Despite the Harry Potter films ending over 10 years ago, fans are still noticing fun details in them all these years later.
Based on J.K. Rowling‘s beloved book series of the same name, the Harry Potter films follow the adventures of its eponymous wizard (played by Daniel Radcliffe) as he embarks on many a-quest with his friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson).
While there’s a whole bunch of remarkable details and Easter eggs to boot throughout the Harry Potter series, fans are only just realizing what exactly is going on in one scene that perfectly nods to the books.
Fans finally have an explanation for what Aunt Petunia’s doing in this scene. (Warner Bros.)
Right at the start of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the franchise’s first film, fans have noticed that Harry’s aunt, Petunia (a horrible woman who we do grow to understand in the later films), is doing something in the background of the kitchen.
Now during the scene, Harry’s just received his first Hogwarts admission letter, so it’s quite easy to only be paying attention to him at that moment.
But eagle-eyed fans on Reddit have pointed out that Petunia seems to be washing something in a pot at the back, which is explained in the book.
“In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s (Sorcerer’s) Stone, Aunt Petunia is visible in the background of this scene dyeing Dudley’s old clothes gray for Harry’s uniform,” a user on Reddit wrote. “This is only ever mentioned in the book.”
You see, in the first book Harry’s legal guardians and family, the Dursleys, plan on sending him to Stonewall High, a state school that’s presumably less prestigious than their son Dudley’s school Smeltings Academy.
Now anyone who’s read the books or seen the films would know that the Dursleys aren’t the kindest to Harry, so rather than sending him to school in a nice, new uniform, his aunt instead dyes his cousin’s clothes gray—which according to Harry—looked like ‘elephant skin.’
We might have all been too distracted paying attention to Harry instead. (Warner Bros.)
The film shows Petunia washing up and dyeing the clothes in the background, which many fans can’t believe they didn’t catch.
“The amount of times I have seen this movie is crazy, and I’ve read the book once, absolutely loved it, and yet I didn’t even notice this,” one fan commented. “That’s actually really cool!! Just wish they kept Peeves in the film!”
“Remember when the movies were this true to the books? Good times,” another wrote.
Sigh…it truly was the best of times.