11 Unanswered Questions We Have About The ‘Harry Potter’ Series

11 Unanswered Questions We Have About The ‘Harry Potter’ Series

11 Unanswered Questions We Have About The ‘Harry Potter’ Series

If you’ve spent the last 16+ years involved in the Harry Potter fandom, you’ve probably had some of the magical years of your life, but you’ve also had some confusing moments. J.K. Rowling created an in-depth world of witches and wizards that quenches our thirst for magic, and yet, she managed to somehow leave quite a few questions unanswered.

1. What happened to Mr. & Mrs. Potter?

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We get that it’s stressed that the Durselys are Harry’s only remaining family. But why? James Potter’s parents don’t even get first names in this series, they’re just Mr. & Mrs. Potter. They were apparently amazing, older parents who doted on James and let his best friend Sirius live with them when he ran away at 16, and yet no names? No story behind their deaths?

2. Were there other international wizards?

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We know about Beauxbatons (southern France) and Durmstrang (Sweden or Norway), but what about the rest of the world? What about us American witches? Where were we supposed to go to school? Why was this Salem Witches Institute never mentioned in the films or books.

3. Why does Harry still wear glasses?

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Maybe we’re being vain here, but c’mon yer a wizard Harry. We find it hard to believe that after all this time of witches and wizards, someone didn’t come up with a quick and easy process to fix your eyes.

4. What do wizards have against computers?

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And the rest of technology? Granted, we get that the Second Wizarding War ended in 1998, before Facebook was even an idea, but that whole “no tech in the castle thing” is kind of ridiculous.

5. Why did Fred and George Weasley never ask Ron who Peter Pettigrew was?

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They apparently found the Marauder’s Map when they were first years, meaning they had it the entire time Ron attended Hogwarts. You’re telling me, not once, did they see or question their brother about who this Peter Pettigrew he was clearly hanging out with was?

6. Why were dementors still allowed at Azkaban after the 1995 “mass breakout”?

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Fudge was doing his best to try and deny that Voldemort was back, but by the end ofOrder of the Phoenix, it was obvious that he was back. So, after Fudge got canned, why didn’t the dementors also get let go? Once itwas acknowledged that Voldemort is alive and trying to reclaim power, didn’t it become obvious that the dementors were the ones who helped break Bellatrix Lestrange and the other high-profile convicts out?

7. Why did Professor Flitwick’s appearance change so drastically?

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We know that Prisoner of Azkaban director Alfonso Cuaron got a little liberally creative while filming, but that still doesn’t explain why absolutely no one acknowledges this huge change in appearance.

8. Why did Voldemort hug Draco?

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This moment was apparently not scripted, so we guess the only real person who knows why Voldemort did this is Voldemort himself, Ralph Fiennes. We imagine it was mean to be menacing, and yet, as viewers it’s one of the few moments we were able to laugh through our tears during Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.

9. Is there really no cure for Frank and Alice Longbottom?

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It makes for a very tragic plot and back story for Neville Longbottom to have both of his parents stuck in St. Mungos Hospital for Magic Maladies, but we never got much information on what was done for them post-torturing. With a firm grasp on all the amazing things that the Wizarding world has to offer, we can’t imagine that in Neville’s lifespan, a breakthrough in his parents’ treatment wasn’t made.

10. How often did people get trapped on the stairs?

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Maybe it’s not something very pertinent to worry about, but still we’re curious. How many people got stuck every day? Could their professors really get mad if they were late to class, since it was the school’s fault in the first place?

11. Why isn’t Ravenclaw’s symbol a raven?

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The Ravenclaw family crest is an eagle, AKA that is why it is the symbol for the house at Hogwarts, yet we’re still confused. Which Ravenclaw ancestor managed to mess that up?

12 Things That Still Bother Me About Harry Potter

12 Things That Still Bother Me About Harry Potter

 

 12 Things That Still Bother Me About Harry Potter

 

Through the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling gave us one of the richest, most wonderful worlds ever. And, because it is so significant and treasured, I'm going to nitpick the hell out of it. 

1. How come they didn't use any muggle inventions to inform their magic inventions?

The series is set between 1991 and 1998, so it makes sense that wizards wouldn't know that much about the internet and other technological advancements like that, but, by 1994, web search engines were starting to work well enough that some wizard should have heard about it and thought, "Hm, maybe we should come up with a magic way of sorting through the information in all these musty old books?" And let's not even get started on the inefficiency of wizards not having any kind of portable communication device. Sirius Black would probably have survived the series if he'd just had a god damn cell phone.

2. Why wouldn't everyone get a magic portrait of themselves and essentially live forever?

According to the magic specifics behind the enchantments that make it so portraits can talk and move and stuff, a magic painter needs to make the portrait, and only the portraits of the headmasters have the wisdom and knowledge of the portrait subject because the portrait is painted early and the headmaster then imbues the portrait version of himself with all that information. Ok. It's a lot more complicated than it seems at first glance, but still. Everyone should get a magic portrait and spend their lives teaching it to be them, so that when, I don't know, they're murdered and leave behind a confused orphan baby, they could still exist in some form to talk to him.

3. Why would J.K. Rowling even include the time-turner?

It's such a clusterfuck of a plot device. There is no person who read The Prison of Azkaban who didn't think, "Huh. If they can go back in time to save Sirius, why couldn't Dumbledore have gone back to save Lily and James Potter?" The internet is full of some gobbledigook "rules" that J.K. Rowling published after-the-fact, but, come on, just avoid time travel plots, lady. You've already got regular magic.

4. So, was Hagrid's dad just a pervert or what?

Rubeus Hagrid is half human and half giant. His father, the human, had sex with his mother, the giant. If all giants are like Grawp--enormous, stupid beasts--that is one fucked up situation. Just sit quietly and think about it for a little while. Yep. Hagrid's dad went into the woods and boned a monster. Cool.

5. If Fred and George had the Marauder's Map during the events of the Chamber of Secrets, why didn't they use it to help figure out who was opening the chamber?

The chamber doesn't appear on the Marauder's Map, but the bathroom that houses the entrance does. After the first student was petrified, wouldn't you think Fred and George would spend some time scouring the map and notice their little sister a) being conspicuously present for all the subsequent attacks, and b) spending a lot of time in a bathroom that most people find creepy because of the annoying ghost?

6. Why would Hogwarts have students ride to the castle on animals they could only see if they'd seen death?

What is the point of singling out all of the children who have seen dead people and making them feel weird and confused? It's such a horribly morbid way to start off the year.

7. Why does Malfoy try to befriend Harry when they first meet?

At their first meeting, Malfoy tries to persuade Harry not to be friends with people like Ron, and, instead, to be friends with Malfoy and his cronies. I get that Malfoy would likely want to be friends with the celebrity student, but his father was a supporter of the person who tried to kill Harry, so it's a pretty weird stretch to think this relationship will go well. Even if the elder Malfoys think Voldemort is dead and don't still have a vendetta against Harry, there's going to be some bad blood, so I don't understand Draco's endgame.

8. Why aren't they more careful what they teach Slytherin kids?

A lot of people might suggest scrapping the Slytherin house all together, but that seems excessive. After all, not every Slytherin kid becomes evil, BUT, apparently, every evil wizard was in Slytherin. So, obviously, Hogwarts should be doubling down on ethics lessons for these kids. Maybe, instead of teaching them so much about fighting, try to prevent the obviously evil children from becoming more evil.

9. Why would Harry think he could get away with opening a letter in front of the Dursleys?

It's presumably the first letter he's ever gotten and he just goes ahead and opens it in front of his awful family? Idiot.

Now for some complaints that are just about the movies:

10. Why was Moaning Myrtle played by a 37 year-old?

Moaning Myrtle is played by Shirley Henderson in the movies, and, if the name "Shirley Henderson" didn't tip you off, this woman was way too old to play a teenager in 2002. Granted, Shirley Henderson is a very good actress and has a great, horrifying voice, but it's still really weird they cast such an old person to play a dead teenager. If the casting director can explain this choice to me, I'll strike it from the list, but until then, it stays.

11. The Ron/Hermione kiss was the lamest kiss ever.

The entire series--even starting when they're 11 years-old--builds the romantic tension between Ron and Hermione. We wait the whole series for them to get together, and then, at last, in the final battle, when people have died and more lives are at risk, our two star-crossed lovers unite and we get to see the back of Rupert Grint's wet head. Be still my heart.

12. And, finally, the most bothersome thing in the entire movie series: the actress they get to play the young version of Harry's mom doesn't have eyes that look anything like his.

So, let's work through this. It's the final installment of a multi-billion dollar movie franchise based on a multi-billion dollar book franchise. Throughout the series, characters are constantly talking about how Harry Potter has the same eyes as his mother. This one fact is the thing that makes Snape turn his back on the Death Eaters and try to protect the child of his one true love. Lily Potter and Harry Potter having the same eyes is a huge fucking deal. So, when the filmmakers needed to cast an actress to play young Lily Potter, a role that required no actual acting skill, and really JUST existed to show her resemblance to Harry, who do they cast? A girl with brown eyes that look nothing like Harry Potters. Good work, everyone.

Source: CollegeHumor

1,000 HARRY POTTER FANS CELEBRATE FANDOM IN EPIC ROLLER SKATING EVENT

1,000 HARRY POTTER FANS CELEBRATE FANDOM IN EPIC ROLLER SKATING EVENT  

Robert Seutter dressed as Professor Albus Dumbledore at the skating event that saw over 1,000 Harry Potter fans in attendance.

1,000 HARRY POTTER FANS CELEBRATE FANDOM IN EPIC ROLLER SKATING EVENT

LOS ANGELES -- More than 1,000 'Harry Potter' fans attended the Harry Potter Skating Night event on Saturday, April 16. Attendees donned their best Harry Potter costumes, drank butter beer and skated the night away while celebrating the beloved books and movies, and the fan community that brings them together.

"I had heard about this event and I love Harry Potter. I love everything about the world J.K. Rowling has created," Robert Seutter, who works as a professional storyteller, told ABC. "This was the place to find my people."

It was the fifth annual Harry Potter skating event, presented by the Los Angeles Dumbledore's Army (LADA), the second largest Harry Potter fan club in the world with over 1,600 members. Held at the Moonlight Rollerway in Glendale, Calif., fans stood in a line wrapped around the entire venue, dressed as their favorite characters. Costumes ranged from the easily recognized Harry Potter, Dumbledore, and Luna Lovegood to the more obscure Giant Squid said to inhabit the Great Lake on the Hogwarts' school grounds.

"I loved roller skating growing up," wrote event organizer Adrienne Alwag-Aipia wrote in an email to ABC. "[I] thought it would be a great tie-in with Harry Potter if we infused the music from the films, costume contests, Butterbeer, free raffles and Harry Potter hand-made merchandise and themed candy."

The not-for-profit club reached out to Harry Potter retailers to support the event with donations supporting the raffle and costume contest prizes.

"These books changed my life in so many ways, mostly by giving me a social life," LADA Leadership member and newsletter editor Jessica Zipay told ABC. "Finding a group of people who are as passionate about something as I am, that I can hang out with, and do nerdy things with, who like doing the same things I do, is so important to have in your life. Especially as an adult."

Later in the night, the massive crowd stopped skating for a "raising of the wands" ceremony that paid tribute to the life of actor Alan Rickman, who had played the role of Professor Severus Snape in the films. Feeling a strong connection to the often misunderstood character, and the actor who played him, fans worldwide were saddened earlier this year when news broke that Rickman had passed away after his battle with cancer.

Zipay added that the books helped her grieve over her father's death in 2007.

"These books deal very heavily with death, and they're all about the questions of death. The author, J.K. Rowling, wrote them to help with her own mother's death so they are very profound," said Zipay. "The way that she deals with death, and talks about death, was incredibly comforting to me during my grieving process."

All of the fans interviewed by ABC said that the community surrounding Harry Potter helped them make "lifelong friends" and get support during life trials.

"Harry Potter means two things: number one, that the cauldron of inspiration is still going; that we can all find something in the movies to inspire us. And secondly, Harry Potter -- himself -- is a really good example of a hero. Despite everything happening to him, he keeps a great soul," said Seutter. "I think everybody who is touched by this carries a little bit of that spirit."

Source - abc7news

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Young versions of Harry Potter characters likely to appear in spin-off

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Young versions of Harry Potter characters likely to appear in spin-off

If you had any concern that Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them wouldn’t attempt to reference as many Harry Potter characters as possible, rest assured the cast and crew are attempting to link the two in as many ways as possible.

In an interview with MTV, Fantastic Beasts stars Alison Sudol (Queenie) and Dan Fogler (Jacob) spoke about the possible inclusion of characters such as Dumbledore.

While the wizard may have been mentioned in the trailer already, Fogler hinted - as in, he basically said it outright - that he will appear in the film.

“As the stories go along, you will hear mention of your favourite characters,” he said, “And you may meet their young counterparts along the way.”

along the way.”

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in photos

If you think JK Rowling and the gang would resist the chance to feature beloved Harry Potter characters in spin-offs then you’re living in a dream world. 

Already this week, Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley have been confirmed for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - the theatre production and next part in the series.

Eddie Redmayne will star in Fantasitc Beasts, alongside the likes of Colin Farrell, Katherine Waterston, Ezra Miller, Samantha Morton and Jon Voight. The film reaches UK cinemas on 18 November.

Source - Independent.co.uk