Even years after the Harry Potter series ended, fans are still eager to see more installments from the Wizarding World franchise, such as the Fantastic Beasts movies and the upcoming video game Hogwarts Legacy. However, just like any other book-based fandom, audiences are ready to pick apart any divergence from the series' original canon. Screen adaptations of any kind are infamous for frustrating book fans with various changes, and the Harry Potter movies are no exception.
The final film, Deathly Hallows Part 2, was meant to conclude the series, but many die-hard fans couldn't help but be disappointed by all that it missed from the books. From the way that certain character arcs were neglected to the many details that were not explained, Harry Potter fans on Reddit have had plenty to say about the biggest letdowns of the final film.
Harry's Death Didn't Get A Big Enough Reaction
In the Deathly Hallows book, Harry had a difficult time keeping up his charade as he lay in Hagrid's arms, pretending to be dead. This was because of the reaction of his loved ones. Professor McGonagall was one that he heard the most clearly as she gave a horrified and uncharacteristic scream at the sight of his body.
Redditor Chelisakoruna pointed out that by comparison, the characters in the Deathly Hallows Part 2 film seemed hardly affected by Harry's death. "Nobody looks appropriately horrified," they said. Even Ginny's scream just seemed too short and completely under-affected.
Dumbledore's Subplot Was Eliminated
A major theme of the Harry Potter series as that no one is perfect. Even our heroes have made mistakes, and it is ultimately a person's choices that determine who they are, not their abilities. This theme was driven home in the final book by Dumbledore, who is revealed to be a deeply complex character. At some points, readers were unsure if Dumbledore was a hero or villain.
However, Dumbledore's character in the movies was greatly simplified due to the fact that most of his story was completely eliminated. This was a disappointment to Redditor Jmacdaddywack, who stated that Dumbledore's subplot was supposed to be a "huge lesson for Harry."
Voldemort's Death Was Completely Changed
Voldemort's main goal throughout his life was to achieve greatness above any being that had ever lived. He believed himself to be worthy of this achievement and saw himself as a god. However, his very human death in the books revealed that he had only ever been a man.
The same thing cannot be said about his death in the movies. Redditor Asviloka stated that Voldemort's dramatic death "bothered" them since no one else ever dissolved away as a reaction to the Killing Curse. After the final wand fight in Harry Potter, Voldemort should have just fallen, same as anyone else.
All The Big Deathly Hallows Deaths Are Glossed Over
Deathly Hallows is full of devastating losses, and while Deathly Hallows Part 1 made Dobby's death even more impactful, Part 2 did not do the same for its lost characters, like Fred. Instead, his death was quickly glossed over by only showing his body as opposed to his full death scene.
Redditor Isris stated that this was a disappointment because the final battle was "meant to provide closure to all these character arcs" that started at the beginning of the series. The movie did not provide this, leaving audiences unsatisfied.
The Hallows Weren't Explained
Given the title Deathly Hallows, it is clear that they play a major part in the conclusion of Harry's story. However, even the book is elusive about how they ultimately affected the conflict between Harry and Voldemort, leaving audiences to speculate about the mysterious laws that governed them.
But this elusiveness is nothing compared to the Deathly Hallows Part 2 movie, where the Hallows are hardly explained at all. "They don't even point out that it was Harry's cloak the whole time," said Redditor Dmccmanga. Given the fact that the story in the Deathly Hallows book was split into a two-part movie, there should have been some time to explain the details.
Harry And Ginny's Relationship Was Neglected
With all that Harry had going on at the end of his series, there was very little time left for romance. However, Ginny was always at the forefront of his mind in the Deathly Hallows book. A great deal of his motivation came from his love for her, and in the end, a normal family life with Ginny was the satisfying conclusion that Harry so deserved.
However, there was very little to enjoy about Harry and Ginny's romance in Deathly Hallows Part 2 or the other movies. Redditor Mtam1306 found that "there was no real effort to develop any type of chemistry" between them, making their ending nothing for audiences to even care about.
Harry's Sacrifice Has No Consequence
In the Deathly Hallows book, readers learn that when Harry stood before Voldemort without his wand and attempted to sacrifice his life, he ended up enacting the same protective enchantment over his friends that his mother had over him all those years before. From that moment on, Voldemort could no longer kill anyone at Hogwarts.
This impactful moment from the books was entirely left out of the movies. One Redditor pointed out that this detail was supposed to bring the story "full circle," so the impact of the films was severely lessened without it.
Finding Ravenclaw's Diadem Was Oversimplified
Harry spent all of Half-Blood Prince learning about Voldemort and his past so that he would better be able to understand and predict what he would have used as Horcruxues and where he would have hidden them. This was ultimately how he was able to guess that Voldemort had hidden the lost diadem in the Room of Requirement.
However, in the Deathly Hallows Part 2 movie, audiences couldn't see into Harry's thought process, so he was instead given a sizeable hint and was able to "listen" for the Horcrux from there via his connection. Redditor Mac_payto found that this was too much of a "dues ex Machina" solution for Harry's problems and was a disappointing alternative to the process in the books.
The Breaking Of The Elder Wand
Something that seemed to many viewers like an unnecessary change in the Harry Potter movies is Harry's decision to break the Elder Wand after defeating Voldemort. "I was so mad," said Redditor Ralphgurl, pointing out that Harry shouldn't have just been able to snap such a powerful wand.
Of course, Harry's book counterpart had also determined that the wand was far too powerful to risk falling into dangerous hands, and Dumbledore had agreed. Harry stated that he would place the wand back in Dumbledore's grave, and assuming that he died of natural causes, the wand's power would die with him. This solution may have come with its own set of problems, but surely just snapping it wasn't even a possible option.
Harry Not Repairing The Holly Wand
Whether or not the Elder Wand would have allowed itself to be snapped in half is still up for debate among Harry Potter fans. However, there is general agreement that Harry should have at least repaired his own holly wand before destroying the world's most powerful wand in Deathly Hallows Part 2.
Redditor Lovemesometoasts shared that watching this scene always breaks their heart since they were "so happy" when Harry used the Elder Wand one last time to repair his original wand. It had felt like a major wrong righted in the books, and the absence of that moment in the film was a solid disappointment.