45 Things I Noticed After Rewatching Harry Potter

Harry Potter was the best Quidditch Seeker during his time at Hogwarts and this was clear even before playing his first match. Then team captain of Gryffindor House, Oliver Wood, taught Harry Potter the basics of Quidditch, and Harry’s eyes followed the Snitch keenly as soon as it left Oliver’s hand. Oliver, himself a keeper, struggled to catch sight of the Snitch. It was clear to Oliver then that Harry Potter was a born Seeker.

A major thing I noticed after rewatching is that Harry Potter did not cast a spell in the first movie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. This is quite unbelievable, as Harry Potter was touted as a special boy from the moment he stepped into Hogwarts. Not a single one, and you can watch the entire movie again to confirm.

Being a very clumsy kid, Neville Longbottom’s grandmother sent him a Remembrall to always notify him whenever he forgot to remember something. In this scene in the dining hall, Neville’s Remembrall is failed with red smoke, an indication that he was missing something. A hint as to what he is missing is made available for users, as we can see in this picture that Neville is the only one without his school robes on.

The Mirror of Erised was one of the first magical objects which Harry Potter encountered after enrolling at Hogwarts. The mirror showed him the faces of his parents smiling at him, and Harry erroneously thought he could use it to communicate with them. Professor Dumbledore explained to him later on that “the mirror merely showed you, your deepest desires”. One thing that Harry and a lot of viewers missed is that the scribbling on the mirror are the words “I show not your face but your heart’s desire” written backward.

In the later part of the series, we found out that Professor Snape was indeed a double agent, as his loyalty was to Professor Dumbledore. A hint came earlier in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows II in his battle with fellow teacher, Professor McGonagall. If you look closer, it will become clear to see that not only was he not attacking Professor McGonagall, he was also deflecting her spells to the Deatheaters who were behind. This act was deliberate as Professor Snape was one of the most talented wizards until his death.

Gilderoy Lockhart, once the professor of Defence Against The Dark Arts at Hogwarts, is known to be a very vain individual. Instead of teaching, he spent long periods talking about his exploits and achievements, part of which is contained in a book he wrote. For all his good looks, it might interest you to know that Gilderoy Lockhart is actually bald. In this scene in Harry and the Chambers of Secrets, Lockhart’s wig can be spotted on the desk.

In a scene in Harry Potter and the Chambers of Secrets, Professor McGonagall opened the door to Professor Dumbledore’s office with the password “Sherbet Lemon.” In reality, Sherbet Lemon is the name of a candy, which tastes a lot like lemon drops. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, a couple of these candies can be found in a bowl in Professor Dumbledore’s office. This goes to show that wizards just like muggles, choose passwords based on their favorite things.

In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Professor Dumbledore appears in front of a billboard in a particular scene. Taking a closer look at the billboard, one can see that it is an advertisement for a perfume; its name? Divine Magic. This is a very subtle name for a wizard perfume and it shows that they take copywriting very seriously in their universe.

Bill Weasley accompanied Harry Potter to his hearing in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and one event is very significant. Mr. Weasley and Harry Potter had to get into the Ministry of Magic through the red telephone booth. This booth required a code to be dialed on the telephone. The number which Mr. Weasley dialed is 6-2-4-4-2, and this number spells out the word m-a-g-i-c (magic) on a telephone pad. Not a strong code.

In the fourth installment of the series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Professor Dumbledore took Harry into his office to warn him about the dangers that lay ahead. In this scene, one can spot a symbol of the Deathly Hallows in the background. While this is not unusual as the role of the Deathly Hallows was later revealed to the viewers, it came too early. The book which contained the origin of the Deathly Hallows had not been published then, thereby making this bit input from the author herself, J.K. Rowling.

In the first movie of the series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (also called Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone), Harry visited the zoo with his aunt’s family to celebrate Dudley’s birthday. The main event which caught everyone’s attention was Harry Potter speaking Parseltongue to the snake, but one detail might have been missed. The kids coming out of the reptile house wore green. Green is the color of the Slytherin House, and it makes sense that the kids wearing green were fascinated by snakes.

Newt Scamander is a character in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a movie based on the same wizard universe as the Harry Potter series. What many do not know is that Newt Scamander’s name came up in the Harry Potter series itself. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Newt Scamander’s name came up on the Marauder’s Map when the Weasley twins, Fred and George show it to Harry Potter, as he was in Hogwarts at the time.

The Harry Potter crew made it clear that all the dragons used in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire were kept safe from harm. This can be viewed in the end credits which read “No dragons were harmed in the making of this movie.” Whether the dragons were real or not, is another topic entirely.

One of Professor Dumbledore’s loyal soldiers and a member of The Order of the Phoenix, Alastor Mad-Eye Moody enjoyed the privilege of having his real-life son on set. The son played the role of Bill Weasley, son to another actor on set. Their real names are Brendan Gleeson and Domhnall Gleeson. In this picture, one can see clearly that they share a striking resemblance.

Moaning Myrtle’s character is a ghost that haunts the toilets at Hogwarts having died at the age of 14. Moaning Myrtle is often seen crying or wailing while splashing water as she dives into the toilet. Although the character was a teenager, it was played by Shirley Henderson who was 37 at the time the series was filmed. Shirley Henderson is around 54 now.

The number 7 played a significant role in the Harry Potter series, and one just has to look closely to recognize this. First off, there are seven Harry Potter books, Voldemort also had seven Horcruxes. There are also seven players on a Quidditch team, there are seven snakes on the door to the Chamber of Secrets, amongst other significant parts of the movie that involved things in sevens.

Ron and Hermione end up together in the series, and the signs were there from the start. However there is one sign that a lot of us failed to note, and that is their Patronuses. Hermione’s Patronus is an otter, while Ron’s Patronus is a Jack Russell terrier. What is special about this is that otters belong to the weasel family, and are also known to be chased by Jack Russells.

This scar that Harry Potter got when Lord Voldemort killed his parents, served as a connection between the two arch-enemies. The scar usually becomes more prominent and burned painfully whenever Lord Voldemort was around. However, in the final cut of the series (in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows II), after Voldemort has been defeated, Harry’s scar has become quite faint and barely noticeable.

Throughout Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows I, Hermione’s hair keeps growing in length. This signified the length of time which she, Harry, and Ron traveled looking for the Horcruxes. This detail is not hidden, but it is one which most viewers failed to take note of.

The end credits of Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban is done on the Marauder’s Map. This is quite impressive in itself and highly captivating as well. However one special detail bears mentioning, there were two pairs of footprints in the bottom left corner. While some have never taken notice of this, others have, and theories abound on who the footprints belong to. The footprints appear very close together, signifying a possible romantic connection.

In the movie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone; Harry, Ron, and Hermione played a game of Wizard’s chess in which the Knight was captured by the Queen. They happened to play a life-size version of the game, and Ron who played the role of Knight sacrificed himself to the Queen. This move was very crucial as it ensured their survival.

Professor McGonagall was the teacher who first discovered Harry Potter’s talent as a Quidditch player, but it appears she played during her time at school as well. This discovery happened in an incident that involved Harry saving Neville Longbottom’s Remembrall. After she asked him to join the team, Harry Potter had hesitations, and Hermione took Harry alongside Ron to Hogwarts’ trophy room, showing Harry his father’s awards. Here we can see that Professor McGonagall also got a Quidditch award. Who would have thought?

Ron Weasley came from a large family, and with his father being a modest worker at the Ministry of Magic, it was tough supporting Ron and his six siblings. This is why Ron’s school robes as well as books were usually hand-me-downs from his brothers. In this picture from a scene in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Hermione and Harry’s robes are clearly lighter than Ron’s.

The Harry Potter novels made an appearance in the movies. In Harry Potter and the Chambers of Secrets, there is a scene where Harry and Hagrid are around a bookstore, after meeting at Knockturn Alley. Copies of the Harry Potter books can be seen in the bookstore. Who knows what might have been different if Harry read about the future before it occurred?

Many do not know this, but Lucius Malfoy almost cast one of the three unforgivable spells on Harry Potter. In the scene at the end of Harry Potter and the Chambers of Secrets, in which Harry tricks Lucius into giving Dobby a sock, Lucius can be seen attempting to cast a spell. Lucius Malfoy was angered as Harry’s action had made Dobby a free elf, and he already worded “Avada”, the first part of the “Avada Kedavra” spell. He was interrupted by Dobby, who in essence saved Harry’s life.

The Millennium Bridge in London, as the name suggests, was opened in the year 2000. This timing, therefore, creates a mystery in the sixth Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Voldemort was back at this time, and his army was wreaking havoc in the wizarding world. The Millennium Bridge was one of the landmarks which they made sure to destroy. The problem with this is that the story was set in the 1990s, and the Millennium Bridge did not exist at this time.

The Marauder’s Map is quite significant in the franchise as Harry Potter put it to use a good number of times. Here we can see the filming crew having a little joke on the map. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, after Harry Potter is handed the map, the nicknames of the men that created it are visible. The nicknames are Prongs (James Potter) Wormtail (Peter Pettigrew) Padfoot (Sirius Black) and Moony (Remus Lupin). However, Moony is spelled as Mooney, and while some might discard it as a mistake, it is a deliberate misspelling, aimed as a joke at Karl Mooney (the movies’ visual effects supervisor).

This has no effect in the Harry Potter story but it bears mentioning. In this scene in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows I, one can see behind Hermione a poster for a play called “Equus”. It is a play that starred Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and his on-screen uncle, Richard Griffiths (Vernon Dursley). Richard Griffiths died in 2013.

While we have discussed the recurrence of the number 7 in the Harry Potter franchise, one significance was left out. Harry Potter’s Quidditch number when he became captain was 7. This could well have been an indicator of his status as Voldermort’s seventh Horcrux.

Aside from the scenes that show Harry Potter with the Dursleys, wizards hardly use muggle objects and things in the Harry Potter franchise. Here, we have a wizard in Leaky Cauldron reading a muggle book in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. While reading a muggle book is in itself a big deal, the book in his hands is very significant. It is A Brief History of Time, a Stephen Hawking book that discusses the idea of time travel amongst other things. It might interest you to know that elements of time travel are contained in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Wands have a connection to their owners usually showing personality, trait, spirit, and character. In this case, Professor Slughorn’s wand had a very interesting structure. The tip of the handle of the wand, has two round prong-like shapes. These shapes can be interested to be the head of a slug or even a pair of horns. This is not surprising as his name is Slughorn.

One important detail that many may have missed in Snape’s death scene is the Gryffindor cardigan. This might serve as an indicator of his noble heart and bravery. It also gives credence to Professor Dumbledore’s opinion in the books that students are usually sorted a bit too soon.

In the first movie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the way Harry, Ron, and Hermione tie their scarves is different and a clear indication of their distinct personalities. Hermione’s scarf is neatly done, highlighting her close attention to detail. Ron’s scarf is left completely undone, highlighting his nonchalant attitude, while Harry’s scarf is tied loosely highlighting his clumsiness.

This is one detail in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone which almost everyone missed. The portrait of Anne Boleyn hangs in Hogwarts, and Anne was the second wife of King Henry VII and former Queen of England. You might wonder what significance her portrait being in the school has. Well, she was accused of witchcraft by her husband, King Henry VII. It only makes sense that her portrait showed up in a school of wizardry.

The words of his godfather, Sirius Black before he died in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, was what foreshadowed Harry’s use of the Resurrection Stone in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows I. Sirius’ words assured Harry that those that love us always stay in our heart.

As each Horcrux was getting destroyed, Voldermort’s robes became more faded and unclean. This shows how his power was dimming and he was losing his strength as well as his calm. This is clear in some of the rash decisions he took, such as killing Professor Snape.

In the scene where Professor Dumbledore goes to visit a young Tom Riddle at the orphanage in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, there lies an important detail. A picture of some cliffs is in the room, between Tom Riddle and Professor Dumbledore. These are the same cliffs that Professor Dumbledore and Harry Potter travel through to get the locket, which happens to be one of Voldermort’s seven Horcruxes.

Through the Harry Potter movies, the Warner Brothers logo becomes darker and decayed. This is an indication of the series becoming much more intense and dark as Voldermort continues to increase in strength. The mood switches gradually from being a bit comedic to becoming very grave, as the fate of the wizarding world lays on Harry Potter’s shoulders.

In a flashback scene in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix that showed James Potter disarming Severus Snape, Sirius Black’s remark is “Nice one, James”. While watching James’ son (now his godson), Harry disarm a death eater, and Sirius Black passed the same remark.

We saw Dolores Umbridge became a teacher at Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and she instantly became one of the strictest teachers, enforcing rules that made the students uncomfortable. Known for her love of pink dresses, the shade of her clothes deepened as she became more powerful and evil. This can be seen in the picture.

It’s not exactly the most subtle Easter Egg on this list, but it’s worth mentioning! What the Harry Potter books and movies do so well is world-building. This can be seen in virtually everything, from the characters and clothes to the spells and even the food. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, there is a scene where the trio is walking down the Great Hall and a box of “Cheeri-Owls” is in plain sight on one of the tables.

In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, students from the Bauxbatons Academy of Magic from the Pyrenees come to the Triwizard Tournament to do some cheerleading for their contender Fleur Delacour. While they do some impressive dance routines early on in the movie, their dancing, later on, appears to be a lot more familiar. This is because they end up performing an improved version of a certain muggle dance. They are basically reenacting the Macarena, albeit in a more stylish way.

Directors are always trying to cut corners in order to make the filmmaking process as straightforward as possible. This also applied to Alfonso Cuaron, who was at the helm for the third movie in the franchise, Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban. The talented filmmaker decided to use microphone packs for some of the main actors during certain scenes. However, this ended up backfiring on him as there were a couple of times when the packs showed up in the final cut.

Ron and Hermione’s romance gradually develops as the series progresses, but there are hardly any signs of it during the first couple of movies. With that said though, the Prisoner of Azkaban might be the first time that we see any indication that Ron has a thing for his best friend. One of the big plot points of the movie sees Hermione using the Time-Turner to jump to various points in time. Ron becomes the only person who picks up on Hermione’s elusiveness.

Daniel Radcliffe did struggle for one particular scene where he was expected to dance. During the Yule Ball scene in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, it turns out that unlike his co-stars, who were given three weeks to practice for the scene, Radcliffe only had four days. “Because I was doing another scene,” he said. “I’m quite proud of what I was able to do, but it was very hard.” In the end, though, the director decided to shoot him from the waist up to avoid any mistakes.

All the way back in the first movie, Professor Severus Snape appears to be a nasty individual who only wants to make Harry’s life a living hell. He asks Harry what would result from adding asphodel to wormwood. It turns out though that Snape was trying to give Harry a coded message. This is because Asphodel is a lily, which, in Victorian flower code, means demise. As for wormwood, this symbolizes loss and absence. From this, we can deduce that Snape was referencing Harry’s mother, who was also called Lily.

It might not be the most important Easter Egg in the series, but nevertheless, it is worthy of being on the list. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, there is a scene early on where Aunt Petunia can actually be seen in the background dyeing Harry’s uniform into a grey color. She basically takes one of Dudley’s old pieces of uniform which Harry can use at Hogwarts. While it isn’t spoken of in the movie, it is described in detail in the book.

As previously mentioned, every WB logo gets darker in tone corresponding to the tone of each movie. However, there is another interesting detail in the opening credits of Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire. Not only is the logo dark, but a scaly, shiny thing can be seen in the reflection of it. This is alluding to Nagini, Voldermort’s snake who then appears during the opening scene, creeping toward her master, the Dark Lord.

During one of the scenes in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, many viewers wondered why Harry’s scar started to burn after Snape started looking at him. Of course, this makes Harry suspect that Snape is a nefarious being and might have even caused the scar. However, seeing that Quirrell is standing next to Snape, with his back turned to Harry, it is later revealed that Voldermort is hiding under the head-covering. So that’s why.

In Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows – Part 2, there is an awesome sequence during the Battle of Hogwarts that seamlessly harks back to all of the movies that came before it. As the battle begins, Harry, Ron, and Hermione go to confront Snape but are interrupted by a number of familiar faces, with each one referencing one of the previous movies. They see a troll, giant spiders, a werewolf, a dead Lavender Brown, Dementors, and finally Snape.

In the Harry Potter books, Nymphadora Tonks is known for her love of pink hair. One might then wonder why she had purple hair in the movie. The reason is simple, the color of her hair was changed to allow viewers to easily identify her, and tell her apart from Dolores Umbridge who wore pink clothing.

Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix) was pregnant during the filming of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and this necessitated certain improvising. She dressed in loose clothing on set, as well as hid her figure behind objects including furniture to avoid close-ups.

The first and the last Harry Potter share a certain symmetry in which Hagrid plays a major role. In the first Harry Potter movie, it is Hagrid who takes Harry Potter away on Sirius Black’s bike to start school at Hogwarts. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows I, when the time comes to take Harry away from the Dursleys, it is also Hagrid who comes to take him away on the same bike, albeit with a passenger’s seat attached this time.

Cho Chang is a year older than Harry Potter, which makes her appearance in the last Harry Potter movie quite baffling. Harry Potter was in his last year at Hogwarts, meaning that Cho Chang should have graduated from Hogwarts. She however appeared in her school uniform which is unexplainable. A lot of people certainly missed that bit.

In the last part of the last Harry Potter movie, we see the characters now grown-up with kids of their own; ready to start school at Hogwarts. Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) was also there with his wife and son. The woman who played the role of Astoria Malfoy, Draco’s wife was Tom Felton’s actual girlfriend at the time. Her name is Jade Gordon and she was part of the production crew before being convinced by Tom Felton to take the role.