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Ginny Weasley

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Ginny Weasley
Harry Potter character
Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley [a]
First appearanceHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997)
Last appearanceHarry Potter and the Cursed Child (2016)
Created byJ. K. Rowling
Portrayed byBonnie Wright
In-universe information
Full nameGinevra Molly Weasley [1]
NicknameGinny
Family
SpouseHarry Potter
Children
HouseGryffindor
Born11 August 1981[1]

Ginevra Molly "Ginny" Weasley is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J.K. Rowling. She is introduced in the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, as the youngest child and only daughter of Arthur and Molly Weasley. She becomes romantically involved with Harry Potter and eventually marries him. Ginny is portrayed by Bonnie Wright in all eight Harry Potter films.

Character development

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Ginny is a pureblood witch born 11 August 1981, the seventh child and only daughter of Arthur and Molly Weasley.[2] She attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and is sorted into Gryffindor house, along with the rest of her family. J. K. Rowling says:[3][4]

The backstory with Ginny was, she was the first girl to arrive in the Weasley family in generations, but there's that old tradition of the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter and a seventh son of a seventh son, so that's why she's the seventh, because she is a gifted witch. I think you get hints of that, because she does some pretty impressive stuff here and there.

Over the course of the series, Ginny becomes a strong witch who shows herself to be independent and capable, fighting alongside Harry on more than one occasion as he battles against the Dark Arts.[3]

In a joint interview with The Leaky Cauldron and Mugglenet, Rowling revealed that she "always knew" that Ginny and Harry "were going to come together and then part."[4] Rowling explained that, as the series progresses, Harry, and by extension the reader, discovers that Ginny is in fact the ideal girl for Harry. Rowling said Harry "needs to be with someone who can stand the demands of being with Harry Potter, because he's a scary boyfriend in a lot of ways."[4] By the later part of the series, Ginny and Harry "are total equals" and "worthy of each other." The author also commented that she enjoyed writing the "big emotional journey" both characters go through, and that she really liked Ginny as a character.[4]

Appearances

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Novels

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Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

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Ginny is introduced in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997) when Harry Potter encounters the Weasley family at King's Cross station. When Ginny realizes who Harry is, she wants to board the Hogwarts Express to see him, but her mother will not allow it.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

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Ginny begins her first year at Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998). She joins Gryffindor House and develops a crush on Harry. As the plot advances, Harry and Ginny's brother Ron notice that she is acting strangely. At first, they assume she is simply disturbed by the attacks on Muggle-born students at Hogwarts, but soon suspect that she may know something about the attacks. They question her, but she refuses to speak. They eventually discover that she opened the Chamber of Secrets and was commanding a basilisk to assault students while under the influence of Tom Riddle's school diary. Harry finds Ginny, saves her from Riddle, and destroys the diary.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

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Ginny returns in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999). She is a second-year student at Hogwarts, and is present when Harry is attacked by Dementors on the Hogwarts Express. During the course of the novel, she develops a closer relationship with Hermione Granger.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

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In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000), Ginny attends the Quidditch World Cup with her father, brothers, Harry, and Hermione. She accompanies Neville Longbottom to the Yule Ball at Hogwarts.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

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Ginny has a boyfriend named Michael Corner in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003), but she eventually breaks up with him and begins dating Dean Thomas. When Dolores Umbridge bans Harry from the Quidditch team, Ginny replaces him as the Gryffindor Seeker. She joins the secret group Dumbledore's Army and accompanies Harry to the Department of Mysteries as he attempts to rescue Sirius Black. Ginny participates in a battle inside the Ministry of Magic, but retreats from the action after breaking her ankle.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

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In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005), Professor Slughorn invites Ginny to join his "Slug Club". Ginny becomes a permanent member of the Gryffindor Quidditch team as Chaser, and substitutes for Harry as Seeker when Professor Snape puts him in detention. Ginny's relationship with Dean ends, and she shares her first kiss with Harry after Gryffindor wins the Quidditch Cup. Ginny and Harry start a romantic relationship, but Harry ends it after several months, fearing that his closeness with her will put her in danger.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

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Near the beginning of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007), Ginny discovers that Harry, Ron and Hermione will be leaving on a quest to find Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes. She kisses Harry in her bedroom, and they realize they still have feelings for each other. Ginny begins her sixth year at Hogwarts, where she works with Neville and Luna Lovegood to rebuild Dumbledore's Army. She participates in the Battle of Hogwarts and is nearly struck with a Killing Curse from Bellatrix Lestrange. After this close call, Molly Weasley duels Bellatrix and kills her.[5]

In the novel's epilogue, set nineteen years after the events of Deathly Hallows, Harry and Ginny are married and have three children: James, Albus and Lily. Rowling said that after leaving Hogwarts, Ginny joins the all-female Quidditch team Holyhead Harpies. After spending a few years as a celebrated player, she retires to become the senior Quidditch correspondent for the Daily Prophet.[6][7][5]

Films

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Ginny is portrayed by Bonnie Wright in all eight Harry Potter films. In an interview with The Telegraph, Wright said her brother encouraged her to audition because she reminded him of the character.[8] In a 2020 article, Nathan Sharp of ScreenRant wrote that Wright "simply did not fit" the role of Ginny, and that her performance was "flat and emotionless".[9]

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

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In the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Ginny must help Harry reconcile with their wayward son Albus Severus Potter, and there are references to events in previous books. Her job at The Daily Prophet is briefly mentioned when Draco Malfoy accuses her of promoting suspicion against former Death Eaters, but she says her articles are purely sport-related.[10] Poppy Miller played Ginny in the original West End production of the play.[11]

Video games

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Ginny is voiced by Bonnie Wright in the Order of Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows: Part 1 video games.[12] She is voiced by Victoire Robinson in the Chamber of Secrets game, and by Annabel Scholey in the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 game.

Characterisation

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Outward appearance

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Ginny has the trademark Weasley red hair and freckled complexion. She is of petite stature and has bright brown eyes like her mother. When she blushes, her face turns a shade of red that matches her hair.[13]

Personality

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Ginny has been described as strong, independent, intelligent, fierce, brave, friendly and helpful.[14] She has an energetic, lively personality; having feelings for Harry, she became shy and withdrawn in his presence, during the first few years of their friendship. According to Harry, growing up with six older brothers toughened her.[14] Ginny is not afraid to stand up to anyone, friend or enemy alike. She stands up to Draco Malfoy on their first meeting in Flourish and Blotts when he insults Harry in Chamber of Secrets. She even stands up to Hermione, her close friend, in defence of Harry's use of the Sectumsempra curse. When describing Ginny, J.K. Rowling notes she is "tough, not in an unpleasant way, but gutsy", also describing her as "warm and compassionate".[15] Ginny was very popular during her time at Hogwarts, and drew attraction by numerous boys. Harry and Ron felt that Ginny was "too popular for her own good".[16][17]

Magical abilities and skills

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Ginny is a talented witch. By age 14 she could conjure a corporeal Patronus Charm, in the form of a horse.[1] She is also a gifted flier and Quidditch player;[18] she scored "seventeen goals" in a Quidditch practice.[19] Ginny was adept at the Bat-Bogey Hex, which drew her to the attention of Horace Slughorn, and her subsequent invitation to the Slug Club.[20]

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In the 2013 Season 6, Episode 15 of The Big Bang Theory (The Spoiler Alert Segmentation), Leonard has just started reading Half-Blood Prince when Sheldon spoils Dumbledore's death by Snape as well as Dobby's death in Deathly Hallows, which ignites a feud between them. Later, during an effort to patch things up between them, Penny accidentally spoils that Harry and Ginny end up together, trying to draw a comparison between Ron accepting that Harry is interested in Ron's sister Ginny, and Leonard's potential forgiving of Sheldon spoiling key events of the series. Leonard is obviously disappointed that yet another event has been spoiled.[21][22][23]

In the 2018 dystopian science fiction film The Darkest Minds, two of the main characters compare their relation to Ginny and Harry's, in a scene Noah Berlatsky describes as "a moment of meta-critique that’s just as likely to make the audience wince as smile".[24]

Notes

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  1. ^ Promotional image for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b c "Ginny Weasley". Pottermore. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  2. ^ J.K. Rowling. "J.K. Rowling Official Site: Some Random Facts About The Weasley Family". Archived from the original on 16 March 2006. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Women of Harry Potter: Ginny Weasley Is Impressed". Tor.com. 31 October 2016. Archived from the original on 23 April 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d "The Leaky Cauldron and MN Interview Joanne Kathleen Rowling". The Leaky Cauldron. 28 July 2007. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  5. ^ a b Rowling 2007.
  6. ^ "Webchat with J.K. Rowling". Bloomsbury. 30 July 2007. Archived from the original on 17 June 2009.
  7. ^ "Rowling Answers 10 Questions About Harry". Time. 2007. Archived from the original on 5 January 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Harry Potter Q&A". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  9. ^ Sharp, Nathan (27 November 2020). "Harry Potter: Every Performance From The Kid Actors, Ranked". ScreenRant. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  10. ^ Tiffany, John; Thorne, Jack (2016). Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Scholastic Inc. ISBN 978-1-338-09913-3.
  11. ^ "Cursed Child reveals first look at Harry, Ginny and Albus Potter in character". Pottermore. 31 May 2016. Archived from the original on 16 July 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  12. ^ "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) Xbox 360 credits". MobyGames. Archived from the original on 3 May 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  13. ^ Rowling, J.K. (1997). "Chapter 17". Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 0-7475-3269-9.
  14. ^ a b Vivona, Veronica (12 July 2017). "Harry Potter: 15 Things You Never Knew About Ginny Weasley". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on 11 June 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  15. ^ "Sorry Haters, Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley were destined for each other". 29 June 2016. Archived from the original on 22 November 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  16. ^ Bell, Christopher E. (2016). Wizards vs. Muggles: Essays on Identity and the Harry Potter Universe. McFarland. p. 74. ISBN 978-0-7864-9930-4.
  17. ^ Sablon, Bavo (2020). Harry Potter and the Construction of Gender: A Critical Discourse Analysis of How Femininity is Constructed in the Harry Potter-series (Dissertation). Ghent University. p. 60. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  18. ^ Aravind, Ajay (30 July 2022). "10 Best Quidditch Players In Harry Potter, Ranked". CBR. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  19. ^ Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. p. 224
  20. ^ Espinoza, Madisyn (19 August 2022). "10 Ways Ginny Weasley Is Better In The Harry Potter Books Than The Movies". CBR. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  21. ^ "Harry and Ginny get together?".
  22. ^ "Harry Potter Spoiler Alert - the Big Bang Theory". YouTube.
  23. ^ "The Big Bang Theory the Spoiler Alert Segmentation Review: How to Live with Sheldon Cooper (For the Rest of Your Life)". Archived from the original on 22 June 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  24. ^ Noah Berlatsky (2003). "The flat, boring dystopia Darkest Minds misses an obvious chance at cultural relevance". The Verge. Retrieved 31 May 2019.

Works cited

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Further reading

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