Warner Bros decided to mix things up for Harry Potter’s final adventure, splitting J.K Rowling’s final novel in the series into two. The first part, Deathly Hallows: Part 1, released in November 2010 and Warner Bros, as with every other installment, chose to put their own spin on certain aspects of the story.
So we now take a look at 10 things they changed for the movie from the book.
How Harry Is Recognised
The movie pretty much begins with Harry leaving Number 4 Private Drive for the final time, with members of the Order of the Phoenix and Hogwarts school friends alike coming to help him get away. However, as they take to their skies with six others disguised as Harry, a fight with Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters breaks out.
In the book, they’re able to spot the real Potter after he uses Expelliarmus on Stan Shunpike. Yet this is changed for the movie, with Hedwig’s loyalty of him giving him away instead.
The Burrow Is The Safehouse
In the Deathly Hallows novel, Harry and Hagrid land at Nymphadora Tonks’ house before then later going to The Burrow. The Order of the Phoenix’s thinking is that it’s best to split them up so that, worst case scenario, there are at least some survivors.
But the book has everyone going straight to The Burrow, with Harry and Hagrid crashlanding in their back garden. This probably saved Warner Bros a ton of location money as a result.
How Harry Is Disguised
After getting to The Burrow, Harry has his mind taken off his ongoing battle against Lord Voldemort because of Fleur Delacour and Billy Weasley’s wedding. When it comes to the main event, the blockbuster shows him wandering around freely as himself without a care in the world.
Things are different in the source material, though, with the Boy Who Lived using Polyjuice to conceal his appearance. He becomes a red-headed Muggle boy, with Fred and George Weasley secretly obtaining the hairs without the boy knowing.
Remus Lupin Scene Doesn’t Make It
After fleeing the wedding in the movie, Harry, Ron and Hermione all end up taking refuge at Grimmauld Place, despite the risk that Severus Snape and his fellow Death Eaters could burst in at any moment. It’s only the trio who are ever there - not including the weird, cursed Albus Dumbledore trap.
In the book, however, Remus Lupin goes there. He begs Harry, Ron and Hermione into letting him join them on their quest to defeat Voldemort, despite having a child on the way and being with Nymphadora Tonks. A row breaks out and Lupin leaves, but he’s barely in the film at all.
Ministry Of Magic Assault Takes Lots Of Planning
Harry, Ron and Hermione make breaking into the Ministry of Magic look relatively easy during the movie. It’s almost as if they thought of the plan and then decided to execute it immediately on the same day.
But this is different in the source material as well. It takes them a long time and lots of planning before they muster up the courage to make the trip into the very place who wants them dead the most. We understand why this was changed though, because the blockbuster is already jam-packed and long enough.
Tributes To The Potters
Now this, we feel, represents somewhat of a missed opportunity. Harry and Hermione’s trip to Godric’s Hollow is emotional in the movie, sure. But they could have turned it into a real tear-jerker by adding one simple thing.
In J.K Rowling’s book, Harry and Hermione sadly look over the remains of Godric’s Hollow. And what makes it that much more tragic is that there’s a tribute and mural to James and Lily Potter with messages of support from many members of the magical community. This leads Harry into shedding a few tears and, had it made the movie, the same could be said for audience members.
The Dance Scene
One thing the movie changed from the books that we really, really like is the touching dance scene between Harry and Hermione inside their tent while on the run.
It’s genuinely poignant as they waltz around, smiling and bringing some genuine happiness to a dark movie in the process. It also makes Ron’s Horcrux vision, when he sees the duo kissing, more sympathetic. His feelings of jealousy are understandable but misplaced, with Harry’s heart belonging to Ginny.
Being Captured
Harry and Hermione are reunited with Ron in the movie when he comes to the Boy Who Lived’s rescue by defeating Lord Voldemort’s Locket Horcrux. A little while after, however, they’re captured by Snatchers.
In the big screen version of the Deathly Hallows this is dragged out a bit, with Warner Bros choosing to make it an action-packed scene instead, full of running, spell-casting and avoiding running into trees. They have a lot less time in the book, though, with Hermione only just managing to disguise Harry quickly. Both scenes are admittedly tense, however.
Dean Thomas Brought To Malfoy Manor
That isn’t the only difference when it comes to Snatchers. In the book, Dean Thomas is also captured and brought with Harry, Ron and Hermione to Malfoy Manor for interrogation at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange - although he’s shoved in the cellar for the most part.
Dean doesn’t make an appearance in the movie whatsoever, but does return for the sequel, Deathly Hallows: Part 2, which was released the following year.
The Last Of Peter Pettigrew
While the Harry Potter movies do a good job at managing to cram in pretty much every shocking and emotional death, they somewhat bizarrely chose to omit Peter Pettigrew’s fatal incident.
The movie shows him being cursed by Harry and Ron as they plot to break free of the cellar at Malfoy Manor. What it doesn’t show, though, is Pettigrew’s own silver hand (the one given to him by Lord Voldemort in the Goblet of Fire), choking him to death. It does this because he hesitates in serving his master, showing just how ruthless, callous and organized the Dark Lord can be.
