Eight Flagrantly Fabulous Film-Only Moments
In the fandom at large, we often talk about the movies in a negative way – what they left out, what they covered lackadaisically, and what they added in that was pointless. So to change the tone a bit, I’d like to take a moment to talk about what I think the movies got right. Here are eight scenes I enjoyed in the movies that weren’t in the books.
1. “Now, Harry, you must know all about Muggles. Tell me – what exactly is the function of a rubber duck?”
The introduction of Arthur Weasley in the book was perfectly fine, of course, but I felt that the film introduction really got to the heart of his character in a short amount of time. Having been told about Harry by Ron, Arthur would know that Harry was raised by Muggles – it makes perfect sense that he would immediately start pressing Harry for Muggle trivia. What makes this scene even better is that the look on Ron’s face suggests that he finds this to be quite an interesting question as well.
2. “Why is it always me?”
My immediate reaction to this is, “Oh, dear Neville, why is it always you?” What really kicks this line home for me, though, is the knowledge that Neville could have been the Chosen One. Whomever Voldemort marked as his equal, poor Neville would have been asking this question just the same.
3. “Mad and hairy? You wouldn’t be talking about me, now, would you?”
I have no concrete justification for why I love this line so much. All I know is that this is the line that sparked my inspiration for this article. It makes me laugh heartily every time.
4. Harry’s Leaky Grin
To me, this is a quintessentially Harry moment. Of course he would make a fool of himself in front of the girl he likes. The books may not have included this particular gem, but there is still plenty in there about Harry’s general awkwardness. He may be the Chosen One, but he’s still Harry.
5. Dance Lessons with Professor McGonagall
I have to admit, I’m not a huge fan of the fourth movie in general, but this scene is absolutely brilliant in its entirety. From Ron’s reluctance to take his strict Head of House’s waist to the twins challenging each other to a small tongue twister contest, the comedy and characterization were spot on. I actually find myself wishing that this were in the books – and I’m sure we’d all be interested to see how this went down for the Slytherins.
6. “Why is it, when something happens, it is always you three?”
The moment Professor McGonagall asked the very question we’d all been thinking throughout the series. I mean, we do know the reason why: Harry is the main character – things have to happen to him. But the Harry Potter franchise is not about to break the fourth wall.
7. “Just keep talking about that little ball of light touching your heart; she’ll come around.”
This is a shining sassy Harry moment. Not only does it capture the wry sense of humor that he’s famous for in the books, but it also showcases his utter discomfort with talking about – gulp – feelings. He manages to wrap up this conversation with a friendly jibe, which then leads on to the next point…
8. “Engorgio – REDUCIO!”
This is another quintessentially Harry moment. He may be a great wizard, but he’s not always the best at thinking ahead. Granted, he was trying out an unfamiliar wand, but surely it would be common sense not to enlarge a fire inside a flammable living space. Again – he may be the Chosen One, but he’s still Harry. (That’s why we love him, though.)
What are some of your favorite movie moments? Is there anything you think the films did better than the books? Let me know in the comments!
