Harry Potter: 10 Deaths We Didn’t Get To See In The Movies

The Harry Potter books and movies were both aimed at young audiences – but that didn’t stop them from killing off characters left, right and center throughout their run. Many of these we actually got see play out on the big screen leaving audience members with feelings of sadness, anger or joy – depending on the character.

But some took place in the background while the rest of the story was going on. Others didn’t even get a mention. And, with some, we only got to see the aftermaths. Here are 10 deaths we didn’t get to see in the movies.

10 Barty Crouch Sr

We catch just a glimpse of Barty Crouch Sr’s body in the Goblet of Fire movie but, despite being a relatively significant character, we don’t get an explanation as to how it happened. There’s a hint that his son, Barty Crouch Jr, is behind it but, unless you’re a fan of the book, you don’t get the details.

In the book, Crouch Jr murders his father while disguised as Alastor Moody. He then transforms the body into a bone and, rather horrifically, buries it in the Forbidden Forest. Given how brutal that is, we’re not entirely surprised we didn’t get to see this play out.

9 Bertha Jorkins

In the Goblet of Fire book, Bertha Jorkins is a Ministry of Magic employee who goes missing. Nobody seems particularly alarmed – but little do they know she’s actually kidnapped by Lord Voldemort who, after extracting some big information from her, decides to tie up loose ends.

Bertha doesn’t even make it into the blockbuster, however, and Warner Bros instead have Voldemort learn about the Triwizard Tournament through both Peter Pettigrew and Barty Crouch Jr.

8 Igor Karkaroff

Igor Karkaroff is in the Goblet of Fire as well – but that’s not when he dies. He instead perishes two years later, with his body found in the Shrieking Shack. after going on the run following Lord Voldemort’s return to power.

In fairness, the book doesn’t give too much away. But, given Karkaroff was at the center of things in the Goblet of Fire movie, it would have been a nice touch to include this.

7 Aragog

Aragog is the stuff of nightmares, He’s a horrible arachnid who instructs his species into attacking Harry Potter and Ron Weasley during the events of the Chamber of Secrets – despite them informing the beast that they’re friends with his owner, Rubeus Hagrid.

His death happens off-screen as well, but there are no details given in the movie. In the source material, it’s instead told of how he’s sick and ill for most of the year before, at long last, succumbing.

6 Alastor Mad-Eye Moody

This is a death we feel should have been told via some form of a flashback, particularly given how loved the character of Alastor ‘Mad-Eye’ Moody was among the fans. Instead, we only get Bill Weasley grunting the words ‘Mad-Eye’s dead’ in Deathly Hallows: Part 1.

It doesn’t explain how he was killed by Lord Voldemort himself, nor does it explain Mundungus Fletcher fleeing from the scene to save his own skin. Instead, those watching on the big screen have to use their imagination to get to the bottom of what happens.

5 Peter Pettigrew

While we feel Moody’s death should have been shown, it’s the opposite with Peter Pettigrew. And that’s because we feel it would have traumatized youngsters given its violent nature.

Pettigrew perishes via his own hand – literally. The silver limb given to him by Lord Voldemort three years before in reward for his loyalty punishes him for a moment of weakness, a moment of disloyalty. His decision to hesitate and contemplate letting Harry go costs him dearly and the hand ends up turning on the Marauder, choking him until he breaths no more.

4 Colin Creevey

Remember Colin Creevey? The loveable, albeit slightly irritating character from the Chamber of Secrets who idolizes Harry and gets petrified by the Basilisk? Well, unfortunately, that bright young spark is extinguished in the Deathly Hallows novel with Oliver Wood carrying his body away from the Battle of Hogwarts.

This doesn’t happen in the movie, however. This is presumably because Warner Bros chose to scrap the character for one of their own instead, with Nigel becoming the Colin of the series from the Order of the Phoenix onwards.

3 Fred Weasley

The last we see of Fred Weasley alive, he’s screaming amid a duel with a Death Eater. The next minute his body is lying among the fallen in the Great Hall.

We’re not sure why the decision was made to skim over the death of Fred, who was easily one of the most popular characters in the entire franchise. In JK Rowling’s book, he dies with a smile on his face as an explosion rocks Hogwarts and sends people flying. Percey Weasley, Harry, and Ron are all present when this happens.

2 Remus Lupin

The final two deaths weren’t shown in the book either but, given how Rowling opened up on how they happened, it would have made sense to include them in the movie itself.

Remus Lupin’s body is shown but what audience members don’t know is who killed him. Rowling later explained that it was Death Eater Antonin Dolohov, who was one of the people who broke out of Azkaban prison three years before. Some solace can be taken from the fact, though, that Dolohov later falls to Professor Flitwick in combat.

1 Nymphadora Tonks

Nymphadora Tonks is seen lying next to her dead husband, Remus Lupin, in the Great Hall during the brief break in the Battle of Hogwarts. Like Lupin, no details surrounding her passing were given in either the book or movie versions of the story.

But Rowling revealed after the release of her novel that Tonks didn’t die alongside Lupin. Instead, it was evil cousin Bellatrix Lestrange who got to her. And that makes us hate the character of Bellatrix that bit more, knowing she took a mother away from her new-born son, Teddy.