I did a search, but did not find anything like this concerning Ginny.

What is Ginny's role within Hogwarts? We are told that she is, "too popular for her own good" by Ron. She is an apparently gifted witch, if we judge her bat-bogey hex and Slughorn's affinity for her.

But, what does she do within Hogwarts itself? Let me explain more. Harry is Quidditch captain. Ron and Hermione are prefects. What special role does Ginny have withing Hogwarts? Was she made a prefect? Is she in any other clubs? Etc?

I realize we do not know much about her, but what do we know.

Note: This is not a forum about Ginny's character. This is about her role within the school.

I think that Ginny is caught between two very different worlds within the school.

1. She's a popular girl. Never seen anywhere without a boy's eyes following her. She is pretty, sweet, compassionate and good looking.

2. She's a Weasley. The Weasley's aren't a real popular family, they don't have the notoriety of the Potter's, Black's, Malfoy's, Riddle's even. Or if they have notoriety it isn't always positive.

3. She's not a Prefect, she's not Quidditch Captain but she's a Gryffindor Chaser and a Championship winning Seeker.

4. She's Harry Potter's girfriend, the envy of all other girls in the school.

5. She achieves high marks, is intelligent and is liked by all of the reasonable teachers (e.g. Snape hates her, but I doubt she loses sleep over it)

That's not a real analogy of Ginny but just a list of points that compose her position. Feel free to add some more. I probably should've mentioned Tom Riddle and the CoS. But it's nearly 1 am here and I'm nearly falling asleep.

Goodnight!

makemeinvisible xx

Why wouldn't Ginny be a prefect? She is certainly talented. Is she in the mold of Fred and George by causing too much trouble? Judging by her actions on the train in HBP (hexing someone who was bothering her), we could guess that she doesn't mind breaking a few rules. Any ideas?

Oh, and Snape hates everyone who is not in Slytherin. That isn't a big surprise, really. He really hates Gryffindors though.

Ginny was not selected to be a Prefect. I think the author made that decision, so Harry won't feel bad about him not being selected.
I believe her participation in the DoM raid has cost her the position, because she actually took part in an "illegal and dangerous activity". Moreover, she was now known to Death-Eaters and thus could be adding danger to herself and her family. The link to the Twins may be a factor, but I don't see how the teachers can relate that, because at Hogwarts, Ginny certainly was more often with her friends than with her brothers. It's not known that Ginny took part in the mischieves by the Twins.
The biggest reason, however, maybe that Ron was still an active Prefect. McGonagall would have refrained to put two siblings as Prefects, to give chance for other families. We notice that when Bill Weasley was a Prefect and Head Boy, Charlie Weasley was not selected, although he was a brilliant Quidditch Captain. Then, after Bill graduated, Percy could be selected. While Percy was a Prefect and then Head Boy, the Twins were skipped as well. Now that Percy has graduated, Ron could be selected. One active position per family.

I know this isn't about Ginny, but I think Charlie was chosen as a prefect. The reason I believe this is because when Ron gets his letter stating that he himself had become a prefect, Mrs. Weasly said something along the lines of "that's everyone in the family.." where fred and george replied to that with "what are we, next door neighbors?" But I do like your point about having two siblings at once being prefects...I don't think it's a good idea either, and this is possibly the reason why Ginny wasn't chosen as one.
Also, I think Ginny's role in the book is to be somewhat of a comedic relief. I don't know if this translates to her role in Hogwarts. That's a very creative question.

I don't know about Ginny...
In my opinion, she could/should be a prefect, judging by her history and cleverness.
Maybe it's indeed somethinh to do with siblings.
Or maybe dd didn't want to make everyone close to Harry a prefect so that Harry wouldn't feel tresspassed or something like that.
Ginny was selected by Slughorn, that means something, he only selects very gifted students! Ginny also participates in most important event lately, like she was part of Dumbledore's Army en fought in the Ministry with the death eaters and she did it again in the last book.

Ginny was also the first girl in love with Harry and as we all have read they finally found each other in the sixth book.

I see it like this: Ginny is becoming more and more important over the school years.
She infiltrates deeper in the Hogwarts network around Harry and becomes more important to him.
She's also very good at Quidditch and that's a gift as well...
And at Hogwarts you're really something if you play Quidditch very well.

Um, i think even i'd say that scenes involving Ginny (and her twin brothers) are just a relief from the usual seriousness that had been embedded in the books after GoF.
Anyway, she's a popular pretty girl who's the object of Harry's affection, seriously, isn't that enought to signify she's an important character. I know it's asking about her place at Hogwarts, but there too, she's a gifted witch and is someone impressive

She isn't a prefect simply because Ron and Hermoine are. If one of them isn't a prefect/Ginny becomes a 6th Year then Ginny probably would be.

Remember about CoS too.

Looking back on Ginny's history at Hogwarts makes me think of CoS, why did Lucius choose for her to be the one that the diary ended up with? Why not Harry, Ron or even Hermione. Why did the diary land in her lap? I think that she was chosen for the diary bit for a reason. First of all Lucius could not stand the Weasleys, as pureblood as they may be but they were "blood traitors", so maybe he thought tht by choosing her and if she had been killed by Riddle, then that would further hurt the Weasleys maybe even driving them apart. Just a thought.
She appears to be a very good student, smart, very popular and very seriuos when it comes to playing Quidditch. She is not mischieviuos like the twins, and in some ways appears to be more clever than Ron. She was not chosen as a prefect the same time as Ron because she is a year behind him in school and I think prefects have to be year 5 or above, and it would not be wise to have two siblings as prefects. She may become a prefect in year 7 if Ron is chosen as Head Boy.

She seems to be very popular, yes. Bill and Charlie, I heard they were popular, and I am sure Fred & George can be called fairly popular, at least within the Gryffindors, but Ginny is popular with the Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Gryffindors.

She is probably a good student, very skilled. Or Mrs. Weasley would have her head.

Back to Ginny's role at Hogwarts in the series, I can see she already plays an important role in the Dumbledore's Army. She named the group. She brought people into the group, because of Michael Corner. The people she brought are reliable enough that they could stick together under the threat of betrayal. In Harry's absence and most importantly, with Dumbledore is gone, Hogwarts is vulnerable to attack. There must be many important stuffs hidden, I suspect the Chamber is not fully exploited. The students need to form a defense system. Dumbledore's Army can be activated and expanded to unite all Houses. Now Death Eaters have been revealed. Draco has gone from school. The remaining Slytherins would want to exonerate themselves by working together against the threat of Voldemort. Ginny can take the initiative and move all into unity. Her charm and good networking beyond her own House will be an advantage.

I think the "Tom Riddle incident" was the main thing that made Ginny who she is at school. I believe people still see her as "The gril who was taken to the Chamber of secrets".

Well, not obviously not to all, but you get my drift.

I assume most see her as "The popular girl" or "Harry Potter's girlfriend"

Ginny's quite a lot of things, isn't she?

P.S I pretty much agree with everything Muggleview said.

Why do we assume that Ginny was popular?

As far as everyone knows, she's just another Weasley. That is, until she gets possessed by Riddle in CoS. Afterward, she's the talk of Hogwarts, no doubt! I have to think that if she was this little "Miss Sunshine" in her first year, she would not have gotten mixed up with the Diary in the first place. Her supposed girl-friends would have noticed something strange about her and would have said something to the Prefect or at least, to her brothers. So, I believe that Ginny was lonely her first year. She wasn't popular and she had no friends. Acquaintances, yes, but not real friends.

Now her second year, she may have been a subject of great curiosity. After all, she's the girl that was manipulated by Riddle in the lower chambers the year before. Some could even perceive her as a bit detached, even deranged. A bit spooky, if you may, for having gone through what she went through in CoS. I just don't think see her as being all that popular her 2nd year either. However, we later find out that she was the one who sent the valentine to Harry, anonymously of course. Friends? Probably just her roommates.

Her third year (GoF) - she may be forming friendships. She goes to the Yule Ball with Neville. But, I don't remember reading much more about her in the 4th book.

Her fourth year (OotP) - she is no longer this tongue-tied little girl around Harry. And, we find out that she has begun dating at the end of the 5th book (Michael Corner), much to Ron's chagrin. She's about 14 years old and she probably is now developing into the supposed beauty she became in book 6.
Thus, her popularity.

Her fifth year (HBP) - she is this beauty who excels in Quidditch and has a super developed bat-bogey hex which, according to JKR in an interview no less, means that she is this powerful witch because of the fact that she is the 7th child of a 7th son ... . In HBP, she flaunts her assets in front of Harry, and to other males as well, who then fall for her female charms.

NOW she is wildly popular.

Dumbledore's Widow: I think your forgetting something. We see everything through Harry's point of veiw. This means that when she was a shy little girl around him he didn't think much of her. As she grew up and out of her shell we learned more about her, because she was no longer afraid to be herself around Harry.

As far as her role in Hogwarts, I agree with muggleview. She was important in that she helped bring in more characters to the DA. She was dating Micheal, so he joined. And his friends joined because he joined. Plus, she's shown that she's powerful, having held her own against death eaters twice now, so with Harry gone she's a good choice for somebody to help continue the DA.

Also, we learned from Ron that she's "To popular for her own good." But even though she's popular and always has a date, she's kind. She hangs out with Luna, and went to the Yule Ball with Neville. So I think she also helps the less popular students at the school from getting picked on or whatever. We learned that she told off some kids in her year for calling Luna "Looney." And, I'd imagine that going to the dance with a girl who we have learned can date anyone she wants would help Neville a bit, because he too is veiwed as a bit of an outsider.

Do we really know that she hangs out with Luna? I don't think so. We also don't know that she helps the 'less popular' students from getting picked on ... we only know of the one instant where Ginny (most likely snapped) at some students for calling Luna 'Looney". SHE was the one who told the Trio that people called Luna - 'Looney', I don't see why this was necessary. Another thing, in one scene SHE and Harry snickered at Luna. Not so nice, especially if she is supposed to be a friend. I also wonder if Ginny knew that Neville had asked Hermione to the Yule Ball first? I wonder if she would have gone with him if she knew that she wasn't his first choice? A girl with the personality like Ginny's would not have gone knowing the circumstances, she is too self-centered and would have been quite miffed. Ask Hermione first, then ask me, how dare you! TO ME, Ginny is such a girl.
Ginny may not be the brute that some of us make her out to be but, neither is she the saint others apparently think she is.

If you remember in HBP, we almost never saw Luna without Ginny nearby. So it's a pretty good bet that they got along. As far as her and Harry snickering at her. So, you mean to tell me you have never laughed at one of your friends when they do or say something ridiculous? I find that pretty hard to believe. As far as her not knowing that Neville had asked Hermione to the ball first. It says in the book that she did. After Ron asked out Fluer Hermione and Ginny were there with him in the common room, when Ron was trying to figure out dates for them and he told Ginny to go with Harry she said that when Hermione said no to Neville he asked her and she agreed to go. So she obviously knew that he had asked Hermione first. And she didn't seem to have much of a problem with it. If she did she would have dropped Neville and gone with Harry.

I still feel that both Harry and Ginny were not being nice when snickering about Luna, and behind her back no less ... so I haven't change my opinion on that.

I should have had the 4th book with me when I said that Ginny didn't know that Neville had asked Hermione to the Yule Ball first, because you are correct in saying that she did know. Mea culpa!

Here is the quote from GoF, American edition p. 401:

["...this is getting stupid. Ginny, you can go with Harry, and I'll just -"
"I can't," said Ginny, and she went scarlet too. "I'm going with - with Neville. He asked me when Hermione said no, and I thought ... well ...I'm not going to be able to go otherwise, I'm not in fourth year." She looked extremely miserable. "I think I'll go and have dinner," she said, and she got up and walked off to the portrait hole, her head bowed.]

I have to say that I believe that Ginny was quite miserable (using the word JKR used) realizing that she could have gone with Harry had she not accepted Neville's invitation. I can well imagine what all she was thinking - Darn! *#@!*&@! If only I hadn't said yes to Neville, I'd be going with Harry!! So off she goes to dinner with her head bowed. She probably went off to the nearest restroom to "vent". Off page of course.

To answer the initial question: What is Ginny's Role in Hogwarts? Well it's quite obvious, not much...

First Book: Nothing much of importance. Just squels of "Oh Mum, can I go on the train and see him, Mum, oh please....."

Second Book: She served as the vulnerable girl who got possessed by Voldemort, and annoying best friend's little sister who had a crush on Harry.

Third Book: Uh...hmmm, was she even in this book?

Fourth Book: She served as a date for Neville to the Yule Ball....

Fifth Book: Well she had a few small parts here and there, and also accompanied the trio on the trip to the Department Mysteries where she broke her dear ankle.

Sixth Book: Harry's short-term love interest, the popular girl, Mrs. I-got-a-boyfrined.

But even with all that said, her role isn't very signficant. It's hard for me to exactly place her somewhere in the series because she isn't always present. She pops up one or two times, then disappears. Then comes back as a completely new character. So her role is always changing and uncertain.

Personally I disagree UnknownLocket. I think she did a lot more then that.
Yes in SS she wasn't in it much. J.K. probably just stuck her in then found her convinent to use later and over time Ginny developed into a full fledged character, which makes sense because often when you write you stick a name in then you end up writing or thinking long histories and adventures for the character. That has happened to me before.
I dunno if Ginny will have a large role in HPDH but she has to show up and she would be valueable leaverage to Voldemort if he were to kidnap her.
Anyway back to her roe in Hogwarts. Basically the whole school probably knows who she is. She's a Weasley and she was taken into the Chamber. In OotP she's Seeker then Chaser and I think the whole school knows all the Qudditch teams. Ginny also is popular as Ron and Harry discuss.

I definitly see her having a role in DH, like it or not, she's here to stay. She's Harry's weakness, breaking up with her isn't going to change that fact. Voldemort will still use her to get to Harry if he can. And the only way to stop him from doing that is for her to stay with Harry at all times, in which case she'll have a very large role.

If she stays with Harry the whole time I fear for the success of DH as a novel. Ginny has been the prime candidate for Harry's girlfriend the entire series so I fear (actually I hope) that Ginny will be one of the first to go in DH. I wish she would just get off Harry's heels and do something.. anything.... something worthy of the hero-worship she is currently the recipient of.. because right now we dont see much.


~Albus

*Sigh* I guess only girls like the romanitc-happy ending, where the guy you have liked forever actually falls for you in the end and you end up together, huh? And, I'd like to point out that she did 'get off Harry's heels' as you put it. When she was dating Micheal, or Dean? Or all through GoF? She wasn't following Harry around through that entire period, she was living her own life. But, then I've noticed that that gets used against her as well. So, I guess whatever she does, it won't be enough for those determined to hate her...

Oh no, I enjoy a happy-romantic ending when appropriate, when I am not at risk of gagging from the the way their romance was written. If you read alot of my other posts, and you talk to other people, you will find I really am a sensitive, logical, "in-touch-with-his-emotions" kind of guy.. which means for me to be so anti- H/G is very profound for me.. something must be wrong with the picture then.

And I am not determined to hate her. If you notice my posts in the Ginny threads, I specifically say that I may respect Ginny if she does something worthwhile... something that would eradicate her unfavorable persona.

~Albus

I dont think she has much of a role,the biggest one she had was Harry Potters girlfriend. Somtimes she ****es me off,but I still adore her in some ways. Thats just the way I am...

I don't believe Ginny will be promoted to be a great heroine of the series. It will distract the series. Harry is still the main hero. Ron and Hermione are the main sidekicks. The trio will work together till the end.
Ginny's role will be as one of the Members of the Orders and members of the DA. She will fight, but not involved in the horcruxes or other adventures.
Ginny is the one Harry wants to enjoy the life after Voldemort is gone. Harry's attention should be focused on finishing off Voldemort as soon as possible, not in his romance with Ginny. Thus, it's better if Ginny is not going out with Harry yet, until the end.

I think Ginny's moments were in books 2 and 6. We don't know a lot about her until the sixth book.
Her whole role in the series is being this girl Harry will look up to. She becomes, after some work a strong character, with a lot of personality, but only until HBP.
There's this part on HBP where she says Hermione told her to just be herself and after that is when she becomes the outgoing girl, funny like Fred and George and smart as Charlie and Percy.
I think overall she's got her share in teh series. She's part of a long pureblood family, even if considered blood-traitors, and she's the first girl in her family! She's got to outstand!
She's probably the best witch in her year, one of the leaders in the DA, went into the Ministry and she's Harry's love interest in the end (she was Harry's stalker at the beginning...)
She's a rulebreaker, but doesn't do it as often as Fred and George and she's strongminded and talented. Of course it's not written in her fate to save the wizarding community or the world, but I think teachers don't have a hard time trying to remember her.

I believe that Ginny had a fairly significant role in the entire series, though she wasn't a main character in all of the books. She was in the very first book, as the little sister who was the only one left in her family to go to Hogwarts. Then in the second book, she had a much bigger role, as she had Tom Riddle's diary and her and Harry's relationship grew more.

She wasn't mentioned much in the next 2 books, (3 and 4), but then in OoTP, she become much more outgoing and not as shy as she was in the other books. She became a main character and her and Harry become good friends. She also proves that she has a lot of magical talent and that she is very stubborn and yet also loyal to her friends. She goes to the Ministry and helps Harry in the Department of Mysteries. She also dates a few people and gives Harry advice on certain things.

And then we reach the 6th book. Harry has the kind of feelings for her that she had for him earlier on. She matures a lot more, as do the other characters and she makes everyone realize that she's not just the little sister anymore. She's her own person and can do her own thing. She and Harry hook up and they have a serious relationship.



Well she is her own person and she really grows as the series goes on.

Lauren

I think Ginny's presence is a total waste of time. She is only Ron's sister and I dont know how on earth did she become Harry's girlfriend. She is simply an idiot walking round the school with no importance in her role. You know, I dont know how Harry and Ginny got together when they never used to talk to each other. Ginny's most important role is ruining everyone else's life in Hogwarts.

I believe that although Ginny's role is by no way as huge as the trio she is after all slight bit more important than some ,who are hardly ever, if at all, mentioned till the fourth book and barley after. Though her part is small does not mean she is in anyway stupid or for that matter that she ruins everyones life just because she is there. (That sounds to me like how an abusive parent reacts to their child. "Stupid and a waste of space. You ruined my life" The parent never stops to think that maybe they are seeing it from the wrong angle and they do not realize that any problems that may have occurred may have been the result of neglect of responsibilities.) That being said , how many lives has Ginny ruined by being there? As I recall she has not killed anyone never hurt anyone who didn't deserve it (death eaters or umbridge) so to say that she is stupid and ruins anyones life is a result of a biased opinion. Ginnys role may be small but no smaller that the first foundation brick to the great wall of China. In other words small people are important too.

i think ginny is really important. she's so nice to everyone -
i dont know if anyone's pointed this out yet, but in the fifth book when we first meet Luna, and she asks who Neville is, he says "I'm nobody." and Ginny says "No you're not." and it says like "said Ginny sharply" so obviously she cares about him and everyone else who is seen as "nobody". she's just a sweetheart.
i agree with you cloe101

I totally dislike Ginny, but I won't go so far as to say that she is a waste of space. She's obviously important to Rowling, who had her pegged for Harry all along as his ideal girl , much to my chagrin. But, Ginny is hardly "just a sweetheart"!

Ginny has proven to be tempermental with a bit of a cruel streak, I would say. (e.g. when she embarrassed Ron about never having been kissed, and when she humiliated Hermione about not knowing anything about Quidditch. Imagine Hermione NOT knowing anything about Quidditch when she most likely had the book, Quidditch Through The Ages memorized!!) Ginny is also petty, jealous and possessive of Harry. (e.g. when she interfered with Cho accompanying Harry and had Luna go instead. It had already been decided, but she just had to interfere because she's jealous and possessive, and petty!) I can't help but ask if Ginny trusts Harry? Why so insecure? Afraid he'll run off with some girl?! Remember too that she was being very disrespectful of her future sister-in-law Fleur. She mocked Fleur's French dialect and mannerisms. I don't think a "sweetheart" of a girl would be so mean.

I'm reminded of Jessica Rabbit, of the '80s animated movie, Roger Rabbit, when she said - "I'm not mean, I'm just drawn that way". (paraphrased) So, I guess Ginny wouldn't be all that bad had Rowling paid more attention to her in the beginning and given her a more visible role in the previous books. Instead, in her attempt to make Ginny loveable Rowling rushed Ginny's character in HBP, creating - in my opinion - a Frankenstein's Bride (Bride of Chuckie?

Well, I think overall she is an outsatnding student in her year, because, we don't hear as much from other students in her year as we do from her.
Yes, Ginny was not as developed as other characters, but, maybe that's just the way JKR wanted to portray her... Temperamental, stubborn, loyal... She satnds by her principles, that's for sure.
I don't consider her a waste of time, and surely she never hurt anyone without a reason to do so (is the bat bogey hex so bad? It isn't considered a curse...)
Anyway, I don't think she makes her fellow students lives in Hogwarts unbearable around her. Most of them seem to like her.
ANd of course when her brother bugs her, she's not nice to him, but aren't we all a little bit like that to our siblings? You just don't embarass a brother/sister in public unless you want the same back.
I think Ginny is as important a character as Neville,

I have to disagree with the comment, "Ginny is as important as Neville" because

I think Ginny was written as a skilled witch, but her primary role, I think, was as more of a background characher. She was used to show the crushes Harry would get from girls in book 1, and was generally used as Ron and the Twin's little sister untli book 5. Then, she's harry's girlfriend. I think that Ginny was written to not be that extrodinary. We have many extrordinary charachters in the books, she was supposed to be spirited, proud, talented in quidditch and magic,

Overall, I think Ginny is a worthwhile characher, that plays an important role in the books, is an important characher, but is written to be more average, than a lot of the other charachers. Just, pretty muich, a regular teenager.

I still feel that Ginny's sole role was to