Harry and the Hand of Glory

[bohcoo]

---  
> The points you've made are things that are totally different from 
the book, they've been added in, and unless, like the added scene in 
the first film, they are said to be JK approved -which I think is 
unlikely- then I don't think they'll have any major significance (if 
they did have, surely they would have been mentioned in the books 
wouldn't they?) Remember that JK said it was something that needed to 
be kept, not something new that needed to be added.
> 
> 
> HOLLYDAZE!!!


My response:
The points I made were not added but were, in fact, in the books --
except the Hagrid-worship at the end. I didn't understand why that 
was played that way at all. Everything else was indeed in the books, 
just in a more subtle way: 

In the movie, it must have been important to highlight Ron's violence 
or cruelty, having him whack the side of Lockhart's head with a rock 
when he was already incapacitated on the ground. In the book, this 
message was relayed as follows: (COS, ch. 16) "There was a dull thud 
and a loud 'ow!' It sounded as though Ron had just kicked Lockhart in 
the shins. . . There was another thud and another 'ow!' from behind 
the rocks..." 

Further, in SS, ch. 16:  "At the foot of the first set of stairs, 
they spotted Mrs. Norris skulking near the top. 'Oh, let's kick her, 
just this once,' whispered Ron in Harry's ear, but Harry shook his 
head."

Ron has a cruel streak, it seems, and the movie made a point of 
showing that.

(JKR seems to love the offhanded, casual mention of extremely vital 
clues -- that we don't "get" when we first see them. A perfect 
example of this is in the very first chapter of GOF when Voldemort 
tells Wormtail, "I will allow you to perform an essential task for 
me, one that many of my followers would give their right hands to 
perform...")

As far as Draco being shown to be a thief, in the movie he rips a 
page from a bookstore volume and stuffs it into his pocket and 
pockets the little package during the Slytherin common room scene. 
Overkill to establish the apparently important information covered 
thus in the book:  

"'Ah, the Hand of Glory!' said Mr. Borgin, abandoning Mr. Malfoy's 
list and sacurrying over to Draco. "...Best friend of thieves and 
plunderers. Your son has fine taste, sir.' 
'I hope my son will amount to more than a thief or plunderer, 
Borgin,' said Mr. Malfoy coldly.

Many facinating theories as to the "Draco the Klepto" theme have been 
set forth earlier in these discussions. I, for one, however, will not 
be surprised to discover Draco as a "plunderer" in later installments.


Bohcoo