Book 5 Mistakes

• The cover of OOTP shows Harry in the Department of Mysteries holding his wand in his left hand. However, it is clearly stated that his right arm is his wand arm.
• On page 1, Harry is lying in his Aunt's hydrangea bush, but on page 7 he recalls that "someone magical had been near him as he lay among Aunt Petunia's dying begonias..."
  
  Possible Explanation: Aunt Petunia may have had a variety of plants and flowers in her garden.
  
  
• In the Hardcover U.S. edition of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, page 12, paragraph three, it says, "Harry stepped into the shadow of a large lilac tree and waited." But lilacs grow on bushes, not trees.
  
  
• In OOTP, page 60, the description of 12 Grimmauld Place states, "The silver door knocker was in the form of a twisted serpent. There was no keyhole or letterbox." However, it clearly shows on the title page (the drawing of Snuffles exiting number twelve) that there is a keyhole.
• On page 166, Chapter 9, "The Woes of Mrs. Weasley," it says: "He pretended to be rummaging for something while Hermione crossed to the wardrobe and called Hedwig down. A few moments passed; Harry heard the door close but remained bent double, listening... He straightened up and looked behind him. Hermione and Hedwig had gone. Harry hurried across the room, closed the door..." But Harry had already heard the door close.
• Harry is able to see the Thestrals at the beginning of Order of the Phoenix. It is later explained that you can see them after you have seen death. Harry had seen the death of his mother and possibly his father before he saw Cedric Diggory die, so why didn't he see the Thestrals before?
  
  JKR's response: You can't see them until the death "sinks in."
• In OOTP, American edition, hardcover version, on pages 198-199, it says: "The horse was there in front of him, gleaming solidly in the dim light issuing from the station windows behind them, vapor rising from its nostrils in the chilly night air." Before this line, Harry tells Ron that he can see the skeletal horses and Ron can't see them. However, even if Ron couldn't see the horses, he should have been able to see the vapor rising from nowhere.
  
  
• On page 225 of the American edition, Ron groans about their schedule. "History of Magic, double Potions, Divination and double Defense Against the Dark Arts..." Shortly after, on page 229, Harry and his classmates suffer "an hour and a half's droning". Later, on pages 232-233, Snape informs the class they have "an hour and a half" to complete their assignment. It was a regular History of Magic lesson, yet it lasted the same amount of time as double Potions.



• In Chapter 13, "Detention with Dolores," starting on page 234 (259 USA), Professor Grubbly-Plank states, "I want a sketch from each of you with all body-parts labeled by the end of the lesson." The inconsistencies are noticeable at the end of that class; for example, on page 235 (260 USA), it says, "When the bell echoed distantly over the grounds, Harry rolled up his blood-stained Bowtruckle picture and marched off..." On page 238 (264 USA) Harry says that they all (specifically Ron and Hermione) have tons of homework, including to "finish the Bowtruckle drawing," and again it's mentioned on page 241 (268 USA). On page 242 (269 USA), Harry even skips lunch to finish it. Wasn't it due at the end of the original class, therefore not being homework?
  
  
• In Order of the Phoenix, UK Edition, page 340, it says "but Harry pulled out his Charms books and set to work on finishing his essay..." However, the excerpts from the Charms book have nothing to do with Charms - they sound like potion ingredients: "Therefore much used in Confusing and Befuddlement Droughts..." Then, after his conversation with Dobby on page 342, "He (Harry) bent and picked up his Potions book. He'd have to try and finish the essay tomorrow." It appears that Harry's Charms essay magically transformed into a Potions essay.
• In the paperback American Edition, Chapter 22, page 474, it says, "There was a flash of flame in the very middle of the office, leaving behind a single golden feather that floated gently to the floor." But the next paragraph reads: "'It's Fawkes's warning,' said Dumbledore, catching the feather as it fell." Dumbledore couldn't have caught the feather; it was already on the ground.
  
  
• In the hardback US edition of Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 24 ("Occlumency"), page 526, it says, "'That bossy woman up front 'oo got on with you, she's given us a little tip to move you up the queue. We're just going to let Madam Marsh off first, though--' There was more retching from downstairs, followed by a horrible spattering sound. 'She's not feeling 'er best.'" Nowhere did it say that they had heard retching, so why did it say "more retching"?
  
  
• On page 651, the illustration shows Fred and George flying into a night sky with a very full moon. However, on page 675 it says, "Fred and George wheeled about to tumultuous applause from the students below and sped out of the open front doors into the glorious sunset."
  
  
• On pages 662-663 of the US hardback edition, in Chapter 29 ("Career Advice"), Professor McGonagall seems to make a mistake. She tells Harry that he will need a minimum of five N.E.W.T.s, but only four are listed: Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Charms, and Potions. What happened to the fifth subject?
  
  
• In Book 5, Chapter 30 ("Grawp"), pages 683 and 684, at the Gryffindor/Ravenclaw Quidditch match, it says: "They [Harry & Hermione] found seats in the topmost row of the stands." Later on, when Hagrid comes to take them to see Grawp, it says: "Apparently he [Hagrid] had squeezed his way all along the row behind." How can that be if Harry and Hermione were in the top row?
• 
  
• On page 714 (American hardback), while Harry is vanishing an iguana for his practical Transfiguration exam, the book says that Hannah Abbot "lost her head completely at the next table and somehow managed to multiply her ferret into a flock of flamingos..." However, on the previous page, we are shown that the students were called in in alphabetical order: "Parkinson, Pansy-- Patil, Padma-- Patil, Parvati-- Potter, Harry." If they were all called alphabetically by last name, why are Abbot and Potter together?