Harry Potter Book to Movie Differences: Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Book and Movie Differences

We’re adding in differences as we find them, but if you notice that we’ve left something out, please email us at [email protected].

Rearranging or shortening the plot

• Harry Potter’s Broom: In the book Harry did not get the broom at the very end of the movie and ride off into the sunset. He got the broom shortly after his first Quidditch Match, (his Nimbus 2000 was destroyed when he was attacked by the dementors) and Professor McGonagall kept the new broom (a Firebolt) to have it tested.

• Fidelis Charm: This charm was described in detail in the book as a means of magical protection, this was left out of the movie.

• Hogsmeade Trips: There is only one trip to Hogsmeade in the movie, unlike the book where there are two trips.

• Hogsmeade Scene: The scene outside Hogsmeade in the book involves Ron being bullied by Draco and Harry, invisible, pelting him with mud. Harry’s cloak slips, Draco sees his face, and Harry has to run back to the castle in order to not be expelled. He meets up with Snape but is saved by Lupin. In the movie, this is changed to a winter scene, with Draco, Crabbe, and another student bullying Ron and Hermione and Harry pelting the three of them with snowballs. In a later, different scene, Harry is wandering the castle at night and is caught by Snape and saved by Lupin.

• Harry Potter’s School books: In the book, Harry gets his copy of the Monster book of monsters by owl post from Hagrid, along with the newspaper clipping of the Weasleys holidaying in Egypt which shows Scabbers, birthday cards and the sneakoscope. Later on, he is free to roam Diagon Alley to get other books etc. In the movie, it is Fudge at the Leaky Cauldron who has organised his book list and it is there at the Leaky Cauldron where Harry gets to see the incriminating newspaper clipping and has the incident with the book.

• Time Travel Sequence: In the book Harry and Hermione are extremely careful not to interact with their past selves, yet in the movie Hermione throws rocks at the past Harry and Hermione, and she makes a comment about her hair.

• Hermione Slaps Draco: In the movie, Hermione slaps Draco when she is on her way to Hagrid’s hut with Harry and Ron, however in the book this scene occurs when the trio is on their way back to the Castle with Hagrid after a Care of Magical Creatures lesson.

• Snape’s Tirade about Harry’s Father: In the book, Professor Snape treats Harry to a tirade about how Harry’s father was a troublemaker at school, but this scene is not featured in the movie.

• Professor Trelawney’s Prediction: In the movie, Professor Trelawney makes her real prediction when Harry is returning a crystal ball to her after class, but in the book this prediction happens at the end of Harry’s Divination final.

• Ron and Hermione’s Arguments: Many of the petty arguments Ron and Hermione have during the film are left out of the movie. Ron does not also spend half of the year not speaking to Hermione over Crookshanks’ hunting of Scabbers in the film.

• Hermione’s Firebolt Suspicions: In the movie, Hermione never mentions her suspicions about the Firebolt that Harry received to Professor McGonagall.

• Sirius and Crookshanks: The movie completely omits the friendship between Sirius and Crookshanks.

• Aunt Marge Breaks a Glass: The movie combines two meals into one large one. In the book, Aunt Marge breaks a glass at a different meal than the one when Harry blows her up.

• Percy and Penelope’s Romance: The romance that blossoms between Percy and Penelope is left out completely from the film.

• Draco’s Prank: In the book, Draco and friends don robes that resemble a Dementors to spook Harry before the Ravenclaw/Gryffindor match and are caught and given a detention by Professor McGonagall. In the movie, Draco and friends don robes to spook Harry elsewhere in Hogwarts and are not caught.

Swapped or Altered Quotes

• Ron agrees with Snape: In the book when Snape calls Hermione an “insufferable no-it-all,” Ron defends Hermione, yet in the movie Ron agrees with Snape’s comment.

• Draco and Buckbeak: Draco does not refer to Buckbeak as “that bloody chicken” in the book.

• Draco’s threats: Only in the movie does Draco threaten to get even with “that jumped-up mudblood” when Hermione punches him.

• Dumbledore’s ignorance: Dumbledore does not pretend as though he had no idea what happened when Hermione and Harry return from the timeturner trip in the book, however he does in the movie.

• Scabbers’ Life Expectancy: In the book, Ron asks what special powers Scabbers has in a pet shop and is told that Scabbers is a normal garden rat and would live for three years. In the movie we get the information about the lifespan of rats when Sirius mentions it in the Shrieking Shack.

The Marauders

There are many differences in the importance of the Marauders to Harry’s journey. Here are just a few…
• Marauders Map: The back story of the map and how it came to be was never mentioned.

• Unregistered Animagi: Three of the marauders were animagi. This was not mentioned in the movie.

• Sirius’ escape from Azkaban: How Sirius Escaped from Azkaban was not mentioned.

• Who sees Peter Pettigrew?: In the book it is Lupin who sees Pettigrew on the map . In the movie it is Harry who sees Pettigrew on the Marauder’s map.

• Marauder’s Insults: The book features insults from each of the Marauders on the map, but you only hear what Moony has to say in the movie.

Magical Classes

• Care of Magical Creatures: Only Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy are seen interacting with Buckbeak in the movie, while in the book several other students interact with the Hippogriff.

• Snape’s Potions Classes: All potions classes were cut from the movie. Snape does substitute for Lupin where he assigns the paper on werewolves.

• Transfiguation: All transfiguration classes are cut from the movie.

•Neville’s Boggart: In the book during a Defense against the Dark Arts class, Professor Lupin asks Neville to describe his grandmother’s clothing in detail, yet in the movie he tells Neville he doesn’t let Neville give the details.

At the Dursleys

• Harry Studying: When the book starts Harry is writing a paper on witch burning, yet when the movie starts Harry is practicing magic (Lumos) under the covers.

Quidditch

• Quidditch Tournament: There is only one Quidditch match in the movie, the Hufflepuff/Gryffindor one, and the eventual winning of the Quidditch cup is not shown . The book discusses all three Quidditch matches. They are discussed in chapters 9 (Grim defeat), 13 (Gryffindor vs Ravenclaw) and 15 (The Quidditch Final).

Shipping/Relationships

• Harry and Cho: There is no mention of Harry’s crush on Cho in this movie, while there is in the book.

• Ron and Hermione: While there is no hint of a budding relationship in the third book, there is in the movie when Ron and Hermione hold hands in a Care of Magical Creatures Class, and at The Shrieking Shack.

Film Additions

• Shrunken Heads: Shrunken heads that appeared in the Three Broomsticks and the Knight Bus were not in the books.

• Hogwarts Choir: The frog choir singing at Hogwarts was not in the book.

A very special thanks to our moderating team on The Leaky Lounge for helping us come up with this page.