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Even the telephone scene could've been funny. It's a shame that the films had to be so short.

We need a Netflix adaptation.

Lol, speaking of the telephone and not knowing muggle-stuff. Was it in the fourth book (view spoiler)[the Weasleys exploded through Dursley's fireplace? (hide spoiler)] Something else that should have been in that movie.

Juho wrote: "Even the telephone scene could've been funny. It's a shame that the films had to be so short.

We need a Netflix adaptation."

I think if Game of Thrones has taught us anything, it's that fantasy epics are best adapted as serialized television. I think an animated series would be a nice variation if costs are a factor, though I doubt it would be an issue at all given the popularity of the franchise. A new adaptation is inevitable, though I doubt it'll come any time soon. We're still only less than a decade out from the films.

Maja Ingrid wrote: "Lol, speaking of the telephone and not knowing muggle-stuff. Was it in the fourth book [spoilers removed] Something else that should have been in that movie."

Yes, you're correct, it was the fourth book. (view spoiler)[That's when they came to pick him up for the World Cup. (hide spoiler)] I agree, that would have made a great scene. I believe the Dursley's were cut out of "Goblet of Fire" entirely.

Jayson wrote: "Maja Ingrid wrote: "Lol, speaking of the telephone and not knowing muggle-stuff. Was it in the fourth book [spoilers removed] Something else that should have been in that movie."

Yes, you're corre..."

It would have been hilarious! It's a shame it wasn't in the movie. The postcard too! Yeah, they aren't in the movie at all, Harry is already at the Weasley's when the movie starts. Lots of interesting stuff was sadly removed in the movie. The fifth one as well.

Maja Ingrid wrote: "It would have been hilarious! It's a shame it wasn't in the movie. The postcard too! Yeah, they aren't in the movie at all, Harry is already at the Weasley's when the movie starts. Lots of interest..."

I think at that point in the films they were trying to get across a new, more serious tone. So, I believe it was a conscious effort to not start off the film, and set the tone, with outright comedy.

That said, I think it was a mistake thematically, because if you're looking at the tone of the films as indicative of pre and post Voldemort returning, it would have been smart to start comedic and end serious, to get across the paradigm shift that occurred.

Jayson wrote: "That said, I think it was a mistake thematically, because if you're looking at the tone of the films as indicative of pre and post Voldemort returning, it would have been smart to start comedic and end serious, to get across the paradigm shift that occurred."

I totally agree. The shift would have hit so much deeper, for the watcher to have the jolly good world shattered in front of them. Having it dark and serious all the way through sets a mood and makes the impact lesser than it could have been.

Maja Ingrid wrote: I totally agree. The shift would have hit so much deeper, for the watcher to have the jolly good world shattered in front of them. Having it dark and serious all the way through sets a mood and make..."

The last five films took out too much of the humor for my liking, to be honest. The whole SPEW storyline would have lightened things up, for example. I think the third film hit all the right notes where it came to balancing things.

The third film was the last one that was actually remotely small and short enough to get done in a single book without having to cut too much. The rest were such doorstoppers that no single movie could suffice in adapting them properly.

And given that the first two were rather unexciting and safe adaptations, I think that neatly explains why I too like the third movie the best.

Getting slapped wasn't as improbable in the 90s as it is unimagionable now...

Juho wrote: "The third film was the last one that was actually remotely small and short enough to get done in a single book without having to cut too much. The rest were such doorstoppers that no single movie c..."

Yes, I think the approach should have been to split each of the last four books into two, like "Deathly Hallows" did. There would certainly be popularity enough to sustain that model. Though, not every book has a natural break point halfway through. Another reason why television serials are the way to go with future adaptations.

As well, it's not like the first two books were especially watered down by their adaptations. They're both fairly standard fare children's/middle-grade books, in terms of tone and format, and I think their adaptations reflect that. The third book really changed the game, and necessitated a tonal shift in the films.

Aoife - Bookish_Babbling wrote: "Getting slapped wasn't as improbable in the 90s as it is unimagionable now..."

Yeah, I'd say corporal punishment was more or less widely accepted practice until the mid-1990s, though in most countries outside of the Anglosphere and Western Europe it still is. Even more so in the 1980s, which is when I believe Harry would have received the lion’s share of his beatings, mostly living at Hogwarts afterwards.

Telephones are a muggle thing, therefore, wizards would be not use to them.
It's actually kind of funny that Harry could have, and probably did, teach them so much in another situation XD

Alexandra Elend Wolf wrote: "Telephones are a muggle thing, therefore, wizards would be not use to them.
It's actually kind of funny that Harry could have, and probably did, teach them so much in another situation XD"

Exactly. Spending so much time at the Burrow, I'm sure he's had many a deep conversation with Mr. Weasley about such things. Hermione as well, having grown up in a muggle family. Harry does consider that Hermione could have warned Ron about telephones had he told her he was going to call.

It is weird that it’s skimmed over- especially as so many people want to excuse Snape for his bullying because of his abusive childhood. Seems to me that Harry had the same abusive childhood, and he didn’t come out of it a horrid bully.

Annie wrote: "It is weird that it’s skimmed over- especially as so many people want to excuse Snape for his bullying because of his abusive childhood. Seems to me that Harry had the same abusive childhood, and h..."

Yeah, I think Snape's bullying is mostly to do with his own personality. He's mean and vindictive, and has an inflated sense of himself. This is especially manifested against Gryffindor in general and against Harry in particular, who seems to be the avatar of his childhood rejection and humiliation.

I think a lot of people romanticize Snape because of his love for Lily... but you can be a bad person who does evil things to one person and still love someone else.

Fans like to put him up on a pedestal because he not only loved one woman, but he also carried a torch for her to such an extent that he was quite easily persuaded into protecting her son, even to the point of sacrificing his own life for him. Even Harry himself ended up feeling this way, going by the last couple pages.



What they all seem to conveniently gloss over is that he was still perfectly happy to see James and infant Harry die, so that he could then have Lily all for himself. I mean, sheesh. Given that one bit, I'm fairly sure that it was a fairly dangerous obsession on his part, and not really any kind of genuine love, and Lily did the right thing to drop him.

Jayson wrote: "Alexandra Elend Wolf wrote: "Telephones are a muggle thing, therefore, wizards would be not use to them.
It's actually kind of funny that Harry could have, and probably did, teach them so much in a..."

Yep. I've never really thought about it but it is kind of fun the sort of conversations they could have had. I supposed they could get pretty crazy XD

Nenia �� Aspiring Evil Overlord �� wrote: "I think a lot of people romanticize Snape because of his love for Lily... but you can be a bad person who does evil things to one person and still love someone else."

Yeah, I agree. Snape's certainly a bad person who does bad things simply to hurt others. I don't like him and I don't like that Harry named his kid after him. I do appreciate him, and have some sympathy toward him, as a kind of Miltonian antihero. He's very much the fallen angel archetype, who's perspective and motivations you get to witness and consider. I think it's the fact that he's an antihero that people romanticize him. After all, the decade the books were at the height of popularity was also the decade of "The Sopranos" and "Breaking Bad" and "Grand Theft Auto" and many other properties that take the villains' perspective. The greater pop culture landscape in a way conditioned and championed that way of thinking.

Juho wrote: "Fans like to put him up on a pedestal because he not only loved one woman, but he also carried a torch for her to such an extent that he was quite easily persuaded into protecting her son, even to ..."

I don't know that Lily dropped Snape for anything to do with her necessarily, obsession or otherwise, but because he was deep into the dark arts and wouldn't give it up. To me, that's more akin to addict behavior, where friendships end because one of the parties refuses to be helped. Snape's a very complicated character, probably the most complicated character in the whole series.

In a sense, he almost doesn't fit in the books, as everyone else is very black-and-white hero or villain. Voldemort never had any redeemable qualities, neither did Umbridge or Quirrell. Malfoy did at the end, but not when he was a villain. The fact that Dumbledore may have been something other than what we'd known was a big plot point in the last book. Snape's singularly unique as an antagonist in this series. For me, I'd say he's on a higher rung than any other character, and I'd put him on a pedestal in that regard.

Alexandra Elend Wolf wrote: "Yep. I've never really thought about it but it is kind of fun the sort of conversations they could have had. I supposed they could get pretty crazy XD"

We sort of got a sense of that in "Chamber of Secrets" film where Arthur Weasley asked Harry what a rubber duck was for. I'd love to have heard his answer :)

Jayson wrote: "Alexandra Elend Wolf wrote: "Yep. I've never really thought about it but it is kind of fun the sort of conversations they could have had. I supposed they could get pretty crazy XD"

We sort of got ..."

Oh, true! I had forgotten about that XD Can you imagine the answer? An, even more, can you imagine Arthur Weasley, a grown men, being entranced by a rubber duck? Hilarious *lol*

Jayson wrote: "Nenia �� Aspiring Evil Overlord �� wrote: "I think a lot of people romanticize Snape because of his love for Lily... but you can be a bad person who does evil things to one person and still love some..."

I'm very much looking forward to your take on the last book because I freaking hated the ending and still think about it all these years later lmao.

Alexandra Elend Wolf wrote: "Oh, true! I had forgotten about that XD Can you imagine the answer? An, even more, can you imagine Arthur Weasley, a grown men, being entranced by a rubber duck? Hilarious *lol*"

I sort of consider Arthur Weasley as akin to a first-generation Victorian archaeologist. He'll pick up artifacts and, without any context, speculate on what they might be used for according to his own insular understanding. I'm sure real-world archaeologists have ascribed deep meaning to Ancient Egyptian rubber duck equivalents :)

Nenia �� Aspiring Evil Overlord �� wrote: "I'm very much looking forward to your take on the last book because I freaking hated the ending and still think about it all these years later lmao.."

Thanks! I'm looking forward to taking a fresh look at it as well. I also didn't enjoy the ending. Frankly, everything from the Battle of Hogwarts to the very end just didn't work for me.

I’m with Juho entirely. What Snape had for Lily was not love, only unhealthy obsession.
And Harry’s naming his son for a teacher that terrorized him for so long is unrealistic

Annie wrote: "I’m with Juho entirely. What Snape had for Lily was not love, only unhealthy obsession.
And Harry’s naming his son for a teacher that terrorized him for so long is unrealistic"

I agree with that. It's one of the many problems I had with the ending.

This is all super interesting!
Booktuber Merphy Napier has also been doing a HP reread and producing deep dive videos on each of the books. I was listening back to a recent livestream of hers where she mentioned she hopes to do a deep dive video solely on Snape...she's been keeping track of every appearance, interaction & mention of him in each book. She has admited to hating him from her previous read throughs because he is such a bully but she is keeping an open mind going into the last book and plans to see if his redemption arc is actually redemptive enough to balance out that which came before 😅

I haven't been keeping up with all her HP videos, but considering the chat in this comment section it reminded me to give her a shoutout 🤗

Aoife - Bookish_Babbling wrote: "This is all super interesting!
Booktuber Merphy Napier has also been doing a HP reread and producing deep dive videos on each of the books. I was listening back to a recent livestream of hers where..."

Very good to know, Aoife! I'll have to remember to check out that video once it's finished. Thanks for getting the word out :)

If I'm paying attention to my recommended vids I'll try to remember to pass on the link to you 😅

Aoife - Bookish_Babbling wrote: "If I'm paying attention to my recommended vids I'll try to remember to pass on the link to you 😅"

Much obliged, Aoife :)

Jayson wrote: "Juho wrote: "Fans like to put him up on a pedestal because he not only loved one woman, but he also carried a torch for her to such an extent that he was quite easily persuaded into protecting her ..."

He's very well-written and morally complex, and indeed a more interesting and nuanced character than almost anyone else in the books. Just that nobody should mistake that to him being a hero.

Juho wrote: "He's very well-written and morally complex, and indeed a more interesting and nuanced character than almost anyone else in the books. Just that nobody should mistake that to him being a hero."

Well, who is or isn't a hero, and by what standards or methods, is subjective. Harry certainly thinks he is, and as such readers are led to think he is. Presuming that he isn't a hero, I'm sure most casual readers would "mistake" him as one, just going along with authorial intent.

I believe Rowling herself has come clean that she doesn't consider him one, though. In which case, I do appreciate an author so thoroughly disagreeing with her main character.

Juho wrote: "I believe Rowling herself has come clean that she doesn't consider him one, though. In which case, I do appreciate an author so thoroughly disagreeing with her main character."

Well, Rowling's been known to second-guess herself about various Harry Potter things in the years since the books were published. There's been a great deal of retrospective remorse and tinkering of facts with her. Regardless of what she thinks now, or whenever the interview was that you read, she certainly positioned Snape as a hero at the time, and went to great lengths to get him across as such. That much is obvious �� Harry naming his kid after him is just the tip of the iceberg.

Jayson wrote: "Alexandra Elend Wolf wrote: "Oh, true! I had forgotten about that XD Can you imagine the answer? An, even more, can you imagine Arthur Weasley, a grown men, being entranced by a rubber duck? Hilari..."

That's an interesting view. I like it. I'm gonna steal that XD

I'm sure they have. Just the other day I was doing something of the sort -trying to divine the purpose of an object with no real context... I failed terribly - and I can attests is fun and easy to do *lol*

Alexandra Elend Wolf wrote: "That's an interesting view. I like it. I'm gonna steal that XD

I'm sure they have. Just the other day I was doing something of the sort -trying to divine the purpose of an object with no real contex...
"

I'm glad you like it, Alexandra. I'd read an entire Pottermore-style book of just wizard interpretations of everyday muggle things. I think it'd be really fun :)

Jayson wrote: "Alexandra Elend Wolf wrote: "That's an interesting view. I like it. I'm gonna steal that XD

I'm sure they have. Just the other day I was doing something of the sort -trying to divine the purpose o..."

Pottermore is really useful XD I've read the occasional article but not much more.

Alexandra Elend Wolf wrote: "Pottermore is really useful XD I've read the occasional article but not much more."

It's probably most useful for people who need a Harry Potter fix now and again. I read all three compilation books. They should put out more of those.

Jayson wrote: "Alexandra Elend Wolf wrote: "Pottermore is really useful XD I've read the occasional article but not much more."

It's probably most useful for people who need a Harry Potter fix now and again. I r..."

Hahaha, I suppose that's true. Compilation books? I haven't heard of those, I don't think.

I've linked them below. They're just themed reprints of Pottermore articles. I don't believe they made any more:

Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies
Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists
Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide

Jayson wrote: "I've linked them below. They're just themed reprints of Pottermore articles. I don't believe they made any more:

[book:Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies|315386..."

Oh, I had seen them then. I do want to read them but haven't gotten around to yet... are they good?

Alexandra Elend Wolf wrote: "Oh, I had seen them then. I do want to read them but haven't gotten around to yet... are they good?"

I think they're pretty good. Solid bonus content, like "Tales of Beedle the Bard." If you've read Pottermore articles, you more or less already have a sense of what they're like. I wouldn't say they're essential reading in any way, but interesting enough if you're a fan of the series. I don't know that anyone who doesn't care about "Harry Potter" would find them useful at all. In that sense it's very different than "Beedle the Bard."

Jayson wrote: "Alexandra Elend Wolf wrote: "Oh, I had seen them then. I do want to read them but haven't gotten around to yet... are they good?"

I think they're pretty good. Solid bonus content, like "Tales of B..."

Hmmm, that is useful information because now I won't go into them with wrong expectations. I had of them as being in the same fashion of "Beedle the Bard" man would I had been disappointed XD

I think I'll give them a try when I'm in the mood for a short read... which is fairly often, so, probably soon.

Alexandra Elend Wolf wrote: "Hmmm, that is useful information because now I won't go into them with wrong expectations. I had of them as being in the same fashion of "Beedle the Bard" man would I had been disappointed XD

I thin..."

Happy I could help clear that up for you, Alexandra! Hope you like them :)

Jayson wrote: "Alexandra Elend Wolf wrote: "Hmmm, that is useful information because now I won't go into them with wrong expectations. I had of them as being in the same fashion of "Beedle the Bard" man would I h..."

I believe I will. I'm not a craze Potterhead -is that how they're called? XD - but I do love this world. I'll enjoy all the details.

Alexandra Elend Wolf wrote: "I believe I will. I'm not a craze Potterhead -is that how they're called? XD - but I do love this world. I'll enjoy all the details."

Yes, I believe "Potterhead" is the correct term 😁👍