It is the month that the Boy Who Lived was born, which means that this is a great opportunity for me to write a new installment of Twice Upon a Time. The Harry Potter series is definitely an amazing one and we all have various memories tied to the books and the films. Naturally, there are a lot of differences between the films and books, and I want to take a look at a few of these. There is no way I can list all of the differences, but feel free to add more in the comments!
Harry’s Eyes are Green Not Blue
I know, I know. They tried to make Daniel Radcliffe’s eyes green with contacts and his eyes basically rebelled, but still. This has often been a sore spot for me, as a green-eyed person. A small difference compared to the rest of the major changes.
Dumbledore Isn’t the Yelling Sort
We all know this problem, as many people have talked about it, but Dumbledore doesn’t really yell. Many times, throughout the books, Rowling mentions how Harry would rather Dumbledore shout and yell because his calmness was more guilt and fear-inducing. In The Goblet of Fire film, Dumbledore runs up to Harry yelling and asking if he put his name in the Goblet. In the book, he simply walks in and quietly and calmly asks Harry. And, as we see throughout the books, he doesn’t raise his voice, which makes several things more impactful.
Peeves – PEEVES
Peeves the Poltergeist is a huge part of the Harry Potter book series, and when it comes to the films, well, he isn’t around whatsoever. He would’ve added such a great element to all of the films, and the way that everyone starts to acclimate to him in the books is always fun. His made up songs are always a treat, especially when he sang that Voldy was Moldy. Plus, the way he treats Filch and the whole “Give her [Umbridge] hell for us” order from the Weasely twins is pretty great.
The Deathday Party
I think one of the only redeeming factors in The Chamber of Secrets is the Deathday Party. I loved all of the ghostly elements, and this would’ve been so fun to see on screen. However, the Harry Potter films left it out and left all of us who were, well, dying to see it heartbroken. Ok, maybe not heartbroken, but I do still wish it had been in the films.
St. Mungo’s and Neville’s Parents
If you’ve only watched the films, you might not know about St. Mungo’s, nor more than a teeny bit about Neville’s parents. However, in the book, The Order of the Phoenix, we get to see the infamous wizard hospital after Arthur Weasely was attacked. There are lots of hilarious maladies as only JK Rowling can write, but there are some gruesome and sad ones, as well.
One of these sad instances is when Harry, Ron, and Hermione meet Neville Longbottom’s parents and see just how much the Cruciatus Curse damaged their brains.
On a slightly funnier note, we also get to see a former Hogwarts professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, doing what he knows best – signing autographs.
Wait, What Happened to the Burrow?
I rarely get angry when there is something that is added to a film that wasn’t in the books. I do my best to separate the two mediums, and not judge too harshly. However, I was not happy when the Death Eaters attack the Burrow in The Half-Blood Prince and set it on fire.
The Death Eaters never make it to the Burrow, and, in fact, they really can’t until The Deathly Hallows when they gain control of the ministry. I felt like this addition was just plain lame, but I guess it worked for the non-book readers?
Maybe establishing just how evil the Death Eaters are? But, I think it was already pretty well established by then.
The House of Gaunt Chapter Was Ignored
In The Half-Blood Prince, we get to see into Voldemort’s past and learn more about his ancestry and his life at Hogwarts. They included most of these glimpses into the past in the movie, but they left out one of the crucial ones.
The House of Gaunt is a depressing and dark chapter that looks into the lives of Voldemort’s mother, uncle, and grandfather. We learn a bit about Tom Riddle, the muggle that Merope fell in love with. As the story progresses, we learn that Voldemort was conceived under a love potion since this was the only way Merope could get the muggle Tom to marry her.
This is hinted, and I think even stated once, as to why Voldemort doesn’t know or can’t know the most powerful magic, love, since he was conceived under the pretenses of false love.
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the changes between the Harry Potter books and films, but there you have it. What are some of the differences I left off or the ones that still rankle? Let me know!
When you want to double check a Harry Potter fact and must consult the physical paper book as a source, let this fitting tote carry all 7 tomes, 2 text books, 1 fairy tale collection, and the bibliography.
Most should fit, and if they don’t just pull a Hermione and add an undetectable extension charm on it.
Mischief Managed! ;)
#Potterweek starts tomorrow. Our first post will be published at 11:59PM since we want to put the spotlight on YOU!
For one more preview post to hold you over, check out Heading to Hogwarts.
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