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Rewriting the Harry & Ginny Romance

Scenes which would have developed the Potter/Weasley relationship better on screen

By Ted RyanPublished 3 years ago 8 min read
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Although you can't fit everything on screen - one aspect where the Harry Potter film franchise failed was to really flesh out the relationship between Harry and his love interest Ginny Weasley. Michael Goldenberg (screenwriter for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, 2007) and Steve Kloves (screenwriter for the remaining seven films) had a few scenes to work with for this pairing - however, those scenes lacked the complexity or connection the characters had on page... Truth be told, Daniel Radcliffe and Bonnie Wright had little chemistry on screen.

Aside from a few scenes, Wright and Radcliffe had little scenes together and therefore had little to work with. The screenwriting to flesh out Ginny and Harry's relationship should have started in Phoenix and continued throughout Deathly Hallows. I'll be referencing some scenes that would have worked in the screenplays better and brought more chemistry for these characters.

Establish The Friendship

This is a crucial element that was missing in this relationship. We ideally should have one or two scenes where Harry and Ginny have some genuine moments - without Ron or Hermione, where they see each other as people and not just "His best mate's little sister" or "The famous wizard I had a crush on as a kid and is best friends with my brother" - a moment in Phoenix to see this would have made the foreshadowing of their latent feelings more realistic, not just Ginny looking sullen whenever Harry mentioned or looked at Cho Chang.

"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)

They Both Survived Similar Traumas

When I saw Harry Potter & the Cursed Child on stage at the West End, I realised that Ginny nor Harry acknowledged in the films that they survived traumas involving He Who Must Not Be Named - this was addressed in the books and play, but a scene of them facing their shared traumas would have explored real vulnerability for both characters on screen. A scene like this would have been more impactful in the fifth film, while Harry is going through his depression and Ginny is the one to point out she's had similar experiences. he has not been the only one to survive trauma.

"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)

Show Them Happy Together

This may sound simplistic, but we never really got to see Harry and Ginny actually in a relationship - in the films we got lingering looks, feeding of mince pies, tying of shoe laces, near death experiences, stealing secret kisses - but we never see them happy or enjoying each other's company as a couple. They never say "I love you", but it's apparent in their scenes in the books they are... in the films, not so much.

"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)

Are They Together? Are They Not?

To say Harry and Ginny's breakup was ambiguous on screen is an understatement, they never actually state it either way. In the final chapter of Half-Blood Prince, Harry decides to breakup with Ginny at Dumbledore's funeral - not the most tactful move on Potter's part - but both characters acknowledge the danger a relationship could cause: while Ginny shows brave defiance, Harry goes noble and ends it - leaving both heartbroken and conflicted about their feelings moving forward.

"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)

Missing Each Other

You want to build up the anticipation for the Harry/Ginny reunion during the final films to be building up to the Battle at Hogwarts. There were scenes in Deathly Hallows where Harry often thought of Ginny, but you need to visualise or voice that in the screenplay. I would have shown this through him watching over the Marauders Map, seeing Ginny's name appear (visually) or having a scene where Harry opens up to Hermione about his feelings for Ginny (dialogue). Therefore, you'll be building up the suspense for these two to be in the same room again - fans should have been cheering that kiss between Harry and Ginny while chaos erupts around them... instead, the response in the cinema was lukewarm at best.

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)

The Scene They Got Right

Don't worry - I'm not just using this article to berate a beloved series I grew up with. There was a scene which I feel captured the relationship in the final moments. After the death of Dumbledore, Harry weeps over his body and Ginny comforts him - while the staff and students show a sign of solidary, Harry is being held in a raw moment of grief and Ginny has become his crutch in a personal moment between the two. I wanted more of these scenes in the final three films.

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)

Often it's the small moments that define your main characters on screen - as this was the main love story of a franchise, it is a shame it was not fully explored to its full potential.

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About the Creator

Ted Ryan

When I’m not reviewing or analysing pop culture, I’m writing stories of my own.

Reviewer/Screenwriter socials: Twitter.

Author socials: You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Goodreads as T.J. Ryan.

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