5 characters who were cut from the Harry Potter movies

There are hundreds of characters to be found in the Harry Potter series, ranging from wizards with ordinary names like Dean Thomas to Muggles with great names like Arabella Figg. It's sometimes a challenge to keep track of who goes where and does what and that's even more the case when it comes to the movies. Some characters were combined or had their roles changed slightly to accommodate a change in the plot. Here are five characters who didn't make the transition from page to screen.

1. Alice Longbottom

For books,, we don't know why Neville is brought to King's Cross by his Gran or why she's sending him things he forgot. We learn in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire that Neville's parents were tortured into insanity and don't recognize him.

An exception seems to be his mother. Alice approaches Neville during "Christmas on the Closed Ward" in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and gives him a gum wrapper. Augusta Longbottom says that he has so many of those, he could paper his walls with them. Neville keeps it for himself as a sign that his mother still reaches out to him. While we never see the interaction in the film, we do

2. Merope Gaunt

Part of the overarching plot of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince are the private lessons between Harry and Professor Dumbledore. We see the introduction to Tom Riddle in one flashback, but we don't see his mother.

It's in the first such lesson that a Ministry of Magic official delivers a summons to the Gaunt family home. Marvolo, the father, threatens the official while his criminal son attacks him at first sight. The only person not harboring some ill will towards Bob Ogden is the daughter, who is terrified of her Pureblood father discovering her secret love for a local Muggle named Tom. Through the use of a Love Potion, Merope Gaunt marries Tom Riddle and eventually gives birth to his son one New Year's Eve. We never see Lord Voldemort's parents in the films and don't understand the family his mother came from.

3. Marietta Edgecombe

It's easy to feel bad for Cho Chang. Yes, she was an admirable Quidditch player and caught the interest of both Hogwarts champions during the Triwizard Tournament. She was surrounded by friends on a regular basis so it was difficult for Harry to approach her. Then, we see her weeping in grief at the memorial for her boyfriend, Cedric Diggory.

In the fifth movie, Cho is the one to snitch on Dumbledore's Army, though she's given a pass because it was under Veritaserum. In the books, her friend Marietta spills the beans to Professor Umbridge and is marked with boils naming her as a SNEAK. Marietta is still bearing these marks the next September, covered by makeup, but neither Marietta nor her "acne" appear in the movies.

4. Winky

If there's one character whose story breaks my heart, it's Mr. Crouch's house-elf. Introduced in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, she is sent to the top box to save a seat in spite of being terrified of heights. She is falsely accused of using Harry's wand to cast the Dark Mark into the sky and is dismissed. She takes work at Hogwarts with Dobby, but is seen to be "pining" for her old master.

The movie most shortchanges her story in the revelation of Barty Crouch Jr. David Tennant monologues about how he helped the Dark Lord return but Winky is meant to be there. She is the one whose sympathy for her young master allowed him to eventually escape. She is unable to protect Mr. Crouch and falls into deep despair in the process. She's the reason that we see alcoholism in house-elves and how the system doesn't serve her after she's been "freed" from slavery.

5. Phineas Nigellus Black

Phineas is described as the "least popular Headmaster" in Hogwarts history by a relative and it's not hard to see why. He's constantly insulting people, mocking the intentions of the heroic, and complaining about students at his former school. He is, however, very useful as a portrait to carry information or act as a spy.

It would have been great to see Sirius' ancestor playing a role in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. He is more important in the final book, as he provides useful information to the trio and Professor Snape, ensuring that Snape knows where to deliver the Sword of Gryffindor at a crucial moment. It's a pity he was in none of the films.