65 Major Harry Potter Books vs. Movies Differences

YOU ARE READING: 65 Major Harry Potter Books vs. Movies Differences AT PhebinhvanhocEN

As far as Potterheads go, there are some of us who a) read each of the seven books multiple times, b) bingeed on all eight more movies than we can count, or c) did all of the above.

But whether we’re looking at the novels or the movies, both are masterfully crafted and based on the prose and imagination of J.K. rowling still, as fans, we can’t help but compare the two, because each of the movies is over two hours long and rowling’s books each include over 76,000 words, surely there were some elements that got lost in translation. /p>

Below, we outline the key plot points of both, breaking down the most crucial differences between the books and the movies. (and yes, harry’s eyes are number 1).

You are reading: Harry potter differences between books and movies

harry potter and the philosopher’s stone

daniel radcliffe, who has blue eyes, was allergic to colored contacts, so in the movies, the eyes of the boy who lived were not green like in the novels.
rowling described hermione as having very bushy hair and big front teeth, but as we can see, emma watson did not.
In contrast to Rupert Grint’s appearance, Rowling describes Ron as tall and lanky, with a long nose and blue eyes. (grint has green).
Aunt Petunia and Dudley are blonde, but in the movies they are brunette.
The movies never mention that Hagrid’s bike was once Sirius Black’s.
in the movie, the snake harry parseltongues to at the zoo is a burmese python, but in the book it’s a boa constrictor.
in the novel, harry met draco malfoy and rejected their friendship in diagon alley, but in the movie, this happens at hogwarts before the sorting hat ceremony.
the sorting hat sings a song before each ceremony, but not in the movie.
in the book, voldemort kills quirrell by cutting off his head, but in the movie, harry kills quirrell by touching his face.

harry potter and the chamber of secrets

in the book, mr. weasley fixes harry’s glasses in diagon alley instead of hermione.
big screenhermione is aware of the term “mudblood” while the character in the book needs ron to teach her what it means.
the movie never makes it clear that mr. filch is a squib and has no magic.
in the movie, the heir of slytherin’s message is written in blood, while in the book, it’s paint.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

harry pretends to be neville longbottom on the knights bus in the novel.
there is no hogwarts choir in the book, but you see them perform in the third film.</li
in the book, sir cadogan’s portrait replaces fat lady’s after she is attacked by sirius black.
on the big screen, harry is never shown to win the quidditch cup from hogwarts.
the film does not explain the origin story of the marauders: james potter (prongs), sirius (padfoot), remus lupin (moony) and peter pettigrew (wormtail), or the map of their marauders and lupin . connection to the screaming shack
ron and hermione joined harry in the novel when she eavesdropped on their conversation about the leaky cauldron of fudge.

harry potter and the goblet of fire

percy weasley’s job at the ministry and his family’s betrayal are not in the movie.
dumbledore calmly confronted harry about putting his name in the goblet of fire in in the book, while in the movie, he was pretty angry…and intense.
head of the magical games and sports department, ludo bagman was omitted from the movie, as his character was conflated with the by barty crouch.
in the books, journalist rita skeeter can turn into a beetle and is an unregistered animagus.
hermione’s vomit (society for the promotion of wellness of the elves) is not mentioned in the film.
neville gave harry the gillweed for the second task of the triwizard tournament, but it was actually dobby in the book.
voldemort has red eyes in the books, not whites.
after harry won the triwizard tournament, he gave his winnings of 1000 galleons to fred and george so they could start magical wheezing for weasley, who is not in the movie.

harry potter and the order of the phoenix

Quidditch does not appear at all in the fifth film, including Ron being appointed Keeper and Professor Umbridge forbidding Harry, Fred and George from Quidditch. Ginny then replaced Harry as Seeker.
hagrid told harry about thestrals in the book, while luna lovegood did in the movie.
the movie doesn’t fully show snape’s worst memory, which involved lily potter and the marauders.
while cho chang tells all about dumbledore’s army in the movie , is actually marietta edgecombe in the book.
harry dates cho chang in the novel, but not in the movie.
ron and hermione are prefects, but not in the film.
It is revealed in the books, but not in the movies, that professor trelawney’s prophecy about the chosen one who will defeat voldemort, “born of those who have defied him thrice, born when the seventh dies month”, could also have been applied to neville longbottom.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry inherited Grimmauld Place and Kreacher in the book after Sirius Black died.
In the book, Bill and Fleur live in the Burrow planning their wedding, and Fleur bumps into the mrs weasley.
after draco knocks harry unconscious on the hogwarts express, tonks finds him in the novel, but it’s luna in the movie.
The history of the emaciated pure-blood family, the descendants of Voldemort, is cut from the film.
although the burrow is attacked by death eaters during christmas on the big screen, that never happens in the book.
in the movie, there is no mention that the grey-backed werewolf he became a lupine.
years before, dumbledore rejected voldemort’s defense against the application of the dark arts, which may be why the position is cursed.
ginny hid the half blood prince book in the room of requirements in the movie, but harry hid it in the book.
for the novel, harry and ginny’s first kiss is in front of the whole school during a Quidditch match.
Not explained in the film, Snape named himself the “Half-Blood Prince” because he is half-wizard, half-Muggle, and his mother’s maiden name is Prince.
In the book, Bill Weasley is bitten by Fenrir Greyback.
Ginny and Harry have a relationship for much of the book, but Harry breaks up with her for safety.

harry potter and the deathly hallows

Harry’s parting with the Dursleys is omitted from the film, including Dudley thanking Harry for saving his life. (But it’s a deleted scene in the adaptation).
The backstory of Regulus Black, a former Death Eater and brother of Sirius, is not expanded upon in the movies.
Remus the revelation of tonks pregnancy, the birth of her son teddy and the fact that harry is the godfather is not mentioned in the movie.
harry and hermione do not dance together in the tent in the books as they do in the movie.
in the novel, harry discovers the snitch’s message shortly after receiving it, unlike in the movie, when he discovers it much later.
peter pettigrew dies in the books after of being forced to strangle himself with the hand voldemort gave him.
it’s harry’s idea to free the dragon from gringotts in the novel, but hermione is in the movies.
the story of dumbledore full background. —From his friendship with gellert grindelwald to the tragedy of his sister ariana — is not detailed in the film.
percy is very present in the battle of hogwarts.
in the book, hermione and ron’s first kiss is in front of harry… after they destroy the horcrux.
Harry breaks the Elder Wand in half at the end of the movie. but in the book she uses it to fix his wand and then returns it to dumbledore’s grave.

missing movie characters

charlie weasley – ron’s second older brother who works with dragons in romania
peeves – a mischievous poltergeist from hogwarts
winky – barty crouch’s drunken former house elf
professor binns – a ghost who teaches history of magic at hogwarts
andromeda and ted tonks – nymphadora tonks parents

general notes

james and lily potter were only 21 years old when they died, but they were played by much older actors. Same with Remus, Sirius, and Peter, who would have been around 32 when they were first introduced in Prisoner of Azkaban.
Potterheads have long complained about how Ron is portrayed in movies. films. While she largely served as comic relief, many of her bravest and smartest moments throughout the books were given to Hermione on the big screen.
Fans also feel that Ginny was not done any favors in the movies, as in the books she was much more outgoing, vivacious and dynamic.

For more stories like this, sign up for our newsletter.

Other content