As of August 2023, it has been my first time rewatching this movie in years. I have seen it several times when I was a kid, and certainly in the theaters.

Whenever I rewatch anything as an adult, I pick up on new details that I didn’t see before. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is no different. A lot of other Harry Potter fans also pay close attention to details that many might not even notice.

Below is the list of details that I picked up on when rewatching the film.

I noticed visual clues with Ginny when Harry favors Cho over her

Harry favors Cho Chang in this installment before learning that he has feelings for Ginny Weasley. There have been a few instances where Ginny looks unhappy about this.

One scene is when Harry and co. are walking down a hallway after they start planning for Dumbledore’s Army. Hermione tells Harry how Cho couldn’t keep her eyes off of him, and Ginny pauses as the golden trio walk ahead of her. 

This occurs again when the other kids in Dumbledore’s Army are leaving the room of requirement for Christmas. Harry walks toward Cho and Ginny stares at him.

These are presumably foreshadowing Ginny developing a relationship with Harry. 

Later, though, Cho betrays Dumbledore’s Army when she is forced to take veritaserum and tells the inquisitorial squad (an organization to enforce the rules Umbridge has placed) about the meetings. When the entire club gets detention and Cho asks Harry something, he gives her a sharp look. She then experiences guilt.

I was surprised to hear the weatherman converting the weather from Celsius to Fahrenheit at the beginning 

He not only says that the temperature was in the mid-30s Celsius, but also what the equivalent is in Fahrenheit: mid-90s. He even says that it could go up to 100 degrees the following day. 

This could have been a way to help American audiences understand the conversion. The filmmakers had already had different scenes in the first film shot using the word, “philosopher’s stone” (the title to most of the world) and “sorcerer’s stone” (the title to Americans). 

Also, in the summer of 1995, when the events of the story begin, Britain had boiling weather. This occurred between late July and early August, when The Order of the Phoenix starts, although it’s after Harry’s birthday, which is July 31st. That summer was also one of the driest that the British have experienced.

J.K. Rowling puts so much thought into her work to the point where she might as well be a genius. She probably took that summer into consideration when writing The Order of the Phoenix book.

I found it strange that Lucius would tell Harry that Voldemort had tricked him into thinking Sirius was in trouble just to lure him to the ministry 

After failing his occlumency lessons with Snape, Harry has an envision of Voldemort torturing Sirius. Although Ron and Hermione try to tell him that it’s not real, he won’t believe them.

But when he and his friends go to the ministry, they encounter Lucius Malfoy. He reveals that “Sirius being tortured” was a trick to get Harry to the ministry before attacking them.

I found it strange that a wizard on Voldemort’s side would reveal something like that to Harry. You think he would have lied and said that Sirius was in trouble so that Harry would have continued to “rescue” him.

Another flaw was how in Harry’s envision of Voldemort about to torture Sirius, Sirius calmly told him that he’d have to kill him first. I cannot imagine him doing such a thing, especially since his entire family had joined the dark side, which he loathed.

Sirius even showed Harry his family tree and discussed how anyone who didn’t support their beliefs and traditions was blasted off, as a way to show distaste for them. So, I also found it bizarre that Harry would actually believe that Sirius would tell Voldemort to kill him before he gets what he wants.

I found Uncle Vernon’s harshness to Harry kind of funny (a few silly words and a facial expression)

After the dementor attack, Mrs. Figg, a squib and neighbor who’s known Harry for a while, takes him and Dudley back to their house. Petunia and Vernon notice that something is wrong with Dudley. They ask him how it happened, and he points at Harry.

As usual, Vernon gets mad at him. He says that he drove Dudley loopy. But Petunia tells him not to say that. Vernon then adds that Dudley has gone yumpy, another term for crazy. 

He continues to scold him until the ministry sends him a letter, saying that he’s been expelled from Hogwarts. Vernon grits his teeth, says, “Justice,” and opens his mouth.

Despite my hate toward the Dursleys and how they always mistreat Harry, the way Uncle Vernon got angry at Harry actually made me laugh–especially the last part. I don’t remember how it was in the book, but I’m sure the filmmakers sugarcoated it–and added some humor to it.

Therefore, in this scene, Vernon is less flawed unlike other moments. He has locked Harry in the cupboard under the staircase in the first book and film and in his room (formerly for Dudley’s toys) in the second. So, compared to those parts, he is quite likable during this scene.

I learned how much of an empath Hermione is 

I already knew how much she cared about others, especially house elves and how they deserved better treatment. But the subplot for that was in The Goblet of Fire book and cut from the movie.

One scene where Hermione is empathetic and worried is when Harry has returned from his detention with Umbridge. He has his hand cut with the sentence, “I must not tell lies.” Hermione tells him to report that, but he refuses.

Another is right after Harry arrives with some of the order members at 12 Grimmauld Place, he joins Ron and Hermione on the second floor. Hermione feels sorry for keeping things from him, except that Dumbledore demanded that she and Ron do so.

It felt good to see Harry feel sympathy for Cho after Cedric, her latest boyfriend, died

As everyone in Dumbledore’s Army leaves the last meeting for Christmas, Harry notices Cho gaping at Cedric’s picture on the wall. He asks if she’s all right. She then wants to know if Cedric knew all those defense spells, and Harry says that he did.

Harry is not only known for being sassy or causing trouble, but also his anger issues, especially in this installment. In the book, there are a lot more moments where he is unable to control himself, especially since he got PTSD after watching Cedric die and Voldemort return.

Another part that the filmmakers cut was when Harry and Cho dated. Cho would continue to grieve over Cedric’s death, but Harry would give her a hard time about it, which is what prompted their breakup.

It’s not really like Harry to comfort others. I also don’t think he’s the best at it, and he generally doesn’t like it when others cry. So, seeing him feel sorry for Cho added some sympathy and even strength to his character. 

Although characters need flaws and have to make bad choices, seeing them be kind to those who want it feels good. 

Any moment where Harry and Sirius bond is beautiful… especially during the scene where Harry worries that he is going bad

I’ve always favored the movie Sirius over the book Sirius. I feel the same way about Harry’s relationship with him – the films portray it better. It makes it feel more like a father-son relationship.

I understand that Sirius is stressed out over being stuck in his family’s home after 12 years in Azkaban since the ministry still deems him a criminal. But Harry also yearns for a parental figure who cares for him the way his own parents would have.

The scene where Harry greets Sirius by hugging him differs in the novel. First off, there are no hugs between the two at all… in any of the books. And the scene in the book shows Sirius’s mother shouting rude remarks about anyone who doesn’t respect the blood purity that the Black family follows. Sirius tells her to be quiet and then says to Harry, “See you’ve met my mother.”

Others might say that after not seeing Sirius in over a year since The Prisoner of Azkaban movie, it’s odd for Harry to greet him by hugging him. But I find it beautiful.

However, that doesn’t have the same level of emotions that the scene where Harry worries that he is going bad because Voldemort is playing with his mind. Just like the previous scene I discussed; Sirius’s reaction is different in the novel.

There, Sirius just tells Harry that he needs to go to bed. However, in the movie, the scene is not only beautiful, but more effective in helping him feel better, telling him that he’s a good person and not a bad one.

You probably know his famous quote during this scene:

“The world isn’t split into good people and death eaters. We’ve all got both light and dark inside of us. What matters is the part we choose to act on… that’s who we really are.”

This has become a big, inspirational quote that is all over the internet. It is especially major when it comes to morals from Harry Potter. 

Watching Harry breathe when Sirius says this to him makes me let out similar sounds, except more like weeping without tears. And when they hug goodbye, those weeps grow a little louder (sniffle).

Conclusion

It is not just any creative works that I watched or read as a kid where I pick up on new details. It also occurs when I revisit something that I first experienced as an adult.

And I never get tired of learning more about Harry Potter. 

Are there other details from this movie that you didn’t notice until rewatching it later? Let me know in the comments if you wish.