The 2023 release of the game Hogwarts Legacy has many Harry Potter fans excited about making yet another return to the world of wizards and witches. Clearly, there is still a great deal of magic in the Harry Potter franchise. In fact, there are still many things about the movies which continue to excite commentary and speculation among various elements of the fandom.

The users of Reddit, in particular, have identified a number of opinions about Harry Potter that are still worth fighting about, further demonstrating just how rich and detailed this world remains for its diehard fans.

Harry Was Justified Using Sectumsempra

Harry performs the Sectumsempra on Draco in Harry Potter

Of the many magical spells that emerge from Harry Potter, Sectumsempra is one of the most devastating. Harry’s use of it against Draco is also one that has often threatened to tarnish his character.

Dredge_admiral_abyss, however, outlines a number of reasons why Harry was justified in doing so, including the following: “The fight started with minor jinxes, but Malfoy was the one who escalated the fight by trying to use Crucio.” While Harry is prone to rash judgments at times, the truth is that, with the evidence he had in hand, it seemed likely Draco was going to do something equally dangerous.

Everyone Should Use One Type Of Broom In Quidditch

The Gryffindor and Slytherin Quidditch teams standing together

Quidditch has always been one of the best things about Harry Potter, even if it also required some fancy work during filming. However, its rules can be a bit unfair, and it’s especially notable that one’s type of broom can drastically influence one’s likelihood of victory.

MasterOutlaw bluntly points out this essential unfairness: “Quidditch is a mess of a sport and the players not having standardized brooms is one of the reasons.” Clearly, while Quidditch is one of the things that sets Harry Potter apart from other fantasy, some elements of its gameplay leaves many fans dissatisfied. Players being allowed to use brooms of varying quality instead of being given a standard issue certainly creates an unequal playing field.

Harry Is To Blame For Sirius’ Death

Sirius and Harry hide in the Department of Mysteries in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Many notable heartbreaking deaths occur in the Harry Potter story, but few were as devastating as that of Sirius at the hands of his own cousin, Bellatrix. Some Reddit fans are of the (somewhat controversial) opinion that Harry was the one who should take the blame for the death of his mentor.

NJ_ShadowSwan puts it this way: “Harry did what he did best, which is believe he knew what's best! If he simply trusted Sirius and opened it, his death could have been avoided.” While Harry is very much the hero of this story, his actions can often have deadly consequences even for those he loves the most.

Half-Blood Prince Is A Gorgeous Film

Bellatrix performs the Unbreakable Vow on Snape and Narcissa in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Even though the movies vary widely in terms of quality, Half-Blood Prince has received some flack from fans who see it as somewhat stylistically inferior to other entries in the series.

LukaScotty77 disagrees in no uncertain terms: “Gambon finally shines as Dumbledore and the complexity in the cinematography shows the divide in the Wizard World. I think it really improved on several performances mostly from Grint and Rickman.” As this user points out, it is important to defend this movie against those who dislike it, precisely because it is willing to take some visual and thematic risks with the source material.

Prisoner Of Azkaban Is Overrated

Harry Potter outside of Hagrid's hut in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Prisoner of Azkaban is often seen as one of the best of the Harry Potter movies. In part, this stems from the fact that it is so much darker than its two predecessors. However, there are some fans on Reddit who are worthy to fight back against this assumption.

TrollHumper bluntly states: “Overall, not a fan of the movie. Style over substance, and the excessive style detracted from the substance.” It is true that, while the first two movies managed to be far more escapist, the latter became more baroque in terms of both its subject matter and its aesthetic, which helps to explain why some Redditors would not like it as much.

Arthur Weasley Is Underrated

Arthur Weasley with ash on his face in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

The Weasleys are, of course, some of the most important Harry Potter characters. The patriarch, Arthur, doesn’t get quite as much appreciation as either his wife or his sons, and this is something that a number of Reddit users find unfortunate.

Snikinail illuminates his best qualities: “He is a loving father who raises his children so well. He has a passion and hobby that makes him so dorky and interesting. Seemingly his job is meh but he does it with such enthusiasm. He gives great advice and he isn't afraid to protect his family and friends.” While he can sometimes blend into the background of the story, this particular post helps the viewer to appreciate just how important he is to both the characters and those who enjoy the series.

Gilderoy Lockhart Actually Proved Useful To Harry

Gilderoy Lockhart with his hand on his waist

Though he might not be one of the Harry Potter's most powerful villains, Gilderoy Lockhart is nevertheless malevolent in his own way. As he consistently shows, there is little that he won’t do in the pursuit of his own aggrandizement. However, rosefilm argues that his advice is actually good.

They state: “from a marketing perspective, his advice and willingness to mentor Harry (against Harry’s will of course) was an incredibly valuable opportunity to learn how to pursue the public eye + and be an entrepreneur (as a writer or otherwise).” Given how inept Harry shows himself to be when it comes to engaging with the public and convincing others to take up his point of view, it’s clear he would have done well to have heeded Lockhart’s example.

Hermione Is More Like Tom Riddle Than Many Realize

Hermione in the Battle of Hogwarts in Harry Potter.

While Hermione is one of the smartest and best characters in Harry Potter, she is prone to her own failings. In particular, as crustdrunk writes: “She breaks rules for her own gain (and sometimes in anger) despite being a prefect usually inclined to consider school rules as law. Obviously she does these for good reasons not evil.”

Their larger argument is that she has more in common with Voldemort than fans are willing to accept or acknowledge. As is so common in Harry Potter, the difference between hero and villain is often blurrier than a first glance might suggest.

Snape Truly Is Morally Gray

Snape at class in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Snape has the distinction of being one of the very best of Harry Potter characters (and one of the late Alan Rickman’s best roles). Debates have raged about the nature of his personality and his character, but some Redditors even now insist that, rather than good or evil, he truly is a morally gray character.

Moldytoes, for example, writes: “Snape is morally gray (falling a bit on the bad side), but he is complex and flawed and that's what makes him an interesting character. I hate how people would actively turn him to both extremes just to suit their liking.” Indeed, it is precisely the numerous conversations and arguments which continue to circulate around this character that demonstrate how richly and fully drawn he truly is.

Percy Is Misunderstood

Percy holds Harry and Cho Chang captive

Unlike the other members of the Weasley family, Percy has often been very unpopular. Some of this he brings on himself, but he also has his fair share of defenders among the users of Reddit. Sweet_Xocatl has this to say: “He has said and done awful things, there’s no denying that, but that doesn’t mean he was evil and like the majority of the characters he has a lot of nuance and complexity that many simply ignore.”

Like other characters in Harry Potter, there is far more to Percy than people often acknowledge, and it is a testament to the series’ ability to bring out these rich depths.

NEXT: 10 Movie Characters That Get Too Much Hate, According To Reddit