Harry Potter fans are always torn between different aspects of the books/movies. From which house they support, to who they think is Harry’s biggest ally, fans always have their theories for making their point.
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One such ambiguous scene that has always torn fans apart is from the very first Harry Potter movie. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, or Philosopher's Stone, whatever you’d like to call it, there is one scene where this is utter confusion about what is being said. Here’s what it is.
Dudley’s wake-up call to Harry
A clip from the very-first 2001 Harry Potter movie has been going viral on TikTok, and it has left fans utterly confused. The clip is none other than the scene where Dudley Dursley, Harry’s cousin, is stomping up and down the stairs to wake Harry up. Harry, whose room is the cupboard under the stairs, is subject to harsh treatment as he lives under the wing of his aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon.
In this scene wherein Dudley is trying to wake Harry up, he seemingly screams:
Wake up, Potter.
But there's what people hear and what is written in the subtitles, and the subtitles reveal a whole different story.
What Dudley really said
The subtitles making rounds in TikTok have revealed that Dudley is actually saying, ‘wake up, cousin’. This came as a shock to the fans. As per Evening Standard, one of them even said:
It’s Potter. Ain’t no way Dudley called him cousin... cousin would imply Dudley claims him as family, not as his live-in whipping boy.
Some fans have also said that if you think Potter it sounds like Potter, and if you think cousin, well, it sounds like cousin. And some people have claimed that they can hear both words. This has left fans divided, much like the blue dress - white dress debacle that was happening online a couple of years ago.
Sources used:
- Evening Standard: 'Harry Potter fans divided as subtitles confuse viewers over what Dudley says to Harry in iconic scene'
- Daily Star: 'Harry Potter fans stunned as subtitles reveal what Dudley said to Harry in iconic scene'