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* SmartPeoplePlayChess: Averted, if not inverted. Hermione, the best student at her school, is terrible at chess while Ron, who displays little interest or effort in schoolwork, is brilliant at it. Harry's somewhere between them in both respects.
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** Umbridge states that the purpose of education is to make sure that the students can pass their exams. Emphasis on standardized testing and the resulting pressure to "teach to the test" and ignore everything else (like problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, underlying theory, fine arts, and any attempt to make students into well-rounded individuals) is the bane of many an educator's existence. Umbridge is shown to be a terrible teacher, prohibiting students from actually practicing what they're taught.
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** It's also probably that the entire train is enchanted to be invisible, both because British Rail would have too many requirements and regulations for them to follow and because a special train [[RailEnthusiast would attract way too much attention]], and they simply haven't bothered to enchant a more modern train. Incidentally, the route of the Hogwarts Express shown in the films [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jacobite_(steam_train) has had summer passenger service behind steam since 1984]], in an inverted sort of {{Defictionalization}}.
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Voldemort is frequently referred to as "You-Know-Who," "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," or "the Dark Lord" because his enemies and allies alike fear to speak his name.
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* YouKnowTheOne:
** There are some odd cases of EarlyInstallmentWeirdness in which some things are referred to by a vague description before they receive a proper identification by which they are exclusively referred to thereafter. The Dementors are called "the Azkaban guards" in ''Chamber of Secrets'' and early in ''Prisoner of Azkaban''. Aurors are called "Hit Wizards" prior to their first appearance in the next book. Even more egregiously, the Death Eaters are called something along the lines of "Voldemort's followers" for the first three books until they are identified as "Death Eaters" in ''Goblet of Fire''.
Voldemort is frequently referred to as "You-Know-Who," "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," or "the Dark Lord" because his enemies and allies alike fear to speak his name.
** There are some odd cases of EarlyInstallmentWeirdness in which some things are referred to by a vague description before they receive a proper identification by which they are exclusively referred to thereafter. The Dementors are called "the Azkaban guards" in ''Chamber of Secrets'' and early in ''Prisoner of Azkaban''. Aurors are called "Hit Wizards" prior to their first appearance in the next book. Even more egregiously, the Death Eaters are called something along the lines of "Voldemort's followers" for the first three books until they are identified as "Death Eaters" in ''Goblet of Fire''.
Voldemort is frequently referred to as "You-Know-Who," "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," or "the Dark Lord" because his enemies and allies alike fear to speak his name.
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** In Russian: "Том Нарволо Реддл" <-> "Лорд Волан-де-Морт" ("Tom Narvolo Reddl" <-> "Lord Volan-de-Mort"). In that case translating "Voldemort" as "Volan-de-Mort" (probably, to associate his name with Voland from Master and Margarita) actually helped to translate the anagram - translators had to only change one letter (Marvolo to Narvolo).
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** In Russian: "Том Нарволо Реддл" <-> "Лорд Волан-де-Морт" ("Tom ''"Лорд Волан-де-Морт''" (Tom Narvolo Reddl" Reddl <-> "Lord Volan-de-Mort").''Lord Volan-de-Mort''). In that case translating "Voldemort" as "Volan-de-Mort" (probably, to associate his name with Voland from Master and Margarita) actually helped to translate the anagram - translators had to only change one letter (Marvolo to Narvolo).
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** In Russian: "Том Нарволо Реддл" <-> "Лорд Волан-де-Морт" ("Tom Narvolo Reddl" <-> "Lord Volan-de-Mort"). In that case translating "Voldemort" as "Volan-de-Mort" (probably, to associate his name with Voland from Master and Margarita) actually helped to translate the anagram - translators had to only change one letter (Marvolo to Narvolo).
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*** "Mary Whitehouse has taken umbrage, no surprise there," said JohnCleese. The last name of the Whitehouse caricature in ''Order of the Phoenix'' is "Umbridge".
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*** "Mary Whitehouse has taken umbrage, no surprise there," said JohnCleese.Creator/JohnCleese. The last name of the Whitehouse caricature in ''Order of the Phoenix'' is "Umbridge".
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* SoulEating: The Dementors generally feed on human emotions. Their deadliest attack, the Dementor's Kiss, literally sucks out the soul of a person's body, turning the victim into a body that lives but can't feel any emotions or think any thoughts. This is treated as a FateWorseThanDeath.
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** Literally everyone in the DA.
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** Literally everyone in the DA.DA, but [[ButtMonkey Neville Longbottom]] did it most spectacularly. He grew out of being the worst wizard of his year to [[spoiler: fighting alongside the Golden Trio, Ginny and Luna at the Department of Mysteries in Book 5 and leading the DA in Harry's absence in Book 7.]]
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* SuperSupremacist: Gellert Grindelwald planned a revolution in order to establish the wizards' power over the muggle world. Even Dumbledore bought into these ideas for a while, though his motive was a personal one: his sister was tormented by a group of Muggle boys, which had tragic consequences for all his family, and he believed that this sort of regime is the only way to prevent such things from ever happening again.
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* SuperSupremacist: SuperSupremacist:
** Gellert Grindelwald planned a revolution in order to establish the wizards' power over the muggle world. Even Dumbledore bought into these ideas for a while, though his motive was a personal one: his sister was tormented by a group of Muggle boys, which had tragic consequences for all his family, and he believed that this sort of regime is the only way to prevent such things from ever happeningagain.again.
** Years later, Voldemort may not be a straight example (being more of a ''[[ItsAllAboutMe himself]]'' supremacist) but draws most of his [[BlackShirt Death Eaters]] from this crowd. He preaches wizard superiority over muggles to his followers, and when they take over the Ministry of Magic from within in the last novel they basically turn it into a full-on fascist state.
** Gellert Grindelwald planned a revolution in order to establish the wizards' power over the muggle world. Even Dumbledore bought into these ideas for a while, though his motive was a personal one: his sister was tormented by a group of Muggle boys, which had tragic consequences for all his family, and he believed that this sort of regime is the only way to prevent such things from ever happening
** Years later, Voldemort may not be a straight example (being more of a ''[[ItsAllAboutMe himself]]'' supremacist) but draws most of his [[BlackShirt Death Eaters]] from this crowd. He preaches wizard superiority over muggles to his followers, and when they take over the Ministry of Magic from within in the last novel they basically turn it into a full-on fascist state.
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* SuperSupremacist: Gellert Grindelwald planned a revolution in order to establish the wizards' power over the muggle world. Even Dumbledore bought into these ideas for a while, though his motive was a personal one: his sister was tormented by a group of Muggle boys, which had tragic consequences for all his family, and he believed that this sort of regime is the only way to prevent such things from ever happening again.
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*** Slytherin's Locket, which is impossible to open unless one is a parselmouth. Opening it is the only way to destroy it, but the piece of soul sealed inside comes out fighting.
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* TheWarJustBefore: The saga begins with the fall of Lord Voldemort, the most notorious dark wizard of the day, effectively putting an end to a reign of terror for the wizarding world. By the time Harry goes to Hogwarts the magical community has largely relaxed, but there are still lingering suspicions and unease as not all of Voldemort's followers have been accounted for.
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*** The [=MuggleNet=] book ''Harry Potter Should Have Died'' pokes fun at the whole shipping issue by entertaining the idea that Hermione decides to leave Ron and have an affair with Harry after Ron reaches his mid-life crisis.
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** The Government can track and limit use of the Floo network; this becomes especially relevant [[spoiler:in ''Deathly Hallows'' after Voldemort takes control of it.]]
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** The Government can track and limit use of the Floo network; this becomes especially relevant [[spoiler:in in ''Deathly Hallows'' after Voldemort takes control of it.]]
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* TheFourLoves: most of the good side characters show, in one or the other way, this trope. Harry is an example of the four types of love.
** Storge: Towards most of the Weasleys and Hermione.
** Phileo: Towards Ron and Hermione.
** Eros: Towards [[spoiler:Ginny]].
** Agape: Towards everyone.
** Storge: Towards most of the Weasleys and Hermione.
** Phileo: Towards Ron and Hermione.
** Eros: Towards [[spoiler:Ginny]].
** Agape: Towards everyone.
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%%* TheyWalkAmongUs
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%%* TonightSomeoneDies
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* UnicornsAreSacred: Killing a unicorn is seen as a particularly heinous thing to do; Firenze refers to it as a "monsterous thing". The only person known to have done it in the series is [[spoiler: Voldemort/Quirrel]], further emphasising this. Drinking unicorn blood can prolong one's life, but the drinker will be cursed from the moment the blood touches their lips for having slain "something so pure and defenceless".
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* UnicornsAreSacred: Killing a unicorn is seen as a particularly heinous thing to do; Firenze refers to it as a "monsterous thing". The only person known to have done it in the series is [[spoiler: Voldemort/Quirrel]], Voldemort/Quirrell]], further emphasising this. Drinking unicorn blood can prolong one's life, but the drinker will be cursed from the moment the blood touches their lips for having slain "something so pure and defenceless".
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%%* WorldOfBadass
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Crosswicking.
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* SupernaturalFearInducer: There are two creatures with this kind of power (both introduced in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban''):
** The Dementors are creatures who make people re-live their worst (including scariest) memories to remove all happiness from their victims.
** The Boggart is a ShapeShifter who can sense what people are the most afraid of, and takes that form. It can be defeated by the power of laughter. For Harry, the Boggart turns into a Dementor, implying that he's the most afraid of fear itself.
** The Dementors are creatures who make people re-live their worst (including scariest) memories to remove all happiness from their victims.
** The Boggart is a ShapeShifter who can sense what people are the most afraid of, and takes that form. It can be defeated by the power of laughter. For Harry, the Boggart turns into a Dementor, implying that he's the most afraid of fear itself.
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* TerribleJudge ofCharacter: Subverted. It seems as if Dumbledore has this with Snape, but then he turns out to be right.
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* TerribleJudgeofCharacter: Subverted. It seems as if Dumbledore has this with Snape, but then he turns out to be right.
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* TerribleJudgeofCharacter: TerribleJudge ofCharacter: Subverted. It seems as if Dumbledore has this with Snape, but then he turns out to be right.
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* Terrible Judge of Character: Subverted. It seems as if Dumbledore has this with Snape, but then he turns out to be right.
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* Terrible Judge of Character: TerribleJudgeofCharacter: Subverted. It seems as if Dumbledore has this with Snape, but then he turns out to be right.
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*Terrible Judge of Character: Subverted. It seems as if Dumbledore has this with Snape, but then he turns out to be right.
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Added a Shout Out (Susan Bones / Discworld)
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** Another possible reference: Susan Bones and DEATH's granddaughter Susan from ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''.
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* ToiletTeleportation: The employee entrance to Ministry of Magic is accessed by flushing oneself down a disgusting public pay toilet. Visitors take a decrepit phone booth.
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removing a comparison of mudblood to the n-word because relying on the n-word to prove how bad a slur mudblood is is anti-black.
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* UnusualEuphemism: Several, most notably the term Mudblood, which, in the wizarding world, is just as bad as saying the "n-word" in RealLife.
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* UnusualEuphemism: Several, most notably the term Mudblood, which, in the wizarding world, is just as bad as saying the "n-word" in RealLife.a racial slur against Muggle-born wizards.
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* SkeletonMotif: The Death Eaters are often described as wearing skull-like masks, partly to cover their identity but also to scare the crap out of their targets. The "Dark Mark" that they leave as a calling card displays a glowing skull in the air with a snake-like tongue. The films [[DownplayedTrope didn't remove this entirely]], but [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything did make them resemble the KKK to a degree]].
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[[folder:S]]
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* TheScottishTrope: {{Subverted}} by Dumbledore and several other heroic characters who very determinedly say "Voldemort" despite the name's emotional baggage -- and by Harry, who just doesn't ''have'' that baggage. The seventh book simultaneously {{double subver|sion}}ts, {{deconstruct|ed trope}}s, and perhaps {{reconstruct|ion}}s it, as [[spoiler:He Who-Must-Not-Be-Named creates an enchantment that allows him to locate anyone who dares say his name and tears down any protections around them.]]
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* TheScottishTrope: {{Subverted}} {{Subverted|Trope}} by Dumbledore and several other heroic characters who very determinedly say "Voldemort" despite the name's emotional baggage -- and by Harry, who just doesn't ''have'' that baggage. The seventh book simultaneously {{double subver|sion}}ts, {{deconstruct|ed trope}}s, and perhaps {{reconstruct|ion}}s it, as [[spoiler:He Who-Must-Not-Be-Named creates an enchantment that allows him to locate anyone who dares say his name and tears down any protections around them.]]
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[[/folder]]
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----
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* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids[=/=]WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: Seems to fall into both because of [[InvokedTrope author intent]]. Rowling did indeed conceive the books as a children's series, despite the protestations of many older fans that it's not ''really'' for kids; however, she admitted that she made the books "grow" with the original fanbase, and the last three or four aren't appropriate for the books' original elementary-school-age audience. This is evidenced by the fact that the ratings of the Harry Potter [[TheFilmOfTheBook movies]] increase with each sequel.
** The seventh movie has some nudity and rather scary nightmare-inducing scenes, like Bellatrix torturing Hermione. It has a PG-13 rating. It even got a "G" rating in the Province of Quebec! (Though this can be explained by the fact Canada usually is more lenient with movie ratings, often lowering them from what is found in other countries.)
** The seventh movie has some nudity and rather scary nightmare-inducing scenes, like Bellatrix torturing Hermione. It has a PG-13 rating. It even got a "G" rating in the Province of Quebec! (Though this can be explained by the fact Canada usually is more lenient with movie ratings, often lowering them from what is found in other countries.)
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* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids[=/=]WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: Seems to fall into both because of [[InvokedTrope author intent]]. both. JK Rowling did indeed conceive has stated multiple times that she wrote the books as a children's series, despite the protestations of many older fans that it's not ''really'' for kids; however, she admitted that she made an adolescent audience, and the books were intended to "grow" with the original fanbase, and so the last three or four or five aren't very appropriate for under 12's, and by the books' original elementary-school-age audience. time the 7th novel rolls around, the series is arguably skirting the lines of adult fantasy. The series also, despite many people's protestations to the contrary, hasn't been marketed to children very extensively. Outside of a few book editions that have been repackaged for a younger audience (see the recent and fairly prolific Jonny Duddle covers,) most of the book, merchandise, and film marketing for the series has targeted a teen or adult audience, not an audience of children. This is evidenced by the fact that the ratings of the Harry Potter [[TheFilmOfTheBook movies]] increase change to PG-13/12 after the second film. Hell, three of the films (Goblet of Fire, Deathly Hallows Part 1, and Deathly Hallows Part 2) had to be edited from an R/15 rating, and Deathly Hallows Part 1 was initially released with each sequel.
a 15 in ancillary markets.
** The seventh movie has some nudity and rather scary nightmare-inducing scenes, like Bellatrix torturing Hermione. It has a PG-13 rating.It even got a "G" rating in the Province of Quebec! (Though this can be explained by the fact Canada usually is more lenient with movie ratings, often lowering them from what is found in other countries.)
** The seventh movie has some nudity and rather scary nightmare-inducing scenes, like Bellatrix torturing Hermione. It has a PG-13 rating.
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Edited \"Shoutout to Shakespeare\"
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* ShoutOutToShakespeare:
** The most famous band in the Wizarding world is called the Weird Sisters.
** In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'', the Weird Sisters provide live entertainment for the Yule Ball.
** Tonks is also a Weird Sisters fan.
** The most famous band in the Wizarding world is called the Weird Sisters.
** In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'', the Weird Sisters provide live entertainment for the Yule Ball.
** Tonks is also a Weird Sisters fan.
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* ShoutOutToShakespeare:
**ShoutOutToShakespeare: The most famous band in the Wizarding world is called the Weird Sisters.
**Sisters. In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'', the Weird Sisters they provide live entertainment for the Yule Ball.
**Ball, and both Ginny and Tonks is also a Weird Sisters fan.are fans.
**
**
**
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Fixing redlink.
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** ''FanFic/MyImmortal'', which is surprisingly ''not'' an Music/{{Evanescence}} SongFic. It could very well be offensive if it wasn't so [[RefugeInAbsurdity over-the-top ridiculous]] in its execution. Some might argue that it CrossesTheLineTwice. [[PoesLaw If it's even a trollfic at all.]] Multiple supposedly-different Internet users have claimed to be the author and that the fic was written to play this straight, but others have claimed to know Tara and that the fic was sincere. [[RiddleForTheAges There's absolutely no way to know for certain]] -- Tara has [[http://www.fanfiction.net/u/999831/XXXbloodyrists666XXX a FanFiction.net account]], but ''My Immortal'' was deleted from her account before thankfully being [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6200297/1/My-Immortal reuploaded]] to FanFiction.net by two girls on an account called [=TheJadedDolphin=].
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** ''FanFic/MyImmortal'', which is surprisingly ''not'' an Music/{{Evanescence}} SongFic. It could very well be offensive if it wasn't so [[RefugeInAbsurdity [[RefugeInAudacity over-the-top ridiculous]] in its execution. Some might argue that it CrossesTheLineTwice. [[PoesLaw If it's even a trollfic at all.]] Multiple supposedly-different Internet users have claimed to be the author and that the fic was written to play this straight, but others have claimed to know Tara and that the fic was sincere. [[RiddleForTheAges There's absolutely no way to know for certain]] -- Tara has [[http://www.fanfiction.net/u/999831/XXXbloodyrists666XXX a FanFiction.net account]], but ''My Immortal'' was deleted from her account before thankfully being [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6200297/1/My-Immortal reuploaded]] to FanFiction.net by two girls on an account called [=TheJadedDolphin=].
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-->[[Literature/HarryPotter Main page]]\\
HarryPotter/TropesAToI\\
HarryPotter/TropesJToR\\
'''Tropes S to Y'''
[[folder:S]]
* SadistTeacher: Snape, Umbridge, and the Carrows, in order of severity.
* SaidBookism:
** To Rowling's credit, there's hardly any of this in the entire series. There is, however, one rather {{egregious}} example...
--->"We're not going to use magic?" Ron [[HaveAGayOldTime ejaculated]] loudly.
** Another time, ''Slughorn'' ejaculated.
* SchoolSavedMyLife: Hermione pulls one of these in nearly every book. The other characters do, too, to a lesser extent.
* TheScottishTrope: {{Subverted}} by Dumbledore and several other heroic characters who very determinedly say "Voldemort" despite the name's emotional baggage -- and by Harry, who just doesn't ''have'' that baggage. The seventh book simultaneously {{double subver|sion}}ts, {{deconstruct|ed trope}}s, and perhaps {{reconstruct|ion}}s it, as [[spoiler:He Who-Must-Not-Be-Named creates an enchantment that allows him to locate anyone who dares say his name and tears down any protections around them.]]
** Also, the Harry Potter Encyclopedia that JKR promised to eventually write is sometimes called "The Scottish Book."
* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: It's the Harry Potter Drinking Game! Take a drink every time Harry breaks one of the Hogwarts school rules. You'll die of alcohol poisoning three books in!
** Hermione at first disapproves of Harry's and Ron's constant rule-breaking, but due to CharacterDevelopment she becomes as disregarding to the rules as the boys are.
** Fred and George usually break the rules because they just don't care, but one final (and spectacular) example of doing what's right is when they set off the fireworks and [[spoiler:leave the school on their broomsticks]] to oppose the horrible Umbridge. The teachers don't even try to stop them. On the contrary, they ''encourage'' it because they all hate that old hag so much. Professor Flitwick even keeps a magical bog the twins conjure in the castle as a roped-off area because it was such a brilliant piece of magic. [[SternTeacher Professor McGonagall]] very subtly does this when she mutters out of the corner of her mouth to Peeves that the chandelier he's messing with "unscrews the other way."
* SealedEvilInACan:
** In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'' the titular chamber contains [[spoiler:Slytherin's monster, an enormous basilisk]].
*** Also in the same volume, Tom Riddle's diary has the "memory" of the teenage Voldemort sealed inside, which Ginny unknowingly awakens through her liberal use of the diary.
** In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'' it's implied that Voldemort's [[FateWorseThanDeath final fate]] is to remain in a sort of limbo (specifically, [[spoiler:the netherworld where Harry met Dumbledore after he died]]) forever, incapable of harming anyone ever again.
* SecondLove: [[spoiler:Ginny.]]
* SeeTheInvisible: There are several ways in which Invisibility Cloaks can be thwarted. The ability of dementors to sense people is not impaired by invisibility cloaks. Moody's magical eye can see through invisibility cloaks. A person wearing an invisibility cloak still shows up on the Marauder's Map. The cloak's user also remains solid and the cloak doesn't muffle sound or disguise smell at all, meaning that anything with acute senses like cats or snakes, or even a normal human being that happens to be paying attention to such cues, can notice and locate the wearer.
%%* SelfFulfillingProphecy: More than one.
* SeverelySpecializedStore: Mr. Ollivander sells wands. Just... wands.
* SheIsNotMyGirlfriend: Harry says this about Hermione and means it. In [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Book 7]], Harry further says that he sees Hermione as a sibling but doesn't love her in the romantic sense.
* ShoutOut:
** There are a number of shout outs to ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'':
*** Cockroach clusters.
*** "Mary Whitehouse has taken umbrage, no surprise there," said JohnCleese. The last name of the Whitehouse caricature in ''Order of the Phoenix'' is "Umbridge".
*** The chocolate frogs are reminiscent of the chocolate-covered (real) frogs in the "Crunchy Frog" sketch.
** Voldemort's talking down to his minion (a traitor nicknamed Wormtail) is reminiscent of Saruman's abusive treatment of a henchman (a traitor nicknamed Worm''tongue'') in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''.
** The whole thing about [[Literature/TheSecretGarden Lily's eyes]].
** In ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Deathly Hallows]]'' Harry and Hermione notice the quotation [[Literature/TheBible "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also"]] on Dumbledore's mother's tombstone, as well as [[Literature/TheBible "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death"]] on the Potters' grave.
** The fact that the visitor's entrance to the Ministry is an old broken telephone booth with the phone that should not work being located in a garbage dump is one to the pilot of ''Series/DoctorWho'', wherein Ian and Barbara find an old, broken police telephone booth with a phone that should not work in the Foreman garbage dump.
** ''Literature/{{Redwall}}'' has a line about a rat named Wormtail losing a paw. Possibly coincidental, as the resemblance of a rat's tail to a worm is easy to come up with.
** The final pre-epilogue scene of ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Deathly Hallows]]'', where [[spoiler: the deceased Dumbledore's portrait comes to life to congratulate Harry on triumphing against Voldemort]], is more than a little bit similar to the final scene of ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', where [[spoiler: Obi-Wan and Yoda appear as Force Ghosts to congratulate Luke on triumphing against the Emperor]].
* ShoutOutToShakespeare:
** The most famous band in the Wizarding world is called the Weird Sisters.
** In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'', the Weird Sisters provide live entertainment for the Yule Ball.
** Tonks is also a Weird Sisters fan.
%%* SideBet
* SignificantAnagram: "Tom Marvolo Riddle" <-> "I am Lord Voldemort". Other languages revise the anagram to make sense in their tongues -- or change his birth-name.
** For example, in French: Tom Elvis Jedusor <-> ''Je suis Voldemort''. "Jedusor" sounds like ''jeu de sort'', meaning "gamble" or "lottery" -- and Elvis is [[OnlyMostlyDead not really dead]].
** In Spanish: Tom Sorvolo Ryddle <-> ''Soy Lord Voldemort''.
** In German: Tom Vorlost Riddle <-> ''Ist Lord Voldemort'', which means not "I am Lord Voldemort" but "Is Lord Voldemort." Sounds rather meaningless at first, but when both are said/showed in succession(which is exactly how the revelation happens), it becomes "Tom Marvolo Riddle is Lord Voldemort".
** In the Greek translation: Άντον Μόρβολ Χέρτ <-> ''Άρχων Βόλντεμορτ'' (Anton Morvol Hert <-> ''Archon Voldemort''). "Anton" doesn't have any particular significance nor does "Hert," giving the impression that they were just made up out of the spare letters. "Archon," in case you're wondering, is an archaic word meaning "ruler" or "lord", though the term ''Λόρδος'', the more commonly used word for "lord", is used throughout the rest of the translated text. It's noteworthy that they messed up the anagram, even so. The greek alphabet has two forms of O, omikron (o) and omega (ω), and one of the omikrons apparently transforms into an omega during the switch.
** In Turkish the translators just added a "d" to Marvolo, turning the name into "Tom Marvoldo Riddle", so that the anagram could simply be "Adım Lord Voldemort", which means "My name is Lord Voldemort" in Turkish. Guess they were kinda lucky.
** The Danish translation is one of the few that doesn't keep his first name as Tom, initially translating his name into "Romeo G. Detlev Jr."�"jeg er Voldemort". Later, it's revealed that "G" stands for "Gåde" which means "riddle" so at least they got that part right. They do keep his father's name as Tom, though, and explains that Merope used to call Tom Riddle her "Romeo". Detlev is a variant of "Ditlev", a Danish boy's name. (Which also just happens to be the Danish version of "Dudley".)
** Dutch changes his name to Marten Asmodom Vilijn - no Tom here either - going to ''Mijn naam is Voldemort'' (My name is Voldemort) - no Lord title. The barman of the Leaky Cauldron is still called Tom, so when the same name issue comes up in book six, it is solved by Dumbledore telling the barman will be able to remember "Marten" because it is a common name.
** The Norwegian: Tom Dredolo Venster, of which the surname means "left," so it is still a meaningful name. The "translated" anagram is ''Voldemort den Store'', meaning "Voldemort the Great."
** The Swedish translation utilizes Latin for the anagram: Tom Gus Mervolo Dolder -> Ego Sum Lord Voldemort (I am Lord Voldemort). "Dold" means "hidden", in analogy with the orginal name. "Dolder" would be a incorrect word for "Hider" (Which actually is "Döljare")
** The Bulgarian version has his name changed to "Том Мерсволуко Риддъл" ("Tom Mersvoluco Riddle") and the anagram to "Тук съм и Лорд Волдемор" ("Here I am also Lord Voldemort"). This was necessary because the letter 'i' from Riddle could not be avoided and was left as "и" (meaning "and/also"). "Here" could either be referring to the Chamber of Secrets (related to creating his first horcrux) or to the horcrux itself, since he sealed a part of himself into the diary. "Also" likely refers to his transformation from Tom Riddle to Voldemort.
** Created a meta-text flurry during the sixth book, when a locket with a note signed by "R.A.B." became important to the plot. One of the first guesses on this mystery character's identity was [[spoiler:Sirius Black's brother Regulus]]. Those who read the books in foreign languages noticed that whatever [[spoiler:Sirius's]] surname was changed to (i.e., that language's word for [[spoiler:"black"]]), R.A.B's last initial had followed suit.
*** The translators allegedly had to figure this out for themselves.
** The Chinese translation made do with a footnote (as always).
* SillySpook: The ghosts are mainly there for comic relief, though they do become relevant to the plot occasionally.
* SilverHasMysticPowers: Goblin-wrought silver is nigh-invulnerable, and can absorb the properties of what it pierces in order to make itself stronger. It's unclear how the goblins make it this way, or whether it's truly silver or simply called so because the same colour. There are many other objects in the series which are made of silver (the Pensieve) or have the appearance of silver (unicorn blood).
* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: Hermione and Ron, most prominently, but it seems to be a trend for non-villainous female characters: Molly Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Cho Chang, and resident babe Fleur Delacour are all very hot for good guys whereas the "bad boys" seem barely a blip on their radars. Lily Potter is [[InternetBackdraft debatable]], given that James Potter is remembered as a LoveableRogue by some people and a complete {{Jerkass}} by others, but all the characters note that James had to clean himself up considerably before Lily would condescend to so much as look at him.
* SixStudentClique: The D.A. group mostly pulls this off.
** The Head: Harry
** The Muscle: Ron
** The Smart One: Hermione
** The Quirk: Neville
** The Pretty One: Ginny
** The Wild One: Luna
* SlidingScaleOfContinuity: The first three books' storylines don't directly depend on the stories of the previous books; they each explain basic premises like the wizarding world, Voldemort, Harry's backstory, etc., Harry continues to live at the Dursleys', go to Hogwarts every year, have friends named Ron and Hermione, etc., and the actual events of the first two books don't matter by the third. The rest of the series, [[ContinuityCreep well...]]
* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: Even as the series gets DarkerAndEdgier, it still believes in its idealistic virtues such as ThePowerOfLove. [[spoiler:Also, as cheesy as the ending may be, it is undeniably a happy one.]]
* SnowballFight: Happens a few times during winter breaks at Hogwarts.
%%* TheSociopath: Voldemort himself, along with Bellatrix and possibly Umbridge.
* SorcerousOverlord: Voldemort's long-term goal was to become one of these, being an immortal dark wizard who would rule over a fascist magocracy. However, for most of the series he's more of an underground terrorist against the current rulers. Even after usurping control of the Ministry of Magic in the last book, he elected to control it behind the scenes through a puppet minister, as basically crowning himself would have been too blatant a move for the wizarding world to ignore.
* SoulFragment: What a Horcrux houses.
* SoulJar: The Horcruxes.
* SpannerInTheWorks:
** Voldemort and Dumbledore's decades-long GambitPileup often gets messed up thanks to an intricate series of decisions and minor hiccups that sends their Rube Goldberg-esque device careening. A theme in the series is choice, and ultimately, for better and worse, every major and minor choice made by characters ends up making a difference, in ways nobody can predict.
** The Elder Wand is apparently created to be this, as noted by Dumbledore in his notes in ''The Tales of Beedle the Bard'', as despite being "an unbeatable wand" it is routinely defeated and passes over through the centuries. When Dumbledore acquired it, he hoped to die undefeated, which he would have had [[spoiler:Snape killed him as per their ThanatosGambit]]. Instead, Draco beats him without knowing what he's doing. Then, to top this, Harry simply [[TheSimpsons yoinks]] the wand out of Draco's hands and this ends up giving him the advantage to [[spoiler:defeat Voldemort.]]
** The backstory, specifically the night James and Lily were murdered and Harry survived the Killing Curse, is an even more tangled one, with tiny bits and pieces of information accumulated over the seven books. To sum it up, [[spoiler:Severus Snape asked Voldemort to [[PleaseSpareHimMyLiege spare Lily]],]] and Voldemort [[NobleDemon went along with it]]. He told Lily to "step aside" but she refused, which created a binding magical contract that essentially bartered Lily's sacrifice for Harry's life. When Voldemort went ahead and tried to kill Harry anyway, the curse backfired on him.
* SparseListOfRules: As early as the first book it's mentioned that there are 700 ways to commit a foul in Quidditch (and every single one happened in [[NoodleIncident the 1492 World Cup]]), but the series only shows a few of them. According to ''Literature/QuidditchThroughTheAges'', most of the rest are {{Obvious Rule Patch}}es such as, "It is illegal to attack your opponent with an axe."
** Actually addressed in-universe in a rather amusing way. The full list of rules for Quidditch is kept secret by the international leagues to prevent players from being tempted to break them.
* StalkingIsFunnyIfItIsFemaleAfterMale: Magical date rape drugs are sold out in the open [[http://www.cracked.com/article_19397_the-5-most-depraved-sex-scenes-implied-by-harry-potter.html]] and it's considered wacky hijinks when Ron gets dosed by a crazy fangirl. Harry, at least, ''doesn't'' find the prospect of love potions funny--at one point, he actually compares them to Dark magic.
* StandardEvilOrganizationSquad: Known in this series as the Death Eaters.
* StayingWithFriends: Harry often stays at the Weasleys' over the latter parts of his summer vacations.
* SteamNeverDies: The Hogwarts Express train that the characters ride to school each year is pulled by a bright red steam locomotive. Perhaps all that concentrated magic causes more modern diesel locomotives to malfunction?
* StealthPun:
** The entrance to the headmaster's office is disguised by a gryphon statue that splits open to allow passages or [[Film/HarryPotter rotates with the entrant inside]], thus making it a griffin door.
** A twofer from the previous example, actually--it's a golden griffin: or, in French, a ''griffin d'or''!
** The teacher of History of Magic is rubbish at teaching as he puts nearly all of his students to sleep each class. His name is Professor Binns.
* SternTeacher: [=McGonagall=] and Madame Hooch.
** Snape walks the line between SternTeacher and SadistTeacher.
* StevenUlyssesPerhero: Plenty -- for instance, Sirius Black [[spoiler:turns into a black dog; Sirius is the Dog Star.]]
* StrangeSecretEntrance:
** Platform 9¾, a secret entrance at King's Cross station through a pillar between platforms nine and ten.
** The door to the Room of Requirement only appears when someone focused on what kind of place they want crosses in front of it three times in succession (or, presumably, three people focused on wanting the same place). This usually means someone pacing in front of a blank stretch of wall across from a tapestry of a wizard trying to teach trolls to do ballet.
* StrictlyFormula: The first three books play this fairly straight: Dursleys, Diagon Alley, Hogwarts, Quidditch, Christmas, the big plot issue, end-of-year feast, everyone goes home. Some formula stays for the later books ([[spoiler: Harry always starts out at the Dursleys in the books, no matter what]]) but Rowling then breaks these down as the universe gets darker and more complicated -- and as Harry matures.
** In [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows ''Deathly Hallows'']] the fact that these youth are used to the formula of three large meals a day and adults looking over them gets yanked out from under their feet.
* StuffBlowingUp:
** This is the result if the Killing Curse (''Avada Kedavra'') hits an inanimate object instead of its intended target, [[MadeOfExplodium it will explode]]. Trees tend to [[KillItWithFire catch fire]].
** Played for laughs in the sports sections. Making fun at the fact that Americans generally aren't as enthusiastic about soccer/football as the rest of the world, American wizards have an alternate sport to the popular wizard-esque football Quidditch: Quodpot, in which the players try to catch an explosive quaffle and not let it fall down.
* StupidEvil: Voldemort, especially by the end.
** Bellatrix. She has KickTheDog moments everywhere.
* StopBeingStereotypical: Lupin has this attitude towards his fellow werewolf, Fenrir Greyback.
* SuddenNameChange:
** Up until Harry Potter finds out the actual name of the creatures that guard Azkaban, a wizarding prison, everyone refers to them as "the Azkaban Guards." After he experiences their happiness-draining power and is told their name, Dementors, in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban Prisoner of Azkaban]]'' no one refers to them as the Azkaban Guards ever again.
** A meta-example: Creator/JKRowling had long established that Hermione's middle name was "Jane," which the fifth book also established as [[TyrantTakesTheHelm Umbridge]]'s middle name. Perhaps [[InvokedTrope invoking]] the OneSteveLimit, the final book makes Hermione's middle name "Jean" instead.
* SufficientlyAnalyzedMagic: Magic is very much a science in-universe. Even minor deviations from magical procedures can produce undesired effects. Conversely, wizards and witches with the inclination can improve existing magics or devise new ones.
** Professor Snape states it outright at the beginning of his first year Potions class.
-->'''Snape:''' You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic.
** Hermione pedantically informs Ron that the reason he was having trouble with the levitation charm was because he was putting the emphasis on the wrong syllable of the incantation "Wingardium Leviosa". Meticulously precise, Hermione often masters new spells before any of her classmates because she knows that performing magic correctly is as important as intent.
* SummonToHand: The spell ''Accio''. Brooms also rise into a wizard's hand when commanded properly.
* SuperpowerfulGenetics: Magical ability seems to be ''mostly'' inherited, though there are exceptions in both directions (meaning that, under the laws of Mendelian genetics, it can't be determined by a single gene; Rowling has also hinted that the gift of magic "preserves itself" somehow).
[[/folder]]
[[folder:T]]
* TakeThat:
** Both Aunt Marge in Book 3 and Dolores Umbridge in Books 5-7 are thinly veiled expies of Margaret Thatcher, whom Creator/JKRowling had a dislike for.
** Many of the early memories of Voldemort viewed in [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince Book 6]] are meant to refute the assertions by some fans that Voldemort is really a [[TheWoobie woobie]] with a FreudianExcuse. In fact, he was an irredeemable CreepyChild who made everyone's lives miserable for no reason.
** An argument between Ginny and her older twin brothers about the grand total of two non-Harry boys she'd dated can be taken as a slight against the "Ginny is a slut" shippers.
*** But it doesn't stop there. [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Book 7]] features long, drawn-out makeout scenes between [[spoiler: Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione]] and having Harry firmly state that [[spoiler:he sees Hermione as a sister to him, but he never was in love with her]]. And then, of course, [[spoiler:[[BabiesEverAfter Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione are]] HappilyMarried [[BabiesEverAfter 19 years after everything is good and done with]]]].
*** The [=MuggleNet=] book ''Harry Potter Should Have Died'' pokes fun at the whole shipping issue by entertaining the idea that Hermione decides to leave Ron and have an affair with Harry after Ron reaches his mid-life crisis.
* TanksForTheMemories: The Pensieve is a memory receptacle that allows people to view the memories contained in it from a third-person view, even the owner of the memory, and displays events in the area surrounding the subject of the memory regardless of his/her awareness of them at the time.
* TeachMeHowToFight: Dumbledore's Army is born when Ron and Hermione ask Harry to teach them how to use advanced defensive magic.
* TeenGenius:
** Hermione and Luna. They have the same level of intelligence, but they think in different ways.
** It's implied that all of The Marauders, save for Peter Pettigrew, were brilliant students in their day. Dumbledore, Snape, Voldemort and Grindelwald were all profoundly gifted students in their Hogwarts years as well.
*** According to Horace Slughorn, Lily Potter (Evans in the day) was very talented, although not as much as James. She was particularly adept at Potions.
** Harry is pretty smart, and he's competent in every field of magic, but he ''excels'' at Defensive magic. According to JKR, he's even better at it than Hermione is and he could beat her in a duel (reflected by their O.W.L. grades, where Harry got the highest possible score in D.A.D.A, while that class was Hermione's lone "[[TheBGrade Exceeds Expectations]]" in a sea of Outstandings). Not like they'd want to duel in the first place, anyway.
* TeleportersAndTransporters: There are three main methods of teleportation in the wizarding world:
** The first we are introduced to is the Floo network, which connects fireplaces magically.
** The second is Portkeys, where a seemingly innocuous object such as an old boot -- although it could be anything -- teleports anything that is touching it at the right moment. These are usually timed precisely so that a user has to reach it by a certain point, otherwise it teleports without them.
** The third is Apparition, which is mentioned by name long before the characters use it themselves -- this is where a wizard/witch teleports of their own volition to anywhere they wish. One has to pass an Apparition test at the age of 17, making it a close analogue of driving. There are also many places where one cannot Apparate, including Hogwarts.
** There are a small number of other methods; notably, the [[spoiler:Vanishing Cabinets, which allow access to Hogwarts by Death Eaters in Book Six]]. House-elves are also able to Apparate where wizards can't. Phoenixes can also take a wizard/witch with them when they teleport in a burst of flame.
* TeleportInterdiction:
** The Government can track and limit use of the Floo network; this becomes especially relevant [[spoiler:in ''Deathly Hallows'' after Voldemort takes control of it.]]
** Apparition can't be used in Hogwarts. It's also dangerous: you might leave body parts at your starting point or somewhere along the way.
* TellMeAboutMyFather: For both parents. The emphasis starts with Harry's father (except for his eyes; [[PhraseCatcher he has his mother's eyes]]). However, we later find that Harry's father was a bit of an idiot as a teenager (though he grew out of it), and the focus turns more and more to his mother. Dumbledore mentions that his true nature is much more like hers, though he's inherited his diehard loyalty to his friends from his father.
* TemptingFate: "If I'd died as many times as she said I would, I'd be a medical miracle." [[spoiler:Guess what happens in book seven.]]
* TerribleTrio: Draco Malfoy and his henchthugs Crabbe and Goyle. Their higher-up is Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy, and later [[spoiler: Voldemort himself, although he gives Draco an important mission to make his parents squirm as much as anything else]]. Lucius is a legitimately nasty piece of work, [[spoiler:giving Ginny the diary that caused the events of the second book]], but prefers a life of luxury with the occasional Muggle-hunting party to being a full-time villain.
* TheFourLoves: most of the good side characters show, in one or the other way, this trope. Harry is an example of the four types of love.
** Storge: Towards most of the Weasleys and Hermione.
** Phileo: Towards Ron and Hermione.
** Eros: Towards [[spoiler:Ginny]].
** Agape: Towards everyone.
* ThemeNaming: Not just the characters (most notably, everyone in the Black family is named after a celestial object, with the exception of Narcissa; and even Narcissa's son and grandson are named after constellations); there's also Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley, which are puns.
%%* TheyWalkAmongUs
* ThirdPersonFlashback: In movies ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'', ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'', and ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'', Harry is often able to see things that Dumbledore couldn't possibly have in the Pensieve. According to Creator/JKRowling, Pensieves work like this even in the books; that's why Harry was able to hear [[spoiler:the Marauders' conversation when he went into Snape's memory]].
* ThirdPersonPerson:
** The house-elves refer to themselves this way.
** Due to his megalomania, Voldemort occasionally refers to himself in the third-person as "Lord Voldemort," though this may be done intentionally to scare his victims or to sound condescending to establish authority over them (in the same way that a parent would call themselves "mommy" or "daddy" when talking to a child).
* ThisIsGonnaSuck: The Trio in the first couple books when they get busted and sometimes almost expelled for breaking various rules, such as being out of bed after hours or flying a car to Hogwarts.
* TooDumbToLive:
** [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain Dolores Umbridge]]. Surrounded by centaurs aiming arrows at you... and you ''still'' insult them for being ''"[[FantasticRacism filthy half-breeds]]"''? Dumbledore has to personally bail her out of that one -- and she's not even grateful for it in the slightest!
** Harry himself [[DefiedTrope defies this]] in [[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban ''Prisoner Of Azkaban.'']]
--->'''Mr. Weasley:''' Harry, promise me that whatever you do, you will not go looking for him.\\
'''Harry:''' Mr. Weasley, why would I go looking for someone who wanted to kill me?
** Then played hilariously straight, as he feels an urge to go looking for Black after he finds out [[spoiler:some of]] the AwfulTruth. He ends up hating Sirius so much that, when they meet at the end of the book, Harry charges at him and tries to choke him with his bare hands, forgetting that he is unarmed, much weaker than Black, and that Black has several wands on him at that point. [[spoiler:Lucky for him, Black was there to ''protect'' Harry, not kill him.]]\\\
In all fairness, Harry's got so many people after him that if he wants to go looking for someone who wants to kill him, he doesn't have to go very far.
** Vincent Crabbe casting Fiendfyre, a jinx so deadly and unpredictable that even Hermione says she wouldn't dare try it. For most of the series, he and Goyle are portrayed as too stupid to think without Malfoy. In [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets the second book]], they choose to eat ''cakes left in a random location'' without showing the slightest suspicion. [[Film/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets The film]] makes it even more jarring when they eat cakes that are floating in midair.
** Vernon Dursley. When [[HalfHumanHybrid Hagrid]] shows up Vernon spends the entire time acting like an abusive jerk to Harry and insulting his parents and [[TheMentor Dumbledore]], that after knowing Hagrid really cares for them both. For perspective: Hagrid is half-giant, has SuperStrength, and can use magic. Dudley ends up paying for it instead of his father in this case, but still...
* TookALevelInBadass:
** Literally everyone in the DA.
** ''Prisoner of Azkaban'' gets the ball rolling with Harry learning a complex piece of magic, then it gains momentum in ''Goblet of Fire'' when Harry uses his copious free time (and help from Hermione) to pick up a variety of offensive and defensive spells.
* TookALevelInJerkass: Percy and Cornelius Fudge.
** [[spoiler: They get better, though. After he's sacked as Minister, Fudge reverts to the kindly, feeble old man he used to be, and Percy redeems himself in [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Book 7]].]]
* TomTheDarkLord: Voldemort is the TropeNamer, whose real name, despite being the most evil wizard in centuries, is Tom Riddle.
%%* TonightSomeoneDies
* TrainingTheGiftOfMagic: You're either a witch/wizard or a {{Muggle|s}}. However, witches and wizards can only perform minor and largely uncontrolled magic without training and the assistance of a wand; still, a Muggle can study all they like, they'll never be able to do it.
* TranslationConvention: In-universe example. Parseltongue sounds like any regular language to those with the innate talent to speak it. This becomes an important plot point in the second book, and facilitates [[spoiler: Nagini's ambush on Harry]] in the seventh.
* TraumaticSuperpowerAwakening: Most wizards first show their magic in such circumstances, well before [[PubertySuperpower puberty]], but don't learn to control it until they get a wand and some training.
* TrollFic: Unsurprisingly, examples abound.
** [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9540890/1/Harry-s-Destiny Harry's Destiny]], which features a PuritySue / JerkSue who ''Avada Kedavra''s Ginny, wins Harry's affection in five lines, and also did we mention that Voldemort and Hermione and married, and also Voldemort was NotEvilJustMisunderstood, and is now Harry's BFF?
** ''FanFic/MyImmortal'', which is surprisingly ''not'' an Music/{{Evanescence}} SongFic. It could very well be offensive if it wasn't so [[RefugeInAbsurdity over-the-top ridiculous]] in its execution. Some might argue that it CrossesTheLineTwice. [[PoesLaw If it's even a trollfic at all.]] Multiple supposedly-different Internet users have claimed to be the author and that the fic was written to play this straight, but others have claimed to know Tara and that the fic was sincere. [[RiddleForTheAges There's absolutely no way to know for certain]] -- Tara has [[http://www.fanfiction.net/u/999831/XXXbloodyrists666XXX a FanFiction.net account]], but ''My Immortal'' was deleted from her account before thankfully being [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6200297/1/My-Immortal reuploaded]] to FanFiction.net by two girls on an account called [=TheJadedDolphin=].
*** There is also ''FanFic/MyMetal'', a {{Parody}} version of ''My Immortal.''
** Another example is ''FanFic/ImmaWiserd'' (also known as ''da magikal [N-word]''), a fanfic written in faux Ebonics and devoid of grammar, punctuation, and capitalization (aside from the warning, "IF U FLAM UR RASSIST").
** FanFic/SilverAndBronzeTheConspiracyOfTheShapeshifter quite possibly is this. It seems to follow every convention of the Mary Sue genre to the letter.
** Another example from the fandom is ''In Love's Name''. It includes Hermione being abducted by a Blue Spider Monkey, a part where the author's keyboard starts spelling "z" instead of "y", Hermione being DrivenToSuicide with her body "exploding in a veritable geyser of blood, guts and human limbs" and all forms of Squick. Also, some of the author's personal enemies make a cameo appearence.
** ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3081250/1/Kitsune_Chan Kitsune Chan]]'' was eventually revealed as a troll fic created by [[http://www.fanfiction.net/~rainejoybringer RaineJoybringer]].
** ''Fanfic/ThirtyHs'' seems to be advertised as one.
** ''FanFic/JoBekkeAtHugwrts'' and all other works by the same author are '''[[http://jo-bel.deviantart.com/journal/IEM-BAK-340584153 yet to be confirmed]]''' to be troll fics. It's claimed that someone committed suicide over this fic. Guest stars include the Duggars and Dance Moms. It's so bad that Tara Gilesbie (author of ''FanFic/MyImmortal'', so ''the'' big name in troll fics) has supposedly written a "commentary" on this. She even has a mental breakdown while writing this commentary. The fic appears to have been deleted now.
*** Though the original seems to be unavailable, there are at least [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7968849/1/jo_bekke_nd_darrrel_in_PANIM_1_da_hungr_gams two]] [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7985774/1/jo_bekke_nd_darrrel_in_PANIM_LOSE_da_hungr_gams commentaries]] on what appears to be an [[TooDumbToLive aborted sequel in progress]] called ''jo bekke nd darrrel [[Literature/TheHungerGames in panim]]'' [sic]. Thankfully, this thing hasn't run its course to the [[BrainBleach Brain Bleach-worthy]] end.
** ''Fanfic/TheLastWar'', possibly. The English usage is very good by fanfic standards, but the content reads like [[ClicheStorm every cliché]] of [[PortmanteauCoupleName Harmonian]] {{shipping}} turned UpToEleven and set to [[RobotUnicornAttack "Always"]] by {{Erasure}}. ''Wow.''
** ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6045105/1/The_Torment_of_Love The Torment of Love]]'' and other works by [[http://www.fanfiction.net/u/2397440/yamigirl121 yamigirl121]] are almost certainly this. This is particularly clear to ''[[WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged]]'' fans, as not only does she(?) write Téa's [[{{Shipping}} fanship]] Harry/Hedwig, but also has a profile page apparently written in character as Téa herself.
** The entire "Hogwrats" series, by [[http://thelunchbuddiez.deviantart.com/ "thelunchbuddiez"]] on deviantART, Tumblr, and FanFiction.net. It is ambiguous as to whether or not it is a troll fic, however. Evidence supports both sides.
** ''Fanfic/BecomingFemale'' is almost certainly the work of a troll. The spelling and grammar are good by fanfic standards, but the plot is at ''My Immortal'' levels of nonsensical. On the other hand, an author's note in the sequel claims that her fics are actually typed for her by the her blackmailed older sister, so that might account for the relatively good spelling and grammar.
** ''[[http://forum.mirriel.net/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=782&start=0 Harry Potter i plomien milosci]]'' (eng. Harry Potter and flame of love) tells a story of Jennifer, who was sixteen and went downstairs for breakfast. She receives a letter from Maggi Hogwarts telling her that she got overlooked by Dumledore five years ago and that she is invited for a new semester. There is also �lord Voldemop� running around. The main character is an obvious Mary Sue and fic itself is full of grammatical and orthographic mistakes.
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2172296/1/Genesis Genesis]]'' Vernon regularly gifted Harry with lashes and cigarette burns and the caretakers at Tom's orphanage regularly whipped, raped, and cannibalized their students. Dumbledore will never lift a finger to help abused children and he lets his students get [[RapeAsBackstory gangraped]] [[ButForMeItWasTuesday on a regular basis]]. He also bound Petunia's magic so she would remain a squib, (unknowingly or not) tried to brainwash Harry into killing himself, and tried to force Harry to marry (and be bound to) Ginny regardless of his wishes on the matter, neglecting the fact that he's already married [[spoiler: to Bellatrix, Tonks, and his own mother]]. Also due to a TimeyWimeyBall thing Harry is actually Voldemort, a [[ILoveTheDead necro]], and [[MyOwnGrandpa his own father]] but that's okay because James is kind of a dick what with forcing Lily to have sex with him under the imperious and all. Lily is the daughter of Grindelwald who was actually Hitler but that's cool because that means she's a pureblood and Harry/Voldemort is not related to the Dursleys.
* {{Trope 2000}}: There's a whole series of Nimbus Exty-Thousand broomsticks. Harry himself owns a Nimbus Two Thousand... [[spoiler:well, until it gets crushed by an animate tree]]. Magic is fun.
** Just a year after the ''2000'' was invented, the makers discovered a way to make the broom slightly faster and created a prototype new model called the ''Nimbus 2001''.
* TheTropeWithoutATitle: Voldemort is known casually as You-Know-Who, formally as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and by his followers as The Dark Lord.
** Harry is occasionally referred to as "The Boy-Who-Lived" and, after Voldemort's return is proven, "TheChosenOne."
* TragicDropout: Dumbledore was orphaned in his teens, and was forced to give up many of his ambitions in order to become the new patriarch of his family and care for his younger siblings.
* TrappedInVillainy: Draco Malfoy, who for the first five books is just [[StarterVillain a nuisance for Harry to deal with at school]]. Once he joins the Death Eaters, however, things change. He's given the job to [[spoiler:kill Dumbledore]], which seems simple enough in theory, but once Draco realizes that [[spoiler:he can't follow through with murder]] he remains hesitant throughout the next book, and only stays in Voldemort's service because he's ''terrified'' of the man.
* {{Tsundere}}:
** Hermione is a type B, as demonstrated to Ron after the Yule ball (note: she was just asked out by a Quidditch star):
--->Hermione: "Next time there's a ball, pluck up the courage and ask me out before someone else does! And not as a last resort!"
** Lily whenever James is around. She's nice to almost literally everyone else.
* TwoActStructure: With ''Goblet of Fire'' as the turning point where things start going to hell.
* TyrantTakesTheHelm: Professor Umbridge's horrible misrule, so much so that she was the former TropeNamer.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:U]]
* UltimateJobSecurity: Ignoring the fact that Hogwarts remains in operation despite having a running body count, Argus Filch is an exceedingly bitter man who explicitly enjoys causing students pain because he's jealous that they're learning magic while he's incapable of using it. At no point is the idea of firing him ever entertained. It's even a matter of public record that he actively co-operated and supported Umbridge with the ''explicit intent'' of getting permission to ''brutally torture'' students. Water under the bridge.
* UnexpectedInheritance: Harry's inheritance from his dead parents, not to mention the various {{Anonymous Benefactor}}s he's had.
* UnicornsAreSacred: Killing a unicorn is seen as a particularly heinous thing to do; Firenze refers to it as a "monsterous thing". The only person known to have done it in the series is [[spoiler: Voldemort/Quirrel]], further emphasising this. Drinking unicorn blood can prolong one's life, but the drinker will be cursed from the moment the blood touches their lips for having slain "something so pure and defenceless".
* UnnecessaryRoughness: Quidditch has this built into the rules. ''It has two iron balls which are magically enchanted to bash people senseless.''
* UnreliableNarrator: Harry, to a certain extent. Although he presents events as they happened and objective facts aren't hidden, he also has a habit of viewing everything through his particular biases, which is a big reason the series is so heavy with AlternateCharacterInterpretation.
* UnstoppableMailman: The owls ''will'' find you to deliver a letter, no matter where you are. Even if you don't ''want'' the letters. And they ''know'' if you've destroyed them without reading them (as the Dursleys are ''very'' displeased to find out.)
* UnusualEuphemism: Several, most notably the term Mudblood, which, in the wizarding world, is just as bad as saying the "n-word" in RealLife.
** Blood Traitor = a pure-blood wizard who supports {{Muggles}}.
* UnusualPetsForUnusualPeople:
** All of the allowed pets at Hogwarts are animals associated with magic, which fall into this (aside from cats, which are just as popular with {{Muggles}}[[note]]Although at least some students' cats are magical cat-like creatures called kneasles[[/note]]). In particular Neville's toad Trevor marks him out as a ButtMonkey, (since he was given it as a gift even though they "went out of fashion years ago", according to Hagrid) and Ron's rat, Scabbers (who's a hand-me-down, like everything else of Ron's [[spoiler: but turns out to be more than he seems in the third book]]).
** There's also features Hagrid, the brave but not that bright half-giant FluffyTamer. Over the course of the series, he kept many dangerous magical creatures as pets, including a GiantSpider, a three-headed HellHound, a baby [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragon]] and a bizarre and deadly HybridMonster called Blast-Ended Skrewt.
* UnwittingPawn: The entire wizarding population other than Dumbledore, Snape, and Voldemort.
** Snape may be a knowing pawn, but even then, there are things he is kept in the dark about.
* TheUsualAdversaries: Slytherin House.
* UtilityMagic: Wizards have roughly the same standards of living as Muggles did in the '50s (radio but no TV or Internet) except they use magic for everything beyond medieval technology.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:V]]
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Lucius Malfoy and Dolores Umbridge.
** To a lesser extent, Gilderoy Lockhart, who has good publicity because he [[spoiler:took credit for the accomplishments of others]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:W]]
* WainscotSociety: The "wizarding world" is largely self-contained and self-reliant, and hence is almost too detached from the mainstream world to qualify as a wainscot, but contact between the two worlds does continue.
* WhamEpisode: Each book gets its fair share, but Book 6 especially. However, ItWasHisSled.
* {{Whatevermancy}}:
** Arithmancy. Although, seeing as we never learn anything about arithmancy, it's entirely possible that it could be an accurate use of the "-mancy" suffix (if numbers are being used to divine the future, for example). Traditional divination is treated like the magical equivalent of a psuedoscience in-universe, so arithmancy might be a more "scientific," if less fun, alternative.
** Played straight in the Spanish translation. Occlumency is translated as "Oclumancia", which would implicate some kind of... hidden divination? It should have been Oclum'''e'''ncia instead (the ''-mens, -mency'' suffix implying "mind" is correctly used in English and should have been carried on in the translation as ''-mencia'').
* WhatBeautifulEyes: Other than his lightning-shaped scar, one of Harry's most notable and most frequently commented on trait is his green eyes, which he inherited from Lily.
* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids[=/=]WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: Seems to fall into both because of [[InvokedTrope author intent]]. Rowling did indeed conceive the books as a children's series, despite the protestations of many older fans that it's not ''really'' for kids; however, she admitted that she made the books "grow" with the original fanbase, and the last three or four aren't appropriate for the books' original elementary-school-age audience. This is evidenced by the fact that the ratings of the Harry Potter [[TheFilmOfTheBook movies]] increase with each sequel.
** The seventh movie has some nudity and rather scary nightmare-inducing scenes, like Bellatrix torturing Hermione. It has a PG-13 rating. It even got a "G" rating in the Province of Quebec! (Though this can be explained by the fact Canada usually is more lenient with movie ratings, often lowering them from what is found in other countries.)
** The first novel in particular is very innocent and child-friendly in its presentation of the Wizarding World. Most people tend to overlook that Harry is in mortal peril on numerous occasions throughout the tale and there are active attempts on his life, and even begins with the brutal murder of Harry's parents by Voldemort. This is popularly read as a [[MoralDissonance bedtime story]].
*** Rowling herself liked to point out to people who complained that later books became too dark that book one had ''a man with a face on the back of his head''.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse:
** The Hogwarts Song. Remember that one? Rowling has stated that Dumbledore only asked people to sing when he was in an exceptionally good mood. We miss the second book's feast, and by the time of the third book, Voldemort has attacked twice and there's a mass murderer running around. And given their reaction the first time around, it seems highly unusual that any of the other teachers would start singing.
** What Happened to the Rat? Or at least, how did Scabbers end up in the Weasleys' possession?
* WhatTheHellHero:
** Plenty of Dumbledore's decisions have a helping of this, chronologically starting with his refusal to confront Grindelwald during the pillaging of Europe and ending with the metric ton of secrets kept from Harry, often for no good reason. [[spoiler:(Due to esoteric rules of magic, not telling Harry in advance that he would have to die and that he might [[BackFromTheDead get better]] is one of the few justified cases.)]] He gets called out on this by Snape, by Harry in book five, and [[spoiler:post-mortem]] by Aberforth and ''Rita Skeeter''.
** The Prime Minister in ''Half-Blood Prince'' calls out Scrimgeour and Fudge that they neglected to warn the Muggles that Dark Wizards are traipsing around the British countryside committing random acts of terrorism and murder. This is despite the Ministry planting Kingsley and various Aurors in his staff to bodyguard him, which means they ''could'' have warned him.
** Professor [=McGonagall=] calls out Harry in ''Deathly Hallows'' when he uses [[AgonyBeam the Cruciatus curse]] on one of the Death Eaters occupying the school [[DisproportionateRetribution in response to the Death Eater spitting on her.]]
* WhenItAllBegan: Voldemort's first downfall.
* WhyDontYouJustShootHim: Harry only survives through books 4 on because the revived Voldemort demands a grandiose and wand-induced death. When Voldemort actually does this in Book 7, [[spoiler:it doesn't stick.]] Voldemort actually tries this near the end of Book 5 when he shows up unexpectedly after Harry had thwarted the Death Eaters' plan. Luckily for Harry, Dumbledore intervenes just in time.
* WillOTheWisp: There's a creature called the Hinkypunk that floats around bogs and marshes and glows. While InUniverse, it's not really a Will O The Wisp, but possibly the 'real' explanation for the muggle phenomenon.
* WitchSpecies: Capacity for magic is carried in the genes; see ArtisticLicenseBiology above.
* WizardClassic: Several characters, Dumbledore being by far the most archetypical.
* WizardingSchool: TropeCodifier.
* WizardsLiveLonger: Witches and wizards have longer lifespans than {{Muggles}}.
* WordsDoNotMakeTheMagic: You have to be a wizard and usually possess a wand to do magic. Even then, it takes skill, [[MagicalGesture correct gestures]], and intent (especially for the Unforgivable Curses) to cast the spells.
%%* WorldOfBadass
* WorldOfSnark: Almost everyone shows the inclination at some point or another.
** Amongst the Gryffindors: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, Fred and George Weasley, Seamus Finnegan, Dean Thomas, and Romilda Vane all go for it.
** The other student snarkers include Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Zacharias Smith, Pavarti (when pushed) and Padma Patil (particularly at the Yule Ball), and on occasion even Luna Lovegood. Moaning Myrtle and Diary!Riddle also have a few choice lines, proving this is not limited to living students.
** The adults have no shortage either: Severus Snape, Minerva [=McGonagall=], Alastor Moody, Lucius Malfoy, Sirius Black, Bellatrix Lestrange, Molly Weasley, Nymphadora Tonks... In flashback, Lily Evans, James Potter, and Remus Lupin all prove themselves, too. Even Minister Fudge gets a few chances to indulge his inner snarker. The portrait of Phineas Nigellus, too.
** Finally, even [[RunningGag Percy Weasley the perfect Prefect]] gets a few moments of snark, notably "I hope [Ron's] not in ''another'' girls' bathroom" in ''Chamber of Secrets'' and [[spoiler:"Consider this my notice of resignation"]] in ''Deathly Hallows''. No wonder so many interactions between our heroes end up degenerating into SnarkToSnarkCombat...
* WritersCannotDoMath: Rowling even said that math was not her strongest suit. Solid gold coins are worth about five British pound in TheNineties.
* WeDidntStartTheBillyJoelParodies: The Harry Potter fandom has [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTYadVjuvlo its own dedicated parody.]] Which was posted by Zsenya, one of the two founders of [[http://www.sugarquill.net/ The Sugar Quill]] fanfic site and co-author of ''Fanfic/AfterTheEnd'', which famously promoted R/Hr and H/G ships back when Harry was crushing on Cho and Ron and Hermione were trying to kill each other.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:X]]
* TheXOfY: Most of the book titles. ''The Philosopher's Stone'' and ''The Deathly Hallows'' too, in some translations.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Y]]
* YouCouldHaveUsedYourPowersForEvil: What Voldemort hates about Dumbledore.
* YouRemindMeOfX: ''Everyone'' goes out of their way to tell Harry how much he reminds them of James. Later, rather ominously, the trend slides closer to comparing him to Voldemort.
* YourSoulIsMine: The result of the Dementor's Kiss.
* YourVampiresSuck: A mild case of this. The one vampire encountered in the books seems none too frightening, though ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire Goblet of Fire]]'' alludes to the Ministry seeing them as a sufficiently serious problem to be worth employing vampire hunters. J.K. Rowling does poke fun of a vampire who [[TheVampireChronicles hypnotizes its victims with a boring]] {{Doorstopper}} [[TheVampireChronicles of a book]]. It's also mentioned in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone Philosopher's Stone]]'' that Quirrell was supposed to have cracked after meeting real vampires (and a hag) when he decided to get hands-on experience with dark creatures instead of merely reading about them; seeing as [[spoiler:his stuttering, scared-of-his-own-shadow persona was all an act and what actually happened was him encountering and being corrupted by Voldemort]], this story isn't conclusive, but it does suggest at least some wizards believe vampires to be truly dangerous, or else no one would have accepted this as an explanation for Quirrell's behavior.
[[/folder]]
HarryPotter/TropesAToI\\
HarryPotter/TropesJToR\\
'''Tropes S to Y'''
[[folder:S]]
* SadistTeacher: Snape, Umbridge, and the Carrows, in order of severity.
* SaidBookism:
** To Rowling's credit, there's hardly any of this in the entire series. There is, however, one rather {{egregious}} example...
--->"We're not going to use magic?" Ron [[HaveAGayOldTime ejaculated]] loudly.
** Another time, ''Slughorn'' ejaculated.
* SchoolSavedMyLife: Hermione pulls one of these in nearly every book. The other characters do, too, to a lesser extent.
* TheScottishTrope: {{Subverted}} by Dumbledore and several other heroic characters who very determinedly say "Voldemort" despite the name's emotional baggage -- and by Harry, who just doesn't ''have'' that baggage. The seventh book simultaneously {{double subver|sion}}ts, {{deconstruct|ed trope}}s, and perhaps {{reconstruct|ion}}s it, as [[spoiler:He Who-Must-Not-Be-Named creates an enchantment that allows him to locate anyone who dares say his name and tears down any protections around them.]]
** Also, the Harry Potter Encyclopedia that JKR promised to eventually write is sometimes called "The Scottish Book."
* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: It's the Harry Potter Drinking Game! Take a drink every time Harry breaks one of the Hogwarts school rules. You'll die of alcohol poisoning three books in!
** Hermione at first disapproves of Harry's and Ron's constant rule-breaking, but due to CharacterDevelopment she becomes as disregarding to the rules as the boys are.
** Fred and George usually break the rules because they just don't care, but one final (and spectacular) example of doing what's right is when they set off the fireworks and [[spoiler:leave the school on their broomsticks]] to oppose the horrible Umbridge. The teachers don't even try to stop them. On the contrary, they ''encourage'' it because they all hate that old hag so much. Professor Flitwick even keeps a magical bog the twins conjure in the castle as a roped-off area because it was such a brilliant piece of magic. [[SternTeacher Professor McGonagall]] very subtly does this when she mutters out of the corner of her mouth to Peeves that the chandelier he's messing with "unscrews the other way."
* SealedEvilInACan:
** In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'' the titular chamber contains [[spoiler:Slytherin's monster, an enormous basilisk]].
*** Also in the same volume, Tom Riddle's diary has the "memory" of the teenage Voldemort sealed inside, which Ginny unknowingly awakens through her liberal use of the diary.
** In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'' it's implied that Voldemort's [[FateWorseThanDeath final fate]] is to remain in a sort of limbo (specifically, [[spoiler:the netherworld where Harry met Dumbledore after he died]]) forever, incapable of harming anyone ever again.
* SecondLove: [[spoiler:Ginny.]]
* SeeTheInvisible: There are several ways in which Invisibility Cloaks can be thwarted. The ability of dementors to sense people is not impaired by invisibility cloaks. Moody's magical eye can see through invisibility cloaks. A person wearing an invisibility cloak still shows up on the Marauder's Map. The cloak's user also remains solid and the cloak doesn't muffle sound or disguise smell at all, meaning that anything with acute senses like cats or snakes, or even a normal human being that happens to be paying attention to such cues, can notice and locate the wearer.
%%* SelfFulfillingProphecy: More than one.
* SeverelySpecializedStore: Mr. Ollivander sells wands. Just... wands.
* SheIsNotMyGirlfriend: Harry says this about Hermione and means it. In [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Book 7]], Harry further says that he sees Hermione as a sibling but doesn't love her in the romantic sense.
* ShoutOut:
** There are a number of shout outs to ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'':
*** Cockroach clusters.
*** "Mary Whitehouse has taken umbrage, no surprise there," said JohnCleese. The last name of the Whitehouse caricature in ''Order of the Phoenix'' is "Umbridge".
*** The chocolate frogs are reminiscent of the chocolate-covered (real) frogs in the "Crunchy Frog" sketch.
** Voldemort's talking down to his minion (a traitor nicknamed Wormtail) is reminiscent of Saruman's abusive treatment of a henchman (a traitor nicknamed Worm''tongue'') in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''.
** The whole thing about [[Literature/TheSecretGarden Lily's eyes]].
** In ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Deathly Hallows]]'' Harry and Hermione notice the quotation [[Literature/TheBible "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also"]] on Dumbledore's mother's tombstone, as well as [[Literature/TheBible "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death"]] on the Potters' grave.
** The fact that the visitor's entrance to the Ministry is an old broken telephone booth with the phone that should not work being located in a garbage dump is one to the pilot of ''Series/DoctorWho'', wherein Ian and Barbara find an old, broken police telephone booth with a phone that should not work in the Foreman garbage dump.
** ''Literature/{{Redwall}}'' has a line about a rat named Wormtail losing a paw. Possibly coincidental, as the resemblance of a rat's tail to a worm is easy to come up with.
** The final pre-epilogue scene of ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Deathly Hallows]]'', where [[spoiler: the deceased Dumbledore's portrait comes to life to congratulate Harry on triumphing against Voldemort]], is more than a little bit similar to the final scene of ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', where [[spoiler: Obi-Wan and Yoda appear as Force Ghosts to congratulate Luke on triumphing against the Emperor]].
* ShoutOutToShakespeare:
** The most famous band in the Wizarding world is called the Weird Sisters.
** In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'', the Weird Sisters provide live entertainment for the Yule Ball.
** Tonks is also a Weird Sisters fan.
%%* SideBet
* SignificantAnagram: "Tom Marvolo Riddle" <-> "I am Lord Voldemort". Other languages revise the anagram to make sense in their tongues -- or change his birth-name.
** For example, in French: Tom Elvis Jedusor <-> ''Je suis Voldemort''. "Jedusor" sounds like ''jeu de sort'', meaning "gamble" or "lottery" -- and Elvis is [[OnlyMostlyDead not really dead]].
** In Spanish: Tom Sorvolo Ryddle <-> ''Soy Lord Voldemort''.
** In German: Tom Vorlost Riddle <-> ''Ist Lord Voldemort'', which means not "I am Lord Voldemort" but "Is Lord Voldemort." Sounds rather meaningless at first, but when both are said/showed in succession(which is exactly how the revelation happens), it becomes "Tom Marvolo Riddle is Lord Voldemort".
** In the Greek translation: Άντον Μόρβολ Χέρτ <-> ''Άρχων Βόλντεμορτ'' (Anton Morvol Hert <-> ''Archon Voldemort''). "Anton" doesn't have any particular significance nor does "Hert," giving the impression that they were just made up out of the spare letters. "Archon," in case you're wondering, is an archaic word meaning "ruler" or "lord", though the term ''Λόρδος'', the more commonly used word for "lord", is used throughout the rest of the translated text. It's noteworthy that they messed up the anagram, even so. The greek alphabet has two forms of O, omikron (o) and omega (ω), and one of the omikrons apparently transforms into an omega during the switch.
** In Turkish the translators just added a "d" to Marvolo, turning the name into "Tom Marvoldo Riddle", so that the anagram could simply be "Adım Lord Voldemort", which means "My name is Lord Voldemort" in Turkish. Guess they were kinda lucky.
** The Danish translation is one of the few that doesn't keep his first name as Tom, initially translating his name into "Romeo G. Detlev Jr."�"jeg er Voldemort". Later, it's revealed that "G" stands for "Gåde" which means "riddle" so at least they got that part right. They do keep his father's name as Tom, though, and explains that Merope used to call Tom Riddle her "Romeo". Detlev is a variant of "Ditlev", a Danish boy's name. (Which also just happens to be the Danish version of "Dudley".)
** Dutch changes his name to Marten Asmodom Vilijn - no Tom here either - going to ''Mijn naam is Voldemort'' (My name is Voldemort) - no Lord title. The barman of the Leaky Cauldron is still called Tom, so when the same name issue comes up in book six, it is solved by Dumbledore telling the barman will be able to remember "Marten" because it is a common name.
** The Norwegian: Tom Dredolo Venster, of which the surname means "left," so it is still a meaningful name. The "translated" anagram is ''Voldemort den Store'', meaning "Voldemort the Great."
** The Swedish translation utilizes Latin for the anagram: Tom Gus Mervolo Dolder -> Ego Sum Lord Voldemort (I am Lord Voldemort). "Dold" means "hidden", in analogy with the orginal name. "Dolder" would be a incorrect word for "Hider" (Which actually is "Döljare")
** The Bulgarian version has his name changed to "Том Мерсволуко Риддъл" ("Tom Mersvoluco Riddle") and the anagram to "Тук съм и Лорд Волдемор" ("Here I am also Lord Voldemort"). This was necessary because the letter 'i' from Riddle could not be avoided and was left as "и" (meaning "and/also"). "Here" could either be referring to the Chamber of Secrets (related to creating his first horcrux) or to the horcrux itself, since he sealed a part of himself into the diary. "Also" likely refers to his transformation from Tom Riddle to Voldemort.
** Created a meta-text flurry during the sixth book, when a locket with a note signed by "R.A.B." became important to the plot. One of the first guesses on this mystery character's identity was [[spoiler:Sirius Black's brother Regulus]]. Those who read the books in foreign languages noticed that whatever [[spoiler:Sirius's]] surname was changed to (i.e., that language's word for [[spoiler:"black"]]), R.A.B's last initial had followed suit.
*** The translators allegedly had to figure this out for themselves.
** The Chinese translation made do with a footnote (as always).
* SillySpook: The ghosts are mainly there for comic relief, though they do become relevant to the plot occasionally.
* SilverHasMysticPowers: Goblin-wrought silver is nigh-invulnerable, and can absorb the properties of what it pierces in order to make itself stronger. It's unclear how the goblins make it this way, or whether it's truly silver or simply called so because the same colour. There are many other objects in the series which are made of silver (the Pensieve) or have the appearance of silver (unicorn blood).
* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: Hermione and Ron, most prominently, but it seems to be a trend for non-villainous female characters: Molly Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Cho Chang, and resident babe Fleur Delacour are all very hot for good guys whereas the "bad boys" seem barely a blip on their radars. Lily Potter is [[InternetBackdraft debatable]], given that James Potter is remembered as a LoveableRogue by some people and a complete {{Jerkass}} by others, but all the characters note that James had to clean himself up considerably before Lily would condescend to so much as look at him.
* SixStudentClique: The D.A. group mostly pulls this off.
** The Head: Harry
** The Muscle: Ron
** The Smart One: Hermione
** The Quirk: Neville
** The Pretty One: Ginny
** The Wild One: Luna
* SlidingScaleOfContinuity: The first three books' storylines don't directly depend on the stories of the previous books; they each explain basic premises like the wizarding world, Voldemort, Harry's backstory, etc., Harry continues to live at the Dursleys', go to Hogwarts every year, have friends named Ron and Hermione, etc., and the actual events of the first two books don't matter by the third. The rest of the series, [[ContinuityCreep well...]]
* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: Even as the series gets DarkerAndEdgier, it still believes in its idealistic virtues such as ThePowerOfLove. [[spoiler:Also, as cheesy as the ending may be, it is undeniably a happy one.]]
* SnowballFight: Happens a few times during winter breaks at Hogwarts.
%%* TheSociopath: Voldemort himself, along with Bellatrix and possibly Umbridge.
* SorcerousOverlord: Voldemort's long-term goal was to become one of these, being an immortal dark wizard who would rule over a fascist magocracy. However, for most of the series he's more of an underground terrorist against the current rulers. Even after usurping control of the Ministry of Magic in the last book, he elected to control it behind the scenes through a puppet minister, as basically crowning himself would have been too blatant a move for the wizarding world to ignore.
* SoulFragment: What a Horcrux houses.
* SoulJar: The Horcruxes.
* SpannerInTheWorks:
** Voldemort and Dumbledore's decades-long GambitPileup often gets messed up thanks to an intricate series of decisions and minor hiccups that sends their Rube Goldberg-esque device careening. A theme in the series is choice, and ultimately, for better and worse, every major and minor choice made by characters ends up making a difference, in ways nobody can predict.
** The Elder Wand is apparently created to be this, as noted by Dumbledore in his notes in ''The Tales of Beedle the Bard'', as despite being "an unbeatable wand" it is routinely defeated and passes over through the centuries. When Dumbledore acquired it, he hoped to die undefeated, which he would have had [[spoiler:Snape killed him as per their ThanatosGambit]]. Instead, Draco beats him without knowing what he's doing. Then, to top this, Harry simply [[TheSimpsons yoinks]] the wand out of Draco's hands and this ends up giving him the advantage to [[spoiler:defeat Voldemort.]]
** The backstory, specifically the night James and Lily were murdered and Harry survived the Killing Curse, is an even more tangled one, with tiny bits and pieces of information accumulated over the seven books. To sum it up, [[spoiler:Severus Snape asked Voldemort to [[PleaseSpareHimMyLiege spare Lily]],]] and Voldemort [[NobleDemon went along with it]]. He told Lily to "step aside" but she refused, which created a binding magical contract that essentially bartered Lily's sacrifice for Harry's life. When Voldemort went ahead and tried to kill Harry anyway, the curse backfired on him.
* SparseListOfRules: As early as the first book it's mentioned that there are 700 ways to commit a foul in Quidditch (and every single one happened in [[NoodleIncident the 1492 World Cup]]), but the series only shows a few of them. According to ''Literature/QuidditchThroughTheAges'', most of the rest are {{Obvious Rule Patch}}es such as, "It is illegal to attack your opponent with an axe."
** Actually addressed in-universe in a rather amusing way. The full list of rules for Quidditch is kept secret by the international leagues to prevent players from being tempted to break them.
* StalkingIsFunnyIfItIsFemaleAfterMale: Magical date rape drugs are sold out in the open [[http://www.cracked.com/article_19397_the-5-most-depraved-sex-scenes-implied-by-harry-potter.html]] and it's considered wacky hijinks when Ron gets dosed by a crazy fangirl. Harry, at least, ''doesn't'' find the prospect of love potions funny--at one point, he actually compares them to Dark magic.
* StandardEvilOrganizationSquad: Known in this series as the Death Eaters.
* StayingWithFriends: Harry often stays at the Weasleys' over the latter parts of his summer vacations.
* SteamNeverDies: The Hogwarts Express train that the characters ride to school each year is pulled by a bright red steam locomotive. Perhaps all that concentrated magic causes more modern diesel locomotives to malfunction?
* StealthPun:
** The entrance to the headmaster's office is disguised by a gryphon statue that splits open to allow passages or [[Film/HarryPotter rotates with the entrant inside]], thus making it a griffin door.
** A twofer from the previous example, actually--it's a golden griffin: or, in French, a ''griffin d'or''!
** The teacher of History of Magic is rubbish at teaching as he puts nearly all of his students to sleep each class. His name is Professor Binns.
* SternTeacher: [=McGonagall=] and Madame Hooch.
** Snape walks the line between SternTeacher and SadistTeacher.
* StevenUlyssesPerhero: Plenty -- for instance, Sirius Black [[spoiler:turns into a black dog; Sirius is the Dog Star.]]
* StrangeSecretEntrance:
** Platform 9¾, a secret entrance at King's Cross station through a pillar between platforms nine and ten.
** The door to the Room of Requirement only appears when someone focused on what kind of place they want crosses in front of it three times in succession (or, presumably, three people focused on wanting the same place). This usually means someone pacing in front of a blank stretch of wall across from a tapestry of a wizard trying to teach trolls to do ballet.
* StrictlyFormula: The first three books play this fairly straight: Dursleys, Diagon Alley, Hogwarts, Quidditch, Christmas, the big plot issue, end-of-year feast, everyone goes home. Some formula stays for the later books ([[spoiler: Harry always starts out at the Dursleys in the books, no matter what]]) but Rowling then breaks these down as the universe gets darker and more complicated -- and as Harry matures.
** In [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows ''Deathly Hallows'']] the fact that these youth are used to the formula of three large meals a day and adults looking over them gets yanked out from under their feet.
* StuffBlowingUp:
** This is the result if the Killing Curse (''Avada Kedavra'') hits an inanimate object instead of its intended target, [[MadeOfExplodium it will explode]]. Trees tend to [[KillItWithFire catch fire]].
** Played for laughs in the sports sections. Making fun at the fact that Americans generally aren't as enthusiastic about soccer/football as the rest of the world, American wizards have an alternate sport to the popular wizard-esque football Quidditch: Quodpot, in which the players try to catch an explosive quaffle and not let it fall down.
* StupidEvil: Voldemort, especially by the end.
** Bellatrix. She has KickTheDog moments everywhere.
* StopBeingStereotypical: Lupin has this attitude towards his fellow werewolf, Fenrir Greyback.
* SuddenNameChange:
** Up until Harry Potter finds out the actual name of the creatures that guard Azkaban, a wizarding prison, everyone refers to them as "the Azkaban Guards." After he experiences their happiness-draining power and is told their name, Dementors, in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban Prisoner of Azkaban]]'' no one refers to them as the Azkaban Guards ever again.
** A meta-example: Creator/JKRowling had long established that Hermione's middle name was "Jane," which the fifth book also established as [[TyrantTakesTheHelm Umbridge]]'s middle name. Perhaps [[InvokedTrope invoking]] the OneSteveLimit, the final book makes Hermione's middle name "Jean" instead.
* SufficientlyAnalyzedMagic: Magic is very much a science in-universe. Even minor deviations from magical procedures can produce undesired effects. Conversely, wizards and witches with the inclination can improve existing magics or devise new ones.
** Professor Snape states it outright at the beginning of his first year Potions class.
-->'''Snape:''' You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic.
** Hermione pedantically informs Ron that the reason he was having trouble with the levitation charm was because he was putting the emphasis on the wrong syllable of the incantation "Wingardium Leviosa". Meticulously precise, Hermione often masters new spells before any of her classmates because she knows that performing magic correctly is as important as intent.
* SummonToHand: The spell ''Accio''. Brooms also rise into a wizard's hand when commanded properly.
* SuperpowerfulGenetics: Magical ability seems to be ''mostly'' inherited, though there are exceptions in both directions (meaning that, under the laws of Mendelian genetics, it can't be determined by a single gene; Rowling has also hinted that the gift of magic "preserves itself" somehow).
[[/folder]]
[[folder:T]]
* TakeThat:
** Both Aunt Marge in Book 3 and Dolores Umbridge in Books 5-7 are thinly veiled expies of Margaret Thatcher, whom Creator/JKRowling had a dislike for.
** Many of the early memories of Voldemort viewed in [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince Book 6]] are meant to refute the assertions by some fans that Voldemort is really a [[TheWoobie woobie]] with a FreudianExcuse. In fact, he was an irredeemable CreepyChild who made everyone's lives miserable for no reason.
** An argument between Ginny and her older twin brothers about the grand total of two non-Harry boys she'd dated can be taken as a slight against the "Ginny is a slut" shippers.
*** But it doesn't stop there. [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Book 7]] features long, drawn-out makeout scenes between [[spoiler: Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione]] and having Harry firmly state that [[spoiler:he sees Hermione as a sister to him, but he never was in love with her]]. And then, of course, [[spoiler:[[BabiesEverAfter Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione are]] HappilyMarried [[BabiesEverAfter 19 years after everything is good and done with]]]].
*** The [=MuggleNet=] book ''Harry Potter Should Have Died'' pokes fun at the whole shipping issue by entertaining the idea that Hermione decides to leave Ron and have an affair with Harry after Ron reaches his mid-life crisis.
* TanksForTheMemories: The Pensieve is a memory receptacle that allows people to view the memories contained in it from a third-person view, even the owner of the memory, and displays events in the area surrounding the subject of the memory regardless of his/her awareness of them at the time.
* TeachMeHowToFight: Dumbledore's Army is born when Ron and Hermione ask Harry to teach them how to use advanced defensive magic.
* TeenGenius:
** Hermione and Luna. They have the same level of intelligence, but they think in different ways.
** It's implied that all of The Marauders, save for Peter Pettigrew, were brilliant students in their day. Dumbledore, Snape, Voldemort and Grindelwald were all profoundly gifted students in their Hogwarts years as well.
*** According to Horace Slughorn, Lily Potter (Evans in the day) was very talented, although not as much as James. She was particularly adept at Potions.
** Harry is pretty smart, and he's competent in every field of magic, but he ''excels'' at Defensive magic. According to JKR, he's even better at it than Hermione is and he could beat her in a duel (reflected by their O.W.L. grades, where Harry got the highest possible score in D.A.D.A, while that class was Hermione's lone "[[TheBGrade Exceeds Expectations]]" in a sea of Outstandings). Not like they'd want to duel in the first place, anyway.
* TeleportersAndTransporters: There are three main methods of teleportation in the wizarding world:
** The first we are introduced to is the Floo network, which connects fireplaces magically.
** The second is Portkeys, where a seemingly innocuous object such as an old boot -- although it could be anything -- teleports anything that is touching it at the right moment. These are usually timed precisely so that a user has to reach it by a certain point, otherwise it teleports without them.
** The third is Apparition, which is mentioned by name long before the characters use it themselves -- this is where a wizard/witch teleports of their own volition to anywhere they wish. One has to pass an Apparition test at the age of 17, making it a close analogue of driving. There are also many places where one cannot Apparate, including Hogwarts.
** There are a small number of other methods; notably, the [[spoiler:Vanishing Cabinets, which allow access to Hogwarts by Death Eaters in Book Six]]. House-elves are also able to Apparate where wizards can't. Phoenixes can also take a wizard/witch with them when they teleport in a burst of flame.
* TeleportInterdiction:
** The Government can track and limit use of the Floo network; this becomes especially relevant [[spoiler:in ''Deathly Hallows'' after Voldemort takes control of it.]]
** Apparition can't be used in Hogwarts. It's also dangerous: you might leave body parts at your starting point or somewhere along the way.
* TellMeAboutMyFather: For both parents. The emphasis starts with Harry's father (except for his eyes; [[PhraseCatcher he has his mother's eyes]]). However, we later find that Harry's father was a bit of an idiot as a teenager (though he grew out of it), and the focus turns more and more to his mother. Dumbledore mentions that his true nature is much more like hers, though he's inherited his diehard loyalty to his friends from his father.
* TemptingFate: "If I'd died as many times as she said I would, I'd be a medical miracle." [[spoiler:Guess what happens in book seven.]]
* TerribleTrio: Draco Malfoy and his henchthugs Crabbe and Goyle. Their higher-up is Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy, and later [[spoiler: Voldemort himself, although he gives Draco an important mission to make his parents squirm as much as anything else]]. Lucius is a legitimately nasty piece of work, [[spoiler:giving Ginny the diary that caused the events of the second book]], but prefers a life of luxury with the occasional Muggle-hunting party to being a full-time villain.
* TheFourLoves: most of the good side characters show, in one or the other way, this trope. Harry is an example of the four types of love.
** Storge: Towards most of the Weasleys and Hermione.
** Phileo: Towards Ron and Hermione.
** Eros: Towards [[spoiler:Ginny]].
** Agape: Towards everyone.
* ThemeNaming: Not just the characters (most notably, everyone in the Black family is named after a celestial object, with the exception of Narcissa; and even Narcissa's son and grandson are named after constellations); there's also Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley, which are puns.
%%* TheyWalkAmongUs
* ThirdPersonFlashback: In movies ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'', ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'', and ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'', Harry is often able to see things that Dumbledore couldn't possibly have in the Pensieve. According to Creator/JKRowling, Pensieves work like this even in the books; that's why Harry was able to hear [[spoiler:the Marauders' conversation when he went into Snape's memory]].
* ThirdPersonPerson:
** The house-elves refer to themselves this way.
** Due to his megalomania, Voldemort occasionally refers to himself in the third-person as "Lord Voldemort," though this may be done intentionally to scare his victims or to sound condescending to establish authority over them (in the same way that a parent would call themselves "mommy" or "daddy" when talking to a child).
* ThisIsGonnaSuck: The Trio in the first couple books when they get busted and sometimes almost expelled for breaking various rules, such as being out of bed after hours or flying a car to Hogwarts.
* TooDumbToLive:
** [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain Dolores Umbridge]]. Surrounded by centaurs aiming arrows at you... and you ''still'' insult them for being ''"[[FantasticRacism filthy half-breeds]]"''? Dumbledore has to personally bail her out of that one -- and she's not even grateful for it in the slightest!
** Harry himself [[DefiedTrope defies this]] in [[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban ''Prisoner Of Azkaban.'']]
--->'''Mr. Weasley:''' Harry, promise me that whatever you do, you will not go looking for him.\\
'''Harry:''' Mr. Weasley, why would I go looking for someone who wanted to kill me?
** Then played hilariously straight, as he feels an urge to go looking for Black after he finds out [[spoiler:some of]] the AwfulTruth. He ends up hating Sirius so much that, when they meet at the end of the book, Harry charges at him and tries to choke him with his bare hands, forgetting that he is unarmed, much weaker than Black, and that Black has several wands on him at that point. [[spoiler:Lucky for him, Black was there to ''protect'' Harry, not kill him.]]\\\
In all fairness, Harry's got so many people after him that if he wants to go looking for someone who wants to kill him, he doesn't have to go very far.
** Vincent Crabbe casting Fiendfyre, a jinx so deadly and unpredictable that even Hermione says she wouldn't dare try it. For most of the series, he and Goyle are portrayed as too stupid to think without Malfoy. In [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets the second book]], they choose to eat ''cakes left in a random location'' without showing the slightest suspicion. [[Film/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets The film]] makes it even more jarring when they eat cakes that are floating in midair.
** Vernon Dursley. When [[HalfHumanHybrid Hagrid]] shows up Vernon spends the entire time acting like an abusive jerk to Harry and insulting his parents and [[TheMentor Dumbledore]], that after knowing Hagrid really cares for them both. For perspective: Hagrid is half-giant, has SuperStrength, and can use magic. Dudley ends up paying for it instead of his father in this case, but still...
* TookALevelInBadass:
** Literally everyone in the DA.
** ''Prisoner of Azkaban'' gets the ball rolling with Harry learning a complex piece of magic, then it gains momentum in ''Goblet of Fire'' when Harry uses his copious free time (and help from Hermione) to pick up a variety of offensive and defensive spells.
* TookALevelInJerkass: Percy and Cornelius Fudge.
** [[spoiler: They get better, though. After he's sacked as Minister, Fudge reverts to the kindly, feeble old man he used to be, and Percy redeems himself in [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Book 7]].]]
* TomTheDarkLord: Voldemort is the TropeNamer, whose real name, despite being the most evil wizard in centuries, is Tom Riddle.
%%* TonightSomeoneDies
* TrainingTheGiftOfMagic: You're either a witch/wizard or a {{Muggle|s}}. However, witches and wizards can only perform minor and largely uncontrolled magic without training and the assistance of a wand; still, a Muggle can study all they like, they'll never be able to do it.
* TranslationConvention: In-universe example. Parseltongue sounds like any regular language to those with the innate talent to speak it. This becomes an important plot point in the second book, and facilitates [[spoiler: Nagini's ambush on Harry]] in the seventh.
* TraumaticSuperpowerAwakening: Most wizards first show their magic in such circumstances, well before [[PubertySuperpower puberty]], but don't learn to control it until they get a wand and some training.
* TrollFic: Unsurprisingly, examples abound.
** [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9540890/1/Harry-s-Destiny Harry's Destiny]], which features a PuritySue / JerkSue who ''Avada Kedavra''s Ginny, wins Harry's affection in five lines, and also did we mention that Voldemort and Hermione and married, and also Voldemort was NotEvilJustMisunderstood, and is now Harry's BFF?
** ''FanFic/MyImmortal'', which is surprisingly ''not'' an Music/{{Evanescence}} SongFic. It could very well be offensive if it wasn't so [[RefugeInAbsurdity over-the-top ridiculous]] in its execution. Some might argue that it CrossesTheLineTwice. [[PoesLaw If it's even a trollfic at all.]] Multiple supposedly-different Internet users have claimed to be the author and that the fic was written to play this straight, but others have claimed to know Tara and that the fic was sincere. [[RiddleForTheAges There's absolutely no way to know for certain]] -- Tara has [[http://www.fanfiction.net/u/999831/XXXbloodyrists666XXX a FanFiction.net account]], but ''My Immortal'' was deleted from her account before thankfully being [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6200297/1/My-Immortal reuploaded]] to FanFiction.net by two girls on an account called [=TheJadedDolphin=].
*** There is also ''FanFic/MyMetal'', a {{Parody}} version of ''My Immortal.''
** Another example is ''FanFic/ImmaWiserd'' (also known as ''da magikal [N-word]''), a fanfic written in faux Ebonics and devoid of grammar, punctuation, and capitalization (aside from the warning, "IF U FLAM UR RASSIST").
** FanFic/SilverAndBronzeTheConspiracyOfTheShapeshifter quite possibly is this. It seems to follow every convention of the Mary Sue genre to the letter.
** Another example from the fandom is ''In Love's Name''. It includes Hermione being abducted by a Blue Spider Monkey, a part where the author's keyboard starts spelling "z" instead of "y", Hermione being DrivenToSuicide with her body "exploding in a veritable geyser of blood, guts and human limbs" and all forms of Squick. Also, some of the author's personal enemies make a cameo appearence.
** ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3081250/1/Kitsune_Chan Kitsune Chan]]'' was eventually revealed as a troll fic created by [[http://www.fanfiction.net/~rainejoybringer RaineJoybringer]].
** ''Fanfic/ThirtyHs'' seems to be advertised as one.
** ''FanFic/JoBekkeAtHugwrts'' and all other works by the same author are '''[[http://jo-bel.deviantart.com/journal/IEM-BAK-340584153 yet to be confirmed]]''' to be troll fics. It's claimed that someone committed suicide over this fic. Guest stars include the Duggars and Dance Moms. It's so bad that Tara Gilesbie (author of ''FanFic/MyImmortal'', so ''the'' big name in troll fics) has supposedly written a "commentary" on this. She even has a mental breakdown while writing this commentary. The fic appears to have been deleted now.
*** Though the original seems to be unavailable, there are at least [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7968849/1/jo_bekke_nd_darrrel_in_PANIM_1_da_hungr_gams two]] [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7985774/1/jo_bekke_nd_darrrel_in_PANIM_LOSE_da_hungr_gams commentaries]] on what appears to be an [[TooDumbToLive aborted sequel in progress]] called ''jo bekke nd darrrel [[Literature/TheHungerGames in panim]]'' [sic]. Thankfully, this thing hasn't run its course to the [[BrainBleach Brain Bleach-worthy]] end.
** ''Fanfic/TheLastWar'', possibly. The English usage is very good by fanfic standards, but the content reads like [[ClicheStorm every cliché]] of [[PortmanteauCoupleName Harmonian]] {{shipping}} turned UpToEleven and set to [[RobotUnicornAttack "Always"]] by {{Erasure}}. ''Wow.''
** ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6045105/1/The_Torment_of_Love The Torment of Love]]'' and other works by [[http://www.fanfiction.net/u/2397440/yamigirl121 yamigirl121]] are almost certainly this. This is particularly clear to ''[[WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged]]'' fans, as not only does she(?) write Téa's [[{{Shipping}} fanship]] Harry/Hedwig, but also has a profile page apparently written in character as Téa herself.
** The entire "Hogwrats" series, by [[http://thelunchbuddiez.deviantart.com/ "thelunchbuddiez"]] on deviantART, Tumblr, and FanFiction.net. It is ambiguous as to whether or not it is a troll fic, however. Evidence supports both sides.
** ''Fanfic/BecomingFemale'' is almost certainly the work of a troll. The spelling and grammar are good by fanfic standards, but the plot is at ''My Immortal'' levels of nonsensical. On the other hand, an author's note in the sequel claims that her fics are actually typed for her by the her blackmailed older sister, so that might account for the relatively good spelling and grammar.
** ''[[http://forum.mirriel.net/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=782&start=0 Harry Potter i plomien milosci]]'' (eng. Harry Potter and flame of love) tells a story of Jennifer, who was sixteen and went downstairs for breakfast. She receives a letter from Maggi Hogwarts telling her that she got overlooked by Dumledore five years ago and that she is invited for a new semester. There is also �lord Voldemop� running around. The main character is an obvious Mary Sue and fic itself is full of grammatical and orthographic mistakes.
** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2172296/1/Genesis Genesis]]'' Vernon regularly gifted Harry with lashes and cigarette burns and the caretakers at Tom's orphanage regularly whipped, raped, and cannibalized their students. Dumbledore will never lift a finger to help abused children and he lets his students get [[RapeAsBackstory gangraped]] [[ButForMeItWasTuesday on a regular basis]]. He also bound Petunia's magic so she would remain a squib, (unknowingly or not) tried to brainwash Harry into killing himself, and tried to force Harry to marry (and be bound to) Ginny regardless of his wishes on the matter, neglecting the fact that he's already married [[spoiler: to Bellatrix, Tonks, and his own mother]]. Also due to a TimeyWimeyBall thing Harry is actually Voldemort, a [[ILoveTheDead necro]], and [[MyOwnGrandpa his own father]] but that's okay because James is kind of a dick what with forcing Lily to have sex with him under the imperious and all. Lily is the daughter of Grindelwald who was actually Hitler but that's cool because that means she's a pureblood and Harry/Voldemort is not related to the Dursleys.
* {{Trope 2000}}: There's a whole series of Nimbus Exty-Thousand broomsticks. Harry himself owns a Nimbus Two Thousand... [[spoiler:well, until it gets crushed by an animate tree]]. Magic is fun.
** Just a year after the ''2000'' was invented, the makers discovered a way to make the broom slightly faster and created a prototype new model called the ''Nimbus 2001''.
* TheTropeWithoutATitle: Voldemort is known casually as You-Know-Who, formally as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and by his followers as The Dark Lord.
** Harry is occasionally referred to as "The Boy-Who-Lived" and, after Voldemort's return is proven, "TheChosenOne."
* TragicDropout: Dumbledore was orphaned in his teens, and was forced to give up many of his ambitions in order to become the new patriarch of his family and care for his younger siblings.
* TrappedInVillainy: Draco Malfoy, who for the first five books is just [[StarterVillain a nuisance for Harry to deal with at school]]. Once he joins the Death Eaters, however, things change. He's given the job to [[spoiler:kill Dumbledore]], which seems simple enough in theory, but once Draco realizes that [[spoiler:he can't follow through with murder]] he remains hesitant throughout the next book, and only stays in Voldemort's service because he's ''terrified'' of the man.
* {{Tsundere}}:
** Hermione is a type B, as demonstrated to Ron after the Yule ball (note: she was just asked out by a Quidditch star):
--->Hermione: "Next time there's a ball, pluck up the courage and ask me out before someone else does! And not as a last resort!"
** Lily whenever James is around. She's nice to almost literally everyone else.
* TwoActStructure: With ''Goblet of Fire'' as the turning point where things start going to hell.
* TyrantTakesTheHelm: Professor Umbridge's horrible misrule, so much so that she was the former TropeNamer.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:U]]
* UltimateJobSecurity: Ignoring the fact that Hogwarts remains in operation despite having a running body count, Argus Filch is an exceedingly bitter man who explicitly enjoys causing students pain because he's jealous that they're learning magic while he's incapable of using it. At no point is the idea of firing him ever entertained. It's even a matter of public record that he actively co-operated and supported Umbridge with the ''explicit intent'' of getting permission to ''brutally torture'' students. Water under the bridge.
* UnexpectedInheritance: Harry's inheritance from his dead parents, not to mention the various {{Anonymous Benefactor}}s he's had.
* UnicornsAreSacred: Killing a unicorn is seen as a particularly heinous thing to do; Firenze refers to it as a "monsterous thing". The only person known to have done it in the series is [[spoiler: Voldemort/Quirrel]], further emphasising this. Drinking unicorn blood can prolong one's life, but the drinker will be cursed from the moment the blood touches their lips for having slain "something so pure and defenceless".
* UnnecessaryRoughness: Quidditch has this built into the rules. ''It has two iron balls which are magically enchanted to bash people senseless.''
* UnreliableNarrator: Harry, to a certain extent. Although he presents events as they happened and objective facts aren't hidden, he also has a habit of viewing everything through his particular biases, which is a big reason the series is so heavy with AlternateCharacterInterpretation.
* UnstoppableMailman: The owls ''will'' find you to deliver a letter, no matter where you are. Even if you don't ''want'' the letters. And they ''know'' if you've destroyed them without reading them (as the Dursleys are ''very'' displeased to find out.)
* UnusualEuphemism: Several, most notably the term Mudblood, which, in the wizarding world, is just as bad as saying the "n-word" in RealLife.
** Blood Traitor = a pure-blood wizard who supports {{Muggles}}.
* UnusualPetsForUnusualPeople:
** All of the allowed pets at Hogwarts are animals associated with magic, which fall into this (aside from cats, which are just as popular with {{Muggles}}[[note]]Although at least some students' cats are magical cat-like creatures called kneasles[[/note]]). In particular Neville's toad Trevor marks him out as a ButtMonkey, (since he was given it as a gift even though they "went out of fashion years ago", according to Hagrid) and Ron's rat, Scabbers (who's a hand-me-down, like everything else of Ron's [[spoiler: but turns out to be more than he seems in the third book]]).
** There's also features Hagrid, the brave but not that bright half-giant FluffyTamer. Over the course of the series, he kept many dangerous magical creatures as pets, including a GiantSpider, a three-headed HellHound, a baby [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragon]] and a bizarre and deadly HybridMonster called Blast-Ended Skrewt.
* UnwittingPawn: The entire wizarding population other than Dumbledore, Snape, and Voldemort.
** Snape may be a knowing pawn, but even then, there are things he is kept in the dark about.
* TheUsualAdversaries: Slytherin House.
* UtilityMagic: Wizards have roughly the same standards of living as Muggles did in the '50s (radio but no TV or Internet) except they use magic for everything beyond medieval technology.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:V]]
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Lucius Malfoy and Dolores Umbridge.
** To a lesser extent, Gilderoy Lockhart, who has good publicity because he [[spoiler:took credit for the accomplishments of others]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:W]]
* WainscotSociety: The "wizarding world" is largely self-contained and self-reliant, and hence is almost too detached from the mainstream world to qualify as a wainscot, but contact between the two worlds does continue.
* WhamEpisode: Each book gets its fair share, but Book 6 especially. However, ItWasHisSled.
* {{Whatevermancy}}:
** Arithmancy. Although, seeing as we never learn anything about arithmancy, it's entirely possible that it could be an accurate use of the "-mancy" suffix (if numbers are being used to divine the future, for example). Traditional divination is treated like the magical equivalent of a psuedoscience in-universe, so arithmancy might be a more "scientific," if less fun, alternative.
** Played straight in the Spanish translation. Occlumency is translated as "Oclumancia", which would implicate some kind of... hidden divination? It should have been Oclum'''e'''ncia instead (the ''-mens, -mency'' suffix implying "mind" is correctly used in English and should have been carried on in the translation as ''-mencia'').
* WhatBeautifulEyes: Other than his lightning-shaped scar, one of Harry's most notable and most frequently commented on trait is his green eyes, which he inherited from Lily.
* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids[=/=]WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: Seems to fall into both because of [[InvokedTrope author intent]]. Rowling did indeed conceive the books as a children's series, despite the protestations of many older fans that it's not ''really'' for kids; however, she admitted that she made the books "grow" with the original fanbase, and the last three or four aren't appropriate for the books' original elementary-school-age audience. This is evidenced by the fact that the ratings of the Harry Potter [[TheFilmOfTheBook movies]] increase with each sequel.
** The seventh movie has some nudity and rather scary nightmare-inducing scenes, like Bellatrix torturing Hermione. It has a PG-13 rating. It even got a "G" rating in the Province of Quebec! (Though this can be explained by the fact Canada usually is more lenient with movie ratings, often lowering them from what is found in other countries.)
** The first novel in particular is very innocent and child-friendly in its presentation of the Wizarding World. Most people tend to overlook that Harry is in mortal peril on numerous occasions throughout the tale and there are active attempts on his life, and even begins with the brutal murder of Harry's parents by Voldemort. This is popularly read as a [[MoralDissonance bedtime story]].
*** Rowling herself liked to point out to people who complained that later books became too dark that book one had ''a man with a face on the back of his head''.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse:
** The Hogwarts Song. Remember that one? Rowling has stated that Dumbledore only asked people to sing when he was in an exceptionally good mood. We miss the second book's feast, and by the time of the third book, Voldemort has attacked twice and there's a mass murderer running around. And given their reaction the first time around, it seems highly unusual that any of the other teachers would start singing.
** What Happened to the Rat? Or at least, how did Scabbers end up in the Weasleys' possession?
* WhatTheHellHero:
** Plenty of Dumbledore's decisions have a helping of this, chronologically starting with his refusal to confront Grindelwald during the pillaging of Europe and ending with the metric ton of secrets kept from Harry, often for no good reason. [[spoiler:(Due to esoteric rules of magic, not telling Harry in advance that he would have to die and that he might [[BackFromTheDead get better]] is one of the few justified cases.)]] He gets called out on this by Snape, by Harry in book five, and [[spoiler:post-mortem]] by Aberforth and ''Rita Skeeter''.
** The Prime Minister in ''Half-Blood Prince'' calls out Scrimgeour and Fudge that they neglected to warn the Muggles that Dark Wizards are traipsing around the British countryside committing random acts of terrorism and murder. This is despite the Ministry planting Kingsley and various Aurors in his staff to bodyguard him, which means they ''could'' have warned him.
** Professor [=McGonagall=] calls out Harry in ''Deathly Hallows'' when he uses [[AgonyBeam the Cruciatus curse]] on one of the Death Eaters occupying the school [[DisproportionateRetribution in response to the Death Eater spitting on her.]]
* WhenItAllBegan: Voldemort's first downfall.
* WhyDontYouJustShootHim: Harry only survives through books 4 on because the revived Voldemort demands a grandiose and wand-induced death. When Voldemort actually does this in Book 7, [[spoiler:it doesn't stick.]] Voldemort actually tries this near the end of Book 5 when he shows up unexpectedly after Harry had thwarted the Death Eaters' plan. Luckily for Harry, Dumbledore intervenes just in time.
* WillOTheWisp: There's a creature called the Hinkypunk that floats around bogs and marshes and glows. While InUniverse, it's not really a Will O The Wisp, but possibly the 'real' explanation for the muggle phenomenon.
* WitchSpecies: Capacity for magic is carried in the genes; see ArtisticLicenseBiology above.
* WizardClassic: Several characters, Dumbledore being by far the most archetypical.
* WizardingSchool: TropeCodifier.
* WizardsLiveLonger: Witches and wizards have longer lifespans than {{Muggles}}.
* WordsDoNotMakeTheMagic: You have to be a wizard and usually possess a wand to do magic. Even then, it takes skill, [[MagicalGesture correct gestures]], and intent (especially for the Unforgivable Curses) to cast the spells.
%%* WorldOfBadass
* WorldOfSnark: Almost everyone shows the inclination at some point or another.
** Amongst the Gryffindors: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, Fred and George Weasley, Seamus Finnegan, Dean Thomas, and Romilda Vane all go for it.
** The other student snarkers include Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Zacharias Smith, Pavarti (when pushed) and Padma Patil (particularly at the Yule Ball), and on occasion even Luna Lovegood. Moaning Myrtle and Diary!Riddle also have a few choice lines, proving this is not limited to living students.
** The adults have no shortage either: Severus Snape, Minerva [=McGonagall=], Alastor Moody, Lucius Malfoy, Sirius Black, Bellatrix Lestrange, Molly Weasley, Nymphadora Tonks... In flashback, Lily Evans, James Potter, and Remus Lupin all prove themselves, too. Even Minister Fudge gets a few chances to indulge his inner snarker. The portrait of Phineas Nigellus, too.
** Finally, even [[RunningGag Percy Weasley the perfect Prefect]] gets a few moments of snark, notably "I hope [Ron's] not in ''another'' girls' bathroom" in ''Chamber of Secrets'' and [[spoiler:"Consider this my notice of resignation"]] in ''Deathly Hallows''. No wonder so many interactions between our heroes end up degenerating into SnarkToSnarkCombat...
* WritersCannotDoMath: Rowling even said that math was not her strongest suit. Solid gold coins are worth about five British pound in TheNineties.
* WeDidntStartTheBillyJoelParodies: The Harry Potter fandom has [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTYadVjuvlo its own dedicated parody.]] Which was posted by Zsenya, one of the two founders of [[http://www.sugarquill.net/ The Sugar Quill]] fanfic site and co-author of ''Fanfic/AfterTheEnd'', which famously promoted R/Hr and H/G ships back when Harry was crushing on Cho and Ron and Hermione were trying to kill each other.
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* TheXOfY: Most of the book titles. ''The Philosopher's Stone'' and ''The Deathly Hallows'' too, in some translations.
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[[folder:Y]]
* YouCouldHaveUsedYourPowersForEvil: What Voldemort hates about Dumbledore.
* YouRemindMeOfX: ''Everyone'' goes out of their way to tell Harry how much he reminds them of James. Later, rather ominously, the trend slides closer to comparing him to Voldemort.
* YourSoulIsMine: The result of the Dementor's Kiss.
* YourVampiresSuck: A mild case of this. The one vampire encountered in the books seems none too frightening, though ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire Goblet of Fire]]'' alludes to the Ministry seeing them as a sufficiently serious problem to be worth employing vampire hunters. J.K. Rowling does poke fun of a vampire who [[TheVampireChronicles hypnotizes its victims with a boring]] {{Doorstopper}} [[TheVampireChronicles of a book]]. It's also mentioned in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone Philosopher's Stone]]'' that Quirrell was supposed to have cracked after meeting real vampires (and a hag) when he decided to get hands-on experience with dark creatures instead of merely reading about them; seeing as [[spoiler:his stuttering, scared-of-his-own-shadow persona was all an act and what actually happened was him encountering and being corrupted by Voldemort]], this story isn't conclusive, but it does suggest at least some wizards believe vampires to be truly dangerous, or else no one would have accepted this as an explanation for Quirrell's behavior.
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