Xenophilius Breaks Down
Flying Ford
The Moment: Having missed the Hogwarts Express, Harry and Ron commandeer Mr. Weasley’s enchanted Ford Anglia and fly their way to school instead. A fairly incident-free journey is brought to an abrupt end when they crash-land into the waiting branches of a whomping willow, which is only too happy to knock seven bells out of our plucky heroes.
Better On Film? Whilst it seems fairly magical on the page, the presence of a flying car is somewhat incongruous on the big screen where it ends up looking a bit naff.
I'm Only The Caretaker!
The Moment: The fourth book begins with a rather gruesome bang, as Harry dreams of caretaker Frank Bryce, an elderly man who in turn is woken in the night by a light at the abandoned Riddle house. Investigating, he reveals Pettigrew and Voldemort plotting to kill Harry. Voldemort turns and kills him on the spot, as Harry wakes holding his throbbing scar. Spooky stuff.
Better On Film? Mike Newell expertly ratchets up the tension, with a whistling kettle hitting fever pitch just as Bryce meets his end.
Weasley Is Our King
The Moment: When Ron becomes the Gryffindor Quidditch keeper in book five, his nerves repeatedly get the better of him, his abysmal performances resulting in the mocking Sytherin chant “Weasley is our king”. However, Ron finally comes good in the final game of the season, pulling off a string of miraculous saves as the Gryffindors lift the Quidditch Cup. Finally, his housemates reclaim the song as their own, retooling the lyrics to convert Weasley Is Our King into a fitting victory anthem.
Better On Film? The whole storyline is cut from the film, denying Rupert Grint the chance to tackle one of his character’s meatier story arcs. Boooo.
Dementor vs. Dudley
The Moment: The fifth of Harry Potter’s adventures opens with a jarring clash between the Muggle world and the world of magic, as a pair of Dementors corner Harry and his rotund cousin in a shadowy underpass. Only the illicit use of his Patronus can save Harry from an untimely end…
Better On Film? This is certainly one of the better Dursley-based sequences, with the preceding playground scene looking particularly striking, all the colour draining from the sky as the joy-sapping Dementors draw near.
Playing Through The Pain Barrier
The Moment: Quidditch encounters between Gryffindor and Slytherin are always fairly tasty affairs, but this one boasts some added needle in the shape of newly appointed Slytherin seeker Draco Malfoy. The game is eventually won by Harry, who manages to grab hold of the snitch despite having his arm broken just moments earlier by an enchanted bludger. John Terry eat your heart out!
Better On Film? Despite a few technical wobbles, this is a marked improvement on the ropey Quidditch sequences of the first film.
Basilisk Battle
The Moment: Having uncovered the true identity of the heir of Slytherin (Tom Riddle, otherwise known as Lord Voldemort) Harry is presented with the more pressing issue of the culprit behind the recent spate of petrifyings…the horrifying Basilisk, a giant snake capable of killing a man with its very stare. Gulp.
Better On Film? Whilst Harry looks fairly puny swinging the sword of Gryffindor around, the Basilisk itself is one of ILM’s more terrifying CGI creations.
You Say: “When Fawkes is crying in the Chamber of Secrets” – Sandyaaaa (@2408magicgirl)
The (Other) Kiss
The Moment: Fresh from securing the Quidditch Cup, Harry allows his feelings for Ginny to boil over, sharing a kiss with her despite his fears that Ron won’t like it. Amid the growing darkness of the sixth and seventh books, it’s a nice reminder that when he’s not saving the world, Harry Potter is a teenage boy like any other.
Better On Film? Bonnie Wright is a bit limp for our liking, but the scene plays well enough. It ain’t Ron and Hermione though, is it?
Dobby Is Free
The Moment: Unable to bear the thought of Dobby being mistreated at the hands of the Malfoys, Harry tricks Lucius into inadvertently handing the House Elf an old sock, thus freeing him from his life of servitude. And his first act as a free elf is to send old Lucius arse over tit as he crashes down the staircase. Huzzah!
Better On Film? Dobby is something of an acquired taste in the films. The decision to cut his screentime after the second film may have been a wise one.
You Say: “Dobby being handed a sock inside Tom Riddle's diary outside Dumbledore’s office in Chamber Of Secrets, ‘Master gave Dobby clothes, Dobby is free!’” – Stephanie Frier-Chappell
Dumbledore's Army
The Moment: Not a specific moment per se, but the group of Hogwarts rebels known as Dumbledore’s Army definitely deserve a spot on the list for providing sustained respite from Umbridge’s reign of terror. From the training sequences in the Room of Requirement, to the mischievous disruption of Umbridge’s rule, the Army provides a welcome dose of teenage rebellion throughout the fifth book.
Better On Film? The classes Harry leads in the Room Of Requirement is Order Of The Phoenix’s equivalent of a tooling-up montage. Every good action film should have one!
