Top Ten Harry/Ginny Moments That Didn’t Make It to the Movies

It’s been 22 years to the day since Ginny woke up, terrified, to see the huge form of a dead basilisk and Harry covered in blood. It’s been 22 years to the day since Harry destroyed the diary that had tormented her for almost a year.

 

In recognition, here’s a list of the top ten Harry/Ginny moments that were left out of the movies.

#10

Harry found himself taking [the Marauder’s Map] out simply to stare at Ginny’s name in the girls’ dormitory, wondering whether the intensity with which he gazed at it might break into her sleep, that she would somehow know he was thinking about her, hoping that she was all right.” – Deathly Hallows (256)

This is one of Harry’s few (slightly neurotic) comforts during the living hell of Deathly Hallows.

 

#9 and #8

Ginny’s penchant for sending Harry singing cards:

His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad,
His hair is as dark as a blackboard.
I wish he [were] mine, he’s truly divine,
the hero who conquered the Dark Lord.” – Chamber of Secrets (178)

“Ginny Weasley, blushing furiously, turned up with a get-well card she had made herself, which sang shrilly unless Harry kept it shut under his bowl of fruit.” – Prisoner of Azkaban (137)

The fact Harry doesn’t actually throw his get-well card out (which he’s had no issue doing with other unwanted gifts like Hagrid’s rock cakes and later with Ron and Hermione’s Honeydukes chocolate) might hint at latent feelings. Or he might just not have wanted to get out of bed.

 

#7

He did not want to leave Dumbledore’s side, he did not want to move anywhere. Hagrid’s hand on his shoulder was trembling. Then another voice said, “Harry, come on.” A much smaller and warmer hand had enclosed his and was pulling him upwards. He obeyed its pressure without really thinking about it.” – Half-Blood Prince (570)

Ginny is a crutch for Harry during one of his most severe grieving periods. The fact Dumbledore’s funeral was cut, meant this part of their relationship was never shown on screen.

 

#6

Give it a rest, Hermione!” said Ginny, and Harry was so amazed, so grateful, he looked up. “By the sound of it, Malfoy was trying to use an Unforgivable Curse, you should be glad Harry had something good up his sleeve!”

“Well, of course I’m glad Harry wasn’t cursed!” said Hermione, clearly stung. “But you can’t call that Sectumsempra spell good, Ginny, look where it’s landed him! And I’d have thought, seeing what this has done to your chances in the match —”

“Oh, don’t start acting as though you understand Quidditch,” snapped Ginny, “you’ll only embarrass yourself. – Half Blood Prince (496)

Unexpectedly, Ginny chooses to defend Harry, even though Harry has just enacted one of the worst decisions of his life. She isn’t dismayed at Harry’s use of such a curse and is the only one to point out that this outcome is better than the alternative – her pragmatism is a defining trait, but without such moments in the movies a significant aspect of her personality has been lost.

 

#5

Harry Potter,” he said very softly. His voice might have been part of the spitting fire. “The Boy Who Lived.”

None of the Death Eaters moved. They were waiting: Everything was waiting. Hagrid was struggling, and Bellatrix was panting, and Harry thought inexplicably of Ginny, and her blazing look, and the feel of her lips on his —” – Deathly Hallows (564)

Ginny was to be Harry’s last thought. That speaks for itself.

 

#4

Three Dementor attacks in a week, and all Romilda Vane does is ask me if it’s true you’ve got a Hippogriff tattooed across your chest.”

“What did you tell her?”

“I told her it’s a Hungarian Horntail,” said Ginny, turning a page of newspaper idly. “Much more macho.”

“Thanks” said Harry, grinning. “And what did you tell her Ron’s got?”

“A Pygmy Puff, but I didn’t say where.”  – Half Blood Prince (500)

There are two things the movie skips out that are shown in this scene: firstly, Harry and Ginny’s shared sense of humor and secondly, that Ginny is a match for Ron in the humor stakes – a character trait that in the films is only held by Fred and George.

 

#3

Are you okay, Harry?” asked Ginny quietly.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” said Harry gruffly. The lump in his throat was painful. He did not understand why an Easter egg should have made him feel like this.

“You seem really down lately,” Ginny persisted. “You know, I’m sure if you just talked to Cho…”

“It’s not Cho I want to talk to,” said Harry brusquely.

“Who is it, then?” asked Ginny, watching him closely.

“I…”

He glanced around to make quite sure that nobody was listening; Madam Pince was several shelves away, stamping out a pile of books for a frantic-looking Hannah Abbott.

“I wish I could talk to Sirius,” he muttered. “But I know I can’t.”

Ginny continued to watch him thoughtfully. More to give himself something to do than because he really wanted any, Harry unwrapped his Easter egg, broke off a large bit and put it into his mouth.

“Well,” said Ginny slowly, helping herself to a bit of egg too, “if you really want to talk to Sirius, I expect we could think of a way to do it….”

“Come on,” said Harry dully. “With Umbridge policing the fires and reading all our mail?”

“The thing about growing up with Fred and George,” said Ginny thoughtfully, “is that you sort of start thinking anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve.”

Harry looked at her. Perhaps it was the effect of the chocolate–Lupin had always advised eating some after encounters with dementors–or simply because he had finally spoken aloud the wish that had been burning inside him for a week, but he felt a bit more hopeful….

– Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (578)

This scene gives their friendship traction. Without it the movies seemed to be lacking a dimension. It shows Ginny and Harry are close enough for Harry to let his guard down.

This scene also gives some insight into Ginny’s character: Ginny’s response isn’t commiseration. Instead, she offers a solution – in true Harry style – by taking action.

The whole thing is rounded out by a large amount of chocolate, which frankly, makes any scene fantastic.

 

#2

Ginny, listen…I can’t be involved with you anymore. We’ve got to stop seeing each other. We can’t be together.”

She said, with an oddly twisted smile, “It’s for some stupid noble reason, isn’t it?”

“It’s been like…like something out of someone else’s life these last few weeks with you. But I can’t…we can’t…I’ve got to do things alone now.

“Voldemort uses people his enemies are close to. He’s already used you as bait once, and that was just because you were my best friend’s sister. Think how much danger you’ll be in if we keep this up. He’ll know, he’ll find out. He’ll try and get me through you.”

“What if I don’t care?” said Ginny fiercely.

“I care,” said Harry. “How do you think I’d feel if this [were] your funeral…and it was my fault…”

She looked away from him, over the lake.

“I never really gave up on you,” she said. “Not really. I always hoped…. Hermione told me to get on with life, maybe go out with some other people, relax a bit around you, because I never used to be able to talk if you were in the room, remember? And she thought you might take a bit more notice if I was a bit more — myself.”

“Smart girl, that Hermione,” said Harry, trying to smile. “I just wish I’d asked you sooner. We could’ve had ages…months…years maybe…”

“But you’ve been too busy saving the wizarding world,” said Ginny, half laughing.

“Well…I can’t say I’m surprised. I knew this would happen in the end. I knew you wouldn’t be happy unless you were hunting Voldemort. Maybe that’s why I like you so much.” – Half-Blood Prince (647)

There’s an underlying thread in this scene of a shared trauma. There’s a sense that Ginny wants revenge for her possession, and she understands Harry’s singular all-consuming need to destroy Voldemort.

Harry’s reasoning for leaving Ginny behind is intensely emotionally charged. For the first time since Chamber of Secrets he, Harry, brings up Ginny’s possession.

 

#1

Oh, stop feeling all misunderstood,” said Hermione sharply. “Look, the others have told me what you overheard last night on the Extendable Ears–”

“Yeah?” growled Harry, his hands deep in his pockets as he watched the snow now falling thickly outside. “All been talking about me, have you? Well, I’m getting used to it….”

“We wanted to talk to you, Harry,” said Ginny, “but as you’ve been hiding ever since we got back–”

“I didn’t want anyone to talk to me,” said Harry, who was feeling more and more nettled.

“Well, that was a bit stupid of you,” said Ginny angrily, “seeing as you don’t know anyone but me who’s been possessed by You-Know-Who, and I can tell you how it feels.”

Harry remained quite still as the impact of these words hit him. Then he wheeled around.

“I forgot,” he said.

“Lucky you,” said Ginny coolly.

“I’m sorry,” Harry said, and he meant it. “So…so do you think I’m being possessed, then?”

“Well, can you remember everything you’ve been doing?” Ginny asked. “Are there big blank periods where you don’t know what you’ve been up to?”

Harry racked his brains.

“No,” he said.

“Then You-Know-Who hasn’t ever possessed you,” said Ginny simply. “When he did it to me, I couldn’t remember what I’d been doing for hours at a time. I’d find myself somewhere and not know how I got there.”

Harry hardly dared believe her, yet his heart was lightening almost in spite of himself. – Order of the Phoenix (499-500)

This is No. 1 because Harry, throughout the books, is so used to dealing with his problems alone.

Ginny’s matter-of-fact tone, cutting through Harry’s screw-driving mental state – is a welcome relief, and while Hermione and Ron try to help, it is Ginny that ultimately pulls Harry out of his funk.

It was at this point that Ginny changed from a secondary player to an essential character – her pragmatism, strength, and humor (not to mention her excellent Quidditch playing) indicated she would become a force to be reckoned with.