Harry Potter: 7 Biggest Problems With The Philosopher’s Stone

Every Potter fan knows Harry’s birthday is on the 31st of July – which is actually J.K. Rowling’s birthday as well. But in the movie, things don’t really make sense.

Hagrid arrives with a crash and tells Harry he’s a wizard shortly after midnight on his eleventh birthday. Several hours later, they go shopping in Diagon Alley for school supplies. Now laden with books, potion ingredients, and his new owl, Harry trundles into King’s Cross to catch the school train.

But the Hogwarts Express doesn’t leave until the 1st of September. In the book, there are several paragraphs summarising Harry’s final month with the Dursleys. It’s essentially a little transition between Diagon Alley and the start of the school term.

For whatever reason, this transition doesn’t appear in the adaptation, and as a result, there’s an awkward clash between Harry’s birthday and the start of the school term.