When readers first meet Ginny in Chamber of Secrets, she’s extremely meek — mostly because she’s just eleven years old and is nursing an absolutely enormous crush on Harry. As a result, she’s often too embarrassed to even speak in his presence, but of course, when Ginny proves central to the mystery of the Chamber itself, Harry and Ron band together to rescue her and succeed.
In the fifth book, Order of the Phoenix, Ginny truly starts to come into her own. When Harry, Ron, and Hermione work to begin the rebellious students’ group Dumbledore’s Army, Ginny proves invaluable — not only does she suggest the name itself, but she turns out to be a skilled fighter who is especially proficient in the Bat-Bogey Hex. On top of that, when Harry and Ginny’s brothers Fred and George (James & Oliver Phelps) are kicked off of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Ginny takes Harry’s spot as Seeker, and performs admirably. (In a telling moment, when Fred and George wonder how Ginny got so good at Quidditch, Hermione reveals that Ginny has been stealing their broomsticks and practicing in secret for nearly ten years.)
Ultimately, Ginny’s character proves even more vital in the next book, Half-Blood Prince, where Harry realizes his feelings for her aren’t exactly… brotherly. As a result, Ginny plays a huge role in the book, briefly dating Harry before he leaves school to fight Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). After the Battle of Hogwarts, where Harry is victorious, the two get back together, and in the epilogue, it’s revealed that the two are married with three children. All in all, Ginny is a funny, smart, and talented witch, and a perfect match for Harry, which comes through perfectly in the books.
