Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 marked the end of an era, but even as such, the last movie couldn't fit every scene in the narrative.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is the final entry in the series starring Daniel Radcliffe as the Boy Who Lived. It was a huge box office hit upon hitting theatres across the globe in 2011, beating Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 to be the biggest movie of the year. It's also the shortest, however, which is rather bizarre given how much content the book had to pick from.
Fortunately, deleted scenes found on the DVD and Blu-ray editions of the movie help make it that bit longer. We'll now take a look at the moments that were omitted from the final cut and rank them in chronological order. Starting with a clip that involves Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger receiving a warning...
At the end of the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Luna Lovegood all travel to Shell Cottage. There, they're given refuge by Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour as they hatch a daring plan to break into Gringotts bank in order to obtain Lord Voldemort's Horcrux from Bellatrix Lestrange's vault. We see the trio planning during the early stages of the sequel. But what we don't see is Bill warning them about their dealings with Griphook the goblin.
In the movie, Griphook's betrayal within Gringotts is relatively surprising. But, had they included this moment, it would have made far more sense. Bill says they must be careful and, if they double-cross their ally, he 'won't be forgiving'. This is certainly true, with Griphook managing to outsmart the trio. However, he doesn't get far with the sword of Godric Gryffindor, being cut down by Voldemort in the aftermath of the heroes' escape from Malfoy Manor.
Before setting off on their adventure, Harry meets Hermione and Ron by Dobby's grave. Fans see the Boy Who Lived react to his friend's changed appearances, with Ron altering his to look like a different wizard entirely and Hermione transforming into Bellatrix Lestrange thanks to Polyjuice Potion.
What we don't get to see, though, is what happens beforehand. Harry and Luna Lovegood have a brief chat, with the latter carrying a suitcase. Harry then tells her that Hogwarts has changed and, rather sadly, she says so has she. It's a cute moment but also sad, as it displays perfectly just how much the war has taken a toll. It's telling that Luna, usually somebody so cheery and happy, is no longer her old self. Harry also tells Ron that he thinks he's seen Albus Dumbledore in Sirius Black's old mirror but, as we know, it turns out to be Aberforth instead.
Speaking of Aberforth, a deleted scene involving the barman of the Hog's Head also made its way onto the DVD and Blu-ray editions of the movie. It's pretty similar to the one we actually get, with the wizard hitting out at his brother Albus for sacrificing people he cared about on his journey to greatness. He also repeats the same lines about Voldemort already winning the war and his belief that Harry and his friends should flee to safety, rather than stand and fight.
The scene we got involving the four characters is actually better, given it's swifter and doesn't detract from the main story. Aberforth, of course, later changes his tune and takes part in the Battle of Hogwarts. His highlight is getting rid of a swarm of Dementors, saving many of the good guys from a horrible fate.
When Harry, Ron, and Hermione walk out of Ariana Dumbledore's portrait and into the Room of Requirement, they get a standing ovation. Everybody is happy to see them back at Hogwarts, especially as it means a big battle is on the way. Those celebrations are cut short, though, when Ginny Weasley bursts into the room and reveals Severus Snape wants everybody to attend a meeting in the Great Hall. Students then walk like soldiers towards their destination while Amycus Carrow looks on with a villainous glint in his eyes.
An omitted moment expands on this and shows Harry, hidden by his classmates, walking down the stairs. Now if it was Ron, he'd have stood out by a mile. But nobody registers him walking and holding Ginny's hand, which is rather sweet. It would have been good to see more scenes of the pair interacting, with Ginny getting barely any screentime in the movie.
Seamus Finnigan loves to make things go 'boom' - to quote Professor McGonagall. This is established way back in 2001's The Sorcerer's Stone, where he frequently sets things on fire. Therefore it makes perfect sense that McGonagall gives him the task of destroying the bridges around Hogwarts using explosive devices, therefore making it significantly more difficult for Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters to gain entry to the castle.
A deleted scene shows Seamus and Neville preparing, with the latter shouting at his friend to ask if he knows what he's doing. The pair then both give thumbs up to each other and the scene cuts. It's understandable this didn't make it into the final cut given it slows things down and that the rest of the blockbuster is full steam ahead.
Even now, a whole 13 years on from the release of the Deathly Hallows novel, fans still have an issue with Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks both dying. They're beloved characters, after all, and even JK Rowling herself has admitted it was agonizing having to kill them off. Their deaths aren't shown on screen in the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 - and neither is their final conversation. Fortunately, thanks to the DVD and Blu-ray editions of the movie, you can still get to see it.
Tonks runs to Lupin, who says she shouldn't have come because newborn child Teddy needs her. Tonks, rather cutely and sadly at the same time, then responds by saying 'it's you who needs me tonight'. It would have been great to see this on the big screen given how wonderful both characters are. Tonks is killed by Bellatrix Lestrange, with Remus passing away after a duel with Antonin Dolohov.
After Pansy Parkinson sides against Harry in the Great Hall, McGonagall tells Argus Filch to escort Slytherin house to the dungeons. What the blockbuster doesn't reveal, though, is what happens next. Filch locks them away and seems happy with himself - until a big explosion allows them all to break out. He then stands aghast as all the pupils run in his direction, while Draco Malfoy apparates into Hogwarts and takes Vincent Crabbe and Blaise Zabini with him.
It's not a big deal that this wasn't included, because it's another joke at Filch's expense. He's meant to be pretty feared in his role as caretaker during the source material but, in the movies, he's just one big joke. At least it does clarify why everybody was running when Draco entered the castle to take his friends away.
The eighth and final deleted scene shows Ron and Hermione running away from Nagini, Voldemort's horrible pet snake, and the final Horcrux created by the villain. Ron tells her that he's got something to say and that if he doesn't say it now, he never will. We don't think he's being funny here, which is a nice change. Instead, this is the moment where he's set to confess his love. Hermione, amusingly, says he shouldn't say anything if it's not something he'd usually say.
It definitely detracts from the drama and suspense of the scene we actually get. It's far more dramatic seeing the pair sprint with suspenseful music playing in the background than have them joke their way through one of the scariest experiences of their lives. Fortunately, they end up together, get married, and have children. A happy ever after which, for Harry Potter, is definitely pretty hard to come by.
