My Thoughts on the Deleted CoS Scenes

[erisedstraeh2002]

I've read with interest the discussion about the characterization of 
the Lucius-Draco relationship in the deleted Borgin and Burkes 
scene.  I've just re-read this scene in CoS, and I really don't think 
the way it was played in the deleted movie scene mischaracterizes 
their relationship.  Granted, Lucius doesn't brandish his walking 
stick around in the book, but he does speak rather viciously to Draco 
regarding his grades and his future. 

I really liked this scene, and given how well it was acted 
(especially compared to some of the other deleted scenes), the fact 
that background music was added, and the inclusion of the name of the 
actor playing Borgin on the credits, leads me to speculate that this 
scene was an integral part of the movie until very late in the 
process.  I thought the scene did a great job of capturing Harry's 
panic when he spots Draco through the window while his hand is 
trapped in the Hand of Glory (I thought it was clear that Draco did 
*not* see Harry), and I loved the sarcophagus that Harry hid in.  I 
also loved the part when Lucius took more coins than were originally 
offered, and then Borgin took one back when Lucius wasn't looking – a 
clever way to capture how both men are not to be trusted.  I also got 
a chuckle as to how the moviemakers gave Borgin the mossy teeth 
originally attributed to the fingernail carrying witch in the book.

I think this scene is important for establishing that Lucius is a 
dark wizard, as well as for establishing the importance he places on 
pure-blood.  The one part I didn't care for at all was when Borgin 
spots "something" in the box that catches his attention, but Lucius 
says it is not for sale.  Why is it in the box if it's not for sale?  
I didn't get the impression that it was the diary – the box didn't 
look big enough, and while we can't see the item Borgin takes out, it 
doesn't look as if he's taking out something as large as the diary 
was.  So what was it, and how is this relevant?  That was just 
bizarre, IMO.

I could tell why most of the deleted scenes were deleted.  The first 
one, which prolonged the agony of the dropped pudding, was just that –
agonizing.  How could the Dursleys keep up the small talk with a 
floating pudding heading toward Mrs. Mason?  The fourth – the 
Kwikspell letter  -- wouldn't have made sense to someone who didn't 
read the book.  I think it's a fairly major omission in the movie 
that they don't mention Filch's squib-ness, but this scene wouldn't 
have accomplished this - Harry didn't even open the envelope, and 
there's no mention of Filch being a squib.  The fifth one, where 
Borgin attacks Harry – why would a shopkeeper accost someone in their 
shop?  Especially while asking if he can help him find something??  
Plus, why doesn't Borgin recognize Harry, since everyone else seems 
to at first sight?  Perhaps it was the absence of his scar - I 
couldn't see it, even though his hair was back – it looked as if the 
soot might have been obscuring it.  

Speaking of the soot – for some reason, watching the DVD led me to 
notice that all of the Weasleys are also soot-covered – I got the 
impression from the book that only Harry was soot-covered because he 
landed at the wrong grate.  I didn't think everyone who travels by 
Floo Powder winds up soot-covered.  And if they do, why not get 
cleaned up?

Back to the deleted scenes – I thought they should have kept in scene 
#6, when Colin explains why he wants to take Harry's picture and he 
tells them that he's a Muggle.  Given how fast Colin talked, it 
wouldn't have added much time to the movie, and it would have 
explained why he was a target of the Basilisk and why he's always 
trying to take Harry's picture.  Also, Ron's "Imagine that?" when 
Colin says that he family thought he was mental was *priceless*.

Scene #7, when Lockhart passes out the quiz, was hysterical.  Not 
integral to the plot, but it was extremely well done and funny.  

I didn't like scene #8, where Harry hurriedly meets Justin, although 
I thought it was a major oversight in the movie to have not 
identified Justin by name before he was petrified, and also to not 
have identified him as a Muggle (once again, the missing link as to 
why he was a target of the Basilisk).  But I think this would have 
worked much better the way it was laid out in the book – a discussion 
over the mandrakes, rather than a hurried meeting at the duelling 
club.

Also, speaking of the mandrakes, for some reason this hit me more 
when I was watching the DVD – how silly was it for everyone to be 
listening to Professor Sprout with their ear-muffs on??

Scene #9, where Fred and George say "Make way for the Heir of 
Slytherin – seriously evil wizard coming through," disturbed me, 
because it was so clearly in contradiction with canon.  In the book, 
when Fred and George say this, it's Percy and Ginny who get annoyed, 
not Harry.  In fact, the book specifically states "Harry didn't mind; 
it made him feel better that Fred and George, at least, thought the 
idea of his being Slytherin's heir was quite ludicrous" (Ch. 12).  So 
I'm very glad this scene was left out.

Scene #10, when Hagrid runs into Harry holding the dead rooster – 
either this scene should have been left in, or the part of the scene 
in Dumbledore's office where Hagrid bursts in should have been 
deleted.  It doesn't make any sense for Hagrid to come into 
Dumbledore's office holding the rooster and claiming that he can 
vouch for Harry's innocence if the previous scene is missing.

Scene #12, where Ernie McMillan and Hannah Abbott are discussing 
Harry as the Heir of Slytherin – I think it would have made more 
sense to include this scene rather than the scene that was in the 
movie where everyone was just staring at Harry.  I'm still puzzled as 
to where this scene is supposed to be taking place, however.

Scene #15, where Ron and Harry visit Hermione in the hospital wing 
with Riddle's diary – I wish they had left this in, it would have 
helped to explain why Harry later asks the diary whether it knows 
anything about the chamber of secrets.

~Phyllis