Mischief Managed: the book/film differences of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry becomes pals with his Dad’s old friends, plays with the laws of time, and faces his fears, which is, well, fear in the third installment in this series. This week, we discuss at the Prisoner of Azkaban, or what was not included in the 2004 film adaptation. This is the first film to have significant departures for the books, which is possibly due to the ever-growing number of pages.

Book (UK: July 8, 1999 / US: September 8, 1999) vs. Film (June 4, 2004)

• Book Specific: In order to get summer magic lessons in, Harry sneaks his wand and books into his room a few at a time while the Dursleys admire Vernon’s new company car.

• The first mention of Sirius Black’s escape in the books occurs when Harry and the Dursleys are watching Muggle news on the TV. No mention was given then as to whether Sirius was a wizard and where from (prison or asylum) he escaped.

• Book Specific: At the Leaky Cauldron, before Arthur personally instructs Harry to not go looking for Sirius Black, Harry overhears a conversation between him and his wife regarding the danger of Black while Harry is at Hogwarts.

• Book Specific: After hearing about the Grim in his first Divination class, Professor McGonagall assures Harry that Professor Trelawney always predicts student deaths for every class she teaches and not one came true.

• The entirety of the quidditch storyline, including Oliver Wood’s push to win the Quidditch Cup in his final year at Hogwarts is cut from the film.

• The book fleshes out the potions (wolfsbane) Professor Lupin uses to mitigate the effects of his lycanthropy, which is brewed and provided to him by Professor Snape.

• The timing is unclear in the movie, but the first trip to Hogsmeade (without Harry), Harry’s conversation with Lupin about the boggart, and the attack on the Portrait of the Fat Lady all occur on Halloween, a pivotal day in a typical year at Hogwarts for Harry. (see last week’s post)

• After the Fat Lady is attacked, she refuses to return to work forcing Professor Dumbledore to temporarily bring in Sir Cadogan the Mad Knight, who does not appear in the film adaptation at all. In addition, many of the professors and Head Boy Percy Weasley escort or follow Harry around for his safety. Further measures to protect Harry and Hogwarts are Flich boarding up almost every entrance and Professor Flitwick teaching the doors to recognize Sirius if he appears again.

• While the movie version shows Harry observing a dark cloud configuration resembling the Grim during the Quidditch match, the book shows him seeing a large black dog in the stadium bleachers.

• Unclear in the film, but the electrocuted Hufflepuff seeker playing against Harry in Quidditch was Cedric Diggory, a vital character in Year 4 (recast as Robert Pattinson).

• Harry eavesdropping and learning about Sirius’s supposed betrayal of his parents occurs in the main pub area of Hogsmeade without the invisibility cloak, unlike the movie where he sneaks into a private room to hear the discussion. In addition, they reveal the Potters went into hiding because they were marked for death, a fact revealed to them by Dumbledore thanks to an unnamed spy (Snape), and used the Fidelius Charm to hide their secret with Sirius.

• Book Specific: On the topic of Buckbeak’s execution, as much as Hagrid wants to release the hippogriff to save its life, he is hesitant to act out of fear of returning to Azkaban like in Year 2.

• Harry receives his Firebolt from Sirius (not confirmed from who in the book at this time) during Christmas, not at the end of the year like in the film. Professor McGonagall has it tested for tampering fearing Sirius jinxed it.

• Book Specific: Cho Chang is introduced in Year 3, not in Year 4, and Harry already has a crush on her.

• Book Specific: Sirius Black breaks into the boys dormitory, thanks to a list of Gryffindor passwords accidently left behind by Neville, and proceeds to thrash Ron’s bed curtains (looking for Peter Pettigrew - Scabbers). Neville’s mistake costs him detention and loss of privileges to visit Hogsmeade. Neville would also receive a howler from his grandmother.

• While Harry investigates the appearance of Peter Pettigrew on the Marauder’s Map in the film, it is confiscated from him before that could occur by Lupin after being interrogated by Snape for going to Hogsmeade in the book version.

• Hermione, not Hagrid, returns Scabbers to Ron in the book.

• In the book, context is given to the Shrieking Shack as a place for Lupin to sequester himself during full moons with a hidden passageway covered by the Whomping Willow, which was specifically planted to dissuade people from entering.

• Book Specific: The Marauders became unregistered Animagi (Peter as a rat, James as a stag, and Sirius as a dog) to accompany Remus during his werewolf transformation. Snape’s animosity toward the group, particularly Sirius, largely stemmed from a near deadly trick of having him run into a transformed Remus, only to be saved by James Potter.

• Though unexplained in the movie, Sirius purposely escaped Azkaban (in dog form) after seeing Scabbers (Peter) in the Daily Prophet when the Weasleys Egypt vacation photo appeared on the front page. Crookshanks (Hermione’s cat) helped Sirius locate Peter to seek his revenge.

• Book Specific: Sirius, during his interrogation of Peter with Remus, concludes he stayed as a rat to avoid being found and killed by the Death Eaters, who thought he betrayed Voldemort, and stayed with Weasleys to keep up-to-date with current events so he could eventually return to human form.

• Book Specific: Hermione also is attacked by the Dementors before a mysterious figure (time traveling Harry) sends away the Dementors with corporeal patronus of a stag.

• Film Specific: Hermione howling to draw in a transformed Lupin and save Harry. In addition, Buckbeak attacked the werewolf to scare it away.

• The book reveals Professor Snape told the Slytherin House about Professor Lupin’s werewolf secret forcing him to resign.

• Though unclear in the movies, Harry holds onto the Marauder’s Map in his future years at Hogwarts.

• Book Specific: When Harry feels defeated about letting Peter Pettigrew get away (presumably to be reunited with Voldemort), Dumbledore reminds him that Peter owes him a life debt which will prove useful in future.

• Book Specific: At the end of the year, Sirius, as mentioned in a letter to Harry, gifts Ron a new pet (owl named Pigwidgeon) after making him lose his “pet”. In addition, Harry reveals that he has a murderous wizard who escaped from prison as a godfather to scare Uncle Vernon.

We hope this provides a greater understanding and appreciation for the Harry Potter book and film series. Next week, we will bring to you exciting updates from the Quidditch World Cup, the Triwizard Tournament, and the Return of the Dark Lord?!?!?! Please follow along with our podcast series on Apple, Spotify, or Anchor.