21 Years Later, Harry Potter’s Most Random Character Still Stole Every Scene in Prisoner of Azkaban

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While Harry Potter is known as the Boy Who Lived and the Chosen One, it’s arguably Remus Lupin who truly shines in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. This third film in J.K. Rowling’s popular series, directed by Alfonso Cuarón, focuses on Harry’s third year at Hogwarts, a year marked by the escape of Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) from the Azkaban prison. As Sirius supposedly hunts Harry, Harry gains a deeper understanding of his parents’ past and learns about the impact of trauma with the help of his new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Remus Lupin (David Thewlis).

Though he played a minor character in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Ekow Quartey has become a more familiar face on stage and screen. Seven years after his acting debut, he joined Shakespeare’s Globe and has since performed in numerous roles, including Forest Lord and William in As You Like It, Nana and Tootles in Peter Pan, and the title role in Macbeth. Most recently, he starred as JJ in the 2025 British comedy series Amandaland. Despite continuing his acting career, Quartey is still fondly remembered for his brief but memorable appearance in the third Harry Potter film.

Who Is Bem In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban?

Okay, let me tell you about a truly bizarre, yet strangely memorable, bit of Prisoner of Azkaban history. There’s this kid, ‘Bem,’ and honestly, trying to describe him is… well, it’s a trip. He’s just this friendly face hanging around with Harry and the others, but then… he vanishes. Like, completely gone by the time Sirius Black has his big “I did my waiting!” moment. It’s so strange that his name is never actually said in the film! The actor, Quartey, is listed as “Boy 1” in the credits, which is wild. If you turn on captions, then you’ll see his name pop up. It’s a tiny detail, but Bem has become something of a legend among fans – a true moment in cinematic mystery.

Bem mostly serves as a convenient way to move the plot forward and provide information. Whenever Harry or the viewers need clarification, Bem appears to explain things. For example, during Professor Trelawney’s Divination class, he clarifies that the Grim is a particularly ominous sign, foretelling death. Later, when the Daily Prophet reports Sirius Black is near Hogwarts, Bem delivers the memorable line, “It’s like trying to catch smoke. It’s like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands,” a quote that remains powerfully evocative.

Bem consistently steals the scene from other characters, and it’s remarkably easy for him to do so. What makes Bem so captivating even today is how little we know about him – in over twenty years, no background details have ever been shared. While it’s likely he has Nigerian roots and was born around 1980 or 1981 (given the timeline of Prisoner of Azkaban), he remains a complete mystery. But more importantly, the impact of his two lines is huge. Bem’s dramatic and convincing delivery powerfully conveys the danger of omens, Sirius Black’s intimidating presence, and the fact that Harry is unknowingly heading for trouble.

Bem Is an Iconic (But Not Canon) Harry Potter Character

Many fans consider Prisoner of Azkaban the best Harry Potter film, but director Alfonso Cuarón did make some changes from J.K. Rowling’s book. Looking back, it’s clear that the first two movies, directed by Chris Columbus, stayed much closer to the original story. For example, the film shows Harry getting a new broomstick and immediately going for a ride, but in the book, he receives it after his first Quidditch match, and Professor McGonagall quickly confiscates it. Another significant change involves the trips to Hogsmeade. The book features two visits to the village, and during one, Harry has to flee after being spotted by Draco Malfoy, a scene that doesn’t appear in the movie.

Alfonso Cuarón’s direction of Prisoner of Azkaban is a clear success. It’s a turning point for the series, establishing a much darker tone with its atmosphere and stunning visuals. The special effects are excellent, and the acting is captivating throughout. The dialogue is particularly intriguing, especially the lines delivered by the character Bem. His words are carefully timed to maximize tension and create satisfying reveals. What makes Bem so compelling is his enigmatic nature – we truly know very little about him.

As a huge Harry Potter fan, I just don’t get Bem. Even if they tried to give him some backstory, he feels completely out of place in the established world. There’s always been discussion about how many students are at Hogwarts, but J.K. Rowling is pretty consistent: there are only five boys in Harry’s year, and they all live together. We’re talking Harry, Ron, Neville, Dean, and Seamus. Bem shows up in Prisoner of Azkaban as a Gryffindor, and some people suggest he’s in a different year, but that doesn’t really work. Everyone takes classes with their year group throughout their time at Hogwarts – no one jumps ahead or falls behind. Remember when Hermione used the Time-Turner in the third movie to take extra classes? She didn’t suddenly become a fourth-year student, she just managed to fit more into her schedule. The whole system is built around staying with your original year.

Bem isn’t the only character added to the Harry Potter films who wasn’t in the original books. For example, in Prisoner of Azkaban, there’s an unnamed Gryffindor student – played by Rick Sahota and credited as “Boy 2” – who appears in Hagrid’s class. Similarly, Nigel Wolpert (played by William Melling) was created for the films. Conversely, some book characters have very small roles in the movies, and don’t reappear, despite being more important in J.K. Rowling’s novels. Justin Finch-Fletchley (Edward Randell) and Stan Shunpike (Lee Ingleby) are good examples of this.

Why Was Bem Included In the Harry Potter Franchise?

David Bradley truly shines in Prisoner of Azkaban, and fans who want to see more of his character can spot him briefly in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. During the first meeting of Dumbledore’s Army, when Harry starts teaching spells, Bradley is visible in the background with the other students. His acting resume confirms he worked as an extra in the fifth Harry Potter film, though his character surprisingly wears Ravenclaw robes instead of Gryffindor.

Let’s talk about Bem, the seemingly random character in Harry Potter. Honestly, there’s no good reason for him to be there. He appears out of nowhere, delivers some surprisingly intense lines, and then disappears just as quickly. While the actor who played Bem does create a certain atmosphere in Prisoner of Azkaban and moves the story forward, those lines could have easily been given to Dean, one of Harry’s dormmates. In fact, Dean is such a minor character in the third Harry Potter movie that, when I was a kid, I genuinely thought Bem and Dean were the same person – just played by different actors.

It’s strange that actor Kwatey Quartey appears as Bem in Prisoner of Azkaban, and over the years, fans have come up with many theories to explain it. Some think he originally auditioned for a different role in the Harry Potter films and the casting directors liked him enough to create a part just for him. Others suggest he won a contest or had a connection to someone involved in the production. Since neither Quartey nor director Alfonso Cuarón has ever explained his appearance, people have even come up with fun, imaginative ideas – like Bem actually being Albus Dumbledore in disguise! These are just for entertainment, of course.

Ultimately, while Bem is a memorable character, the Harry Potter films left out many other established characters who deserved screen time. Characters like Winky the house-elf, the poltergeist Peeves, Charlie Weasley (Ron’s brother), and Professor Binns (the History of Magic ghost) were completely absent from all eight movies. Creating entirely new characters instead of using those already developed feels a bit strange, but in Bem’s case, the decision worked out well.

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2025-10-26 16:11