Harry Potter: 7 Biggest Problems With The Philosopher’s Stone
6. The Convenient Staircase Change
"The Third-Floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death." – Albus Dumbledore
The Philosopher’s Stone is essentially a mystery story, and the secret of the Third-Floor corridor is a key part of it.
Malfoy’s trick with Harry and the midnight duel doesn’t make it into the movie adaptation, so the filmmakers had to come up with a new way for the characters to find the Third-Floor corridor. Unfortunately, their solution was rather pathetic.
One evening, Harry, Ron and Hermione are on their way back to the Gryffindor Common Room when a staircase changes midway through their ascent. Conveniently, the staircase leads them to the very same corridor mentioned by Dumbledore in his opening speech.
Mrs Norris then turns up, the trio run along the corridor, stumble across Fluffy, and discover the trapdoor. It’s a fun sequence, but ultimately one which feels far too contrived.