The Harry Potter Death That Fans Thought Never Should Have Happened
To someone unfamiliar with the "Harry Potter" series, it can seem like an upbeat tale of magic and friendship. Though this is certainly the case, there's also a darker side to the wizarding world, one where death and destruction are right around every corner.
From the time he is an infant, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) is forced to mourn the loss of many loved ones, all of whom meet their demise at the hands of Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and his faithful Death Eaters. Many "Harry Potter" fans have strong opinions about which characters should have lived until the end, and a solid case can be made for each.
In "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," Harry loses his godfather, Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), the closest thing he has to a father figure, thanks to Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter). Dobby the house-elf (Toby Jones), who enthusiastically attempts to protect Harry throughout the series, dies in his arms in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1" after Bellatrix's dagger pierces his tiny stomach. In "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2," Severus Snape (Alan Rickman), who is secretly watching out for Harry the entire time, is gruesomely attacked by Voldemort's snake, Nagini.
For Harry and fans alike, every one of these losses is tough to cope with even though they helped move the other characters along. However, there's one "Harry Potter" death that many fans feel was completely unnecessary.
Colin Creevey's Deathly Hallows demise shouldn't have happened
When the good guys prepare for the Battle of Hogwarts in "Deathly Hallows – Part 2," they do so knowing that some might not make it out alive. And many don't. Author J.K. Rowling penned an emotional roller coaster for readers with the back-to-back deaths of Fred Weasley (James Phelps), Remus Lupin (David Thewlis), and Nymphadora Tonks (Natalia Tena).
But there's another loss that's only mentioned briefly in the novel — and not shown on-screen at all – that some think Rowling definitely should have reconsidered: Gryffindor student Colin Creevey (Hugh Mitchell), the pint-size photographer and No. 1 Harry Potter fan who enters the story in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." During a brief break in the battle, Harry spots Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis) and Oliver Wood (Sean Biggerstaff) carrying Colin's body in from the grounds. The book reads, "He was tiny in death."
On Reddit, u/michaelboyte pointed out that Colin shouldn't have even been part of the battle. Not only is Colin under 17, the youngest age that Professor McGonagall permits to fight, but under the reign of Snape as headmaster, Muggle-borns are banned from the school. This means that he snuck back to fight for Harry. Redditor u/FBI_Agent_82 said, "First time I read it I remember thinking oh that sucks. Second time and every time after I get a lump in my throat. He was trying to protect Hogwarts.... like his hero Harry."
Hugh Mitchell agrees with fans about his character's fate
Though Colin appears in every book following his initial introduction, even joining the anti-Ministry of Magic club Dumbledore's Army in "Order of the Phoenix," his only on-screen appearance is in "Chamber of Secrets." But this hasn't stopped Hugh Mitchell from speaking out about his character's death.
In an interview on "EW's Binge," Mitchell called out the "Harry Potter" creator on her decision: "There's a sort of prevailing opinion that I think J.K. Rowling got a bit trigger-happy toward the end — she got a little bit like, 'Oh, screw it, kill him as well.' I think there's a certain poignancy to Colin's death just because he was that picture of innocence and also bravery — the whole thing of sneaking back into the castle."
Colin's demise is a brief but heart-wrenching addition to "Deathly Hallows." It's not even shared exactly how Colin died. Was he accidentally hit by a rogue spell, or did he go down taking on a full-fledged Death Eater? Given his consistently eager involvement to help Harry, whether he's delivering him snacks in "Chamber of Secrets" as a murderous basilisk roams the castle or putting his magical education at risk by joining Dumbledore's Army, it's comforting to know that the latter is possible.