Continuity mistake: At the snake exhibit, while Harry speaks with the Python the snake's body lies curled over a long wood log and a large rock. In the shot from outside the Python's exhibit, after the glass pane disappears Dudley falls over the rail and the snake is gone, not positioned differently or blocked from view, but altogether gone. In the next overhead shot inside the Python's exhibit, while Dudley falls the snake is back lying on the log and rock, in the very same position as in the previous shots. (00:07:10)
Continuity mistake: When the troll enters the girls' lavatory, in the wide shot as Hermione walks backwards towards the cubicles, the room becomes brighter from the storm. With this extra bright light it is simple to see that the wall between the 2nd & 3rd cubicles actually touches the floor, unlike the other cubicle walls. Yet, in the overhead shot as the troll's club slams into the cubicles, Hermione is lying under that very wall crawling away. (01:10:05)
Continuity mistake: At the start of term feast, after Harry is sorted into Gryffindor, he sits down on the right side of the table next to Ron. When the feast appears, Harry is on the other side of the table, next to Hermione. (00:46:05)
Suggested correction: This is not a mistake. In the first shot, Harry was just sorted into Gryffindor and there were still quite a few students waiting to be sorted. By the time of the second shot, all the students were sorted and the feast started. Therefore, at least a few minutes have passed and Harry had plenty of time to switch sides of the table. Doesn't make much sense why he did that, I agree, but still plenty of time to do it.
I agree, but it's not about how there's plenty of time to do it. Like you said before, there's no reason for Harry to change position. Therefore, it counts as a mistake.
Continuity mistake: When the three children get past Fluffy because the harp is playing, as Fluffy wakes he dribbles on Ron's shoulder. However, when they fall down into the Devil's Snare, his shirt is completely dry. (00:51:16)
Continuity mistake: During the flying lesson scene, some strands of Hermione's hair have very deep crimps on both sides of her face in a few shots. In other shots the crimps are far looser and still in additional shots, there are no crimps whatsoever. (00:55:25 - 00:57:10)
Continuity mistake: As Hermione hides under the sinks the troll smashes the front basin of the second sink on the right, leaving its faucets and surrounding sinks intact. Though in a view of the entire lavatory when the troll holds Harry upside down, from behind Hermione, the entire second sink, its faucets and trim are entirely missing and the entire fourth sink, which was never touched, is as well, both are gone. When the troll is knocked out, as Hermione stands up and moves toward Harry and Ron, though the faucets of the second sink are back, the front basin of the second sink is visibly broken again just as in the original shot, and the entire fourth sink is still inexplicably gone in this shot. (01:10:45 - 01:11:45)
Continuity mistake: Dumbledore, McGonagall and Hagrid leave baby Harry on the Dursley's doorstep. When the shot opens in the first close-up of the baby, as Dumbledore places the envelope on the blanket, though a good portion of his forehead is visible, the scar is not there. In his next close-up, it is very apparent, due to the position of the scar, that part of it should have been visible on his forehead in the previous close-up. (00:03:40)
Continuity mistake: Daniel Radcliffe, the boy who plays Harry Potter, has naturally blue eyes. In some shots Chris Columbus, the director, changed Daniel's eye color. But Chris C. didn't want to use that the whole time. It's not a lighting problem.
Continuity mistake: Just after Slytherin scores ten points, Flint and his teammate surround Angelina. When one grabs the quaffle from Angelina, they fly past the second Gryffindor tower - we see the first Gryffindor tower, two staff towers (grey/black), Slytherin tower and the second Gryffindor tower behind them - then Angelina covers her head with her arm. However, in the next shot she actually crashes into the tower that she already flew past. (01:16:30)
Continuity mistake: When Hagrid steps off the motorbike while holding young Harry, the Dursley's house (with a small bush to the right of the front door) is visible directly behind McGonagall. The house is fully attached on both sides to homes with a one car garage. Yet after Vernon asks, "Who'd be writing to you?" in the shot of the owl dropping the letter which flies through the front door mail slot, the house to the left of the Dursleys (when facing the front) has a two car garage, is not attached to the Dursley's house and is quite a bit away from the Dursley's house as well. Then in Chamber of Secrets, the house to the right (when facing the back) is attached once again in the same manner as at the start of this film with young Harry. (Visible on DVD widescreen.) (00:02:25 - 00:09:25)
Continuity mistake: When Harry is in the potions class he is caught writing notes down, we see his neat writing in close up ... but when the camera angle changes we can see that the writing has changed in size to very large letters and quite messy writing. (00:52:10)
Continuity mistake: When Harry and Hagrid are in Gringotts, Hagrid takes the letter from Professor Dumbleldore out of his pocket to give to the Head Goblin. The string it is tied with has a bow that runs from the top to bottom of the envelope, and the envelope is creased. When the Goblin takes it off Hagrid, it is a different envelope - the bow runs from left to right and the envelope is not creased. When viewed from where Harry and Hagrid are standing, the final shot of the envelope again shows it is creased. (00:21:50)
Continuity mistake: When Harry, Ron and Hermione are heading to Hagrid's hut, near the end of the movie, a group of three people behind them walk into another corridor. Then a second or two later the same group walks into the same corridor. (01:50:20)
Continuity mistake: When the first years are first led into the Great Hall, in the shot facing the teacher's table, the twins sit to Wood's left at the end of Gryffindor's table. However, in the next shot facing the first years, the twins sit on Wood's right. (00:41:55)
Continuity mistake: In the chess scene, at the end of the (overlong) montage of shots of pieces being smashed, the White Queen turns her attention to a Black Castle. The first stroke of her sword clearly goes through the structure of the castle, which disintegrates. We cut to various different angles and watch pieces of the destroyed castle flying all over the place. Cut back to the original angle, and we see the Queen attacking again, but the Castle is completely intact - only the figure from on top of it is missing. And it can't have been the second castle, since that's Hermione's position. (01:58:26)
Continuity mistake: When Harry walks into Ollivanders, in the overhead shot of the shop the table is angled directly in front of the ladder. Yet, when Mr. Ollivander hands Harry the second wand the table is beside the ladder in this shot. (00:25:00 - 00:26:25)
Continuity mistake: At the hut on the rock, after Harry draws the candles in the dirt, he glances behind him at Dudley's watch. In the next close-up of the watch, as it turns 12:00, the watch is actually on Dudley's wrist (notice his fingers) the opposite way from the previous shot. Note the distinctive design around the watch face. (00:12:35)
Continuity mistake: In the Dursley's kitchen, as Harry walks by, on the table is Vernon's cereal bowl between the coffee pot on his right and OJ on his left, plus the tea pot is in the center of the table. In the close-up as Vernon says, "Yours? Who'd be writing to you?" the cereal bowl is missing and the tea pot is near his OJ. In the next close-up of the letter, the cereal bowl is back and the OJ is now on Vernon's right, near the coffee cup. (00:09:05)
Continuity mistake: In the scene in Diagon alley when Harry first enters there are some witches on the left hand side of the screen looking at what appears to be large lollypops and Harry walks past them. The camera angle changes and Harry walks past them again. (00:20:50)
Continuity mistake: After Dudley shouts, "Wake up, Potter! We're going to the zoo," he pushes Harry back into the cupboard and runs into the kitchen. When he opens the door, the kitchen floor is visible and there are no floor mats. Yet, once Harry walks into the kitchen there is a taped black mat on the floor at the door and another black mat at the counter, under the stools that were visible in the previous shot, when Petunia bangs on the cupboard door. (This does not refer to the reddish mat Dudley stands on.) (00:04:35)
