Highlights
- Despite not having a prominent role in the Harry Potter books or films, Charlie Weasley was a skilled wizard who played Quidditch and had a special affinity for dragons.
- Charlie was sorted into Gryffindor, became the Seeker and Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and excelled in Care of Magical Creatures.
- After the Second Wizarding War, Charlie returned to his old life and chose not to marry or have children, focusing instead on his passion for dragons.
Although the Harry Potter films were largely faithful to the books, several characters and subplots still did not make it to the screen. Surprisingly, Charles “Charlie” Weasley, the second-eldest child of Arthur and Molly Weasley, did not make the cut either. The only glimpse of him was in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (portrayed by Alex Crockford), when the family visited Bill Weasley in Egypt.
To be fair, Charlie did not play a prominent role in the Harry Potter novels either. In fact, the readers learned more about him from other characters. For instance, the first time he was mentioned was when Ron Weasley stated that he had “a lot to live up to”, in reference to his two eldest brothers — thus, establishing his stellar reputation as a skilled wizard. What followed from there was only brief appearances and occasional mentions — which only raises more questions about him.
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Charlie Weasley’s Role in Harry Potter
It was not until Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire that Charlie made his first appearance: “Charlie was built like the twins, shorter and stockier than Percy and Ron […] He had a broad, good-natured face, which was weather-beaten and so freckly that he looked almost tanned; his arms were muscly, and one of them had a large, shiny burn on it.”
Charlie Weasley Quick Facts
- Sorted into Gryffindor like the rest of the Weasley family
- Was a seeker for the Gryffindor quidditch team, eventually becoming captain
- Took an interest in magical creatures before going to study dragons in Romania
Charlie was in the same year as Nymphadora Tonks, who was sorted into Hufflepuff. He was an excellent quidditch player, and Oliver Wood even believed that “he could have played for England if he hadn’t gone off chasing dragons”. In fact, Gryffindor had not won the Quidditch Cup since Charlie left (and until Harry’s third year at Hogwarts). From Charlie’s third year onwards, he took classes of Care of Magical Creatures, which indicates that he had always been “more of an outdoor type”. Even Rubeus Hagrid commented that he was “great with animals”. In his fifth year, he was appointed as a prefect for Gryffindor.
There is some speculation among fans that, due to J. K. Rowling’s seemingly contradictory comments about Charlie’s age, he might have actually left Hogwarts before taking the N.E.W.T.s (just like Fred and George Weasley), so he could pursue his interest in dragons. However, this has neither been confirmed nor denied by the author.
The first time Charlie actually drove the plot of the series was in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. When Draco Malfoy discovered that Hagrid had illegally hatched a rare baby dragon (a Norwegian Ridgeback named Norbert) in his cabin, Ron sent a letter to his brother, asking if he could keep it in Romania. In response, Charlie arranged for four of his friends to fly to Hogwarts in the middle of the night and take the dragon away in a crate. During the summer of 1994, he came to England to attend the Quidditch World Cup with his family. When the Death Eaters caused a riot after the match, Arthur, Bill, Charlie and Percy helped the Ministry of Magic in fighting them off. Later that year, he assisted in transporting nesting mother dragons to Hogwarts for use in the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. He was also present during the task, in case the dragons got out of hand.
When Albus Dumbledore reinstated the Order of the Phoenix, Charlie also joined, along with his family. Whereas Bill returned to England at that point, Charlie remained in Romania as Dumbledore wanted him to recruit foreign wizards for their cause. When Bill and Fleur Delacour’s wedding (in which Charlie was the best man) got broken up by Death Eaters, it can be assumed that he was also questioned like the others were, but was allowed to go back to Romania afterward. He was last seen towards the end of the Battle of Hogwarts, when he arrived with reinforcements: “Harry saw Charlie Weasley overtaking Horace Slughorn […] They seemed to have returned at the head of what looked like the families and friends of every Hogwarts student who had remained to fight, along with the shopkeepers and homeowners of Hogsmeade.”
What Happened to Charlie Weasley After the War?
Charlie survived the Second Wizarding War and apparently returned to his old life afterward. According to Rowling’s later revelations about the wizarding world, he was the only member of the Weasley family who chose not to marry and have children. However, he had many nieces and nephews through all his siblings: Bill and Fleur had three children; Percy and his wife Audrey had two; George and Angelina Johnson had two; Harry and Ginny had three; and Ron and Hermione had two.
A Daily Prophet article titled “Dumbledore’s Army Reunites at Quidditch World Cup Final”, written by the notorious Rita Skeeter in 2014, mentioned Charlie:
Wherever there is a red head one may make an educated guess that it belongs to a Weasley, but it is difficult to tell whether it is George (wealthy co-manager of Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes), Charlie (dragon wrangler, still unmarried – why?) or Percy (Head of the Department of Magical Transportation – it’s his fault if the Floo Network’s too busy!)
This led fans to wonder about Charlie’s sexual orientation (since the series also only implied that Dumbledore was gay, before Rowling confirmed it in an interview). However, in the documentary J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life, the author stated, “I don’t think Charlie’s gay. Just more interested in dragons than women.”
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