It will come as no surprise to anyone that has known me longer than ten minutes to find out that the easiest way to make me happy is to mention anything surrounding the topic of Harry Potter. Since I first was introduced to the films back in 2001, I have found myself utterly obsessed with every single aspect of the series, universe, lore, and characters. No matter how many times I watch the films, reread the books, or consume the plays and other adaptations, the series never seems to grow old or tired on me. And I think that many other Potterheads out there, in the world, can relate to this. For some reason, everytime that you pick up those novels, you can discover something new about the series, the lore, or the characters that you never noticed before.

One of the greatest aspects of being involved in the Harry Potter fandom is the fact that the internet is simply brimming with like-minded fans who spend hours and hours decoding, breaking down, and exposing certain aspects of the series that other people might not have noticed. It’s so fascinating and mind-blowing to find yourself being forced to look at something that you know as well as the back of your hand through brand new eyes and from a brand new perspective. So, without further ado, here are 25 mind-blowing things that Harry Potter fans have revealed, theorized, and uncovered about the series over the years.

24 If Only She Had Known...

Oh yeah, get ready to cry because this next post is going to rip you open and set your soul on fire. I know that the envelopes which contained Harry Potter’s acceptance letter to Hogwarts were addressed to the cupboard under the stairs, but let’s pretend that these envelopes were addressed by a specialized spell which knew the exact location in which each and every student resided due to the fact that there are thousands of children who require these letters every September and penning each address by hand would take far too long. What if McGonagall never knew that Harry spent the majority of his young life living in a cupboard underneath the stairs in his Aunt and Uncle's home? Now, we all know that she loves that boy like he was her own son and that she would do anything she could to protect him.

Imagine how she would react to this heartbreaking news.

When Dumbledore first wanted to leave Harry with the Dursley’s, McGonagall was irate. I can guarantee that, had she known of the way that Harry was being raised, she would have kicked down the Dursley’s door and fought both Vernon and Petunia with her bare hands. Magic be darned.

23 The Greatest Enemy Of All

Anyone who claims that they are not afraid of spiders is either a liar or a descendant of Steve Irwin. Though I do appreciate the ways in which spiders control the bug population, no event in my life will ever compare to the night when a spider dropped down from the ceiling and landed on my sleeping body. I still scan the ceiling for any little spiders (or other creepy crawlies) before I go to sleep at night. So I wholeheartedly understand if Salazar Slytherin decided to create a huge chamber beneath the Hogwarts castle in order to house a monstrous snake whose sole duty was to scare away the Spiders that lingered in those hallowed halls. I do not blame him one bit because, if I was able to do something similar I would do so in a heartbeat. Now, my one bedroom apartment is barely big enough for my bookshelves so I do not think that a full sized Basilisk would fit inside the flat.

I wonder if there are pocket-sized Basilisks that could get the job done.

Maybe I could pop on down to the local pet store, buy a tank and some accoutrements, and then make a nice little home for my mini-Basilisk. I wonder what would happen if you made eye contact with a tiny Basilisk. Instead of perishing, maybe you would just fall into a nice, deep, and peaceful sleep for a few hours. I can see literally no downside to this plan.

22 A Boggart In Muggles Clothing

I genuinely think that the man that is Rubeus Hagrid would show absolute kindness towards every single creature that found a home in Hogwarts and its surrounding grounds. Even those creatures that are generally reviled and ostracized by the rest of the wizarding population. This kindness would even extend towards creatures regarded and treated as monsters, like the boggart. I guarantee that Hagrid would find some way to emphasize with the creatures and would show them unfailing kindness. He would take them in, house them, feed them (on a side note- what in the world do you think that a Boggart would eat), and make them feel loved.

I wonder if a boggart has even been shown any form of kindness by a wizard. Fear makes people do intense things; things that they wouldn't normally do. People lash out and I think that they take out their fear on the boggart. And maybe, the boggart didn’t mean to scare them. I mean, it is the only thing that they know how to do. Maybe, if we all showed boggarts true kindness they would be able to reveal their true form to us and no longer feel the need to scare the life out of us. I bet Hagrid has seen a boggart in their true form. And I bet that he wouldn’t tell anyone what that form looked like, out of respect for the boggart that revealed itself to him, of course.

21 The Monster Of Malfoy Manor

Remember that scene in the third movie where the rest of Lupin’s class happily engaged in the act of facing off with the physical manifestation of their greatest fears while Malfoy sneered in derision? But why was Draco so irritated by the idea of performing this spell in front of his classmates? Surely, someone as great as Malfoy thinks he is would revel in the chance to show off his amazing magical skills to his classmates? Maybe he just didn’t think he was good enough to perform the spell properly and was terrified of failing and embarrassing himself in front of his peers. Or maybe he was too proud to let his classmates know what his biggest fear was.

Maybe Draco did not want to engage in this classroom activity because he knew that the sight of a tall, blonde, sneering man staring him down in front of his peers would cause a flurry of unwanted attention. How would Lupin react to finding out that a child’s greatest fear is their own parent? What is the protocol for this sort of thing? What if the reason that Draco threatens his classmates with the words “my father will hear about this” is that, to him, Lucius Malfoy is the scariest thing in the entire wizarding world?

20 Just Another Weasley

Now this theory is one that puts a big old smile on my face. The idea of Harry feeling so comfortable, safe, and loved with the Weasley’s that he accidentally calls Molly “Mum” is one of the most beautiful things that I can imagine. God bless whoever came up to this theory. I wonder how the situation felt to Harry. Since his parents passed away before he could speak, I don’t think he had ever called someone “mum” before that moment. No, that can’t be true. I believe that a toddler-sized version of Harry, who was in the midst of learning how to speak, referred to Petunia as “mum” before he was quickly and strongly corrected. He never did so again.

When the word slipped out of his mouth at the Burrow, his eyes flashed to Molly’s figure in a panic.

He was worried that she would have the same reaction as his Aunt did. Blind panic coursed through his body for a hot second. But Molly accepted the term and showed him nothing but love and affection in return. That was the moment when Harry finally felt like he truly had become a member of the Weasley family rather than just being a lonely visitor looking in on this happy families peaceful domestic life.

19 The Day They All Feared

Man, what I wouldn’t give to watch a long-form adaptation that detailed the Marauders life and their time at school. Sure, I would love to see how they handled dramatic and serious topics like Tom Riddle’s rise to power and the trials and tribulations that surrounded Remus and his transformations. However, my focus would be on the calm, every day, happy moments that existed between dramatic storylines. The moments that detailed the group enjoying the little moments that make up life like the carefree teens that they were. I would love to see James’ numerous failed attempts to woo Lily.

But I think that the best part of this series would be the episodes that centered around the pranks that the boys pulled and their constantly escalating mischievous endeavors (as well as their attempts to remain unpunished throughout their pranking escapades). What would happen if the Marauders ever decided to engage in a prank war? Would people bet on who they thought would win the title of “ultimate prankster?” Who ended up winning or did they call a truce when the entire student body became terrified to leave their beds in the morning? Would the teachers intervene or would they be glad that the boys were directing their pranks towards each other rather than the rest of the school?

18 Those Long, Lonely Nights

Very few things are known about Lupin’s time as a werewolf. We know that his friends mastered the art of transforming themselves into animals in order to keep him (and themselves) safe and that he had to stay in the Shrieking Shack during those moon filled nights during his time at Hogwarts. And we know that, if taken correctly, his special potion can prevent his transformation from taking its toll. However, what did Remus do on those lonely human nights that he spent in that shack waiting for the sun to rise? I can’t imagine that consuming that potion could be anything close to pleasant.

So did these nights consist of Remus convulsing on the floor in pain until the sun rose?

And what did he do to occupy himself (or rather distract himself) until the morning came and he was free to go? The above theory suggests that he surrounded himself with polaroids of his friends in order to remind himself that he wasn’t the beast that he thought he was and that people truly did love him. I like to think that other items made their way into this monthly routine over time. I think that Sirius would include a walkman that played his favorite punk jam, Peter would lend Remus some books that he held near and dear to his heart, and James would have made a little photo album for Remus so that he could easily leaf through those polaroids that he cherished.

17 Brutally Honest... In The Best Way

Have you ever noticed that Luna Lovegood has this uncanny ability to tell everyone exactly what they need to hear at any given moment? When Harry wanted to be left alone at the wedding, she wandered off in a way that made sure that he did not feel that she had been insulted but also left him alone with his thoughts. When Harry was struggling with his anger in his fifth year and found himself wanting to separate himself from his friends to prevent them from meeting the same fate as Cedric, Luna knew how to gently convince him to find comfort in those he loved rather than fear.

Some people suggest that her intelligence and unique way of thinking allows her to see through everyone pretenses and get to the meat of their interactions. But I (as well as the Tumblr user who created the above theory) don’t think that that theory truly covers it. This user is suggesting that, like Queenie Goldstein, Luna is a legilimens (i.e. a wizard that can read the mind and thoughts of those around her.) Though it is possible that even Luna herself was not aware of her powers. But I think that this theory perfectly explains Luna’s uncanny ability to know exactly what everyone around her is thinking and needs to hear.

16 Every Cat's Worst Dream

Ah, Mrs. Norris; the bane of every single student, ghost, and professor to ever attend Hogwarts. I can guarantee that every single student, ghost, and professor has considered punting that little furball down the lengthy Hogwarts corridor at some point. Don’t get me wrong, I love animals and would not wish harm fall upon any cat in the entire galaxy.

However, even I would find myself growing quickly sick of having my every action watched and judged by that feline monstrosity. I wonder how the Marauders dealt with Mrs. Norris. I am willing to wager that none of them were too excited to find themselves trapped under her watchful eye and can imagine that each and every one of those boys went to some extreme lengths in order to avoid crossing her path. Though none of them ever dared to harm her while they were in their human forms (out of fear of inciting Filch’s rage), Sirius just couldn’t help himself when he was in his dog form.

I would pay an insane amount of money to see that black dog chasing that cat through the halls of Hogwarts. I can also guarantee that McGonagall knew exactly who was behind that furry mask. She knew that Sirius was the “darn dog” that Filch kept muttering about to Dumbledore about.

15 Erudite Sensibilities

For some reason, our society has decided that the heart and the mind are doomed to remain separate. People who wear their heart on their sleeve and allow their deepest passions to determine their course of actions are seen as naive, simple, and dimwitted. And those who dedicate their lives to the pursuit of knowledge are seen as dry, emotionless, and almost robotic. (Hence stereotypes surrounding both the Hufflepuff and the Ravenclaw houses.) But it doesn’t have to be that way.

People who let every emotion radiate through their every pore can be intelligent and well spoken.

And people who fill their minds with knowledge can fill their hearts with love. The two do not have to be mutually exclusive. One of the best examples of this duality (aside from Luna Lovegood) exists with Rowena Ravenclaw herself. In life, Rowena accomplished many things but falling in love was never on her to-do list; yet it ended up defining her life (or at least, the way it ended.) And I think that having the woman who literally created that house that values wit above all other things perish from a broken heart really drives that elusive (at least in fiction) duality home.

14 Science Helps Us Understand

These kind of theories are the precise reason why I love the internet and the online Harry Potter fandom. Since J.K. Rowling seems determined to provide us with a flurry of content surrounding things that we have never expressed curiosity towards instead of answering some of our burning questions referencing all things that occurred before the events of the first novel took place, the internet has decided to step up and answer these questions for the rest of us. One thing I have always been curious about was every single thing that happened after James and Lily graduated from Hogwarts.

How soon after their graduation did they marry each other? Was Harry planned or was he a happy little accident? Judging from their age, one would assume that he was an accident. If he was, how did Lily react when she found out she was carrying her first child? How did she break the news to James and how did he react? How did they break the news to the rest of the gang? My heart breaks every time that I realize that there will, most likely, never be an official answer to any of my questions. Can we return the Cursed Child and get something (anything) about the Marauders instead? Please? Pretty Please?

13 ...But How Do You Feed it?

Maybe this is the biggest evidence to support the fact that I was properly sorted into the Hufflepuff house. Not my kind heart nor my dedication to fairness or unwavering loyalty. Just my simple obsession with the matter of how to care for these textbooks. How would one care for the Monster Book of Monsters? Is it like a pet that needs to be groomed, fed, walked, and cared for?

Or is it simply an enchanted object whose aggressive acts are nothing more than a parlor trick?

Now, I’m not going to lie. That book scared the absolute bejesus out of me when I first saw the third Harry Potter film in theatres. But could it actually hurt me? It looked like it had absolutely torn Neville to pieces; however, could it actually pose a serious risk to anyone or is it simply a silly little enchanted object? But seriously, what would we feed that thing? It seems to take a liking to shoes but I don’t know if I want to sacrifice my best footwear in order to feed a textbook that my teacher required me to purchase. And if it is alive, would having these pets on campus break the established accepted pet rules enforced at Hogwarts.

12 Dreams And Neglect

One of the saddest aspects of the Harry Potter franchise is the subject of Harry’s upbringing. Sure, things were wonderful before his parents passed away and his life becomes a billion times better once Hagrid whisks him away to Hogwarts and takes him on the rest of his magical adventure. But what about those 10 years in between those two joy-filled periods? Both the books and the films try to do their best to skip over that part entirely so that audiences don’t spend any time considering all of those terrible years that Harry spent with a family that did not love him… or even care about him about all.

But I wanted to think about both Harry’s childhood and the consequences of that sort of loveless upbringing. Since he was so used to affection from his birth parents, do you think that Harry tried to show (and receive) that same level of affection from his Aunt and Uncle? When did he realize that he was never going to receive that affection? When did he give up and become the slightly jaded Harry that we see in the Philosopher’s Stone? And, since he got used to the lack of affection, how did he react when his own children came to him in moments of joy or need?

11 Rules Were Meant To Be Ignored

I’ve always wondered how Professor McGonagall felt about the Marauders. There is a common joke that floats around the Potterhead community which suggests that she may have quit the very day that she found out that a young boy named James Sirius Potter would make his debut at Hogwarts.

However, I have always felt that McGonagall loved those boys with her entire heart.

And that she also respected the healthy challenge that their mischievous tendencies presented her with. She was most likely impressed with their magical abilities and determination rather than disappointed or angered when she discovered all of their antics. I honestly believe that, like this theory suggests, she stopped punishing them for breaking everyday rules (like punctuality, passing notes, or uniform infractions) because they could be breaking much bigger rules if they set their minds to it. Also, I believe that after the Marauders left Hogwarts, McGonagall was bored out of her mind until the Weasley twins showed up. She was probably over the moon when Fred and George figured out the ins and outs of Hogwarts and began getting up to all kinds of freshman mischief. Finally, a real challenge after all of these unamusing years.

10 Who Let The Dog Out?

These are the best Harry Potter theories. They don’t make you want to cry until you run out of tears or hurt you until you can’t feel anything anymore. They are just nice little theories that warm your heart. And this theory has me thinking about all the ways in which attempts to keep Sirius in hiding could have gone wrong. Just hear me out for a moment. I know that Sirius knows that he has to stay incognito for his own safety; however, we all know that Sirius thinks that he is above the law (i.e. he thinks he can outsmart literally everyone else around him).

So, the question that needs answering, is how was Remus able to convince Sirius to stay in hiding? Did the Order have to take turns taking him for walks so that he could get out of his parents' horrible house every now and then? Who walked Sirius? Would Moody do it? The mental image of Moody angrily walking a smug Sirius is honestly the most hilarious thing that I have ever pictured in my entire life. I guarantee you that Sirius would leave a big, warm, chocolate surprise for Moody on the sidewalk that he, reluctantly, had to clean up. They never spoke of it again. Sirius tried, but Moody convinced him not to ever bring it up again. Threats may have been issued.

9 A Mother's Love

Oh, come on. You didn’t truly think that I could write an entire article about Harry Potter theories without including at least one heartbreaking reminder that Lily and James have perished and that Harry was a sad and lonely orphan for most of his life, did you? Now, this is a theory that made me cry my little eyes out. The only theory that hurts me more than this one is the one where Lily takes it upon herself to take Fred under her ghostly limb after he finds himself in the afterlife after the Battle of Hogwarts reached its end. My heart swells when I think about the ways in which Molly forced (lovingly, of course) Harry to become a member of her family.

By the third year of Ron and Harry’s friendship, Harry has essentially become the eighth child in the Weasley family.

It’s just so touching how Molly accepts him into her family, no questions asked. She never complains about having another mouth to feed or child to house. She just loved and cared for him like he was her own child without a single second thought. I like to think that James’ mother treated Sirius the same way that Molly treats Harry. Mothers looking after each other's children. Ow, my heart.

8 No, You're Crying

Sometimes the internet likes to hurt us. And sometimes, we allow the hurt to happen because it is a beautiful kind of pain. This is one of those times. This theory has a sort of melancholic beauty to it. The idea of the Marauders raising Harry as a group is a lovely one. I love the idea of Sirius and Remus taking little baby Harry to the park or fighting over who had to change him or bathe him (I like to think that Harry was one of those babies that threw absolute meltdown style tantrums when it was bath time).

And the idea of them handing off the task of caring for that little bundle of love is such a warm idea. I love the idea of Harry existing as this beacon of hope and joy while the wizarding world threatened to crumble around them. This little piece of peace and happiness in a world filled with darkness.

And then the theory just has to take a turn for the heartbreaking and soul-crushing with the mention of Sirius’ final moments. But I will admit that bringing back that light-hearted game of tag in his final moments is both bittersweet and the exact sort of thing that Sirius would do. I don’t know whether I should cry or smile after reading up on this theory, so I have decided to do both.

7 Weasley Means Family

I know I do not have the authority to do so but I do not care anymore. I, with the imaginary power I have bestowed upon myself, hereby declare this theory canon. Imagine how crestfallen he was when he spent his first year as a teacher and saw all of the children who sat, alone and giftless, in the great hall on Christmas morning.

With their faces contorted into little frowns which screamed: “When will this day be over?”

I imagine that Neville wrote to Harry about this and Harry mentioned that Molly used to send him care packages during his time at Hogwarts. So Harry and Neville made the plan and got to work. Nothing brings a bigger smile to my face than the idea of Neville going into the headmasters' office, checking the school roster to see which children had stated that they were staying at Hogwarts throughout the Holiday season, and making note of which children seemed to collapse or shudder when the Holiday was mentioned. He made a list of all the children who did not share the same joy that their classmates did and sent that list straight to Molly who got busy making sure that no child would ever spend another Christmas at Hogwarts feeling unloved, unwanted, or unappreciated.

6 Reading Between The Lines

Now, I want to make it very clear that I wholeheartedly believe that Snape is a sniveling, slimy, and vile person who spent his grown-up life mocking children for his own amusement because twenty or so years before, a girl he had a crush on didn’t want to go out with him. However, this theory was too cool to ignore simply due to personal opinions; therefore, I had to include it. This theory states that the key to the reason why Snape and Lily could never be together lies in their names. Evans (Lily’s maiden name) and Snape are remarkably similar names. When read backward, Lily’s maiden name reads “Snave.”

The two letters which prevent the names from being identical is a V and a P.

The V referring to Voldemort and the P referring to Potter. Snape’s love for the dark side and his eagerness to commit himself to Tom Riddle kept him from ever being the one for Lily. He would have to renounce that entire aspect of himself in order to be with her and that was the one thing that he could never do. And Potter kept Lily from being with Severus. He was her true other half and denying his love would deny her own heart. So, as long as Snape answered the sirens call of the dark arts and Lily loved Potter, they could never be together.

5 It's The Little Things

I have always enjoyed comfortable silences shared between two people. There is no reason to fill every single moment with conversation. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good deep conversation that allows two people to connect, express themselves, and interact in a way that they never have with another human being before. But sometimes the most intimate moments between two people can stem from them existing in their own little worlds, side by side. Like the above Tumblr user, I truly believe that Ron and Hermione would have relished in those quiet moments together.

Hermione would find herself engrossed in some sort of novel, journal, watercolor, or other quiet and solitary activity while Ron watched her. He loved the way that her brow creased when she reached a particularly troubling part of her book or painting and how relief flooded her face when she overcame that difficult passage. But Ron’s favorite thing that Hermione did while reading was the fact that she could remain silent and motionless for so long that you would think she was a statue. Once, he swore that she did not move a muscle for over six hours. I like the idea of two people simply enjoying each other's simultaneous existence. It’s peaceful.