Harry Potter Characters Who Died Off-Screen
"Harry Potter" has quite a few character deaths that upset fans. From Harry's godfather Sirius Black to Cedric Diggory, by the end of the seven-book and eight-film series, not everyone makes it out alive in the battle against Voldemort. The Golden Trio survive, but those close to them aren't necessarily safe. While some deaths are shown on screen, like Cedric Diggory's in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," not every character that dies in the franchise takes their last breath in front of the audience.
In fact, some characters whose deaths we do see happen in the books are changed to occur off-screen in the movies, while others that are noted in the series are cut out of the adaptations entirely. With so many characters and quite a few deaths that take place in the second half of the series, it can be hard to keep track of what is shown in each medium.
Grab your tissues as we head to Hogwarts to share the "Harry Potter" characters who died off-screen. Some may come as a surprise, some may be disappointing, and others you may not even realize the movies missed.
Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody
Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody is a well-known figure in the wizarding world. Though described as a "nutter" by George Weasley, Moody is considered one of the best Aurors, especially when he was in his prime. First introduced in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," he becomes the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. However, it isn't actually Moody — it's another wizard pretending to be him with Polyjuice Potion.
Readers next see Moody as himself in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," when he and other members of the Order of the Phoenix come to move Harry from the Dursleys' home to 12 Grimmauld Place. He continues to appear throughout the rest of the series, though the last time he appears alive is early on in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."
In the attempt to move Harry to a safe house, Moody is killed. We don't see it happen on the page. Bill Weasley informs the group after making it back to the Weasley family home that the Auror was hit with a curse and fell off his broom. His body is never recovered.
In the film adaptation "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1," Moody's death isn't shown on screen, either. The last glimpse viewers have of the famed Auror is as he throws a spell toward a Death Eater while flying away. As in the book, Bill is the one to inform the others that Moody died.
Aragog the Acromantula
Aragog the Acromantula is a "pet" of Hagrid's introduced in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." We use the term loosely because Aragog is a massive spider that lives in the Forbidden Forest and can take care of himself. However, he wasn't always the terrifying arachnid audiences know him as. Once, he was just a little baby spider, fed and kept by Hagrid, who was then a student at Hogwarts.
In "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the Acromantula dies. In the book, Hagrid shares with Harry that Aragog is sick, eventually writing to Harry when his beloved arachnid dies and inviting him to the funeral. It is then that readers are exposed to the dead Aragog. Harry uses the moment as a way to get a memory he needs from Professor Slughorn as he dives further into Voldemort's past.
Like the book, the adaptation doesn't show Aragog passing, but it does keep his burial in the movie. Viewers can watch as Harry, Hagrid, and Professor Slughorn pay their respects to the spider in different ways, from milking venom to arguably one of Harry's funniest moments in the film series. As readers don't see the death on the page, it makes sense that a death scene for Aragog wasn't written into the adaptation.
Barty Crouch Sr.
Barty Crouch Sr. is a Ministry of Magic official from the Department of International Magical Cooperation, first introduced in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" during the Quidditch World Cup. Within the wizarding world, his backstory is incredibly shocking, because he sentenced his son Barty Crouch Jr. to Azkaban for being a Death Eater. However, as an act of service for his wife before her death, he secretly removed his son from the prison, hiding him in his home instead.
Crouch Sr.'s death isn't on the page, but it is initially heavily hinted at. When he's last seen alive in the book, he's trying to talk to Dumbledore on the Hogwarts grounds. He then disappears. When it's revealed after the final task of the Triwizard Tournament that Moody is actually Crouch Jr., the whole story comes out. When Crouch Sr. was on the Hogwarts grounds, trying to confess to Dumbledore, Crouch Jr. as Moody killed his father and Transfigured his body into a bone, which is buried near Hagrid's home.
In the movie, the interrogation of Crouch Jr. is much shorter and what he did to his father isn't revealed. While the focus is on Cedric Diggory's death, not including the end of Crouch Sr.'s story leaves audiences wondering what happened to him.
Bertha Jorkins
Bertha Jorkins is a name many may not remember. She worked for Barty Crouch Sr. at the Ministry, and she is one of the individuals who discovered what he did for his wife. When she goes over to the Crouch home for signatures, she realizes what happened when she hears Winky, the family house-elf, speaking to Crouch Jr. in another part of the house. When she confronts Crouch Sr. about it, he modifies her memories. She already had a reputation for a less-than-stellar memory, so Crouch Sr.'s spell evaded notice by her colleagues at the Ministry.
This is used against her when Voldemort discovers Crouch Jr. could still be alive. He tortures her while she's on vacation in Albania. His methods are severe and result in her death, which is used to make Nagini a Horcrux. What happened to Bertha is outlined in detail in the fourth book, and though we don't see it, it humanizes her while also showing the lengths Voldemort is willing to go to for information he deems necessary.
However, Bertha's death isn't even mentioned in the film adaptation. Despite being a key part of the creation of a Horcrux and the explanation of how Crouch Jr. escaped his father, her story isn't included. While there are always moments and subplots cut for time, it is disappointing she is one of them, considering the impact her death has on the story and characters.
Colin Creevey
Colin Creevey is a huge Harry Potter fan introduced in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." A Muggle-born wizard, he is fascinated by all things magic — especially Harry — and always has his camera at the ready. His younger brother Dennis also attends Hogwarts. Though a minor character, Colin appears throughout the series, being Petrified by the Basilisk in his first year, joining Dumbledore's Army, and fighting in the Battle of Hogwarts — despite being evacuated from the castle grounds due to his age.
Until the end, Colin supports Harry, no matter the cause. From trying to change buttons to show support for Harry in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" to sneaking back to participate in the final battle, he fights to the end. In the books, his death isn't shown; we only know he dies because Harry sees Oliver Wood and Neville Longbottom carrying his body into the Great Hall.
Despite appearing throughout the series after his introduction, Colin is only included in the "Chamber of Secrets" film. His character — let alone his death — isn't brought up in the final movie, meaning his story, much like Barty Crouch Sr. and Bertha's, is erased from the adaptations. Only those who read the books know about the loss of one of the most pure-hearted characters in the series.
Florean Fortescue
Florean Fortescue is known for his ice cream shop, Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, in Diagon Alley. The entrepreneur gave Harry free sundaes when he did his summer homework there in "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," and Harry's friends meet there sometimes while shopping for school supplies.
However, in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," after arriving at the Weasley home, Bill shares the news that Florean is gone. His shop is empty, but no one is quite sure if he left of his own accord. Based on the state of his store, as described by Bill, it looks like the ice cream maker was "dragged off." It becomes clear that he has been taken by Voldemort, but it isn't obvious what the Dark Lord wants with Florean.
We know from Harry's time with him that the business owner is well-versed in history, specifically medieval witch hunts and burnings. It is likely that his knowledge in that area was considered essential to Voldemort. There's also the possibility that, as an owner of a popular establishment in Diagon Alley, Florean may have seen someone or something Voldemort wanted to know more about. Whatever Voldemort wants from him, it isn't good, and Florean ends up dying at his hands.
The ice cream maker appears briefly in the film adaptation of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," but is never mentioned again. His death isn't shown in the book, and isn't even brought up in the film.
Fred Weasley
George Weasley is the one who loses his ear, but Fred Weasley is the twin who dies in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2" during the Battle of Hogwarts. Unlike most of the characters on this list, readers do see Fred's final moments in the book.
During the Battle of Hogwarts, an explosion causes Harry, Hermione, Percy, Fred, and Ron to go flying through the air, all of them landing in the rubble. The Golden Trio and Percy survive the explosion, but Fred does not. Through Harry's eyes, the book shares that "the ghost of [his] last laugh" is the only bit of life that remains on the Weasley twin's face.
This scene doesn't make it into the film adaptation. In "Deathly Hallows – Part 2," audiences still discover Fred's death with Harry, but this time it's when he sees the Weasley family crowded around Fred's body, crying and hugging each other as they try to come to terms with their loss. It's a heartbreaking moment that's used as a catalyst for Harry to watch Severus Snape's memories and make the decision to walk to his death, especially after learning that he too is a Horcrux.
Though Fred may not be considered the saddest death of the franchise, especially when compared to Sirius Black, Dobby, or Hedwig, his death is one of the most devastating in the final book and film.
Igor Karkaroff
Igor Karkaroff, headmaster of the Durmstrang Institute and former Death Eater, first appears in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." With the Triwizard Tournament occurring, he is around Hogwarts throughout the school year, coaching his school's champion Viktor Krum.
Unlike other Death Eaters, he didn't serve time in Azkaban because he gave the Ministry a list of names. This puts him at a disadvantage when Voldemort rises again, as he isn't seen as a devoted follower. After running away at the end of "Goblet of Fire," presumably to save himself, he is found dead in a "shack up north," according to Remus Lupin in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." Like others on this list, his death is not shown in the book.
His character is featured in the "Goblet of Fire" adaptation, and the confirmation of his death is subtly included in the "Half-Blood Prince" movie. Rather than Lupin sharing the news, producers sneakily put Karkaroff's death announcement in the film. While not acknowledged, eagle-eyed viewers might be able to spot the newspaper headline about an hour in.
Hermione is reading The Daily Prophet while eating breakfast in the Great Hall, and if you squint just enough, you can see the headline "Former Durmstrang Headmaster Found Dead." A clearer version of the headline is available across fan websites, likely from an unreleased scene as it doesn't appear in the deleted scenes on the DVD.
Moaning Myrtle
Moaning Myrtle is a resident ghost of Hogwarts. Known for lurking in one of the girls' restrooms in the castle, the young woman tragically died when she was a student. During the 1940s, when the Chamber of Secrets was first opened, Myrtle was killed by the Basilisk while hiding in the bathroom. Looking the serpent straight in the eyes results in instant death, and unfortunately, the student had made eye contact with the beast.
In the book "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," Myrtle tells Harry she saw two yellow eyes and then suddenly became a ghost. Based on the knowledge Harry has at that point, he concludes that she saw the Basilisk because her bathroom is the entrance to Slytherin's chamber, which is where the snake lives.
In the movie adaptation, rather than showing the moment Myrtle saw the Basilisk, a flashback sequence given to Harry through Tom Riddle's diary allows audiences to watch as her body is carried away, implying what happens to her. Though her face isn't shown, her hand is, and a conversation between Riddle and Albus Dumbledore confirms that the rumors that a student died are true.
Nymphadora Tonks
Nymphadora Tonks is an Auror and member of the Order of the Phoenix. She is first introduced in "Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix" when Harry is moved from his summer home at the Dursleys. From there, she reveals herself as a Metamorphmagus, or someone who can change their appearance at will. She goes on to marry Remus Lupin, and eventually, the two have a son, Teddy.
Like other members of the Order of the Phoenix, she fights in the Battle of Hogwarts. She is initially meant to stay home with her newborn, but can't stop herself from going to Hogwarts to participate in the battle. The last time readers see her alive is when she first arrives at Hogwarts, asking if anyone has seen Remus. The next time she's mentioned is when Harry sees her body.
Tonks is killed by Bellatrix Lestrange, her own aunt, who is a famed Death Eater and Voldemort's right-hand witch. However, her final breath isn't shown in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2." But, that isn't for lack of trying. In an interview with MuggleNet from 2011, producer David Yates notes how they almost filmed Tonks and Lupin's death scenes. "We did talk about whether or not we wanted to see Tonks and Lupin fight to the death," he shared. "And at one point that was on the cards. But then, because of this 3D conversion, we suddenly realized that we were actually not going to have the time to do it."
Remus Lupin
Remus Lupin is one of the four Marauders, one of Harry's father James's friends from his days at Hogwarts. Lupin suffers from lycanthropy, meaning he turns into a werewolf during the full moon. The condition dictates several aspects of his life, from how he was able to attend school as a child to when he can enter a romantic relationship. In the books, he's introduced during "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," when he becomes the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
Lupin dies during the Battle of Hogwarts, where he is killed by the Death Eater Antonin Dolohov. The last living sighting of Lupin in the book is from Aberforth Dumbledore, who says he saw the wizard dueling Dolohov. The next time readers see Lupin is in Harry's vision in the Forbidden Forest, which includes the other dead individuals in the boy's life. Lupin's body is later mentioned as being with the others at the end of the battle in the Great Hall.
This follows in the movie as well. We do not see Lupin's death on screen, only his body lying next to his wife's as the aftermath of the battle appears. It makes sense that audiences didn't see his death in the movie, as it isn't shown in the book either, but knowing it almost happened makes it bittersweet.