I Hope The Harry Potter TV Show Restores A Big Book Omission That Always Bothered Me

I really want the Harry Potter TV show to restore a cool scene from the books that wasn’t included in the movies, and I think it can probably be done in the first season. I remember being quite impressed by how much content from the Harry Potter books made it into the movie adaptations, especially in earlier installments. However, there were a few key moments that I was very aware were missing. Luckily, the format of a TV show makes adapting those scenes much more likely, and there’s one sequence I hope makes the cut this time around.

One of the most iconic series of events from the first book still makes for a thrilling experience whenever I watch the movie adaptation. Unfortunately, I can never quite shake the feeling of something being missing. While I do understand why the creative team ultimately decided not to fold it into their version of the story, I also think HBO’s Harry Potter TV show is in a much better position to adapt one scene in particular.

I Want Harry Potter Season 1 To Have The Sorcerer’s Stone Missing Trial Room From The Book

There is a potions logic puzzle for Harry & Hermione after Ron’s chess sacrifice

Those who have never read the books will be blissfully unaware of the missing trial room in the first Harry Potter movie. In the book, the chess room is not the final obstacle before Harry’s run-in with Professor Quirrell/Lord Voldemort. There is another challenge that Harry and Hermione face together, with the potions-based trial only allowing Harry to continue. Of all the trials, it’s the one that stood out to me the most. It’s essentially a logic puzzle, with the potential for both Harry and Hermione to perish if they get it wrong.

“Brilliant,” said Hermione. “This isn’t magic — it’s logic — a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven’t got an ounce of logic, they’d be stuck in here forever. ”

“But so will we, won’t we?”

“Of course not,” said Hermione. “Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple. ”

It seemed an odd choice to me that the movie made such a drastic cut to one of the seminal events from the book. Hermione’s monolog about Harry being a great wizard takes place in the chess room in the movie but is actually delivered in the potions room in the source material. As such, I sensed the omission was coming. If Harry Potter season 1 adapts JK Rowling’s first book, then the potion room could – and in my opinion, should – appear toward the end of the show’s inaugural run. It could even be used during the finale.

Why The Potion Trial Was Missing From The First Harry Potter Movie

Harry’s big finale in The Sorcerer’s Stone would have felt different if the potion trial made the cut

Books and movies are very different mediums. So, certain concessions need to be made when a novel is being adapted for the big screen. After Fluffy, the next three trials allow each individual of the main trio to be the hero ahead of Harry’s showdown. Hermione defeats the Devil’s Snare, Harry uses his flying finesse to catch the enchanted key, and Ron’s aptitude for chess wins them the game. If the movie included the potions room – and adapted it faithfully – then Hermione would have taken the praise again, which wouldn’t make much sense ahead of Harry’s big hero moment.

In retrospect, I do think the movie’s decision to leave out the potions trial fits much better. Not only would it have distracted from Harry’s finale, but it also would have sucked the pace out of the action-packed trials that had preceded it. Quietly pondering which potion to drink and then taking a little sip wouldn’t have made for particularly exciting cinema after Ron’s defeat to a massive, anthropomorphized chess piece. That being said, I do still think there’s a way it can be done – perhaps by the Harry Potter TV show including the missing trial at an earlier stage.