20 Biggest Things The Harry Potter Movies Left Out

1. The Dumbledore Family History

Harry Potter Howler
Warner Bros.

In The Book

The Dumbledore family history is a major part of The Deathly Hallows, adding colour and complexity to the character. It revealed the story of Ariana, Dumbledore's past with Grindelwald, suggestions he might be prejudice and his conflict with his brother Aberforth that ultimately led to Ariana's death.

In The Film

The backstory is mostly glossed over, with huge elements missing, and not enough importance heaped on Ariana's relationship with Aberforth or Dumbledore's with Grindelwald.

Was It A Positive Cut?

Not at all. Adding complexity to Dumbledore was never a bad idea, particularly as his real nature was flirted with throughout the films. And the story would have worked particularly well as a backstory-establishing memory flashback.

In hindsight, the revelation of Ariana's "sickness" would also have fit with the way Fantastic Beasts explained what obscurials are and their symptoms. So maybe we'll see the story in a future Fantastic Beasts sequel?

Which other changes to the Harry Potter sources do you wish hadn't been made? Share your reactions below in the comments thread.

In this post: 
Harry Potter
 
First Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

WhatCulture's former COO, veteran writer and editor.