Continuity mistake: When Harry and Hagrid walk into Diagon Alley, in the first shot, as they start down the street, on their right they immediately pass; 1- a man in black standing at the doorway to the Daily Prophet office, writing in a notebook, who then starts to walk away. 2- particular men and women walking past the store. 3- store window with Quidditch uniforms. 4- children looking in store window. A few shots later, they pass on their right a man, with bushy grey sideburns, walking with a woman dressed in black, yet in the next shot that same man and woman are chatting in the doorway to the Owl Emporium on their left. Then a few shots after that, still walking, Harry and Hagrid pass all the numbers, 1 through 4 again in close-up. (00:20:40)
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: When Harry walks into Gringott's for the first time, if you look at the pattern on the floor he jumps forward about 5ft instantly. (00:21:10)
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 Hagrid is in Gringotts, in the shot facing Hagrid when he says, "Professor Dumbledore gave me this," his index and middle finger are on the side of the writing as he hands the letter to the Goblin Bank Teller, yet in the next two shots, Hagrid's thumb is on the side of the writing in front, as he hands the letter over. (00:22:45)
Continuity mistake: In Olivander's shop, the packages Harry put down when entering the shop change position between shots. (00:24:30)
Continuity mistake: After leaving Gringotts, Hagrid directs Harry to Ollivanders to buy his wand. When Hagrid says, "Why don't you run along there and wait...," there is a close-up of the store. Under the name Ollivanders the three roll window shades are completely pulled up, allowing the lamp chain to be visible behind the curved showcase window and the window shade at the top of the front door is pulled partially down behind the glass panes. However, as Harry opens the front door in the first shot, the window shades to his left, in the curved showcase window, are partially pulled down and the window shade on the door is now rolled up. (00:24:50)
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: Mr. Ollivander says, "I wondered when I'd be seeing you Mr. Potter," and as he climbs down the ladder Harry is standing at the middle of the desk, away from the corner. In the next shot as Mr. Ollivander searches for a wand case Harry stands at the corner of the desk. However, in the next shot Harry stands at the middle again. (00:25:30)
Continuity mistake: When Mr. Ollivander takes the first wand out of the box to give to Harry, the board, shelf, roses, etc., are visible behind him. When Harry takes the second wand to wave, just before the vase explodes, in the close-up the hanging red feathers, black roses and notes to the left of the roses all visibly differ to the previous shot of them. (00:25:50)
Continuity mistake: The first wand Ollivander gives to Harry has a long slim handle with 5 or so grooves carved at the wand end. When Harry puts the wand down, the grooves are even with the binding of the book lying there. When Ollivander hands Harry the second wand, look to the left by the book and you can see that not only has the wand been moved, it is actually a different wand with a shorter, wider handle and only one groove at the wand end. (00:26:10)
Continuity mistake: The way in which Mr. Ollivander holds out the second wand for Harry to try differs, in the shot facing Mr. Ollivander and the next shot facing Harry. (00:26:25)
Continuity mistake: After shopping in Diagon Alley, when Harry confronts Hagrid about Voldemort, in the first overhead wide shot Hedwig's cage is right next to Hagrid on the bench and is positioned a particular way. Yet in the next shot, the cage is much farther from Hagrid and is positioned the opposite way on the bench. (00:28:45)
Continuity mistake: At Kings Cross, just as Percy Weasley is about to run through the wall onto platform 9 3/4, we see a man and a woman walking past him, but when the shot changes direction, they have both disappeared. (00:31:15)
Continuity mistake: At Platform 9 3/4, when Mrs. Weasley says, "All right, Percy, you first," as Percy walks in front of her she holds her bags in her left hand. Yet in the next shot as Percy still walks in front of her, she holds her bags in her right hand. (00:32:25)
Continuity mistake: When Harry and Ron are sat on the train, Ron's hair begins with a centre parting, but soon changes to a side parting. (00:32:59)
Continuity mistake: Just as Harry runs towards the wall to reach Platform 9 3/4, it is obvious that the owl in the cage is now a stuffed one. (00:33:30)
Continuity mistake: When Harry and Ron are on the train to Hogwarts, we see a shot of the sweets Harry has bought. Note the position of Harry's sweatshirt and that the collar shows no defects. A couple of shots later, the sweatshirt appears to have moved and more of his left neck is showing. A few shots later, when Hermione arrives, there is another shot of the sweets arranged very differently. When Hermione points her wand at Harry, there is a small tear in his sweatshirt collar. (00:33:53)
Continuity mistake: When we first see Hermione on the train, her tie is crooked. When she sits down, as Ron is about to change Scabbers yellow, her tie is straight and it remains that way while she is seated. When she leaves and turns around to tell Ron about the dirt on his nose, it is crooked again. (00:36:05)
Continuity mistake: On the Hogwarts Express, Hermione first watches as Ron tries to turn Scabbers yellow, she then joins them inside before she actually leaves and in these consecutive shots, her tie differs. (00:36:30)
Chosen answer: There are several reasons. First, the position is cursed, so there is little reason to give Snape the job when he will not last any longer than all the previous instructors. If Snape did become the DADA instructor, something could happen to him that could result in his being harmed, having to leave Hogwarts, or be otherwise incapacitated in some way; that would render him useless to Dumbledore as a double agent. Also, Dumbledore trusts Snape, but putting him in an environment where he is teaching about dark magic on a daily basis would be too tempting and emotionally compromising to someone who had been so easily seduced by the dark side. He could possibly relapse. It would be like having a recovering alcoholic work as a bartender. Of course, he does eventually become the DADA instructor, and lasted no longer than his predecessors.
raywest ★
In the movies it is never mentioned that DADA role was cursed by Voldemort.
This is true; though it doesn't say it's not either. With trying to fit 7 long books and years worth of pages of HP information in 2 and a half hours; as long as the movie doesn't say it's not cursed, with our knowledge, there is no problem with reporting that it is. Even directors of non-book movies do this all the time; leave background information out that helps explain things they just didn't have time so they explained it behind the scenes.