Mike Windle/Universal Studios/NBC via Getty Images / Reddit
Most of us started reading the Harry Potter series when we were younger and more naive than we are now. There are plenty of things in the books that we maybe didn't quite catch the first time around.
These devoted Harry Potter fans got together to share some of those moments that still leave them a bit baffled and some fan theories that might fix them.
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1. Well Someone Seriously Misjudged The Tone Of The Story
When I was a kid reading the Chamber of Secrets, I had a theory about what was going to happen in the third book that now makes me laugh a lot, so I thought I'd share!
I thought that because Hagrid was expelled in his 3rd year at Hogwarts, and because his name was cleared about opening the Chamber of Secrets in Harry's 2nd year, he was going to continue his third year of education, as an adult student in the 3rd year with Harry and friends lol it wasn't that far-fetched at the time! I thought they were going to fast track him to getting his wand back officially Billy Madison style.
When Hagrid became a teacher in the 3rd year I was so confused... He wasn't allowed to use a wand, but they allowed him to be a teacher? It didn't make a lot of sense! But obviously it worked out in the end haha
That's all I've got, just something funny for you all to think about and maybe come up with some fun or funny ideas of where the plot could have gone from that point.
Mischief Managed.
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2. Oh, Game Animals, Not Game Pieces. Our Bad.
Confession: When I was a kid I didnt really understand what a gamekeeper actually was, and I just assumed that Hagrids sole job was to look after the Quidditch balls.
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3. Was Rowling Trying To Tell Us Malfoy Was A Werewolf And We All Missed It?
I believe that year six Draco was made a werewolf by Greyback and that's why he looked so sick (displaying all the same outward appearances that were used to describe Lupins ailing health) not due to stress. The book was never clear he had the Dark Mark, Harry just assumed, and Hermione was the one that kept insisting they never saw anything and it was dangerous for Harry to assume something like that. I think Draco was threatening the shop keeper with a bit scar on his arm, because the name -of all Death Eaters- he used to intimidate the man was Greyback, notoriously sent out by the Dark Lord to bite people -particularly the children of people- who stand against or fail the Dark Lord. Lucius had failed the Dark Lord in year five in trying to get the prophecy, and I think Draco was punished for it. The DL then assigned Draco that impossible task to try and win back his familys honor. I think he worked in the room of requirement, and on the night of the full moon, when he required it, it was a safe place for him to transform.
On page 321 of the Half Blood Prince, Harrys observation of Draco is interesting. (emphasis bold)
Harry stared at Malfoy. It was not the sucking-up that intrigued him; he had watched Malfoy do that to Snape for a long time. It was the fact that Malfoy did, after all, look a little ill. This was the first time he had seen Malfoy close up for ages; he now saw that Malfoy had dark shadows under his eyes and a distinctly grayish tinge to his skin.Compare this to the description of Remus Lupin in Prisoner of Azkaban on page 185. (again, emphasis bold)Professor Lupin was back at work. It certainly looked as though he had been ill. His old robes were hanging more loosely on him and there were dark shadows beneath his eyes…
This, as well as the lengthy explanation Lupin gave at Christmas to Harry about how Greyback punished the children of people he felt insulted or angered by, by biting them…and Narcissas rant about how the Dark Lord is punishing Draco for Lucius mistake and such lead me to great suspicion.Could Draco Malfoy be a Werewolf?
Thats just what I love to think in my head.
Nothing upsets a pureblood family pride more than their only son being a tainted wolf.
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4. We Need This.
Imagine McGonagall giving Hagrid another chance after the war. Imagine his eyes welling up with tears when he gets to exchange his umbrella for a wand. Imagine him sitting eagerly among a class of scared first years.
And he gets his letter from an owl.
And Harry takes him shopping for school in Diagon Alley to return the favor!
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5. Can We Get A GPS Location On Hagrid?
Between Chamber of Secrets and Prisoner of Azkaban, Hagrid's hut seems to change location from really near to the castle to a bit distanced, requiring a longer walk. I know the reason for this is because of a director change, but I was wondering if there were any more plot driven or factual reasons for the change.
When I was reading the books, I was under the impression that his hut was quite a ways away from the castle, along with the Dark Forest (essentially, like PoA forward portrays it). However, watching Sorcerer's Stone an innumerable number of times as a kid has the image of Harry, Hermione, and Ron walking under the cloak to a Hagrid's hut that's just a couple tenths of a mile away from the castle burned into my brain.
Canonically speaking, which is more accurate?
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6. Siriusly Solo
I wonder if Sirius got sent to Azkaban a virgin. He was really young , and there was literally never any mention of anyone he was involved with.
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7. Those Hashtags Are Vicious
How did Harry not realize the handwriting in the Half-Blood Prince's potion book was the same handwriting he had spent five years reading off of a black board?
#BecauseHarry'sAnIdiotThat'sWhy
#ForTheMainCharacterOfSuchAGoodBookSeries
#HeReallyIsAnIdiot
#OohWhat'sThisLongSkinnyBroomstickShapedPackage?
#OHITSABROOMSTICKNOWAY
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8. That Grey Area.
The world isn't split into good people and death eaters.
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9. That Grey Area, Part Deux
I do adore the characters that most would consider good (Hermione, Luna); but the morally grey/controversial characters are definitely my favorites. Characters like Snape, Sirius, Draco and Dumbledore I wouldn't consider to be completely good, but I definitely don't consider any of them bad either. They're flawed and complicated, and I just feel for them so much. Most of these characters get quite a bit of hate from the fandom but I don't even care, I love them.
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10. Ron's Learning Disability
When Ron, frustrated with studying for NEWTs and with Hermiones anxious sixth-year nagging, explains to her what reading is like for him, Hermiones breath catches. Ron, youre dyslexic, she says, softly, and instantly regrets every snide comment shes ever made towards his study habits.
Soon, by asking around, Hermione amasses a list of spells for Ron to try - some stilling the page, some changing the font of books for easy reading, some going after Rons temporal lobe directly.
These help, a little, but not as much as knowing theres a word for why reading is so hard for him. That its normal, that hes not stupid, and that Hermione suddenly helps instead of criticizes, looks for solutions rather than complains, praises instead of gloats.
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11. We totally ship #Harric
"You know the Prefects bathroom on the fifth floor? It's not a bad place for a bath." Can you just imagine if there were people passing by and they heard Cedric saying that to Harry? They'd probably be thinking that they would go to that restroom and make loooooove and then when Cedric died it made sense why Harry was like on top of him and bawling. Because his boyfriend died! OMG That Hogwart's student probably thought they were Sherlock figuring all this sh*t out. I bet all the students shipped them. I bet they called them Harric; the starcrossed champions from Hogwart's.
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12. No Love For Luna
I actually didn't like Luna. While she spent a lot of time criticizing Hermione for being closed minded, she herself completely rejected the idea of scientific process, or the idea of rationality behind evidence based acceptance. Calling someone closed minded for utilizing critical thinking skills is closed minded, and frankly dangerous. Look at how that horn in her house almost got the trio killed because her and her father both refused to see reason. That's not cute, it's ridiculous.
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13. American Re-Writes
Since they changed Philosopher's Stone to Sorcerer's Stone for America, I decided to change the rest since us Americans are too dumb to understand the word philosopher:
Harry Potter and the Whisper Snake Place
Harry Potter and That Mean Jail Man
Harry Potter and The Hot Cup
Harry Potter and The Bird Club
Harry Potter and The Guy With Only Some Blood
Harry Potter and Death
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14. Okay But How Did This Elder Wand Thing Work?
I honestly got really confused at the end about whose wand was which and whose was the elder wand and why that was important. Still confused after watching the movies. Help please.
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15. Early Intervention Could Have Avoided Voldemort
I think that Tom Riddle could have been saved. However, it would have taken early intervention during his developmental years to help him overcome what appears to be a sociopathic nature. I work with kids who don't see people as people all the time and with direct intervention they become decent adults. It wasn't on Dumbledore, Dippet or even Slughorn, although they all could have helped. His loss of humanity was at the feet of the orphanage.
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16. Can's Unsee This Now.
For years I thought Moaning Myrtle was played by Daniel Radcliffe in a wig.
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17. And This Bonus Headcannon From Rowling Herself:
I said to Arthur, my American editor - we had an interesting conversation during the editing of seven - the moment when Harry takes Draco's wand. Arthur said 'God. That's the moment when the ownership of the Elder want is actually transferred?" And I said "That's right."
He said: "Shouldn't that be a bit more dramatic?"
And I said: "No. Not at all. The reverse."
I think it really puts the elaborate, grandiose plans of Dumbledore and Voldemort in their place. That actually the history of the wizarding world hinged on two teenaged boys wrestling with each other. They weren't even using magic. It became an ugly little corner tussle for the possession of wands. And I really liked that - that very human moment, as opposed to these two wizards who were twitching strings and manipulating and implanting information and husbanding information and guarding information, you know? Ultimately it just came down to that, a little scuffle and fistfight in the corner and pulling a wand away. It says a lot about the world at large, I think; about conflict in the world and the difference one individual can make. Always the difference one individual can make.
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But we should also be prepared and ready to ask the right questions to have a leg up on the competition.
"What is THE best question to ask on a job interview?"
A company's history or information about a past employee were suggested subjects appropriate for questioning.
Prior Knowledge
"When you were interviewing here, what would you have liked to know before you joined?"
"This worked for me. I asked my interviewer a question about how she had personally dealt with a company policy she had just explained. She bragged about her stellar adherence to the policy. I nodded my approval. I got the job."
A Previous Employee
"One that has always gone over well for me:"
"What were some qualities that the previous employee in this role brought to the job that you would like to see carried forward?"
"Another good thing to do is research the company you are interviewing with and you can ask things about what they may be involved in or you could drop that while reading about the company, you wondered this."
Hypothetical questions were suggested as helpful examples of inquiry.
Indicators Of How Companies Treat Employees
"A question that landed me a job once was: 'If I asked your direct reports about your management style, what do you think they'd tell me?' Stumped a hiring manager and he emailed me personally to tell me about it, no one ever asked him that question but got the job.
"In my current interviews I'm asking 'what did your company do for its employees during [the virus] to improve their day to day, work life balance, etc.' and I ask 'Is there anything your company adopted during [the virus] that they plan to keep post [the virus]?"
"These questions give a lot of insight into whether a company treated their employees well."
Past Performance & Adjustments
"If we were currently sitting in my 1 year review, what would I have done in this year for you to say I excelled in my role?"
"If I could snap my finger right now and change anything about your job or the company, what would it be and why?"
The following questions about a prospective company may not be answered from initial digging on their website.
Measure Of Success & Career Trajectories
"How is success measured in this role?"
"What are some possible career trajectories within the company that could stem from this position?"
Being A Solution
"Ask them what is the biggest problem you can solve for them in your first six months with the company. Similar to 'don't think of a purple hippo,' this forces them to imagine you succeeding in the position."
Simply The Best
"Who is your best employee and why is he/she the best?"
"You will then face 2 situations mostly:"
"panicking CEO who can't answer you 'Bob who works 17 hours a day for a slice of bread' so the fear in their faces must be a big nono for you"
"entusiast CEO who actually follow their business and can tell you who is an added value for the company and why."
– ThePiz91
My experiences with job interviews are different than others seeking work in office environments.
Having had a years-long career as a dancer, my "interview" was the dance audition, where hopefuls dance in small groups of people at a time after learning a routine and then awaiting their fate after the panel evaluates their performances.
The question I may or may not have asked in such a scenario earlier in my career was: "Did I make the cut?"
I did not make the cut. And I learned never to ask that again.
I remember the worst date I ever had. My biggest regret is that I stayed for the entire thing. I should've left as soon as I realized this was not going well, which was basically at hello. But he was paying so I drank, a lot. I'll keep names and dates to myself to protect the innocent.
0/10
Big Brother Reaction GIF by Big Brother After DarkGiphy"Went to brewery, date said I had hairy arms and that meant I was horny, said "you look really awful in this light" and then tried to dig out of that hole by saying in his native language that was a term of endearment long term couples said to each other. 0/10 did not date again."
Lucky 13?
"My wife wanted to plan our 13th wedding anniversary. I was excited because usually, I plan it. She bought us some new disc golf discs and after a quick supper, we went to play. We hadn't played in forever. We were laughing and I had a great time. She served me with divorce papers and told me that the date was a test to see if she still had feelings for me. I also learned that she was having an affair that started well before our anniversary."
- rmorlock
Two Hours from Home
"Not necessarily a date but a person I was dating invited me to his parent's house for the afternoon. He wanted to introduce me to them and show me the house he grew up in. I thought it was super sweet and had no problems going. He was also in the middle of moving and needed to pick up a few things, so it really didn't seem that unusual."
"Yeah, we got there and it was awful. His entire family was there. They traveled from hours away too. This was not just meeting the parents, it was meeting the ENTIRE family. Even worse? At some point, this idiot told his parents that he had proposed. We had been dating TWO months. I spent the entire afternoon dumbfounded and just playing along."
"We were two hours from home and I had no cell service, no way to leave at all. We ended up spending the afternoon brainstorming wedding ideas and planning an Alaskan honeymoon that his parents planned to gift us. His brother even called to say congratulations! We drove back to his apartment in silence. When we got there, I got in my car and left, didn't even bother grabbing my stuff. Weirdest experience ever. I have no idea how he broke it to his parents that we weren't getting married."
You're Cut Off!
"Got set up on a blind date once between mutual friends. She shows up to the restaurant already a little tipsy, orders multiple appetizers and only takes like one or two bites from each one. Then she proceeds to order 3 or 4 more drinks and is visibly drunk at this point. She gets up and says she's going to the bathroom and staggers off. About 15-20 minutes go by so I try to call her several times but no answer."
"Finally I decide to pay the check and just leave. About 2 hours later I'm sitting at home and I get a call from an unknown number. It's the police department. She was picked up on a DUI on her way home after she ditched me and gave the cops my number to see if I could go bail her out!"
- mox44ah
Sorry?
Bbc Three Idk GIF by BBCGiphy"Well, I gave this answer on a different topic, but it ties in with this. We were out on a date, we had been seeing each other for a while, close to a year maybe. She gets a phone call. Suddenly she looks destroyed. Her fiancé had just died in a motorcycle accident."
What in the world? I mean how can we ever expect to pair off with the dating pool being inundated with liars and nut jobs? I'm going to delete my apps.
Girl, Bye.
Sassy Beyonce GIFGiphy"Had a girl openly flirt with the bartender in front of me. She says she wasn't. But handing him her own phone and asking for his contact info in front of her date seems like it to me."
Crazy!
"Came out from a movie, late at night, and date's Camaro was stolen. Apparently, he called his WIFE (that I did not know he had) and let her know where he was and what happened. She showed up and realized he was on a date! She started chasing ME around the parking lot telling me she was going to kill me. Saved by the cops who showed up just in time to take the auto theft report."
Hey Mom
"Met a girl at a country bar one night in my 20s. We were both pretty drunk but hit it off pretty good. Ended up getting her number and we agreed we'd go on a real date. Fast forward to the date, she gets in my vehicle and... she looks almost identical to my mom. I was mortified. I was polite and we went for lunch where I found out she also had a boyfriend she "wasn't sure if she was into". Never talked to her again."
- SgtGo
Liars...
"When I was in college many years ago, before the advancement of cell phones and social media, I was chatting with a girl I met on a BBS who lived on Long Island, NY. I was 18 at the time, but lied and said I was 22 because she said she was 25. We spent a few weeks emailing each other, as well as calling each other."
"We even exchanged pics. When we finally met up, things blew up. Turns out we both lied about our ages: She was really 33, and lied because she thought she looked younger. She admitted she sent a college photo to me. We still had dinner together, but it was awkward as hell. We never spoke again."
Doubles
Kill Me Now Season 1 GIF by FriendsGiphy"It was a double date. She was more interested talking to the other girl throughout the whole thing. Found out later from the other guy that his girl cheated on him with my date."
Ummm... I think I'm just going to stay single. That is a handful of crazy. Why can't people just be honest? I swear the search for love warps people's brains. Be careful out there people.
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