VS.

I have long been a PROPONENT (champion of a cause) of reading a book before seeing its movie. Filmmakers are faced with the CONUNDRUM (dilemma) of boiling down complex plots and subplots laced with multiple characters, conflicts, and themes into a two-hour package. It is hard to decide what can be EXCISED (cut out, deleted) without losing the essentials of a work. Fans with ARCANE (obscure) encyclopedic knowledge of the Harry Potter books may have noticed a number of discrepancies between the book version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and the film version. Let’s take a look at a few…

As Hermione enters Gringott’s to access Bellatrix Lestrange’s vault, Hermione is DUPLICITOUS (deceptive) when she uses Polyjuice potion to appear as Bellatrix.  In the movie, Hermione convinces everyone by adopting the IMPERIOUS (domineering and arrogant) Bellatrix’s mannerisms more quickly and EXCORIATING (expressing strong disapproval) the gnomes for delaying her entrance, causing less suspicion and allowing faster access to the vault. In addition, the items in the vault are not CAUSTIC (corrosive, burning) as they were in the book, making their escape somewhat easier.

In one of the film’s EPIC (grand, elevated, majestic) scenes, Professor McGonnagall steps forward in the Great Hall to protect Harry against the BELLICOSE (hostile, warlike) Snape. This scene is not in the book at all. The eventual duel between McGonnagall and Snape in the movie does, in the book, actually not happen at all. There is a scene in which McGonagall, Sprout, and Flitwick duel Snape in the Ravenclaw common room where Luna is showing Harry what the Diadem of Ravenclaw looks like.

Harry’s discovery of the importance Diadem of Ravenclaw as a horcrux is quite different. It is, in fact, Nearly Headless Nick who ELUCIDATES (makes clear or plain) for Harry the importance of the Gray Lady. There are other differences in these scenes, but the omission of Nick, the resident ghost of Gryffindor tower, is disappointing to MYRIAD (many) fans. In fact, Nearly Headless Nick has not been seen in the movies since the very beginning.

Perhaps the most notable missing scene, one that would provoke a VISCERAL (instinctive rather than rational) reaction, is the death of Fred Weasley. In the book, we witness a JOVIAL (cheerful) conversation between Fred and his brother Percy about Percy switching sides and fighting against the ministry of magic. During this exchange,Fred meets his sudden DEMISE (death) as an explosion blows away a side of the castle. The death is witnessed by Harry, Ron, and Hermioine, as well as Percy.(In the film, we learn of Fred’s death only after the battle, in a POIGNANT (touching) scene, as his body is surrounded by his DESPONDENT (forlorn) family.

There are many more DISPARITIES (differences, variances) between the book and the movie, some SUBTLE (difficult to detect) and some obvious. No doubt, Potter fans will discuss the differences between the book and the movie as we look back NOSTALGICALLY (sentimentally longing for the past) on our days at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.