Top 10 Scenes That Should've Been in the Harry Potter Movies

The final battle between the series’ eponymous teenage wizard and the inhumanly villainous Lord Voldemort sees the fated foes battle throughout Hogwarts… or at least, that’s how it is in the movie version. In the books, Harry and Voldemort battle in the Great Hall, surrounded by witnesses and other duelists; though separated by a shield spell. Within it, the two of them have a lengthy conversation, albeit while trading spells, that finally sees Harry be the more confident one and it culminates with Voldemort dying the same way his victims did: suddenly, at the hands of his own Killing Curse, and not through overblown disintegration.

One of the most prominent side stories to be expunged from the films is that of the House Elves, magical beings who are horribly mistreated slaves to wizards and who even work at Hogwarts. While plot important elves like Dobby and Kreacher are still present, other elf characters like Winky, as well as her notable subplot in “Goblet of Fire,” including that kitchen scene, are completely omitted. Heck, they weren’t even seen in the final battle at Hogwarts! And because of their lack of presence, Hermione never establishes the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare, or S.P.E.W., a social crusade that she embarks on to get the elves better treatment and their freedom. Without it, Hermione’s character just doesn’t feel complete in the films.

The titular figure of the series’ sixth installment, the Half-Blood Prince, is the apparent owner of a potions textbook that Harry acquires, whose notes help him excel at the subject for the first time and gives him tips on various uncommon but useful spells. In the film, this is reduced to one spell. Also, the novel sees the Prince’s identity and Harry’s use of the spells he learns between the textbook’s pages be a point of contention between Harry and Hermione. Thus, by the end of the story, it ends up being a genuine shock to him and the readers that the “Prince” is Professor Snape; whereas the film version excises so much that most greet the revelation during the climax with a mere shrug.

The Dursley family are incredibly horrible to Harry growing up, especially their son and Harry’s cousin, Dudley, who relentlessly bullied him during their early years. However, after Harry saves Dudley’s life in “Order of the Phoenix,” Dudley does start to come around, even making Harry tea; although Harry does end up literally stepping in it. So, when Harry sends the family away to protect them from Voldemort, it’s notable that only Dudley realizes the gesture and thanks Harry and shakes his hand. While this scene is absent from the final version of the first part of the “Deathly Hallows” movies, it was filmed and the deleted scene can be viewed on home video.

Much like Ginny’s character in general, the movies screwed up her first kiss with Harry too. The pair of them have a weird, serious moment in the Room of Hidden Things and she kisses him and then walks away. However, in the original book, Quidditch has much more of an emphasis and the two of them grow closer while playing on the team together, even if Ginny is seeing Dean for most of the story. So, when Harry can’t play and Ginny takes his place and they win the Quidditch Cup, it’s a moment of supreme joy for them both and they kiss in the common room in front of everyone in a culmination of the tension between them. Isn’t that objectively and subjectively better?

The final part of the first book in the series sees Harry, Ron, and Hermione facing a series of trials in order to catch up to a thief they believe to be Snape out to take the Philosopher’s Stone, which Dumbledore has hidden in Hogwarts. Although it ends up not being the potions teacher, the novel version features a trial by Snape which is not present in the film. Rather than a test of potion ingredients or creation, Snape presents a series of different potions and a logic puzzle that must be solved correctly to progress. The riddle is naturally solved by Hermione and it’s a great moment for her to once again display her formidable intellect.

These two had a lot to overcome, from Professor Lupin’s werewolf condition, to their sizeable age gap, to the whole getting married during a war thing. But these obstacles only made us root for them harder once we found out about Tonks having feelings for Lupin in a brilliant scene cut from the movie version that had been foreshadowed throughout the book. Yet in the films, they were just suddenly together – and the uninitiated audience says, “Huh, that’s nice.” Similarly, when they have a child, it’s celebrated, yet the book reveals Lupin’s fear of the child being like him, to the point where he considers abandoning his wife and child; prompting a stern talking to from Harry that’s also absent in the movie.

The Hogwarts spirits get a pretty short shrift in the films, with entire chapters about them, such as the Deathday Party in “Chamber of Secrets” being excised, but a whole character was also removed: Peeves, the poltergeist. A mischievous and thoroughly irritating staple of Hogwarts, Peeves, unlike ghosts, can interact with solid matter; making him a perennial pest for generations of Hogwarts students, though his skill in pranks does cause him to have an awesome moment of mutual respect for the Weasley twins when they take their dramatic leave from Hogwarts. While the Hogwarts staff and students may have disliked Peeves, his sing-song mockery and penchant for throwing a wrench into events would have made him great to see onscreen.

James Potter, Harry’s father, and his friends Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, formed a mischief loving group of students back in the day who created the Marauder's Map. Although the “Prisoner of Azkaban” film touches on their background, it doesn’t really delve into the details of their friendship like the book does; nor does it reveal that the reason all the friends could turn into animals was to spend time with their werewolf friend, Lupin. The Marauders are fan favorite characters and leaving out any of their story is criminal in the eyes of some Potterheads; though we all have our fingers crossed that they’ll get a prequel spin-off of some kind.

Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

“There’s No Need to Call Me ‘Sir,’ Professor”
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” (2005)

Voldemort’s Parents, the Gaunts & the Horcruxes
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” (2005)

Harry Tries to Torture a Death Eater for Spitting on McGonagall
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” (2007)

Dumbledore Sends Petunia Dursley a Howler
“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” (2003)

Charlie & Norbert(a) the Dragon
“Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” (1997)

The series’ fifth instalment sees Harry and his friends visiting Mr. Weasley at St. Mungo’s, a wizarding hospital. While there, they run into an amusingly amnesiac former teacher of theirs, Gilderoy Lockhart, who still seeks fame, even if he can’t remember why. More tragic, though, is when they run into Neville Longbottom and his grandmother, who are visiting Neville’s parents. Here, it’s revealed to Harry’s friends, though not to him, that Neville’s mother and father were tortured into insanity by Voldemort’s followers. The scene offers a concrete glimpse at the kind of damage Voldemort has done to people’s lives. Plus, Neville’s mum giving him a candy wrapper breaks our hearts every time.