The Harry Potter saga contains some of the most emblematic films from the 2000s. Most fans of the franchise grew up alongside these movies, which came out over a whole decade. However, as time has passed, Redditors have found things they could improve about Harry Potter.
Even though a lot of these changes couldn't have been made at the time, mostly because all the books weren't published, some changes would have taken seconds to include, which fans find especially outrageous. Hopefully, if the Harry Potter movies are ever rebooted, writers will consider these tips.
10 Including More Dobby Scenes From The Books
Anyone who's ever read the books knows that Dobby is one of the most important characters of Harry Potter. The House-elf is not only one of Harry's most loyal friends but also a significant helping hand to Harry. For example, Dobby was instrumental in helping Harry survive the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, but the House-elf barely appears in the films.
Redditor Jackets572 comments, "I understand they were trying to save money on the CGI it takes to do Dobby, but you know the director thought for years 'oh, we'll just make Neville do it, no big deal.'" However, it was a big deal because all these deleted scenes from the books took away from the climatic moment of Dobby's death in Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
9 Adding More To Tom Riddle's Backstory
Even though the sixth Harry Potter book is one of the darker ones from the series, the Half-Blood Prince movie doesn't have the same energy. In a film that mainly focuses on the romantic development of the characters, there was very little screen time left to properly adapt the memories Dumbledore shows Harry.
However, fans believe this was a huge mistake. A Redditor explains, "this would not only inform the viewers on the life and personality of the major antagonist (...), but also provide deeper information on the Horcruxes." Furthermore, delving into Voldemort's motivations and fears was one of the central topics of the book and what allowed Harry to find Voldemort's Horcruxes.
8 Changing Voldemort And Harry's Last Duel
While Deathly Hallows: Part 2 depicts an epic battle between Voldemort and Harry throughout Hogwarts, the books portray a more toned-down version of this fight. Harry is not one of the strongest wizards in Harry Potter, even though he's extremely talented for his age. In the books, Harry manages to kill Voldemort through a combination of the element of surprise and specific circumstances, not by subduing Voldemort.
Fans believe showing the long and spectacular fight at the end of Deathly Hallows: Part 2 takes away the central theme of the story: that Harry wins because of his heart and his community, and not because of his sheer power. Redditor sineofthetimes comments that the duel should have been less climatic to prove that Harry is "just a regular old wizard."
7 Redditors Would Portray Voldemort's Corpse
In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, when Harry finally defeats Voldemort after the strenuous fight, the dark wizard simply fades away. This is a terrible adaptation of the scene in the books, where Harry sees Voldemort's body lying in the Great Hall along with all the other bodies.
According to Redditor covmatty1, "In the book, he just died as a man, not some kind of weird supernatural thing. " This is a very important change, because, at the end of the day, Voldemort was just a simple human, even if he thought he could break the natural laws.
6 They Would Include Peeves Character
Peeves the Poltergeist is not a main character in the books, but his presence is also not dispensable. On top of adding to the magical environment in Hogwarts, Peeves is a recurring character who makes things difficult for everyone in the castle, but he's also responsible for many fan-favorite jokes. Fans were outraged that the beloved creature isn't a part of the movies.
It's very possible that the Harry Potter movies simply didn't want to spend money on a character who doesn't really impact the plot, but it's often these types of small details that really improve fans' experience. As Redditor ciocinanci says, "we absolutely MUST have 'It unscrews the other way,'" the most hilarious interaction between Minerva McGonagall and the Poltergeist.
5 They Would Add More About The Marauders
Although the Marauders are some of the Harry Potter characters who aged poorly, they have one of the most important storylines in the series. However, the movies did them a disservice, as a lot of the flashbacks and information about these characters are removed from the films.
The Marauders consists of Harry's father and his best friends, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. Their story is so crucial that it's the basis of The Prisoner of Azkaban when Harry discovers Peter betrayed his parents. Understandably, there wasn't enough screen time, but as Redditor RobbieNewton comments, "they brushed over it completely."
4 Redditors Would Develop Harry And Ginny's Relationship Better
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One of the most criticized elements of the series is that the films are sometimes disconnected from each other, which leads to some of the biggest plot holes in Harry Potter. This may be because some books hadn't been published at the time or because of the changes of direction, but still, the result disappoints the fans.
In particular, viewers find Harry and Ginny's romance stiff and forced in The Half-Blood Prince because it hadn't been set up in previous films. On top of that, many believe the on-screen chemistry between Daniel Radcliffe and Bonnie Wright to be lacking. Redditor anne_with_an_e says that they would "do absolutely anything to make it look like there's a tiny bit of romantic chemistry between Harry and Ginny."
3 They Would Design Hogwarts Castle In A More Magical Way
The Harry Potter books make a big emphasis on how unique Hogwarts is as a place, and one of the most interesting parts of the school is its structure. From rooms that appear out of nowhere to many magical passageways to staircases that move around unpredictably, there's never a boring moment in this place.
The Harry Potter movies make a solid effort to keep this dynamic, but still, fans think the films made some mistakes. According to Redditor gatheloc, the staircases make no sense because they're "all housed in one tall tower covered in every Hogwarts portrait ever." Although the vision of the castle could vary from interpretation to interpretation, it's true that there could have been more magical elements sprinkled around to make it more interesting.
2 They Would Give Dobby A Proper Burial
Dobby was one of Harry's best friends and an important part of his life at Hogwarts. In the books, when the House-elf gives his life to protect Harry and his friends, Harry makes sure to give him a proper burial. Since this is one of the most emotional moments in Harry Potter, fans find it outrageous that the scene wasn't properly depicted.
In the books, Harry buries Dobby in his coat, but in the movie, he uses a plain sheet. On top of that, in the books, Harry and his friends give Dobby one piece of clothing each, as a last gesture to the free House-elf. However, the movies don't include this either. Redditor mindiloo expresses how angry this makes them since they had already "[taken] away a lot of [Dobby's] important roles in the movie."
1 They Would Add More Clues Of Following Events Throughout The Movies
Fans would love to see little hints or foreshadows of storylines that are going to be covered in later Harry Potter films, which is what happens in the books. Redditor Eagling mentions, for example, "the Locket Horcrux" and "the Vanishing Cabinet," which are two objects the readers see in the books way before they become relevant to the story.
Although this would be amazing, it was practically impossible at the time since the writers of the franchise didn't know how important these objects would become when making the first few movies. Still, maybe it would be a good time to reboot these films, or better yet, make a TV show that allows time for all these little details.