Although it has been more than a decade since the Harry Potter series concluded, enthusiasts are still discovering interesting details within the films.
The Harry Potter movies, adapted from J.K. Rowling’s treasured book series, chronicle the adventures of the young wizard Harry (portrayed by Daniel Radcliffe) along with his friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson).
The series features numerous intriguing details and Easter eggs, yet only recently have fans uncovered a specific scene that cleverly nods to the books.
In the opening scenes of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the first movie in the series, viewers have spotted Harry’s aunt, Petunia, engaged in an activity in the kitchen’s background.
During this scene, Harry has just received his initial letter from Hogwarts, making it easy for viewers to focus solely on him.
However, observant fans on Reddit noticed Petunia washing something in a pot, a detail that is clarified in the book.
“In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s (Sorcerer’s) Stone, Aunt Petunia is visible in the background of this scene dyeing Dudley’s old clothes gray for Harry’s uniform,” explained a Reddit user. “This is only ever mentioned in the book.”
In the first book, Harry’s relatives, the Dursleys, intend to send him to Stonewall High, a public school that is likely less prestigious than Dudley’s school, Smeltings Academy.
Fans of either the books or the films will recall that the Dursleys are not particularly kind to Harry. Instead of purchasing a new uniform for him, Petunia dyes Dudley’s old clothes gray, which Harry describes as resembling ‘elephant skin.’
The film depicts Petunia laundering and dyeing the clothes in the background, a detail that many fans are surprised they missed.
“The amount of times I have seen this movie is crazy, and I’ve read the book once, absolutely loved it, and yet I didn’t even notice this,” one viewer remarked. “That’s actually really cool!! Just wish they kept Peeves in the film!”
“Remember when the movies were this true to the books? Good times,” another fan reminisced.
Ah, those were indeed memorable days.