Continuity mistake: In the girls' lavatory, Lockhart tries to bolt so Harry and Ron stop him and push him back. When Harry says, "You first," in this first shot his cloak not only drapes over the sink to his left, it's also under his hand's tight grip of the sink's wall. However in the next shot, still gripping the wall, his cloak now hangs behind him. Then after Ron says, "Better you than us," Lockhart's cloak is positioned the same way as the first shot. (01:59:20)
Continuity mistake: When the flying car throws Ron and Harry out at Hogwarts, Harry lands on his back. While he lies on his back his sweater has ridden up, exposing his stomach. A few shots later he starts to get up, but a couple of shots after that he's still on his back with his sweater pulled down properly. (00:28:10)
Continuity mistake: At Flourish and Blotts, when Draco taunts Harry and Ron, he is taller than Harry and his face is quite developed, more so than in the first film. However, in the Duelling Club scene, in the close ups you can see that Harry is the taller one, if only by a little bit, and Draco's face is rounder and more childish. Obviously shot out of sequence. (00:19:55 - 01:06:55)
Continuity mistake: When Dobby visits Harry in the hospital wing, Harry throws his blankets off and gets out of bed. In the following shots the blankets and pillows change according to the camera angle or is different altogether for that shot. (01:00:30)
Continuity mistake: As they fly over Hogwarts Express Ron yells, "Take my hand!" the corner rubber trim of the door frame is peeling up. When Ron grabs hold in the shot facing Ron, their hands are positioned differently than in the next close-up where it's visible that the frame of the door is fairly clean, there are two parcels behind the seat, etc. Yet when Ron grabs hold after Harry says, "...Your hand's all sweaty," the rubber trim is fitted into place, the frame of the door is filthy and there are different parcels behind the seat, etc. (00:25:20)
Continuity mistake: Harry is forced to stand beside Lockhart as he says, "Nice big smile Harry. Together you and I rate the front page," and the books are visible under the desk. In the overhead shot before it pans to Malfoy, the books are visible again, but the stacked black books' positions differ considerably. (00:18:40)
Continuity mistake: When Hermione pours the Polyjuice potion into the glasses some of the thick liquid drips down to the top and side of the sink. In both the close-up of Harry's bubbling hand and the shot after the transformation of Goyle/Harry leaning his hands on the sink the Polyjuice potion drips are gone and the sink is clean. The towel near the window hangs differently in this shot, as well as the earlier overhead shot of Harry as he stands at the sink. (Visible on DVD fullscreen.) (01:19:35 - 01:20:45)
Continuity mistake: After Riddle yells, "Stop! No!" Harry stabs the diary the 1st time. In the next shot, as Riddle stares at the hole in his chest, he drops Harry's wand and it bounces near the Sorting Hat (fullscreen edition). In Riddle's close-up he is in the same position, he still stares at the gaping hole in his chest and Harry's wand is again in his hand. (02:15:20)
Continuity mistake: The stripes on the knot of Harry's tie change position between certain shots, yet Harry does not redo his tie. For example, the diagonal red stripe is higher when he first speaks with Tom Riddle and lower when he kills Riddle and thanks Fawkes. (02:11:20 - 02:16:15)
Continuity mistake: After Harry arrives at Borgin & Burkes in Knockturn Alley, via floo powder, Harry taps on the glass with the shrunken heads inside. There are different heads in the close-up and wide shot. (00:15:45)
Continuity mistake: When Harry is in the Chamber, running from the Basilisk, he trips and his glasses fly off his head, toward the left of the screen. In the wide shot as Harry trips, when his left hand touches the ground, the glasses are visible above his head. As his right hand touches the ground the glasses are again visible above his head. As the rest of his body touches ground, Harry's feet swing up in the air behind him and the glasses are now in the air way in front of him, just before they fly off to the left of the screen. However, in the next close-up the glasses are right in front of him and bounce toward his face. (02:10:00)
Continuity mistake: Throughout the movie, when Ron and Harry are standing together their heights vary in wide shots and closeups.
Continuity mistake: In Transfiguration class, when Professor McGonagall says, "Yes, Miss Granger," the Ring-tailed Lemurs are playing at the bottom of their cage, but when McGonagall says, "You all know that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand..." the Lemurs are high on their perch, all nestled together. Then as McGonagall says, "Now, three of the founders coexisted quite harmoniously..." they're playing down below again. Yet, when McGonagall says, "...be kept within all-magic families. In other words, pure-bloods," they're back up on the perch, nestled together again. (00:48:50)
Continuity mistake: Harry and Ron crash into the bricks between platforms nine and ten. When Harry crashes, Hedwig's cage slips and the door opens. Then, as Ron's luggage cart hits, Ron falls over and in the close-up as stuffed Hedwig topples over, the entire cage bends and a bar at the top actually breaks. However, in the next close-up of live Hedwig, the bird and cage are fine. (00:22:50)
Continuity mistake: Harry pulls the sword out from the Basilisk's mouth, clutches at his right arm and the sword he holds has blood only at the tip. In the very next shot, as he clutches the tooth in his right arm, sword still in hand, there is now plenty of blood on the blade. (02:13:50)
Continuity mistake: When Harry and Ron land in the Whomping Willow, one shot from inside the car shows a branch coming through the rear window, and then pulling right out again. In the next shot (from outside the car) the branch is shown still coming out. (00:22:16)
Continuity mistake: When Harry walks over to the clock at the Burrow, in the wide shot, the hands are all pointing in a particular direction, then in the close-up, some of those hands change their position. However in the next wide shot, as Harry walks away, all of the hands are pointing in the same direction as in the previous wide shot. (00:11:05)
Continuity mistake: At the end, when Lucius Malfoy is talking to Dumbledore, Malfoy has a couple strands of hair going down his cheek. Just after he says "Well, let us hope-" he turns his head and the hairs disappear.
Continuity mistake: While standing in the Dursley's kitchen doorway, Dobby says, "Then Dobby must do it sir, for Harry Potter's own good." In the next shot as the cake/pudding floats away, the wine bottle on the counter is pointing towards the hallway. Yet when Harry stands by the kitchen watching the cake/pudding float towards Mrs. Mason, the wine caddy is turned and the bottle now points towards the kitchen wall. (00:07:15)
Continuity mistake: As the boys are sitting and eating at the Weasley kitchen table and then joined by Mr. Weasley, in every wide shot Ron sits a good distance away from the table, yet in the close-ups, he's tucked right up against the kitchen table. (Visible in DVD fullscreen format) (00:12:10)
Chosen answer: After Harry hands it to Lucius, Lucius hands it to Dobby to carry. After Dobby is freed by the hidden sock and protects Harry from Lucius, Lucius leaves it behind.
Greg Dwyer