Harry Potter Theory

The New Harry Potter TV Series on HBO has the opportunity to bring a lot more of the books to the screen. But it also has the unique opportunity to fix the film’s mistakes.

I enjoyed the films, I really did, but besides excluding a ton of info, it’s not like they did a perfect job at adapting everything. Some things were probably changed to make for a better MOVIE viewing experience, but ultimately, I expect that’s probably NOT what the diehards actually want.

Which is why today, we're going to look at five things the original Harry Potter movies got wrong- from minor inconsistencies to outright changes, and how the upcoming series could potentially set the record straight.

Questions Answered / Topics Discussed:

What did the Harry Potter movies get wrong about the books?

What are the biggest differences between the Harry Potter books and movies?

What Harry Potter movie mistakes could HBO's reboot fix?

Will the Harry Potter HBO series be more faithful to the books?

Why did the Harry Potter movies change so many things from the books?

What Harry Potter book details were changed for the movies?

Does Polyjuice Potion change your voice in Harry Potter?

Why do Harry and Ron keep their voices when using Polyjuice Potion in Chamber of Secrets?

Why does Barty Crouch Jr. have Mad-Eye Moody's voice in Goblet of Fire?

Can Death Eaters fly without broomsticks in Harry Potter?

Why do Death Eaters fly around as black smoke in the Harry Potter movies?

What is the difference between flying and Apparition in Harry Potter?

How did Voldemort learn to fly without a broomstick?

Can Severus Snape fly like Voldemort?

How does nonverbal magic work in Harry Potter?

Why do wizards stop saying spells in the later Harry Potter movies?

Can all witches and wizards cast spells without speaking?

Why is nonverbal magic difficult to master?

How did Voldemort really die in the Harry Potter books?

Why did Voldemort turn to dust in Deathly Hallows Part 2?

What happened to Voldemort's body after his death?

Why was Voldemort's death different in the books and movies?

Where did Harry and Voldemort's final duel take place in the books?

Why did Harry break the Elder Wand in the Harry Potter movies?

Did Harry destroy the Elder Wand in the books?

What happened to the Elder Wand after Voldemort's defeat?

Why did Harry return the Elder Wand to Dumbledore's tomb?

Did Harry repair his original wand with the Elder Wand?

Who was the true master of the Elder Wand?

Could Harry's plan to break the Elder Wand's power have failed?

What changes should HBO make to the original Harry Potter movies?

Will HBO's Harry Potter remake fix mistakes from the original films?

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In the Philosopher's Stone, Voldemort manages to spend the better part of an entire school year inside Hogwarts. And his MASTER disguise? Hiding beneath the brand new purple turban of professor Quirinus Quirrell. And over the school year, Quirrell/Voldemort are pretty much unchecked: They attempt to steal the Philosopher's Stone, they release a troll into the castle, and they nearly kill Harry during his first Quidditch Match.

But somehow, despite all of this, DUMBLEDORE of all people never noticed.

Questions Answered / Topics Discussed:

Why didn't Dumbledore realize Quirrell was Voldemort?

Why didn't Dumbledore know Voldemort was hiding at Hogwarts?

Did Dumbledore know Professor Quirrell was working for Lord Voldemort?

Did Dumbledore suspect Quirrell was trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone?

Why didn't Dumbledore stop Quirrell before Harry Potter confronted him?

How did Voldemort hide on the back of Professor Quirrell's head?

Why didn't Dumbledore notice Voldemort underneath Quirrell's turban?

Did Snape know Quirrell was working for Voldemort?

Why did Snape suspect Quirrell in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone?

Why did Snape try to stop Quirrell from stealing the Philosopher's Stone?

Did Snape know Voldemort had returned before the events of Goblet of Fire?

What did Snape reveal about Quirrell in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince?

Why did Dumbledore allow Quirrell to continue teaching at Hogwarts?

Why did Dumbledore hire Quirinus Quirrell as Defence Against the Dark Arts professor?

What happened to Quirrell before he returned to teach at Hogwarts?

How did Quirrell meet Voldemort in Albania?

When did Voldemort begin possessing Professor Quirrell?

Why was Voldemort trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone?

How did Voldemort survive after his failed attempt to kill Harry Potter?

Why did Voldemort need Quirrell's body to survive?

Could Dumbledore have detected Voldemort using Legilimency?

Why didn't Dumbledore read Quirrell's mind?

How powerful was Dumbledore compared to Voldemort?

Was Voldemort capable of hiding his presence from Dumbledore?

Did Dumbledore know Voldemort was still alive after Godric's Hollow?

How did Dumbledore protect the Philosopher's Stone at Hogwarts?

Why did Dumbledore leave Hogwarts when Quirrell tried to steal the Stone?

Did Dumbledore deliberately allow Harry Potter to confront Quirrell?

Why couldn't Quirrell touch Harry Potter without being burned?

How did Lily Potter's sacrifice protect Harry from Voldemort?

Why didn't Dumbledore recognize Voldemort's return sooner?

Was Dumbledore suspicious of Quirrell throughout Harry Potter's first year?

Did Dumbledore make a mistake by allowing Quirrell to remain at Hogwarts?

How much did Albus Dumbledore really know about Lord Voldemort's plans?

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Harry Potter on HBO is now 7 WEEKS away from premiering, and they just recently revealed that the first episode will be TWO hours long.

So there’s a lot of buzz about the show at the moment.

I was also perusing the Harry Potter on HBO subreddit today and I came across a thread discussing ‘plot holes’ that people want addressed in the series. And since I recently made a pretty lengthy plot hole series, I thought I’d take a look at some of them and give my thoughts.

Let’s check it out.

Questions Answered + Topics Covered:

What are the biggest plot holes in Harry Potter?

Why didn't Fred and George see Peter Pettigrew sleeping beside Ron?

Why didn't James and Lily Potter become their own Secret Keepers?

How does the Fidelius Charm actually work?

Why does the Trace detect some underage magic but not others?

Why did Barty Crouch Jr. turn the Triwizard Cup into a Portkey?

Can Mad-Eye Moody's magical eye see through the Invisibility Cloak?

Why weren't Time-Turners used to prevent major tragedies?

Why couldn't Harry see Thestrals before his fifth year?

Why didn't Dumbledore recognize Tom Riddle's diary as a Horcrux?

Why wasn't Fiendfyre used to destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes?

Are these genuine Harry Potter plot holes or misunderstandings?

Which Harry Potter inconsistencies should HBO fix in its new series?

Harry Potter plot holes that HBO's reboot could fix

The Marauder's Map and Peter Pettigrew

Why Fred and George never noticed Peter Pettigrew on the Marauder's Map

The Fidelius Charm and the Potters' Secret Keeper

Why James and Lily Potter didn't become their own Secret Keepers

The Trace and underage magic inconsistencies

Barty Crouch Jr. and the Triwizard Tournament Portkey

Mad-Eye Moody's magical eye and Harry's Invisibility Cloak

Time-Turners and time travel plot holes

Harry Potter's ability to see Thestrals

Albus Dumbledore and Tom Riddle's diary

Fiendfyre and the destruction of Horcruxes

Harry Potter book inconsistencies explained

Reddit's biggest Harry Potter plot holes

HBO Harry Potter reboot changes and improvements

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On the night of October 31st, 1981, Lord Voldemort arrived at Godric's Hollow with one goal in mind: to kill Harry Potter. But before he could reach the boy, he had to get past his parents. James was killed attempting to defend his family, and Lily was murdered after refusing to step aside and allow Voldemort to kill her son.

But while BOTH parents gave their lives trying to protect their family, only Lily's sacrifice produced the ancient magic that saved Harry's life.

So my question is: Why didn't James Potter's sacrifice offer Lily and Harry the same protection?

Questions Answered / Topics Covered:

Why didn't James Potter's sacrifice protect Lily and Harry?

Why did Lily Potter's sacrifice work but James Potter's didn't?

Why didn't James Potter's death trigger sacrificial protection?

What made Lily Potter's sacrifice different from James Potter's?

Why did Voldemort give Lily Potter the opportunity to live?

How did Severus Snape inadvertently save Harry Potter's life?

What are the rules of sacrificial protection in Harry Potter?

How does ancient love magic work in the Wizarding World?

Why did Voldemort's Killing Curse rebound against baby Harry?

Could James Potter have protected his family through sacrificial magic?

Did James Potter's sacrifice accomplish anything?

Why was Lily Potter's love powerful enough to stop Voldemort?

How did Harry Potter recreate Lily's sacrificial protection in Deathly Hallows?

Why couldn't Voldemort's spells harm the defenders of Hogwarts?

What really happened the night Voldemort attacked the Potters in Godric's Hollow?

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Every year, dozens of children make their way to King's Cross Station in London, running through a brick wall within minutes of arriving. But somehow. Someway..Nobody ever seems to notice, despite this being one of the busiest train stations in Britain.

Next there’s Hogwarts. A MASSIVE castle in the middle of the Scottish Highlands, surrounded by an equally massive forest filled with magical creatures. But..Nobody has ever noticed it?

Today we’ll be discussing what exactly stops Muggles from seeing these things. And perhaps more importantly, what happens if they DO see them.

Questions Answered / Topics Discussed

How is the wizarding world hidden from Muggles in Harry Potter?

Why can't Muggles see Hogwarts?

What happens if a Muggle finds Hogwarts?

How is Hogwarts concealed from the Muggle world?

What do Muggles see when they look at Hogwarts?

Can Muggles accidentally enter Hogwarts?

What magical protections surround Hogwarts Castle?

Why is Hogwarts located in the Scottish Highlands?

How does Platform 9¾ remain hidden from Muggles?

Why don't Muggles notice students running through the wall at King's Cross Station?

Can Muggles see Platform 9¾?

What happens if a Muggle tries to enter Platform 9¾?

How does the magical barrier at King's Cross Station work?

Can Muggle parents accompany their children onto Platform 9¾?

How do Muggle-born witches and wizards find Platform 9¾?

What are Muggle-Repelling Charms in Harry Potter?

How do wizards prevent Muggles from discovering magic?

What happens when Muggles accidentally witness magic?

How does the Ministry of Magic maintain the International Statute of Secrecy?

What are Memory Charms, and how are they used to conceal magic?

How are other magical locations, including Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron, hidden from Muggles?

Could the wizarding world ever be discovered by Muggles?

Why hasn't the existence of magic been exposed to the Muggle world?

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