From the emotion-evoking characters to its constantly expanding universe of magic, there are many things that make the Harry Potter series so popular. While new additions, like this year's Fantastic Beasts: the Secrets of Dumbledore, prove its popularity and maintain its legacy, there are a few things about the series that could use some tweaking.
Whether it be outdated writing or too-good-to-be-true endings, fans on Reddit think that Harry Potter, like any renowned franchise, could use a few subjective edits to make the series absolutely perfect in their eyes.
Replace The Killing Curse
The Killing Curse, iterated as Avada Kedavra, is one of the Wizarding World's Unforgivable Curses. Its effect is self-explanatory, giving its victim a quick and easy death. While the spell is the Harry Potter universe's darkest and deadliest, it is also one of the easiest to execute.
Which is why Redditor Retro-Obsessed says they would "replace the Killing Curse with several variations. The basic Killing Curse is just too simple and straightforward and once it's introduced, every villain seems to use it nonstop." Instead, it would be nice to have it either a more complex spell or one with more limitations than this free-for-all.
Quidditch Scoring
Quidditch is one of the many gems to come out of the Harry Potter phenomena, with many groups forming in the real world to play their own versions of the sport. However, viewers and readers alike will have noticed the Golden Snitch seems like an easy cop-out for losing teams, especially Gryffindor.
Reddit user 4Ever2Thee notes that "It's basically, the team who catches the snitch wins... The chasers, quaffle, hoops, and keeper seem like they should be a big part of the game, but they really aren't. It's all about the seeker catching that snitch." Given that Harry is the seeker, the rules seem a bit biased in his favor - however, it's important to be aware that while catching the Snitch ends the game, it doesn't always guarantee a win.
No Time-Turners
Depicting time travel of any sort is complicated, but doing it well is another thing entirely. While Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban seems to close off any loose time-bending ends, the ending is a bit too picture-perfect and the concept of Time-Turners too underused.
Redditor Tanyec points out that their existence and lack of use "makes no sense... there really was not a single catastrophically bad event that could have been undone by going back an hour or two? ... It was a fun device for Hermione to attend classes and to allow JKR to play a bit with time travel, but not worth it for the questions it raises."
Sharing Muggle Goods
While the Muggle world and magical world are constantly categorized as distinct, the fact remains that the two are very intertwined. This is especially true for the magical folks that come from Muggle backgrounds, like Hermione or even Harry himself.
Redditor HoldMyArsenic says they would change the series to contain more "introducing wizards to muggle stuff. Please don’t tell me that Hermione, Dean, or the Creeveys didn’t bring family-sized bags of Cheetos with them. You know some wizard’s world was rocked when they tried Rice Krispy treats for the first time." Plus, there are countless muggle inventions that Arthur Weasley would love.
More House Diversity
Despite it being proven the many times Slytherins were heroic, the notorious house still maintained an unfortunate reputation throughout the series. Most of the prestige and desirability were bestowed upon the Gryffindor house, as many of Harry's best friends, mentors, and allies were sorted into it.
Reddit user Rosie_32 wishes to eradicate this house bias, noting that "more of the main characters should be in different houses. Slytherin needed a few good people. I would introduce a few nice Slytherins in Harry's year... I think a bit of house diversity would have been great."
A Ministry of Magic Department for Muggleborn Kids
The Ministry of Magic is known for its mismanagement of dire situations and rampant corruption. However, as the governing authority, it still holds a place of utmost importance and power within the series, and having departments dedicated to mental wellbeing would have been an excellent addition.
Especially for their youth, as mentioned by Reddit user Flaky_Tip who thinks the series could have benefited from a "child welfare department in the ministry that can deal with muggle-borns and muggle raised witches and wizards. Help their families adapt earlier than age eleven and get kids like Harry out of abusive and magic-hating homes."
Arthur Telling Harry About The First War
Arthur Weasley was one of the few worthy father figures in Harry's life. From guidance to affection, Arthur on various occasions bestowed upon Harry all the care and support he did with his own children.
Reddit user considerlilies thinks this dynamic could have been better utilized at the end of the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: "I would replace Harry’s carriage ride at the end of book 4 with Arthur escorting Harry on a walk to the train station. They would have a conversation about the Weasleys' experience during the first wizarding war... Arthur would end the conversation by telling Harry that no matter what, his family will support him and Dumbledore in the fight against Voldemort."
Better Female Relationships
There have been a few things about the Harry Potter series that have not aged well, even just within its Golden Trio. From its lack of diversity to its unjust treatment of Cho, Rowling's series has been criticized in modern times that rightfully advocate for more inclusive and representative feminism.
Redditor indianafilms believes that the series could have done better by giving "Hermione some female friends other than Ginny. Harry was friends with the boys, there’s no way Hermione couldn’t befriend Lavender and Pavarti too." They also mention that "Cho is severely misunderstood... She doesn’t deserve to be hated." Undoubtedly, the series deserved a more progressive take on empowering female friendships and developments.
Change The Epilogue
With such a fantastic buildup and phenomenal writing, the series' ending had high expectations to live up to. Unfortunately, it did not meet many of them. Although some fans enjoyed the conclusion, others contested its perfect wrap-up and typical happy ending, giving rise to the many unpopular opinions about the Harry Potter epilogue.
Reddit user Chazley_96 instead would like to "replace it with another chapter just after the Battle of Hogwarts. I want to know more about how Harry and the wizarding world start to recover after the defeat of Voldemort. Leave it a bit more open-ended if any of the character's relationships work out, whether they have kids."
Dudley Having A Magical Child
The Dursleys are shown to be firmly against magic, a result of the once hopeful Petunia having her dreams of being a witch crushed and harboring deep, misdirected resentment for her sister and family as a result of it. While Vernon and Petunia both end the series with the same contempt for magic and Harry, Dudley softens up just slightly, and is mentioned as being 'on Christmas Card terms' with his cousin.
Redditor sharkaub wanted to see more of this development with "a Dudley chapter after the battle of Hogwarts where he reaches out to Harry because his kid has magic... Dudley and Harry starting to have a relationship like they should have all along as they talk about parenting magical kids, Ginny meeting and befriending Dudley's wife... Maybe they even have another kid who's a muggle, like Petunia, and they get to do it right as a family this time."