It’s natural to think that when you’re translating a book into a movie, something will eventually get cut. More often than not, the films cut out a lot of what the books spend heaps of time setting up for the reader.
This was, of course, inevitable in the Harry Potter series. You know, Harry Potter, the wizard with the scar in the shape of a lightning bolt on his forehead? Yeah, the movies left out a lot of context and subplots.
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Throughout the seven books, there’s a number of facts and scenes that are never mentioned in the movies that the fandom agrees is a huge shame. The absence of some of these is more significant to the plot than that of others, but, overall, people missed these tidbits in the movies.
Bored Panda has collected some of the best facts in the Harry Potter universe that are mentioned in the books, but were unfortunately not included in the movies. Vote and comment on the ones you like the most in the list below!
Oh, and spoiler alert! Some of the things you’ll read in this article will spoil some things if you haven’t read the books.
#1 House Elves Were Combatants In The Battle Of Hogwarts And Fought Against The Death Eaters
The Battle Of Hogwarts was an epic final battle in the Second Wizarding War that included a bunch of combatants. One particular group of fighters was never shown in the movies, particularly the house elves who came rushing out of the kitchen, brandishing knives and fighting the Death Eaters.
Image credits: Warner Bros. Pictures
#2 Before Severus Snape Kills Dumbledore, Dumbledore Paralyzes Harry And Throws The Invisibility Cloak On Him
Before Snape said the decisive words—Avada Kedavra, the killing curse—Dumbledore actually cast an immobilizing spell on Harry and threw the invisibility cloak on him so that he’d not intervene and not be seen by anyone in the Astronomy Tower. Unlike in the movie, where Harry just stood on the lower floor and stared.
Image credits: Warner Bros. Pictures
#3 Snape Actually Called Lily Potter A “Mudblood” During Snape’s Worst Memory
Some people are of the conviction that what makes Snape’s Worst Memory the worst one is the fact that he is bullied by the Marauders. However, it is actually the fact that he, in the heat of the moment, calls Lily, his love interest, a “mudblood,” for which Lily never forgave him.
Image credits: Warner Bros. Pictures
#4 Neville Longbottom Could Have Been The Child Of Prophecy Instead Of Harry Potter
Neville was actually one of two infants who were referred to in a prophecy made by Professor Sybill Patricia Trelawney regarding the person with the power to defeat the Dark Lord. However, Voldemort chose to target Harry instead.
Image credits: Warner Bros. Pictures
#5 Dudley And Harry’s Relationship Wasn’t All Negative As The Two Shared A Touching Moment When Dudley Thanked Him For Saving His Life
At one point, Dudley was attacked by the Dementors and Harry saved him. He ended up thanking Harry and shaking his hand when the Order of the Phoenix was escorting the Dursleys into hiding. Harry thought that such an awkward thanks was the Dursleys’ equivalent of a genuine thanks. This never made the cut, but it was filmed.
Image credits: Warner Bros. Pictures
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#6 Harry Didn’t Break The Elder Wand—he Actually Returned It To Dumbledore’s Tomb
In The Deathly Hallows, Harry is seen breaking the Elder Wand and tossing it out. In the books, however, Harry returns the Elder Wand to Dumbledore’s tomb. It’s said that nobody apart from Harry could actually use it at this point, and he’s had enough adventures with it for this lifetime. Besides, originally, it was Dumbledore’s wand in the first place.
Image credits: Warner Bros. Pictures
#7 Harry’s Aunt Petunia Wrote Dumbledore A Letter Of Request To Attend Hogwarts
When Petunia’s sister Lily, Harry’s mom, got a letter from Hogwarts confirming she was a witch, Petunia also wrote Dumbledore asking if she could also study there. She was kindly rejected and felt hurt that she was left out. It is also believed that she felt so because of her parents being very proud of Lily’s wizarding talent.
Image credits: harrypotter.fandom
#8 Rita Skeeter Is An Unregistered Animagus Who Would Transform Into A Beetle To Collect Information
Rita Skeeter is a journalist for the Daily Prophet and an unregistered Animagus who would often turn into a beetle and snoop around to learn people’s secrets for her articles. This is never mentioned in the movies, but there are speculations of it being hinted at in The Goblet Of Fire when Skeeter conducts an interview with Harry and as she shoves him into a broom cupboard, she says “you should feel right at home, then,” possibly meaning that she knows Harry used to live in a cupboard under the stairs. The only way she could have known that is by listening to anyone who knew about it and mentioned the fact.
Image credits: Warner Bros. Pictures
#9 Peeves The Poltergeist Is Never Seen In The Movies Despite Being In All Of The Books And 3 Video Games
The mischievous poltergeist Peeves is considered by many a pretty significant character in the Harry Potter universe, but he was never mentioned in the movies. Scenes with Peeves were actually filmed for The Philosopher’s Stone, where he was played by Rik Mayall, but they never made it into the final cut, and to this day were never released to the public.
Image credits: harrypotter.fandom
#10 Hermione Founded The Society For The Promotion Of Elfish Welfare
Hermione Granger doesn’t tolerate injustice—so much, in fact, that she established S.P.E.W., the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare, which fought for the equality of house elves. This was prompted by an act of great injustice that she saw in the 1994 Quidditch World Cup, whereby Barty Crouch treated the family’s house elf Winky cruelly.
Image credits: Warner Bros. Pictures
#11 When Visiting His Home In Godric’s Hollow, Harry Actually Saw A Sign There With Graffiti On It Expressing Support For Him
Harry and Hermione went to visit Harry’s parents’ cottage in Godric’s Hollow. According to the book, there was a sign set in the ground outside it that was a monument to the Potters and a reminder of the violence that destroyed the family. The sign was graffitied over with messages of support for Harry, which he thought was touching.
Image credits: Warner Bros. Pictures
#12 Hermione Granger And Ron Weasley Were Actually Appointed Prefects Of House Gryffindor
A prefect at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a student who is bestowed additional authority and responsibilities by the Head of House and the Headmaster. Hermione and Ron were appointed prefects of House Gryffindor. In fact, Ron was one of four members of the Weasley family to become prefects, with Bill, Charlie, and Percy being the other three.
Image credits: Warner Bros. Pictures
#13 In The Movies, Nobody Ever Tells Harry That His Dad Could Turn Into A Stag
Harry’s father James Potter spent three years learning to become an Animagus, a wizard who can transform into an animal. He ended up perfecting it and became a stag Animagus. And, according to Reddit user alexi_lupin, nobody tells Harry that his dad could turn into a stag in the movies, which “cheapens the Patronus, cheapens Harry’s relationship with his father (which never recovers), and also Snape’s reveal later.”
Image credits: Warner Bros. Pictures
#14 Harry Used Crucio On Amycus Carrow After He Spat At Professor Mcgonagall’s Face
There’s a scene in the book where Amycus Carrow, a Dark Wizard and Death Eater, came up to Professor McGonagall, too close for comfort, and spat in her face. Harry was near, he dropped the cloak of invisibility, and cast Crucio, a curse that inflicts excruciating pain to the victim, on Carrow.
Image credits: harrypotter.fandom
#15 The Battle Of Hogwarts Also Included Dropping Crystal Balls And A Transformed Desk Stampede Against The Death Eaters
The epic Battle of Hogwarts not only included a scene where over a hundred house elves rushed to fight the Death Eaters, but also, Professor Trelawney dropped crystal balls on the heads of Death Eaters and Professor McGonagall transformed desks to stampede towards them.
Image credits: Warner Bros. Pictures
#16 The Ministry Of Magic Couldn’t Actually Detect Who Was Casting Spells In Places With High Wizard Populations
While it is a known fact that the Ministry of Magic can detect where magic is used outside of the magical realm, it’s actually impossible for them to do so in areas that are heavily populated by wizards. This is why underage wizards and witches are seen using magic during the holiday break without any repercussions.
Image credits: harrypotter.fandom
#17 Dumbledore Actually Told Harry What Voldemort’s Horcruxes Are
In The Deathly Hallows, Dumbledore tells Harry of Voldemort’s horcruxes. He mentions six in particular because he doesn’t want Harry to know that he is actually the 7th one.
Image credits: Warner Bros. Pictures
#18 Edward “Teddy” Lupin Would Often Visit Harry At His Home And He Was Actually Raised By His Grandmother Andromeda Tonks
Edward “Teddy” Lupin is the son of the late Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks. Soon after he was born, his parents died in the Battle of Hogwarts. So, he was raised by his grandmother Andromeda Tonks and eventually became the godson of Harry, whom he frequently visited at his home.
Image credits: dagilp_lbh
#19 Voldemort Is Incapable Of Love Because He Was Born From His Parents’ Loveless Union
In the books, Voldemort’s mother Merope Gaunt gave his father a love potion. J.K. Rowling explained that this was a symbolic way of showing that he was conceived in a loveless union. Things would have certainly been different if he was raised by Merope herself, had she survived, and not in an orphanage.
Image credits: Warner Bros. Pictures
Source: boredpanda.com