Title says it all. Voldemort is played up as the big had a lot, and is spoken of in fearful tones. But when he shows up he just isn’t that much. He seems like an over the top James Bond or Power Rangers Villain. He talks a lot barks orders and isn’t very scary. He isn’t even persuasive. Like a lot of times good villains have a reason why gullible people would follow them. They say JK Rowling modeled him after Hitler. Hitler was very persuasive and could make regular otherwise decent people choose to follow him.

One thing I think was underutilized was the Tom Riddle diary which I thought was a good touch. The idea that Voldemort was once an excellent student and an apparently decent person is a fascinating concept. I think I’d riddle in the diary appeared more it would be great.

If for example he didn’t want to kill Harry but corrupt him. Like play to his desire for power by whispering all he could do if he refused to accept limitations, or to hurt the dursleys for hurting him and have him doubt and scorn Dumbledores “love” for him by having him be there at all. Like if he took the from of Tom riddle or a slytheirn boy Harry’s age who befriends him.

Should Voldemort have been more persuasive and appealing and had even given Harry a reason to turn to the dark side?

I just finished the books and I don’t know what to do now. Where am I supposed to go if I can’t escape to Hogwarts? It’s the only place I want to be😭

The four Hogwarts Houses each value different things, and occasionally, someone comes along and you genuinely don't understand why they were there. So here's my pick for the worst member of each house. Now to be clear, I'm basing this on the books.

Gryffindor, values bravery, daring and nerve. The student who exemplifies those the least is Peter Pettigrew. Cowardly, self serving, his actions directly lead to the deaths of his supposed friends.

Slytherin, values ambition and cunning. Gregory Goyle seems really disinterested in being anything other than a follower, which is really the opposite of ambition.

Ravenclaw, values knowledge above all. So it begs the question how Gilderoy Lockhart, who was so comically inept at basically everything got sorted into this house?

Hufflepuff values honesty, fairness and loyalty as their main traits. So I personally feel confident saying Zacharias Smith is the worst Hufflepuff, as he abandoned the D.A during the battle of Hogwarts to save his own skin even pushing first years out of the way.

So these are just some random thoughts I had. Do you agree, disagree? Let me know.

I'm listening to the Full Cast Audiobooks, and I'm at the first chapter of OOTP, where dementors attack Harry and Dudley.

I know it is later revealed that Umbridge was the one who had ordered the dementors. I'm wondering whether she knew Harry to form a Patronus and defend himself.

So, did she know or did she expect the outcome to be much drastic than an expulsion?

Ron tells Harry at the end of Prisoner of Azkaban he’s going to invite Harry over at the end of the summer for the World Cup. Mr. Weasley tells the family he got great seats through work. The top box has 20 seats, of which the Weasley’s and company take up 10 seats. Fudge is there. The Bulgarian Minister of Magic is there. Lucius Malfoy, who is one of the richest wizards in Britain, is there.

It would be very odd for Arthur Weasley to get such prime seats to the biggest event in the Wizarding World given he’s not exactly a high ranking member of the Ministry. So why did he get the seats?

One reason. He drops to Fudge that Harry will be staying with them for part of the summer. Everyone knows Fudge loves Harry. Fudge then gives Mr. Weasley seats in the box with him so he can show off Harry just like any other politician would do with any big celebrity.

Can’t blame Mr. Weasley for playing the game. Everyone wins in this scenario. It’s little things like this that go completely over your head as a kid reading, but that you pick up as an adult when you learn how the world works.

These are the only 2 deaths that didnt occur between the Battle of Hogwarts and Elder Wand chapters if I am correct.

Unless if you count Nagini.

Fred, Snape, Lupin, Tonks, Crab all parished in those 2 chapters. Its not specifically stated when Colin was killed but I am sure it was in those 2 as well.

Not counting Hedwig, Moody etc as that was before the battle.

1. Well spotted! - HG
   
2. Honestly, if you were any slower, you’d be going backwards. - DM
   
3. What are Fred and I? Next door neighbors? - GW

On July 21, 2007, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" was released.

Today is 19 years later.

Yes, the first two were unquestionably youth fiction and intended that way. Even so, the series still opens with a double murder and attempted murder of a baby, followed by ten years of child abuse and neglect.

But for me at least, the later books don’t come even close to being G-rated. I don’t know about anyone else, but as a now 42 year-old, I STILL find myself very disturbed by the concept of torturing someone magically until they become insane, especially considering that magical torture would likely involve pain so incredibly intense and unbearable, no natural pain, however brutal, could ever even come close to it. I always interpreted the spell as directly and fully activating each and every nerve in the body. Alternatively, it could fully activate all the regions of the brain that control pain. It’s very disturbing to think about, and the more you DO think about it, the worse it gets.

Prisoner of Azkaban is a bit harder to pigeon hole since it certainly contains the lighthearted and more innocent aspects of the first two, but then goes ahead and introduces unkillable demons that drain you of every happy memory, forcing you to live trapped in your own mind with the most severe, incurable depression imaginable. Oh, and it can also EAT YOUR SOUL, presumably ending your existence so completely that even death is far preferable. Your once immortal soul is destroyed for all eternity.

These aren’t the sort of things you’d expect to find in a series meant for “kiddies”. I absolutely LOVE everything about Harry Potter, and to be very clear, this post is certainly not meant to criticize the books themselves, but rather those who dismissively call them kids books - even if they’ve already read them!

Was Narcissa Malfoy. She knew the moment she realised Harry was alive, she knew in that split second she asked whether her son lived and where he was. She knew.

There lay this kid, just 17, hit by a killing curse for the second time in his lifetime, yet still alive.

Voldemort was still alive but it hardly mattered to her. He couldn't kill the boy even when he was unarmed, which meant that he was not as invincible as everyone assumed Voldemort to be. Hence she lied, not just to protect her son but to make sure Harry Potter lived to bring down Voldemort somehow so that she could find her own son.

Everyone in the book said that Harry and James look exactly identical except for the fact that Harry got Lily's eyes but I don't think anybody ever discuss about whether or not James wear glasses like Harry.

If not, then where did Harry got his eye problems from. If it's not a genetic factor, it probably need to be environmental and the fact that the Dursley doesn't give Harry anything probably meant that Harry never got the chance to doom scroll on a phone. Plus Harry doesn't seems like the type that would read books in the night time ( though Hermione might do that ) so I wonder where did Harry got his eye sight problems from if it weren't from James or Lily, and both of their description never mentions having glasses on.

Dementors suck out your soul when they kiss you, so could a dementor suck Voldemort's soul piece from Harry? Maybe not the soul fragments from inanimate horcruxes, but what about living ones like Harry and Nagini? If Harry had never saved himself and Sirius from the dementors, would he have saved himself from the soul inside of him?

So in the books we’ve seen quite a bit about Filch being belittled by Snape throughout, to Snape having his wounds treating by Filch rather than Madam Pompfrey. But Filch was a caretaker while Snape was a student, so he must have had issues with Snape considering how Filch is towards all students really. I also imagine Snape causing a fair few issues with sneaking out considering he’s set on finding out what the Marauders were doing, or going to Gryffindor common room to speak to Lily.

Just a weird little dynamic, really. Maybe Snape finally got his revenge on Filch for being the way he (Filch) was when he’s (Snape) finally above him in station.

Can’t remember how Filch was with Lupin, if there was any underlying resentment or if it just wasn’t really mentioned.

Some wild theories:-

1. The story of the three brothers is true and Voldemort, Snape and Harry refer to each of the three brothers respectively. And Dumbledore is Death.

2. Ron Weasley Is an Untrained Seer who sees and predicts the tragedies that occur to him in future.

3. Harry Attracts Dementors Because He Carries Two Souls. Voldemort's extra soul fragment is fractured, twisted, and inherently dark, attracting the Dementors.

I am in college and finally decided to read this series.

I LOVED the first book. I felt the magic of Hogwarts and the characters. I loved the mystery and the shenanigans.

To me, though, the second book just didn't have the same magic. I thought the diary was cool, and I loved everything leading up to Hogwarts. I just wasn't that interested in the plot this time around.

Reading is totally subjective, and I love that, so I know some of you will have book 2 as your favorite. But if I wasn't super into book two, should I move on to book 3? Or is the series just going to run out of magic for me?

In book 5, when Dumbledore is about to be arrested in his office by Fudge, he states that he has no intention of going to Azkaban, that he could of course break out of Azkaban.
Without the elder wand, do you think Dumbledore would actually be able to break out? Is his wandless magic powerful enough to break out past dementors, countless enchantments and wards, and who knows what else dark magic is defending the prison? I think he’s also maybe alluding to the fact that he has so many supporters on the outside that would break him out.

The place where everything is hidden is burned down but is the room still usable? it sms to me like the particular charm would still work it was burned not destroyed

Hey everyone! I’m making my way through the series (currently on my first read of Chamber of Secrets) and I’m loving how quickly it ramps up the mystery compared to the first book. The Weasleys’ house, the flying car scene, and that ominous feeling at the end of the first chapter already have me grinning like an idiot.

And the part where Fred and George picks the lock use a pin made them an instant Legends for ME.

No spoilers please — I’m trying to go in as blind as possible! But I’d love to hear:

• What’s your favorite moment or chapter in Chamber of Secrets (without spoiling anything)?
• Any small details I should pay extra attention to?
• How does this one compare in your memory to Philosopher’s Stone?

Super excited to keep going. This series just keeps getting better 🐍✨

Umbridge was having the students read the textbook during class, but Hermione says that she’s finished the whole book. We don’t see any scenes in Umbridge’s class after that, so we never see what Hermione does. Does Umbridge let Hermione do other homework? Does she give Hermione more reading?

Howdy all, as usual I did a search for this subject and found nada, I can't believe I never thought of this but I believe that "the fat lady", who we never know by name, is a painting by none other than Godric Gryffindor himself, he tried to do a rendition of his own mother from memory and seeing as this was the time of the plague and whatnot I think she died when Godric was young and possibly didn't remember her name or just didn't want it plastered on the painting for whatever reason and thus she was dubbed "the fat lady", what do y'all think? Thanks in advance for your replies 😁

With a roar of rage, Black started towards Snape, but Snape pointed his wand straight between Black’s eyes.

‘Give me a reason,’ he whispered. ‘Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will.’

Severus believes:

1) Sirius betrayed the Potters and thereby had a part in killing Lily, a person he loves more than anything.

2) Sirius is in the midst of trying to murder Harry Potter and other students, under his care both as a teacher and his duty to Lily.

Severus remembers:

1) Sirius “relentlessly bullied” Snape for years, making his school years hell.

2) Sirius almost killed Snape as a boy, as a “prank.”

Severus is beside himself with rage, having a small mental breakdown.

And yet he doesn’t do it.

He doesn’t kill Sirius where he stands. Hell, he doesn’t even leave him a bleeding mess to be patched up later.

He all-but begs Sirius to give him a reason to tear past that very thin thread of sanity holding him back.

I truly cannot fathom that level of restraint. I don’t think I could have done it.

It’s a very important moment that shows what Severus Snape’s true self is early on, even amidst all his nastiness and cruelty to students.

Just started listening to Goblet of Fire, I am wondering why Harry and Co didn't consider the Riddle House as a possible location for a Horcrux to be hidden.

I know Dumbledore visited the Gaunt House nearby for the ring horcrux which Voldemort created used the killing of his grandparents and father. Did the location not hold enough significance for him, even though it was used as a bit of a base in GoF? Wasn't it at least worth checking out? Did Dumbledore already do so? They visited the orphanage site after all.

It has been a few years since my last re-read so I may have forgotten if it was mentioned at all as a possibility.

I made a discovery while rereading the first book which I find quite hilarious.

So, in the original American (edit) English book, in Harry's first impression of Tom in the Leaky Cauldron, he is described to look like a "toothless walnut". Not very flattering, thank you Harry but I also did not remember Tom as toothless, mhhh. So I looked into the German books, which I read first, and the translation here is "klebrige Walnuss", meaning "sticky" walnut. Why did the translator decide on STICKY? Why is that man sticky??

Now onto the Norwegian translation: "gummivalnøtt" - "rubber walnut".... Also an interesting choice.

I am really curious what kind of walnut Tom is in other languages, please tell me more :D

Was how easily the cup and diadem were destroyed. The cup was destroyed literally off screen and diadem was destroyed by a hitherto unmentioned form of fire.

Meanwhile the snake and locket both had major character moments for Neville and Ron especially the later.

The locket and ring both had curses protecting the horcrux beyond whatever protected their hiding place.

The dairy’s destruction was the climax of an entire book.

It just feels like Rowling was running out of steam and just said “screw it! Ron speaks snake now! And the diadem gets destroyed because I said so!”

It’s a great book but part of me wishes we had more meat on the cup and diadem.