Fans of Harry Potter take great ownership of the stories told by the novels, films, stage plays, and spin-offs the franchise has yielded so far. With so much to consume in this rich, complex, heavily populated wizarding world established by author J.K. Rowling, it was inevitable that Potterheads from around the world would fill in certain blanks with their own imaginations, creating fan theories online that, eventually, made their way to the mainstream media and J.K. Rowling herself.
But while many fan theories are beautiful, aspirational, and enriching to the Harry Potter series, some are just completely wild guesses that have little to do with reality, as the author has pointed out time and time again. Thanks to her active social media presence, J.K. Rowling has kindly taken the time, in many different instances, to dispel some of these dubious (and sometimes insulting) theories that Potterheads create in their… well, heads.
As the Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them prequel series of five movies will introduce the young versions to some of our favorite Harry Potter characters, we can expect that even more theories will be dismissed, confirmed, or created to make sense of this wizarding world.
For now, however, these are 15 Fan Theories Rejected By J.K. Rowling.
RON IS THE TIME-TRAVELING DUMBLEDORE
In 2004, a strange theory was brought up by Harry Potter fans who exchanged ideas through online forums: what if Ron Weasley was just the time-traveling Dumbledore?
In the post that originated this theory, fans argued that Harry often referred to both Dumbledore and Ron as people who were thin, tall, and had a long nose. Fans also pointed out that both characters had a strong passion for sweets, and that it was quite odd for Dumbledore to know exactly what Ron had seen for himself in the Mirror of Erised.
The strongest argument for the fan theory, however, is the fact that Dumbledore always seemed to know with a richness in detail about everything that ever happened to Harry, Hermione, and Ron… almost as if he was there all along.
Though it sparks curiosity, J.K. Rowling shut this theory down in a 2015 tweet containing only two words: “false theory.”
The CURSED CHILD IS A PREQUEL
On June 26, 2015, J.K. Rowling took to Twitter to share the exciting news that the Harry Potter franchise would find a new storytelling outlet in London’s West End theater circuit. She announced Harry Potter and the Cursed Child with a series of tweets that confirmed the play’s opening date (in 2016) and collaborators (writer Jack Thorne and director John Tiffany).
On the very same day, JKR tweeted: “However, I can say that it is not a prequel.” Hours later on that very same day, she tweeted again: “NOT a prequel. Lots of people asking, so I thought I’d say that again! NOT a prequel.” Then, on the next day, the author tweeted twelve more times about Cursed Child not being a prequel.
Like Harry himself, the prequel theory somehow survived. Months after the announcement of the play, J.K. Rowling was still trying to reject that Cursed Child was a prequel. In an October 2016 tweet, she replied to a fan who asked the same freaking prequel question (and even called her ambiguous!): “This is a joke, right? Please (sobs), please tell me this is a joke.”
DRACO IS A WEREWOLF, SNAPE IS A VAMPIRE
This isn’t Twilight, guys.
There was a fan theory (and even a DracoMalfoyIsAWerewolf.com website for it) that tried to argue that Draco is actually a werewolf. The basis for this theory is that the character changes a lot in books 6 and 7, mentions that Fenrir Greyback (an actual werewolf) is a close friend, and that at one point Voldemort suggests that Draco should “babysit the cubs.” The fans go as far as imagining that Draco probably relied directly on Snape to have access to wolfsbane potions in order to keep his werewolf breakouts under control.
On that note, there is an add-on theory that also claims that Snape is probably at least partially a vampire, and the entire reasoning behind it is because the professor tells his students during Prisoner of Azkaban to turn in essays on how to recognize and kill a werewolf. Because, you know, vampires and werewolves are longstanding rivals, so that has to be the logical conclusion, right?
Nope. As a matter of fact, J.K. Rowling tweeted out that she had never even heard of this theory before 2015, and that Draco was definitely not a werewolf (nor was Snape a vampire).
HARRY IMAGINED THE WHOLE THING
Lost, Friends, The Matrix, Harry Potter, you name it. There’s always the “it was all a dream” theory, isn’t there?
In a behind-the-scenes interview for The Harry Potter Wizards’ Collection DVD box set, J.K. Rowling and screenwriter Steve Kloves talked about being careful in their own writings for people to not jump to the conclusion that Harry was imagining things. Kloves mentioned that in an early draft of his script for The Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry would talk to a spider inside his cupboard, and that he removed certain aspects of that context so that audiences wouldn’t question Harry’s sanity once Hagrid appeared.
J.K. Rowling agreed with Steve Kloves that it was important to drive that point in the script, especially since she had heard more than once that fans theorized about Harry imagining the entire series up. Essentially, this theory is just not true.
NEVILLE AND LUNA END UP TOGETHER
Many fans liked to imagine that Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood would one day end up together. There is even a famous online fan fiction story called Neville and Luna: Forbidden, in which quirky Luna and clumsy Neville would find their way to one another and begin an unlikely yet fitting romantic partnership.
It was very common for Harry Potter fans to “ship” couples that the series did not otherwise allude to, such as Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan, or Xenophilius Lovegood and Professor Sprout, or even Dobby and Kreacher.
While J.K. Rowling never directly addressed any of these particular fan theories, she did mention in a Bloomsbury live chat in 2007 that, in the future, Luna Lovegood married someone named Rolf, who is Newt Scamander’s grandson.
HARRY, HERMIONE, AND RON NEVER FINISHED THEIR STUDIES
The infamous Battle of Hogwarts, which defeated Voldemort and his Death Eaters, was pretty distracting for Harry Potter fans, Hogwarts students, and the Wizarding world as a whole. However, there is one more thing the general public tends to forget about: because of the Battle, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and all other Hogwarts students had their studies interrupted, which means that many of them seemingly never had the chance to finish their seventh year in peace and graduate from school.
In an interview with PotterCast in 2007, J.K. Rowling addressed the theory that neither Harry, Hermione or Ron actually had the chance to graduate from Hogwarts. According to the author, after the Battle was over and Hogwarts resumed its normal operations, Hermione did go back to school to finish her studies. Harry and Ron, however, did indeed go on to live adult lives without going back to school.
CURSED CHILD WILL BE TURNED INTO A MOVIE
Potterheads around the world who can’t afford to go to London to watch Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in the West End theater circuit are eager to cling to any theory or rumor that the stage play might be turned into a movie. However, according to a very recent post from J.K. Rowling on her personal website, there are definitely no conversations of that kind going on.
The author directly addressed a rumor that teased a theorized Cursed Child movie being released in 2026, and that it had already confirmed the main trio of actors (Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint) to reprise their roles as Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
Rowling tried to drive her point across very clearly, sternly stating that there are no plans to turn this property into anything else other than a play. “No plans for it to become a movie, a novel, a puppet show, a cartoon, a comic book series or Cursed Child on Ice,” she wrote.
J.K. ROWLING IS ACTUALLY RITA SEEKER
There is literally a fan theory that tries to prove that Rita Seeker, a famous journalist in the wizarding world, was exiled from that community and wrote the Harry Potter books under the J.K. Rowling pseudonym to expose the existence of wizards to muggles.
The sheer existence of J.K. Rowling as a real person rejects the validity of this fan theory. Joanne Rowling was born in Yate, Gloucestershire (England) in 1965. She earned a B.A. from the University of Exeter in 1986. Her mother, Anne, died in 1990, which is the same year when Rowling began to conceive the Harry Potter series. She has three children – Jessica, David, and Mackenzie – and is married to Neil Murray, a doctor.
Aside from Harry Potter-related works, J.K. Rowling has so far published four adult novels: The Casual Vacancy, The Cuckoo’s Calling, The Silkworm, and Career of Evil.
FAWKES IS A DUMBLEDORE HORCRUX
J.K. Rowling really dislikes the idea that anyone would think that Dumbledore, of all people, would’ve created a Horcrux through Fawkes, his beloved Phoenix.
Making a Horcrux involves murdering someone in sacrifice, fragmenting your soul into a separate thing, and ultimately, turning that thing (a being or an object) into something evil.
The idea that Dumbledore would be interested in that procedure is enough to make a real fan’s eyes roll, and when Fawkes is brought into consideration – a phoenix that Dumbledore had so much love and admiration for – it all just becomes even more disturbing.
In a 2016 tweet, J.K. Rowling responded to this Harry Potter theory in a clear and concise way: “the idea that anybody believes this is strangely upsetting to me.”
HARRY AND HERMIONE ARE SIBLINGS
It is strange to think of it now, but back when the Harry Potter novels and films were still being released, many fans were starting to believe that the reason Hermione wasn’t romantically interested in Harry is because they were secretly siblings.
The theory also gained strength from the fact that Hermione seemed to know way too much about Harry upon their first meeting, and though he was a celebrity in the wizarding world, she felt extremely comfortable around him.
However, according to a J.K. Rowling interview in 2014, the author admitted to the fact that Hermione should’ve probably ended up marrying Harry instead of Ron, and even questioned whether Ron was going to make her happy in the long run after all.
The fact that J.K. Rowling made a difficult decision to have Hermione marry Ron (instead of Harry) very directly rejects the notion that there was any possibility that she was actually Harry’s sister. Unless Rowling was taking notes from Game of Thrones, which doesn’t seem to be the case.
DRACO IS SECRETLY GOOD
It seems to have always bothered J.K. Rowling that despite all of the wrong-doings Draco Malfoy was behind and all the evil and bullying he represented, audiences still tried to find sympathy for the character throughout the seven books and eight films of the Harry Potter franchise.
In a 2014 piece published on Pottermore, the author said that she felt “unnerved” by the number of girls who fostered a crush on the character. She was adamant in saying that “Draco was not concealing a heart of gold under all that sneering and prejudice,” and that “he and Harry were not destined to end up best friends.”
Unlike Snape, who was sticking around with the Death Eaters in order to directly protect Harry Potter, Draco was just an nasty kid as a consequence of his upbringing. There was no redemption for him, and he was not going to change.
DUMBLEDORE AND MCGONAGALL WERE IN LOVE
A popular theory in the early 2000s, many fans assumed that there was something romantic going on between Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall. Something that was probably concealed from the sight of Hogwarts students in order to keep their professional images intact.
However, with J.K. Rowling’s revelation in 2007 that Dumbledore was actually gay, the McGonagall rumor was quickly dispelled. They were just good friends and co-workers, after all.
As it was confirmed that there will be a young version of Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them sequels, many fans wondered if the wizard’s sexuality would be explored in the series, and J.K. Rowling teased that it is definitely possible that we will see him struggle with many things as a young man.
HERMIONE’S PARENTS NEVER GOT THEIR MEMORIES BACK
While we see Hermione erase her parents’ memories of her to protect them from Voldemort and his Death Eaters during the events that preceded the Battle of Hogwarts, Potterheads were never able to figure out if she was able to find them again and undo the spell.
In a live chat session with fans that took place in 2007, J.K. Rowling confirmed that Hermione was indeed able to reconnect with her parents. “She brought them home right away,” the author added.
J.K. Rowling also clarified that Hermione’s spell was not necessarily done to completely erase her parents’ memories. Instead, the charm was intended to make them believe that they were completely different people. This was important so that the Death Eaters could not possibly identify or track them as Hermione’s family.
THE DURSLEYS WERE ALWAYS ANGRY BECAUSE HARRY WAS A HORCRUX
In a 2007 interview with Pottercast, J.K. Rowling clarified what is still a very misunderstood element in the Harry Potter mythos: Harry was not actually entirely a Horcrux of Voldemort.
According to the author, Harry was something “very close to being a Horcrux,” but he never actually became “an evil object” the same way that Voldermort’s other Horcruxes did.
With that said, the fan theory that wondered if Harry’s presence (being a Horcrux) in the Dursley household drove that family into madness and made them always be angry cannot be considered as true, because Harry was not technically an intentionally made, full-fledged Horcrux.
J.K. Rowling stated that a Horcrux has to be deliberately created, which was not Harry’s case. He survived Voldemort by accident, and a piece of Voldemort was transferred to him by accident as well.
JAMES AND SIRIUS ARE RELATED
Given that he's Harry’s godfather, many fans began to theorize that there was more to the relationship between the Potters and Sirius Black. However, according to J.K. Rowling’s recently published piece on the Potter family’s lineage, it has become more evident than ever that the author rejects any idea that Sirius was related to James Potter.
James and Sirius were indeed just best friends, and Sirius was therefore entrusted with the title of being Harry’s godfather. Though he had a troubled relationship with the wizarding world and its laws, Sirius Black was a good person who truly looked out for Harry and tried his best to fulfill James’ wishes.
He was not the perfect substitute as a fatherly figure for Harry, Sirius cared a lot more about Harry than his own aunt Petunia (a blood relative) ever did.
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Were you surprised by any of the fan theories that J.K. Rowling rejected? Are there other Harry Potter theories that you wish she would comment on? Let us know in the comments below!
Key Release Dates
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fantastic beasts and where to find them 2
Release Date:2018-11-16 -
Fantastic Beasts and the Crimes of Grindelwald
Release Date:2018-11-16
