Today, Bookstr celebrates heroine Ginny Weasley’s 40th birthday! Born on August 11, 1981, Ginny is the youngest and only daughter of the Weasley family in the Harry Potter series.
During her time in the books, Ginny grows from being possessed by Tom Riddle’s diary in Chamber of Secrets to defeating Death Eaters in Deathly Hallows. Past the series, she canonically becomes a professional Quidditch player for the Holyhead Harpies. She made a name for herself past being Harry Potter’s love interest is a literary force to be reckoned with. In honor of Ginny’s birthday, here are five moments where she proved herself to be an undeniable badass.
She Survives The Chamber of Secrets
As a first-year, eleven-year-old Ginny finds herself in a messy situation that changes her life. Unfortunately, she spends her entire first year at Hogwarts possessed by Tom Riddle’s diary. As a new student and the youngest Weasley at Hogwarts, Ginny finds solace in confiding in this “Tom Riddle” character who validates her feelings. She sneaks around the school for almost an entire year while communicating with the ghost of one of the most powerful wizards of all time, and no one notices. Many fans of the series have asked how the young girl even survived her various encounters with the Chamber. Since Tom needed her alive to carry out his requests, Ginny, in essence, temporarily became the heir of Slytherin. It isn’t until the end of the novel when the ghost of Tom has enough of Ginny’s soul to reincarnate himself that he doesn’t need her anymore. But Ginny survives it all and lives on to help defeat the man who once tried to take her soul.
She Becomes One of the Greatest Quidditch Players of All-Time
Ginny began flying when she would steal her brothers’ broomsticks from the shed to practice riding. During her fourth year at Hogwarts, she auditioned to be a temporary Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team when Harry was removed from the team for attacking Draco Malfoy. She later became the team’s Chaser and helped Harry wrangle in the team when he became a captain in his sixth year. During her time on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, her talents were undeniable which is why she was recruited to join the Holyhead Harpies team following her final year at Hogwarts. In a male-dominated industry, she became a household name and a legend on the Quidditch field.
She Helped Create (And Revive) Dumbledore’s Army
By Order of the Phoenix, it is clear that Ginny doesn’t mind a bit of rule-breaking. When Professor Umbridge takes over Hogwarts and refuses to let students practice magic, Ginny becomes one of the founding members of Dumbledore’s Army. In fact, she is the one who comes up with the organization’s name. During her later years at Hogwarts, she hones in on her skills as a witch and proves herself worthy enough to battle the most powerful wizards and witches when she tags along with Harry during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. During her sixth year, she revies the Army along with Nevile Longbottom and Luna Lovegood so that Hogwarts students are prepared to defeat Voldemort and his Death Eaters during the Battle of Hogwarts. At the end of the day, the efforts of Dumbledore’s Army help turn the battle in their favor because, without the students, Hogwarts would have been doomed.
She Isn’t Afraid To Fight Death Eaters
Ginny is no stranger to battling the Dark Lord and his allies because she’s been doing so since she was eleven. Given the chance to use magic against the Death Eaters, Ginny steps up to the plate to protect Professor Trelawney’s first prophecy and, therefore, Harry. She continues to do so throughout her sixth year during the Battle of Hogwarts. One of her shining moments is when she battles Bellatrix before Mrs. Weasley steps in to help. Ginny was never intimidated by Voldemort and his followers, perhaps because she once had one inside her head. She deserves recognition for holding her own against the darkest wizards and witches of all time.
She Is An Extremely Skillful (And Very Underrated) Witch
Hermione often gets the most credit for being “the brightest witch of her age,” but not far behind her is Ginny. The books often mention Ginny hexing her brothers or classmates when they tease her. Her proficiency at the Bat-Bogey Hex is infamous throughout the books, and she becomes skillful in forbidden spells with the help of Dumbledore’s Army. Her competency with magic even gets her invited to Professor Slughorn’s Christmas Party for his best students. Ginny is known for her skills with a broom, but she is also just as proficient with a wand. Although never chosen for a prefect position, many fans believe Ginny would have been the perfect Head Girl.
What are your favorite Ginny Weasley moments throughout Harry Potter? Let us know in the comments!
FEATURED IMAGES VIA HARRY POTTER WIKI & HARRY POTTER FAN ZONE