10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About The Harry Potter Books
6. Rowling Regrets The Length Of The Goblet Of Fire And The Order Of The Phoenix
During a conversation with Steve Kloves (the man who provided the screenplay for seven of the eight Harry Potter movies), Rowling said she regretted the length of Harry’s fourth and fifth years at Hogwarts.
She elaborated by focusing on Hermione’s mad campaign to liberate the House Elves in The Goblet of Fire (also known as S.P.E.W.). Rowling claims this section of the book develops Hermione’s character and shows a level of political awareness that's absent in Harry and Ron. Of course, this aspect of the story also leads to the discovery of the kitchens. However, it isn’t integral to the plot, which is why Rowling thought it should have been removed.
As for The Order of the Phoenix, Rowling didn’t give any examples of what she would take out, so we can only speculate.
‘Professor Umbridge’ and ‘Detention with Dolores’, for instance, are both slowed-paced chapters that could have been trimmed down. And whilst it’s great to see Saint Mungo’s Hospital, this part of the book should probably have been one chapter, not two.