The Darkest Harry Potter Mystery Still Hasn’t Been Solved (& the Reboot Doing It Would Break a Big Rule)

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The Harry Potter series, spanning seven books and eight films, revealed many secrets and solved numerous mysteries. Throughout the story, we learned the truth about characters like Severus Snape and the Half-Blood Prince, discovered who R.A.B. was, understood how Harry survived Voldemort’s curse, and found out how the Dark Lord returned. Even after the main story ended, J.K. Rowling continued to share new details through interviews and on Pottermore, including revelations about Albus Dumbledore’s sexuality and his relationship with Gellert Grindelwald, and even some surprisingly mundane details about wizarding life.

It often felt like the creators were determined to answer every question about the story, even ones fans hadn’t thought to ask. However, some mysteries remain unsolved. We still don’t fully understand the secrets of the Department of Mysteries, or much about Harry’s wider family history. But the biggest unanswered question—one crucial to the entire story—concerns Horcruxes. We know creating one requires murder, but J.K. Rowling deliberately avoided providing specific details, and actually deepened the mystery in a 2007 interview on the PotterCast podcast, stating:

I’ve been thinking about what it would take to actually do some of the magic in the books, and it feels like a lot of specific steps. Like, you’d have to perform a spell, but there’s more to it than that. Honestly, some of the details are so dark I almost don’t want to say them out loud – it sounds silly, but I’ve really considered it. There are two things in particular that are just too awful to get into. One is exactly how Pettigrew managed to bring Voldemort back, even in that weak state. I told my editor my theory, and she looked like she was going to be sick! And the other… it’s how you make a Horcrux. I don’t even want to think about it, really. I’m not sure if it will even be included in the encyclopedia, and I honestly don’t know if I can bring myself to write it all out.

Harry Potter Will Probably Never Explain Exactly How Horcruxes Are Made

The mystery surrounding this is already compelling, considering how crucial Horcruxes are in the later books. But these new comments make it even more fascinating. What could be so terrible that it’s excluded from the original story, or even difficult to discuss? And how could it be worse than committing multiple murders?

A common theory suggests that Voldemort created Horcruxes through cannibalism – by eating parts of his victims, he might have absorbed their souls. However, this doesn’t quite explain everything. While Harry became an unintentional Horcrux, Tom Riddle’s parents showed no physical harm when he killed them, making it difficult to see how cannibalism could have been involved in creating that first Horcrux.

Another common theory suggests creating a Horcrux involves self-harm – seriously injuring oneself while also committing murder. This could explain Voldemort’s appearance, and it doesn’t contradict established lore, as he easily could have done this, though it’s impossible to know for sure. Alternatively, some believe that creating a Horcrux is linked to cannibalism, with the killer consuming a part of the victim’s soul.

Honestly, the mystery feels intentionally uncrackable. J.K. Rowling claims to have all the answers, but I suspect there either isn’t a satisfying solution, or the truth is far too dark and disturbing to ever live up to what we imagine. That’s why I don’t expect HBO’s new series to shed much more light on it, even with all the extra detail they’re adding. It’s better left unknown, really – a little mystery enhances the power of it all. I wish they’d applied that same principle to some other parts of the story, too!

As a big film fan, I’m thrilled to share that all the Harry Potter movies are currently streaming on HBO Max! And if that wasn’t enough magic for you, a new TV series based on Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is coming to HBO and HBO Max this Christmas – I can’t wait!

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2026-05-17 21:16