The Harry Potter movies have captured the audience’s attention for over two decades now and even to this day, new deleted scenes keep popping up. Some of these scenes completely change the story arcs of some characters while other scenes add more depth to existing storylines.
Some die-hard fans of the series have had long-drawn-out discussions regarding which of these scenes should have been included in the final cut. While there were quite a few interesting scenes, only a few managed to fully capture the hearts of the fans completely.
Dudley Shaking Harry’s Hand (Deathly Hallows Part 1)
Throughout the entire franchise, the Dursleys were shown to be terrible people who kept Harry in the worst of conditions. But the audience did not see much of Dudley ever since Order of the Phoenix. This was because, in the first part of the final installment, the Dursleys left town as Harry's life, as well as theirs, were in danger. However, what some fans might not know is that in a deleted scene, Dudley came up to Harry and shook his hand while saying that “he wasn’t a waste of space.”
This simple gesture added some much-needed closure to both their characters, showing signs of some kind of respect and growth between the two. This Redditor also agrees that “Dudley shaking hands with Harry” should definitely have been kept in the movie.
The Final Goodbye To Petunia (Deathly Hallows Part 1)
Petunia was never shown in the movies from any sympathetic lens. She actively participated in tormenting Harry along with other members of her family. But just before the family is leaving the house, she is seen staring into the distance in the middle of the living room.
During that scene, she says how the day Harry lost his mother, she also lost his sister. mattXIX even admitted that “the Petunia scene really makes you (almost) like the Dursleys. Even though this scene didn’t exact[ly] provide a redemption arc to the character, it did add much more depth to her."
Choir Singing (Half-Blood Prince)
Although this scene might send chills down the audiences' spine, there is a good reason why this wasn’t included in the final cut. Before Dumbledore is killed by Snape, both Malfoy and him can be seen preparing and thinking about what’s to come while the school choir is singing in the background.
The only problem here was that this could have ruined the character development of Snape in the last movie as his intentions could have become clearer. It was definitely a decision that split Reddit user Objective-Tea-3070 down the middle since they loved that scene but the "lighting in that particular shot gives his whole arc away" and would have hinted to the non-book readers that he was one of the most evil professors in Hogwarts after all.
Draco Realizing Harry Is Alive (Deathly Hallows Part 2)
After the forest scene, where Voldemort thinks he has killed Harry and later when Harry jumps out of Hagrid’s arm, Malfoy suddenly reaches out and throws his wand towards him while shouting “Potter.”
This Reddit user says that “this scene was pure gold and it shows Draco’s true colors.” Many fans will agree that this scene should have been included as they loved seeing that Draco wasn't as bad as everyone made out to be. It also completed his redemption arc, which was hinted from the Half-Blood Prince when he couldn’t kill Dumbledore.
Remus Lupin Comes Back To See Tonks (Deathly Hallows Part 2)
There is a short scene that wasn’t included in the final cut, where Remus Lupin comes to visit Tonks after being away for months (it is also one of the details that some people forget from the Harry Potter books). During this time, Tonks was pregnant, and it is shown that they both get to be with their kid together before the Battle of Hogwarts, where, sadly, both of them pass away.
bmuffington says that “It's a real shame they got cut tbh.” Although it would have been a really short scene, it would have given their deaths much more meaning especially to the viewers who were not familiar with the books.
Harry and Ron Discovering Nicholas Flamel (Philosopher’s Stone)
This is one of the most light-hearted moments in the entire franchise. This scene was perfect in showcasing the nature of the 1st year students and the chemistry between the young cast members. It shows Draco playing a prank on Neville (one of the most underrated characters in Harry Potter), while everyone is mocking Seamus for his misspells.
It is also during his moment that both Harry and Ron discover who Nicholas Flamel was through reading Dumbledore’s frog card. I_sniff_books says, “Seamus was so cute and funny in this scene. Probably one of his best moments and they cut it out.”
Harry Carrying Dumbledore Out Of The Cave (Half Blood Prince)
After Harry and Dumbledore go through the cave, looking for the horcrux, there was a brief scene where Harry could be seen carrying Dumbledore out. This is when Dumbledore whispers to Harry, “I am not worried Harry, I am with you.”
This small scene was important in showing the relationship between both the characters which had been in the making since the first scene of the first movie. A deleted user says “it was just a really cool quote and it wasn’t even 20 seconds long.”
Harry Throwing Mud at Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle (Prisoner of Azkaban)
There is a very light-hearted scene in the Prisoner of Azkaban when Harry was throwing mud at Malfoy and his friends when his head suddenly pops out of the invisibility cloak. It’s a really funny scene when Malfoy gets scared, looking at Harry’s head floating in the air.
BoxyTadpole says, “I know there was the snowball scene in the movie, but it was different. Plus I would've loved to see Harry as a floating head scaring the crap out of Malfoy.” This scene could have given Harry a teenage edge, seeing him prank people in school, and would have also made Draco and Harry's rivalry more memorable too.
Dumbledore Leading The School Through The Rendition Of The School Song (Goblet of Fire)
When the Beaubaton and Durmstrang students were arriving in Hogwarts for the Triwizard tournament with their respective choreographed performances, there is a scene where Dumbledore leads a rendition of the school song. What makes this scene fun is that every student is singing with a different tune and with complete chaos.
Everyone seems to be involved (sans Draco and Krum’s scowling expressions from the other side). However, even that proved to be a great moment as this Redditor called their "reactions beautiful." There's no doubt that this scene also adds a lighter touch to an overall darker-themed movie.
Ron And Hermione Skipping Rocks On The Lake (Deathly Hallows Part 1)
There is a scene in Deathly Hallows Part 1 that some Redditors love, where Ron and Hermione have a moment together while skipping stones on a lake.
shadowman90 says that this scene “adds a lot to the relationship development" since "the movies [felt like it] missed some of those other important scenes.” This scene could have been an interesting addition to add more depth to both their relationships later on.