The train for Hogwarts never left without you. Every time you opened a book, you were on the train with Harry and his friends, thinking of all the things that could lay ahead. You were with them every step of the adventure, living every moment in the pages as if it were real life. So when Warner Bros mentioned that they were adapting the books into movies, all Harry Potter fans were ecstatic about Harry’s experience coming to the big screen. The story J.K. Rowling was able to tell in a magical world of her own creation entranced her readers and left them wanting more, book after book.  When the series was adapted into movies, everyone was excited.  Those who had read the books time and time again wanted to see the world they had dreamt up in their minds brought to screen.  With each movie scoring over 75% on Rotten Tomatoes most would say that Warner Bros was successful in their endeavour of bringing the world of Harry Potter to life.  And I would agree, to a certain extent.

The world Rowling created had so many vivid and intricate details that no one was expecting the movie adaptations to hold the features that the novels did.  But Warner Bros managed to leave specific details that, while not altering the plot, did change certain classic scenes that occurred in the novels. 

One of the most significant holes in the movies that I always noticed was the loss of Peeves the Poltergeist.  He appears in every book, always causing trouble and trying to get students in trouble. He is generally just a pain throughout the entire series.  He is a prankster, not liked by the other ghosts and, although his presence does not alter the ending of the series, it does affect the mood in certain moments in the books.  One of the biggest moments is when the Weasley twins are flying away from Hogwarts in the fifth novel, Order of the Phoenix. They had just spent the year tormenting Dolores Umbridge, a Ministry Official and an awful teacher who had earned a place on the teaching staff at Hogwarts.  All the students hate her, and most of the teachers didn’t like her either. I’m pretty sure readers hated her more than Voldemort in this novel.  I know I sure did! The Weasley twins did too – in this scene, they had just let all hell loose with one of their classic pranks before turning back to Peeves, who was waiting in the corner observing the whole incident unfold, and yelling out, “Give her hell for us Peeves!” while Peeves saluted them.

Rowling did a perfect job in making the audience regard Peeves as the character that you didn’t like, no matter what happened. He was never anyone’s favourite… it wasn’t for any specific reason other than the fact that he was just annoying. Peeves was the thorn in your side you couldn’t seem to get rid of, but when he salutes the Weasley twins in the fifth book, it’s a little victory for all the readers. I can remember reading so many parts and thinking “Oh no, what’s he going to do this time?”.   It’s inspiring to see him saluting students when he would never listen to anyone, ever. I think Warner Bros really messed up in leaving him out. 

Like I said before, it doesn’t alter the plot. Those who didn’t read the books will forever remain oblivious, but it’s unfortunate that they cut out such a great character. Seeing the fifth movie on screens and watching the part described above, I remember thinking, “Wow, it would’ve been so much more effective if Peeves had been there.” The moment would have felt so much more empowering and fulfilling – the twins were leaving someone behind who would continue to fight for what they had spent all year working on.  Rowling wrote him so well and he was such a fun character that added life to every scene he was in.

Regardless of my view, Warner Bros really did do a fantastic job bringing Harry Potter to life, and I really wish these little things didn’t affect my perspective of the movies. But being an avid reader of the series, the little things start to bother you.  That, of course, is only one of the aspects where I think Warner Bros messed up. If you want to hear about more differences between the movie and the books, whether it’s Harry Potter or another adaptation, let me know in the comments!

Esther J

Esther is a lover of travelling and is always going to new places. To pass time between adventures she can usually be found with her nose in a book.