R. David Walters
2013-05-19 19:14:27 UTC
Harry Potter: Errors and Inconsistencies
by R. David Walters
J. K Rowlings¹s Harry Potter series is a masterful work, obviously
outlined in great detail before she began writing the first book. Here
are two examples of her extensive planning. When Hermione Granger was
introduced to us in The Sorcerer¹s Stone, she was described as having
³lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.² Then in the
fourth book the author wrote, ³Hermione¹s front teeth already larger
than average were growing at an alarming rate...² Draco Malfoy¹s
Densaugeo Curse, meant for Harry, had hit Hermione instead. Also, early
in the first book, Harry¹s aunt called his mother a ³Freak.² I thought
this was both cruel and uncalled for. But, at the end of the final book,
we discovered the reason for Petunia¹s animosity toward her sister.
Severus Snape had found the letter sent to Lily¹s sister from
Hogwarts¹s. Petunia was so enraged that Snape had read it, she called
her sister a ³Freak!² This passage explained Petunia¹s hostility pure
resentment. She had been denied admission to Hogwarts.
As an avid fan of the books I noticed several errors and
inconsistencies. I cataloged them in hope that others might enjoy the
list.
Throughout, the Roman numerals designate the volume, and the
Arabic numbers refer to the page. All words and phrases in bold Italics
were done for emphasis.
Ron and the Forbidden Forest
III - 65 ³ I don¹t want to make him miserable. I want to put him
on his guard!¹ retorted Mr. Weasley. You know what Harry and Ron are
like, wandering off by themselves they¹ve ended up in the Forbidden
Forest twice!¹ ²
It was only Harry who had been in the Forbidden Forest twice during
his first two years at Hogwarts, but Ron just once when he went along to
speak to Aragog.
It was Neville who went into the forest when he accompanied Harry,
Hermione, and Draco when the four served their detention for being out
of bed after curfew. Ron was in the hospital wing during that time
having been bitten by Hagrid¹s pet dragon, Norbert.
The Hospital Wing
II - 182 ³Harry woke up on Sunday morning to find the dormitory
blazing with winter sunlight and his arm reboned but very stiff. He sat
up quickly and looked over at Colin¹s bed, but it had been blocked from
view by the high curtains Harry had changed behind yesterday. Seeing
that he was awake, Madam Pomfey came bustling over with a breakfast tray
and then began bending and stretching his arm and fingers.²
So, just where was Harry, in Gryffindor Tower or in the hospital
wing? If he were in the dormitory, Colin wouldn¹t be there. His class
was a year behind Harry¹s.
Harry and the Boggart Lesson
When Professor Lupin called him into his office, Harry asked his
DADA teacher why he wasn't given a chance to face the boggart. Remus
replied, ³I assumed that if the boggart faced you, it would assume the
shape of Lord Voldermort.²
III - 155 ³ I didn't think of Voldermort,' said Harry honestly. I
I remembered the dementors.¹ ²
III - 136a ³Harry thought ... What would scare him most in the
world?²
III - 136c ³His first thought was Voldermort a Voldermort
returned to full strength.²
Hogwarts¹s Student Population
Throughout all seven books only eight students were ever mentioned
as being in Harry¹s Gryffindor year: Dean, Harry, Hermione, Lavender,
Neville, Parvati, Ron, and Seamus.
I - 146 ³The Slytherins were already there (when the Griffindors
arrived), and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the
ground.² We¹re left to assume there were twelve first year Slytherins
but just eight Gryfindors. If each year averaged just ten students per
house, then the entire student population would be about two hundred and
eighty.
II - 91 ³About twenty pairs of different-colored pairs of earmuffs
were lying on the bench (for the repotting of the Mandrakes in Herbology
class which Griffindors had with the Hufflepuffs).² This reinforces the
notion that each year¹s house averaged just ten students.
III- 305 ³Behind the Slytherin¹s goal post, however, two hundred
people were wearing green; the silver serpent of Slytherin...² Since the
other three houses wished to see Slytherin House defeated, who else
would be wearing green and silver except Slytherins?
IV - 415 ³The House tables had vanished; instead, there were about
a hundred smaller, lantern-lit ones, each seating about dozen people.²
Even given that a few guests and the professors attended the Yule Ball,
why was there seating for twelve hundred people when only fourth years
and above could attend unless some had invited students from the lower
years as Neville did by asking third year Ginny?
V - 245 ³He had hardly talked to anyone about this (Cedric¹s
death), least of all thirty eagerly listening classmates.² This scene
took place in the DADA class taught by Dolores Umbridge. If there are
just eight Griffindor¹s in Harry¹s year, then there must be twenty-three
students from another house to add up to the thirty staring at Harry.
VII ³Every head turned, every eye in the place (The Great Hall)
seemed to have found Harry, to hold him frozen in the glare of thousands
of invisible beams.² Assuming that J. K. Rowlings was referring to two
eyes per student plus the presence the teachers and a few members of The
Order of the Phoenix that would still suggest a student population of
well in excess of just two hundred and eighty.
Hagrid¹s Size
I - 14 ³He (Hagrid) was almost twice as tall as a normal man and
at least five times as wide.²
IV - 179 ³At least twice as tall as a normal man, and at least
three times as broad, Hagrid with his long, wild hair, tangled black
hair and beard, looked slightly alarming a misleading impression.²
V - 421 ³Hagrid himself, twice the size of a normal man and three
times as broad, was now limping over to the fire and placing a copper
kettle over it.²
Apparently, J. K. Rowlings reconsidered Hagrid¹s width.
Kreacher
V - 479 ³ Where¹s that accused house-elf? Kreacher? KREACHER!¹ But
Kreacher did not answer the summons. Oh, forget it then muttered
Sirius, counting the people in front of him.¹ ²
VI - 419 ³ Kreacher?¹ There was a very loud crack.² Harry had
spoken Kreacher¹s name, and the house-elf immediately appeared.
VII - 190 ³ It¹s not over yet,¹ said Harry, and he raised his
voice and called, Kreacher!¹ There was crack and the house-elf that
Harry had so reluctantly inherited from Sirius appeared...²
A house-elf¹s duty is to obey its master, and Keacher did twice
when called by Harry. Yet, he ignored Sirius¹s summons.
The Elder Wand
VII - 407 ³So the oldest brother, who was a combative man, asked
for a wand more powerful than any in existence: a wand that must always
win duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered
death!²
VII - 499 ³And at the height of his power, when Dumbledor knew he
was the only one who could stop him, he dueled Grindelwald and beat him,
and he took the Elder Wand.²
How did Dumbledore defeat the owner of a wand that must always win
duels?
DADA Teachers
VI - 446 ³ Oh, he definitely wanted the Defense Against the Dark
Arts job,¹ said Dumbledore. The aftermath of our little meeting proved
that. You see, we have never been able to keep a Defense Against the
Dark Arts teacher for longer than a year since I refused the post to
Lord Voldemort.¹ ²
II - 115 ³I (Hermione) think you¹re being a bit unkind. Professor
Dumbledore obviously thought he was the best man for the job ²
³ He was the only man for the job,¹ said Hagrid, offering them a
plate of treacle fudge, while Ron coughed squelchily into his basin.
An¹ I mean the on¹y one.¹ ²
³Gettin¹ very difficult ter find anyone for the Dark Arts job.
People aren¹t too keen ter take it on, see. They¹re startin¹ ter think
it¹s jinxed. No one lasted fer a while now.²
V - 161 ³ Well, we heard Mum and Dad talking on the Extendable
Ears a few weeks back,¹ Fred told Harry, and from what they were
saying, Dumbledore was having real trouble finding anyone to do the job
this year.¹ ²
³ Not surprising is it, when you look at what¹s happened to the
last four?¹ said George.²
George was referring to Quirrell, Lockhart, Lupin, and the impostor
impersonating Mad-Eye Moody. Yet, Lord Voldemort requested the position
before he killed Harry¹s parents at least fourteen years ago. Since
George and Fred were in their seventh year at Hogwarts. They would have
had seven different DADA Professors.
Boggart¹s Appearance
III - 133 ³Nobody knows what a boggart looks like when he is alone,
but when I (Professor Lupin) let him let him out, he will immediately
become whatever each of us fears most.²
V - 169 ³ Drawing room ...¹ he (Mad-Eye Moony) growled, as the
pupil contracted. Desk in the corner! Yeah, I see it. ... Yeah, it¹s a
boggart. ...¹ ²
Evidently, at least one person knew a Boggart¹s appearance.
Quidditch Trophy Placement
II - 121 ³ My Muscles have all seized up,¹ he (Ron) groaned,
sinking on his bed. Fourteen times he (Mr. Filch) made me buff up that
Quidditch cup before he was satisfied.¹ ²
V - 400 ³I¹ve (Professor McGonagall) become accustomed to seeing
the Quidditch Cup in my study, boys, and I really don¹t want to have to
hand it over to Professor Snape, so use the extra time to practice,
won¹t you?²
Ron did his detention in the Trophy room polishing awards like the
Quidditch Cup. Why wasn¹t the cup in Snape¹s office because when
Grifindor won the cup in Harry¹s third year it was in McGonagall¹s study?
The Slytherin¹s Common Room
II - 138a ³ This way,¹ he (Harry) shouted,¹ and he began to run,
up the stairs, into the entrance hall. It was no good to hear anything
here, the babble from the Halloween feast was echoing out of the Great
Hall. Harry sprinted up the marble staircase to the first floor, Ron and
Hermione clattering behind him.²
II - 138b ³... he (Harry) ran up the next flight of steps (the
second floor² There Harry, Ron and Hermione discovered the writing on
the wall by Moaning Myrtle¹s bathroom.
II - 139 ³ Enemies of the heir beware! You¹ll be next, Mudbloods!²
It was Draco Malfoy gleefully speaking.
II- 219 ³ The Sytherins always come up to breakfast from over
there,¹ said Ron, nodding at the entrance to the dungeons.²
III - 203 ³ C'mon.¹ Malfoy muttered, and in a moment, all three of
them (Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle) had disappeared into the passageway to
the dungeons.²
Since the Slytherin¹s common room was in the dungeons below the
ground floor, why after the evening¹s Halloween feast did Draco Malfoy
climb two flights of stairs. Dumbledore always told the students to go
to their dormitories after dinner. ³And now bedtime. Off you trot!²
Quidditch Trials
I - 127 ³Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the
term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact
Madam Hooch.²
VI - 166 ³Those wishing to play for Their House Quidditch teams
should give their name to their Heads of House as usual.²
These two contradictory statements were made by Professor
Dumbledore.
Silencing Sirius¹s Mother
VII - 171a ³Mudbloods, filth, stains of dishonor, taint of shame on
the house of my fathers ²
VII - 171b ³ SHUTUP!¹ Harry bellowed, directing his wand at her,
and with a bang and a burst of red sparks, the curtains swung shut
again, silencing her.²
V - 78 ³ Yoooou!¹ she (Sirius¹s mother) howled, her eyes popping
at the sight of the man. Blood traitor, abomination, shame of my flesh!
I said shut UP!¹ roared the man, and with a stupendous effort he
and Lupin managed to force he curtains closed again.²
If a fifteen year old wizard knew the spell to silence her, then
why didn¹t Harry¹s much older godfather and one of Sirius¹s best friends
from school, Remus Lupin, know it?
Werewolves not Covered in the Lower Grades in DADA?
III - 171a ³Harry watched him flick through the textbook, to the
very back chapter, which he must know they haven¹t covered.
werewolves,¹ said Snape.²
III 171b ³ But, sir,¹ said Hermione, seemingly unable to restrain
herself, we¹re not supposed to do werewolves yet, we¹re due to start
hinlypunks ²
III 171c ³ We told you,¹ said Parvati suddenly, we haven¹t got
as far as werewolves yet, we¹re still on ²
III- 185 ³We don¹t know anything about werewolves ² Said by one
of Lupin's students when he returned to class after the latest full moon.
I - 220 ³The next morning in Defense Against the Dark Arts, while
copying down ways of treating werewolf bites, Harry and Ron were still
discussing what they¹d do with a Sorcerer¹s Stone if they had one.²
If the Griffidors studied the treatment of werewolf bites in their
first year (a subject more suitable for Potions class), then why was
Hermione the only one in her third year DADA class who could
³distinguish between a werewolf and a true wolf² (Snape speaking)?
Salamanders and Lizards
II - 130 ³The firelight glowed over the squashy armchairs where
people sat reading, talking, doing homework or, in the case of Fred and
George Weasley, trying to find out what would happen if you fed a
Filibuster firework to a salamander. Fred had recused¹ the brilliant,
fire-dwelling lizard from a Care of Magical Creatures class and it was
now smouldering gently on the table surrounded by a knot of curious
people²
III - 235 ³... but Hagrid had provided a bonfire full of
salamanders for their enjoyment, and they spent an unusually good lesson
collecting dry wood and leaves to keep the fire blazing while the fire
loving lizards scampered up and down the crumbling, white-hot logs."
This is a common misconception many people have. Salamanders are
amphibians, akin to frogs and toads. Lizards are reptiles, related to
snakes and crocodiles.
Harry¹s Hearing
V - 16a ³He (Harry) turned his head this way and that, trying to
see something, but the darkness pressed on his eyes like a weightless
veil.²
V - 16b ³I (Dudley) c-can¹t see! I¹ve gone blind! I ²
V - 16c ³Harry stood stock-still, turning his sightless eyes left
and right.²
V- 166a ³On approaching the mouth of the alleyway I (Mrs. Figg) I
saw dementors running ²
V- 166b ³Gliding along the alley toward what looked like two boys.²
Since Harry could neither spot his cousin nor the cloaked figures,
how could Mrs. Figg see the boys and the dementors?
Quidditch Game Sequence
I - 180 ³The Quidditch season had begun. On Saturday, Harry would
be playing in his first match after weeks of training: Gryfindor versus
Slytherin.²
II - 163 ³Tomorrow¹s the first Quidditch match of the season, I
(Professor Lockhart) believe? Gryfindor against Slytherin, Is it not?²
III - 168a ³The weather worsened as the first Quidditch drew
nearer.²
III - 168b ³ We¹re not playing Slytherin!¹ he (Wood) told them,
looking very angry. Flint, the Slytherin¹s captain claimed that
Malfoy¹s arm was still injured.¹ ²
V - 399 ³As the first Quidditch match of the season, Gryfindor
verses Slytherin, drew nearer, their DA meetings were put on hold
because Angelina insisted on almost daily practices.²
VI - 284 ³He (Harry) kept putting off replacing Katie in hope that
she would return, but their opening match against Slytherin was looming,
and he finally had to accept that she would not be back in time to play.²
But, right after Harry become the team¹s Seeker in his first year
at Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall told him, ³I shall speak to Professor
Dumbledore and see if we can¹t bend the first-year rule. Heaven knows we
need a better team than year. Flattened in the last match by Slytherin,
I couldn¹t look Severus Snape in the face for weeks....²
In each of the five years that Harry played*, Slytherin was
scheduled as their first opponent. Why did Gryffindor play against
Slytherin in the final game of season the year prior to Harry coming to
Hogwarts?
*All Quidditch games were cancelled in Harry¹s fourth year due to
the Triwizard Tournament.
The Sorting Hat
VII - 732 ³ Neville here is now going to demonstrate what happens
to anyone foolish enough to continue to oppose me,¹ said Voldemort, and
with a flick of his wand, he caused the Sorting Hat to burst into
flames.²
VII - 733 ³In one swift motion, Neville broke free of the Body-Bind
Curse upon him; the flaming hat fell off him (apparently still burning)
and he drew from its depths something silver, with a glittering rubied
handle ²
VII - 738 ³But if it matters to you, (Harry taking to his youngest
son, Albus) you¹ll be able to choose Griffidor over Slytherin. The
Sorting Hat takes your choice into account.²
The Sorting Hat wasn¹t rather large. Voldermort had set it ablaze.
Then Neville tore it off while it was still aflame. Seconds later he
pulled out Griffindor¹s sword out of it and severed Nagini¹s head. At
that moment the giants returned, the centaurs entered the fray, and
³what sounded like hundreds of people came swarming over the
out-of-sight walls and pelted toward the castle, uttering war cries.²
Nowhere was there any mention of someone extinguishing the burning hat.
Having been set aflame, how could the Sorting Hat still be used to place
the first years into the four houses nineteen years later?
Gringotts Vaults Hundreds of Miles Below London?
I - 64 ³They say there¹s dragons quardin¹ the high security vaults.
And then yeh gotta find yer way Gringotts is hundreds of miles under
London, see.²
Actually, the Earth¹s crust averages just thirty miles in
thickness. Below this crust is magna which is liquid rock when below the
surface. It¹s called ³volcanic lava² when above it. The Earth¹s crust is
fractured into about fifteen pieces. These pieces are called ³tectonic
plates.² Our sun¹s and moon¹s gravitational attraction causes these
tectonic plates to shift. Hence, we experience earthquakes and
volcanoes. Gringotts could not be hundreds of miles under London. If it
were, then Diagon Alley would be the site of a massive volcano and
buried in lava.
Cost of The Daily Prophet
I - 62 ³ He (the delivery owl) wants paying... give him five
knuts,¹ said Hagrid sleepily.²
V - 225 ³ What are you still getting that for?¹ said Harry
irritably, thinking of Seamus, as Hermione placed a Knut in the leather
pouch on the owl¹s leg and it took off again.²
V - 578 ³She (Hermione) gave the delivery owl a Knut and unfolded
the newspaper eagerly while Harry helped himself to orange juice...²
What does the Daily Prophet cost, one knut or five?
Madam Maxine¹s Voice
IV - 323 ³Harry walked down the lawn toward the lights shining in
Hagrid¹s cabin. The inside of the enormous Beaubatons carriage was also
lit up; Harry could hear Madam Maxine talking (not yelling or screaming)
inside as he knocked on Hagrid¹s front door.²
IV - 263 ³The gigantic powder-blue carriage in which they had
arrived had been parked two hundred yards from Hagrid¹s front door and
the students were climbing back inside it.²
How loud must her speaking voice be to carry the length of two
football fields?
Prefects and Points
II - 158 ³ Five points from Gryffindor!¹ Percy said tersely,
fingering his prefect badge.²
He had spotted his brother and Harry leaving a girl¹s bathroom.
Yet, three volumes later even Draco Malfoy acknowledged that Prefects
couldn¹t deduct points.
V - 625a ³ Afraid I¹m (Draco) going to have to dock a few points
from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff,¹ he drawled.²
V - 625b ³ It¹s only teachers that can dock points from Houses,
Malfoy,¹ said Ernie at once.²
V - 626 ³ I know prefects can¹t dock points, Weasel King,¹
sneered Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle sniggered. But members of the
Inquisitorial Squad (can)¹ ²
If prefects cannot dock points, then why was Percy able to after he
spotted his brother Ron leaving Moaning Myrtle¹s restroom?
Herbology: Gryfindors and ?
II - 267/268 ³ Hurry up, I¹ve got to take you all to Herbology,¹
barked Snape over the classes heads, and off they marched, with Harry,
Ron and Dean bringing up the rear, Ron still trying to get loose. It was
only safe to let him go when Snape had seen them out of the castle and
they were making their way across the vegetable patch toward the
greenhouses.²
Just before Potions class ended Malfoy expressed his hope for the
Chambers of Secret¹s monster would kill Hermione Granger.
From volumes one through six, Gryffindors and Slytherins
consistenly had Potions together, and Gryfindors always had Herbolgy
class with the Huffinpuffs.
II - 89 ³Harry took his (schedule) and saw that they had double
Herbology with the Hufflepuffs first.²
Both excerpts are from the same book, so why was Professor Snape
escorting the Gryfindors and the Slytherins to the greenhouses?
Muggle Money
II - 68/69 ³ It¹s gone,¹ said Ron sounding stunned. The train¹s
left. What if Mum and Dad can¹t get back through to us? Have you got any
Muggle money?¹
³Harry replied, The Durleys haven¹t given me pocket money for
about six years.¹ ²
I - 200 ³We received your message and enclose your (Harry¹s)
Christmas present. From Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. Taped to the note
was a fifty pence piece.²
It wasn¹t six years but less than one.
Invisibility Cloak
III - 281 ³Nobody knew about the Invisibility Cloak nobody but
Dumbledore.²
Yet, in the first book Ron and Hermione had been under that cloak
with Harry.
I - 210 ³What Harry feared most was that he might not be able to
find the mirror room again. With Ron covered in the cloak, too, they had
to walk much more slowly the next night.²
I - 237 ³Ron appeared out of nowhere as he pulled off Harry¹s
invisibility cloak. He had been down at Hagrid¹s hut, ²
I - 240 ³Bye-bye Norbert! Hagrid sobbed, as Harry and Hermione
covered the crate with the invisibility cloak and stepped underneath
themselves.²
Both Ron and Hermione did know about the invisibility cloak as
early as book one.
Angelina and Alica
V -575 ³Anyway, once you¹re back, I (Ginny) think I¹ll try out for
chaser. Angelina and Alicia are both leaving next year and I prefer
goal-scoring to Seeking anyway.²
But, approximately twenty pages earlier Harry had taken Cho Chang
to Madam Puddifoot¹s tea shop for Valentines Day which falls in
February. Therefore, Angelina and Alica, being seventh years, are both
leaving at the end of school current year.
Dobby¹s Pillowcase
II -12 ³The creature slipped off the bed and bowed so low that his
long, thin nose touched the carpet. Harry noticed that it (Dobby) was
wearing what looked like an old pillowcase, with rips for arm- and leg
holes.²
Even the illustrator¹s, Mary Grandpré, view varied with this
description. If holes were cut for Dobby¹s arms and legs, then the
pillowcase would fall off. Grandpré¹s illustration depicted openings for
the house-elf¹s arms and head.
The Dursley¹s Car(s)?
I - 41 ³Ten minutes later they had wrenched their way through the
boarded-up doors and were in the (singular) car speeding toward the
highway.²
II - 10 ³While Dudley lulled around watching and eating ice cream,
Harry cleaned the windows, washed the car, ...²
II - 7 Yet, three pages earlier, Mr. Dursley said, ³Right I¹m off
into town to pick up the dinner jackets for Dudley and me.²
There are other examples like ³his car² and the ³Dursley¹s car²,
but neither is there any mention of the Dursley¹s owning two cars nor
that his wife, Petunia, drove.
Potions and Brewing Times
II-166 ³Well, since the fluxweed has to be picked at the full moon
and the lacewings have got to be stewed for twenty-one days . . . I¹d
(Hermione) say it¹d (Polyjuice Potion) be ready in about a month, if we
can get the ingredients.²
VI - 184 ³ It¹s Veritaserum, a colorless, odorless potion that
forces the drinker to tell the truth,¹ said Hermione, answering
Professor¹s Slughorn question on the first day of classes.²
V - 744 ³ You can make some more (Veritaserum), can¹t you?¹ she
said, her voice (Delores Umbridge¹s) becoming sweetly girlish as it
always did when she was furious. ... Certainly,¹ said Snape, his lip
curling. It takes a full moon cycle to mature ...¹ ²
VI - 166 ³ It¹s Polyjuice Potion, sir¹ she (Hermione) said,
replying to Professor Slughorn¹s question.²
VI - 74a ³You will come out of retirement?²
VI - 74b ³ Yes, yes,¹ said Slughorn impatiently, I must be mad, but
yes.¹ ²
VI - 74c ³ Wonderful¹ said Dumbledore, beaming. Then, Horace, we
shall see you on the first of September.¹ ²
Since this exchange took place near the end of June and Horace
Slughorn did not stay in a Muggle home for more than a week plus he rode
the Hogwarts¹s Express on September first, how was he able to brew
Polyjuice Potion and Veritaserum in one day? He only mentioned carrying
a piano into the homes he occupied, not potions.
The Wireless at Hogwarts
VII -578 The reformed Dumbledore¹s Army was camped in the Room of
Requirement to escape punishments from Snape and the Carrows. ³There¹ve
been so many rumors, we¹ve been trying to keep up with you on
Potterwatch.¹ He (Ernie) pointed at the wireless.²
Yet, Hermione explained to us three books earlier:
IV - 548 ³All those substitutes for magic that Muggles use
electricity, computers, and radar, and all those things they go
haywire around Hogwarts, there¹s too much magic in the air.²
How could these rebellious students listen to Potterwatch in The
Room Of requirement if electrical devices wouldn¹t function within the
boundaries of Hogwarts¹s?
Hermione¹s Age
III - 392 ³There is not a shred of proof to support Black¹s story
except your word and the word of two thirteen-year wizards will not
convince anybody.²
Dumbledor told Harry this in June.
VI - 355 ³That¹s (the apparition test) only March for me (Ron)!²
(Those seventeen and older could take the final exam).
VI - 463 ³And so the following weekend, Ron joined Hermione and the
rest of the sixth years that would turn seventeen in time to take the
test (April¹s apparition) in a fortnight.²
Since, Hermione and Ron could both take the test, they must have
been not be thirteen but fourteen by June in book three. Harry, who
couldn¹t take the test, was the only one thirteen of the trio at the end
of The Prisoner of Azkaban.
The Deathday Party
II -132 ³It was an incredible sight. The dungeon was full of
hundreds of pearly-white translucent people, mostly drifting around a
crowded dance floor, waltzing to a dreadful, quavering sound of thirty
musical saws, played by an orchestra on a raised black-draped platform.²
II - 135 ³Through the dungeon wall burst a dozen horses, each
ridden by a headless horseman.²
II - 230 ³ But it can¹t hurt you if someone throws something at
you,¹ Harry said reasonably. I mean it¹d just go right through you.
wouldn¹t it?¹ ²
V - 860 Nearly headless Nick told Harry: ³ Not everyone can come
back.²
³ What do you mean,¹ said Harry quickly.²
³Only ... wizards.²
If only wizards ³can come back,² then how could there be ghost
horses? Also, Hogwarts¹s ghosts have no substance. How is it possible
for them to not only to play a musical saw but also to produce music?
Dementors Sightless?
III - 371 ³ Dementors can¹t see, you know....¹ He (Sirius)
swallowed. ³They feel their way toward people by feeding off their
emotions....¹ ²
III - 384 ³He (Harry) could feel them watching him, hear their
rattling breath like an evil wind around him. The nearest Dementor
seemed to be considering him.²
VII - 285 ³It had taken all Harry¹s willpower to uproot from the
spot and run, leaving the eyeless Dementors ...²
How then could Harry have sensed the Dementors watching him?
Dinner Main Meals and Desserts
I - 124 ³When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains
of the food faded from their plates, leaving them sparkling clean as
before. A moment later the desserts appeared.²
IV - 183 ³When the puddings too had been demolished, and the last
crumbs had faded off the plates, leaving them sparkling clean, Albus
Dumbledore got to his feet again.²
IV - 185 (Two pages later) ³The stranger (Barty Crouch Jr.
impersonating Mad-eye Moody) sat down, shook his mane of dark grey hair
out of his face, pulled a plate of sausages toward him, raised it to
what was left of his nose, and sniffed it.²
If the main course had disappeared and was replaced by dessert
which had also vanished before the impostor entered, then why were
sausages remaining on the table?
Lily Evans & Spells Performed in Front of Muggles
I - 53 ³Oh, she got her letter just like that and disappeared off
to that that school and came home every vacation with her pocket
full of frog spawn, turning teacups (plural) into rats.²
I - 80 ³ I¹m not sayin¹ that¹s not a good idea, but yer not ter
use magic in the Muggle world except in very special circumstances,¹
said Hagrid.²
I - 397 ³... notes were handed out to all students, warning them
not to use magic over the holidays..."
Harry received a stern warning for a Hover Charm he did not perform
in the Dursley¹s home in book two. Then he faced a full hearing in front
of the Wizengamot¹s for producing a Patronsus in front of a Muggle in
book five. For this offense and the Hover Charm, the Ministry of Magic
threatened Harry with not just expulsion from Hogwarts but destruction
of his wand. So, if his mother was turning teacups into rats why was
there no mention of her hearings? She not only finished her seven years
at Hogwarts but became the head girl.
Sirius¹ s Mother¹s Yells
VII - 301 ³ Phineas Nigellus?¹ said Hermione again. Professor
Black? Please could we talk to you? Please?¹ ²
³ Please always helps,¹ said a cold, snide voice, and Phineas
Nigellus slid into his portrait. At once Hermione cried: Obscuro¹ ²
³A black blindfold appeared over Phineas Nigellus¹s clever, dark
eyes, causing him to bump into the frame and shriek with pain.²
If Hermione could obstruct Phineas Nigellus¹s vision with a
blindfold, then what prevented the Order of the Phoenix from placing a
gag on Sirius¹s mother to prevent her from screaming?
Lupin and a Full Moon
III - 380a ³A cloud shifted. There were suddenly dim shadows on the
ground. Their party was bathed in moonlight.²
Even though he was out of the tunnel under the Whompiing Willow and
normal for minutes, it wasn¹t until the full moon could be seen that he
transformed.
III - 380b ³ Oh, my ¹ Hermione gasped. He (Remus Lupin) didn¹t
take his potion tonight! He¹s not safe!¹ ²
Did Remus turn into a werewolf only when he saw a full moon as
implied in The Prisoner of Azkaban? If so, then why didn¹t Madam Pomfrey
just take him into an unused dungeon instead of the Shrieking Shack?
VI - 332 ³But I (Lupin) do not forget that during the year I taught
at Hogwarts, Severus made the Wolfbane Potion for me every month, made
it perfectly so that I did not have to suffer as I usually do at he the
full moon.²
Yet, when Lupin taught the DADA classes why didn¹t he just cover
the windows in his sleeping quarters instead of taking the potion?
The Quidditch Field & Maze Size
While in the maze Harry used the Four Point Spell Hermione had
taught him. He used it to keep moving toward the maze¹s center. He
encountered just four obstacles, a boggart, a mist that reversed one¹s
physical position of up and down, a Blast-Ended Skrewt, and a Sphinx.
IV - 551 ³The Triwizard Cup will be placed in the center of the
maze (Bagman speaking).²
All the while Harry kept moving toward the Maze¹s center. Mad-Eye
Moody¹s impostor had blasted other obstacles out of Harry¹s path:
IV - 677 ³I was patrolling around it, able to see through the
outer hedges, able to curse many obstacles out of your way.²
IV - 621a ³After fifty yards (since entering the maze), they
(Harry and Cedric) reached a fork.² Right after they took separate
paths: ²
IV - 621b ³Harry heard Bagman¹s whistle for a second time. Krum had
entered the maze.² Harry may had traveled another fifty yards before: ²
IV - 622 ³Bagman¹s whistle blew in the distance for a third time.
All the champions were now inside.²
IV - 630 ³Harry broke into a run. He had a choice of paths up
ahead. Point me!¹ he whispered again to his wand, and it spun around
and pointed him to the right-handed one. He dashed up this one and saw
light ahead. The Triwizard Cup was gleaming on a plinth a hundred yards
away.²
It was placed in the center of the maze.
Harry and Cedric entered before the other two champions because
they were tied for first. Then, after their head start, Victor Krum and
finally Fleur Delacour were in. Since Harry ran fifty yards straight
into the maze before Krum was inside and apparently even further ahead
after the whistle blew for Miss Delacour, just how large was the
Quidditch Field and the maze? Harry had run fifty yards before the
second contestant entered, and yet, as he neared the center, the cup was
a hundred yards away. Even given that after Harry and Cedric took paths
leading them away from the center momentarily, the length of the maze
must at the very least three hundred yards. How many students would be
needed to surround a Quidditch stadium that large? *
* see Hogwarts¹s Student Population.
Refilling & Vanishing Charms
IV - 487 ³The Felix Felicis gave Harry a little nudge at this
point, and he noticed that the supply of drink that Slughorn had brought
was running out fast. Harry had not yet managed to bring off the
Refilling Charm without saying the incantation aloud, but the idea that
he might be able to do it tonight was laughable: Indeed, Harry grinned
to himself as, unnoticed by either Hagrid or Slughorn (now swapping
tales of the illegal trade in dragon eggs) he pointed his wand under the
table at the emptying bottles and they immediately began to refill."
II - 100 ³...I (Professor Lockhart) clearly state in chapter twelve
that my ideal birthday gift would be harmony between all magic and
non-magic peoples I wouldn¹t say no to a large bottle of Ogden¹s Old
Firewhisky.²
VI - 542 ³I walked into the room and heard a voice, which has never
happened before in all my years of hiding of using the room, I mean.²
VI - 543 ³She (Professor Trelawney) scooped up her (empty) sherry
bottles, and dumped them unceremoniously in a large blue-and-white vase
standing in a nearby empty niche.²
Harry was just a sixth year student. If he could refill bottles of
beverages non-verbally, then why couldn¹t more accomplished witches and
wizards do that? Why would witches and wizards frequent bars and taverns
like The Leaky Cauldron, The Hogs Head, and The Three Broomsticks when
they could refill their nearly empty bottles? Why didn¹t Professor
Trelawney simply refill her sherry containers? Also, instead of hiding
her empties in The Room of Requirement over the years; it would have
been easier for her to use The Vanishing Charm.
Since, Professor Lockhart¹s favorite adult drink was Firewhiskey,
then why didn¹t he just keep refilling one?
Percy's, Bill's, and Hermione's Studies
II - 46a ³He¹s (Percy) not himself. His exam results came the day
before you did; twelve O. W. L.s and he hardly gloated at all.²
II - 46b ³Bill got twelve, too. If we¹re not careful, we¹ll have
another Head Boy in the family.²
Fifth year students take their O. W. L.s tests which are far more
demanding of their study time than the previous four years. In
Hermione¹s third year she began with eleven but dropped Divination. Yet,
Hermione needed a Time-Turner to get to all her classes.
III - 395 ³Professor McGonagall made me swear that I wouldn¹t tell
anyone.²
III - 430 ³... but I (Hermione) can¹t stand another year like this
one. That Time-Turner, it was driving me mad. I¹ve handed it in, Without
Muggle Studies and Divination, I¹ll be able to have a normal schedule
again.²
If Hermione needed a Time-Turner to attend eleven classes, did
Percy and Bill have one to take twelve courses? It was never mentioned.
Neville¹s Parents
IV - 603 ³They (Neville¹s parents) are insane. They are both in St.
Mungo¹s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. I (Professor
Dumbledore) believe Neville visits them, with his grandmother, during
the holidays. They do not recognize him.²
V - 514 ³Neville¹s mother had come edging down the ward in his
nightdress. She no longer had the plump, happy-looking face Harry had
seen in Moody¹s old photograph of the original Order of the Phoenix, her
hair, which had turned white, was whispy and dead-looking. She did not
seem to want to speak, or perhaps she was not able to, but she made
timid motions toward Neville, holding something in her outstretched
hand.²
Neville¹s mother walked toward five people. It was her son¹s hand
that she ³dropped an empty Drobbles Gun wrapper.² Obviously, she did
recognize her son.
Myrtle, Ghosts & Matter
II - 157 ³Myrtle gave a tragic sob, rose up in the air, turned
over, and dived headfirst into the toilet, splashing water all over them
(Harry, Ron, and Hermione) and vanishing from sight, although from the
direction of her muffled sobs, she had come to rest somewhere in the
U-bend.²
II - 230 ³ But it can¹t hurt you (Myrtle) if someone throws
something at you,¹ said Harry, reasonably. I mean, it¹d just go right
through you, wouldn¹t it?¹ ²
Throughout the seven books Hogwarts¹s ghosts passed through
students, walls and doors. Since these translucence beings had no effect
on material substances, how could Myrtle splatter water on Harry, Ron,
and Hermione?
Creating Food
IV - 58 ³Mrs. Weasley slammed a large copper pot down on the
kitchen table and began to wave her wand around inside it. A creamy
sauce poured from the wand tip as she stirred.²
IV - 359 ³Cedric did this weird thing where he Transfigured a rock
on the ground ... turned it into a dog ... he was trying to make the
dragon go for the dog instead of him.²
VII - 292 ³ Your mother can¹t produce food out of thin air,¹ said
Hermione. No one can. Food is the first of the five Principals
Exceptions to Gamp¹s Law of Elemental Transfigur ²
VII - 578a ³He¹s (Alberforth} has been providing us with food,
because for some reason, that¹s the one thing the room doesn¹t really
do.²
VII - 578b ³ Yeah, well, food¹s one of the of the five exceptions
to Gamp¹s Law of Elemental Transfiguration,¹ said Ron to general
astonishment.²
If Mrs. Weasley could produce a sauce to flow from her wand, then
why couldn¹t the students secreting themselves in The Room of
Requirement create foods like soups?
II - 194a ³Malfoy raised his wand quickly and bellowed,
Serpensortia!¹ ²
II - 194b ³The end of his wand exploded. Harry watched, aghast, as
a long black snake shot out of it, fell heavily on the floor between
them, and raised his head, ready to strike.²
If a second year student like Draco could produce a live snake out
of thin air, then why couldn¹t Hermione produce lower life forms such as
crustaceans, crabs and lobsters when Harry, Ron, and, her were hiding
out in various forests in The Deathly Hallows? Also, Hermione was the
best student of her year at transfiguration. She could conjure a flock
of birds with just her wand. Why couldn¹t she transfigure stones into
chickens or turkeys? Or, since Cedric could turn a rock into a dog, why
couldn¹t she do something similar and create fish?
The Cruciatus Curse
IV - 660 ³Voldermort raised his wand, and before Harry could do
anything to defend himself, before he could even move, he had been hit
again by the Cruciatus Curse. The pain was so intense, so all-consuming,
that he no longer knew where he was.... White-hot knives were piercing
every inch of his skin, his head was surely going to burst with pain, he
was screaming more loudly than he¹d ever screamed in his life ²
V - 746 ³ What Cornelius doesn¹t know won¹t hurt him,¹ said
Umbridge, who was now panting slightly as she pointed her wand at
different parts of Harry¹s body in turn, apparently trying to decide
what would hurt the most.²
If the Cruciatus Curse caused pain to every inch of a person¹s
skin, then why did Umbridge need to seek a particular spot?
You-Know-Who¹s Name & Ron
I - 100a ³... I (Harry) didn¹t know anything about being a wizard
or about my parents or Voldermort ²
I - 100b ³ You said You-Know Who¹s name!¹ said Ron, sounding both
shocked and impressed.²
Ron¹s aversion to hearing anyone saying, ³Lord Voldermort²
continued throughout the seven books. Hermione told him to ³get a grip²
because of his constant wincing and begging others to stop saying it.
III - 215 ³ Say You - know - Who?¹ interjected Ron angerly.²
IV ³ Don¹t say his Name!¹ Ron hissed through gritted teeth.²
VII - 273a ³I (Hermione) can¹t guarantee it will keep out Vol ²
VII - 273b ³ Don¹t say the name!¹ Ron cut across her, his voice
harsh.²
VII - 288a ³We know the snake¹s not in Albania, it¹s usually with
Vol ²
VII - 288b ³Didn¹t I (Ron) ask you to stop saying that?²
VII - 289c ³Dumbledor said in front of me that he never assumed he
knew half of Hogwarts¹s secrets. I¹m telling you, if there was one place
Vol ²
VII - 289d ³Oi! (Ron)²
VII ³ YOU-KNOW-WHO, then!¹ Harry shouted.²
Yet, early in The Deathly Hallows, Ron did use the name.
VII -95 ³ Oh, of course,¹ said Ron, clapping a hand to his
forehead, I forgot we¹ll be hunting down Voldermort in a mobile
library.¹
Starting Date at Hogwarts
Harry¹s parents were murdered in October of 1981 on Halloween.
Harry was fifteen months old at that time having been born on July 31st
of the previous year. On his eleventh birthday he received his letter
from Hogwarts.
I - 55 ³Term begins on September 1.² (A Sunday in 1991)
II - 43 ³For a few minutes there was silence as they all read their
letters. Harry¹s told him to catch the Hogwarts Express as usual from
King¹s Cross station on September first.² (A Tuesday in 1992)
III - 14 ³Please note that the new school year will begin on
September the first. (A Wednesday in 1993)
IV (No mention of the term¹s starting date.)
V - 160 ³He (Harry) then opened his letter: It contained two pieces
of parchment, one the usual reminder that term started on the first of
September, the other telling him which books he would need for the
coming year.² (A Friday in 1995)
V - 225a ³Professor McGonagall was now moving along the table
handing out schedules.²
V - 225b ³ Look at today!¹ groaned Ron.² (The day after the
start-of-the-term-feast. Ron had History of Magic, double Potions,
Divination, and double Defense Against the Dark Arts.)
VI (Harry¹s letter from Hogwarts came, but there was no mention of
a starting date.)
When the new school year¹s beginning was mentioned, it always began
on September first. That day fell was on a Friday in Harry¹s fifth year.
Since classes always began on the next day, as mentioned in The Order of
the Phoenix, that would be on a Saturday a day when no classes were
ever held.
The Knight Bus
III - 35 ³Listen, how much would it be to get to London?²
³ Eleven Sickles,¹ said Stan, but for firteen you get ot
chocolate, and for fifteen you get an ot water bottle an¹ a toothbrush
in the color of your choice.¹ ²
³Harry rummaged once more in his truck, extracted his money bag,
and shoved some gold into Stan¹s hand.²
Since a gold galleon were worth than twenty-nine sickles and the
ride plus hot chocolate along with hot water and a toothbrush was
slightly more than half a galleon, why did Harry give Stan more than one
galleon?
The Expelliarmus Spell
IV - 660 ³All he (Harry) had learned there (Hogwarts) was the
Disarming Spell. ³Expellimarmus² ... and what use would that would it
be he was, outnunbered by Death eaters by at least thirty to one?²
III - 339 ³ Expelliarmus!¹ he (Sirius) croaked, pointing Ron¹s
wand at them.
Harry¹s and Hermione¹s wands shot out of their hands, high in the air
and Black caught them.²
III- 343 ³ Expelliarmus!¹ Lupin shouted.²
³Harry¹s wand flew once more out of his hand; so did the two
Hermione was holding. Lupin caught them all deftly ...²
VII - 472 ³ Expelliarmus!¹ he roared, pointing Wormtails¹s ward
at Bellatrix, and hers flew into the air and was caught by Harry, who
had sprinted after Ron.²
VII - 219 ³Mundungus scrambled up and pulled out his wand;
Hermione, however, was too quick for him.²
" Expellimiarmus!¹ Mundungus¹s wand soared into the air, and Hermione
caught it."
In these four instances the spell caused the opponent¹s wand to
leave his or her hand and fly toward the one casting the spell.
II - 190 ³There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart
was blasted off his feet: . . .²
Professor Snape had used the disarming charm, Expelliarmus, on
Professor Lockhart.
II - 298 ³Harry reached for his wand just in time. Lockhart had
barely raised his, when Harry bellowed, Expelliarmus!¹
Lockhart was blasted backward, falling over his trunk;...²
V - 804 ³... but Harry jabbed his own wand back over his shoulder
and yelled, Expelliarmus!¹
(Lucius) Malfoy was blasted off his back."
On these three occasions the two hit by the spell were
slammed down by this disarming charm. Yet, in book five when George and
Harry charged Draco and pummeled every part of Malfoy they could reach,
Madam Houch bellowed Impedimenta!¹ and only when he (Harry) was knocked
over backward by the force of the spell did he abandon the attempt to
punch every inch of Malfoy he could reach. . . .² What does the
Expelliarmus Charm do, just disarm or also ³blast one off his feet?²
II - 239 ³ Expelliarmus!¹ and just as Snape disarmed Lockhart,
so Malfoy found the diary shooting out of hand into the air, Ron
grinning broading, caught it."
Ron was standing next to Harry.
But, Expelliarmus disarms an adversary. Harry performed the
Summoning Charm which he did not master until book four. That charm
would have pulled the diary out of Malfoy¹s hand.
VI - 584a ³The door flew open and someone burst through it and
shouted, Expelliarmus!¹ ²
VI - 584b ³Then by the light of the (dark) mark, he (Harry) saw
Dumbledor²s wand flying in an arc over the edge of the ramparts and
understood. . . .²
In this instance, Dumbledor was phycially unaffected by the spell.
But, the elder wand spun over his shoulder and over the Astronomy Tower.
Had it come to Malfoy, he would not only be its master but possessed it.
Voldermort would have had to kill Draco instead of merely breaking into
Dumbledor¹s tomb. Hence, I believe was the reason why the Elder Wand did
not come to Draco.
V- 789 ³Neville overturned his desk in his anxiety to help;
pointing his wand wildly at the struggling pair he cried,
Expelliarmus!¹²
Both Harry¹s and the Death Eater¹s wands flew out of their hands
and soared back toward to the entrance of the Hall of Prophecy; both
scrambled back to their feet and charged after them, ³the Death Eater in
front and Harry hot on his heels.²
The wands did fly to Neville as wands did in other scenes.
There are other examples where this charm did not summon another¹s
ward toward the one casting the spell, but in every instance of this
list it furthered the saga of Harry Potter.
by R. David Walters
J. K Rowlings¹s Harry Potter series is a masterful work, obviously
outlined in great detail before she began writing the first book. Here
are two examples of her extensive planning. When Hermione Granger was
introduced to us in The Sorcerer¹s Stone, she was described as having
³lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.² Then in the
fourth book the author wrote, ³Hermione¹s front teeth already larger
than average were growing at an alarming rate...² Draco Malfoy¹s
Densaugeo Curse, meant for Harry, had hit Hermione instead. Also, early
in the first book, Harry¹s aunt called his mother a ³Freak.² I thought
this was both cruel and uncalled for. But, at the end of the final book,
we discovered the reason for Petunia¹s animosity toward her sister.
Severus Snape had found the letter sent to Lily¹s sister from
Hogwarts¹s. Petunia was so enraged that Snape had read it, she called
her sister a ³Freak!² This passage explained Petunia¹s hostility pure
resentment. She had been denied admission to Hogwarts.
As an avid fan of the books I noticed several errors and
inconsistencies. I cataloged them in hope that others might enjoy the
list.
Throughout, the Roman numerals designate the volume, and the
Arabic numbers refer to the page. All words and phrases in bold Italics
were done for emphasis.
Ron and the Forbidden Forest
III - 65 ³ I don¹t want to make him miserable. I want to put him
on his guard!¹ retorted Mr. Weasley. You know what Harry and Ron are
like, wandering off by themselves they¹ve ended up in the Forbidden
Forest twice!¹ ²
It was only Harry who had been in the Forbidden Forest twice during
his first two years at Hogwarts, but Ron just once when he went along to
speak to Aragog.
It was Neville who went into the forest when he accompanied Harry,
Hermione, and Draco when the four served their detention for being out
of bed after curfew. Ron was in the hospital wing during that time
having been bitten by Hagrid¹s pet dragon, Norbert.
The Hospital Wing
II - 182 ³Harry woke up on Sunday morning to find the dormitory
blazing with winter sunlight and his arm reboned but very stiff. He sat
up quickly and looked over at Colin¹s bed, but it had been blocked from
view by the high curtains Harry had changed behind yesterday. Seeing
that he was awake, Madam Pomfey came bustling over with a breakfast tray
and then began bending and stretching his arm and fingers.²
So, just where was Harry, in Gryffindor Tower or in the hospital
wing? If he were in the dormitory, Colin wouldn¹t be there. His class
was a year behind Harry¹s.
Harry and the Boggart Lesson
When Professor Lupin called him into his office, Harry asked his
DADA teacher why he wasn't given a chance to face the boggart. Remus
replied, ³I assumed that if the boggart faced you, it would assume the
shape of Lord Voldermort.²
III - 155 ³ I didn't think of Voldermort,' said Harry honestly. I
I remembered the dementors.¹ ²
III - 136a ³Harry thought ... What would scare him most in the
world?²
III - 136c ³His first thought was Voldermort a Voldermort
returned to full strength.²
Hogwarts¹s Student Population
Throughout all seven books only eight students were ever mentioned
as being in Harry¹s Gryffindor year: Dean, Harry, Hermione, Lavender,
Neville, Parvati, Ron, and Seamus.
I - 146 ³The Slytherins were already there (when the Griffindors
arrived), and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the
ground.² We¹re left to assume there were twelve first year Slytherins
but just eight Gryfindors. If each year averaged just ten students per
house, then the entire student population would be about two hundred and
eighty.
II - 91 ³About twenty pairs of different-colored pairs of earmuffs
were lying on the bench (for the repotting of the Mandrakes in Herbology
class which Griffindors had with the Hufflepuffs).² This reinforces the
notion that each year¹s house averaged just ten students.
III- 305 ³Behind the Slytherin¹s goal post, however, two hundred
people were wearing green; the silver serpent of Slytherin...² Since the
other three houses wished to see Slytherin House defeated, who else
would be wearing green and silver except Slytherins?
IV - 415 ³The House tables had vanished; instead, there were about
a hundred smaller, lantern-lit ones, each seating about dozen people.²
Even given that a few guests and the professors attended the Yule Ball,
why was there seating for twelve hundred people when only fourth years
and above could attend unless some had invited students from the lower
years as Neville did by asking third year Ginny?
V - 245 ³He had hardly talked to anyone about this (Cedric¹s
death), least of all thirty eagerly listening classmates.² This scene
took place in the DADA class taught by Dolores Umbridge. If there are
just eight Griffindor¹s in Harry¹s year, then there must be twenty-three
students from another house to add up to the thirty staring at Harry.
VII ³Every head turned, every eye in the place (The Great Hall)
seemed to have found Harry, to hold him frozen in the glare of thousands
of invisible beams.² Assuming that J. K. Rowlings was referring to two
eyes per student plus the presence the teachers and a few members of The
Order of the Phoenix that would still suggest a student population of
well in excess of just two hundred and eighty.
Hagrid¹s Size
I - 14 ³He (Hagrid) was almost twice as tall as a normal man and
at least five times as wide.²
IV - 179 ³At least twice as tall as a normal man, and at least
three times as broad, Hagrid with his long, wild hair, tangled black
hair and beard, looked slightly alarming a misleading impression.²
V - 421 ³Hagrid himself, twice the size of a normal man and three
times as broad, was now limping over to the fire and placing a copper
kettle over it.²
Apparently, J. K. Rowlings reconsidered Hagrid¹s width.
Kreacher
V - 479 ³ Where¹s that accused house-elf? Kreacher? KREACHER!¹ But
Kreacher did not answer the summons. Oh, forget it then muttered
Sirius, counting the people in front of him.¹ ²
VI - 419 ³ Kreacher?¹ There was a very loud crack.² Harry had
spoken Kreacher¹s name, and the house-elf immediately appeared.
VII - 190 ³ It¹s not over yet,¹ said Harry, and he raised his
voice and called, Kreacher!¹ There was crack and the house-elf that
Harry had so reluctantly inherited from Sirius appeared...²
A house-elf¹s duty is to obey its master, and Keacher did twice
when called by Harry. Yet, he ignored Sirius¹s summons.
The Elder Wand
VII - 407 ³So the oldest brother, who was a combative man, asked
for a wand more powerful than any in existence: a wand that must always
win duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered
death!²
VII - 499 ³And at the height of his power, when Dumbledor knew he
was the only one who could stop him, he dueled Grindelwald and beat him,
and he took the Elder Wand.²
How did Dumbledore defeat the owner of a wand that must always win
duels?
DADA Teachers
VI - 446 ³ Oh, he definitely wanted the Defense Against the Dark
Arts job,¹ said Dumbledore. The aftermath of our little meeting proved
that. You see, we have never been able to keep a Defense Against the
Dark Arts teacher for longer than a year since I refused the post to
Lord Voldemort.¹ ²
II - 115 ³I (Hermione) think you¹re being a bit unkind. Professor
Dumbledore obviously thought he was the best man for the job ²
³ He was the only man for the job,¹ said Hagrid, offering them a
plate of treacle fudge, while Ron coughed squelchily into his basin.
An¹ I mean the on¹y one.¹ ²
³Gettin¹ very difficult ter find anyone for the Dark Arts job.
People aren¹t too keen ter take it on, see. They¹re startin¹ ter think
it¹s jinxed. No one lasted fer a while now.²
V - 161 ³ Well, we heard Mum and Dad talking on the Extendable
Ears a few weeks back,¹ Fred told Harry, and from what they were
saying, Dumbledore was having real trouble finding anyone to do the job
this year.¹ ²
³ Not surprising is it, when you look at what¹s happened to the
last four?¹ said George.²
George was referring to Quirrell, Lockhart, Lupin, and the impostor
impersonating Mad-Eye Moody. Yet, Lord Voldemort requested the position
before he killed Harry¹s parents at least fourteen years ago. Since
George and Fred were in their seventh year at Hogwarts. They would have
had seven different DADA Professors.
Boggart¹s Appearance
III - 133 ³Nobody knows what a boggart looks like when he is alone,
but when I (Professor Lupin) let him let him out, he will immediately
become whatever each of us fears most.²
V - 169 ³ Drawing room ...¹ he (Mad-Eye Moony) growled, as the
pupil contracted. Desk in the corner! Yeah, I see it. ... Yeah, it¹s a
boggart. ...¹ ²
Evidently, at least one person knew a Boggart¹s appearance.
Quidditch Trophy Placement
II - 121 ³ My Muscles have all seized up,¹ he (Ron) groaned,
sinking on his bed. Fourteen times he (Mr. Filch) made me buff up that
Quidditch cup before he was satisfied.¹ ²
V - 400 ³I¹ve (Professor McGonagall) become accustomed to seeing
the Quidditch Cup in my study, boys, and I really don¹t want to have to
hand it over to Professor Snape, so use the extra time to practice,
won¹t you?²
Ron did his detention in the Trophy room polishing awards like the
Quidditch Cup. Why wasn¹t the cup in Snape¹s office because when
Grifindor won the cup in Harry¹s third year it was in McGonagall¹s study?
The Slytherin¹s Common Room
II - 138a ³ This way,¹ he (Harry) shouted,¹ and he began to run,
up the stairs, into the entrance hall. It was no good to hear anything
here, the babble from the Halloween feast was echoing out of the Great
Hall. Harry sprinted up the marble staircase to the first floor, Ron and
Hermione clattering behind him.²
II - 138b ³... he (Harry) ran up the next flight of steps (the
second floor² There Harry, Ron and Hermione discovered the writing on
the wall by Moaning Myrtle¹s bathroom.
II - 139 ³ Enemies of the heir beware! You¹ll be next, Mudbloods!²
It was Draco Malfoy gleefully speaking.
II- 219 ³ The Sytherins always come up to breakfast from over
there,¹ said Ron, nodding at the entrance to the dungeons.²
III - 203 ³ C'mon.¹ Malfoy muttered, and in a moment, all three of
them (Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle) had disappeared into the passageway to
the dungeons.²
Since the Slytherin¹s common room was in the dungeons below the
ground floor, why after the evening¹s Halloween feast did Draco Malfoy
climb two flights of stairs. Dumbledore always told the students to go
to their dormitories after dinner. ³And now bedtime. Off you trot!²
Quidditch Trials
I - 127 ³Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the
term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact
Madam Hooch.²
VI - 166 ³Those wishing to play for Their House Quidditch teams
should give their name to their Heads of House as usual.²
These two contradictory statements were made by Professor
Dumbledore.
Silencing Sirius¹s Mother
VII - 171a ³Mudbloods, filth, stains of dishonor, taint of shame on
the house of my fathers ²
VII - 171b ³ SHUTUP!¹ Harry bellowed, directing his wand at her,
and with a bang and a burst of red sparks, the curtains swung shut
again, silencing her.²
V - 78 ³ Yoooou!¹ she (Sirius¹s mother) howled, her eyes popping
at the sight of the man. Blood traitor, abomination, shame of my flesh!
I said shut UP!¹ roared the man, and with a stupendous effort he
and Lupin managed to force he curtains closed again.²
If a fifteen year old wizard knew the spell to silence her, then
why didn¹t Harry¹s much older godfather and one of Sirius¹s best friends
from school, Remus Lupin, know it?
Werewolves not Covered in the Lower Grades in DADA?
III - 171a ³Harry watched him flick through the textbook, to the
very back chapter, which he must know they haven¹t covered.
werewolves,¹ said Snape.²
III 171b ³ But, sir,¹ said Hermione, seemingly unable to restrain
herself, we¹re not supposed to do werewolves yet, we¹re due to start
hinlypunks ²
III 171c ³ We told you,¹ said Parvati suddenly, we haven¹t got
as far as werewolves yet, we¹re still on ²
III- 185 ³We don¹t know anything about werewolves ² Said by one
of Lupin's students when he returned to class after the latest full moon.
I - 220 ³The next morning in Defense Against the Dark Arts, while
copying down ways of treating werewolf bites, Harry and Ron were still
discussing what they¹d do with a Sorcerer¹s Stone if they had one.²
If the Griffidors studied the treatment of werewolf bites in their
first year (a subject more suitable for Potions class), then why was
Hermione the only one in her third year DADA class who could
³distinguish between a werewolf and a true wolf² (Snape speaking)?
Salamanders and Lizards
II - 130 ³The firelight glowed over the squashy armchairs where
people sat reading, talking, doing homework or, in the case of Fred and
George Weasley, trying to find out what would happen if you fed a
Filibuster firework to a salamander. Fred had recused¹ the brilliant,
fire-dwelling lizard from a Care of Magical Creatures class and it was
now smouldering gently on the table surrounded by a knot of curious
people²
III - 235 ³... but Hagrid had provided a bonfire full of
salamanders for their enjoyment, and they spent an unusually good lesson
collecting dry wood and leaves to keep the fire blazing while the fire
loving lizards scampered up and down the crumbling, white-hot logs."
This is a common misconception many people have. Salamanders are
amphibians, akin to frogs and toads. Lizards are reptiles, related to
snakes and crocodiles.
Harry¹s Hearing
V - 16a ³He (Harry) turned his head this way and that, trying to
see something, but the darkness pressed on his eyes like a weightless
veil.²
V - 16b ³I (Dudley) c-can¹t see! I¹ve gone blind! I ²
V - 16c ³Harry stood stock-still, turning his sightless eyes left
and right.²
V- 166a ³On approaching the mouth of the alleyway I (Mrs. Figg) I
saw dementors running ²
V- 166b ³Gliding along the alley toward what looked like two boys.²
Since Harry could neither spot his cousin nor the cloaked figures,
how could Mrs. Figg see the boys and the dementors?
Quidditch Game Sequence
I - 180 ³The Quidditch season had begun. On Saturday, Harry would
be playing in his first match after weeks of training: Gryfindor versus
Slytherin.²
II - 163 ³Tomorrow¹s the first Quidditch match of the season, I
(Professor Lockhart) believe? Gryfindor against Slytherin, Is it not?²
III - 168a ³The weather worsened as the first Quidditch drew
nearer.²
III - 168b ³ We¹re not playing Slytherin!¹ he (Wood) told them,
looking very angry. Flint, the Slytherin¹s captain claimed that
Malfoy¹s arm was still injured.¹ ²
V - 399 ³As the first Quidditch match of the season, Gryfindor
verses Slytherin, drew nearer, their DA meetings were put on hold
because Angelina insisted on almost daily practices.²
VI - 284 ³He (Harry) kept putting off replacing Katie in hope that
she would return, but their opening match against Slytherin was looming,
and he finally had to accept that she would not be back in time to play.²
But, right after Harry become the team¹s Seeker in his first year
at Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall told him, ³I shall speak to Professor
Dumbledore and see if we can¹t bend the first-year rule. Heaven knows we
need a better team than year. Flattened in the last match by Slytherin,
I couldn¹t look Severus Snape in the face for weeks....²
In each of the five years that Harry played*, Slytherin was
scheduled as their first opponent. Why did Gryffindor play against
Slytherin in the final game of season the year prior to Harry coming to
Hogwarts?
*All Quidditch games were cancelled in Harry¹s fourth year due to
the Triwizard Tournament.
The Sorting Hat
VII - 732 ³ Neville here is now going to demonstrate what happens
to anyone foolish enough to continue to oppose me,¹ said Voldemort, and
with a flick of his wand, he caused the Sorting Hat to burst into
flames.²
VII - 733 ³In one swift motion, Neville broke free of the Body-Bind
Curse upon him; the flaming hat fell off him (apparently still burning)
and he drew from its depths something silver, with a glittering rubied
handle ²
VII - 738 ³But if it matters to you, (Harry taking to his youngest
son, Albus) you¹ll be able to choose Griffidor over Slytherin. The
Sorting Hat takes your choice into account.²
The Sorting Hat wasn¹t rather large. Voldermort had set it ablaze.
Then Neville tore it off while it was still aflame. Seconds later he
pulled out Griffindor¹s sword out of it and severed Nagini¹s head. At
that moment the giants returned, the centaurs entered the fray, and
³what sounded like hundreds of people came swarming over the
out-of-sight walls and pelted toward the castle, uttering war cries.²
Nowhere was there any mention of someone extinguishing the burning hat.
Having been set aflame, how could the Sorting Hat still be used to place
the first years into the four houses nineteen years later?
Gringotts Vaults Hundreds of Miles Below London?
I - 64 ³They say there¹s dragons quardin¹ the high security vaults.
And then yeh gotta find yer way Gringotts is hundreds of miles under
London, see.²
Actually, the Earth¹s crust averages just thirty miles in
thickness. Below this crust is magna which is liquid rock when below the
surface. It¹s called ³volcanic lava² when above it. The Earth¹s crust is
fractured into about fifteen pieces. These pieces are called ³tectonic
plates.² Our sun¹s and moon¹s gravitational attraction causes these
tectonic plates to shift. Hence, we experience earthquakes and
volcanoes. Gringotts could not be hundreds of miles under London. If it
were, then Diagon Alley would be the site of a massive volcano and
buried in lava.
Cost of The Daily Prophet
I - 62 ³ He (the delivery owl) wants paying... give him five
knuts,¹ said Hagrid sleepily.²
V - 225 ³ What are you still getting that for?¹ said Harry
irritably, thinking of Seamus, as Hermione placed a Knut in the leather
pouch on the owl¹s leg and it took off again.²
V - 578 ³She (Hermione) gave the delivery owl a Knut and unfolded
the newspaper eagerly while Harry helped himself to orange juice...²
What does the Daily Prophet cost, one knut or five?
Madam Maxine¹s Voice
IV - 323 ³Harry walked down the lawn toward the lights shining in
Hagrid¹s cabin. The inside of the enormous Beaubatons carriage was also
lit up; Harry could hear Madam Maxine talking (not yelling or screaming)
inside as he knocked on Hagrid¹s front door.²
IV - 263 ³The gigantic powder-blue carriage in which they had
arrived had been parked two hundred yards from Hagrid¹s front door and
the students were climbing back inside it.²
How loud must her speaking voice be to carry the length of two
football fields?
Prefects and Points
II - 158 ³ Five points from Gryffindor!¹ Percy said tersely,
fingering his prefect badge.²
He had spotted his brother and Harry leaving a girl¹s bathroom.
Yet, three volumes later even Draco Malfoy acknowledged that Prefects
couldn¹t deduct points.
V - 625a ³ Afraid I¹m (Draco) going to have to dock a few points
from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff,¹ he drawled.²
V - 625b ³ It¹s only teachers that can dock points from Houses,
Malfoy,¹ said Ernie at once.²
V - 626 ³ I know prefects can¹t dock points, Weasel King,¹
sneered Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle sniggered. But members of the
Inquisitorial Squad (can)¹ ²
If prefects cannot dock points, then why was Percy able to after he
spotted his brother Ron leaving Moaning Myrtle¹s restroom?
Herbology: Gryfindors and ?
II - 267/268 ³ Hurry up, I¹ve got to take you all to Herbology,¹
barked Snape over the classes heads, and off they marched, with Harry,
Ron and Dean bringing up the rear, Ron still trying to get loose. It was
only safe to let him go when Snape had seen them out of the castle and
they were making their way across the vegetable patch toward the
greenhouses.²
Just before Potions class ended Malfoy expressed his hope for the
Chambers of Secret¹s monster would kill Hermione Granger.
From volumes one through six, Gryffindors and Slytherins
consistenly had Potions together, and Gryfindors always had Herbolgy
class with the Huffinpuffs.
II - 89 ³Harry took his (schedule) and saw that they had double
Herbology with the Hufflepuffs first.²
Both excerpts are from the same book, so why was Professor Snape
escorting the Gryfindors and the Slytherins to the greenhouses?
Muggle Money
II - 68/69 ³ It¹s gone,¹ said Ron sounding stunned. The train¹s
left. What if Mum and Dad can¹t get back through to us? Have you got any
Muggle money?¹
³Harry replied, The Durleys haven¹t given me pocket money for
about six years.¹ ²
I - 200 ³We received your message and enclose your (Harry¹s)
Christmas present. From Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. Taped to the note
was a fifty pence piece.²
It wasn¹t six years but less than one.
Invisibility Cloak
III - 281 ³Nobody knew about the Invisibility Cloak nobody but
Dumbledore.²
Yet, in the first book Ron and Hermione had been under that cloak
with Harry.
I - 210 ³What Harry feared most was that he might not be able to
find the mirror room again. With Ron covered in the cloak, too, they had
to walk much more slowly the next night.²
I - 237 ³Ron appeared out of nowhere as he pulled off Harry¹s
invisibility cloak. He had been down at Hagrid¹s hut, ²
I - 240 ³Bye-bye Norbert! Hagrid sobbed, as Harry and Hermione
covered the crate with the invisibility cloak and stepped underneath
themselves.²
Both Ron and Hermione did know about the invisibility cloak as
early as book one.
Angelina and Alica
V -575 ³Anyway, once you¹re back, I (Ginny) think I¹ll try out for
chaser. Angelina and Alicia are both leaving next year and I prefer
goal-scoring to Seeking anyway.²
But, approximately twenty pages earlier Harry had taken Cho Chang
to Madam Puddifoot¹s tea shop for Valentines Day which falls in
February. Therefore, Angelina and Alica, being seventh years, are both
leaving at the end of school current year.
Dobby¹s Pillowcase
II -12 ³The creature slipped off the bed and bowed so low that his
long, thin nose touched the carpet. Harry noticed that it (Dobby) was
wearing what looked like an old pillowcase, with rips for arm- and leg
holes.²
Even the illustrator¹s, Mary Grandpré, view varied with this
description. If holes were cut for Dobby¹s arms and legs, then the
pillowcase would fall off. Grandpré¹s illustration depicted openings for
the house-elf¹s arms and head.
The Dursley¹s Car(s)?
I - 41 ³Ten minutes later they had wrenched their way through the
boarded-up doors and were in the (singular) car speeding toward the
highway.²
II - 10 ³While Dudley lulled around watching and eating ice cream,
Harry cleaned the windows, washed the car, ...²
II - 7 Yet, three pages earlier, Mr. Dursley said, ³Right I¹m off
into town to pick up the dinner jackets for Dudley and me.²
There are other examples like ³his car² and the ³Dursley¹s car²,
but neither is there any mention of the Dursley¹s owning two cars nor
that his wife, Petunia, drove.
Potions and Brewing Times
II-166 ³Well, since the fluxweed has to be picked at the full moon
and the lacewings have got to be stewed for twenty-one days . . . I¹d
(Hermione) say it¹d (Polyjuice Potion) be ready in about a month, if we
can get the ingredients.²
VI - 184 ³ It¹s Veritaserum, a colorless, odorless potion that
forces the drinker to tell the truth,¹ said Hermione, answering
Professor¹s Slughorn question on the first day of classes.²
V - 744 ³ You can make some more (Veritaserum), can¹t you?¹ she
said, her voice (Delores Umbridge¹s) becoming sweetly girlish as it
always did when she was furious. ... Certainly,¹ said Snape, his lip
curling. It takes a full moon cycle to mature ...¹ ²
VI - 166 ³ It¹s Polyjuice Potion, sir¹ she (Hermione) said,
replying to Professor Slughorn¹s question.²
VI - 74a ³You will come out of retirement?²
VI - 74b ³ Yes, yes,¹ said Slughorn impatiently, I must be mad, but
yes.¹ ²
VI - 74c ³ Wonderful¹ said Dumbledore, beaming. Then, Horace, we
shall see you on the first of September.¹ ²
Since this exchange took place near the end of June and Horace
Slughorn did not stay in a Muggle home for more than a week plus he rode
the Hogwarts¹s Express on September first, how was he able to brew
Polyjuice Potion and Veritaserum in one day? He only mentioned carrying
a piano into the homes he occupied, not potions.
The Wireless at Hogwarts
VII -578 The reformed Dumbledore¹s Army was camped in the Room of
Requirement to escape punishments from Snape and the Carrows. ³There¹ve
been so many rumors, we¹ve been trying to keep up with you on
Potterwatch.¹ He (Ernie) pointed at the wireless.²
Yet, Hermione explained to us three books earlier:
IV - 548 ³All those substitutes for magic that Muggles use
electricity, computers, and radar, and all those things they go
haywire around Hogwarts, there¹s too much magic in the air.²
How could these rebellious students listen to Potterwatch in The
Room Of requirement if electrical devices wouldn¹t function within the
boundaries of Hogwarts¹s?
Hermione¹s Age
III - 392 ³There is not a shred of proof to support Black¹s story
except your word and the word of two thirteen-year wizards will not
convince anybody.²
Dumbledor told Harry this in June.
VI - 355 ³That¹s (the apparition test) only March for me (Ron)!²
(Those seventeen and older could take the final exam).
VI - 463 ³And so the following weekend, Ron joined Hermione and the
rest of the sixth years that would turn seventeen in time to take the
test (April¹s apparition) in a fortnight.²
Since, Hermione and Ron could both take the test, they must have
been not be thirteen but fourteen by June in book three. Harry, who
couldn¹t take the test, was the only one thirteen of the trio at the end
of The Prisoner of Azkaban.
The Deathday Party
II -132 ³It was an incredible sight. The dungeon was full of
hundreds of pearly-white translucent people, mostly drifting around a
crowded dance floor, waltzing to a dreadful, quavering sound of thirty
musical saws, played by an orchestra on a raised black-draped platform.²
II - 135 ³Through the dungeon wall burst a dozen horses, each
ridden by a headless horseman.²
II - 230 ³ But it can¹t hurt you if someone throws something at
you,¹ Harry said reasonably. I mean it¹d just go right through you.
wouldn¹t it?¹ ²
V - 860 Nearly headless Nick told Harry: ³ Not everyone can come
back.²
³ What do you mean,¹ said Harry quickly.²
³Only ... wizards.²
If only wizards ³can come back,² then how could there be ghost
horses? Also, Hogwarts¹s ghosts have no substance. How is it possible
for them to not only to play a musical saw but also to produce music?
Dementors Sightless?
III - 371 ³ Dementors can¹t see, you know....¹ He (Sirius)
swallowed. ³They feel their way toward people by feeding off their
emotions....¹ ²
III - 384 ³He (Harry) could feel them watching him, hear their
rattling breath like an evil wind around him. The nearest Dementor
seemed to be considering him.²
VII - 285 ³It had taken all Harry¹s willpower to uproot from the
spot and run, leaving the eyeless Dementors ...²
How then could Harry have sensed the Dementors watching him?
Dinner Main Meals and Desserts
I - 124 ³When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains
of the food faded from their plates, leaving them sparkling clean as
before. A moment later the desserts appeared.²
IV - 183 ³When the puddings too had been demolished, and the last
crumbs had faded off the plates, leaving them sparkling clean, Albus
Dumbledore got to his feet again.²
IV - 185 (Two pages later) ³The stranger (Barty Crouch Jr.
impersonating Mad-eye Moody) sat down, shook his mane of dark grey hair
out of his face, pulled a plate of sausages toward him, raised it to
what was left of his nose, and sniffed it.²
If the main course had disappeared and was replaced by dessert
which had also vanished before the impostor entered, then why were
sausages remaining on the table?
Lily Evans & Spells Performed in Front of Muggles
I - 53 ³Oh, she got her letter just like that and disappeared off
to that that school and came home every vacation with her pocket
full of frog spawn, turning teacups (plural) into rats.²
I - 80 ³ I¹m not sayin¹ that¹s not a good idea, but yer not ter
use magic in the Muggle world except in very special circumstances,¹
said Hagrid.²
I - 397 ³... notes were handed out to all students, warning them
not to use magic over the holidays..."
Harry received a stern warning for a Hover Charm he did not perform
in the Dursley¹s home in book two. Then he faced a full hearing in front
of the Wizengamot¹s for producing a Patronsus in front of a Muggle in
book five. For this offense and the Hover Charm, the Ministry of Magic
threatened Harry with not just expulsion from Hogwarts but destruction
of his wand. So, if his mother was turning teacups into rats why was
there no mention of her hearings? She not only finished her seven years
at Hogwarts but became the head girl.
Sirius¹ s Mother¹s Yells
VII - 301 ³ Phineas Nigellus?¹ said Hermione again. Professor
Black? Please could we talk to you? Please?¹ ²
³ Please always helps,¹ said a cold, snide voice, and Phineas
Nigellus slid into his portrait. At once Hermione cried: Obscuro¹ ²
³A black blindfold appeared over Phineas Nigellus¹s clever, dark
eyes, causing him to bump into the frame and shriek with pain.²
If Hermione could obstruct Phineas Nigellus¹s vision with a
blindfold, then what prevented the Order of the Phoenix from placing a
gag on Sirius¹s mother to prevent her from screaming?
Lupin and a Full Moon
III - 380a ³A cloud shifted. There were suddenly dim shadows on the
ground. Their party was bathed in moonlight.²
Even though he was out of the tunnel under the Whompiing Willow and
normal for minutes, it wasn¹t until the full moon could be seen that he
transformed.
III - 380b ³ Oh, my ¹ Hermione gasped. He (Remus Lupin) didn¹t
take his potion tonight! He¹s not safe!¹ ²
Did Remus turn into a werewolf only when he saw a full moon as
implied in The Prisoner of Azkaban? If so, then why didn¹t Madam Pomfrey
just take him into an unused dungeon instead of the Shrieking Shack?
VI - 332 ³But I (Lupin) do not forget that during the year I taught
at Hogwarts, Severus made the Wolfbane Potion for me every month, made
it perfectly so that I did not have to suffer as I usually do at he the
full moon.²
Yet, when Lupin taught the DADA classes why didn¹t he just cover
the windows in his sleeping quarters instead of taking the potion?
The Quidditch Field & Maze Size
While in the maze Harry used the Four Point Spell Hermione had
taught him. He used it to keep moving toward the maze¹s center. He
encountered just four obstacles, a boggart, a mist that reversed one¹s
physical position of up and down, a Blast-Ended Skrewt, and a Sphinx.
IV - 551 ³The Triwizard Cup will be placed in the center of the
maze (Bagman speaking).²
All the while Harry kept moving toward the Maze¹s center. Mad-Eye
Moody¹s impostor had blasted other obstacles out of Harry¹s path:
IV - 677 ³I was patrolling around it, able to see through the
outer hedges, able to curse many obstacles out of your way.²
IV - 621a ³After fifty yards (since entering the maze), they
(Harry and Cedric) reached a fork.² Right after they took separate
paths: ²
IV - 621b ³Harry heard Bagman¹s whistle for a second time. Krum had
entered the maze.² Harry may had traveled another fifty yards before: ²
IV - 622 ³Bagman¹s whistle blew in the distance for a third time.
All the champions were now inside.²
IV - 630 ³Harry broke into a run. He had a choice of paths up
ahead. Point me!¹ he whispered again to his wand, and it spun around
and pointed him to the right-handed one. He dashed up this one and saw
light ahead. The Triwizard Cup was gleaming on a plinth a hundred yards
away.²
It was placed in the center of the maze.
Harry and Cedric entered before the other two champions because
they were tied for first. Then, after their head start, Victor Krum and
finally Fleur Delacour were in. Since Harry ran fifty yards straight
into the maze before Krum was inside and apparently even further ahead
after the whistle blew for Miss Delacour, just how large was the
Quidditch Field and the maze? Harry had run fifty yards before the
second contestant entered, and yet, as he neared the center, the cup was
a hundred yards away. Even given that after Harry and Cedric took paths
leading them away from the center momentarily, the length of the maze
must at the very least three hundred yards. How many students would be
needed to surround a Quidditch stadium that large? *
* see Hogwarts¹s Student Population.
Refilling & Vanishing Charms
IV - 487 ³The Felix Felicis gave Harry a little nudge at this
point, and he noticed that the supply of drink that Slughorn had brought
was running out fast. Harry had not yet managed to bring off the
Refilling Charm without saying the incantation aloud, but the idea that
he might be able to do it tonight was laughable: Indeed, Harry grinned
to himself as, unnoticed by either Hagrid or Slughorn (now swapping
tales of the illegal trade in dragon eggs) he pointed his wand under the
table at the emptying bottles and they immediately began to refill."
II - 100 ³...I (Professor Lockhart) clearly state in chapter twelve
that my ideal birthday gift would be harmony between all magic and
non-magic peoples I wouldn¹t say no to a large bottle of Ogden¹s Old
Firewhisky.²
VI - 542 ³I walked into the room and heard a voice, which has never
happened before in all my years of hiding of using the room, I mean.²
VI - 543 ³She (Professor Trelawney) scooped up her (empty) sherry
bottles, and dumped them unceremoniously in a large blue-and-white vase
standing in a nearby empty niche.²
Harry was just a sixth year student. If he could refill bottles of
beverages non-verbally, then why couldn¹t more accomplished witches and
wizards do that? Why would witches and wizards frequent bars and taverns
like The Leaky Cauldron, The Hogs Head, and The Three Broomsticks when
they could refill their nearly empty bottles? Why didn¹t Professor
Trelawney simply refill her sherry containers? Also, instead of hiding
her empties in The Room of Requirement over the years; it would have
been easier for her to use The Vanishing Charm.
Since, Professor Lockhart¹s favorite adult drink was Firewhiskey,
then why didn¹t he just keep refilling one?
Percy's, Bill's, and Hermione's Studies
II - 46a ³He¹s (Percy) not himself. His exam results came the day
before you did; twelve O. W. L.s and he hardly gloated at all.²
II - 46b ³Bill got twelve, too. If we¹re not careful, we¹ll have
another Head Boy in the family.²
Fifth year students take their O. W. L.s tests which are far more
demanding of their study time than the previous four years. In
Hermione¹s third year she began with eleven but dropped Divination. Yet,
Hermione needed a Time-Turner to get to all her classes.
III - 395 ³Professor McGonagall made me swear that I wouldn¹t tell
anyone.²
III - 430 ³... but I (Hermione) can¹t stand another year like this
one. That Time-Turner, it was driving me mad. I¹ve handed it in, Without
Muggle Studies and Divination, I¹ll be able to have a normal schedule
again.²
If Hermione needed a Time-Turner to attend eleven classes, did
Percy and Bill have one to take twelve courses? It was never mentioned.
Neville¹s Parents
IV - 603 ³They (Neville¹s parents) are insane. They are both in St.
Mungo¹s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. I (Professor
Dumbledore) believe Neville visits them, with his grandmother, during
the holidays. They do not recognize him.²
V - 514 ³Neville¹s mother had come edging down the ward in his
nightdress. She no longer had the plump, happy-looking face Harry had
seen in Moody¹s old photograph of the original Order of the Phoenix, her
hair, which had turned white, was whispy and dead-looking. She did not
seem to want to speak, or perhaps she was not able to, but she made
timid motions toward Neville, holding something in her outstretched
hand.²
Neville¹s mother walked toward five people. It was her son¹s hand
that she ³dropped an empty Drobbles Gun wrapper.² Obviously, she did
recognize her son.
Myrtle, Ghosts & Matter
II - 157 ³Myrtle gave a tragic sob, rose up in the air, turned
over, and dived headfirst into the toilet, splashing water all over them
(Harry, Ron, and Hermione) and vanishing from sight, although from the
direction of her muffled sobs, she had come to rest somewhere in the
U-bend.²
II - 230 ³ But it can¹t hurt you (Myrtle) if someone throws
something at you,¹ said Harry, reasonably. I mean, it¹d just go right
through you, wouldn¹t it?¹ ²
Throughout the seven books Hogwarts¹s ghosts passed through
students, walls and doors. Since these translucence beings had no effect
on material substances, how could Myrtle splatter water on Harry, Ron,
and Hermione?
Creating Food
IV - 58 ³Mrs. Weasley slammed a large copper pot down on the
kitchen table and began to wave her wand around inside it. A creamy
sauce poured from the wand tip as she stirred.²
IV - 359 ³Cedric did this weird thing where he Transfigured a rock
on the ground ... turned it into a dog ... he was trying to make the
dragon go for the dog instead of him.²
VII - 292 ³ Your mother can¹t produce food out of thin air,¹ said
Hermione. No one can. Food is the first of the five Principals
Exceptions to Gamp¹s Law of Elemental Transfigur ²
VII - 578a ³He¹s (Alberforth} has been providing us with food,
because for some reason, that¹s the one thing the room doesn¹t really
do.²
VII - 578b ³ Yeah, well, food¹s one of the of the five exceptions
to Gamp¹s Law of Elemental Transfiguration,¹ said Ron to general
astonishment.²
If Mrs. Weasley could produce a sauce to flow from her wand, then
why couldn¹t the students secreting themselves in The Room of
Requirement create foods like soups?
II - 194a ³Malfoy raised his wand quickly and bellowed,
Serpensortia!¹ ²
II - 194b ³The end of his wand exploded. Harry watched, aghast, as
a long black snake shot out of it, fell heavily on the floor between
them, and raised his head, ready to strike.²
If a second year student like Draco could produce a live snake out
of thin air, then why couldn¹t Hermione produce lower life forms such as
crustaceans, crabs and lobsters when Harry, Ron, and, her were hiding
out in various forests in The Deathly Hallows? Also, Hermione was the
best student of her year at transfiguration. She could conjure a flock
of birds with just her wand. Why couldn¹t she transfigure stones into
chickens or turkeys? Or, since Cedric could turn a rock into a dog, why
couldn¹t she do something similar and create fish?
The Cruciatus Curse
IV - 660 ³Voldermort raised his wand, and before Harry could do
anything to defend himself, before he could even move, he had been hit
again by the Cruciatus Curse. The pain was so intense, so all-consuming,
that he no longer knew where he was.... White-hot knives were piercing
every inch of his skin, his head was surely going to burst with pain, he
was screaming more loudly than he¹d ever screamed in his life ²
V - 746 ³ What Cornelius doesn¹t know won¹t hurt him,¹ said
Umbridge, who was now panting slightly as she pointed her wand at
different parts of Harry¹s body in turn, apparently trying to decide
what would hurt the most.²
If the Cruciatus Curse caused pain to every inch of a person¹s
skin, then why did Umbridge need to seek a particular spot?
You-Know-Who¹s Name & Ron
I - 100a ³... I (Harry) didn¹t know anything about being a wizard
or about my parents or Voldermort ²
I - 100b ³ You said You-Know Who¹s name!¹ said Ron, sounding both
shocked and impressed.²
Ron¹s aversion to hearing anyone saying, ³Lord Voldermort²
continued throughout the seven books. Hermione told him to ³get a grip²
because of his constant wincing and begging others to stop saying it.
III - 215 ³ Say You - know - Who?¹ interjected Ron angerly.²
IV ³ Don¹t say his Name!¹ Ron hissed through gritted teeth.²
VII - 273a ³I (Hermione) can¹t guarantee it will keep out Vol ²
VII - 273b ³ Don¹t say the name!¹ Ron cut across her, his voice
harsh.²
VII - 288a ³We know the snake¹s not in Albania, it¹s usually with
Vol ²
VII - 288b ³Didn¹t I (Ron) ask you to stop saying that?²
VII - 289c ³Dumbledor said in front of me that he never assumed he
knew half of Hogwarts¹s secrets. I¹m telling you, if there was one place
Vol ²
VII - 289d ³Oi! (Ron)²
VII ³ YOU-KNOW-WHO, then!¹ Harry shouted.²
Yet, early in The Deathly Hallows, Ron did use the name.
VII -95 ³ Oh, of course,¹ said Ron, clapping a hand to his
forehead, I forgot we¹ll be hunting down Voldermort in a mobile
library.¹
Starting Date at Hogwarts
Harry¹s parents were murdered in October of 1981 on Halloween.
Harry was fifteen months old at that time having been born on July 31st
of the previous year. On his eleventh birthday he received his letter
from Hogwarts.
I - 55 ³Term begins on September 1.² (A Sunday in 1991)
II - 43 ³For a few minutes there was silence as they all read their
letters. Harry¹s told him to catch the Hogwarts Express as usual from
King¹s Cross station on September first.² (A Tuesday in 1992)
III - 14 ³Please note that the new school year will begin on
September the first. (A Wednesday in 1993)
IV (No mention of the term¹s starting date.)
V - 160 ³He (Harry) then opened his letter: It contained two pieces
of parchment, one the usual reminder that term started on the first of
September, the other telling him which books he would need for the
coming year.² (A Friday in 1995)
V - 225a ³Professor McGonagall was now moving along the table
handing out schedules.²
V - 225b ³ Look at today!¹ groaned Ron.² (The day after the
start-of-the-term-feast. Ron had History of Magic, double Potions,
Divination, and double Defense Against the Dark Arts.)
VI (Harry¹s letter from Hogwarts came, but there was no mention of
a starting date.)
When the new school year¹s beginning was mentioned, it always began
on September first. That day fell was on a Friday in Harry¹s fifth year.
Since classes always began on the next day, as mentioned in The Order of
the Phoenix, that would be on a Saturday a day when no classes were
ever held.
The Knight Bus
III - 35 ³Listen, how much would it be to get to London?²
³ Eleven Sickles,¹ said Stan, but for firteen you get ot
chocolate, and for fifteen you get an ot water bottle an¹ a toothbrush
in the color of your choice.¹ ²
³Harry rummaged once more in his truck, extracted his money bag,
and shoved some gold into Stan¹s hand.²
Since a gold galleon were worth than twenty-nine sickles and the
ride plus hot chocolate along with hot water and a toothbrush was
slightly more than half a galleon, why did Harry give Stan more than one
galleon?
The Expelliarmus Spell
IV - 660 ³All he (Harry) had learned there (Hogwarts) was the
Disarming Spell. ³Expellimarmus² ... and what use would that would it
be he was, outnunbered by Death eaters by at least thirty to one?²
III - 339 ³ Expelliarmus!¹ he (Sirius) croaked, pointing Ron¹s
wand at them.
Harry¹s and Hermione¹s wands shot out of their hands, high in the air
and Black caught them.²
III- 343 ³ Expelliarmus!¹ Lupin shouted.²
³Harry¹s wand flew once more out of his hand; so did the two
Hermione was holding. Lupin caught them all deftly ...²
VII - 472 ³ Expelliarmus!¹ he roared, pointing Wormtails¹s ward
at Bellatrix, and hers flew into the air and was caught by Harry, who
had sprinted after Ron.²
VII - 219 ³Mundungus scrambled up and pulled out his wand;
Hermione, however, was too quick for him.²
" Expellimiarmus!¹ Mundungus¹s wand soared into the air, and Hermione
caught it."
In these four instances the spell caused the opponent¹s wand to
leave his or her hand and fly toward the one casting the spell.
II - 190 ³There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart
was blasted off his feet: . . .²
Professor Snape had used the disarming charm, Expelliarmus, on
Professor Lockhart.
II - 298 ³Harry reached for his wand just in time. Lockhart had
barely raised his, when Harry bellowed, Expelliarmus!¹
Lockhart was blasted backward, falling over his trunk;...²
V - 804 ³... but Harry jabbed his own wand back over his shoulder
and yelled, Expelliarmus!¹
(Lucius) Malfoy was blasted off his back."
On these three occasions the two hit by the spell were
slammed down by this disarming charm. Yet, in book five when George and
Harry charged Draco and pummeled every part of Malfoy they could reach,
Madam Houch bellowed Impedimenta!¹ and only when he (Harry) was knocked
over backward by the force of the spell did he abandon the attempt to
punch every inch of Malfoy he could reach. . . .² What does the
Expelliarmus Charm do, just disarm or also ³blast one off his feet?²
II - 239 ³ Expelliarmus!¹ and just as Snape disarmed Lockhart,
so Malfoy found the diary shooting out of hand into the air, Ron
grinning broading, caught it."
Ron was standing next to Harry.
But, Expelliarmus disarms an adversary. Harry performed the
Summoning Charm which he did not master until book four. That charm
would have pulled the diary out of Malfoy¹s hand.
VI - 584a ³The door flew open and someone burst through it and
shouted, Expelliarmus!¹ ²
VI - 584b ³Then by the light of the (dark) mark, he (Harry) saw
Dumbledor²s wand flying in an arc over the edge of the ramparts and
understood. . . .²
In this instance, Dumbledor was phycially unaffected by the spell.
But, the elder wand spun over his shoulder and over the Astronomy Tower.
Had it come to Malfoy, he would not only be its master but possessed it.
Voldermort would have had to kill Draco instead of merely breaking into
Dumbledor¹s tomb. Hence, I believe was the reason why the Elder Wand did
not come to Draco.
V- 789 ³Neville overturned his desk in his anxiety to help;
pointing his wand wildly at the struggling pair he cried,
Expelliarmus!¹²
Both Harry¹s and the Death Eater¹s wands flew out of their hands
and soared back toward to the entrance of the Hall of Prophecy; both
scrambled back to their feet and charged after them, ³the Death Eater in
front and Harry hot on his heels.²
The wands did fly to Neville as wands did in other scenes.
There are other examples where this charm did not summon another¹s
ward toward the one casting the spell, but in every instance of this
list it furthered the saga of Harry Potter.