Harry Potter: 10 Important Characters from the Books That Were Changed or Left Out

As far as adaptations go, the Harry Potter franchise did a spectacular job of portraying the magical wizarding world. The films were able to capture the essence of the wizarding world, as built by J.K Rowling. However, given the limitations of film as a medium, plus financial and time constraints, sometimes certain changes need to be made. Here are 10 important characters from the books that were either changed or left out of the Harry Potter franchise.

10 Peeves the Poltergeist

Ghosts are one of the many magical/supernatural creatures that reside at Hogwarts, along with the students and professors. Those who have read the book will know that one of the most prominent ghosts is the mischievous Peeves the poltergeist, who is constantly causing trouble for the students and teachers alike. While Peeves doesn’t have a pivotal part to play in the story, his presence in the books is still hard to ignore. For instance, in Harry’s first year, Peeves causes trouble for the Golden Trio by telling Argus Filch that they’re out after curfew. He also assists Fred and George Weasley when the trio decides to cause chaos for Dolores Umbridge.

9 Argus Filch

Argus Filch is introduced in the books and the films as the caretaker of Hogwarts. The crotchety caretaker seems to have an unhealthy obsession with his cat Mrs. Norris and is always ready to catch the Golden Trio if they’re breaking the rules. However, the films never expand further into Argus Filch’s character. For instance, one important detail that helps make fans more sympathetic towards the caretaker is when it’s revealed that he’s a Squib. A Squib is a non-magical person with at least one parent who has the ability to do magic. Harry finds out that Filch is a Squib when he finds a Kwikspell book, a beginner’s magic book for adults, in his office.

8 The Marauders

Those familiar with the Harry Potter franchise will know that The Marauders practically have their own fandom. Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black, and James Potter make up The Marauders. The four also go by Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. Unfortunately, despite the Prisoner of Azkaban mainly focusing on the past surrounding Harry’s father and his friends, the movie never really explains properly who The Marauders were.

They’re also the ones who created the Marauder’s Map that Fred and George give to Harry. However, in the movies, Harry never releases that it belonged to his father. In addition, all the Marauders with the exception of Remus, who is a werewolf, were unregistered Animagi and could turn into a particular animal at will. This also would explain how Sirius escaped Azkaban and how Wormtail was living with the Weasleys. However, the movie never addresses these details.

7 Winky

When the word house elf pops up, many of the movie watchers would think of Dobby. But those who have read the books would be able to name Winky as well. It’s Winky who helps the Golden Trio in the Goblet of Fire by revealing the truth about the Crouch family. She reveals that it’s Barty Crouch who put Harry’s name in the Goblet of Fire and then delivered him to Voldemort. Not only does the movie leave Winky out, but as a consequence, this also leads the films to gloss over Barty Crouch’s backstory as well. It’s also Winky who leads Hermione to start her house-elf welfare society, S.P.E.W. Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. Hermione forms the society when Winky is fired by Barty Crouch Sr. during the Quidditch World Cup.

6 Ludo Bagman

Ludo Bagman is another character missing from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. He’s a retired Quidditch player who is one of the judges during the Quidditch World Cup and also the organizer of the Triwizard Tournament. Throughout the tournament, Ludo is suspiciously helpful and even goes as far as to give him undeserving high scores. It is later revealed that all of Ludo’s actions are fueled by the fact that he bet on Harry for the tournament. In fact, Ludo takes off without paying any of his gambling debts.

He even owes the Weasley twins quite a lot of money! Unfortunately, Ludo doesn’t show up in the film, which is also why fans of the movie never learn that the Weasley twins wanted to open a joke shop with the money Ludo took off with. When Harry discovers this, he gives the twins his Triwizard prize money, so the two can start their business.

5 Charlie Weasley

Speaking of the Weasleys, Charlie Weasley, the second-oldest child, is never really seen in the entire Harry Potter franchise. Charlie, who works with dragons in Romania, is the go-to person for the Golden Trio whenever they have dragon-related issues. For instance, in the first book, Charlie is the one who helps relocate Norbert the baby dragon before Hagrid can get into trouble. Charlie is also the one who helps wrangle dragons for the first task of the Triwizard Tournament, and also gives Ron a hint in advance to help Harry.

4 Rita Skeeter

Much like the Marauders, whose Animagi were never mentioned, the Harry Potter movies never reveal that Rita Skeeter was also an unregistered Animagus. The nosy Daily Prophet journalist causes a lot of trouble for Harry and his friends in the Goblet of Fire. In the books, Hermione discovers that Rita can transform into a beetle and that’s how she gathers information for her gossip column. Hermione uses this information to blackmail Rita to stop her from spreading rumors about Harry. Later in the Order of the Phoenix, Hermione again uses this information to make Rita interview Harry for The Quibbler, so that he can reveal the truth about Voldemort.

3 Alice and Frank Longbottom

Perhaps one of the most heartbreaking backstories belongs to Neville Longbottom’s parents, Alice and Frank Longbottom. In the Order of the Phoenix, it is revealed that both Alice and Frank Longbottom fought against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Unfortunately, the two were captured by the Death Eaters and were tortured till they went insane. The Golden Trio encounter the Longbottoms when they visit St. Mungo’s Hospital, where the two are admitted. This adds more depth to Neville's character, however, it’s never really mentioned in the films.

2 Nymphadora Tonks

Nymphadora Tonks, the clumsy yet full-of-life Auror, and Metamorphmagus, who can change her appearance at will, is shown in the films. However, many fans of the books would argue that the movies did not do justice to her character. She plays a pivotal role in the books; not only does she help Arthur Weasley protect the prophecy in Order of Phoenix, but she’s also a constant for Harry, offering him advice and help when needed. In addition, Tonks is more three-dimensional in the books. She’s not just shown as someone who’s constantly happy or joking around, but as a real person with emotions. For instance, in Half-Blood Prince, when Voldemort is back, she’s worried. In addition, she’s shown to be depressed when it seems that Lupin does not share her feelings. It’s sad that the book Tonks had so much depth that the film Tonks was unable to capture.

1 Sirius Black

Sirius Black is another character who was changed in the films, whether this change was a good thing or a bad thing is debatable. Book Sirius was more immature and acted like a brother to Harry. On the other hand, movie Sirius was not only more mature, but during the brief time he spent with Harry, he became a father figure of sorts. In addition, the movies don’t mention Sirius’ will. Sirius Black had left Harry not only his family home at 12 Grimmauld Place, but also the Black family house-elf, Kreacher. This also explains why Kreacher, who didn’t seem to like Harry much, did not hesitate to follow his orders in the Deathly Hallows.