Colin Creevey
As Played By: Hugh Mitchell and Nigel Wespurt
The Character: Perhaps Harry Potter’s biggest fan at Hogwarts (excluding Ginny of course), little Colin Creevey struck up a solid (if initially one-sided) friendship with his idol upon joining the school in Chamber Of Secrets . Presented in the films as a straightforward irritant, Creevey is a far more loveable proposition on the page, which makes his eventual death in the final battle all the more heartrending.
Key Quote: “Do you think… would it be alright if… can I have a picture?”
Oliver Wood
As Played By: Sean Biggerstaff
The Character: Oliver is the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain for a large chunk of Harry’s time at Hogwarts, his leadership-style falling somewhere between the driven and the deranged. Bagging himself a post-school career as a professional Quidditch player, Wood returns to the school to lend a hand in the final battle, and memorably is the one to recover the broken body of poor Colin Creevey.
Key Quote: “Get to that Snitch before Malfoy or die trying, Harry, because we've got to win today, we've got to.”
Barty Crouch Jr.
As Played By: David Tennant
The Character: One of the vilest of all Voldemort’s minions, Crouch Jr. was complicit in the kidnap and torture of Neville’s parents Frank and Alice Longbottom, driving them to insanity with the Cruciatus Curse. He also engineered the sequence of events that led to the death of Cedric Diggory, meaning that noone was too sorry when he met a sticky end at the hands of the Dementors.
Key Quote: “If there's something I hate more than any other, it's a Death Eater who walked free. They turned their backs on my master when he needed them most.”
Peeves
As Played By: N/A
The Character: Peeves is Hogwarts’ resident poultergeist and takes great pleasure in creating mayhem wherever possible, to the great annoyance of Filch the caretaker. One of the most prominent characters not to appear in the films, scenes featuring Peeves were shot for The Philosopher’s Stone , only to end up on the cutting-room floor. Lunacy, particularly since Peeves was set to be played by the wonderful Rik Mayall!
Key Quote: “Oh Potter you rotter, oh what have you done? You’re killing off students, you think it’s good fun!”
Yaxley
As Played By: Peter Mullan
The Character: A fairly low-key figure in the books, the snarling Death Eater Yaxley is beefed up somewhat on the big screen, thanks in no small part to Peter Mullan’s magnetic performance. Taking over the role of Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, he sets about rounding up Mudbloods with fascistic gusto. Make no mistake, the man’s a wrong’un.
Key Quote: “Spare us. The brats of Mudbloods do not stir our sympathies.”
Rita Skeeter
As Played By: Miranda Richardson
The Character: A pitch-perfect parody of tabloid journalists everywhere, the scurrilous Rita Skeeter is another joyous comic character, as well as a useful narrative device by which Rowling is able to recap her plot in newsprint form. Her interview with Harry in Goblet Of Fire is priceless, with Miranda Richardson wringing every last laugh from the crackling dialogue.
Key Quote: “How about giving me an interview about the Hagrid you know, Harry? The man behind the muscles? Your unlikely friendship and the reasons behind it. Would you call him a father substitute?"
Moaning Myrtle
As Played By: Shirley Henderson
The Character: Hogwarts’ resident miseryguts, Myrtle is a wonderfully morose creation who enjoys nothing better than having a good old whinge. Spending your days in a toilet cubicle will do that to you, we suppose. That said, she does have her uses, learning some of Malfoy’s plot when he starts cracking up in her bathroom…
Key Quote: “I was just sitting in the u-bend, thinking about death…”
Argus Filch
As Played By: David Bradley
The Character: The sour old caretaker at Hogwarts, Filch loathes children as much as any real-world janitor, and isn’t much better at performing magic. Indeed, his status as a Squib is referenced as just one of the many reasons the old boy spends much of his day in an infernal sulk. Harry and his mischievous friends don’t do much for his temperament either…
Key Quote: “There was a time detention would find you hanging by your thumbs in the dungeon. God, I miss the screaming.”
Percy Weasley
As Played By: Chris Rankin
The Character: An uncharacteristically pompous member of the Weasley clan, Percy is Hogwarts head boy before leaving to pursue a career in the Ministry of Magic. Despite spending most of the series with his head up his backside, and cutting his family loose as Voldemort’s stock was on the rise, he sees the error of his ways before the final battle. Ambitious he might be, but at the end of the day, he knows right from wrong.
Key Quote: “I was a fool… I was an idiot… I was a pompous prat!”
Fenrir Greyback
As Played By: Dave Legeno
The Character: One of the most terrifying of Voldemort’s minions, a concise description of Greyback comes from one of his victims, Remus Lupin. “Fenrir Greyback is, perhaps, the most savage werewolf alive today," says Lupin. "He regards it as his mission in life to bite and to contaminate as many people as possible; he wants to create enough werewolves to overcome the wizards. Voldemort has promised him prey in return for his services. Greyback specialises in children... Bite them young, he says, and raise them away from their parents, raise them to hate normal wizards.” Not a nice chap.
Key Quote: (To Ron) “Reckon she'll give me have a bit of the girl when she's finished with her? I'd say I'll get a bite or two, wouldn't you, ginger?"
