These Five “Harry Potter” Characters Need Their Own Books
Secondary characters don’t have enough page time in the Harry Potter series. What about Dobby the house-elf, who saved Harry’s life numerous times, or Regulus Black, who betrayed Lord Voldemort? The background characters made the wizarding world feel vibrant and real, and they are just as important to the series. Here are five characters that deserve their own books.
1. Andromeda Tonks
If Harry Potter has taught us anything, it’s that mothers are a protective and powerful force for good. While Nymphadora Tonks is out there saving the world as an Auror, her mother is at home having to worry about her. If that isn’t enough, Bellatrix hates both Andromeda and Nymphadora and is out to get them. Later in the series, Andromeda’s husband, Edward, dies at the hands of Snatchers. Rereading the books, I couldn’t help being amazed by Andromeda’s strength: She cares for her family and protects Harry even though it puts her in danger. She’s a background character but is so brave in a quiet way. Imagine a book about her early life; I bet she was a powerful witch!
2. Rowena Ravenclaw
We never meet Rowena herself in the series, but she is a pillar of Hogwarts school. Rowena is clever and imaginative, and history remembers her as one of the smartest witches. Yet a tragic past featured the murder of her daughter by the Bloody Baron. We have more questions than answers about Rowena. Sure, it would be amazing to have a story about all the Hogwarts founders, but Rowena is a special case. Her daughter, Helena, ends up having a connection to the lost diadem, but we never hear the story from Rowena’s perspective. She’s one of the most mysterious of the founders, and even her cause of death is sketchy. I like to imagine that she built a secret passage through one of the bookcases in the Ravenclaw common room.
3. Peeves
Let’s take a moment to mourn the fact that Peeves wasn’t in the movies. If he was, it would’ve made Fred and George’s mischief even more entertaining. Peeves is a poltergeist: an impish creature that plays pranks on the Hogwarts students. One day, he will undoubtedly give Filch a heart attack. To his credit, we can never forget his contribution to driving Umbridge away from Hogwarts. Pottermore states that Peeves has been around since the Hogwarts founders, but the rest of his origins are unknown. He’s as much a part of Hogwarts as the house-elves in the kitchens and the Whomping Willow on the grounds are. It would be great fun to read a collection of short stories on the history of Peeves’s pranks.
4. Charlie Weasley
Harry spends his summers at the Burrow, but we don’t get to know every member of the Weasley family. Charlie is off “chasing dragons” in Romania, as said by Oliver Wood. Besides the trio and Dumbledore, he’s one of the few people who are particularly fond of Hagrid and shares his love for magical creatures. In Harry’s first year at Hogwarts, Charlie helps Ron and his friends transport the dragon Norbert to safety. Even though it’s dangerous, Charlie hurries to help his brother so that the trio won’t get into trouble. He never hesitates to help Ron’s friends and immediately considers them part of the family. For these reasons, Charlie deserves to have a prequel story about his adventures in Romania with dragons.
5. Kingsley Shacklebolt
After the Battle of Hogwarts, few wizards were more crucial in reforming the Ministry of Magic than Kingsley Shacklebolt. In many ways, Shacklebolt reminds me of Harry. He’s an Auror, a member of the Order of the Phoenix, and skilled with creating a Patronus. Shacklebolt was a double agent when Voldemort took over the Ministry, and he leads some of the Order of the Phoenix’s dangerous missions. I remember that whenever he spoke in the books, I immediately felt that everything was going to be okay. Shacklebolt is calming and charismatic at the same time and is mature in a way that Harry isn’t yet. Enough about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; I want a follow-up story about Shacklebolt as Minister of Magic.
