Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is hugely important as a film for the series. From part 5 David Yates took over the direction and here it finally becomes clear why Voldemort is so obsessively after Harry. We are, of course, talking about the prophecy. But what the films hide: Actually, Neville also plays a role in this prophecy. (Warning, spoilers follow for the Harry Potter films and books.)
Harry Potter 5 hides Neville’s part in the prophecy
Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis) is a major supporting character in the Harry Potter series and appears in all the films and books. As a clumsy man with a dominant grandmother and a terrible fear of Snape, he mainly causes laughter in the first parts. In The Order of the Phoenix he is allowed to slowly become one with more serious scenes valuable ally molt. But unfortunately not as important a character as in the novels.
Because in the book template * by JK Rowling, a startling secret about Neville revealed. In the Department of Mysteries, we finally learn about the prophecy made years ago about Harry Potter and Voldemort (by Trelawney, by the way, which the film also doesn’t mention):
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Harry Potter 5: the 2 chosen candidates Harry and Neville
The one with the power to defeat the Dark Lord draws near. Born to those who gave him defied three times have born when the seventh month dies. And the Dark Lord will mark Him as his equal, but He will possess a power the Dark Lord knows not. And the one must die at the hands of the other, for neither can live while the other survives. The one with the power to defeat the dark lord will be born, when the seventh month dies.
In the film, this reveals Harry as the one who is predestined to kill or be killed by Voldemort. However, in the novel of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix it is revealed: Harry is not the only child to whom this prophecy applies. Neville too has his birthday at the end of July (July 30th, 1980, one day before Harry) and his parents also dealt directly with Voldemort three times. It was only because the Dark Lord finally attacked the Potter family and “marked” Harry with a scar that he finally became the Chosen One. But before that, that lot could have fallen to Neville as well.
Neville is deprived of part of his character development in the 5th Harry Potter film
Of course, the Harry Potter films could not take up all aspects of the 5th book, which is almost a thousand pages long. In this respect it was easy just drop that swerve of prophecy and not to be taken up again in later films. After all, this does not change the fate of the main character Harry Potter.
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Harry Potter replacement Neville?
Only Neville Longbottom is left behind as a result. Because through his role as a near-chosen one, his Character in the books even more complex and tragic. He escaped the burden of being “the boy who lived” only through Voldemort’s unknowing choice of the Potters as a more dangerous opponent. His personal suffering is also only superficially hinted at in the film because we never meet his parents, who have been tortured into insanity (as in the book), in the magic hospital of St Mungo’s.
As a result, the films make him a bit less important. Those unfamiliar with the novels will never play out the what-if scenario with Neville as Voldemort’s nemesis in their heads. After all, he is also allowed to kill Voldemort’s Horcrux Nagini in the movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2 at the end. But even this heroic act would have been even more charged if the film had its own Almost Chosen Character Sheet would have closed.
When is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on TV?
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is on Saturday, February 11, 2023 at 8:15 p.m. on Sat.1. In addition, you can currently stream the 5th Harry Potter film on Amazon Prime * along with all other films about the sorcerer’s apprentice in the flat.
Podcast: Is Harry Potter a good idea as a series?
In the Moviepilot podcast, Esther, Hendrik and Andrea classify the rumors about a planned Harry Potter series:
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They discuss why a Harry Potter series makes sense right now, what their hopes and expectations are from it, and why JK Rowling is a problem.
*The links to the Amazon offer are so-called affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, we will receive a commission.