TheHarry Pottermovies left out many key characters and events from the original books, yet one shocking omission meant an incredibly important detail went unexplained. While the films did a mostly great job at adaptingJ.K. Rowling’s bestselling fantasy series, the time restrictions of feature films meant it wasimpossible to be entirely faithful.
Although the story of Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s time atHogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardrywas told in both the books and the films, it was only those who read the original novels who understood the full scope of this story. This was particularly apparent throughone important subplot that went completely over filmgoers' heads.
Order Of The Phoenix Left Out Dumbledore Explaining The Prophecy
While readers and viewers alike learned ofHarry Potter’s status as The Boy Who LivedinHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, there was a lot more context to his troubled childhood than we were first privy to. That’s because Lord Voldemort’s desire to kill Harry was due to a prophecy made before his birth.
This prophecy was made by the Hogwarts professor of Divination Sybill Trelawney and stated that “the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches” and that they would be “born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies.”These qualities applied to two future Hogwarts students: Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom.
“The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies… and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not… and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives… the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies….”
— Sybill Trelawney’s prophecy made to Albus Dumbledore at the Hog’s Head Pub early in 1980.
While Albus Dumbledore was aware of this prophecy from the very beginning of the series, he only explained it to Harry inThe Order of the Phoenixbook.This marked Harry as the potential Chosen One who would defeat Voldemortand was an essential factor in him embracing his heroism and leading Dumbledore’s Army to victory in the Battle of Hogwarts.
As a key plot point that is absolutely essential to understanding Harry’s motivations from that moment onwards, the fact that it went unexplained inThe Order of the Phoenixfilm leaves audiences without full context for what’s happening. While it’s true that the film had to streamline some details, this glaring omission was particularly vital to the narrative.
The Prophecy Scene Is Important To Harry & Dumbledore’s Relationship
Not only is it important that Harry knows his birth aligns with Sybill Trelawney’s prophecy, but its explanation is also a defining moment in Harry and Dumbledore’s relationship. While Professor Dumbledore often held back information, his revelation of the prophecy to Harry inThe Order of the Phoenixrepresented a rare moment of honesty and the deepening of their bond.
While Harry first came to Hogwarts as an innocent 11-year-old boy,Dumbledore’s willingness to fully explain the prophecy signaled his treating Harry as an equaland accepting that he had matured enough to deal with such a life-changing revelation. This moment underscores a new responsibility being placed on Harry as he’s forced to confront his destiny as the Chosen One.
To have this moment absent from the film version weakens the emotional weight of Harry’s journey and leaves viewers without a clear understanding of the stakes that drive his choices through the subsequent movies. Without the prophecy, Harry has no more responsibility toward defeating Voldemort than any other noble witch or wizard at Hogwarts.
The absence of the prophecy diminishes the complexities of Dumbledore’s characterand his role as a guide and mentor for Harry. Secrecy has held back their relationship since the beginning of the series, and Dumbledore finally explaining the prophecy opens the door for them to see each other as peers in the fight against the Death Eaters and Voldemort.
This Prophecy Proved That Sybill Trelawney Wasn’t A Fraud
In theHarry Potterfilms, Sybill Trelawney is presented as an eccentric and comical figure whose predictions are mostly dismissed as nonsense. However, the truth behind the prophecy reveals that there’s far more to this character and that there’s genuine wisdom and profound insight to be gained by listening closely to what she says.
If aHarry Potterfan were to only watch the movies and not read the books, they would finish the series thinking Trelawney was a fraud and that her role was inconsequential to the narrative. WhileEmma Thompson gave a hilarious performance as Trelawney, seeing her as simply comic relief is not fair to the complexity of her character.
The absence of the prophecy is not only an egregious error from a narrative point of view, but it also diminishes the character development and complexities ofHarry Potteras a whole. While the film succeeded in bringing the visual splendor of this magical world to life, it inevitably simplifies the story’s deeper themes.
There was far more to Trelawney’s character than we see in the movies, and it’s yet another explanation of how the books provide a much deeper and more rewarding overall experience. With the upcoming HBO adaptation ofHarry Potteron the horizon, the extra runtime afforded by television offers this new version a chance to fix this problematic omission.
