11 things the Harry Potter movies actually did right

Christmas at Hogwarts

Christmas at Hogwarts is an extraordinary affair in the books, and the film makers must have picked up on this. For this reason, most fans associate the books and films with the holiday season. Why else would networks constantly run Harry Potter marathons in December?

The movies did a great job of capturing the atmosphere of a Hogwarts Christmas, even from Harry’s very first Christmas there. Radcliffe beautifully conveys Harry’s surprise and elation at receiving gifts for the first time in his life. The inclusion of the knitted Weasley sweaters only perfects the scene, which ends in Harry’s discovery of the Invisibility Cloak.

The Christmas scenes following in Chamber of Secrets and Prisoner of Azkaban are quicker and more subtle. They translate the time of year through the decorates lining the Great Hall and the snowy landscapes surrounding the castle. Order of the Phoenix also maintains this low-key Christmas theme, though we do get an entire scene at Grimmauld Place, depicting Sirius’s joy to not be spending the holiday alone.

The Yule Ball scene in Goblet of Fire accurately ditches the subtlety in exchange for an extravagant holiday celebration. This is one of the more gorgeous Christmas scenes in the films, and it leaves viewers with all the Christmas feels.