Emma Watson Reveals Her All-Time Favorite Harry Potter Scene
All of the "Harry Potter" movies featured massive deviations from the books, some more than others. Harry's eyes were blue, Hermione Granger's Yule Ball dress was pink, and the Sorting Hat never broke into a song after the sorting ceremony. But on top of leaving out certain details from the book, there were also new scenes added. For instance, Professor McGonagall demonstrating the Yule Ball dance with a mortified Ron Weasley, Sirius Black mistaking Harry for his best friend James, Neville blowing up the covered bridge, and much more.
Most of these deviations were welcomed by fans, but if there's one non-book moment that has divided "Harry Potter" enthusiasts to this day, it is Hermione and Harry sharing a dance in the tent during "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1," after they're abandoned by their friend Ron Weasley. It may not hold a candle to Dobby's death or Snape's admission of love, but it's still one of the most emotional scenes in the franchise (more on that later), marking one of the saddest moments yet for their characters. It also happens to be Emma Watson's favorite "Harry Potter" scenes of all time.
They're Best Friends
During the "Harry Potter" reunion special, available to stream right now on HBO Max, Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe revisited the scene where their characters danced together in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1," the penultimate film in the franchise.
At this point in the film, Harry and Hermione are exhausted from their search for Voldemort's horcruxes, and they've just been abandoned by an exasperated Ron. It's one of the lowest points their characters have ever been. They're both grieving Ron's departure, they don't know where to look for horcruxes anymore, they're tired of running for their lives, and don't know if they'll live to see the next day. In an attempt to cheer up his friend, Harry approaches her, taking Slytherin's locket, one of Voldemort's horcruxes, off of her neck, and pulls her up to her feet. As Nick Cave's "O Children" plays on the radio, Hermione and Harry share a slow dance.
Watson conveyed that she thought it would be "really awkward" for Hermione and Harry to dance in that grim moment. A decade later, it has become one of her favorite scenes from the entire film franchise. Watson said to Radcliffe during the special:
"The scene that I thought was going to be really awkward, and I wasn't sure about at all, which was us doing our dance, now that's one of my favorite scenes from the whole of the series. Because the level of familiarity that you and I had with each other at that point, I don't think I could have done a scene like that with any other actor. So much said in the scene, it was unspoken, I loved that. And also, in the same way as characters, they got to have a moment of fun. You and I got to have a moment of fun, which we also needed at that point."
A Deeper Connection
One of the more interesting details about his seen is the fact that Harry and Hermione are seen dancing to Muggle music — they were both raised in Muggle households and understand each other in a way Ron never can.
The dance is also rooted in melancholy because you can see and feel the weight of their responsibilities crashing down on them, two teenagers on the cusp of adulthood. They've traveled for months in search of clues, sleeping but barely sleeping well, and they're always terrified that the next moment will be their last. They're always looking over their shoulders, in fear of being captured by death eaters.
Despite the scene not existing in the source material, its presence in the film shows a softer side of Harry, who did nothing to comfort Hermione in the books when Ron abandoned them. So they dance, slowly, but each move transforms into something goofier. The music becomes louder as Hermione begins to laugh. Harry has never had much in common with Hermione, but they've grown closer as friends over the years, and for a moment, even when they're at the lowest, he can set his worries aside to make her smile.
Harry might be destined to save the Wizarding World, but Hermione sacrificed her Muggle life and relationship with her parents help him in his quest. It's quite special that the two of them, who gave up everything they had for the greater good, were able to find a minute to laugh and love, in a small tent, in a deserted forest, even when the world was on the brink of war. That's why it's not just Watson's favorite scene in the eight-film franchise — it's also mine.