7 Harry Potter Bloopers You’ll Never Be Able to Unsee

For nearly a decade, the Harry Potter movie franchise held the world spellbound, however, it wasn’t without its flaws. The films were produced under various constraints and numerous errors managed to sneak into the final cuts. Below you’ll find seven of the most significant blunders that remain visible even in repeated viewings – once you spot them, you might never view Hogwarts in quite the same light again.

During the production of the Harry Potter films, there was a swift evolution in special effects technology and societal attitudes. This rapid change played a significant role in some of the errors you’ll notice later on. Moreover, as the movies featured a vast ensemble of young actors who were relatively inexperienced, their lack of expertise certainly influenced certain mistakes that occurred during filming. Additionally, due to the predominantly British cast, there were distinct protective measures compared to what is typically observed in American productions, a topic frequently discussed in behind-the-scenes documentaries.

The accumulated incidents during our seven-year tenure at Hogwarts resulted in a wealth of amusing blunders that remain etched in our memories. Dive into seven of the most indelible bloopers of the saga.

“Invisibility” Cloak

In the film “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” there was a small oversight in one scene regarding Harry’s invisibility cloak. Instead of being seamlessly altered to blend with the background as usual, it remained visible as a crumpled green fabric just behind Harry’s foot. This occurs around the 1 hour and 30-minute mark during the scene where Harry guides Ron to view the Mirror of Erised.

Cameraman

In the thrilling club fight scene from “Chamber of Secrets“, not only does the action abound, but it also presents a significant character development as Harry confronts Malfoy. Amidst all the commotion, it’s understandable that one might overlook a subtle detail: a cameraman, hidden among the students on the left side of the shot.

Crystal Ball

Approximately an hour and 20 minutes into “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”, Hermione becomes fed up with her divination class. She upends a crystal orb and exits in a huff, yet if you pause carefully, you’ll spot that it’s not perfectly round. A small tube, colored red and black, protrudes from the bottom – possibly to keep it stable or enhance the light and smoke effects. Regardless, this tube is missing later when Harry retrieves the orb from the floor.

Ruled Parchment

In the Harry Potter series, it’s puzzling why contemporary wizards persist in using old-fashioned tools like quills and ink instead of modern writing instruments such as pens and pencils, especially considering that the films seem less concerned about this inconsistency than the books did. By the time we reach Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, we’re accustomed to seeing students often out of uniform, but their school supplies still appear rather antiquated. The only exception to this seems unusual — when Harry’s name appears from the Goblet of Fire, it’s written on a sheet of blue-lined notebook paper. In contrast, the names of the other three champions are written on parchment, which is particularly strange given that it was actually Barty Crouch Jr., disguised as Mad-Eye Moody, who placed Harry’s name in the goblet.

I Must Not Tell Lies

In the story “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” Professor Umbridge makes Harry deliberately scar his hand with the phrase “I must not tell lies.” However, in the movie, this scar shifts locations, appearing on different parts of Harry’s body. Although he usually writes the phrase using his dominant hand, it appears that the filmmakers occasionally moved the scar to ensure visibility when necessary.

Millennium Bridge

In the initial scene of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince“, there’s a notable inconsistency – a common error across the entire series known as an anachronism. Here, Death Eaters are depicted assaulting the Millennium Bridge in London, which is unusual because that bridge wouldn’t have been constructed yet according to the movie’s timeline. The story unfolds in 1996, while the actual opening of the Millennium Bridge occurred in 2000. Although there are other anachronisms, this one stands out the most.

An Awkward Kiss

Ultimately, the first kiss between Ron and Hermione in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 failed to impress certain fans, and now we understand why. In the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts special, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint revealed that they found it challenging to perform this kiss since they had grown up together and viewed each other more like siblings. Daniel Radcliffe added that he relentlessly teased them about it, making the situation even more difficult for them. For some fans, this underlying tension was evident in the final scene – but unfortunately not in a positive manner.

Eight Harry Potter films are currently available for streaming on Max, joined by the Fantastic Beasts movie series. In 2026, an exciting new television adaptation of Harry Potter is slated to premiere on both HBO and Max.

2025-01-13 00:09