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The Harry Potter franchise has been one of the most successful and well-made movie adaptations in cinema, thanks to Warner Bros. and a brilliant cast that brought the iconic characters to life. However, the series isn't entirely faithful to its book counterparts, as the filmmakers had to cut multiple scenes to fit the novels into a three-hour-long film. Some of these omitted elements, as fans have continuously pointed out, were integral to the plotlines and the origins of certain characters. These include missing scenes, an underwhelming exploration of key events, and absent characters.
Although the films try their best to do justice to Rowling's wonderful universe, they miss out on some crucial plot details. Here are seven things the Harry Potter franchise could have portrayed more accurately.
[Disclaimer: This article reflects the writer's opinions. Reader discretion is advised.]
Albus Dumbledore's backstory
Throughout the eight films, Albus Dumbledore is portrayed as one of the most important characters in the series—watching over the magical world and Hogwarts and orchestrating the master plan that ultimately leads to Lord Voldemort's downfall.
However, the films make little effort to explore Dumbledore's past, particularly his association with Gellert Grindelwald and the philosophy of "the greater good." The movies entirely skip the plotline of Dumbledore once believing that wizards should rule over Muggles.
In the book, Rita Skeeter's biography, The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore, unveils grave secrets about the man everyone idolizes. Hermione reads through Skeeter's account of the Dumbledore family, which reveals the mystery surrounding Ariana Dumbledore and how her death deeply affected Albus.
Severus Snape's backstory
One of the biggest plot twists in the franchise is the revelation of Severus Snape's true nature, shown through his memories that Harry views in the Pensieve after Snape's death. In the movies, Snape's backstory receives a maximum of ten minutes of screen time, whereas the book explores it in detail through a dedicated chapter called The Prince’s Tale.
The same can be said for the film's portrayal of Snape and Lily Potter's friendship. We only see a few brief scenes of James, Lily, and Snape during their time at Hogwarts, which fails to convey the depth of Snape’s relationship with Lily and why he dedicated his life to protecting Harry. The books masterfully detail their friendship and how it slowly deteriorates due to Snape’s associations with Avery, Lestrange, and Mulciber. This compelling storyline had great potential but was underutilized on screen.
Ginny Weasley's character arc
One of the most disappointing on-screen adaptations in the franchise was the portrayal of Ginny Weasley. The youngest Weasley sibling was one of the feistiest, toughest, and most confident characters in the household, but her on-screen counterpart lacked these defining traits.
Bonnie Wright's Ginny fades into the background for most of the films, and when she does appear, she is portrayed as shy, quiet, and merely supportive of Harry. The films reduce Ginny to being Ron’s sister and Harry’s love interest, whereas the books depict her as highly intelligent, brave, and strong-willed. She frequently stands up to her six older brothers and is a popular figure at Hogwarts, even drawing attention from some Slytherins. Additionally, she excels at Quidditch, even winning a match as Gryffindor’s Seeker when Harry is in detention.
Another notable aspect of Ginny’s character in the books was her exceptional talent in defensive magic, particularly her signature Bat-Bogey Hex, which earned her a fierce reputation. Unfortunately, the movies failed to showcase these crucial aspects of her character.
Lord Voldemort's backstory
A compelling villain’s backstory is crucial to understanding their motivations, yet the Harry Potter films barely scratch the surface of Lord Voldemort’s origins. While the movies emphasize his crimes and inhumanity, they leave out key details about how he became the Dark Lord.
In Half-Blood Prince, Harry witnesses Voldemort’s tragic beginnings—learning about Merope Gaunt, his mother, who was trapped in an abusive household, and how she used a love potion to manipulate Tom Riddle Sr. The books also reveal how Voldemort spent years searching for his lineage and orchestrating the murders of his Muggle family.
Similarly, the films omit his time at Hogwarts as an adult, where he returns seeking a teaching position, only to be denied by Dumbledore. They also fail to explain the reason behind the curse on the Defense Against the Dark Arts position, which prevents any professor from holding the post for more than a year. Rather than exploring how Tom Riddle became Voldemort, the movies focus solely on his later actions as a villain.
Neville Longbottom
Although Neville Longbottom is an essential character in the books, he is given considerably less screen time in the films, with many of his important scenes omitted. The most significant aspect of his storyline—that he could have been the Chosen One instead of Harry—is barely touched upon in the movies.
In Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore explains that Trelawney’s prophecy never explicitly named Harry; it merely described a boy born at the end of July to parents who had defied Voldemort three times. Both Neville and Harry fit this description, meaning that either could have been chosen as Voldemort’s equal. However, Voldemort marked Harry as his adversary, likely because Harry, like him, was a half-blood. The books delve deeper into this idea, prompting Harry to wonder how events might have unfolded if Voldemort had chosen Neville instead.
Dark Lord's death
One of the most controversial moments in the film adaptation was Voldemort's death. In the books, the Dark Lord dies as a mortal man, falling lifeless to the ground after Harry defeats him. He is later buried in an unmarked grave, emphasizing the irony that despite his quest for immortality, he ultimately dies like any other person.
The film, however, takes a more theatrical approach—Voldemort disintegrates into ashes and vanishes into the wind, leaving no physical remains. While visually striking, this change alters the meaning of his demise, making it seem almost mystical rather than reinforcing his mortality.
Missing characters
Several characters went completely missing in the film franchise:
Winky The House Elf: Barty Crouch’s elf played a significant role in revealing how Barty Crouch Jr. escaped Azkaban and acted under the Imperius Curse. The films also left out Winky and Dobby’s friendship and the latter’s movement to free house-elves.
Peeves the Poltergeist: A notorious troublemaker and one of the biggest menaces of the castle, Peeves never made it to the big screen. It would have been interesting to see his comedic and chaotic presence portrayed in the films.
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Professor Binns: The ghostly History of Magic professor is absent from the films, and as a result, there are no History of Magic classes depicted. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see a ghost teacher in its serious and boring depiction.
More of the Weasleys: Percy Weasley an important role in the later books, siding with the Ministry against his family before reconciling. Moreover, Bill Weasley also appears briefly albeit without significant screen time. However, Charlie Weasley did not even make an appearance.
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