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For most of us, the Harry Potter franchise is a way of life. We grew up with it, we know the books inside-out and can probably quote from memory at least part of the script of each film (whether or not we'd like to admit it). There is such a huge interest worldwide in the Harry Potter book and film universe that it's hard to believe that there are things that we might still be unaware of in relation to it. For the more hardcore fan perhaps these facts won't come as a surprise, but for the pedestrian fan we've compiled a list of 20 surprising tidbits about the wizarding world's movie franchise.

20. Actress Shirley Henderson — who played Moaning Myrtle — was the oldest actor or actress to play a student in the films, first appearing aged 37.

19. Ian Brown, lead singer of  The Stone Roses, made a little-known celebrity cameo in the movies. He appeared as a Leaky Cauldron customer in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

18. Harry's eyes in the films weren't the vivid green described in the books because Daniel Radcliffe's eyes reacted badly to the contact lenses.

17. Hermione's teeth weren't noticeably prominent, as specified in the books, as Emma Watson couldn't speak clearly while wearing prosthetic teeth.

16. Ian McKellen was offered the role of Dumbledore, but turned it down.

15. Michael Gambon's delivery of the line "Harry, did you put your name in the goblet of fire?" in the fourth film was one of the most controversial lines in the series.

It caused outrage amongst fans, since in the book Dumbledore is specified as asking the question calmly, while Gambon here acts the scene in an entirely opposing manner.

14. Warner Bros. proposed using CGI for the films in case the child actors aged faster than their on-screen counterparts.

This suggestion was vetoed by J. K. Rowling, and ultimately the movies were filmed back-to-back to accommodate the actors' growing up.

13. Three different owls were used to play Hedwig in the films — Gizmo, Ook and Sprout.

11. Sirius Black's tattoos are borrowed from Russian prison gangs —they identify him as man to be feared and respected.

10. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire the Hogwart's school song is first sung on film, although the song features in the books from the first novel.

9. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the laughter between Harry, Ron and Hermione while discussing Harry kissing Cho Chang was a genuine moment of laughter caught on camera.

8. Actress Helen McCrory was originally cast as Bellatrix LeStrange, but had to pull out because of pregnancy, and the role went to Helena Bonham Carter.

via images5.fanpop.com
McCrory went on to play the role of Narcissa Malfoy, Bellatrix's sister.

7. All of the films had fake working titles, to prevent pirating.

6. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, one of the posters in the London café to which Harry, Ron and Hermione Apparate is for Daniel Radcliffe's play Equus.

5. David Holmes, Daniel Radcliffe's stunt double, was seriously injured in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. When rehearsal for a flying scene went wrong he sustained an injury which left him paralysed.

4. J. K. Rowling made Alan Rickman, who plays Snape, privy to certain information before any other of the cast or crew in order to help with the character's authenticity — for example, Rickman knew that Snape had loved Lily Potter before the final book was released.

3. Emma Watson and Rupert Grint were both less than enthusiastic about Ron and Hermione's long-anticipated cinematic kiss, saying that it was a very awkward experience.

2. In the first film, Harry loses a chocolate frog when it jumps out of the train window. In the epilogue of the final film, a chocolate frog can be seen climbing up the window of the train carriage which has Harry, Ron and Hermione's children in it.

1. The last film of the franchise, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, is the only Harry Potter film in which Daniel Radcliffe does not speak the final line; his on-screen son does.