The Harry Potter Plot Twist You Didn't See: A Redemption the Movies Cut

Summary

• Many parts were cut from the movies to save time
• Kreacher had one of the most impressive redemption arcs in the books
• If Kreacher had more focus, fans would have seen him differently

In 2001, the world got its first glimpse of the incredible world of magic surrounding Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the first book-to-film adaptation of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.

From incredible creatures to enchanting spells and enchanted castles, the books were brought to life on the big screen. And while moviegoers were in awe from the first installment to the last, fans who had read the books were disappointed by some elements, including the lack of screen time given to important plots and characters.

One of the victims of the time constraints was a certain house-elf, and we're not talking about Dobby.

Moviegoers will never know the Kreacher that fans of the books know

We were introduced to this notoriously grumpy house-elf in the same way, but the way his story ends in the movies is very different from the inspiring transformation readers were able to follow in the books.

Kreacher, the miserable and weathered house-elf of the House of Black, first appeared in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and was certainly hard to like, but that's not how fans were meant to feel by the end.

Due to the many gaps in his story, Kreacher and the fans were robbed of perhaps the best redemption in the series.

Initially, Kreacher chooses evil and betrays the Order out of loyalty to the Black Family and Voldermort. The books go into more detail about his master Regulus Black, a loyal follower of Voldemort, who lent Kreacher to the Dark Lord to help him hide a Horcrux.

Thus, Kreacher would have the chance to change everything should he decide to help Harry Potter.

A twist we never expected, that changed everything

Despite being passed through the Black family and eventually to Harry after Sirius' death, Kreacher seemed to remain loyal to those who wished evil.

Kreacher's change of heart came after Harry gave him Regulus' locket, leaving the stubborn elf in tears for a good while. His attitude toward Harry and his friends changed drastically from that small act of kindness, something the house-elf had become a stranger to.

Simply choosing to help Harry wasn't the biggest part of Kreacher's redemption, though it was a surprise. Kreacher came full circle when he joined the Golden Trio and the rest of Hogwarts in battle, leading the house-elves against Voldemort in the Battle of Hogwarts.

An ending we deserved to see

It's sad that time constraints prevented so much of Kreacher's story from being told, from his origins to the end, leaving him just an unpleasant house-elf in the eyes of those who haven't read the books.

One reader commented, “Him fussing over the trio is the most wholesome thing ever, I LOVED his redemption. The way he led on the house elves in Regulus's name, it made my heart melt.”

Some fans speculated that it would have been too costly for the CGI budget to include the house elves in the already impressive Battle of Hogwarts sequence, on top of the existing time constraints.

Kreacher's story may have begun with hatred, gloom and betrayal, but his ending turned it all around, showing his loyal and compassionate side, and his courage as he charged into battle. Unfortunately, that didn't make it off the pages.