


This is also the first movie in which the series takes a darker tone, while the first two by Chris Columbus were more family friendly, despite including Aragog and a Basilsk. And more famously, Dumbledore, portrayed by Sir Michael Gambon, is different in both appearance and personality from both the late Richard Harris and the book. Flitwick the Charms teacher, though uncredited in this movie, is noticeably younger than his portrayal as a grey and bearded wizard in the first two movies. The school uniforms have been upgraded, such as girls including Hermione wearing tights rather than knee socks and the students wearing robes with the hoods symbolizing the colors of their respective house. The Whomping Willow, which was standing in a courtyard directly attached to the school in the previous movie, has now been moved to the grounds on quite a distance from the castle. Hagrid's hut is relocated down a slope rather than a lawn. For example, Hogwarts looks quite different from the first two movies, and the grounds surrounding it are much more hilly the back of the castle now features a clock tower, and a long wooden bridge has been added that connects it to a nearby hill over a large chasm. Despite being third in the Harry Potter franchise, the makers used this movie to allow themselves some retcons (retroactive changes) rather than simply doing a continuation of the series.
