Five differences between the Harry Potter books and films

Publish date: 2024-05-09

A film adaptation of a book is never going to follow word for word, so here we’ve found and compiled some of the biggest changes in the most successful book series adaptation ever created: Harry Potter.

1. Harry and Ginny’s first kiss

Harry and Ginny’s relationship is one that fans hold very dearly, so when the directors decided to deviate from the source material, it left some people rather unhappy. In the books, Harry comes to Gryffindor’s common room after missing the Quidditch cup, Ginny runs at him, and the two kiss passionately for the first time in front of everyone. In the film, however, they pair simply share a tender kiss in an attic with no one looking on. It may not have been as flashy as the book, but it was still an effective scene – and a great kiss.

2. Ron and Hermione’s first kiss

While certain fans took issue with Harry and Ginny’s first kiss in the films, some were fuming after seeing Ron and Hermione’s initial smooch. In the last book, Ron advises Hermione to save the house elves during the Battle of Hogwarts. His concern for their welfare leaves her so overcome with happiness that she kisses him. In the film, their kiss comes after the two destroy a Horcrux in the Chamber of Secrets. Sure, it was a lovely kiss, but fans wanted to see the context that was given in the books on the big screen.

3. ‘Dumbledore said, calmly’

We had to include this. In the novel version of the Goblet of Fire, Dumbledore asks Harry whether or not he put his name in the Goblet calmly. Calmly. The book even says that he did it “calmly.” But Michael Gambon decided to take a different approach, having his version of Dumbledore get very angry and upset when delivering the same line. While it seems like a small change, it certainly hasn’t escaped the notice of fans.

4. The fate of the Elder Wand

The most powerful wand in all existence meets two separate fates in the book and the movie. In the seventh novel, Harry returns the wand to what he believes to be its rightful resting place — Dumbledore’s tomb, where it was originally stolen by Voldemort. But in the final film, Harry decides that the wand is too powerful to simply leave for someone else to take, so he snaps it in half and throws it off a cliff. While it’s a nice emotional moment in the book, the film’s version makes more sense, logically speaking.

5. Peter Pettigrew’s death

The novels are very specific about the fate of Peter Pettigrew; when he hesitates over killing Harry during the fight at Malfoy Manor, the silver hand given to him as a reward by Voldemort suddenly turns against him and strangles him to death. But in the film, Pettigrew is simply stunned and left behind. We never find out his exact fate, although based on the fact that he is absent during the Battle of Hogwarts, we can only assume that it’s a rather cruel one.