For all of the moments of brilliance and the exceptional choices that brought Harry Potter to the big screen, the franchise was far from perfect. The decision to cut the final book in half was somewhat cynical (if true to the tone of the source), and there were some key scenes and characters cut throughout the franchise that left fans baffled at the decision not to include them, So as fans continue to say a quiet pray for the likes of Winky the lost House Elf, and with the inevitably impending news that someone, at some point is going to have a stab at remaking the entire thing (as if it's necessary) we're looking back at the near misses and alternate possibilities that almost completely changed the Harry Potter franchise. From the star name directors who passed on the jobs, to characters who almost took an Unforgivable Curse to the face, these are the steps on the journey that were wiped out of existence. Some were for good reason, but others will feel like missed opportunities to even the most ardently committed Potter film fans...
