7 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Mistakes You’ll Never Be Able to Unsee

To fans, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a work of art, and perhaps the most beloved film and book in the series. Alfonso Cuarón completely redefined the look and feel of the Wizarding World, introducing darker tones and a stylish, moody atmosphere that set the stage for the subsequent movies. But for all its brilliance, the Prisoner of Azkaban final cut also contains some pretty wild mistakes. Little unintentional mistakes that, once you notice them, you may never be able to ignore them again.

Self-folding sheets, snow-proof boots, and a massive boom mic hanging around in Lupin’s office are all a result of the fallible Muggle creators behind all the magic. None of these take away from how great the movie is, but if you’ve ever paused to squint at a strange object in the background, you’re not alone. So grab your Time-Turner, because we’re heading back through some of the funniest film slip-ups in Azkaban.

7) Malfoy’s Failed Boot Charm

Draco Malfoy has been humiliated by Harry plenty of times and vice versa, but few moments are as entertaining as when Harry sneaks under the Invisibility Cloak and drags him across the snow by his ankles outside Hogsmead. It’s a great moment of slapstick schadenfreude, but the close-ups of Draco’s boots calls for a double take. In the first shot, his soles are spotless… no snow, no slush, not even a scuff. Seconds later, when his feet are still in the air, suddenly the soles are completely covered in snow.

Unless Malfoy broke concentration on some kind of snow-repellent charm on his boots mid-air, it’s likely a simple continuity slip. Considering how snowy the Hogwarts grounds are in this scene, you’d think the crew would have remembered to put the fake white powder on them for every shot. Instead, we get a glimpse of Draco, caught with his feet up and the wardrobe intern dropping the ball. 

6) The Leaky Cauldron 300

One of the best parts of the film is reveling in the warm chaos of the Weasleys, and Arthur Weasley steps up to deliver the dad-talk that Harry desperately needs. But in the Leaky Cauldron, as Arthur pulls Harry aside to warn him about Sirius Black, something very non-magical and frankly unexplainable sneaks into the frame. Just before Arthur delivers his line, a digital number “300” suddenly flashes on a nearby stone pillar.

The moment is certainly not canon, and it’s probably not even production’s fault. It’s more likely that something went wrong in the editing bay, but what exactly happened is a secret that will die in the chamber. The Leaky Cauldron is famously without an electronic scoreboard, but the strange digital artifact remains. Even funnier, in the widescreen version, it’s not “300” but “301.” A clue? Good luck explaining that one in Hogwarts film history class.

5) Dursley House is Cursed

The movie wastes no time in showing how awful Harry’s home life with the Dursleys is, but eagle-eyed viewers might have noticed that Number 4 Privet Drive itself can’t seem to stay consistent. In the opening scene, when the camera pans through the back patio door as the Dursleys eat dinner, the kitchen window looks far from the white patio enclosure with a viney trellis in between. But minutes later, as Uncle Vernon tumbles to the ground while Aunt Marge floats away, the same window is suddenly jammed right up against the sunroom. 

This might be a distorted perspective caused by the film wizardry of using a different lens; however, a few clues suggest that this is an entirely different set. Namely, the plants. Not only is there no trellis in sight, but the potted plant and the bush just behind the half-wall have each taken on entirely new shapes and sizes. It’s also possible that Harry was enacting a long-con revenge plan on the Dursleys, magically rearranging the walls, windows, and foliage until they’ve gone completely mad.

4) Hagrid’s Invisible Hutmate

Visiting Hagrid’s hut is always a highlight, but in Prisoner of Azkaban, his windowsill steals this scene. The first time Harry, Ron, and Hermione visit, the sill is cluttered with props: a birdcage, a blue cup and saucer, a watering can, and a little planter box. Later, when future Hermione throws a stone through the window to get past Harry and Ron’s attention, those items pull a vanishing act. The watering can and cup are shuffled around, while the birdcage and planter disappear completely.

Then, like magic, they’re suddenly back in place when Hermione throws the second stone. The continuity slip reveals just how many takes, and possibly pickup shots, were stitched together to make the scene work. It’s still strange, given that we are supposedly witnessing a recurrence of the exact same moment, but considering Hagrid’s place is already the most chaotic cottage in the UK, maybe we can just assume the windowsill was rearranging itself.

3) Time-Turner Tech Smuggling

In another Time-Turner-related blunder, Harry and Hermione are sneaking around the Hogwarts grounds trying to save everyone’s lives. After they duck and hide from Malfoy, who is freshly reeling from a punch to the face, we can clearly see the rectangular bulge of a wireless mic transmitter under Hermione’s pink hoodie. It pops up more than once, including when Harry bows to Buckbeak at the pumpkin patch, where his own transmitter outline is visible through his clothes.

Once you’ve noticed the distinct rectangular lump, it’s impossible to unsee, especially since it looks like Hermione is smuggling a chocolate frog in her hoodie. If only the filmmakers themselves could go back in time to sneak baggier clothes onto the wardrobe racks. Regardless, it certainly makes you appreciate the invisibility magic required to hide the mic packs so well most of the time.

2) The Hospital Wing’s Self-Folding Sheets

Hospital Wing scenes are always a little spooky, and Madam Pomfrey’s bedside manner leaves much to be desired. But in this case, it’s the linens that are working overtime. In one shot, we can clearly see the neatly folded blankets on Harry’s bed. Then, when Hermione says, “Sorry Ron, but seeing as you can’t walk,” the bed Harry was lying in moments earlier is suddenly in disarray. The blankets are crumpled up, the chair is shifted, and the blue screens have been moved around.

Of course, after the Time-Turner sequence wraps up and the return to the Hospital, everything is back to pristine condition. The blankets are neatly folded once again. Either the pixies have gotten loose, or Madam Pomfrey’s cleaning spell has gone awry.

1) Boom Boggart in Lupin’s Office

As Harry visits Professor Lupin in the film’s resolution, Lupin is packing his bags, reflecting on his resignation and offering Harry one final bit of advice. It’s an emotional moment, meant to give closure to Harry and the audience alike. But right when Lupin starts his line, “If I’m proud of anything I’ve done this year,” an unmistakable production gaffe enters stage right.

As Lupin walks past a glass-front cabinet of skulls, the reflection captures a huge boom mic dangling above the scene. It lingers just long enough to feel like a character; a ghost, a dementor, or perhaps the Boggart, appearing as the sound guy’s worst fear: a boom mic creeping into the shot. Once you’ve noticed it, you’ll never be able to focus on Lupin again, because the only thing you’ll be thinking about is the poor boom operator handing in his own resignation. 

Be honest, have you ever spotted the boom mic in Lupin’s office before now? Let us know in the comments below!