Potterheads worldwide have been rejoicing since HBO MAX announced a reboot of Harry Potter! The magical world of wizards, witches, muggles, and dementors will return in a new avatar as a series of the same name.
The movies hold a soft spot for generations from the baby boomers to Gen Alpha; Potterheads continue to thrive. These movies were simply fire! Potterheads continue to fondly reminisce over J.K. Rowling’s books and the movies that adapted her work.
While the movies were masterpieces, there were several inaccuracies and storylines across the Harry Potter franchise. Now that the Harry Potter series is slated for 2026, Potterheads hope the series sticks to the book’s account of events and descriptions.
Disclaimer: This article is solely based on the author’s opinions. Reader discretion is advised.
10 things the Harry Potter series could explain better than the movies
1) The personalities of the Big Three
We all adore Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint’s embodiments of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasely. But the movies seemed to have jumbled their personalities and descriptions altogether.
For instance, Harry’s persona is pretty much the same, except he is described as someone with blue eyes and shabby hair in the books. While Granger is a bold and ambitious firecracker in the movies, the books paint her as an introvert who doesn’t do well in public situations.
Granger would not have punched Draco in the books in the first place! On the other hand, Ron isn’t always anxious or afraid; neither is he lacking in intellect, to put it lightly. He’s fearless and a beloved Weasely - seldom picked on and is the one encouraging Potter instead of Granger.
2) Volemort's appearance
Harry Potter did a phenomenal job of bringing Voldemort alive through the talents of Ralph Fiennes, Frank Dillane, and Richard Bremmer. Fans have always had mixed opinions about his character.
The movies stuck to Voldemort's primary ethos of being malicious with no morals or an ounce of humanity. However, they might have missed the mark with how he looked in the books.
Voldemort was far creepier in the books - the nightmare-inducing-looking villain. Being a pioneer of Parseltongue, Voldemort also had the physical attributes of a snake.
He’s said to have bright red eyes with thin pupils, extremely pale skin (which they achieved in the movies), an extremely skinny exterior, nostrils resembling a snake, and long, skinny arms. In the movies, he was pretty much human-looking except for the nostrils.
3) More Dobby scenes
Every Potterhead went gaga for Dobby in the Harry Potter films. The character changed the way we look at socks for Potterheads; talk about impact! Dobby is described as Harry’s most loyal companion and aide.
Dobby appeared in two of the six movies: Harry Potter: The Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. Even in those two movies, his presence was rather scarce, and he seldom appeared.
He frequently appeared in all five installments of the books until his heartbreaking death. Hopefully, we’ll see more of Dobby in the upcoming series.
4) Peeves the Poltergeist
Harry Potter’s biggest upset was the complete disappearance of Poltergeist Peeves. In the books, Peeves is an eccentric individual with a peculiar sense of humor and enjoys teasing Neville Longbottom. He would often pull some ridiculous pranks on Longbottom during dinnertime.
Moreover, the Poltergeist could’ve added more depth and meaning to the Harry Potter franchise. From humor to becoming a pivotal part of the story, Peeves would’ve made a fantastic addition.
According to The Independent, the late actor Rik Mayall was cast as the poltergeist and even filmed several scenes in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Sadly, the scenes were scrapped from the movie, and fans were robbed of a whole other character.
5) Ginny and Harry's romantic relationship
Another big miss in the movies is Harry Potter and Ginny Weasely’s relationship. First, the movies appeared to have bungled Ginny’s character. Instead of having an air of confidence and sass, she was portrayed as timid.
She’d turn red or scurry from the scene if Harry passed her by! Next, their relationship took several detours in the movies until it finally led to them dating.
In the books, Harry had a hardcore crush on Ron’s sister since he met her. But it wasn’t until after they scored a big win in Quidditch that they made their relationship official by sharing a sweet kiss in front of everyone, including Dumbledore!
6) More Quidditch championships
Another reason Potterheads fell in love with Rowling’s books was her unique concoction of the game Quidditch. Naturally, fans were disappointed in five of the eight installments. The games brought together all of Hogwarts in the spirit of sportsmanship and fun.
The tournament between Gryffindor and Slytherin remains iconic and fondly remembered to this day. Some foul plays, spells, and the golden snitch made it quite a sight to behold in the Harry Potter movies.
Because of impending doom due to Voldemort hot on Harry’s heels and potion classes, it was challenging to include more Quidditch storylines in the movies. However, Potter has played 9 games during his tenure at Hogwarts - something the movies omitted.
7) More of The Weasley family
The Weaselys were the closest thing to a real family for young Potter, especially because of his unjust childhood. From the very first moment he met Ron's parents and family, they considered him a part of the family.
And that would’ve happened with or without Ginny. In the books, the Weaselys would frequently appear to check in on their children and Harry. The books also dived into Arthur and Molly’s past - not adopted in the movies.
The books have several noteworthy moments, including parts where Ron’s parents correct Harry sternly, encourage him, and make him feel beyond welcome in their home. The movie has scarce scenes that depict the Weaselys' hospitality.
8) The Marauders explained
Harry Potter had a myriad of enigmas across the eight installments. However, the movies never dive into the history of the Marauders. Apart from the whimsical map created by them and the people who made them (Harry’s dad, James, Peter Pettigrew, Remus, and Harry’s uncle, Sirius), the movies don’t discuss much.
Additionally, the bonds shared by the Marauders weren’t emphasized enough compared to the books. Another crucial scene the movies completely left out was the original Marauders using the map until the Weasley twins discovered it once more.
9) A Squib explained - Mr. Flich
In the Harry Potter movies, Mr. Flich initially gave off a grouchy vibe and seemed like a no-people person. Being the caretaker of Hogwarts and monitoring several enthusiastic and troublemaking children and young adults can explain why he appears to be in a bad mood most of the time.
However, it is only later that Potterhead learns what a softie he is when he isn’t busy being a cat parent. Fans also wondered why the movie didn’t include Mr. Flich being a Squib. In the books, Squibs aren’t that different from muggles except that they have no magical properties despite having a parent possessing some form of magic.
Moreover, although Mr. Flich fades away after the first three movies, his frequent appearances in the upcoming series might be an interesting feat.
10) Petunia's letter to Dumbledore
Petunia Dursley wasn’t perfect, nor did she ever treat her nephew right in any manner. However, she never stopped him from fulfilling his destiny at Hogwarts. Although nothing would justify her actions, Potterheads slowly learned the reason for her bitterness in the later installments of the books and movies.
However, the movies completely diminish the fact that she had a conversation over a letter to Dumbledore, desperately requesting to be admitted into Hogwarts with her sister Lily. She pretty much poured her heart and soul into that letter.
Although Dumbledore had much sympathy for Petuna, he had to adhere to the rules. He responded with a relatively gentle yet stern remark, rejecting her from the school.
Hopefully, the HBO reboot of Harry Potter will dive into several omitted scenes and characters from the book.
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