Mysteries made completely non-mysterious, romances that barely saw the light of day, and glaring
continuity errors that permanently harmed a multi-billion dollar franchise's reputation. These
are just a few of the problems left over by the one Harry Potter scene fans wish was never filmed.
Many storylines in the Harry Potter films were embellished,
such as the final battle between Harry and Lord Voldemort.
Other storylines seemed to have just disappeared completely. Such decisions can be expected from a
lore-heavy book series where each installment's adaptation needs to fit a two-hour window.
Even so, not all changes will be appreciated by viewers. One particular scene from the
sixth installment is still remembered as one of the strangest changes in the film series.
"Merlin's beard!"
With Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince clocking in at over 600 pages,
it's no surprise the creators made some changes when adapting it for the screen.
However, there was one scene added to the film that rubbed fans on Reddit the wrong way.
While Harry is celebrating Christmas with the Weasleys,
a group of Death Eaters descend upon the family home and set it ablaze.
Many fans hated this particular inclusion because it was never mentioned in the book.
One Reddit user summed the issue up succinctly, saying
"It's one thing to say that it's an adaptation of a large book to a short movie,
there has to be cuts. This is true. But to add a scene that makes no sense,
messes with continuity, and is also not in the books, Really wrecks that argument."
In addition to the scene not being in the book, fans took issue with its lack of stakes. Though
it was a terrifying moment for Harry and the Weasleys, it had no impact on the rest of the
series. Another Redditor pointed out that the very next scene shows Harry and Hermione back
at Hogwarts, completely undeterred by the fact that their best friend's childhood home had just
been destroyed. In fact, this detail remains unmentioned for the entire rest of the series.
What's more, the Burrow is shown fully intact in the following film.
The Reddit user went on to criticize the fact that, while it was plausible
the Weasley family could have repaired the house using magic, such an easy solution
would render the house's destruction in the first place completely pointless.
The Burrow was one of the only places that ever truly felt like home for Harry,
and without any lasting repercussions within the story,
the attack seems like it was only added for flair. Additionally, the precious time spent on
the fire also took away from other scenes that were needed for the film to feel satisfying.
For example, the only explanation for the identity of the mysterious Half-Blood Prince — a point so
essential to the plot it made it to the title of the book and film installments — occurs at
the end when Professor Snape, played by Alan Rickman, announces it with little preamble.
"Yes, I'm the Half-Blood Prince."
In the book, the identity of the Half-Blood Prince holds more emotional weight
and gives context to who Snape is as a person, yet it has little consequence in the film.
Another critique offered by redditors was that there should have been more time devoted to
the conversations Harry and Dumbledore have about Voldemort's background. Additionally,
the inclusion of these scenes would have made the ending of the film more impactful.
Without establishing the relationship between the two characters and showing how much time
they spent together, Dumbledore's death and Harry leaving school don't pack the same punch that they
should have. Unfortunately, theirs isn't the only on-screen relationship that was cut short.
Perhaps the most egregious oversight in Half-Blood Prince was the lack of screen time devoted to the
depiction of romantic relationships. Ron and Hermione take up much of the romantic drama
during the film, and even their storyline was still only a shadow of its depiction in the book.
Since there was not enough time to explore the interplay between characters, a lot of individual
character development and particular emotional beats were left on the cutting room floor.
Entertainment Weekly was especially critical of the film for its treatment of Bonnie
Wright's character, Ginny. In the book, she is portrayed as fierce, loyal, and confident,
but the film reduces her to a one-note love interest with minimal screen time.
Book Ginny doesn't wait around for Harry to make the first move, and she's startlingly accomplished
at hexes. Her film portrayal, however, is one of the adaptation's worst casualties.
Despite Harry's affection for her, she's portrayed almost as a non-character who
is barely even shown in the film. While it's safe to say not every slighted character or
plot point could have been put back into the movie if the Burrow attack hadn't been added,
it's no surprise that fans are wondering why the scene was even filmed at all.
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