For years, the Harry Potter franchise has held the throne as the epitome of fantasy franchises, yet it’s not without its flaws. Avid readers and viewers frequently revisit this tale, uncovering details that may have slipped past the author and editors. The series presents some plot gaps and inconsistencies, which might go unnoticed by a newcomer but become evident upon closer inspection. These discrepancies span from trivial aspects to fundamental world-building elements, and hardcore fans delight in cataloguing them and debating potential resolutions. Here, we delve into three of the series’ most significant plot inconsistencies and propose the most convincing explanations for them.
It’s important to remember that the rules within the Harry Potter universe can be quite flexible. This series is primarily a world of fantasy where magic often remains concealed from non-magical people (Muggles). The magic system is described as “soft,” meaning we don’t always know the boundaries and limitations of magical abilities. Often, apparent inconsistencies or plot holes in Harry Potter can be explained by understanding more about the magic, and many have been clarified. However, some still leave fans wanting more clarity.
Harry and the Thestrals
In my personal opinion, as a movie reviewer diving into J.K. Rowling’s enchanting world, it wasn’t until the fifth installment, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” that I laid eyes on the mystical beings known as Thestrals. These colossal, winged skeletal steeds are an extraordinary sight, visible only to those who have experienced the raw reality of death firsthand. Luna Lovegood, having witnessed her mother’s demise in her youth, and Harry Potter, after behelding Cedric Diggory’s untimely end in the fourth book, are among the fortunate few able to perceive these ghostly equines.
As a devoted fan, I must admit that the recent plot development left me scratching my head a bit. After all, we’ve always been led to believe that Harry witnessed his parents’ demise as a baby. Although he didn’t physically see his father succumb to the Killing Curse, his vivid memories of his mother’s heart-wrenching final screams suggest he was an intimate witness to her tragic end.
This point is particularly intriguing when compared to Luna’s experiences. It raises a question that, while not explicitly addressed in the narrative, adds depth and complexity to these beloved characters.
Even if we concede that Harry’s early memories weren’t sufficient for him to summon Thestrals, there remains the question of Professor Quirrell. In essence, Harry was responsible for the demise of the Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor at the end of the first book. Since Harry’s powerful maternal protective spell prevented Quirrell from touching him, Harry grabbed Quirrell’s face and held it as he perished in flames. If such a gruesome event doesn’t qualify for witnessing a Thestral, then what possibly could?
Although Thestrals may pose certain challenges within the narrative, it’s important to recognize that they effectively fulfill their role as a plot device. These enigmatic creatures serve to differentiate Harry from his peers in the fifth book, symbolizing his feelings of isolation and impending danger. Moreover, they prove to be an essential means of transportation as the story unfolds.
Snape’s Memories
For seven lengthy books, we struggled with the “mystery” surrounding Severus Snape’s true loyalty. In the climax, he clarified all our doubts with a brief explanation, drawn directly from his memories. In his last breaths, Snape transferred some of his crucial memories to Harry, who paused from the Battle of Hogwarts to view them in the Pensieve and ultimately decide on the true nature of Snape’s role at Hogwarts Potions Master.
These recollections served a crucial purpose in the storyline, not just for redefining the Wizarding World’s most unsettling figure. Snape’s memories were instrumental in revealing to Harry that he was one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes. This knowledge enabled him to confront the Dark Lord more powerfully and ultimately defeat him once and for all.
If Harry hadn’t chanced upon Voldemort murdering Snape at that moment, how was he supposed to obtain the crucial information that they needed? Neither Snape nor Dumbledore appeared to have any more strategies for passing on this intelligence, and without it, Voldemort wouldn’t have been defeated. The mystery surrounding Horcruxes is filled with complexities, but the one involving Snape stands out as particularly high-stakes and puzzling.
Felix Felicis & Time Turners
Ultimately, delving into discussions about plot inconsistencies in the Harry Potter series on fan websites reveals that numerous issues center around time turners and the potion known as Felix Felicis or liquid luck. Given their immense power, it’s evident that these elements were overly powerful for this narrative, as they were swiftly ruled out after just one use. In a universe where these two entities are present, the events of this story would not have unfolded as they did.
The Time-Turner is the gadget Hermione uses to journey back in time, enabling her to attend a complete curriculum of courses during her third year at Hogwarts. However, it turns out to be redundant since it’s revealed that one can extend their education beyond the standard seven years. Had Hermione wished, she could have prolonged her stay at Hogwarts for as long as needed, attending every class they offered without affecting her body clock.
In countless manners, the time-turners could have been employed to resolve the major challenges in the series, and even more so, they should have been utilized in the past to avert those difficulties entirely. However, in the current situation, this matter is brushed off since all the time-turners were destroyed when the Death Eaters attacked the Ministry of Magic. Nevertheless, upon reflection, there’s no justification for the ministry not to have employed time-turners to apprehend Voldemort on his way to the Potter residence, or any other numerous occasions.
In the meantime, Felix Felicis poses several comparable problems, and a definitive resolution isn’t always straightforward. This potion enchants the drinker with good fortune, ensuring that their day unfolds flawlessly. Harry manages to obtain a vial of this potion and employs roughly half of it to persuade Professor Slughorn to share his memory regarding Horcruxes. Later, he shares the remaining portion with his friends just before Death Eaters assault the castle, enabling them all to narrowly evade death during the battle.
In the books, Professor Slughorn clarifies that Felix Felicis is extremely tough to concoct and hazardous if prepared incorrectly, making it seldom employed due to these risks. Yet, against expectations, Professor Slughorn personally prepared this batch and presented it as a prize for a day’s classroom competition, creating an impression among readers that attempting such a challenge could be rewarding. Interestingly enough, the polyjuice potion – another famously tricky concoction in the series – is shown to be brewed and utilized frequently throughout the narrative.
A significant amount of information regarding Felix Felicis and its constraints primarily originates from external sources such as video games, Pottermore entries, and other non-book/movie materials. Here, we learn that the potion is highly poisonous in large amounts, and should not be taken frequently. Additionally, it has a limited shelf life; if kept for too long, it becomes foul-smelling and its effects can be reversed.
Regardless of whether you find these explanations convincing or not, they ought to have been integrated into the main text for credibility. To add fuel to the fire, critics note that Slughorn’s memory didn’t significantly impact the storyline once it concluded.
For numerous admirers, the plot inconsistencies, gaps, and convenient elements that characterize Harry Potter are not flaws but essential aspects of it. At present, you can stream the film collection on Max, while the books are accessible in print, digital, and audio formats. An upcoming adaptation of the series is slated for release next year on HBO and Max.
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2025-02-18 19:40