In the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire movie, after Harry’s success with the first task and his failure to find a date for the Yule Ball, there is a scene in the Gryffindor common room, which starts off with Ron in shock from just having asked Phlegm… uh, sorry, Fleur Delacour to the ball.
As Harry is lamenting that they still don’t have dates, the Patil sisters walk by, and in unison they say, “Hi, Harry!” and Harry gets the idea to ask Parvati, and have Padma go with Ron.
But wait! What is Padma Patil doing in the Gryffindor common room?!
As we know, although brothers and sisters are usually in the same house, Parvati Patil is in Gryffindor, but her sister, Padma, is in Ravenclaw (she later becomes a Ravenclaw prefect). She doesn’t belong in the Gryffindor common room!
We know that, especially as we move into the much bigger books, the movie makers have to decide to include certain things, combine certain events and leave out others entirely. But so far, there hasn’t been anything in a movie that’s contradicted a fact in one of the books.
That’s an important point. The movies stand alone, but they do not conflict with the books. So, if you love the books, fans can watch and enjoy the movies and fill in from their memories the parts of the book that are missing from the film. If you’ve read the book, you can sort of imagine the whole eight-hour film.
However, now we have the first instance that I know of in a Harry Potter movie that establishes a fact that is in direct disagreement with facts in the books. In the books, Parvati and Padma are in different houses, but in the movies, they’re both in Gryffindor.
This makes the movie jarring to watch, if you’re used to believing the sisters are in different houses. And it makes it kind of impossible to reconcile the movie with the book if you’re remembering the rest of it in your imagination.
There are no instances in the books of students being allowed in the common room of a house other than their own. Harry and Ron only got into the Slytherin common room by impersonating two Slytherins using Polyjuice potion. Students who have friends from other houses either meet them in the Great Hall, as Ginny does with fellow D.A. member Luna, or outside on the castle grounds.
So, when we get to this point in the movie, our fans’ suspension of disbelief is rudely interrupted.
However, this brings up an interesting point about Book 7. Since we know J.K. approves all the changes in the movie scripts, this must mean that J.K. saw this change and said, that’s OK, the houses of the Patil twins doesn’t make a difference in the story. That means the girls and the fact that they are in separate Hogwarts houses will not play an important role in Book 7.
I know this was just a logistical decision on the part of the film makers to make it easier to have both sisters in the same house where they needed them together in the scene, and allowed them to do the cute way they both said, “Hi Harry” together as they passed. But, it’s still wrong! Padma isn’t a Gryffindor and shouldn’t be in their common room!
Where’s Sir Cadogan when you need him?
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You are so right! Padma should not be in there at all! I didn’t think the different house played an important part in the seventh book anyway…
Indeed. The movies really don’t compare to the books at all, in my opinion. The books are so great and when you watch the movies they just don’t seem up to par.
Oh well, still entertaining.
I don’t think that the patil twins are very inportant but in the 1st book dumbledore said that it is unawthadox to go into other people’s houses but he didn’t say you can’t and in book 5 didn’t the sorting hat say that we must be friends and reyunite ourselves with other houses so that means that we can go everwhere.
Of course, all of us are guessing, so no one knows for sure. But I don’t think we have any examples of someone being in a house common room that’s not theirs. For example, Harry never meets Cho in each other’s common room. They meet outside or in the great hall. And just because students can have friends in other houses doesn’t mean they would allowed in each other’s common room. Otherwise, why would they have guards and passwords?
Do you think a Gryffindor would ever be welcomed in the Slytherin common room?:-)
Oh My God!
You just told me something new. I never realized that before…
Ah well, the books are better than the movies anyway:)
I think they went for the visual joke of two ‘identical’ kids speaking together over the fact the girls are in separate houses. In the books Fred and George talk together quite a bit too.
The films were always going to be different from the books. After all we have the pictures %-) I think PoA works best on that score, GoF least.
Personally, I think you’re making way too much of a deal out of this. I adore your site and think everything is extremely logical and realistic… but this is a little dramatic! First, not a lot of people noticed and second, those who did were not disrupted or jarred or unable to continue with the movie.
Or at least, the normal ones weren’t.
Possibly. However, it sets a precedent and would be very disturbing if this was the beginning of a bad trend…
hey people,
next time listen more carefully to the words said by miss granger.
in chamber of secrets when the diary got lost it was clearly said that any one can enter the common room if they have the password, in this case her sister had… so no great deal to look for…..
This may be true, but it’s just not done. What’s the sense in having a guard and passwords if they’re given out to just anyone?
And I still question, would the Fat Lady let a non-Gryffindor in, even if they had the password? Sirius got in, but (a) he was a Gryffindor and (b) a replacement guard (Sir Cadogan) was on duty at the time.
And Harry and Ron got in the Slytherin common room, but they needed polyjuice potion to do it, and besides, Malfoy was with them.
I agree that it is rather irregular to allow both sisters into the common room, however you’ve made the assumption that they are BOTH gryffindors.
This is not neccesarily true, and i’m sure has crossed you mind. We do not see her cheering at Quidditch games with her sister decked in Red and Gold, never do we see an explicit alignment with the House of The Lion.
It would make sense to me, however, that giving passwords wontonly makes them immaterial. BUT, would you seperate brothers and sisters? To limit the interaction between brothers and sisters is oppresive. It’s concievable that she was/is allowed to visit her family member in another common room. Furthermore, she does become a prefect and it can be assumed she was deemed trust worthy enough to hold this information considering the circumstances.
Additionally, she may not know the password. Her sister may have invited her to the common room and open the portrait for her.
Perhaps there is an agreement between the faculty and the Fat Lady, or between the Fat Lady and Padma.
It’s a situation that is a deviation from the books but this instance is not entirely unrealistic. (Look me, debating realism in a ficticious universe.)
Haary and Ron do use a poly juice potion to get in, BUT that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have gotten in otherwise. They did not know the whereabouts of the entrance to the Slytherin common room AND the reason for the PJ Potion was to disguise themselves for Malfoys sake. Remember they were attempting to illicit information.
Also, remember that Sirius black was a guantly shaded, grown man, disarranged and an infamous criminal… with a knife and a list of passwords. If that isn’t suspicious I don’t know what is.
The Fat Lady was slashed because she would not permit him and Sir Cadogan and his shameful lack of eyesight missed these factors and only identified a correct password.
It is not entirely unplausible that the two sister were in the Gyrffindor common room, although one of them may have not, or may have, been a Gryffindor themself.
Kudos on a fantastically fun site, Dave.
In the movie it is never said that she is also a griffendor. However one thing I noticed was in the very first movie. When Harry, Draco, Hermoine, and Ron went into the forbidden forest to do detention with Hagrid in the movie something was wrong there. If you will remember it was actually Neville doing that detention not Ron. It doesn’t really matter though, because I love the books and the movies.
Well, there are more of these glitches in the movie. Glitches that are more perturbing even. Take for example the start of the 3rd movie. Harry is lying in bed trying to do homework. He ignites his wand (Lumos) for several times. And in the next scene he is frightened he will be expelled from Hogwarts because he blew up his aunt. Kind of strange isn’t it? First deliberately doing magic, and then being affraid of being chucked out for doing some undeliberate magic?
Ah well, probably there are more examples.
Hi, I am very much pleased to view this site. I enjoyed all the other comments as I am also fond of harry potter series. About this Patil sisters issue, the director could have done better by having Harry ask Parvati to the Yule Ball and then she could ask sister to go with Ron.
i also don’t understand why so many people love the PoA movie directed by alfonso cuaron, because i didn’t. sure, good cinematography and effects… a bit contemporary-ish hogwarts. but the story was so short, meaningless and confusing for those not-so-fanatic fans.
Acutally I don’t think it’s any big deal to put both girls in the same common room/dorm but the real problem lies in they put the girls in the same house. Throughout the Goblet of Fire movie both girls wore Gryffindor uniforms. In the previous movies they wore uniforms of their different houses (and also a different girl played the role of Padma). I do think it was a mistake on the director to have let that happen, but as far as storyline goes, I don’t think it’s a huge deal and JK Rowling is present for all movies and to say when they can’t do something because of something that will happen later, so obviously the girls are not important characters in the end. As to being in other studens dorms I don’t think it’s a big deal especially when it’s family members. I could understand that and it has NEVER been said they couldn’t go into each others dorms….they just havent. Other than Harry and Ron but it wasn’t that they couldn’t go in there as themselves if they’d had the password they just wouldn’t want to go in there any other time.
Ashley from Baguio City,
It is true that there were many things that were not included in the movie, S.P.E.W. for example, and others in which the order was changed like when Harry got his Firebolt, but it happens also in the other three movies.
In SS (first movie), it should have been Neville in the forest, not Ron, there are modifications in how they get the flying key, in the book all three mount brooms, there is no Troll scene in the movie, nor the Logic test with potions.
In CoS there should have been Charlie Weasly and his friends picking the baby dragon up from the top of the owlery, not Dumbledore sending it to Charlie.
In GoF we find things that are more disturbing, such as the absence of Dobby, and Neville providing the Gillyweed, the change of one of the Pattil twins to Griffyndor, the complete change of the dragon scene in the first task, there was no sphinx in the third, etc.
If you look for differences between the books and the movies you will find many, many more, but lets remember that it is very difficult to adapt a book to make it a movie, that it isn�t possible to put every single detail in it, in part because there are things that are only possible trough imagination, and not yet through technology and special effects.
I am among those who likes PoA the best among the four existing movies, I feel that the first two are too childish, while the last is exaggerated, while the ambience of PoA is just as I imagined it while reading the book. But that is just my opinion, and I might be biased, as Cuaron is my countryman, but I have read many a comment from non Mexicans that have also liked.
Emilio from Mexico City –
I really don’t think you’re biased with Cuaron. I am fully aware that many people really loved the PoA movie. Well, I could have loved it cause everything looked so great with his directing. And i totally got excited with the wonderful trailer. The only problem was the CONTENT of the story or the script.. it came totally confusing for non-fanatics. That’s why i became so disappointed with PoA.
Maybe Cuaron and Newell should unite to direct the 6th and 7th movies.. with Newell as the “stick to the book” director, and cuaron as the artistic guy.
Ashley from Baguio City,
That would be incredible, if it could be pulled off.
Emilio from Mexico City
Yeah, you are right. If we want to find difference, we can find many more. In GOF, it was actually Ludo Bagman who gives the tiny models of dragons to the four champions. But in the movie, it was Mr.Crouch who explains about the dragons. I agree with you, its very difficult to put everything in the movie.
kacey
I agree with you too. Maybe the girls are not important in the end. Nice thought.
i have a question, where is lavender in the movies? also ludo bagman isn’t even in the 4th movie! well, they probably won’t play a big part in the 7th book.
yes, thats true. The first two movies (Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of secrets) were good because they were directed by Chris Columbus, whereas the next two were directed by Alfonso Cuar�n (POA) and Mike Newell (GOF). The third and the fourth movie missed many important parts of the book. Movies are just for time pass. they cant beat the book.
maybe some people think its not a big deal about padma in the griffindor common room but for me, it is a big deal cause it’ll be a confusion in the future movie. it cant be like suddenly lavender turns up to be ron’s girlfriend in the movie because in the 4 previous movies, it doesnt mention anything about lavender! and im very very very disapointed that they cut out the dobby and winky part. i love that part in the book. would it kill them for them to extend at least an hour on that part? i also think the quidditch world cup part should lasted longer but i really like hermione’s dress in the movie. i hope that they’ll insert ALL the important parts. i hope they insert that big eyed, adorable elf (dobby) too. im really disapointed with GoF.
Another interesting point is that Lavender is not shown in the film. Infact she is the one who is supposed to be with Parvati instead of Padma in that scene. I suppose this means that she may not play an imprtant role in the last book either. But what will they do about the Ron-Lavdender relation in the film of HBP then?
that is so true! i think they shouldn’t change padma into gryffindor because it’ll cause confusion among us.
I sincerely doubt that Lavender will be shown in the HBP movie at all, it just doesn’t make sense. The best they could do is make Lavender a Ravenclaw or a Hufflepuff and insist that they have shown her before, if they even show her at all.
But they’ve cast Lavender, haven’t they? I’m pretty sure that Lavender will show up, but it must not be that important to the plot of the book apart from getting Ron to realize his feelings for Hermione.
Monkeeshrines–
As far as I know, they have not cast a Lavender Brown (her name makes me laugh… Two colors…) The only Gryffindor girls I have ever seen are Hermione, Parvati, and Padma.
You’re right, Ashley! I thought I had read it somewhere, but I was wrong (shoulda gone to wizardnews; this wouldn’t have happened…) I was also getting confused between Order of the Phoenix and Half Blood Prince for some reason. Lavender isn’t that important in OP, and probably won’t be shown, but I think she will be cast for HBP, for the reason I said before. But you’re right, she hasn’t been cast (that I can see) for OP.
I just wanted to point out that this is NOT the first movie that contradicts the books. In Movie #3, the opening scene is of Harry using Lumos to read under his sheets, but that would get him expelled for use of magic outside of school.
You think so? I always thought that minor magic, like making a flash-light, or magically packing your trunk, wouldn’t count against the restriction…
Dave–
Harry received an official warning from the MoM, his only warning, for doing a Hover Charm, which was cast by Dobby. You would think that was minor magic, wouldn’t you, but NOO the very next time he does magic (in self defense!) he almost gets expelled. Stupid Ministry of Magic is so unfair.
Dave,
At the Quidditch world cup Hermione used the spell “Lumos” and we constantly see students casting spells on the Hogwarts Express. As Dumbledore says the ministry can track down the cast of a spell but not who casted it. So I have always thought that Ron who keeps complaining about not being able to cast spells outside school would be able to do so just if Mrs. Weasley was absent.
Sorry Dave, I agree with Ashley.
As I understood it, Magic cannot be used under no circumstances by underage wizards or witches while at home, but it is very difficult to enforce in magical homes, not so in non-magical ones, because you can tell that magic has been performed but not by whom.
Noticed this mistake too… I found it a bit annoying that they were messing with the book actually, but the way the twins say ‘Hi Harry’ is quite funny so it doesn’t really matter.
Personally, I really dislike the movies and the only reason that I wath them is becuase I Really love the books. The movies are poorly acted out poorly and mutilates the storylines to garbled versions. For all new Harry Potter fans, read the books before the movies and don’t get the wrong ideas from the movies.
i think Dave is right, the ministry mainly objects to magic performed in presence of muggles or such magic which is likely to make muggles suspicious, which is the whole point of underage wizardry restriction act. that’ll also explain why Lily did not get warning from MoM for performing magic at home (petunia said about her turning teacups into rat) because her family, eventhough muggles, were already aware about the existence of wizard world. however as far as i remember, in book, Harry does not use the spell ‘lumos’ it was just in movie.
incidently, i’ve not read any HP book till i saw GoF and it sparked me to read the books because there are so many loose ends in movie, like fate of Barty crouch jr, not explaining priori incantateum, etc., even PoA was not that elaborate as were 1st 2 movies but that may just be because of the length of books.
Also, Lavender Brown shall definitely feature in HBP as warner Bros have recently invited persons for auditions for the role of Lavender Brown.
Monica from Fennville (posted March 7th)
Finally someone who noticed the green/blue eyed mistake! That has been my pet peeve since the first movie when I first saw it. It is understandable that some things may haved to be omitted for time or budget restrictions, but GREEN EYES? Come on! That is such a simple inexpensive thing to fix. It doesn’t matter that he was 11 or so when the first movie began. I’ve used contact lenses since I was 11 and have yet to “poke my eye out.”
Also, although the 1st and 2nd movies follow the book with greater faithfullness, has anyone noticed that in CoS they completely omit Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington’s deathday party? Of course the whole point for the deathday party was for Harry to hear the Basilisk, but I’m surprised no on has mentioned it yet.
Personally, because of all the short-comings of the movie blamed on time (or lack-there-of) I believe a T.V. series based on the HP books should be made. That would give more time for the wonderful imagination of Jo Rowling to show.
JK Rowling always said you dont need to be a member of that house to get in you just need the password! If you have the password the portraits have no right to deny you access to the common room you are trying to enter. She could of easily just been with her sister while she retrieved something from the gryffindor common room. Dumbledore would have no objection as they are twin sisters and Padma is not evil of any kind. She is just a student and doing no harm to anybody.
Very very true. I didn’t notice that when I saw the movie in theaters, but once it came out on DVD, I did notice it and was apalled by the fact that they were in the same house. But then, where did Lavender go?
Well, I just finished seeing OOtP. They apparently decided to continue the mistake of Padma and kept her in Gryffindor. She sits at the table in the main hall with Gryffindors and is continuously seen in the Gryffindor common room. At least they are staying consistent!
Just recently watched a re-run of Philosopher’s Stone and noticed a couple of mistakes:
1. When Hermione comes into Ron and Harry’s carriage on the Hogwarts Express and tells them to change into her robes, she is already wearing hers, complete with a tie in Gryffindor colours (in the film each house wears a different coloured tie). However she hasn’t been sorted yet – how would she know what tie to wear?
2. Hagrid tells Harry, Ron and Hermione that Snape is one of the teachers helping to protect the stone, however the challenge designed by Snape (the one where you have to drink the right potion) is omitted in the film.
Not major points, but they bugged me!
but has anyone else noticed that in the past couple of movies professor flitwick’s appearance has changed dramatically? he now has short black hair and moustache.
i rekon there gonna get heaps of hopefuls for the role of lavender brown coz she gets 2 snog rupert. lol. i think itll be interesting to see the chemistry between ron and hermione lol. i have seen OotP twice and was a bit disappointed because they left so much good stuff out, eg. mrs black’s portrait, prefects, the whole rita skeeter fiasco and QUIDDITCH. hope they don’t leave as much stuff out in HBP but i spose they have to be really strict which is a pity.
also, i don’t think padma patil was just visiting the gryffindor common room because she also wears the gryffindor uniform. but this doesnt really bother me because GoF, in my opinion, was the funniest of all 5, but OotP is a strong contender. i think its a pity that they have had to change directors every movie apart from PS/SS and CoS. it would make things alot more consistent.
I wanted to mention that in the first movie, when they are one the train, Hermione tells Harry & Ron how she has been practicing her spells. If she is living in a muggle household, she wouldn’t be able to practice magic outside of the school grounds.
WOW! I never would have realized that! Dave, you are very smart.
Does anyone not notice that Harry gets in the Ravenclaw common room with Luna Lovegood in Book 7? So this would seem to be wrong.
To those who say that she was just spending time with her sister in her common room or at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, have you seen the 5th movie?
Padma and Parvati are seen together numerous times, both wearing the Gryffindor robes.
Of course some things must be changed in the movies for a number of reasons, perhaps the moviemakers just wanted to give the Patil twins more screen time. Nevertheless, it is important imho that the rules and logic of the novels are preserved in the movies, and that is not always the case. Did anyone notice the grave aberration in OotP? Umbridge blasting her way into the Room of Requirement! The room should not even exist f�r someone not allowed to enter, and this means that the Carrows (in theory) will be able to blast their way into the Room in the (future) DH-movie.
Just because people are in different houses doesn’t mean they can’t get into a different house. In the 7th book, Harry is able to go in the Ravenclaw so why can’t Padma come in to the Griffindor?
David’s point is gets a reassurance in book 7. When Harry and his friends get caught by the Snatchers, they are asked which house they where in Hogwarts (p. 450 in the American version):
“‘Slytherin’ said Harry automatically
‘Funny ‘oe they all think we wants to ‘ear that’ jeered Scabior out of the shadows ‘but none of ’em can tell us where the common room is'”
As it turns out, the Snatchers assume that people who spent seven years in Hogwarts won’t be able to tell even where the Slytherin common room is unless they are from Slytherin house (Harry can tell, of course, because he sneaked in there in the fifth book). Harry visited Ravenclaw’s common room for the first time in book 7, and only because of a real emergency, and he never visited Hufflepuff’s common room. So it seems unlikely to find a non-Gryffindor in the common room under normal circumstances.