Had JK Rowling not changed her initial plans for Deathly Hallows, one character would still be alive.

Filled with pixie dust and commanding spells, JK Rowling’s Harry Potter novels have other magical aspects that make the story about the Boy Who Lived so endearing. From muggles to wizards, fans seem to remember each character, because of the way Rowling played and developed them from time to time.

Harry Potter author JK Rowling | image: The Today Show
However, throughout the process of carving the genre-smashing and heartwarming story of Harry Potter, JK Rowling wrote and scratched several drafts before coming up with the final version. Although the books and the films eventually turned out to be truly spectacular, and quite magical, Rowling regrets changing her plans for Deathly Hallows and killing off one often-forgotten character.

JK Rowling’s Initial Plans for Deathly Hallows 

Alohomora! Unlocking the magical story about the Boy Who Lived and his battle against the Dark Lord, JK Rowling crafted the enchanting masterpiece filled with muggles, wizards, and magical creatures, that transcend boundaries. Through the years, Rowling’s works remained one of the most captivating pieces of literature, until they got adapted into live-action movies.

JK Rowling during an interview with BBC
But while fans and readers held the films and the novels close to their hearts, JK Rowling revealed inner secrets about the journey of creating the enchanting Wizarding World. Through the process of writing the successful series of seven books, Rowling wrote and scratched out several events from the storyline. But among all, one that breaks the author’s heart is changing her initial plans for Deathly Hallows.
Daniel Radcliffe as an in Harry Potter films
According to reports from The Wizarding World, JK Rowling initially planned to involve the lesser known and often forgotten character of the ice cream selling wizard Florean Fortescue, and turn him into an integral part of the storyline by the end of the book series. Initially, Rowling planned to get Florean kidnapped by Death Eaters in an attempt to get information on the whereabouts of the Elder Wand; only to get later rescued by Harry and his friends.

JK Rowling Regrets Killing Off One Character

Florean Fortescue has been a small but neatly woven character since the beginning of the novels. He was not only a wizard but also the owner of Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlor in Diagon Alley. Serving his Parlor as a place for Harry to do his homework, Florean offered him ice cream sundaes every half-hour and helped Harry with his History of Magic homework.
Rowling in conversation with Daniel Radcliffe | image: Harry Potter Admirer/ YouTube
Following this arc, JK Rowling originally planned to make Florean more relevant to the storyline. Since he had information on the Elder Wand as it was passed down in the Fortescue family for generations, and he also held information about the diadem of Ravenclaw, Rowling initially planned to get him simply kidnapped by the Death Eaters.

Florean Fortescue‘s ice cream parlor in Diagon Alley | image: Wizarding World
However, eventually, JK Rowling changed her mind about getting Florean rescued by Harry and his friends. Instead, she killed off his character after getting tortured by Lord Voldemort in an attempt to draw out information on the whereabouts of the items. As Rowling began to write the key parts of Deathly Hallows, she realized Phineas Nigellus Black was a better character to hand down the clues about the Elder Wand to Harry. As for the diadem, Rowling left it on the Grey Lady.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book cover
Therefore Florean’s subplot was cut, and JK Rowling got him kidnapped and killed for no reason. Regretting her decision and feeling guilty about killing off the character, Rowling often called him the character she would bring back if she could. But now, with the books being written and the films being made, fans won’t ever know how Florean Fortescue’s arc might have impacted the storyline. Nonetheless, these inside details appear interesting to Potterheads when they revisit the Harry Potter books.