The Harry Potter movies did a stellar job at bringing the characters from JK Rowling's novels to life. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson were all superb as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger respectively, while Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter were spectacular as villainous duo Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange. With only a certain amount of screentime to work with, however, not every individual from the source material made it onto the big screen.
So, we'll now take a look back at the eight Potter movies released between 2001 and 2011 and name the biggest missing character from every blockbuster. First up, one of the Weasley clan...
The Sorcerer's Stone: Charlie Weasley
Over the course of the eight Potter blockbusters, fans get to see the majority of the Weasley family. Ron, Fred, George, Ginny, Percy, and Molly all appear in the Sorcerer's Stone. Arthur popped up in The Chamber of Secrets, while Bill then appears for the first time in the Half-Blood Prince. However, one character who doesn't appear is Charlie Weasley.
In the first book, Charlie flies to Hogwarts to help Harry and Hermione get rid of Norbert the dragon, who Rubeus Hagrid has been illegally keeping as a pet inside his small wooden hut. Yet, things were changed for the movie of the same name. Charlie doesn't appear, and Harry and Hermione are joined by Ron on their little jaunt instead, with the trio later dobbed in by Draco Malfoy. Unfortunately for Draco, he also receives detention for being out of bed after dark.
The Chamber Of Secrets: Professor Binns
Fans of the Potter movies get to see various lessons play out, from Defence Against the Dark Arts to Transfiguration, Herbology to Potions. But, one class they never get to witness is History of Magic, which is taught by the ghostly Professor Binns. It's a dull subject for the most part, though it does have somewhat importance during the events of the Chamber of Secrets book.
It's Binns who tells students all about the Chamber instead of Minerva McGonagall. It's the only time where students are captivated by his words, with pupils normally bored to sleep. Binns is somewhat unsettled by being the center of attention, and, afterward, goes back to chatting about goblins and other medievil moments. It would have been good to see the character in movie form, but Warner Bros chose to do things differently instead.
The Prisoner Of Azkaban: Cedric Diggory
Cedric Diggory's death at the hands of Lord Voldemort and Peter Pettigrew in the Goblet of Fire is one of the saddest moments in the entire franchise. The character first appears in the fourth movie, but things are different in the books, with the Hufflepuff student instead introduced during the events of the Prisoner of Azkaban novel. Had he appeared in the film of the same name, then it could have made his passing even more tragic.
Cedric is actually the Hufflepuff seeker who beats Harry to the golden snitch during their Quidditch match. Sportingly, he attempts to get the result overturned due to the fact that dementors stormed the field of play, putting Harry's side at a disadvantage in the process. However, his words fall on deaf ears, and it's the only time Harry tastes defeat during the course of the series. That said, he still tastes Quidditch Cup glory come the end of the year.
The Goblet Of Fire: Ludo Bagman
Given how the Goblet of Fire is one of the longest books in the series, it's understandable some characters from the novel didn't appear in the movie. Yet, it's still a shame we never got to see Ludo Bagman brought to life. He wasn't even cast, but he's the source of some intriguing sub-plots during the fourth entry.
Ludo helps Harry through the Triwizard Tournament because of his fondness for gambling, a habit that lands him in some big trouble with goblins as well as Fred and George Weasley. He ends up having to go on the run at the end of the fourth novel, and it's unknown what happened to him later in life. It was rumored he'd come out of retirement to compete for England in the 2014 Quidditch World Cup, but this doesn't happen, with Viktor Krum returning, instead.
The Order Of The Phoenix: Marietta Edgecombe
In the Order of the Phoenix movie, Cho Chang is given a truth potion known as Veritaserum by Dolores Umbridge. While under the influence, she gives up Dumbledore's Army, leading to many of her friends being severely punished and also her and Harry splitting up. However, the book of the same name actually has a character called Marietta Edgecombe, who gives up the secret organization of her own free will.
With her parents employed by the Ministry of Magic, Marietta buckles. But, she pays dearly for her actions due to Hermione Granger, who had performed a naughty curse that leaves the word 'SNEAK' in big, bold letters. This stays on her forehead for the rest of her life, and Harry and Cho instead split because of the latter's inability to get over Cedric Diggory's death. For narrative purposes, this change made sense.
The Half-Blood Prince: The Gaunts
In the Half-Blood Prince, Harry and Albus Dumbledore go back in time to peer into the upbringing of Lord Voldemort. They see Tom Riddle in an old muggle orphanage and also witness a moment where he persuades a reluctant Horace Slughorn into giving up information on Horcruxes. What the flashbacks don't show, though, is the Gaunt family.
The book of the same name delves deep into Riddle's origins. They show his horrible grandfather Marvolo, who has a huge disdain for muggles and muggle-sympathizers. They offer an insight into Morfin Gaunt, Tom's vile uncle who attacks anybody he pleases. And then there's Merope, Voldemort's mother, who was treated with hatred and loathing by her other family members. We would have loved to have seen all this play out on the big screen, but, ultimately, it wasn't to be.
The Deathly Hallows Part 1: Andromeda and Ted Tonks
For the most part, the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 movie is very much book accurate. There is, however, a couple of characters who didn't appear. When Harry and Hagrid crash following their skirmish with the Death Eaters above the skies of Little Whinging, they land in The Burrow. But, in the source material, they instead plummet into the garden of Andromeda and Ted Tonks, the parents of Order of the Phoenix member Nymphadora.
Harry is struck by how much Andromeda looks like Bellatrix Lestrange, but he soon recovers to thank her for her hospitality. Ted is a nice guy, and he later goes on the run when the Death Eaters attempt to reel in muggle-borns from around the world. He sadly dies, murdered by Snatchers along with friends Dirk Creswell and Gornuk the Goblin. Harry hears them all talking while hiding out in a tent but, tragically, can't save them from their horrible fate.
The Deathly Hallows Part 2: Teddy Lupin
The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is certainly entertaining, but it'ss far too short for our liking. It's actually the shortest movie in the entire series, which is a crying shame. That means that it had time spare to use, and it should have been decided to introduce the character of Teddy Lupin, child of Remus and Tonks.
In the book, Harry is named godfather by Remus in an act that has the Boy Who Lived worried about whether he'll be as reckless as his own godfather, Sirius Black. Teddy's birth isn't even mentioned in the final Potter outing until after his father's death, and he's not present for the flashback at the end of the blockbuster. In The Flesh actor Luke Newberry was cast to play Teddy, but, in the end, his scenes were left on the cutting room floor.