Who's your favourite minor character in Harry Potter?

[QuimReaper]

I think mine is Oliver Wood.

I reread the whole lot over the summer and realised I really missed Quidditch in general when it receded in importance after PoA!

Ridiculous that they didn’t have peeves in the films!

Right, I told DD about this thread, she is 10 and Harry Potter mad, and she made me promise I would come on with her suggestion:

Aragog

I warned her it would not be a popular choice! Also it sparked off a long evening discussion of ‘what counts as a minor character?’

When I think of Ludo Bagman, I immediately imagine him as Boris Johnson.

So many cracking characters left out of the films. I wish someday they’d redo them as mini-series and do them justice (and do a decent recasting of Ginny and Hermione)

Least favourite though- controversially, Tonks was a bit annoying- very brave, but her quirkiness just came across as a bit contrived

Completely agree. Even as a kid, all that “wotcha Harry!” nonsense pissed me right off.

I was always quite fond of Professor Flitwick, for no particular reason. I think I just liked his name. And Miriam Margolyes as Professor Sprout is just perfect.

Re Lockhart- I often think Hugh Grant would have been perfect for that role.

Hugh Grant was originally supposed to play Lockhart.

Oh and I forgot - Madam Hooch! As soon as I read that her eyes were yellow like a hawk I thought "yaaas! Badass!!"

Medium that is a controversial choice! He is a terrific invention though, so sinister. I liked that we got to see his demise in HBP.

Bill Weasley too.

I always loved Ludo Bagman. And Luna’s Dad.

I doubt he counts as a minor character but I adore Fred Weasley. He’s brilliant in the books witty and sexy the way he asks Angelina Johnson to the Yule Ball was great.

I hated the Weasley twins in the films.

Book Fred was sexy as fuck, I’m with you there!

Dobby - but only in Deathly Hallows Part 2.

I was getting worried about the absence of Bill Weasley for a moment there! Is any character minor in the books though? It’s a like a jigsaw with so many little pieces that would be incomplete without Peeves or Rosmerta and her sparkly heels.

That’s the deepest thought I’ve had in a while.

Madam pomfrey in the hospital wing! She cares so much

@JudgeRulesNutterButter You need to listen to the podcast Potterless! He rants often about how Charlie is the best Weasley. In fact, everyone on this thread does - it's great!

Also my favourite minor character is probably Lupin. He has a bit of a hero's journey of his own - is perceived as an underdog through no fault of his own by society, shows that he is an inspiring teacher, kind person, and an unexpected link to Harry's past. Has a love story, loses his way but then is remorseful so turns back, and then suffers a tragic death.

I loved Sybill Trelawney; brilliantly mad.

@FelicisWolf I absolutely adore Lupin too but for me he would def come under Major. I love him in P o A - teaching Harry to summon his Patronus, confronting Peter Pettigrew, the way he is so gentle describing why he must leave at the end. That plus the way Sirius asks Harry if he'd like to stay with him sometime rather than the Dursleys' - waaaaah! I well up every time at that 😭makes PoA one of my favs.

Yeah I guess he is major I suppose! But do you think in the same way that Luna and Neville are? He's probably mentioned just as much as them as in only in certain books/scenes? I think I'm getting too into this

Slightly off-piste... I love Kreacher! Books only I guess, but that turn around where Harry Ron and Hermione win him over and he loves Harry and cooks them meals at Grimmauld Place and like cleans up the kitchen for them. It's freaking adorable and I love it.
Also Dudley! Agree with someone upthread, his turnaround right at the end is brilliant and I WISH it had happened in the films.

Oh I had forgotten about Kreacher! Yes love his turn around, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy :)

I think Sirius could count as a minor character for the length of time he is in it before he is killed by Bellatrix (the bitch). I am so in love with Sirius.

Uncle Alphard. He gave Sirius some gold so he could buy a place when he ran away from the Black family home as a teenager. He's only mentioned once in the whole series, when Sirius is telling them how his mother blasted the family members she didn't like off the tapestry. I think about that a lot - what a guy

I also love Regulus.

I think I would have to say the Weasley parents. Both of them. They seemed to offer Harry quite a bit of stability and understanding that he would have received from Lily and James had they been alive.
Also, I have sympathy for both Neville and Colin Creevey.

@harper30 I'm glad someone likes Kreacher as well, I like him far more than Dobby.

Because most unfortunately, Dobby is one of those we're supposed to love and adore, but he does make for really annoying reading, referring to himself in the third person "Dobby has come to work at Hogwarts!" (I know Kreacher does this too), especially in Chamber of Secrets and Goblet of Fire, along with Hermione's SPEW stuff - I'm glad that was left out of the film.

Minerva McGonagall. Often thought if she’d been given space, she would have been a much better quasi-parental influence on Harry than Dumbledore. From her reservations about leaving baby Harry with the Dursleys to ‘have a biscuit, Potter’.

Her reaction when she thinks Harry has been killed is the moment in the books that really pierces me.

The mediwizard who kicks Hossan Mostafa (sp?) in the shins. Classic.

Professor Tofty, who awards Harry bonus O.W.L. points for his patronus.

The Brazilian snake, "Thanks, amigo!"

Minor enough?!

Today 08:59 wanderings:
most unfortunately, Dobby is one of those we're supposed to love and adore, but he does make for really annoying reading
I agree. Paraphrasing Oscar Wilde,
One must have a heart of stone to read the death and funeral of Dobby without rolling one's eyes.