History Film / HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince

* CoverInnocentEyesAndEars: Ginny makes Harry close his eyes while she hides the Half-Blood Prince's book so he won't be tempted to find it again.

* CastingGag: Helen [=McCrory=] who plays Narcissa, was the original actress cast for Bellatrix -- but she had to back out after getting pregnant. And her replacement (and on-screen sister) Creator/HelenaBonhamCarter was pregnant during the production of this film.

* DeliberatelyMonochrome: Some scenes in the movie, such as Harry having Dumbledore drink the liquid in order to get the horcrux, are so desaturated that they have very little colour in them.

* CastingGag: Helen [=McCrory=] who plays Narcissa, was the original actress cast for Bellatrix -- but she had to back out after getting pregnant. And her replacement (and on-screen sister) Creator/HelenaBonhamCarter was pregnant during production of this film.

* ShipSinking: Dumbledore begins to inquire if Harry and Hermione are a couple, but Harry immediately shuts him down.

** Harry's attraction to Ginny in the book has him spending a lot of time worrying how this will affect his friendship with Ron and whether she likes him back. There's none of this in the film, where Harry and Ginny slowly fall for each other naturally, and just don't get a chance to act on it.

** And Narcissa is a combination - where she's completely blonde in the book but gets two-toned hair (blonde and black) for the film.

** Draco's efforts in the Room of Requirement are shown much earlier in the film for the sake of DramaticIrony - including using an apple and two birds to test the Vanishing Cabinet.

** There's a whole subplot involving Tonks's powers supposedly being affected by Sirius's death - only to reveal that she's been in love with Lupin, who won't get with her out of feeling he's not good enough for her. This is eliminated in the film, and the two are already a stable couple by Christmas.

** Ron in the book went as far as SlutShaming Ginny when he walked in on her kissing Dean in the hallway - which in the film is changed to just being uncomfortable seeing them do it in the Three Broomsticks and merely wanting to leave. In the book, he cold-shouldered Hermione when he found out she'd kissed Viktor Krum two years ago, and was implied to kiss Lavender mainly to get back at her. In the film, Lavender initiates the kiss and Ron merely goes along with it, with no intent of making Hermione jealous.

** Bellatrix just appeared in the Unbreakable Vow chapter in the book. In the film she gets additional scenes where she attacks the Burrow with Fenrir Greyback - and [[spoiler: leads the Death Eaters into Hogwarts at the end. She also gets to cast the Dark Mark after Dumbledore is killed and set fire to Hagrid's house]].

* CompositeCharacter: Bellatrix is present for a few scenes she wasn't in the book - where she only appeared in the Unbreakable Vow sequence. Most notable is the climax at Hogwarts, where she's leading the Death Eaters.

** Tom Riddle, but especially so in the movie (which works really well, seeing it's the nephew of the guy who plays him as an adult!). A good example - in both the book and the movie Dumbledore sets Tom's collection of trophies he's stolen from the other orphans on fire to both show him he's not lying and (attempt to) teach him a lesson. Book Tom's reaction to a bonfire erupting in his room is awed shock and a bit of fake apology. Movie's Tom's reaction is an ''undeniably giddy smile.'' <shudder>

** Tonks and Lupin only appear in one scene - mainly to establish that they have become a couple since ''Order of the Phoenix.'' Tonks' role of rescuing Harry from the Hogwarts Express is given to Luna, and the subplot of Lupin's reluctance to put get together with Tonks because he thinks he would put her in danger is ommitted.

** Ron has no lines in the final scene, and is sat a little apart from Harry and Hermione - foreshadowing how he'll temporarily walk out on them in the next film.

--->'''Dumbledore''': Ah, Harry! You need a shave, my friend. You know, at times I forget how much you've grown. At times I still see the small boy from the cupboard. Forgive my mawkishness, Harry - I'm an old man.\\

* NasalTrauma: As with the book, Harry is caught spying on Malfoy and gets his nose kicked in for his trouble. However, the film adds an extra layer of this when Luna Lovegood has to pop his nose back into place with magic, resulting in a loud cracking sound and a yelp of pain from Harry - bit of a change from the original novel in which Tonks' Episkey spell was completely painless.

-->'''Harry''': [[LampshadeHanging But, Sir - I thought we weren't allowed to apparate on Hogwarts' grounds]].\\

* SettingUpdate: Though the previous film had hinted at one from the 90s to the 2000s - Mr Weasley using an Oyster Card, the fashions on some of the characters - this one confirms it with the opening showing the Millennium Bridge being destroyed.

** A few subtle hints from Hermione, foreshadowing her attraction to Ron, occur before it becomes clear to the viewer. After Harry visits the Burrow and greets Hermione and the Weasleys, Ron tries to touch Hermione's face, because he noticed a trail of toothpaste on her lips. Later, while attending Professor Slughorn's class, Hermione describes what she smells from the most powerful love potion in the world, Amortentia: [spoiler:"It's rumored to smell differently to each person, according to what attracts them. For example, I smell freshly mown grass and new parchment and... spearmint toothpaste." This last part, mentioning "spearmint toothpaste," is a subtle reference to her attraction to Ron.]] Another easily missed example occurs when the trio sits down at the Three Broomsticks. Hermione places her order and says, [[spoiler:"Three butterbeers and some ginger and lime, please." Emphasis on the word ginger which could be interpreted as a hint about her "taste" in Ron, as he has red hair.]]

** A few subtle hints from Hermione, foreshadowing her attraction to Ron, occur before it becomes clear to the viewer. After Harry visits the Burrow and greets Hermione and the Weasleys, Ron tries to touch Hermione's face, because he noticed a trail of toothpaste on her lips. Later, while attending Professor Slughorn's class, Hermione describes what she smells from the most powerful love potion in the world, Amortentia: "It's rumored to smell differently to each person, according to what attracts them. For example, I smell freshly mown grass and new parchment and... spearmint toothpaste." This last part, mentioning "spearmint toothpaste," is a subtle reference to her attraction to Ron. Another easily missed example occurs when the trio sits down at the Three Broomsticks. Hermione places her order and says, "Three butterbeers and some ginger and lime, please." Emphasis on the word ginger which could be interpreted as a hint about her "taste" in Ron, as he has red hair.

** A few subtle hints from Hermione, hinting at her attraction to Ron, occur before it becomes clear to the viewer. After Harry visits the Burrow and greets Hermione and the Weasleys, Ron tries to touch Hermione's face, because he noticed a trail of toothpaste on her lips. Later, while attending Professor Slughorn's class, Hermione describes what she smells from the most powerful love potion in the world, Amortentia: "It's rumored to smell differently to each person, according to what attracts them. For example, I smell freshly mown grass and new parchment and... spearmint toothpaste." This last part, mentioning "spearmint toothpaste," is a subtle reference to her attraction to Ron. Another easily missed example occurs when the trio sits down at the Three Broomsticks. Hermione places her order and says, "Three butterbeers and some ginger and lime, please." Emphasis on the word ginger which could be interpreted as a hint about her "taste" in Ron, as he has red hair.

** When the trio sits down at the Three Broomsticks, Hermione places her order and says, 'Three butterbeers and some ginger and lime, please'. Emphasis on the 'ginger' since that hints at her 'taste' in Ron.

** When the trio sit down at the Three Broomsticks, Hermione orders three butterbeers "Three butterbeers and some ginger and lime, please".

** When the trio sit down at the Three Broomsticks, Hermione orders three butterbeers "And put a little ginger in mine".

This film is notable for being the first movie written and produced after the release of the final book, allowing this film to begin some heavier {{foreshadowing}} of the next films since the ending of the story was finally known.

This film is notable for being the first movie written and produced after the release of the final book, allowing this film to begin some heavier foreshadowing of the next films since the ending of the story was finally known.