to change things up isn't a big deal, it still meant Colin was sold short. His sad death in the Deathly Hallows book is key to Harry, firing him up to defeat Lord Voldemort once and for all — whatever the cost.
Gilderoy Lockhart
Sure, Gilderoy Lockhart makes appearances in just two of the books, but that number is halved when it comes to the movies, with Kenneth Branagh's character appearing in solely Chamber of Secrets. The cocky Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher ends up losing his memories in that film and is then never seen again.
However, it would have been epic to see him appear in Order of the Phoenix, too. Fans of solely the movies will have been left wondering what happened to Lockhart after his accident and the book clarifies things, with the fallen icon spending the rest of his days in St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Harry visits the hospital after Arthur Weasley comes precariously close to being killed off.
Dobby
Dobby the house-elf was hugely popular when the second movie released in 2002. With his cute big eyes and high-pitched voice, he's definitely brought to life, though many of his scenes in later books were overlooked, with the films choosing to give his actions to Neville Longbottom instead.
In the Goblet of Fire book, it's Dobby who steals Gillyweed from Severus Snape's office — not of Neville. And it's a similar story in Order of the Phoenix, in which the house-elf finds the Room of Requirement. Dobby's scenes were perhaps changed to save money on CGI but given his immense popularity, fans were definitely left wanting more.
Remus Lupin
Replacing Lockhart as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher in Prisoner of Azkaban, Remus Lupin is one of the best characters in the whole of Harry Potter. Alas, Lupin's screentime decreases as the movies go on, and by the time he perished at the Battle of Hogwarts in the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, he's nothing more than a member of the supporting cast.
Lupin is far more in the books, acting as a mentor to Harry and even attempting to join the Golden Trio as they hunt down Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes. That meant Lupin's death was far more hard-hitting, representing a big emotional blow because Harry had lost yet another parental figure in his life. And it's a similar story when it comes to his wife, too...
Nymphadora Tonks
Nymphadora Tonks first appears in the Order of the Phoenix movie, though doesn't get much screentime. She's absent for the majority of Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows: Part 1 movies, too, before being killed off alongside husband Remus in the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
The movies chose to omit the whole storyline of the pair getting together, which dominates the sixth book. There's no mention of her giving Harry a mini Firebolt as a present, coping with depression, and giving birth to baby Teddy Lupin. Teddy's birth is perhaps one of the biggest snubbed storylines because Harry becomes his godfather, enhancing his character in the process.
Kreacher
Kreacher the house-elf makes a fleeting appearance in Order of the Phoenix before then appearing in Deathly Hallows: Part 1. However, the character comes across as bland due to the fact many details about him are omitted from the final cuts of both movies.
In the fifth book, Kreacher is actually part of the reason Sirius Black dies — injuring Buckbeak to distract Harry's godfather so the Boy Who Lived will fall for Voldemort's trick. The Half-Blood Prince movie doesn't show Harry taking ownership of the house-elf at the Dursley house, with Petunia recoiling at the sight of the house-elf. And Kreacher doesn't spill the secrets of Regulus Black, either...
Regulus Black
Regulus Black is only pictured during the Half-Blood Prince movie, appearing on the walls of Horace Slughorn's hideout. Other than that, he's completely missing in action.
The story of his heroic sacrifice to acquire Lord Voldemort's locket Horcrux is completely omitted from the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, making his introduction in the previous movie utterly pointless. Sure, it may have been too dark for younger viewers to hear of Inferi dragging him underwater to his death, but given the magnitude of his actions, it would have made sense to include it.
Augusta Longbottom
Augusta Longbottom is Neville Longbottom's grandmother. She makes a brief appearance in The Philosopher's Stone but, other than that movie, doesn't appear again. And that's a crying shame because her treatment of her grandson mirrors his own development as a character.
Augusta is strict on Neville during his early years at Hogwarts but after he helps Harry at the Ministry of Magic in Order of the Phoenix, she changes her tune. It's immensely satisfying when she expresses her pride in Neville during the Deathly Hallows book after learning that he's leading the fight against the Death Eaters at the Battle of Hogwarts. And she doesn't hesitate to get involved in the battle herself, despite her age.