Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Question: I don't remember a choir in the book. Was it added or is it actually in the book somewhere? If it was in the book, where was it?

Answer: No choir in the book. It was added for the film.

Grumpy Scot

Question: In one of the trailers Harry is looking into a photo. Does anyone know who is in it?

Answer: His parents, James and Lily Potter.

cullothiel

Question: I heard that Chris Columbus isn't the director of PoA. Is he or the other director of PoA, going to direct HP 4?

Answer: Neither. Mike Newell (Mona Lisa Smile, Four Weddings and a Funeral) will direct Goblet of Fire.

Krista

Chosen answer: Try http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/harry_potter-azkaban/.

Garlonuss

Question: There is a trailer out that ends with a girl knocking on a door and saying "housekeeping," and the door flies open and there is a big shrieking noise. Then as the door slams shut the girl says, "I'll come back later." Has anyone any idea of what part in the books this is?

Answer: That scene is not in the book.

cullothiel

Answer: We can't be 100% sure of any answer until the movie actually comes out. All people know is that the new director has made some changes to the style of the movie and characters. Including, but not limited to a redesign of their uniforms, some hairstyles and apparently more time in muggle clothes.

wolfchild

Question: How come there are jugs beside all the beds in the hospital wing?

Answer: Presumably, the jugs are for the patients. Many of them will come into the hospital wing with injuries or fevers and will have to stay for a period of time, so the jugs are put there so they can stay hydrated while recovering.

Casual Person

Answer: They are water pitchers that can be filled whenever a patient is in the bed. It's just a convenience to have drinking water handy when needed. It's fairly typical in most hospitals.

raywest

It's also handy for Madam Pomfrey to simply use the water charm to fill it quickly if it's on hand as suggested.

Ssiscool

Answer: I don't recall either Harry or Hermione acting confused and Dumbledore never lied to them about knowing they rescued Sirius. He would never directly acknowledge it to them, however, because he could more truthfully tell investigators that he knew nothing about Sirius' escape. It's called "plausible deniability." The less detail he knows about how they accomplished their goal, the less he can be questioned about it.

raywest

Question: Why do Hermione's blue shoes look different in each scene? Like when they are running up the hill just before Buckbeak is executed compared to when Buckbeak chases werewolf Lupin away.

THE GAMER NEXT DOOR

Chosen answer: Either the lighting made the shoes' color appear different, or she was wearing different shoes at different times when the scene was being filmed. One scene is filmed over multiple days, and actors usually have more than one set of a particular costume in case the clothing is damaged, gets dirty, etc. so her wardrobe might have changed slightly throughout and she could have been wearing a different pair of shoes.

raywest

Chosen answer: He was just pulling her out of the way to what he thought was a safer spot and out of the line of fire from Snape's wand.

raywest

Harry is actually taking Hermione's wand, Ron was moving Hermione's arm so Harry could do so.

Answer: It didn't look like she was untying his shoe laces to me. It looked more like she was pulling down Ron's sock to get a better look at his wounds.

She's just trying to asses his injuries.

Ssiscool

Maybe after they got out of the willow but I'm referring to when Harry and Sirius were talking.

Chosen answer: She could be untying them because one of his legs is broken and sometimes a broken limb can become swollen.

What does that have to do with Hermione untying the shoelaces?

Answer: I think she took off his shoe to get a better look at his leg. It can be kind of hard for someone to examine a wound if someone is wearing a shoe on their foot.

But she didn't take off his shoe.

Question: Do the teachers have a way of checking that other teachers awarded or deducted points for appropriate reasons? For example, Snape called Hermione "an insufferable know-it-all" and took five points from Gryffindor. I remember him doing that in the book also.

Answer: Adding on to the response by RayWest: In the books, it's common for the teachers to deduct or award five to ten points (twenty or more if the student has done something especially good or bad). The Heads of House are probably not suspicious about most incidents of someone winning or losing these smaller amounts.

Answer: I remember that the four giant hourglasses (one for each House) that is located in the entrance hall magically added and deleted House points by using different-colored gemstones. Even though it was done automatically as soon as a teacher awarded or deducted points, they were also supposed to report it to the House heads and would give their reasons.

raywest

Question: Does anyone know what type of shoes the Golden Trio are all wearing in the last hour or so?

Answer: Ron is wearing scruffy, lace-up leather work-type shoes that are most likely hand-me-downs. Harry and Hermione are wearing sneakers (or trainers as they're called in the UK). No brand names were visible, if that is what you're asking.

raywest

Question: What song is Professor Lupin playing while everyone is learning Riddikulus?

Answer: "Hot Liquorice" (that's the correct spelling) by Dick Walter, though it seems somewhat intermixed with the film's soundtrack composed by John Williams.

raywest

Question: I'm curious, what does Madam Pomfrey put on Hermione's hand in the hospital wing? It doesn't look like a cast. Also, what did she do to the wounds on her face?

Answer: She's not in a cast. It's just a gauze bandage wrapped around her hand and wrist, probably for cuts and scratches. It looks like her face has what is called "butterfly" bandages that go over a cut or gash, essentially acting like stitches, holding the skin together while healing.

raywest

Question: It didn't look that late when Buckbeak was executed, even though Fudge said it was at sundown, so how come it's really dark when they get out of the shrieking shack?

Answer: That is a too literal interpretation. Sundown (or dusk) can mean near the end of day when there is still full sunlight. The sun then sets fairly rapidly. Enough time had elapsed while everyone was in the Shrieking Shack that it would be quite dark by the time they emerged.

raywest

Question: Why does Hermione seem to hate Scabbers throughout this movie? I'm talking about before they find out the truth?

Answer: Hermione doesn't hate Scabbers. A rift had been ongoing between her and Ron. Hermione resented him constantly blaming her cat, Crookshanks, for chasing Scabbers. Ron was angry that Hermione never took responsibility for her cat's behavior. Even though Ron was justified, Hermione was being unreasonably protective and resentful. She didn't realise that Crookshanks sensed something odd about Scabbers. Also Ron and Hermione had other issues with each other, and the pets were merely an excuse to express their disagreements. It's also supposed to show the growing romantic tension between them.

raywest

Question: When they go back in time, how come Hermione couldn't figure out Dumbledore also wanted them to save Buckbeak until Harry said it, since they were sent back to before he was executed?

Answer: Because Dumbledore is having the students do an illegal act (helping Sirius escape), he has to be careful of what and how he says it to protect himself and them. He deliberately "implies" what should be done so he can have "plausible deniability." If Harry and Hermione were later interrogated, they cannot say, "Dumbledore told us to do a specific thing." Dumbledore, in turn, can rightfully claim he never told them something and/or they misinterpreted what he did say.

raywest

Question: How come Ron needed a walking stick when he was out of the hospital wing at the end if Madam Pomfrey can mend bones in a heartbeat?

Answer: Madam Pomfrey may be able to mend bones, but that doesn't mean there isn't some residual healing and treatment needed for a full recovery. The fact that there is a school infirmary and also St. Mungo's Hospital shows that witches and wizards are not always instantly healed. From a filmmaking perspective, Ron using a cane reminds the audience his injuries were serious, so it's partly for dramatic effect.

raywest

Yes, it's like Harry needing to wear glasses. Wizards have many abilities that Muggles do not, but they are not all-powerful.

Another example from the book, after George lost his ear during the attack on Harry, it could never be fully healed because it was injured with dark magic.

raywest

Question: What was the candy the Gryffindor boys were eating that made them sound like animals?

Answer: They are simply referred to as "Sound-producing sweets" https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Sound-producing_sweets.

Ssiscool

Deliberate mistake: When Harry drops the Monster Book of Monsters, in the first shot facing Harry's feet as the book chomps at him, he runs backwards a few steps and he stands at the foot of the bed. However, in the shot facing the fireplace, there is actually plenty of floorspace now, much more than other shots, between the rug and bed for Harry to continue to run backwards. (00:15:15)

Super Grover

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Trivia: Actor Tom Felton's Hogwarts' robes' pockets had to be sewn shut to prevent him from taking food on set.

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