Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix: Book vs. Movie (part 1)

Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix has a lot (a lot a lot) of differences between the movie and the book… as the books grew larger and the movies were still under 3 hours, a lot of compromises were done and a lot of stories were shaved off…

In the book, Dudley’s gang of friends is not with him when Harry confronts Dudley, they had left to go home.

After the Dementor’s attack, Mrs. Figg explains to Harry that Mundungus Fletcher was supposed to be on watch duty, making this the first mention, and later the first appearance, of Mundungus in the series.

In the book, after Harry explains how Dudley was attacked by a Dementor, and Vernon asks what that is, Petunia blurts out the explanation, leading both Harry and Vernon to wonder how she knows this and her explaining that a long time ago, “that horrible boy” (a.k.a. Severus Snape) explained about them.

In the book, Harry receives several letters:

1st, from Mafalda Hopkirk about his use magic in front of a Muggle and being expelled from Hogwarts, informing that he’ll attend a hearing and that his wand would be destroyed shortly by Ministry representatives.

2nd, from Arthur Weasley telling Harry that Dumbledore arrived at the Ministry and is trying to sort everything out and to not leave his aunt and uncle’s house, to not do anymore magic and not to surrender his wand.

3rd, a second letter from Mafalda Hopkirk telling Harry that the Ministry had instead decided Harry may retain his wand until his hearing, at which time an official decision would be taken and that the Ministry has agreed that the question of his expulsion would also be decided at that time and he should therefore consider himself suspended from school pending further enquiries.

4th, from Sirius Black saying that Arthur Weasley has informed him and everyone else of what had happened and that whatever Harry does, he should not leave the house.

Petunia receives a howler saying “REMEMBER MY LAST, PETUNIA” – from Albus Dumbledore remembering her of the letter he wrote to her about Harry 14 year prior.

The Advanced Guard arrives to remove Harry from Little Whinging several days after the Dementor’s attack, unlike the movie, where they arrive soon after. Tonks creates a fake competition to get the Dursleys out of the house.

Tonks’ status as a Metamorphmagus is never mentioned in the film, despite her clear ability to change hair colour and physiognomic traits, her powers are never given a name. She also has a much more close relationship with Harry and his friends in the books, given that she’s just a few years older than them. Also, in the book, her main colour of hair is bubble-gum pink, but in the film it is switched to purple and it stays that way throughout the film. In the book, she uses her ability to go undetected as a protection to Harry and the gang.

Remus Lupin, Dedalus Diggle, Sturgis Podmore, and Hestia Jones are omitted from the Advance Guard, reducing it to Alastor Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Nymphadora Tonks, Elphias Doge and Emmeline Vance, the latter two who have no lines.

The storyline about Bill Weasley moving back to England to be closer to his family with his new position in Gringotts and in the Order of the Phoenix, and Charlie Weasley being in charge of recruiting foreign wizards to the Order has been omitted from the movie. Bill only appears in the Deathly Hallows pt1 and 2, and Charlie is never in the films.

Percy Weasley’s standing with the Ministry of Magic is sudden and unexplained, and there is no mention of him disowning his family when he chose to support the Ministry. This creates a large plot hole in the film due to his disposition towards Harry being unexplained, making it confusing for the viewers who did not read the book.

In the novel, Harry yells at Ron and Hermione about everything he has done when they mention what Dumbledore told them about not telling Harry anything. He mentions saving the Philosopher’s Stone, killing the Basilisk, fighting the dementors in the third year, getting through the maze, and fighting off Voldemort. In the film, he does not yell, and his rant is restricted to one single line: “I’m the one who saw Voldemort return, I’m the one who fought him, I’m the one who saw Cedric Diggory get killed.”

Like the previous movie, Dobby is not featured. Neville serves as a substitute for Dobby in most of his interactions.

Kreacher’s role is largely diminished, only appearing in two scenes. It is also never mentioned that he gave informations to Narcissa Malfoy and misinformed Harry, which eventually lead to the battle of the Department of Mysteries.

In the book, Sirius tells Harry about his family’s history and him being disowned shortly after Harry arrived at Grimmauld Place, before his hearing, while in the movie this takes place during Christmas.

When Mr Weasley takes Harry to the Ministry of Magic, he first takes him to his office in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, which is omitted from the film.

During the hearing, Albus Dumbledore produces a chintz armchair out of air for him to sit on, and then another for Arabella Figg. There’s also no mention about Mrs Figg’s history and about her being a squib.

In the book is clearly stated that Amelia Bones, related to Susan Bones from Harry’s year, is impressed by Harry’s ability to conjure a Patronus, again omitted from the movie, although she still votes in clearing him of all charges.

The film does not show Harry dumping his bag of Galleons into the Fountain of Magical Brethren following the positive results of his trial.

In the book, Mad-Eye Moody shows Harry a picture of the original Order of the Phoenix in Nº 12 Grimmauld Place, to which Harry does not react well. In the film, Sirius shows him the picture in a back room at King’s Cross and Harry is shown being somehow happy about seeing them.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the others spend most of the Summer at Grimmauld Place, in which time their job is to clean the house to make it more welcoming. In the movie, harry’s hearing happens the day after he gets to the house and after that they are shown at King’s Cross to go back to Hogwarts. During the time they spend cleaning, Slytherin’s locket (the horcrux) is mentioned.

Mrs Weasley tries, unsuccessfully, to excise a Boggart from a dresser in an upstairs floor. Harry finds her confronting her worst fears: that all her family and Harry will die.

Hermione and Ron become Prefects this year! This is a big deal in the book, since Harry does not understand why Ron was chosen by Dumbledore to be Prefect and not him. This also meant that on the Hogwarts Express Ron and Hermione went to the Prefects carriage and Harry rode with Neville, Ginny and Luna, and that’s where Ginny introduces Luna to them, because they are both in the same year.

Besides Ron and Hermione, Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Ernie Macmillan, Hannah Abbott, Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil also became Prefects.

In the movie, Harry is with Ron, Hermione and Neville when he sees the Thestral and Neville gives no indication that he can see it. In the book, however, it’s made very clear that Neville was always able to see the animals.

In the book, Harry and Seamus have their argument in the Gryffindor boys’ dormitory in front of Dean Thomas and Neville before Ron enters and tells Seamus off (because he’s a Prefect and has authority to do so). In the film, Harry and Seamus argue in the Gryffindor Common Room in front of everyone instead.

In the novel, the textbook the students use in Defense against the Dark Arts with Professor Umbridge is called Defensive Magical Theory (written by Wilbert Slinkhard), but in the film, the textbooks are called Dark Arts Defence: Basics for Beginners (and they resemble the “for Dummies” collection). Also, the class reading their textbooks is omitted from the film.

In the film, the arguments between Umbridge, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dean Thomas and Parvati Patil in class are shorter than in the book:

Hermione only briefly argues about the textbook having nothing about using defensive spells while her other argument lines are omitted.

Ron says his exact line from the book “We’re not gonna use magic?” but is not told off by Umbridge.

Dean Thomas does not argue at all and neither does Parvati Patil.

Harry argues about Lord Voldemort having returned and about the class not going to be risk-free, but does not stand up from his seat when he talks about Cedric Diggory.

Professor Grubbly-Plank’s Care of Magical Creatures class is omitted from the film and so is Draco Malfoy insulting Hagrid.

Harry is seen only in one detention, even though he had detention for a whole week, the rest of his detentions are omitted.

The Quidditch season is removed entirely from the film, as well as Ron joining the team as Keeper, Umbridge removing Harry, Fred, and George from the team, and Ginny joining the team to replace Harry. This later creates a bit of a plot hole, as while Ron tries out for the team in the next film, Ginny doesn’t, but still appears to hold a position of some seniority. Because of the omission, Angelina Johnson, the new team captain, and her fellow chasers Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet are also cut.

Due to the omission of Percy defecting from his family, him sending Hermes to deliver to Ron the letter to stop associating with Harry is omitted.

As in the previous two films, Ginny’s role is diminished, and nothing of her relationship with Michael Corner is ever talked about though they are seen together at the meeting in the Hog’s Head where Harry, Ron, and Hermione form Dumbledore’s Army (whose name is Ginny’s idea).

Harry taking Hedwig to see Professor Grubbly-Plank to mend her wing, including finding Sirius’ letter attached to Hedwig’s leg was not in the film. Sirius visiting the trio through the fire in the Gryffindor Common Room, when Umbridge’s hand comes through was also cut from the film. The exclusion of these two scenes don’t make it as clear that Umbridge was surveilling all forms of communications from early on.

Dobby is the only house elf cleaning the Gryffindor common room, given that Hermione is leaving hats and socks lying all around and the other house elves refuse to pick anything up, afraid of getting a piece of clothing. Therefor, he talks to Harry and Ron a few times and is him who tells Harry about the Room of Requirement. In the movie, Neville finds the room by chance. In the book, Hermione has never heard of the Room of Requirement, while in the movie she has heard of it before.

Padma Patil is again portrayed as being in Gryffindor, even though she’s a Ravenclaw.

After the kiss between Cho and Harry, Hermione says that Cho is worried about failing her O.W.L.s, but Cho in the books is stated as a year ahead of Harry, so she should have taken her O.W.L.s already.

Harry and George’s assault on Draco Malfoy after he insulted Lily Potter and Arthur and Molly Weasley is omitted. Is after this altercation that both twins and Harry get banned for live from playing Quidditch.