| 1 | The ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' fandom is one of the oldest and biggest around. Predictably, there are a few things the fans have decided where the text had nothing to say -- or in some cases, even where it did. |
| 2 | |
| 3 | '''Warning: Unmarked spoilers abound!''' |
| 4 | |
| 5 | !!Names |
| 6 | |
| 7 | * '''Fans think:''' Ginny's full name is Virginia. That notion came from ''Fanfic/TheDracoTrilogy''. '''In canon:''' It was revealed in the seventh book that it's actually the much rarer Ginevra. It was not unheard of for [[LongRunner long-running]] fics to go back and change it, or else quietly {{retcon}} it and hope the readers didn't notice. And at least one story {{lampshaded}} it: |
| 8 | -->'''Harry:''' You're the person who let me think her name was Virginia for four years before finally revealing it was really Ginevra. |
| 9 | * '''Fans think:''' Percy's full name is Percival. '''In canon:''' He gives his full name as "Percy Ignatius Weasley" in ''Order of the Phoenix'' for the official record of Harry's hearing. |
| 10 | * '''Fans think:''' Practically everyone's middle name is their [[AncestralName parent's name]]. '''In canon:''' Examples do abound -- like Harry James Potter, William Arthur Weasley, and Ginevra Molly Weasley -- but there are plenty more counterexamples, like Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, James Sirius Potter, Lily Luna Potter, Remus John Lupin, and Fleur Isabelle Delacour. Where middle names are not given, fans have a tendency to presume a parent's name if known: |
| 11 | ** Snape's middle name in fanon is Tobias, after his father's name. In canon, it's unknown if he even ''has'' a middle name. |
| 12 | ** Sirius' middle name in fanon is Orion, after his father's name. Fanfic writers particularly like that it makes his initials [[StealthPun S.O.B]]. |
| 13 | * '''Fans think:''' Fred and George were named [[AddedAlliterativeAppeal alliteratively]] for Molly's brothers Fabian and Gideon, who were two ''really'' tough wizards who died fighting Death Eaters. This one is believable and might be implied to be the case in canon, but it's still never stated in the books. Other related fanon suggests that these are their middle names, or that Fabian and Gideon were twins like Fred and George, even though canon says nothing on the subject. (In fact, Fred and George are identical twins, and that trait -- unlike fraternal twins -- is not hereditary.) |
| 14 | * '''Fans think:''' People call Lavender "[[AffectionateNickname Lav-Lav]]". '''In canon:''' No one ever called her "Lav-Lav", but she did call Ron "Won-Won" when [[SickeninglySweethearts they briefly dated]] in ''Half-Blood Prince'', and Harry's internal narration says that he ''hopes'' he never has to hear Ron (or anyone else) call her "Lav-Lav" (if for no other reason than that it ''really'' doesn't roll off the tongue). Some fanfic authors ignore this and have ''everyone'' call her "Lav-Lav", far removed from the original context of Harry's thought on the subject. |
| 15 | * '''Fans think:''' Snape, either in his head or out loud, refers to his Slytherin students as his "little snakes". It's common in Snapefics, but elsewhere treated with [[HehHehYouSaidX the derision]] it [[http://szaleniec1000.livejournal.com/tag/little%20snakes deserves]]. |
| 16 | * '''Fans have some ideas''' for Hermione's parents' names, which '''in canon''' are never stated: |
| 17 | ** Roger and Helen. No one knows why; it just spread throughout fanfic as the right kind of names for them. |
| 18 | ** Dan and Emma, after Creator/DanielRadcliffe and Creator/EmmaWatson. These were once common, but have since dropped in popularity, probably after everyone figured out how cringe-inducingly {{meta}} they were. |
| 19 | ** Heather and Tom, after the actors who played them on screen (very very briefly) in ''Chamber of Secrets''. |
| 20 | ** Michelle and Ian, for [[TheOtherDarrin their other actors]] in ''Deathly Hallows''. |
| 21 | ** Rose and Hugo, popular after ''Deathly Hallows'', suggesting that Hermione is just as creative as Harry is (i.e. not creative at all) in naming her children. |
| 22 | ** Jean for Hermione's mother, suggesting that like Harry, her middle name is her parent's name. |
| 23 | * '''Fans think:''' "Harry" is short for something, like Harold, or Henry (like [[UsefulNotes/TheBritishRoyalFamily Prince Harry]]), or something cool and "magical" like Hadrian. '''In canon:''' This is a particularly egregious example. Harry's first name was established in the first chapter of the first book and Harry's full legal name, every time it is mentioned, is "Harry James Potter", full stop. Funnily enough, there is a canonical example of a Harry Potter who has a different first name. Henry "Harry" Potter, Harry's paternal great grandfather, who preferred to go by Harry among friends and family. Presumably, he was close enough to his grandson James for him to use his nickname as Harry's legal name. |
| 24 | |
| 25 | !!Magic and spells |
| 26 | |
| 27 | * '''Fans think''' certain spells exist that don't really, like: |
| 28 | ** A spell called ''Tempus'' that tells time. It's pure fanon. |
| 29 | ** "Wards" as a common kind of [[ProtectiveCharm protective magic]]. While such magic does exist, it's never called a "ward" -- rather, a protective "enchantment", "charm", or "spell". The word "ward" is used exactly ''once'' in the books, and not in this context. |
| 30 | ** A different kind of "[[FantasyContraception protection spell]]," which tends to show up in shipping fics. Theoretically there's a reason why not every wizard family is as large as the Weasleys, but the books don't elaborate on that. |
| 31 | ** A "compulsion charm" that forces the target to carry out the caster's bidding. This is nearly exclusively used as a way to allow Dumbledore [[RonTheDeathEater to magically force people to comply with his schemes]] without having to dirty his hands with "dark magic" such as the Imperius Curse, which is the [[AddedAlliterativeAppeal compulsion charm's canon counterpart]]. [[FridgeLogic Of course, if there were such a charm, why this wouldn't count as Dark Magic is anyone's guess]]. |
| 32 | *** Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets does mention a compulsion charm in connection with the diary. Apparently, such charms are cast on objects, not people, and can compel a person to interact with the charmed object in a particular way (e.g. the diary compelling people to write in it). |
| 33 | ** A spell (or potion, or ritual) which allows the user to detect and/or cancel any tampering with the target's mind, such as Obliviation, the Imperius Curse, any active potion effects, or the aforementioned compulsion charm. In canon, there is no such thing, or the wizarding world wouldn't have had any such problems with the Imperius Curse. |
| 34 | ** Magical signatures that work like fingerprints or DNA. The only forensic spells of this kind mentioned in canon are the Trace (which has a limited reliability) and ''Priori Incantatem''. |
| 35 | ** A spell that translates languages for the caster. {{Language barrier}}s remain in effect in canon for those who haven't taken the time to learn the language in use, as seen when Cornelius Fudge gets trolled by his Bulgarian counterpart at the Quidditch World Cup. |
| 36 | ** "Magical cores", basically PowerLevels, which show up in 90% of ''Harry Potter'' fan-fiction. If anything, the idea that every witch or wizard has some sort of innate genetic magical potential rather misses the point of the entire series. Fanon additionally posits that said "cores" can be suppressed in some way. On that front: |
| 37 | * '''Fans think:''' There's an easy way to suppress magic. The idea is very versatile in fanfic. It can be used to explain the resident {{Inept Mage}}s like Neville. Or, more commonly, it can be used against a character like Harry or Hermione, usually instigated by Dumbledore [[RonTheDeathEater suddenly deciding]] to make said character totally reliant on his protection. Some stories use the suppression mechanism as a means of allowing Harry to achieve GodMode by removing it. Still other stories see magical suppression used as punishment for serious crimes. '''In canon:''' ''Film/FantasticBeastsAndWhereToFindThem'' showed that while you can suppress a young child's magic, that's an [[TooDumbToLive extremely unwise]] and [[ForTheEvulz exceedingly cruel]] course of action. And as for Neville, well, some kids just take longer to learn -- what's the big deal about that? As far as punishment for crimes goes, if anyone would have merited such a punishment, it would have been Bellatrix and co., but they were sent to Azkaban with their magic intact. |
| 38 | * '''Fans think:''' Every wizard has a wand that will suit him or her perfectly, and if it doesn't exist, a wandmaker will make one. Usually, if the customer is Harry, then his canonical phoenix-holly wand is the result of manipulation by Dumbledore, or to prove he's more powerful than he should be. The theory probably originated from Fawkes being the phoenix who provided the feather for Harry's wand (and Voldemort's), or Fleur's comment that the Veela hair in her wand came from her grandmother. '''In canon:''' The number-one rule of wandlore is "the wand chooses the wizard." There would otherwise be no point in sifting through hundreds of pre-made wands. |
| 39 | * '''Fans think:''' The consequence of breaking a MagicallyBindingContract, like an Unbreakable Vow or the one that runs the Triwizard Tournament, is a total loss of magic. This has led to stories where tricking Voldemort into breaking a contract is seriously considered as a method to defeat him. It also allows such contracts to be used as a means of ensuring someone is telling the truth -- ask a character to "swear on their magic", and the consequences will be dire[[note]] this may be fans confusing him with [[Literature/TheDresdenFiles the other Harry,]] in whose world swearing on your magic is indeed a serious thing to do[[/note]]. Alternatively, as popularised by ''FanFic/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality'', the subject is [[CompellingVoice magically compelled to comply]]. In some stories, Sirius is said to have sworn a "Godfather's Oath", which would have prevented him from acting against Harry, and thereby automatically proven his innocence. '''In canon:''' All that's established is that if you break an Unbreakable Vow, [[{{Geas}} you die]]. Canonically the only way we’ve seen someone get out of an unbreakable vow is Yusuf in the second ''Fantastic Beasts'' movie via LoopholeAbuse. That’s because the person he swore to his father he’d get revenge on died a long time ago so it’s null and void. Certainly, one of those other options can be true simultaneously, but canon doesn't say anything on that front. Other magically-binding contracts have no consequences for violation mentioned at all. Canon also doesn't have a surefire way of determining if someone is telling the truth, because methods can be resisted and memories can be doctored. |
| 40 | * '''Fans think:''' There are special "dueling wands" with a certain amount of pre-loaded spells, basically making them [[{{Magitek}} magic guns]] and allowing for the raft of ShowdownAtHighNoon tropes. '''In canon:''' Wands are very personal -- they [[OnlyICanMakeItGo only work properly for their magically-defined owner]], and there's no equipment of any kind with what could be described as a pre-loaded spell. |
| 41 | * '''Fans think:''' Parselmouths can communicate with reptiles other than snakes, including dragons, and have a written form of Parseltongue -- a Parsel''script'' of sorts -- which is frequently found in books or documents written by Slytherin, or in [[CurseOfThePharaoh cursed Egyptian tombs]]. {{Lampshaded}} in one fic, in which Hermione points out that snakes can't read or write. |
| 42 | * '''Fans think:''' Transfiguration will naturally wear off over time if not renewed. The idea was likely popularised by ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality'', which made it a point that impermanent transfiguration makes the process extremely dangerous for living things. '''In canon:''' While details on transfiguration are sparse, what we do know suggests the opposite -- that it's pretty safe if you know what you're doing (people transfigure their pets on a whim with no consequence), and Victor Krum transfiguring himself into a half-shark in the Triwizard Tournament is seen as a clever idea with no obvious risk beyond [[ShapeshifterModeLock getting stuck like that]]. The closest we get is a story (told and not shown) in the film adaptation of ''Half-Blood Prince'', in which Slughorn describes how Lily transfigured a petal into a fish and gifted it to him, and how [[NoOntologicalInertia when she died]] it transformed back into a petal, but that seems to operate differently from how fanfic sees it. |
| 43 | * '''Fans think:''' Black quills -- the kind that Umbridge uses on Harry -- are illegal. They're also used for signing black-market magical contracts [[CouldntFindAPen in blood]]. '''In canon:''' Nothing suggests that they're illegal, although they might fall under Hogwarts' standing ban on {{corporal punishment}}. Creator/JKRowling did confirm a different fan theory that Umbridge invented them, which may be why there's no law prohibiting them ([[ThereShouldBeALaw yet]]). |
| 44 | * '''Fans think:''' Runes (at least of the kind taught in Ancient Runes class) are [[RunicMagic some means to enhance one's magic, if not an "alternative" form of magic altogether]]. '''In canon:''' There's no indication that runes are anything other than a form of writing. |
| 45 | * '''Fans think:''' With enough power or with the right motivation, it is possible to supercharge a Patronus and make it outright fatal to Dementors. Sometimes this supercharged Patronus is golden instead of silver to signify its superiority. Used as a way to show that Harry has achieved GodMode or that [[ThePowerOfLove this particular fanfiction's pairing is much better than the canon pairing]]. '''In canon:''' There is apparently no way to kill Dementors. Patronus don't destroy Dementors, only repel them, and it is never stated that enough Patronus strength could destroy a Dementor. Moreover, there is nothing said about Patronus having levels other than corporeal Patronus being the mark of a very powerful wizard, as many adults are completely unable to conjure one. |
| 46 | * '''Fans think:''' That Parseltongue magic can be used for a variety of purposes [[PowerPerversionPotential that the author certainly didn't intend]]. '''In canon:''' There has never even been a hint that the ability has any use outside of controlling snakes or communicating with them or other people, and it comes up in fanfiction almost entirely as a means to give Harry additional abilities that make him the 'strongest, bestest, wizard at everything, including sex', and make Freudian jokes about why wizards don't like Parselmouths. |
| 47 | |
| 48 | !!Character traits |
| 49 | |
| 50 | * '''Fans think:''' Pius Thicknesse was fully on board with the Death Eater agenda. '''In canon:''' He was a legitimate victim of the ''[[{{Brainwashing}} Imperius]]'' curse, and it's heavily implied that he is actually dead-set against Voldemort. |
| 51 | * '''Fans think''' certain things about Fred and George, like: |
| 52 | ** They [[FinishingEachOthersSentences finish each other's sentences]]. '''In canon:''' This happens less than a handful of times. The most notable instance is in the film of ''Prisoner of Azkaban'', when they do this when describing the Marauder's Map. |
| 53 | ** They routinely refer to themselves as "Gred" and "Forge". '''In canon:''' They did this ''once'', very early on in ''Philosopher's Stone'', as a joke about how the sweaters their mother knit for them had their initials on it and now it was easier for her to tell them apart. It was specifically for that context; they also joke that Percy's sweater stands for "Prefect". Fandom not only has them do it routinely, they often replicate the joke incorrectly -- in canon, they're wearing the correct initials but don't know the ''rest'' of their names. |
| 54 | * '''Fans think''' certain things about Ron (many of which are [[RonTheDeathEater less than flattering]]), like: |
| 55 | ** He is a [[GeniusDitz Wizard's Chess genius, but would only barely scrape through school without Hermione on hand to do his homework for him]]. '''In canon:''' While Ron certainly is a highly talented chess player, and would rather put off his homework until the last second, his OWL grades clearly aren't ''bad'' since he's in all the same NEWT classes as Harry, at least two of which required an Exceeds Expectations or higher to attend. |
| 56 | ** His main ambition is to play Quidditch professionally as Keeper for the Chudley Cannons. '''In canon:''' There is nothing to indicate that Ron is more than a fan of the sport, and given that he is shown to be a an inconsistently skilled player due to his insecurities, it would certainly merit a comment that he wanted to go professional some day. |
| 57 | ** He was the one who came up with the insulting nickname "Loony" for Luna. '''In canon:''' Where Luna got her nickname from is never elaborated on, nor is there anything that directly indicates that Ron knew her before her introduction in ''Order of the Phoenix''. Barring his treatment of Hermione before their CharacterDevelopment in the first book, Ron generally doesn't seem the kind of person to actively bully a loner non-Slytherin girl. |
| 58 | ** He is ObsessedWithFood to the point that the sight of it [[OneTrackMindedHunger can override his higher brain functions]]. '''In canon:''' Ron is known to [[BigEater enjoy his food]] and have a certain disregard for table etiquette, and while he certainly was affected more than Harry or Hermione by the food shortage during the Horcrux hunt, fanfiction tends to [[CharacterExaggeration blow this up to ridiculous extremes]]. This may be due to the films, where Ron is presented as more of a food hog. |
| 59 | ** He'd turn on Harry at the drop of a hat, especially where Hermione is concerned, sometimes going as far as to [[RonTheDeathEater betray him in favor of Voldemort]] or an evil version of Dumbledore. '''In canon:''' Ron does have his moments of not getting along with Harry, but overall he's very much a faithful friend and ally to the Boy Who Lived, who sticks by him whenever it matters. As for the aforementioned moments, he has very much understandable reasons for them, and they don't stick anyway. [[labelnote:'''Case 1''']]While he resents Harry being made a Triwizard Champion in ''Goblet of Fire'', this comes as a result of him believing that Harry somehow found a way to enter the prestigious Triwizard Tournament that he didn't tell his best friend about, on top of several years worth of being overshadowed by his brothers and Harry. He also quickly retracts this viewpoint when he learns about the dragons and sees first-hand how dangerous the Triwizard Tournament really is.[[/labelnote]][[labelnote:'''Case 2''']]When he leaves during the Horcrux Hunt, it's after several weeks of the trio struggling to survive out in the wild with no clear direction on what to do, all while dealing with the corrupting influence of the one Horcrux they do have, as well as the stress of knowing that members of his family are at risk from Voldemort. And he almost immediately regrets leaving afterwards.[[/labelnote]] |
| 60 | * '''Fans think:''' To prepare herself for a relationship with Harry, Ginny has... [[ReallyGetsAround "practiced"... with many of the boys at Hogwarts]] (with Dean Thomas as a frequent patsy). [[RonTheDeathEater Depending on author,]] this behavior may or may not continue after they get married. '''In canon:''' Ginny has only ever been with two boys over a period of roughly two years prior to Harry, and the furthest she's shown going with any of her partners is making out with Dean in a secret passage. |
| 61 | * '''Fans think:''' Neville's [[IneptMage ineptitude at magic]] is not because of magic suppression (seen above), but because of a botched [[LaserGuidedAmnesia Memory Charm]], supposedly to erase the memory of him seeing his parents tortured into insanity (never mind that [[NoInfantileAmnesia he was a year old at the time]] and he probably wouldn't remember it anyway). The idea is that it's designed to last his entire life, so he can't get rid of it, and that it prevents him from learning magic because it clouds his memory of what he ''does'' learn. '''In canon:''' He's just not a fast learner and supremely unconfident in himself, and is hampered by having to use his father's old wand. When the chips are down, and when he gets a wand that matches him, he [[TookALevelInBadass takes a level in badass]] and can ''more'' than hold his own. |
| 62 | * '''Fans think:''' Neville has dark hair. He certainly does in the ''movies'', which were a major AudienceColoringAdaptation, but '''In book canon:''' WordOfGod says that he's blond. However, by the time this happened the image of him as a brunet was totally ingrained in people's minds; you'll be hard-pressed to find a single piece of fanart that differs. |
| 63 | * '''Fans think:''' Certain things about Harry: |
| 64 | ** Harry's poor eyesight is a result of abuse of some sort, either from the Dursleys, from the Horcrux in his head, or (in that kind of fic) from [[RonTheDeathEater Dumbledore]]. '''In canon:''' While it's not explicitly stated, the number of characters like James, Dumbledore, [=McGonagall=], or Percy who wear glasses despite having no comparable reason suggests that magic simply cannot fix eyesight. Fanon tries to fix ''this'' by claiming that such treatment does exist but is too unreliable or expensive to work, except that the genius wizard Dumbledore (explicitly stated to be a Transfiguration expert) would probably have taken a flyer on it at ''some'' point. Another theory is that, because eyes are very small, delicate and complex organs, fixing them with magic is much harder than (for example) magically mending a bone, and can result in permanent blindness or worse if a spell is performed incorrectly on them, so most wizards don't consider it worth the risk. |
| 65 | ** Harry hates Halloween because it's the day his parents died. Specifically, he hates the Halloween feast. '''In canon:''' Harry shows no aversion to attending the Halloween feast in any of the books. |
| 66 | ** Harry HatesBeingTouched as a result of his abuse by the Dursleys. '''In canon:''' Harry once protests when Hermione hugs him in the first book, but this is more a case of [[GirlsHaveCooties him being a typical eleven-year-old boy]] rather than anything caused by abuse. He otherwise shows no problem with hugs, pats on the back, etc from friends and family. |
| 67 | * '''Fans think:''' Lots of things about [=McGonagall=] when she was at school. She was either a notorious [[ThePrankster prankster]] and forerunner to the Weasley twins, or a notorious IceQueen bookworm, or [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs perhaps both]]. She was a champion Quidditch player (usually a Beater or Chaser). She was best friends with future colleagues Pomfrey and Sprout. She went to school with Tom Riddle and interacted with him. She went to school with Umbridge and had an intense rivalry with her. And she went on to be an Auror and fought in the war against Grindelwald. '''In canon:''' We've never been given a canon birth year for her, but she's never mentioned to have been at school with Tom Riddle, something would have probably come up. Chalk this one up to the movies; Creator/MaggieSmith was older than [=McGonagall=] was intended to be, not necessarily per date of birth, but because Smith was in her seventies while Minerva is described to be middle-aged at most. No word whatsoever on coinciding with Umbridge, but their interactions in the fifth book, while certainly heated due to their personality, don't imply any particular familiarity with each other. As for the rest, Pottermore says she ''was'' a Chaser at Hogwarts and school friends with Sprout, but just that. |
| 68 | * '''Fans think:''' Susan Bones is a redhead who grows up to have an ImpossibleHourglassFigure and is raised by her aunt Amelia Bones. '''In Canon:''' The way she ways her hair, in a long plait, is the only thing about her appearance described in the books. The hair color can be attributed to her appearance in the films, but her figure has no basis in either the movies or the books. Meanwhile while Susan is shown to be close to her aunt, she doesn't live with her as Amelia was killed in her home by Voldemort during the summer before the sixth year, where Susan appeared quite alive. The most likely solution, albeit not stated in canon, is that Amelia, and her brother Edgar who was an Order member killed by the Death Eaters along with his own family, had a third sibling, probably but not certainly a brother, who is Susan's father whom she lives with. |
| 69 | * '''Fans think:''' Lupin is [[TrademarkFavoriteFood obsessed with chocolate]]. His first appearance in ''Prisoner of Azkaban'' has him carrying an enormous chocolate bar, but that turns out to be a remedy for dementor encounters; he never shows a particular fondness for it. It may have caught on thanks to ''Fanfic/TheShoeboxProject'', in which it's his TrademarkFavoriteFood. |
| 70 | * '''Fans think:''' Lupin has notable scars across his face from when Fenrir Greyback attacked him. '''In canon:''' No such scars are ever mentioned. One would think that this would have come up when Harry first meets him, especially since it would serve as a subtle clue to his lycanthropy or merely to him having a DarkAndTroubledPast. |
| 71 | * '''Fans think:''' Lupin is the smartest of the Marauders. '''In canon:''' The smartest of the Marauders was likely James or Sirius, since they’re the ones who are always described as extremely intelligent, whereas Lupin is rarely, if ever, described as smart or talented. He does seem to have been the most bookish, though, which is likely the origin of this belief. |
| 72 | * '''Fans think:''' James asked Lily out constantly. '''In canon:''' While it's unclear how many times he asked her out, Snape telling Lily about James's on crush on her implies that he hadn't asked her out until around Snape's Worst Memory (in fact, that may have even been the first time, though it probably wasn't). Lily didn't mention him asking her out when scolding James during the latter memory, further suggesting that he hadn't asked her out much. |
| 73 | * '''Fans think:''' Teddy has blue hair as an adult. He probably got it from his mother, who did hers [[BlueBoyPinkGirl in pink]]. (Worth noting: his dad showed a picture of him as a baby where his hair kept changing color, including turquoise.) Pottermore made this AscendedFanon. |
| 74 | * '''Fans think''' lots of things about Dumbledore, like: |
| 75 | ** He's willing to [[WellIntentionedExtremist do anything for the "greater good"]], up to and including taking over the Wizarding World. This is based almost entirely on a letter Dumbledore wrote to his friend Grindelwald saying exactly this -- when they were teenagers. This usually allows him to [[RonTheDeathEater be extraordinarily cruel to other characters]], because the ends justify the means. '''In canon:''' A lot has happened since that letter, and the Dumbledore Harry knows is so different as to be another person entirely. In particular, Dumbledore explicitly states that after his sister died, he decided that he could not be trusted with power and actively avoided it, which is why he turned down several offers to be Minister of Magic. While Dumbledore has definitely made choices that hurt Harry in favor of the common good, he is haunted by his actions and never goes to the lengths as he does in fanon. |
| 76 | ** His position as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot gives him political power on par with the Minister of Magic, and he got his power that way. '''In canon:''' As shown in the above point, Dumbledore likely wouldn't have taken the position if it would give him that kind of power. Instead, the Wizengamot is part of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, which is in turn subordinate to the Minister of Magic. The idea that the position grants him so much power is odd, given that when Dumbledore is on the outs with Fudge in ''Order of the Phoenix'', Fudge is easily able to remove him as Chief Warlock, and even before then, Dumbledore flat-out states in ''Prisoner of Azkaban'' that he has no power to override Fudge's decisions. Chalk this one up to many fanfic writers being [[EaglelandOsmosis Americans]], more familiar with the U.S. Constitutional system of checks and balances putting the Supreme Court on par with Congress and the President. |
| 77 | ** On a related note, that he knew Sirius was an innocent and knew that he was sent to Azkaban without a trial. '''In canon:''' Quite the opposite. It's very probable that he did not even know Sirius didn't have a trial; he may not have even been on the Wizengamot in 1981 (he's only shown as an observer in the Death Eater trials seen in the Pensieve), and at the time, was very busy trying to get Harry hidden safely away and no doubt dealing with a dozen other aftereffects of the war. Since Crouch was overseeing the sentencing, there was no particular reason for him to inform Dumbledore either. He did know there was a highly-placed traitor in the Order of the Phoenix, and Peter framed Sirius very well. It wasn't a stretch for Dumbledore to assume that Sirius was guilty and had been found such by a trial. As Dumbledore himself notes, he is not infallible or omniscient. So it is ''possible'' that he knew, but overall it seems very unlike the Dumbledore of canon to willingly allow an innocent man to be thrown into Azkaban. |
| 78 | ** He's planning to engineer Harry's death at Voldemort's hands to fulfill the prophecy and allow himself to swoop in and [[ItsAllAboutMe take the credit for killing Voldemort]]. This particularly allows the writer [[RonTheDeathEater to bash him]]. '''In canon:''' ''Half-Blood Prince'' makes clear that prophecies [[ScrewDestiny are not infallible]], and Dumbledore knows it. Even if it were set in stone, Harry's death at Voldemort's hands would mean the end of the Wizarding World, and Dumbledore knows it. Not to mention, he's nowhere near egomanical enough to try and pull a gambit like that for the sake of his image. And finally, Dumbledore very much wants to save Harry's life, and it's explicitly stated he is triumphant upon realizing that Voldemort's use of Harry's blood gives him a chance to survive; only then does he tell Harry about the prophecy and "train" him against Voldemort (thought the fact that Voldemort had once again obtained a human body and become a serious threat to the world was also a contributing factor).[[labelnote:'''Massive Book 7 Spoilers''']]''Deathly Hallows'' does reveal that Dumbledore plans to have Harry sacrifice himself to Voldemort, but it's for the far less selfish reason that Harry is one of Voldemort's horcruxes, and Voldemort killing him is the only known way to destroy it. And as mentioned above, Dumbledore is ''happy'' when he learns that Voldemort has used Harry's blood to come back, as it means [[TakeAThirdOption there's a way]] to both destroy the horcrux and keep Harry alive.[[/labelnote]] |
| 79 | ** Similarly, he deliberately allowed Harry to get into danger during the first few years at Hogwarts as part of a scheme to toughen him up and give him experience in fighting Voldemort in semi-controlled circumstances. '''In canon:''' As noted elsewhere on this page, Dumbledore takes the safety of his students '''very''' seriously, with Umbridge manhandling Marietta provoking more of a reaction than months of slander against him in Book 5. While it's not completely impossible for him to have set up the gauntlet in Book 1 for Harry, Ron, and Hermione to pass through (since only one person could pass through to the final room and Harry still had his mom's protection), there's no indication either way. Additionally, it's made pretty clear in ''Chamber of Secrets'' and ''Goblet of Fire'' that he is very unhappy with what's happening, and does not want any of his students exposed to deadly danger. |
| 80 | ** He places a lot of faith in prophecies, and is willing to let Harry suffer hardships like abuse by the Dursleys if he thinks it's in accordance with one related to Voldemort's defeat. '''In canon:''' The only reason the prophecy in Rowling's material is relevant to his plans is because Voldemort acted on it, and subsequently made Harry an unintentional seventh Horcrux. If anything, Dumbledore's the exact opposite of this fanon characterization; as he tells Harry in ''Order of the Phoenix'', he secretly considered teaching Divination to be of little worth when he was interviewing Trelawney, and it's implied that the only reason he hasn't dropped it from the Hogwarts curriculum is because it gives him a convenient excuse to keep her - and her knowledge of the prophecy - on Hogwarts grounds and out of Voldemort's reach. He is also the one to explicitly lay out to Harry that prophecies do not have to come true, and that the only reason Harry has to stop Voldemort is because of Harry's own sense of morality. |
| 81 | ** He uses underhanded means - magical or otherwise - to control other characters (particularly Harry) and have them act in accordance with his (often convoluted) plans. '''In canon:''' Dumbledore has little to no need to do this, since most of the people on his side - including Harry - follow him out of genuine loyalty and trust, whether out of respect for his abilities or because of things he's done for them in the past. The only time he ever uses magic to coerce one of his people is when he suggests to Snape that he put Mundungus Fletcher under a Confundus Charm before telling him to suggest to the Order of the Phoenix that they use decoys to evacuate Harry from the Dursleys, but this is done solely to try and ensure Harry's safe extraction in a way that won't blow Snape's cover as a loyal Death Eater. |
| 82 | ** He knew the Dursleys would abuse Harry but sent him there anyway to either [[ToughLove toughen him up]], or make him meek and pliable enough for his schemes to work, with the added bonus of being able to appear as a saviour to Harry. This mostly goes in conjunction with the Dursleys being [[AdaptationalVillainy much more abusive]] in fanfic than they are in canon. '''In canon:''' If anything, the conversation Dumbledore has with the Dursleys in ''Half-Blood Prince'' - during which he calls out Vernon and Petunia for their poor treatment of Harry over the years - indicates a far more benevolent intention; he had hoped they would take care of Harry and raise him as their own child after the boy turned up on their doorstep (which ironically might have been worse for Harry in the long run, given how [[SpoiledBrat Dudley]] turned out). ''Deathly Hallows'' also makes it clear that he fully understands what can happen to a magical child who’s been abused in some way because of what happened to his sister and wouldn’t willingly subject Harry or anyone else to that. Voldemort's show of skill in ''Deathly Hallows'' (duelling Slughorn, Shacklebolt, and [=McGonagall=] at the same time) implicitly proves that there just wasn't anyone good enough to keep Voldemort and the Death Eaters away, and that the blood protection was simply the only way to keep him safe. |
| 83 | ** He dismisses Harry's tales of abuse at the hands of the Dursleys as exaggerations. '''In canon:''' Harry never makes it a secret that he doesn't like to live with the Dursley, but he never tells Dumbledore that he was abused. And as noted in the above example, Dumbledore is aware of how badly Harry has been treated, and is ''very'' displeased by the Dursleys' actions. |
| 84 | ** He plays everything close to the chest, never letting characters know what they need to, because he's a massive {{Troll}}. '''In canon:''' While there's some basis for this, this ignores that: ''(a)'' every [[LaResistance resistance group]] in real life has operated this way, with TheSpymaster minimising each individual's knowledge so that they can't betray information if captured or turn traitor (as Pettigrew ''did'', leading to the deaths of James and Lily. Not to mention the threat of an Order member being Imperiused or subjected to Veritaserum--again, as actually happened with Sturgis Podmore) and ''(b)'' Harry -- the viewpoint character who is most frustrated at Dumbledore not telling him things -- has a PsychicLink with Voldemort which the latter can and often does exploit for his own ends. Notably, Dumbledore is much more open with Harry in Book 6, which is when Voldemort is deliberately taking steps to close off the link from his end. |
| 85 | ** He thinks of himself as an irrefutable source of wisdom. '''In canon:''' Quite the opposite. He knows he's certainly an intelligent man, but at the same time he's very well aware of his weaknesses. While Harry does think he's utterly brilliant, as do many of the people he talks to, Dumbledore cautions against thinking of him as infallible, and notes that in his position, when ''he'' makes a mistake, the consequences tend to be much worse than when ordinary people do. |
| 86 | ** He's the "Defender of the Light", like it's a title conferred on him by the Wizarding World for being an awesome anti-Voldemort force. '''In canon:''' There are no politico-cultural factions called "Light" or "Dark", nor is magic ever defined in [[Franchise/StarWars Force-esque]] divisions of the same. The most we ever get is a few mentions of "Dark magic", and it's never really clarified what that even ''means'', though given stuff like Horcruxes and Inferni are classified as such it's presumably the really nasty sorts of magic. |
| 87 | ** He's on a FirstNameBasis with everyone, whether they like it or not. '''In canon:''' He addresses Ron and Hermione as Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger, respectively. The only person he addresses by his given name against the latter's express wishes is Voldemort. (Of course, Voldemort would no doubt have the exact same objection to being addressed as Mr. Riddle.) |
| 88 | ** His favorite candy is lemon drops. '''In canon''': He says in the prologue of ''Philosopher's Stone'' that he's "rather fond of" the candy, and uses it as his office password in ''Chamber of Secrets'', but neither of those means they're necessarily his favorite. They could just as easily be one sweet he enjoys out of many.[[note]]The original UK text says "sherbet lemon"; lemon drops are not quite the same but about as close as the US gets. Curiously, fandom seems to have latched onto the US version in particular.[[/note]] |
| 89 | ** Sometimes seen as a joke, but some think that he will go to ridiculous lengths to ensure that Gryffindor will win the House Cup. '''In canon:''' Slytherin had won the House Cup several times in a row prior to Harry's first year, which is why there was such a commotion when he gave the Cup to Gryffindor in Book 1. As far as we know, he didn't give any points to the main characters in Book 3, and there's no word on who won in Harry's fourth year or beyond (and for obvious reasons, in the later years Dumbledore wasn't around for the end of term feast). |
| 90 | * '''Fans think:''' certain [[RonTheDeathEater unflattering]] things about Molly Weasley, like: |
| 91 | ** She used a LovePotion on Arthur to trap him in marriage. '''In canon:''' It's a case of EarlyInstallmentWeirdness. In ''Prisoner of Azkaban'', she admits to brewing a love potion in school but doesn't mention whom she used it on (or if she used it at all). Hermione and Ginny respond by giggling, whereas they would likely have taken it much more seriously based on the later books' characterisation of love potions as [[SlippingAMickey date rape drugs]]. Additionally, it's explicitly stated that love potions only last for a limited period of time, so either she's been continually feeding them to him for decades on end, or else they wore off but he's decided to stick with her anyway. Neither situation seems at all likely. |
| 92 | ** She's [[ShipperOnDeck determined to pair off Harry with Ginny, and sometimes Ron with Hermione]]. Bashing fics will attribute nefarious objectives to her, or at least have her use means such as love potions or other insidious tricks. '''In canon:''' She is not seen taking any position on the love lives of Ron or Ginny, and the only people encouraging Harry and Ginny to get together are Ron and Hermione. |
| 93 | ** Related to the above, she has greed and ambition worthy of a Slytherin, hence she wants to pair Harry up with Ginny in order to get her hands on his fortune. '''In canon:''' The closest thing she has to such traits is a mild exasperation at Arthur loving to tinker with Muggle technology, and this is way more due to the quirkiness of such a hobby than anything else. And in any case, ''Goblet of Fire'' shows that she already has access to Harry's Gringotts vault, but only ever uses the gold there to buy him school supplies and dress robes. The same book also indicates that Harry would happily give the entirety of his wealth to the Weasley family if Molly and the others would accept it. |
| 94 | * '''Fans think:''' The Weasleys were once rich and lost their wealth somehow. It was an ancient gambling relative, punishment for an unspecified crime, or a curse of some sort. Not even hinted at in canon. |
| 95 | * '''Fans think:''' Charlie Weasley is UsefulNotes/{{Asexual}}. '''In canon''': His orientation has never been confirmed one way or another, but it's a viable interpretation; WordOfGod says that he never marries and, while probably not gay, is "more interested [[FluffyTamer in dragons]] than women." On the other hand, it's also equally plausible that he's just MarriedToTheJob, or never found someone to settle down with. |
| 96 | * '''Fans think:''' Harry is ''really'' rich, and the gold in his vault at Gringotts isn't the sum total of his wealth; there's another vault with a lot of family heirlooms. And he has multiple houses, which often come with house elves (although why the Potters chose to live in Godric's Hollow instead of an ancient manor with nigh-unbreakable wards is rarely explained). He doesn't have access to them because [[RonTheDeathEater Dumbledore is an arsehole]]. The money comes from the Potters being essentially the "good guy Malfoys", with the same big mansions, political clout, and illustrious names, and they can claim descent from Godric Gryffindor himself. '''In canon:''' Godric's Hollow is the only property to the Potter name, and the vault is all the money. Creator/JKRowling reveals on Pottermore that the Potters possess a decent amount of money, though not on account of being old money but due to Fleamont Potter's business - which is why they are nowhere as rich, or even remotely as influential as families like the Malfoys. The Potter branch was more or less a footnote to Wizarding history until Harry came along, though they are descended distantly from the famous Peverell family. |
| 97 | Relatedly: |
| 98 | * '''Fans think:''' Harry is descended from Godric Gryffindor himself. In addition to the idea that this makes him a "mirror-image Voldemort", fans base this on his ability to pull Gryffindor's sword from the Sorting Hat. '''In canon:''' Any Gryffindor who needs the sword enough can pull it out of the Hat, as Neville shows in ''Deathly Hallows''. And the idea of Gryffindor's legacy passing to his heir would negate Gryffindor's populist ethos; it ties in much better with Slytherin's aristocratic fetish. That being said, the idea of him being descended from Gryffindor is not, in and of itself, impossible. |
| 99 | * '''Fans think:''' That Professor Sinistra of the Astronomy course is a former Slytherin and the school's resident hot female teacher. '''In canon:''' We are given no details about her at all except that she exists and teaches Astronomy. Any details about her past or her physical description is not given. Her actress in the films is black, which tends to be the default fans use for her, but that is all that any canon provides. Her name echoing "sinister" might have been the origin of her Slytherin membership. |
| 100 | * '''Fans think:''' That Bill and Fleur would have specific talents or abilities to make them crucial parts of Horcrux hunting. That Bill has encountered Horcurxes as a Curse Breaker and knows about them and that Veela are incredibly sensitive towards the sheer negativity and dark magic of a Horcrux. '''In Canon:''' Veela are creatures akin to Sirens who are not particulary associated with purity. Any indication that Fleur or other Veela or Veela hybrids would be able to detect Horcurxes has no basis in canon. Meanwhile in canon Horcruxes were created by an ancient ''Greek'' dark wizard, and while overlap with Ancient Egypt isn't impossible, it would still require several leaps in logic. Additionally, Horcruxes are stated to be very rare, another reason as to why Bill would not necessarily be familiar with them. |
| 101 | * '''Fans think:''' That Hannah Abbot is chubby, if not being outright fat. '''In Canon:''': Hannah Abbot's canon descriptions are that she is pink-faced and has blonde hair. No indication exists that she is chubby in the way the books would describe Dudley, Vernon, Neville, or Ernie. The most likely reason for this in fanon was to better match her up with Neville, her future husband, who is also known for being plump, by giving her a similar physique. |
| 102 | * '''Fans think:''' That the Potters are an ancient and deeply connected family, while the Malfoys are NouveauRiche of considerably lesser wealth and status. '''In canon:''' While both families are old and wealthy, the Malfoys are older and more wealthy than the Potters, and much more connected. The first known Malfoy in England came with William the Conqueror in the 1000s A.D. and was granted wealth and status a result of services provided, while the first Potter known in the family line originated as a community healer from the 1100s A.D. |
| 103 | * '''Fans think:''' That the Black family knows about Horcruxes, and [[EvenEvilHasStandards they would not dare touch them]], with information on them found in the Black Library. '''In canon:''' Horcuxes are very obscure and rare, eith few people knowing that they even exist. While Regulus Black's recognition of what the locket was implies he found out about Horcruxes from somewhere, it's not clear if it would have been from the Black Family, due to a combination of two factors: the first being that the locket was in their possession for ten years, including several years when a Black, like Sirius and Regulus's mother was alive, and the second being that Kreacher was ordered to keep the exact events secret. The fact that not all the Blacks lived in 12 Grimmauld Place also makes this unclear. Also it is not exactly stated if the Blacks even ''have'' a personal library of anything, let alone dark spells. |
| 104 | * '''Fans think:''' That wizarding families like the Black Family and the Potters own multiple houses, with the one in Godric's Hollow being specifically a set up to go into hiding. '''In Canon:''' Harry's parents certainly seem to only have had the one at Godric's Hollow, and the idea of the Godric's Hollow residence being used to throw off Voldemort doesn't make sense due to the Fidelius Charm existing. While there is a logical thread one can follow that there were other places Potters and Blacks lived, as for example Sirius's grandfather outlived his mother but didn't seem to have lived at Grimmauld Place during that time, it is not said outright. Regardless Harry doesn't seem to have inherited these properties in canon. |
| 105 | * '''Fans think:''' Sirius Black is sterile, either due to [[KissingCousins his parents being cousins]] or his time in Azkaban. '''In canon:''' There was no reason for Sirius to test that in story, being a fugitive and prior to it was just out of school and in the midst of a war, meaning he might simply have had no time to settle down and find out. Nothing in story says Sirius can or cannot have kids, and if ''Cursed Child'' is any indication, exposure to Azkaban doesn't guarantee a loss of fertility. |
| 106 | |
| 107 | !!Character relationships |
| 108 | |
| 109 | * '''Fans think:''' Charlie and Tonks were close friends, perhaps even AmicableExes who dated for a while before deciding they were BetterAsFriends. This fanon is more used as background for the characters than to actually set them up together (although fanon also likes to give Tonks an AffectionateNickname for Charlie). The fans figured they had to have interacted with each other because when you do the math, you find they coincided at Hogwarts. '''In canon:''' Creator/JKRowling revealed that Tonks was a Hufflepuff while Charlie was a Gryffindor, so they wouldn't necessarily have been any more than casual acquaintances. And if they were, someone would surely have mentioned it during the gang's convesation about Tonks joining the Weasley family in ''Half-Blood Prince''. |
| 110 | * '''Fans think:''' Percy and Oliver Wood are friends, or perhaps even [[HoYay more than that]], based solely on being in the same House in the same year. '''In canon:''' While it's certainly not impossible, there's absolutely no onscreen interaction, or even mentions of them being more than casual acquaintances. |
| 111 | * '''Fans think:''' Snape is Draco's godfather. They base this almost entirely on a parallel with Sirius being Harry's godfather. '''In canon:''' The idea that Snape was tight with the Malfoy family is plausible, but the main canon connections we see between Snape and the Malfoys are that Snape and Lucius' time at Hogwarts overlapped (Lucius was a prefect and welcomed him to Slytherin), both are Death Eaters, and Snape promises Draco's mother that he will protect him. Otherwise, it would be shocking that blood purists like the Malfoys would make a known half-blood their son's godfather. Certainly, Snape and Draco Malfoy never seem that close aside from Snape's Slytherin favoritism. In ''Half-Blood Prince'', Draco sees Snape as an interloper trying to take his father's place among the Death Eaters and in his life , and in ''Deathly Hallows'', Snape confesses to Dumbledore that Draco no longer looks up to him after Lucius was imprisoned. |
| 112 | * '''Fans think:''' Slytherin is a den of rapists. Girls are constantly at risk there. It makes for a lot of [[RuleThirtyFour the kind of thing fanfics like]]. '''In canon:''' First, ''Harry Potter'' is not that kind of series. Second, if this were true, one would think that the large number of well-connected pureblood families whose daughters are in Slytherin would raise some ''serious'' hell if they thought their children were in that kind of danger. And that's assuming Dumbledore - who canonically takes the safety of his students ''very'' seriously - didn't beat them to the punch. |
| 113 | * '''Fans think:''' Every Weasley hates Slytherin with a burning and irrational passion. This is usually done to turn the Weasleys [[RonTheDeathEater into enemies]] if Harry (or anyone else) befriends a Slytherin, becomes a Slytherin, or dates a Slytherin. After all, Ron in ''Philosopher's Stone'' was pretty insistent that Slytherin sucked. '''In canon:''' While the Weasleys and the current house of Slytherin do have a lot of oppossing points, WordOfGod says that Arthur's mother was a Slytherin (and possibly Molly's as well). Also, Ron's claim that there was never a bad wizard who wasn't a Slytherin only comes from the movies; in the book, Hagrid says that line. Even then, it's understandable an eleven-year-old who hasn't even been to Hogwarts would be less than objective. |
| 114 | * '''Fans think:''' Magical marriage binds the couple for life, meaning the couple is magically bound never to cheat on each other or divorce. '''In canon:''' This is never even remotely suggested in the series. The notion is probably based on Bill and Fleur's wedding, where the officiant says they're "bonded for life"; fans think he meant it literally. |
| 115 | * '''Fans think:''' The Marauders all lived together, even after James married Lily, in a scheme that one observer rightly likened to "Lily playing [[Literature/PeterPan Wendy Bird to a den of Lost Boys]]". '''In canon:''' It is certainly plausible that two or more of them may have roomed together for a year or two out of Hogwarts, as often happens among school friends in RealLife, and that they may have occasionally slept over at one another's houses later on. It's much less plausible that Lily, who in canon was pretty insistent that James act a little less [[JerkJock like his friends]] if they were going to have a shot together, would move in with all four of them after she married him. While WordOfGod did state that James supported Lupin financially (it being so difficult for a werewolf to make a living), that wouldn't imply that he ''lived'' with them. |
| 116 | * '''Fans think:''' Betrothal contracts are a thing. They're mostly used as a device to force a character to marry another character, most often by having [[RonTheDeathEater Molly]] try to set Harry up with Ginny. '''In canon:''' No such things are hinted to exist. |
| 117 | * '''Fans think:''' Howlers are incredibly common, and Molly Weasley in particular will send one at the drop of a hat. '''In canon:''' She sends ''one'' Howler in ''Chamber of Secrets'', in response to Ron stealing the family car, wrecking it, damaging school property, being spotted by Muggles and breaching the Statute of Secrecy, and almost getting himself expelled and his father fired. He kind of deserved it. The only other named characters who send one are Augusta Longbottom (to Neville in ''Prisoner of Azkaban'' after Sirius Black used his password list to get into Gryffindor Tower) and Albus Dumbledore (to Petunia Dursley in ''Order of the Phoenix'' as a warning, so the Dursleys wouldn't kick out Harry after the dementor attack). The only other mentions in canon are in ''Goblet of Fire'', where the Ministry was bombarded by them after the Death Eater rion at the Quidditch World Cup, and Hermione received a few with the hate mail she got after Rita Skeeter's article. |
| 118 | * '''Fans think:''' The Potters and Longbottoms knew each other, and Alice in particular was Lily's close friend and Harry's godmother. '''In canon:''' They certainly knew each other as colleagues, being active in the Order and all, but the Longbottoms were probably several years older than the Potters, as they were full-fledged Aurors at the time of the Lestranges' attack. The godmother thing doesn't make sense, because at the time of Harry's christening, the Potters were keeping a ''very'' low profile, and only Sirius was close enough to them to be able to attend. Lily implies in her letter to Sirius that Bathilda was the only person they saw regularly while they were in hiding, and that's likely just because she was so old (and therefore out of the action), lived literally next door, and Dumbledore trusted her so much. |
| 119 | * '''Fans think:''' The Potters and Weasleys knew each other. '''In canon:''' The books make it clear that they did not. First, everyone who knew Lily and James recognises Harry immediately, but neither Molly nor Arthur do. Second, they're older than the Potters -- old enough that they likely never coincided with them at Hogwarts (Molly explicitly states that the Whomping Willow was planted after she left, and she even remembers Hagrid's predecessor). Third, Molly and Arthur weren't part of the Order of the Phoenix the first time around, given that they were raising several young children -- Molly's brothers were, but they would hardly introduce their family to the secret underground organisation they work for. |
| 120 | * '''Fans think:''' Harry, Ron, and Hermione are collectively known as the "Golden Trio" (or alternatively the "Gryffindor Trio"). Fanfic relentlessly uses the terms to describe them, even InUniverse. The "Silver Trio" is sometimes used to refer to Ginny, Luna, and Neville (or in next-gen fics to Albus Potter, Rose Weasley, and Scorpius Malfoy, as if they'd do exactly what Harry, Ron, and Hermione did). '''In canon:''' They're ''never'' referred to as such. And it wouldn't make sense anyway, as they're hardly the only Gryffindors who hang out together. The closest we get is Snape mockingly referring to them as "the Dream Team" in ''Chamber of Secrets''. |
| 121 | * '''Fans think:''' Hermione uses a FullNameUltimatum when she's mad at Harry or Ron, and in particular calls Ron "Ronald". '''In canon:''' She rarely does it. In the books, the only time she calls Ron "Ronald" is in ''Deathly Hallows'', and it's because she's ''furious'' with him for leaving the group. (The only person who calls him "Ronald" more than once is his great-aunt Muriel.) She never uses the FullNameUltimatum, although it's common among married couples (but for the vast majority of the series they're far from married). In the films, she does use "Ronald" a bit more often, but not by much. |
| 122 | * '''Fans think''' a lot about how much the Dursleys abuse Harry and how much it affects him, like: |
| 123 | ** The Dursleys will do practically anything to Harry. They regularly [[DeniedFoodAsPunishment starve him]], they put bars on his windows and multiple locks on his door, they get money for taking care of him from somewhere (and spend it on Dudley), they basically torture him and the only reason they don't kill him is that they risk a reprisal from an evil wizard. '''In canon:''' While the Dursleys ''are'' abusive, they are much more harmless in canon (at least in physical terms). Notably, on the two occasions where they arguably have the most grievances against Harry (him accidentally loosing a snake on Dudley, and him supposedly sabotaging the dinner with the Masons), the worst they do is lock him up for long periods of time. There are repeated references to the Dursleys denying Harry food as punishment, for example after the zoo visit, but it is not clear to which degree Harry is starved (and the first book indicates that they generally gave him enough to get by, if not as much as he'd like). In ''Goblet of Fire'' it is further established that his friends send him extra snacks (in order to endure the gruelling diet the entire Dursley household goes through for Dudley's sake). There's only one lock, which the Weasleys pick with a hairpin when they rescue him in ''Chamber of Secrets''. The bars are for keeping Hedwig from escaping, and they're never replaced when the Weasleys get rid of them. There are instances of physical abuse, such as Petunia attempting to hit Harry with a frying pan, or Vernon strangling Harry, but this is nothing compared to the literal torture he is put through in fanon (which you'd think subconscious magic usage would prevent, given how Harry was able to use it to escape embarrassing situations like a bad haircut and having to wear an embarrassing shirt). The money is at least plausible, as in the UK parents and guardians do receive money for each child they take care of, and they probably did spend it on the Dursleys -- Harry is independently wealthy in the Wizarding World anyway. |
| 124 | ** Vernon [[DomesticAbuse abuses his entire family]]. '''In canon:''' While his treatment of Dudley clearly did the kid no favours, he is only ever affectionate towards his family--indeed, the problem with Dudley is that he's ''too'' spoiled. The one thing that nearly makes him throw Harry out of the house for good is learning that Harry has a murderous madman after him, which put Petunia and Dudley's lives in danger. And he changed his mind because Petunia told him not to. |
| 125 | ** Harry is so beaten down by Vernon and Petunia that he thinks of himself as a sub-human freak. '''In canon:''' It certainly doesn't feel ''good'', but Harry doesn't seem to have critically low self-esteem, and especially in his element at Hogwarts and in the company of his friends, he is much more self-confident and well-adjusted than many fanfic authors would have one believe. |
| 126 | ** Harry is ObfuscatingStupidity because Vernon and Petunia would punish him for outperforming Dudley in school, and he keeps doing it because the behavior is so deeply ingrained into him. '''In canon:''' In ''The Philosopher's Stone'', the narration outright states that Harry's grades in muggle school weren't bad. Harry's reasonably high OWL marks also imply that he has no compunctions about performing to the best of his ability; it's more a matter of Harry being more in tune with the [[BookDumb practical subjects]] (and being motivated to work hard). |
| 127 | ** Harry's been rendered an ExtremeDoormat due to the years of abuse conditioning him to be submissive, obedient and well-behaved ([[RonTheDeathEater typically as per Dumbledore's intentions]]). '''In canon:''' As far back as his first couple of years in Hogwarts, Harry has never been afraid to break rules or defy people when it comes to sticking up for his friends or what he thinks is right. And even before he so much as heard about the school, Harry wasn't afraid to bait Dudley if he though he could get away with it (joking that [[{{Swirlie}} a toilet might not like having Dudley's face down it]]), or go up against Vernon over the subject of his Hogwarts letters. |
| 128 | * '''Fans think:''' Dumbledore engineered Harry's first meeting with the Weasleys at the train station. The idea is that he would ensure that Harry gets in with the right people and joins the good guys. The idea is particularly useful to fanfic writers who are [[RonTheDeathEater not inclined to believe the Weasleys even are the good guys]]. '''In canon:''' First, engineering this kind of meeting between such young children is practically impossible if you want it to be believable, magic or no. Second, this is not necessary to ensure that Harry thinks [[CaptainObviousAesop murder and torture in the name of wizard supremacy is wrong]]. Third, much of the "evidence" for this is from things such as her asking what the platform number is out loud. This could be EarlyInstallmentWeirdness, or it could be one of the games parents play with children all the time, rather than an attempt to get Harry's attention. On occasion in fanfics this is actually a non-sinister conspiracy, instead being something that a wizarding family is requested to do by the school to assist the new students in getting to the train station. Which, while also not supported by canon, is a lot more in character for everyone involved. |
| 129 | * '''Fans think:''' Zacharias Smith is related to Hepzibah Smith, and thus a descendant of Helga Hufflepuff. This is usually given as an explanation as to why Zacharias ended up in Hufflepuff [[InformedAttribute despite having none of its actual qualities]]. Bolstering this is the fact that they both have uncommon Biblical names containing the letter "z," hinting at FamilyThemeNaming. '''In canon:''' While it's not impossible, there's no evidence or WordOfGod saying so. It's complicated by Hufflepuff being canonically [[HufflepuffHouse "the house of all the rest"]] and "Smith" being one of the most common surnames in the United Kingdom. |
| 130 | * '''Fans think:''' Marietta and Cho are among the Ravenclaws who bully Luna. '''In canon:''' Although Luna is bullied by housemates, no names are given, and there is no indication that either Marietta or Cho have any kind of relationship, good or bad, with Luna. Cho and Luna have shared multiple scenes and at no point does Cho seem to show animosity towards Luna in them. |
| 131 | * '''Fans think:''' Moaning Myrtle, while she was alive, [[SingleGirlSeeksMostPopularGuy had a huge crush on Tom Riddle]]. Riddle used this to his advantage and got her to serve him. He probably told her lies like "I may hate other Muggle-borns, but you're different" to make her feel special (or he might have not told her about how he felt about Muggle-borns at all). This would mean that her eventual death at the eyes of the Basilisk was not a random killing, but rather an act of betrayal. A further theory suggests that Olive Hornby (who found her body) was [[GreenEyedMonster jealous]] of Myrtle's relationship with Riddle. '''In canon:''' There is no evidence for or against either of these theories. |
| 132 | * Fans think: Snape and Regulus were friends. '''In canon:''' Given that Regulus was in a different year at Hogwarts and Snape judged Harry based on James's behavior, it’s likely that the two of them rarely saw each other outside of glimpses. Plus none of the Death Eaters knew all of the other Death Eaters. |
| 133 | * '''Fans think:''' In addition to being brother and sister, [[VillainousIncest Amycus and Alecto Carrow are lovers]]. Some fics will even make them the parents of twins Flora and Hestia Carrow. '''In canon:''' There is no evidence of any sexual relationship between the elder Carrow siblings, and the relationship of either of them to the younger twins (who are only present in the movies) is not stated. |
| 134 | * '''Fans think:''' The Gaunts paired off with their own siblings to keep the bloodline pure. Thus, Merope had one more reason to be desperate to escape her family. '''In canon:''' Dumbledore mentions the Gaunts marrying their cousins, but no mention of BrotherSisterIncest is made. |
| 135 | |
| 136 | !!OC Stand-Ins |
| 137 | |
| 138 | As Hogwarts has a lot of students, some of whom are given a name and no characterisation, the fans have developed personalities for several of them to serve as an OCStandIn. |
| 139 | * Daphne Greengrass is an IceQueen, but (often but not always) free from Pureblood prejudice and at least slightly more sympathetic than Pansy. She typically is a loner, bar association with her friend Tracey and her younger sister, who usually is one of the more academically gifted Slytherins. She tends to have blonde hair, like one unnamed Slytherin seen in the films, but sometimes has black hair. |
| 140 | * Tracey Davis is Daphne's best friend and more easygoing. Her status as a Half-blood can and will lead to problems in Slytherin's internal politics in a way that others with the same blood status, like Millicent Bulstrode, don't face. |
| 141 | * Padma Patil is the [[SiblingYinYang opposite of Parvati]], usually being more quiet, reserved, and less outright social, and possibly the second-brightest student of her year after Hermione. Canonically she's a prefect, so her good having high grades has some logical basis from canon. |
| 142 | * Blaise Zabini is TheCasanova, probably based on the fact that his mom is implied to be a BlackWidow. |
| 143 | ** In some fics, he's a ''[[ViewerGenderConfusion she]]'' because of his GenderBlenderName. Female Blaises were common for fans who wanted a sympathetic Slytherin girl, and tend to be [[RavenHairIvorySkin porcelain-skinned beauties of obvious Italian heritage]]. Similar boy Blaises also became popular. It wasn't until [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince book six]] that Blaise actually became more than a throwaway name, where he was revealed to be a black male and [[FantasticRacism less sympathetic]] than most of his fanfic counterparts. |
| 144 | * Theodore Nott is a close friend of Malfoy's. WordOfGod says he ''kind of'' is -- their families go way back, and Creator/JKRowling even wrote a scene of the two of them in Malfoy Manor but couldn't fit it in anywhere. Then again, he doesn't feel a need to suck up to Malfoy like most Slytherins, and that may be why he's not around him very much. If the fans decide to [[CharacterDevelopment develop his character]], he's either a sympathetic character who secretly sabotages the Death Eaters from the inside or the cruelest Death Eater of them all. |
| 145 | * Although we see enough of Pansy Parkinson to know that she's the AlphaBitch, we know nothing about her life outside of Hogwarts. The usual fanon is that she's from a lesser pure-blood family known for sucking up to people like the Malfoys. Thus, Pansy is a social climber hoping to become a Malfoy by marriage, which fits the [[ClingyJealousGirl usual view of her character]]. On the other hand, Draco/Harry fics often retool her as Draco's sympathetic friend rather than a LoveInterest. |
| 146 | * Views on Astoria Greengrass differ. Since she's a very minor character who's never mentioned in the books and is only known for being Daphne's younger sister and [[spoiler:Draco's future wife]], she's ripe for tons of interpretations. A popular one is that after the war, she [[BroodingBoyGentleGirl played the gentle girl to Draco's brooding boy]] and helped him get back on his feet. Coming Cursed Child, the idea has some basis. |
| 147 | * Sue Li tends to be of an East Asian ethnicity due to her last name (with her first name being sometimes spelled Su Li to make it more Chinese). She is often from a [[AllAsiansKnowMartialArts family of magical duelists]] and intends to be a duelist of her own merit and is thus very competitive. |
| 148 | |
| 149 | !!Plot elements that inexplicably persist even after being {{Jossed}} |
| 150 | |
| 151 | * '''Fans think:''' Tom Riddle's orphanage was run by nuns. {{Jossed}} by ''Half-Blood Prince'' showing Mrs. Cole, who's clearly not a nun (she wouldn't even use "Mrs." in that case, but "Sister"), but even after that the idea persists in fanfiction. |
| 152 | * '''Fans think:''' Voldemort would [[YouHaveFailedMe take his Death Eaters with him]] when he finally dies. There's no indiciation in the story that he ever intended to do this, and in ''Deathly Hallows'' it's explicitly {{Jossed}} with all three Malfoys alive after the Battle of Hogwarts, and being Draco seen alive in the epilogue. |
| 153 | * '''Fans think:''' The snake Harry set free from the zoo in ''Philosopher's Stone'' became Nagini. It was so popular after the series ended that fans started to forget that it was never actually confirmed anywhere; they even have an associated quote supposedly coming from Rowling (which [[GodNeverSaidThat she never actually said]]). {{Jossed}} when we learn Nagini's origin in the ''Fantastic Beasts'' series, and in any event Nagini is a female venomous snake and the one at the zoo is a boa constrictor with a male voice. |
| 154 | * '''Fans think:''' Voldemort is [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove unable to love]] because he was conceived under the effects of a LovePotion. '''In canon:''' It's not a magical thing, it's just symbolic. He ''could'' have learned to love; it's just no one was around to teach him how. |
| 155 | -->'''Rowling:''' It was a symbolic way of showing that he came from a loveless union -- but of course, everything would have changed if Merope had survived and raised him herself and loved him. |
| 156 | * '''Fans think:''' [[YouCantFightFate Prophecies are infallible]], and everyone knows about them. '''In canon:''' Prophecies always coming true is a function of the ''narrative'', not the worldbuilding -- we as readers know Trelawney's prophecies will come true because [[TheLawOfConservationOfDetail if they don't, why are they even in the story?]] But the characters' perspective doesn't work like that. Dumbledore notes that many off-screen prophecies have failed to come true, and Voldemort believing they always will is a key weakness of his, as it [[SelfFulfillingProphecy more or less ensures his eventual downfall]]. Harry explicitly chooses to ScrewDestiny and fight Voldemort on his own terms rather than what any prophecy says. And very few people know that the prophecy about Harry and Voldemort exists, and fewer still know what exactly it states.[[labelnote:'''Massive Book 7 Spoilers''']]It's worth noting that events in the books outright contradict the prophecy in question, particularly the part about how "neither can live while the other survives". Voldemort unknowingly turns Harry into one of his horcruxes, and his use of Harry's blood in his resurrection preserves the power of Lily's sacrifice, allowing Harry to survive the Killing Curse once again. In both cases, the continued survival of one aids that of the other, until Harry kills him once and for all and goes on to live a long life.[[/labelnote]] |
| 157 | * '''Fans think:''' Hogwarts letters are sent on your eleventh birthday, no matter the date. '''In canon:''' Harry getting his on his eleventh birthday is just a coincidence; they all come in during the summer, and Harry's birthday happens to be during the summer. In any event, they ''tried'' to get him his letter several days before his birthday, but the Dursleys' efforts forced Hagrid to deliver the definitive letter on the last possible day to apply to Hogwarts. |
| 158 | |
| 159 | !!Other/Unsorted |
| 160 | |
| 161 | * '''Fans think:''' Potion-making is an indicator of one's magical ability -- the more adept you are at it, the better a wizard you are. '''In canon:''' Evidence is rather the opposite. Potion-making is a practical art that doesn't seem to need any directly applied magic, being more like cooking with magical ingredients, which means anyone without any magical talent could do it. |
| 162 | ** Snape, the Hogwarts Potions Master, is reputed in fandom to be capable of making any sort of potion in any amount of time, and to be 100% confident of its effects without even testing it -- even when the combination is totally bizarre or the ingredients are rare or expensive. Fanon further posits that Snape makes potions like this in his spare time and keeps them lying around in his office. And one wonders why Dumbledore is so insistent that he teach Potions. |
| 163 | ** Students also show their aptitude at magic by brewing potions, particularly Hermione (as a means of explaining her frustration at her instinct failing her on that front in ''Half-Blood Prince''). Fanon likes to show Harry or Hermione practicing potion-making on their own time, although it's unlikely that Snape would give them the ingredients or resources to do so. |
| 164 | * '''Fans think:''' The Hogwarts curriculum is substandard, or at least has declined in recent years. There are hardly any math or language courses, even though magic [[NumerologicalMotif often interacts with numbers]] and is usually cast [[LanguageOfMagic by speaking dead languages]]. Some stories show Dumbledore removing or dumbing down courses at his whim. '''In canon:''' We ''do'' canonically have an Arithmancy class (granted, as an elective), and WordOfGod says that wizards have a charm for doing normal math problems. There's also no indication whatsoever that the curriculum has changed at all in recent years; in fact, given the kvetching that senior Ministry officials do about Dumbledore's "questionable" hiring decisions, one would think that it would've been mentioned at some point in canon. |
| 165 | * '''Fans think:''' Becoming the Master of Death grants you special powers, such as: Partial or CompleteImmortality, Authority or a relationship with the GrimReaper, ''[[AbstractApotheosis becoming]]'' said GrimReaper or be able to AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence. '''In canon:''' There's no reason or at least indication for this to be the case, especially the CompleteImmortality theory which goes against what Dumbledore and Harry agree the title means in Limbo. Furthermore, there are no hints of this in the last few chapters of ''Deathly Hallows.'' |
| 166 | * '''Fans think:''' A Hogwarts student's friends and family can just join them on campus, eat with them in the Great Hall, hang around in the Common Room, or visit them in the hospital wing. Fanfic often shows this -- but only the friends and family of the protagonists, and never other students. '''In canon:''' There's no reason for this to be the case, especially given Hogwarts' canonical safety mechanisms. Molly, Arthur, Fred and George do visit Ron in the hospital wing during the events of ''Half-Blood Prince'', but he was very nearly fatally poisoned on the occasion in question. The only other time outsiders are seen to visit is during Dumbledore's funeral and the Triwizard Tournament, both unusual occurrences. |
| 167 | * '''Fans think:''' The Hogwarts uniform is a set of magical robes on top of a formal boarding-school style setup, complete with a house-specific shirt and tie ColourCodedForYourConvenience. '''In canon:''' The book has plain black robes with no house markings (shown in ''Chamber of Secrets'' where Harry and Ron mistake a Ravenclaw for a Slytherin), which are complete magical outfits unto themselves. |
| 168 | * '''Fans think:''' The Head Boy and Girl have their own dormitory where [[HormoneAddledTeenager crazy things happen]]. It's been around so long that the specifics have been pretty much codified: it's inside a tower, it has a common room and separate rooms for the Head Boy and Head Girl, [[HilarityEnsues there's only one bathroom]], and the password (and the painting to which you give it) is usually romantic in nature. '''In canon:''' {{Jossed}} when ''Prisoner of Azkaban'' shows that Percy, while Head Boy, sleeps in Gryffindor Tower with everyone else. You'd think Dumbledore would have better things to do than play TheMatchmaker. |
| 169 | * '''Fans think:''' "Ancient and Noble Houses" are a thing. This based entirely off of the styling of the "Noble and Most Ancient House of Black" (note the different word order), designed to show that Sirius was from a very old-fashioned and supremacist family which [[WhiteSheep he didn't fit into]]. Fanfic, on the other hand, has spun this into a whole raft of plot devices, like: |
| 170 | ** Magical "Lord rings", which characters will inherit at the point when they become Lords, allowing Harry to pick up a powerful [[ArtifactOfPower magical artifact]] and style himself "Lord Potter". One common power for these rings is to compel the obedience of other members of one's House. '''In canon:''' Sirius mentions such a thing once, as a way to mock his Pureblood-obsessed family. Even if it exists, it likely has no power of compulsion, considering that he ran away from home while underage and no one stopped him. |
| 171 | ** "Head of House rings", which one gets by being head of one's House at Hogwarts. The idea is the same as with "Lord rings", with this referring to a school house as opposed to an ancestral house. It's based on the idea of the "Heir of Slytherin", and the idea that Slytherin ''did'' have a ring, which the Gaunts used to show their membership in said House. '''In canon:''' No other house at Hogwarts has a ring -- in fact, they quite explicitly have other trinkets (Gryffindor's sword, Ravenclaw's diadem, and Hufflepuff's cup) as {{Plot Token}}s. And the ring in question is still a ''familial'' ring, as the Gaunts (and Voldemort) are direct descendants of Salazar Slytherin himself. |
| 172 | ** An automatic seat on the Wizengamot. It's usually done to allow a character to have a series of epic power games with Lucius Malfoy. '''In canon:''' It's not clear how members are selected, but it's probably on merit or connections like anything else, and Lucius (as far as we know) has never even been a member of the Wizengamot. |
| 173 | *** '''Fans think:''' Lucius Malfoy is very politically powerful, with a seat on the Wizengamot. '''In canon:''' While he has a fair amount of influence over Fudge through bribery, and he is a member of the Hogwarts Board of Governers, there's no indication that he has any actual political power beyond that. Certainly, he's explicitly stated not to be on the Wizengamot by the time of Book 5. |
| 174 | ** Special privileges at Hogwarts, including "Lords' Quarters" -- again, for [[HormoneAddledTeenager fanfic shenanigans]]. '''In canon:''' This goes entirely against the setting as based on a [[UsefulNotes/BritishEducationSystem British public school]], which in RealLife was designed to educate all members of the paying public, noble and commoner alike, on an equal footing. As such, no matter what rank you had -- whether you were a nobody or the Prince of Wales himself -- you had to go through the same things as everyone else (and sometimes the nobles were even [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fagging treated worse]] just to hammer home the point; just ask King Charles III, who had an absolutely ''dreadful'' time at Gordonstoun). All school privileges are earned ''at'' the school -- at Hogwarts, that would be things like being Prefect, Head Boy or Girl, or Quidditch captain. |
| 175 | ** Control over Hogwarts, especially in one's capacity as "Lord", "Lady", or "Heir" of a particular house. '''In canon:''' It would be patently absurd to allow a student to exert authority over the teachers. And in any event, in the real British public school system, the founder's heir would most likely be headmaster to begin with -- and would still enjoy no authority over the students while he ''is'' a student himself. |
| 176 | * '''Fans think:''' Gringotts does everything. In fanfic, the place offers a wide variety of services like: probating wills; investing Lords, Ladies, and Heirs; emancipating minors; assigning guardians to minors; healing; warding property; and determining when a wizard has died and notifying their next of kin. '''In canon:''' It's a magical bank. It does bank stuff, like storing gold, lending gold, excavating tombs for gold, vaults for other expensive stuff, and ''possibly'' gambling.[[note]]Ludo Bagman in ''Goblet of Fire'' is shown owing big gambling debts to goblins, who are seen basically nowhere other than Gringotts, but it's not actually specified that they're affiliated with the bank.[[/note]] We see two wills being probated, one by Dumbledore and the other by Scrimgeour (then Minister for Magic), neither of whom are involved with Gringotts. And as shown with Wormtail, Bertha Jorkins, and all three Crouches, absent a body there is no surefire way to determine if and when someone has died. |
| 177 | ** Gringotts is a sovereign nation and houses the entire British goblin society underneath its halls. '''In canon:''' There is nothing to suggest that Gringotts is anything other than a bank; that there is a Goblin Liaison Office at the British Ministry suggests that goblins are subject to British ministerial laws, further suggesting that goblins on British soil are, in fact, British citizens. |
| 178 | ** Ragnok is the director of Gringotts, or otherwise leader of the goblins; in stories where Gringotts is also a sovereign nation, he is usually both. '''In canon:''' Ragnok is only mentioned in passing as a goblin whom Bill Weasley was trying to persuade to join the Order's cause, but nothing else is mentioned about him. In the movies, Ragnok's office is next to Griphook's, suggesting no particular seniority. The hierarchy of Gringotts itself is never expanded on. |
| 179 | * '''Fans think:''' The Magical Congress of the United States (the Ministry of Magic's TransatlanticEquivalent) is more progressive than its British counterpart. It confers equal rights to magical creatures, brooks no FantasticRacism, and has a closer relationship with No-Majes (American {{Muggles}}). '''In canon:''' ''Film/FantasticBeastsAndWhereToFindThem'' doesn't show much, but what it does show suggests the opposite; in Britain it's legal to marry Muggles, while in the States it's illegal to even interact with No-Majes. It's uncertain, however, if this is an {{Eagleland}} thing or just because it's set in the 1920s and things have moved on since then. The American Wizarding World is also more accepting of muggleborns than the British equivalent. |
| 180 | * '''Fans think:''' The official creed of the Death Eaters is "[[WhatIsEvil There is no good or evil]]. There is only power, and those too weak to seek it." '''In canon:''' We don't even know if the Death Eaters ''have'' a creed. The line itself is only spoken once in the entire series, by Quirrell in the books and Voldemort in the films. It is a heck of a line, though, very much encapsulating Voldemort's way of thinking. |
| 181 | * '''Fans think:''' There's more you can learn after Hogwarts, often through an apprenticeship, and it usually gets you a cool certification like "Potions Master". '''In canon:''' Creator/JKRowling explicitly stated that there's nothing more to learn after seventh year. Snape's title of "Potions Master" is based on the archaic term "schoolmaster", referring to a male teacher. |
| 182 | * '''Fans think:''' The snake Harry set free from the zoo in ''Philosopher's Stone'' was a captive animagus. In particular, a ''Latino'' animagus, who thanks Harry by saying, "[[{{Sssssnaketalk}} Thanksss]], ''[[PoirotSpeak amigo]]''." It does show more intelligence than most other animals we see, snakes included. A further theory suggests that the snake is from Brazil, where you might encounter boa constrictors, and that the "amigo" is Portuguese and not Spanish -- which dovetails nicely with the fact that Rowling does speak Portuguese, having lived and worked in Portugal for several years before writing ''Harry Potter''. |
| 183 | * '''Fans think:''' Any rich pureblood family's home is named "[Family] Manor". It's named after "Malfoy Manor", first used (or at least [[TropeCodifier codified]]) by ''Fanfic/TheDracoTrilogy''[[note]]although the story actually uses "Malfoy Manor" and "Malfoy Mansion" interchangeably[[/note]] and later [[AscendedFanon named for real]] in ''Deathly Hallows''. This led to the idea that ''every'' rich wizard family does the same thing, like "Black Manor" ({{Jossed}} in ''Order of the Phoenix'' by the house's simple address of 12 Grimmauld Place) and "Snape Manor" (also {{Jossed}} as it was revealed Snape's father was a muggle, and they lived in a plain house at Spinner's End in Cokeworth - where Snape continues to live until his death). |
| 184 | * '''Fans think:''' The Triwizard Tournament includes an escape clause, generally within the first 24 hours. It's most often used to make Harry [[TheWoobie more of a victim than he already is]]. '''In canon:''' No such thing is ever hinted at, and if it did exist, the ''canon'' Dumbledore would almost certainly give Harry an opportunity to opt out graciously, to say nothing of Karkaroff and Maxine bringing it up in the hope of nullifying his school's numbers advantage. |
| 185 | * '''Fans think''' lots of things about Veela, like: |
| 186 | ** They bond with their mates magically. Their reputation as heart-breakers comes from their being forced by their nature to go after mates with a certain high compatibility rating. If a Veela knows someone more compatible than their current partner, they break up with them and go to the new one. This is mostly a mechanism to pair Fleur up with Harry when she's already married to Bill. An interesting variant has them being more drawn to men who [[ILoveYouBecauseICantControlYou can resist their allure]]. None of this is canon. Less commonly, you see the opposite -- they have a predestined "mate", and if they don't have sex with them [[MateOrDie they die]]. That one's {{Jossed}} by Fleur's arc with Bill, but it's a convenient way for fanfic to force Veela into [[GirlOnGirlIsHot same-sex relationships]]. |
| 187 | ** Male Veela exist. '''In canon:''' It's never explicitly stated that there aren't male versions, but all the ones we see are [[OneGenderRace female]]. This is how fanfic gets to weird ideas like Draco being a male Veela who undergoes his own magical love-bond with [[FoeYayShipping Harry or Hermione]]. We do know of one male ''part''-Veela -- Fleur and Bill's son Louis Weasley, who's one-eighth Veela. Whether he inherited any Veela traits at all is unknown. |
| 188 | ** Veela can transform into pretty birds. '''In canon:''' They transform into scaled things, more like raptors. It's meant [[RaptorAttack to be frightening]]. |
| 189 | ** Veela are weak against water. This means that despite Dumbledore's assurances, Gabrielle was in real danger during the Second Task in ''Goblet of Fire''. It might be logically derived from their [[PlayingWithFire ability to throw fireballs]], and might also explain Fleur's inability to even complete the task. '''In canon:''' Regardless of any innate weaknesses, Fleur's conversation with Harry about the task in ''Deathly Hallows'' implies that Gabrielle was never in any real danger. It's also hard to believe (except for those who like to bash him) that Dumbledore would put a child in mortal danger just for the heck of it. |
| 190 | ** Veela and Merpeople are enemies, and Gabrielle was in danger because her placement in the lake violated some supposed truce between the two. Fics that believe this tend to include the "weakness to water" fanon -- which makes it ''less'' likely that Veela and Merpeople would be enemies, as it's hard to make enemies when you live in incompatible habitats. Familiarity breeds contempt, after all. Fics of this kind also tend to think of Dumbledore as [[RonTheDeathEater more explicitly not caring about Gabrielle's well-being]]. '''In canon:''' No animosity is shown to exist between Veela and Merpeople, and if it did, the canon Dumbledore - who is very critical of how the Wizarding World treats its nonhuman magical beings - would either A) try and smooth things out with the Merpeople beforehand, or B) simply not put Gabrielle at the bottom of the lake in the first place. |
| 191 | * '''Fans think:''' House elves must bond to a wizard and work for free, or die. Dobby, for his part, surreptitiously bound himself to Harry after Harry freed him from the Malfoys' service. The purpose of this seems to be an attempt to address the questionable ethics of the ServantRace situation by showing that the elves are in fact getting something worthwhile out of the arrangement. '''In canon:''' If free elves were doomed to die, you'd think someone would have brought that up when Hermione started campaigning for their freedom. There is a bond, but it's cultural and sociological rather than magical. |
| 192 | * '''Fans think:''' Magical society is incredibly backward in several ways, among them being: |
| 193 | ** It [[NoWomansLand discriminates horrendously against women]], with Amelia Bones being the exception that makes the rule. '''In canon:''' There's no explicit depiction of gender discrimination, and WordOfGod suggests that the equal magical strength of witches and wizards led to a more prominent culture of gender equality and female independence. |
| 194 | ** It's bigoted toward ethnic minorities like Indians and East Asians. '''In canon:''' We see a number of non-white people at Hogwarts and no indication that even the Pureblood bigots have a problem with their race (the jury is out on Pansy Parkinson, who's on a first-name basis with Parvati Patil but mocks Angelina Johnson's dreads). Cho Chang is one of the most popular girls in school, and Blaise Zabini is on friendly terms with Draco, Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle. In fact, the trend suddenly reversed after ''Theatre/HarryPotterAndTheCursedChild'', in which Hermione was [[RaceLift played by a black woman]] and Creator/JKRowling pointed out that there was nothing in the text that specified that Hermione was white -- it just said that she had frizzy hair, which is definitely a thing with black women. That led to fanfic writers suggesting that other major characters, including Harry himself, were non-white. |
| 195 | * '''Fans think:''' "Magical Guardians" are a thing, presumably a way to codify who takes care of an underage wizard. They base this on Harry being able to use his godfather Sirius as a legal guardian to allow him to go to Hogsmeade. '''In canon:''' Godparents are not automatically a child's go-to guardians after their parents are killed or rendered incapable; both Neville and Teddy are raised by their grandmothers. Sirius is all Harry has other than his aunt and uncle. |
| 196 | * '''Fans think:''' Fudge and Umbridge were Slytherins. Umbridge is sometimes portrayed as a Hufflepuff, too, to spice things up and showcase her loyalty [[MyCountryRightOrWrong to the ministry]]. WordOfGod is that [[http://www.leakynews.com/breaking-umbridges-hogwarts-house-revealed/ she was in Slytherin]], but Fudge's House was never confirmed. |
| 197 | * '''Fans think:''' The Yule Ball happens every year, like a HighSchoolDance, or else that other dances occur sometimes. '''In canon:''' It's explicitly a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament and only happens that year. No other school-wide dances or other social events other than the occasional feast are seen or mentioned. |
| 198 | * '''Fans think:''' Everything happens in the Astronomy Tower. It's the go-to location for secret meetings, construction of incredible and covert magical artifacts, and of course, after-hours romantic activity. '''In canon:''' First, there are better places to do this. The entire school is a maze of secret passages and rooms which would serve better than a freezing cold tower which is open to the elements. This is before you even get into the Room of Requirement (although admittedly few people know about it). Second, even in spite of this, characters are semi-regularly ''caught'' making out in the castle. Thirdly, given that night classes regularly occur atop the Tower, you'd think characters would be smart enough not to do anything covert in a place where they're likely to be stumbled upon by a whole class. |
| 199 | * '''Fans think:''' The Wizarding War has a religious component, with Purebloods practicing ancient Celtic rites and celebrating Celtic holidays like Samhain and Beltane (or Nordic ones like Yule, although combining the two would be like observing both Easter and Ramadan), while the other side is comprised of Christians. Fics that include this usually [[DracoInLeatherPants side with the Pagans]]. '''In canon:''' There is no widespread hostility to Christianity; wizards on both sides are shown swearing by God and celebrating Christian holidays, and some Biblical quotes sneak in as well. |
| 200 | * '''Fans think:''' Wizards use "Merlin" as an UnusualEuphemism for "God", so they can use expressions like "for Merlin's sake!", "Merlin knows", "honest-to-Merlin", or just "[[OhMyGods Oh Merlin!]]". They might also use more creative ones like "Merlin's beard!" and "Merlin's pants!" It allows fanfic writers [[HoldYourHippogriffs some flavour]], as well as [[PlayedForLaughs some laughs]] when the [[Myth/{{Merlin}} actual Merlin]] shows up. '''In canon:''' You ''do'' hear characters say, "Merlin's beard!" and a few other such phrases, but never anything that replaces "God" with "Merlin". Wizards can and do use "God" as an exclamation or a curse (interestingly, the one to do so most often seems to be Draco Malfoy). Hermione does once use "Merlin's pants!", which Ron thought was funny and ridiculous -- this in contrast to fanfic, which likes to use the term interchangeably with "Merlin's beard!" |
| 201 | * '''Fans think:''' There was a GreatOffscreenWar between Wizards and Muggles at some point before the series began, which is the reason why Wizards and Muggles live separately from each other. This is based at least partly on the theory that the Killing Curse ''Avada Kedavra'' sounds suspiciously like the Muggle ''Abracadabra'', suggesting either that Muggles were commonly exposed to it or that they ''invented'' it[[note]][[AllThereInTheManual Supplemental material]] states that the Killing Curse was invented in the Early Middle Ages, around the 6th-10th Century A.D., while the earliest known use of the phrase "abracadabra" is from the 3rd Century A.D.[[/note]]. Fans are divided on who won, though; although wizards are clearly cooler and have their own independent community, some fans point out that the "Ministry of Magic" implies that it's a subdivision of [[UsefulNotes/BritishPoliticalSystem the British government]] like the Foreign Office. |
| 202 | * '''Fans think:''' Everyone wears wand holsters. This was kind of a necessity, really; they're pretty damn useful, and Moody's admonition in ''Order of the Phoenix'' shows that there are consequences to [[PantsPositiveSafety storing your wand in your back pocket]]. Some fans are convinced of the opposite -- because they're so useful, and yet never mentioned in canon, they must ''not'' exist, because it's exactly the kind of thing the backwards and kinda loopy Wizarding community would go without. '''In canon:''' Although never mentioned in the books or films, it may be AscendedFanon of sorts, as wand holsters are now part of the OfficialCosplayGear and you can get one for your wand at Ollivander's at Ride/TheWizardingWorldOfHarryPotter. |
| 203 | * '''Fans think:''' Salazar Slytherin was Irish. It fits in nicely; WordOfGod establishes that Godric Gryffindor was English, Helga Hufflepuff was Welsh, and Rowena Ravenclaw was Scottish, so Slytherin being Irish rounds it out. Additionally, he is said to come from a "fen", a common ecosystem in Ireland; he's associated with the colour green, which is also commonly associated with Ireland; and his affinity for snakes may be a reference to the old legend of Saint Patrick banishing all the snakes from Ireland. '''In canon:''' It does fit, but it's never stated. Moreover, fens are also found in England, most especially in the county of Norfolk, which general British culture tends to associate with inbreeding - which Slytherin's descendants seem to have done. |
| 204 | * '''Fans think:''' Hedwig is a magically enhanced {{Familiar}} who is bonded to Harry, and other magical pets have the same trait. '''In canon:''' While post owls [[RequiredSecondaryPowers would need to be more intelligent than the average bird]] to do their job, and while it's often mentioned that Hedwig is particularly intelligent, it doesn't imply more magical enhancement. And anyone who's ever had a pet can confirm that they don't need magic to be affectionate toward their owners. |
| 205 | * '''Fans think:''' "Obliviate", the incantation for the Memory Charm, can also be used as a verb. It never was in the original series, but it was so frequent in fan-fiction that ''Film/FantasticBeastsAndWhereToFindThem'' made it AscendedFanon. |
| 206 | * '''Fans think:''' Mind-healers, the equivalent of [[TheShrink psychiatrists/psychologists/therapists]] exist. '''In canon:''' Nothing of the kind is mentioned in canon. Considering how Hermione is given a Time Turner and left to sink or swim (and shows dysfunctional stress reactions as a result) and there is clearly evidence of unresolved mental health issues, particularly on the part of Snape, not to mention all the crap Harry goes through, with no intervention from responsible adults, the Wizarding World seems to run on ThereAreNoTherapists. |
| 207 | * '''Fans think:''' Peter Pettigrew's escape in ''Prisoner of Azkaban'' was somehow pre-ordained by fate, meaning it would have happened regardless of both the nature of his confinement and any attempts to recapture him. This is typically used so that Trelawney can make her prophecy and have it come true - and thus enable the future return of Voldemort - despite Pettigrew being exposed, detained and imprisoned more securely than he was in the original story. '''In canon:''' There's nothing to suggest this. Yes, Trelawney made the prophecy, but Pettigrew very much had luck on his side during his canon escape; it was night, his captors were distracted by one of their number turning into an out-of-control werewolf, he could transform into a near-impossible to spot rat, and perhaps most importantly, Albus Dumbledore had no way of knowing he was still alive or accounting for his abilities. If any of these things were different, it could well be that Trelawney's second prophecy would never come about. Not to mention, as noted above, that prophecies do not actually have to come true. |
| 208 | * '''Fans think:''' The Dursleys weren’t selected to be Harry’s legal guardians if James and Lily died. '''In Canon:''' While Sirius was Harry’s godfather, that doesn’t change the fact that the Dursleys would most likely be his legal guardians in the event of his parents becoming unable to continue caring for him. While godparents are supposed to help, the role isn’t a legal one, so they don’t necessarily have any sort of legal custody over the child. Especially if the child still has living relatives. |
| 209 | |
| 210 | !! See also |
| 211 |
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