Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Corrected entry: There's no reason whatsoever the trio needed to risk telling Hagrid at nighttime that they knew about the Philosopher's Stone, as it ends up in them getting in trouble. They could have told him immediately after Hermione found out about the Philosopher's Stone in the library. Or if they couldn't find time between classes, they could have waited until tomorrow.

Correction: They are kids, they got excited. It's not a stupidity for a movie to have kids do stupid things. Kids do stupid things, that's why they are kids.

lionhead

I don't necessarily agree with that. In the book, they had a legitimate reason to sneak out during nighttime as they were trying to smuggle Hagrid's dragon out of Hogwarts without it being seen, which isn't in the film, so there is no reason for them to wait until nighttime to talk to Hagrid about what they know, nor does it explain why Malfoy is there suddenly.

Movielover1996

Corrected entry: Hagrid appears at the hut on the rock to fetch Harry on Harry's 11th birthday, which is July 31. The next day they go to London to buy Harry's school supplies, then end the day at King's Cross. But the letter Hagrid hands Harry at the hut (in the book, anyway - and in the film if you stop it to read what Harry doesn't) tells him to report to the train on September 1. What happened to the month of August?

Correction: It is never specified when is Harry's birthday This is a film/book discrepancy.

This seems far-fetched as it is way too well known in the HP universe, the date of Harry's birthday, and it becomes very significant to the plot as to why Voldemort targeted him. A more likely explanation is the film didn't actually say they went out for school supplies the very next day. It was just assumed as that was the next scene we saw. For all we know, Harry and Hagrid stayed elsewhere for a month, and the filmmakers considered it insignificant to show.

Question: Why didn't the Dursleys just dump Harry at an orphanage, or refuse to take him? Why did they care about doing what Dumbledore asked?

Answer: Dumbledore never would have allowed it. The charm that protected Harry was only effective as long as Harry lived with his blood relatives, that being his aunt. Also, though Aunt Petunia would be too afraid of the consequences if she ever tried to abandon Harry, she was not evil. There was a line she would never cross that would put her sister's child in danger. She knew his living in her household protected his life.

raywest

Does she care though? Because her and Vernon often tell him that he is punished with no meals for a long time and lock him in a cupboard.

They cared enough for his life, not his well-being.

lionhead

They were strict on him to try and stamp the magic out of him. Vernon even says "when we took him in we swore we would stamp it out of him".

Ssiscool

They probably felt obligated, not enthusiastic. Consider how Severus Snape felt about secretly protecting Harry over the years. He was not happy that Lily fell in love with James and they produced Harry, but he felt obligated to protect Harry anyway, in honor of Lily.

Answer: According to the books, once they agreed to take him in, the protective became active. So it seems like they had the choice not to take him in.

lartaker1975

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone mistake picture

Continuity mistake: At the start of term feast, after Harry is sorted into Gryffindor, he sits down on the right side of the table next to Ron. When the feast appears, Harry is on the other side of the table, next to Hermione. (00:46:05)

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: This is not a mistake. In the first shot, Harry was just sorted into Gryffindor and there were still quite a few students waiting to be sorted. By the time of the second shot, all the students were sorted and the feast started. Therefore, at least a few minutes have passed and Harry had plenty of time to switch sides of the table. Doesn't make much sense why he did that, I agree, but still plenty of time to do it.

I agree, but it's not about how there's plenty of time to do it. Like you said before, there's no reason for Harry to change position. Therefore, it counts as a mistake.

Question: This question is about the book and movie. Why does Draco make an offer of friendship to Harry? His parents are on Voldemort's side. His father and his aunt are Death Eaters. Surely he considers Harry to be an enemy. If Harry had actually decided to join him, his family would have been very displeased. They would also suffer consequences if Voldemort returned and heard that Draco was friends with Harry.

Answer: Draco, still a child when he met Harry, would not yet fully comprehend his family's involvement as Death Eaters or Harry's specific connection to the Dark Lord. His father, Lucius, rarely shared important information with his son. Draco was also the type who would ingratiate himself to someone famous for his own benefit. Draco's cultivating a bogus friendship with Harry could actually have been advantageous to the Malfoys by gaining his trust and giving them closer access to Harry for Voldemort's purposes. The old adage, "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer," would certainly apply here.

raywest

One other possible reason, I think, it was suggested elsewhere, that the Malfoys did not believe that Voldemort would return, and thought that if Harry had defeated him then Harry must be a very powerful wizard and therefore they wanted to be his friend.

This indeed. This was cut from the movies (it's in one deleted CoS scene), but some people including the Malfoys wondered if Harry "defeated" Voledmort because he was another powerful, dark wizard Voldemort didn't want as a competition. That would make him very appealing to the Malfoys before it is confirmed otherwise. Especially since no-one aside from a few people knew Voldemort would ever come back.

Harry was only a baby when he "defeated" Voldemort though. Why would anyone think he was a powerful dark wizard and competition to Voldemort? I get that they might think Harry has some sort of hidden ability that caused him to vanquish Voldemort, but not that being the reason Voldemort tried to kill him. Everyone knew who Harry's parents were, and that's why he was a target.

lionhead

Question: When Harry's parents are shown in the mirror, are they supposed to be the age that they were when they died or the age they would be if they were still alive?

sdgirl98

Chosen answer: Since the mirror is reflecting Harry's desire, they are probably an idealized (to Harry) image of what they would look like if they were still alive.

Xofer

That doesn't explain how Harry could see rest of the Potter family. Surely, they weren't just in his mind?

In the movie he only sees his parents.

lionhead

Answer: He didn't just desire his parents but a whole family. Therefore he saw his entire family.

In the novel he saw his whole family. In the movie, he only saw his parents.

Question: Has it ever been explained what would have happened if the Sorting Hat couldn't decide what students should be placed into what house?

Answer: If the Sorting Hat experienced a "Hatstall" where, after a certain amount of time passes, it was unable to decide where to place a student based on their being suited to more than one House, then the student's personal preference would be considered. There were a handful of "hatstalls" over the centuries, but the Sorting Hat eventually placed the students.

raywest

Where are you getting this?

Brian Katcher

From the Harry Potter "Wizarding World" web site. The supplemental material was written by J.K. Rowling and originally published on "Pottermore." According to Rowling, Minerva McGonagall was a Hatstall student. The Sorting Hat had difficulty placing her between either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, finally settling on Gryffindor.

raywest

The term Hatstall was created by JK Rowling. It can be found here: https://www.wizardingworld.com/writing-by-jk-rowling/hatstall.

Super Grover

Question: I noticed that Harry's scar hurts when he comes close to Professor Quirrell, but why is this not happening when he meets him for the first time in Diagon Alley? Wasn't Voldemort on his head yet?

Loesjuh1985

Chosen answer: Voldemort is not on his head in Diagon Alley as explained in the books. He attaches himself to Quirrell when he learns that Quirrell was unsuccessful in getting the Philosopher's Stone from the vault, in attempt to keep an eye on him.

But in the movie when they met in Diagon Alley, Quirrel refused a handshake because it would kill him.

It's never explained in the movie that that is why he doesn't shake hands. In the books, hagrid says that Quirrel hasn't been right since he met a few vampires in the black forest.

Ssiscool

Question: I get that the DADA role is cursed because of Voldemort being denied the role when he applied for it at Hogwarts, but why does Dumbledore not let Snape take the role like he's wanted to every year? I thought Snape was a double agent (he spies on the Death Eaters and Voldemort for Dumbledore, and he pretends to be on Voldemort's side too), so unless Voldemort decides that he wants to get rid of him for being in the role, he's okay to take it on provided he's given it, and yet every year, Dumbledore turns down his application. Is it because Snape's too involved in Voldemort's side of things or some other reason? I hope I explained it well.

Heather Benton

Chosen answer: There are several reasons. First, the position is cursed, so there is little reason to give Snape the job when he will not last any longer than all the previous instructors. If Snape did become the DADA instructor, something could happen to him that could result in his being harmed, having to leave Hogwarts, or be otherwise incapacitated in some way; that would render him useless to Dumbledore as a double agent. Also, Dumbledore trusts Snape, but putting him in an environment where he is teaching about dark magic on a daily basis would be too tempting and emotionally compromising to someone who had been so easily seduced by the dark side. He could possibly relapse. It would be like having a recovering alcoholic work as a bartender. Of course, he does eventually become the DADA instructor, and lasted no longer than his predecessors.

raywest

In the movies it is never mentioned that DADA role was cursed by Voldemort.

This is true; though it doesn't say it's not either. With trying to fit 7 long books and years worth of pages of HP information in 2 and a half hours; as long as the movie doesn't say it's not cursed, with our knowledge, there is no problem with reporting that it is. Even directors of non-book movies do this all the time; leave background information out that helps explain things they just didn't have time so they explained it behind the scenes.

Question: Why do the Dursleys try to stop Harry from going to Hogwarts? It seems as though they would be happy to get him out of their house (except for summers).

Answer: Petunia and Vernon despise wizards and swore they would 'squash the magic out of him' (which obviously can't happen) when they took him in. They would rather have Harry around all the time and for him not to be a wizard than to allow him to go to Hogwarts where he would learn magic and be happy (It says in the books that the two things that Vernon Dursley despises most if magic and making Harry happy).

kristenlouise3

Why don't the Dursleys try to get Harry back if they don't want him to be at Hogwarts?

Because on the other hand they are glad to be rid of him.

lionhead

Why do they despise making Harry happy?

Because they despise the fact he and his parents are wizards.

lionhead

Or as Petunia states in the book "as soon as they had you I knew you'd be like them. A freak" The Durselys are very middle class who consider themselves high class. The fancy car, expensive house, private school for Dudley etc. And being associated with an outcast would in their eyes seriously hurt their social standings.

Ssiscool

Answer: Vernon and Petunia are very concerned with appearances and maintaining a "proper" lifestyle. The books describe how they want a perfect lawn. Vernon judges men by the cars they drive. Petunia keeps the home very clean, etc. They hope to ignore the Wizard world and force Harry to live like a Muggle. In addition to that, Petunia was jealous of her sister. She wanted to separate herself from the Wizard world as much as possible. When Harry begins attending Hogwarts, she can no longer do that.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone mistake picture

Visible crew/equipment: During the Quidditch match Harry's broomstick tries to shake him off, due to the spell. After Hermione tells Ron, "Leave it to me," in Harry's last close-up before he flips over, the seat that is attached to the broomstick, to make it more comfortable for Dan Radcliffe to sit on, is entirely visible. Glimpses of other seats can be had during the match as well. (01:20:50)

Super Grover

More mistakes in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Dumbledore: It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends.

More quotes from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Trivia: For anyone who hasn't read the book: The inscription on top of the Mirror of Erised says "erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi". If you read the inscription backwards it says "I show not your face but your heart's desire".

More trivia for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Question: I noticed that Harry's scar hurts when he comes close to Professor Quirrell, but why is this not happening when he meets him for the first time in Diagon Alley? Wasn't Voldemort on his head yet?

Loesjuh1985

Chosen answer: Voldemort is not on his head in Diagon Alley as explained in the books. He attaches himself to Quirrell when he learns that Quirrell was unsuccessful in getting the Philosopher's Stone from the vault, in attempt to keep an eye on him.

But in the movie when they met in Diagon Alley, Quirrel refused a handshake because it would kill him.

It's never explained in the movie that that is why he doesn't shake hands. In the books, hagrid says that Quirrel hasn't been right since he met a few vampires in the black forest.

Ssiscool

More questions & answers from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

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