00:00Whether it be easter eggs that were simply overlooked, or secrets that were unveiled
00:04via J.K. Rowling's Twitter account, Harry Potter has plenty of untold secrets across
00:08the film series. From secret perforated eardrums to the troublesome Slytherins, Rowling has
00:14had plenty of fun slowly leaking some of the Potter-trudes over the years. Her Twitter
00:20account as well as the Pottermore page has served as the ultimate fountain of mythology
00:24for fans around the world. In a made-up world filled with fantastical beasts and freaky
00:29moving staircases, there are bound to be a few unexplained elements. The secrets that
00:34Hogwarts contains are bountiful, but over the years the drawbridge has been lowered slowly,
00:39revealing the truth behind the mystical and magical world of wizarding and what goes on
00:43behind closed set doors. Let's take a look at some of the sneaky secrets that have managed
00:49to slither out of the Hogwarts set over the years. Hold on to your broomsticks because
00:53what we're about to tell you might just blow you away. And with that in mind, I'm Ellie
00:58with WhatCulture here with nine obscure Harry Potter movie secrets that took years to discover.
01:059. Rupert Grint wasn't acting during the Aragog scene
01:09It turns out wizards aren't the only ones who are scared of spiders. In an interview that
01:15took place after the release of the film The Chamber of Secrets, Rupert Grint had a secret
01:19of his own that he revealed to the world. What you may have thought was excellent acting in
01:25Aragog scene was actually a genuine phobia that the actor was attempting to harness.
01:29His fear goes as far as making him check his shoes every morning to make sure there are
01:34no spiders in there. Maybe he checks his coffee for slugs too. Which is worse, filming a scene
01:39with a bunch of spiders or having to throw up a whole load of slugs? Paul Rupert did not
01:44have it easy on the set of Harry Potter and he probably came away with a few new fears on top
01:48of the already existing ones. As it turns out, Weasley's fear of spiders stems from
01:53Rowling's fear of spiders in real life. Could there be a spell for curing arachnophobia?
01:588. Harry's Broken Glasses Weren't a Prop
02:02Daniel Radcliffe was made to play Harry Potter. He's just as clumsy when it comes to his glasses
02:09and ended up needing over 100 pairs to get through the filming. If he wasn't losing them, he was
02:14sitting on them, stepping on them, or simply taking them home for his own little Harry shrine.
02:20At first, he claimed to have stolen a few pairs, but he revealed in an interview that they were
02:24actually given to him as a gift after filming. The Broken Glasses in the film were a very real prop
02:29and had over 160 stunt doubles. That's 160 pairs of Broken Glasses for 8 films. 20 pairs for every
02:38movie. If only Oculus Rupero worked in real life. It has also since been revealed that at first
02:44Radcliffe was unable to wear the iconic glasses without breaking out in a mysterious rash.
02:48The frames of the glasses contained ingredients known as nickel that can be found in a lot of
02:53cheaply made jewellery and eyewear. It took them a while, but they figured it out and Harry was
02:58given a very special pair of hypoallergenic glasses and the rash went away.
03:027. Wizarding Is International
03:05The American sibling of the prestigious school for magic was already hinted at during the Harry
03:10Potter film series. But Rowling has since revealed that there are 11 wizarding schools worldwide and
03:16that they are all registered with the very important sounding International Confederation of Wizards.
03:21The fourth installment of the series, The Goblet of Fire, revealed two of the 11 schools,
03:25naming them Durmstrang and the same magnifique French school known as Beauxbaton Academy of Magic.
03:32Since then, it has been revealed that wizarding is a worldwide thing and is taught all over the
03:37globe in countries such as Japan, Uganda, Brazil and Northern Europe, and each of the schools has
03:42its own specialities such as Quidditch or Herbology and Magizoology. The Pottermore site now has an
03:49in-depth section regarding the schools for curious fans to study. Would you attend one of the others
03:54or would you stick to the classic Scotland-based school of Hogwarts? Apparently they do look at your
03:58proximity to the schools, so you might not have a choice in the matter.
04:02Number six, the books weren't actually floating. It can be tough to find a troll to act in your movie
04:08or a freakishly large spider willing to retake scenes, so a lot of the visual effects in the film
04:14series are done using CGI, but on the odd occasion the director will employ a very simple trick to
04:20achieve the desired effect. The books in the Hogwarts library are known for rearranging themselves,
04:25but they aren't doing it all by themselves. What actually happened is that there was a huge
04:29behind-the-scenes team consisting of green-gloved individuals. The green gloves work in the same
04:35way as a green screen would, and the post-production team just had to edit the hands out of the shot.
04:40The result is a fantastic shot in which it appears that Hermione is grabbing a book from the air as it
04:46floats past and replaces it with a different book. Now this is some real-life magic that needs more
04:51appreciation than it gets. There are so many moving parts in these movies that there are bound to be a
04:56few little tricks here and there so that they could achieve the perfect moving staircase or talking
05:01hat. 5. Vincent Crabb Was Fired
05:05Have you ever wondered where the third member of the Slytherin posse went? Turns out he was just as
05:10much trouble on set as he was in the movie. Actor Jamie Whalett was fired from the film set after being
05:16arrested for growing marijuana back in 2009. The character who stepped in to take his place was
05:21Blaze Zabini. Blaze was, however, featured in the books but not meant to appear in the Room of
05:26Requirements scene, causing fans to question what had happened to the original member of the trio.
05:32Losing the role in the movie obviously wasn't enough to set the actor on a straighter path,
05:36and he was arrested again in 2011 for stealing from a shop during the London riots. You can take
05:42the boy out of Slytherin, but you can't take the Slytherin out of the boy, it seems.
05:454. Warner Bros. Couldn't Afford Madam Hooch
05:50Another secret that only the keenest of fans would have noticed is the absence of Madam Hooch from
05:55the films. The Hogwarts flying instructor and Quidditch coach played a significant role in the
06:00books but didn't feature as much as fans expected in the movies. We are first introduced to the
06:05character played by Zoe Wanamaker in The Philosopher's Stone. Her role is to teach Potter how to fly and how
06:11to win. She is written into the story throughout the books but doesn't make an appearance past the
06:16first film instalment. Zoe puts the lack of her character being in the movies down to the fact
06:21that Warner Bros. didn't want to increase her salary. In an interview she said that she had
06:26asked for a pay rise for the remainder of the series but was turned down. Clearly Warner Bros.
06:30either weren't a fan of her acting or of her character. Maybe the lack of Madam Hooch was for the
06:36better. Who knows? 3. Radcliffe, Watson and Grint were just being themselves
06:42When filming for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the director at the time, Alfonso
06:47Curon, asked the main trio to write an essay about their characters for homework. In true Harry,
06:52Hermione and Ron style, the trio tackled the task appropriate to their characters.
06:57Emma Watson wrote a 16-page essay going into detail about her role. Daniel Radcliffe kept it short but
07:03deep and wrote a meaningful piece that would have received top marks if they were being graded.
07:07Rupert didn't do anything and turned up to set empty handed, claiming that his character would
07:12have done the same and therefore he had nailed the homework assignment. This lesser known behind
07:16the scenes secret captures just how perfect the casting was for the movie and explains why the
07:22actors nailed their characters and the chemistry on set so well. The film series went through quite a
07:28few directors but none of the changes ever affected how the actors interacted on screen. Daniel, Emma
07:34and Rupert are highly skilled at what they do and were able to maintain their character's identity
07:38despite the disruptions along the way. 2. Alan Rickman had a soft spot for Snape
07:44Rumour has it that Alan Rickman was informed of his character's loyalties right from the start.
07:50Apparently, when the actor was cast as Snape, JK Rowling told him about his love for Lily and that no one
07:55else knew. As he was the only one to know this very important piece of information,
08:00he would often reject direction from the directors on set. But he also couldn't let anyone in on the
08:05secret but it was all made clear when his broken heart was revealed in the Deathly Hallows.
08:11Many on set thought that he was simply embodying his character's sass when the cameras weren't rolling
08:16but it turns out he had good reason for being as stubborn as he was about his character. David Heyman,
08:21the producer of the Harry Potter film series, claimed that there were multiple times Rickman refused to
08:26do as he was told and that it all made sense when the reveal happened. Alan Rickman is another good
08:32example of excellent casting. Rickman understood the assignment and kept his major secret until the
08:38very end, adding to the impact on everyone involved and everyone watching. 1. Helena Bonham Carter
08:45didn't know she'd stabbed a co-star. Helena Bonham Carter is known for her method acting techniques and has
08:51a long history of giving herself wholly to the role at hand. Fortunately for the viewers but
08:56unfortunately for some of her co-stars, her role as Bellatrix Lestrange was no exception.
09:02While they were filming for the Deathly Hallows, Helena let things get a little bit out of hand
09:06while acting in the scene where Lestrange has Neville at wand point. Thinking that the wand was soft and
09:12cotton-bad like, Helena went to stick the wand in his ear just as he moved his head towards her.
09:17The small movement unfortunately meant that Matthew Lewis's eardrum was stabbed, perforating it in the
09:22process. Playing it off as if it were nothing due to politeness and fear for the character,
09:27Lewis only fessed up to the injury weeks later. Bonham Carter was apparently mortified and very
09:33apologetic. I mean, who can blame Lewis for not fessing up sooner? Would you complain to Bellatrix
09:38Lestrange that she'd poked a little too hard at your eardrum? I mean, Lewis really is a sweetheart in real
09:43life and he fits his character so well. And that concludes our list. If you can think of any that
09:49we missed then do let us know in the comments below and while you're there don't forget to like
09:53and subscribe and tap that notification bell. Also head over to Twitter and follow us there and I can be
09:58found across various social medias just by searching Ellie Littlechild. I've been Ellie with
10:03WhatCulture. I hope you have a magical day and I'll see you real soon.
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