The Harry Potter movies brought many of the characters from the books to life on-screen, but, with so many characters mentioned in the books, it wasn’t possible for them all to be included. While all of the main characters who were central to the story were in the movies, there were many side and supporting characters who got cut. From Ron’s brother to Hogwarts professors and more, the movies just didn’t have time to include everything.
Here’s a list of ten characters who were noticeably absent from the Harry Potter movies.
10. DENNIS CREEVEY
Dennis Creevey is the younger brother of Colin Creevey. He is introduced in the books in Prisoner of Azkaban, and he also joins Dumbledore’s Army in his second year. While his older brother, Colin, is in the movies, he is not. This makes sense as Dennis is never really central to the plot and his presence isn't really needed. However, it is rather sad that he’s left out seeing as he is a heroic character who fights in the Battle of Hogwarts and who sees his brother lose his life in that battle.
9. HEPZIBAH SMITH
Hepzibah Smith is a woman who was very rich who collected magical objects of historical importance. She collected Helga Hufflepuff's cup and Salazar Slytherin’s locket. Voldemort was able to get these items from her and use them to create two of his Horcruxes. This information is told to Harry in the Half-Blood Prince book, but it doesn’t make it to the screen. There are actually quite a few characters related to Voldemort’s backstory who are not introduced into the movies. This makes sense as it’s hard to tell all the nuanced details if this complicated story on screen.
8. MARIETTA EDGECOMBE
Marietta Edgecombe is another Hogwarts student who isn’t included in the movies. She was a Ravenclaw and a friend of Cho Chang. She joined Dumbledore’s Army, mostly because Cho wanted her to, and was the reason that Umbridge found about the organization. In the movies, this character is absent altogether. This was a good choice since Order of the Phoenix was already such a long and intricate book, and there wasn’t really a need to include her character.
7. PROFESSOR BINNS
Fans of the books will remember Professor Binns as the boring History of Magic professor who is actually a ghost. In the books, the students always remake on how boring his classes are, but he’s never very central to the plot.
His most notable moment was when he explains the myth of the Chamber of Secrets to Harry, but this role was given to Professor McGonagall in the movies. While the character might add color to Hogwarts in the books, he wasn’t a necessary addition as he was always in the background.
6. LUDO BAGMAN
Ludo Bagman was a character who featured heavily in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, but he was not included in the movies at all. This is likely because it would have taken way too much explanation and screen time than was available in an already complicated storyline. Ludo was the Department of Magical Games and Sports and played a part in creating the Triwizard Tournament in the books.
He also used to be a famous Quidditch player.
5. WINKY
Winky is another character from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire who didn’t make it into the movies. She was the house-elf of Barty Crouch Sr. and played a large role in keeping the family’s secrets after Barty Crouch Sr. and his wife freed their son from Azkaban.
In the books, she is blamed by Barty Crouch for the escape of Barty Crouch Jr. and released from the household. Dobby befriends her she begins working as a house elf at Hogwarts.
4. THE GAUNT FAMILY
In the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie, many of the details about Voldemort's story are left out. The book is able to go into a lot more detail about how Voldermort grew to be the dark, powerful wizard Harry knows. The movies do not go into detail about the Gaunt family, including Voldemort's mother, Merope Gaunt. The story, while fascinating in the books, would have been hard to tell on-screen, so the tale of Voldemort's maternal family is left untold.
3. PEEVES
Peeves is one character that almost anyone who has read the Harry Potter series will notice is absent in the movies. Peeves is shown many times throughout the books getting up to trouble. Peeves the Poltergeist was definitely one of the characters who helped Hogwarts seem rich, storied, and magical.
He likely wasn’t included because he was unnecessary to the plot and would have cost time and money to create with special effects. While he’s not an essential character, he definitely was someone fans wish they could have seen in the movies. Hogwarts just isn’t the same without him.
2. NEVILLE’S PARENTS AND GRANDMA
In the movies, there are passing mentions of Neville’s parents and grandmother, but they don’t really show up like they do in the books. His grandmother, Augusta Longbottom, is present for a few different scenes throughout the books and is clearly a big force in Neville’s life. We also learn about the horrible fate of Neville’s parents in the books, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione run into them at St. Mungos Hospital. We do, however, see Neville's parents in the picture of the original Order of the Phoenix.
1. CHARLIE WEASLEY
In the books, the Weasley’s have seven children. The two older brothers, Charlie and Bill, aren’t featured as much as the younger five but are sometimes around. While Bill does make it to the big screen, Charlie Weasley does not. While this character was never super essential, he was a member of the Order of the Phoenix and fought in the Battle of Hogwarts. His career was centered around studying dragons in Romania, and his most notable moment from the books was when he helped the trio remove baby Norbert the dragon from Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.