Who knows what this world would be like if the idea of Harry Potter never popped in J.K. Rowling's head on her train ride to King's Cross? "The Boy Who Lived" is a phenomenon for more reasons that one, and the boy wizard's story is only amplified when his segue into the wizarding world was made into eight solid films.
Harry Potter is a treasure that fans will be forever grateful for. Daniel Radcliffe's portrayal of him is beyond what readers could have hoped for after reading the series. Still, Harry's magical adventures span the length of some 3,000 or more pages, meaning that the films had to leave a decent portion out. Think you know everything there is to know about the famous Harry Potter? Here are 10 facts about Harry left out of the movies.
Harry Displayed Magic Before He Knew He Was A Wizard
In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, his prison at 4 Privet Drive is immediately introduced to audiences. If you think these short scenes with the Dursleys are bad, wait till you hear the rest of it. Considering both his parents are renowned wizards, Vernon and Petunia Dursley obviously know that Harry possesses some form of magical abilities. However, what they didn't anticipate is that Harry would begin to inadvertently display his enchanting talent at an early age.
Once, after his Aunt Petunia cut his famous unruly hair, it grew back instantly. He also accidentally makes his teacher's wig turn blue and shrinks Dudley's sweater so that it could barely lift over his head. Naturally, Harry is punished for all of these things even though he doesn't realize quite yet what is causing them.
Harry's First Broom Wasn't The Nimbus 2000
One of the most liberating moments for Harry is when he is sent his very first broomstick from Professor McGonagall. It becomes one of the first gifts Harry has ever been given and an expensive one at that. What film viewers don't know (and what readers may have missed) is that the Nimbus 2000 isn't technically Harry's first broomstick.
In a letter written by his mother, Lily Potter, she tells Sirius that Harry is enjoying the toy broomstick that he had sent to him. She goes on to say that he has been flying all about the garden and that James thinks that Harry will grow up to be an excellent Quidditch player.
Harry Almost Grew Up In Grimmauld Place
Who was the first character seen in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone? It's Hagrid and he's on a pretty massive motorbike. The motorbike, as readers know from the books, actually belongs to Sirius Black, who had intercepted Hagrid on his way to bring Harry to the Dursleys.
Sirius begs Hagrid to let him take Harry to Grimmauld Place, as he was technically the boy's godfather. Hagrid refuses though because he is dedicated to filling out Dumbledore's order. Little did Sirius or anyone know at the time, that although Harry's life would have been much more enjoyable growing up in the wizarding world with Sirius, he would only be safe at the Dursleys.
Harry Was Only Safe At The Dursleys
It pains Harry Potter fans that this massive detail is eliminated from the movies. Clearly living with the Dursleys forced Harry to endure physical and emotional abuse and he would have been far better off living with literally anyone else. However, there is sacrificial protection on the Dursley's home, a Bond of Blood, that keeps Harry safe from Voldemort until the bond breaks on his seventeenth birthday.
It is all thanks to Petunia. Even though Petunia begrudgingly took in her nephew, the love for her sister solidified that charm and its protection. Essentially, Petunia and her home is the only thing protecting Harry harm. That is why the Dursley's leave their home in the final film and why it is a mission to get him out of there. There is a final moment between Harry and Petunia that addresses this unspoken bond and it is an absolute shame that it's not in the movies.
Lily & Harry's Eyes
This one has been said time and time again, but it really is a sore spot for readers. Throughout the books (and even the films), Harry is told repeatedly that he has his mother's green eyes. Daniel Radcliffe's eyes are blue, and his allergy to contacts created a reasonable answer as to why they aren't green on the silver screen.
However, what's upsetting (and somewhat lazy) is that when young Lily is shown in the movie version of Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows, her eyes aren't green. Or blue. The actress cast to play Lily has brown eyes. Even though this is a major point in the books, the film's producers didn't even seem to think that giving young Lily contacts to match Radcliffe's was important.
Temper Temper
Harry's attitude is, surprisingly, one of his more charming traits. He is opinionated and even somewhat emotional. He definitely wears his heart on his sleeve, although, Daniel Radcliffe didn't really get the chance to showcase this side of Harry. Although there are a few moments when Harry's fiery personality reflects the one from the books, for the most part, he is pretty subdued.
The scene where Harry finds out Sirius allegedly betrayed his parents is the most fired up we see Radcliffe as Harry Potter. One of the best scenes in the books happens in Dumbledore's office after Sirius' death. Harry flat-out yells at his professor and has a complete breakdown. It's one of the more poignant scenes that would have been amazing to see on film.
Funding Weasley's Wizard Wheezes
One of the reasons so many students were eager to join the dangerous Triwizard Tournament in Harry's fourth year is not just because of the fame and glory: There was also money to be won. Yep, there was a 1,000 Galleon prize for whoever reached the Triwizard Cup first. Harry, who is already burdened by his family's wealth, secretly gives the winnings to Fred and George Weasley.
Audiences of the film may have been perplexed because the last they see of Fred and George in The Order of the Phoenix is them fleeing Hogwarts. Suddenly, they show up in The Half-Blood Prince as proprietors of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Nobody but them and Harry know where they got the money from, and it's an absolute mystery to the Weasley family (and non-book readers) how they were able to pull off this massive joke shop.
Harry Repairs His Broken Wand
In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, there is a gut-wrenching moment when Harry learns that his wand has broken. Harry's wand is not only his first piece of magical property but his denotative induction into the wizarding world. It's also the brother to Voldemort's wand, which is why it has been all but impossible for Voldemort to kill Harry.
Eventually, Harry becomes the master of the Elder Wand, but in the films he snaps it in half, leaving himself seemingly without a wand. This has bothered fans of the books for years since, in Harry Potter scripture at least, Harry uses the Elder Wand to fix his initial beloved wand before destroying the Deathly Hallows piece forever.
Harry Is Sassy
Readers are mildly satisfied in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince when Harry's perennial sassy attitude is finally presented on screen. Harry has some serious sass in the books; unfortunately, this isn't seen nearly enough (or at all) in the films.
The most we see of Harry's cheeky side is after he consumes Liquid Luck (although his demeanor comes off as more vapid than cunning). In the books, Harry has quick wit and sarcasm, traits that are pivotal in explaining why readers love him so much.
Master of Death
In order for a witch or wizard to become a Master of Death, they must come into possession of all three Deathly Hallows. This is Voldemort's goal from the beginning: To become invincible. However, Dumbledore tells Harry that the only way to truly become the Master of Death is to accept the fact that death is inevitable, and that there are things far worse than death itself.
The moment the protagonist enters the forest to face off against Voldemort is the moment that Harry Potter becomes the Master of Death. He has accepted his fate and holds the Resurrection Stone, the Elder Wand, and the Invisibility Cloak in his possession. This is something that neither Voldemort nor the Peverell brothers (the original owners of the Deathly Hallows) had been able to do.