Look, I get it. Books (especially those that make up the Harry Potter series) are incredibly long and films are, comparably, minuscule blips of time. It would be physically impossible to include each and every single detail from a five hundred page text neatly into a film with a two hour run time without everything feeling rushed and poorly executed.
That means that there are going to be sections of the novel that just don’t make it onto the big screen. And that’s okay. Whether things were cut for time, pacing, or simply because it just could not translate properly; audiences need to accept that, for whatever reason, some things will need to be cut. And so long as the adaptation is faithful to the general plot, character descriptions, and tone of the source material, fans do tend to be quite understanding.
My favorite thing about the Harry Potter films truly is the fact that they did tend to leave a lot of content out of the final product; which makes rereading the series an absolute delight as you stumble across so many wonderful moments you have just completely forgotten about. So find a cozy corner of the common room you call home to cuddle up in while I take you through twenty-five beloved moments from the Harry Potter series that unfortunately did not make it into the final cut of the films. Here’s hoping they make it into the eventual remakes one day.
25 A Very Merry Demise Day
The little horror lover inside me wept when I finally got my hands on The Chamber of Secrets (book) and realized that the films had left out one of the most important sequences that had occurred in the series to date: Nearly Headless Nick’s Demise Day party. If you have not read the books, you are truly missing out. From the plates of rotting food to the galavanting gits that crash the party to the mere concept of celebrating one’s own demise in a matter akin to how the living celebrate their birth, this party is one that you are not going to want to miss.
24 The Longbottom Tragedy
In the fifth film, Neville simply tells Harry about what happened to his parents; however, I found that the scene (in the novel) where the golden trio stumbles across Neville and his family during one of their holiday visits carried more weight. Seeing Neville be there for the people he loves even though they most likely do not have a single clue who he is is both heartbreaking and beautiful. It says a lot about the kind of person that Neville is, as well as the state of mental health care in the wizarding world.
23 A Powerful Ally
The sixth book in the series begins with a meeting between the Prime Minister and the Minister of Magic who explains the danger that the wizarding world is in and how that may impact the muggles of England.
Though pacing issues caused this scene to remain bound to the page, I always found this interaction fascinating.
It ties directly into our society’s fears and conspiracies that the ruling bodies are harboring secrets about the world around us. What other supernatural secrets are they keeping to themselves?
22 Ginny’s Entire Personality
Okay, this may be a bit of a sassy entry. But I stand by it. I love Bonnie Wright and do not mean to disparage her performance in any way, but I was not a fan of the film version of this beloved character. Ginny Weasley is a force to be reckoned with that thinks the only thing standing between her and the thing she wants is the footsteps it takes to walk across the room. However, the film version of Ginny was rather dull and that she lacked the spark that ignited her novel bound counterpart.
21 The Curious Case Of Harry’s Absent Sass
The Boy Who Lived (book version) is one of the sassiest wizards in all of the UK and I feel cheated that that trademark snark could only be seen in glimpses throughout the films. Funnily enough, it feels as though the play version of the series (Note: we are talking about A Very Potter Musical and not The Cursed Child. We will never be talking about The Cursed Child here.) truly captured Harry’s wit, sass, and ability to put everyone in their place with a few simple words.
20 Tongue Tied
The Goblet of Fire was my favorite book in the series, so imagine my immense disappointment when the film literally skipped 30% of the plot and just jumped into the World Cup with no explanation. I’m sorry, but I feel cheated that I did not get to see the Weasleys trapped in the Dursley’s decorative fireplace, Dudley nearly choke on his engorged tongue, and Molly tearing the twins a new one for pranking muggles in their own home. Hopefully, the inevitable future remakes will include this amazing sequence because it is utterly brilliant in every sense of the word.
19 Ramblings Of A Mad Man
I understand that this scene was cut for pacing reasons, but I will never forgive Columbus for skipping the entire sequence in which Vernon does everything he can to ensure that he is able to escape to that island shack without being tracked. The film does not include the lengthy drive to the docks which features Vernon backtracking, making sudden unsignaled turns, and even spontaneous U-turns all while manically mumbling that they will never find him due to his precautions. Imagine being in that car alongside him. What an atmosphere.
18 The Wizarding World Cup
Yes, the fourth film did include the World Cup, but I remain unsatisfied. Where are the veela and the boys who try to woo them? The leprechauns? The foreign dignitaries feigning ignorance so that Fudge will only be able to communicate through elaborate hand gestures? Why is Ginny the one asking questions instead of Harry; especially considering her love and knowledge of Quidditch?
Where is Hermione doing everything she can to keep herself for attacking a government official for mistreating their house elf? Where is the man who prefers skirts due to the breeze betwixt his legs?
17 From Wit To Git
In the third book, when Snape calls Hermione out for answering a question he posed to the class (you know, like students are supposed to do) Ron slams him for his behavior. However, in the film version of the exact same scene, Ron takes Snape’s side. Why? Why would he do this? There are so many other moments where the films took incidents of Ron standing up to those who hurt his friends and turned them into moments where he sided with cruelty.
16 A Criminal For A Godfather
Another sequence which was cut from the first third of The Goblet of Fire was the moment in which Vernon nearly has an aneurysm after being forced to decide between getting Harry out of the house for the rest of the summer and making Harry happy. When Harry senses that things may not be going his way, he drops word that he is going to be writing a letter to his criminal godfather after Vernon makes his decision. The fear that courses through Vernon at that moment is both palpable and hilarious.
15 “It’s Not All Wand Work”
Since the seventh and final book in the series is filled with such dark and heartbreaking subject matter, every moment of levity is greatly appreciated.
Which is why I was devastated that the entire “wand work” sequence did not make the cut.
Ron gifts Harry with a book on how to pick up witches for his seventeenth birthday and remarks that “it’s not all wand work” while Harry is reading the back cover. When Harry later compliments Ron’s mother, Ron gives him a thumbs up as if he is congratulating Harry for applying the book’s methods on his own mother.
14 Ron’s Mouth Is Suddenly Clean?
Look, I get it. It’s a series whose target audience is younger children so they can’t include vulgarities. But come on, nearly half of everything that comes out of Ron’s mouth in those books is a curse word of some sort. Any scene involving Ron in those early novels also includes Harry being absolutely shocked at the language that continually comes out of Ron’s mouth. I wish that they could have at least included some of the wizard swears that boy bandied about.
13 Musical Headgear
Maybe it was done for pacing. Maybe it was done for time. Or maybe the sequence simply just did not work when trying to translate it from the page to the screen. But I am a little disappointed that audiences were not treated to a live-action version of the Sorting Hat’s song from the first book in the series. I do admit that the scene might have felt silly if the hat suddenly broke out into a lengthy song; especially considering the fact that the film version of that sequence was trying to create feelings of tension and suspense.
12 Low Blows And Romantic Woes
I know that the sixth film in the series placed a heavy focus on the romantic comedy aspects of its source material (for which, I am grateful as without those themes, that would have been an exceptionally dark film) but I do wish that more of the romantic elements from both the fifth and sixth books could have been included.
What about Harry’s failed date with Cho where she kept bringing up her deceased ex?
Or Ginny and Harry’s entire relationship? The only aspects of either relationship that made it into the films were two awkward kisses.
11 Hermione’s Other Side
Why were the films determined to remove every moment of Hermione’s ruthlessness? In the fifth film, Cho is slipped a little truth serum and comes clean about the D.A. However, in the books, Hermione cast a charm on the sign-up list which will permanently disfigure anyone who dares speak a word of the secret organization to anyone who is not a member. And that is exactly what happened to Cho’s best friend who found herself on Umbridge’s bad side. And Hermione did not feel one drop of guilt or remorse. Snitches get permanently disfigured in Hermione’s books, apparently.
10 Let’s Get Down And Rumble
I will never forgive Columbus for choosing to leave out the parental beat down from the second film in the series. In the film, Arthur and Lucius exchange harsh words after running into each other in Flourish and Blotts.
But in the book, these two proud fathers decide that fists, not words, are the best way to end a disagreement.
They literally throw down in the middle of a bookstore and I will forever be heartbroken that that moment will forever be bound to the page.
9 Misplaced Admiration
If you’ve never read the books, I can understand thinking that Snape’s misplaced affections warranted a redemption arc. They softened (and almost removed) his acts of cruelty and Alan Rickman’s portrayal of the character made him a far more sympathetic character. He seemed to truly care about those children, even though he had a poor way of expressing it. However, in the book Snape went out of his way to treat those children with outright cruelty at every opportunity. And that is harder to forgive. The films truly did tone down the flaws of each likable character.
8 Riddled Backstories
I get it. There was a lot of content within those final books, so a lot of things needed to be cut for time. Anything that did not directly relate to the plot was left on the cutting room floor. But sometimes I find myself wishing that more of Tom’s backstory could have made it into the film. I loved how the book explored the cycle of abuse through Tom and how it extended back through multiple generations only to be stopped by Harry’s acceptance of love and ability to forgive those who have slighted him in his past.
7 You Are Not Your Parents
The series, as a whole, places a heavy importance on the idea that people are not their parents and that they should be judged for who they are, how they treat others, and for their actions rather than where they came from. But the isolation of the adult stories from those of the children does not allow the audience to make a connection between the two unless they are looking for it. The adults are included in the film but rarely do they appear alongside the children, so there are not plenty of opportunities to see the ways that the children fight against these expectations.
6 Time Turners Explained
If you have read the books, there is no excuse to continually misunderstand the basic functions of the time turners for Hermione explains that one cannot use these devices to prevent an event which has already occurred. No, you cannot go back in time and stop Voldemort or save someone who has perished or else you will become the force that caused those events that have already occurred to transpire.
This is why Hermione could not attend the class she slept through. Had this sequence been included in the films, I believe that there would be a lot less inane time turner questions floating around the interwebs.
