Question: When Harry and Hermione go to rescue Sirius from the tower, why did Hermione cast Bombarda instead of Alohamora? Using Bombarda caused a very loud sound to erupt and destroyed the door which could have got all three caught. Using Alohamora would have been easier since there's hardly any sound and the door would have simply been unlocked instead of being blown practically to pieces.
Question: How did Hermione realise they were in the Shrieking Shack?
Answer: The Shrieking Shack was actually well-known to everyone. The dilapidated house was located near Hogsmeade and was believed to be haunted, as wails and screams were regularly heard. There wasn't another similar-type house in the area, and Hermione, being very smart, merely deduced that based on their location from the Whomping Willow tree, that was where they were.
Question: Why is Ron so shocked by Scabbers running away after Buckbeak's execution? He's run away before.
Answer: Don't disagree with the other answer, but would add that Ron was initially confused about why Scabbers had previously disappeared and was now struggling so hard to escape while he held him. He was shocked that Scabbers bit his hand to get loose and run off again. After so many years as a contented "family pet" it was uncharacteristic behavior. Of course, it's soon learned why Scabbers (Pettigrew) was so desperate to get away.
Question: Boggarts take on the physical form of whatever scares people. Neville is afraid of Snape, so the boggart turns into Snape. But, what would a boggart turn into if someone's fear has no physical form? For example, if someone was afraid of getting lost. What kind of form would the boggart take?
Answer: The boggarts seem to come up with some image that represents a non-physical fear. For example, in the fifth book, Molly Weasley finds a boggart that takes the form of her dead family members and Harry, since her biggest fear is losing them (She had begun to think of Harry as family).
Question: Why did Hermione change her mind on cursing Malfoy if she was just gonna punch him?
Answer: Hermione is obsessed with following rules and knows she could be expelled for inflicting a spell or curse on another student. She isn't someone who gives in to her emotional impulses. For Hermione, reasoning, calmness, and logic always prevail. She may also have been bluffing and only wanted to frighten Draco, knowing he is a coward.
Question: What did Professor Trelawney mean by "innocent blood shall be spilt" in her prediction?
Answer: My interpretation was that Trelawney's prediction referred to Sirius Black and the Dementors, who were going to suck out his soul. While his blood would not literally be spilled, it was still a death of an innocent person. It was more of a dramatic colloquial expression, like saying someone has "blood on their hands" for causing innocent people's deaths. The prediction could also include Buckbeak, who was being wrongly executed that same night. Her prediction was regarding events that would have occurred if Harry and Hermione had not traveled back in time and changed the outcome.
Question: Hermione was the one who said that when a werewolf transforms he'd kill his best friend if he saw him, so why did she think she could talk to Lupin after he transformed?
Answer: Hermione was quoting what she knew from reading in text books. Now she was in a precarious real-life situation and she's going to try anything to survive. At first, Lupin (as a werewolf) seems passive and non-dangerous, prompting her to see if she can communicate with him. She quickly realises she's wrong.
I wonder why Lupin can't recognize Hermione while in his werewolf form, but he used to spend time with James, Peter, and Sirius, in their Animagus forms? So he was capable of recognizing friends.
All 3 friends of Remus managed to calm down werewolf Lupin as animagi after a while. But only Sirius wasn't enough apparently, plus it had been decades since they did that.
Totally agree with Lionhead, but would emphasize that Lupin had no control whatsoever over his mind, did not know who he was, nor did he recognize anyone when he transformed into a werewolf. He simply related to James, Sirius, and Pettigrew in their Animagus forms as being other animals who could moderate his behaviour and kept him far away from humans.
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.
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.
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.
Question: Does anyone know what type of shoes the Golden Trio are all wearing in the last hour or so?
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
Question: In the divination class where Hermione walks out, what exactly is she up to when she says "The Grim, possibly"?
Answer: She was being sarcastic to the professor about her predictions, thinking that it's all just guesswork. She doesn't believe in divination and walks out because she feels it is wasting her time. And she was insulted, of course.
Answer: For one, Sirius is being held in an isolated area, high up in the tower, so any sound would be muted or not heard at all. Also, he is not in an ordinary room, but a cell with fortified locks. Hermione used a powerful charm to blast open the iron gate. Alohamora simply unlocks ordinary doors. Bombarda blows things up. It also made the scene more dramatic and climatic.
raywest ★