Harry Potter: 10 Amazing Chapters That Aren’t In The Movies

In the summer of 1980, Professor Trelawney had a job interview with Dumbledore at the Hog’s Head, and at the end of the interview, she delivered a prophecy about Harry and Voldemort.

This prophecy – which describes a boy born at the end of July with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord – was the reason Voldemort went hunting for the Potters. In the movies, we’re never told how Voldemort found out about the prophecy, but it’s a different story in the books.

In ‘The Seer Overheard’, Harry walks up to Dumbledore’s office and bumps into Trelawney along the way. Then, under the influence of her sherry bottles, Trelawney recounts the story of her interview with Dumbledore. She tells Harry that Snape – who was a Death Eater at the time – overheard the entire thing. He was the one who told Voldemort about the prophecy, which led to the death of Lily and James.

This is a fundamental part of Snape’s journey. When Lily and James were killed, he was burdened with guilt. He knew his actions had led to the death of the woman he loves. Therefore, Snape’s determination to protect Harry is – above all – a quest for redemption, a way for him to try and overcome his feelings of guilt.

Yet the movies ignore this aspect of Snape’s journey and focus exclusively on his love for Lily. Whilst the narrative still makes sense, ‘The Seer Overheard’ gives Snape an extra layer of depth.