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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was one of the most highly-anticipated novels of all time, and for good reason. We all needed to find out exactly what happened to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the rest of our favorite witches and wizards! How would Harry manage to defeat Voldemort? Would Ron and Hermione finally get together? Was Snape really a bad guy? As any Potterhead knows, Deathly Hallows did end up answering these questions—and many more.
However, there were also many aspects of the Wizarding World that hadn't been fully explained by the end of this final book. Considering just how expansive and detailed JK Rowling made the Harry Potter universe, it's perhaps unsurprising that she couldn't tie up every loose end by the closing pages of the seventh book. Rowling has gone on to provide a lot of extra information about the Potterverse in interviews, on Pottermore, and in spin-off series like Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. However, there are still quite a few things about the boy wizard and his world that remain mysterious, unclear, and just plain confusing.
Updated May 19, 2022, by Gabrielle Huston: Harry Potter can be a controversial subject nowadays, despite its continued popularity. If you find yourself thinking about the franchise, you might also find yourself poking holes in the plot or finding things that were never explained in canon.
20 Bellatrix And Voldemort's Relationship
Here's a question that was never fully addressed by the end of Deathly Hallows: what exactly was going on between He Who Must Not Be Named and his number one fan, Bellatrix Lestrange? It's clear that Bellatrix is totally besotted with the Dark Lord, but it's unclear how he feels about her.
He's incapable of feeling love, after all, but there are some indications that he values Bellatrix. After the fight in the Department of Mysteries in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Voldemort took Bellatrix with him when he apparated away. Some people think he just recognizes her value as a talented and ruthless witch. Others think that, though he doesn't reciprocate her feelings, he enjoys her attention and attraction for him.
19 An Unnecessary Secret Keeper
As we all know, during the First Wizarding War, James and Lily Potter went into hiding at Godric's Hollow to evade Lord Voldemort. Only one other person knew their location: their Secret Keeper, Peter Pettigrew. Sadly, the Potters' trust was misplaced: Pettigrew betrayed their whereabouts to the Dark Lord.
You have to wonder, though, why the Potters told anyone where they were going in the first place. The Fidelius charm gave them more protection, and it requires the secret to be hidden in someone's soul, but James or Lily could have become their own Secret Keepers! It'd have been a much safer option—and it would have saved their lives.
18 The Wizarding Education System
The Harry Potter series leaves a lot of questions about the wizarding education system unanswered. Is there a wizarding college, or does education just stop at 18? Is there a magical elementary school, or do children remain uneducated until the age of 11? How do they learn to read, write, and do simple mathematics?
This seems to be an area in which Muggle-born children would come out on top: prior to receiving their Hogwarts letter, they'd presumably have attended a non-magical school! If JK Rowling could please take the time to explain this system, we'd be super grateful.
17 Wizarding Economics
Another aspect of the wizarding world that's never really explained is its economic system. There seems to be no consistency in pricing between various magical objects, and honestly, we have no idea how most witches and wizards make their money. Unless you're a Ministry of Magic employee or a shopkeeper, what do you do?
Plus, how can money exist in a world that contains magic? Surely people could just use charms to create their own Galleons, thus totally devaluing the currency? Admittedly, this isn't the kind of information you'd expect to find in a kids' book, but still. We're confused!
16 Portkey Problems
While we know that portkeys are used to transport witches and wizards from one location to another, there are still a lot of mysteries surrounding them. Are all portkeys timed, or do some work indefinitely?
In Goblet of Fire, the portkey that takes our heroes to the Quidditch World Cup is only active for a few seconds, and it's only one-way. However, when the Triwizard Cup becomes a portkey, it's active for quite some time—and takes Harry back to Hogwarts following his confrontation with Voldemort. Are portkeys really that versatile, or is this a plot hole? Who knows.
15 How Big Are Hogwarts' Pipes?
In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the Basilisk—aka, that giant, terrifying snake that has deadly eyes and is freaking HUGE—manages to petrify numerous Hogwarts students by hiding in the school's pipes system. It occasionally leaves its lair below the girls' bathroom to slither around undetected, all using the power of plumbing.
However, this method of transportation actually makes very little sense when you think about it. How big must Hogwarts' pipes have to be to fit a snake that size? How did it even get into the pipe system? It's a mystery...
14 Mischief Every May
To be honest, any student who attended Hogwarts at the same time as Harry Potter and his pals must have utterly dreaded the end of the school year—and not just because they had finals. It just so happens that every major incident that Harry causes or is involved in always takes place in May or June.
Obviously, JK Rowling framed the story this way so that each book's conclusion could come at the end of the school year—it fits pretty nicely. However, it's highly improbable that all of Harry's enemies separately decided to strike in May.
13 Harry's Unnecessary Glasses
Considering the Harry Potter universe is full of witches and wizards with remarkable powers, there are a lot of small annoyances and seemingly easy fixes that they don't seem to address with their magic.
Take Harry's eyesight, for example. Surely there's a spell out there that could have improved his vision—like a magical version of laser eye surgery? It seems like the kind of thing that Madame Pomfrey could have achieved in a second. Instead, though, everyone seems to forget that they can use magic, and Harry is stuck wearing his specs forever.
12 The Backstory Of Dumbledore And Fawkes
In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, we—and Harry—first encounter Fawkes, Dumbledore's trusty feathered companion. It's clear that this powerful wizard and his Phoenix are close: Fawkes is devastated when Dumbledore perishes and is never seen again following his funeral.
However, we're never treated to the backstory of how Fawkes and Dumbledore first met—and how their friendship blossomed! We do know that Fawkes had never pledged his service to a wizard until he met Dumbledore. What convinced him to leave the wild for Albus? We'll probably never know.
11 Dullest Triwizard Tournament Ever
In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, students from Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons are treated to the exciting sight of the Triwizard Tournament taking place for the first time in centuries. They crowd into stands in Hogwarts' grounds and watch the four Champions complete various thrilling tasks... Right?
Nope. During the second and third tasks, there's not all that much for the spectators to see! One takes place underwater, and one in a giant maze. That must have been a boring few hours for people expecting to see the action unfold. Talk about a restricted view...
10 Peter Pettigrew's Hiding Skills
In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, poor Ron Weasley is horrified to discover that his pet rat, Scabbers, isn't actually a rodent at all. In reality, he's the unscrupulous wizard Peter Pettigrew, who's been hiding in his animagus form ever since he shopped James and Lily Potter to Lord Voldemort.
Pettigrew lived as Scabbers undetected for over a decade. How exactly he managed this is unclear, considering the existence of the Marauders' Map! Did Fred and George never question why a man named Peter Pettigrew was sleeping in Ron's bed each night? Evidently not.
9 Colin Creevey's Camera
In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, a first-year Gryffindor called Colin Creevey becomes quite a fan of the titular hero. Armed with his trusty Muggle camera, Colin crops of everywhere and is constantly trying to get the best shot he can of Harry.
However, a later revelation in Goblet of Fire—the fact that Muggle technology doesn't work at Hogwarts—suggests that Colin's hobby of photography is actually a major plot hole in the series! His camera should be totally non-functional while he's on school grounds—but somehow, Colin is able to happily snap away.
8 Save The House Elves!
Here's a question that brings the wizarding community to shame somewhat: was Hermione Granger really the first person to consider that House-Elves deserved better rights? More to the point, did anyone end up supporting her campaign to liberate these creatures while she was at Hogwarts?
It seems strange that the wizarding community would be so committed to keeping these elves in their service—especially since they could probably use magic to complete the tasks that they used house-elves for. How did nobody realize this before S.P.E.W. became a thing?
7 What Is Heath And Safety?
Considering Hogwarts is a school, it's really not the safest place for children to inhabit. Various dangerous creatures—such as Fluffy the Three-Headed Dog and a whole load of Dementors—are allowed to reside on school property. It's right next to a very dangerous forest where students are sometimes sent to serve detention.
Also, in the space of four years, Dumbledore hired Voldemort in disguise, a pathological liar, a werewolf, and a Death Eater in disguise as teachers. Does he have no concept of vetting his staff—or health and safety at all?
6 Where Was Britain's Backup?
Question: how do international relations work in the wizarding community? We know that witches and wizards from different countries are in communication with each other. Besides anything else, the Triwizard Tournament saw French and Bulgarian witches and wizards visiting Hogwarts.
However, in Deathly Hallows, the British magical community is left to fight Voldemort and his supporters alone. Did they not have any foreign allies that they could have called in to help? Were their pleas for assistance ignored? Who knows. Whatever the case, it seems a bit harsh for the rest of the wizarding world to leave the UK to defeat the Dark Lord alone.
5 The Unlimited Food Mystery
For the majority of Deathly Hallows, Harry, Ron, and Hermione find themselves on the run from Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Things get pretty rough for them, with the lack of available food in particular really taking a toll on the trio.
The thing is, there were so many ways they could have magically acquired food! They could have used magic to catch fish or to duplicate food that they already had. The latter is possible, thanks to food being an exception to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration! Did all three of them just totally forget that—even Hermione?
4 The Sorting System
While the Hogwarts Sorting System seems kinda endearing and exciting when you're a child, as an adult, a lot of faults surrounding it become clear.
For one, why has nobody accepted that humans are diverse creatures who can be both brave AND clever? Doesn't sticking them in a house aged 11 totally restrict their growth as people, as these kids strive to meet the expectations of their peers?
Plus, the whole "Slytherins are all evil" thing seems vastly unfair. Way to write off a whole group of children before they have a chance to mature and grow!
3 The Department Of Mysteries
The clue's in the name: The Department of Mysteries was never going to be the most straightforward setting in the Harry Potter universe. Harry and his friends encounter a ton of weird and wonderful things when they head there in Order of the Phoenix, such as a room full of brain and a veil that seemingly leads to the "other side."
The thing is, the meaning behind a lot of the Department's strange objects is never addressed. We don't know what those brains are doing there, and we don't know the veil's exact connection to the afterlife. So mysterious!
2 Polyjuice Potion Problems
The infamous Polyjuice Potion is a frequent feature in the Harry Potter universe. It crops up in Chamber of Secrets, Goblet of Fire, and Deathly Hallows, and is used by various characters. Question is, why doesn't it appear more?
It can't be too tricky to make since everyone from a bunch of 12-year-olds to a random Death Eater can brew it. Why didn't, say, Voldemort himself use it to sneak into Hogwarts and deal with Harry? Why is it seemingly only available when the plot of the novels demands it? It's suspicious...
1 Dumbledore's Lack Of Logic
Despite apparently being one of the smartest, most talented wizards of all time, Albus Dumbledore sure could be pretty stupid at times—and not just in terms of his Defense Against The Dark Arts employment strategy.
For example, there was that time in Order of the Phoenix when he decided that ignoring Harry—the boy who'd just witnessed Voldemort return, and clearly needed support—was the best course of action. Also, when suspicious things start happening at Hogwarts, a bunch of kids frequently solve the mystery way before this powerful older wizard. What gives?