When it comes to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, there's a mixed camp among the fans. It's the first film in the series that seriously deviates from the novels, making it more action-packed and film-paced but less true to the books, leaving not only a split fandom but plenty of plot holes.
Both the film and the book contain troubling discrepancies that bother fans from either camp as well, leaving us all to wonder about them many years later. Will we ever have a satisfying answer to any of these missing elements from the third installment of Harry's saga?
The Whole Time Turner Thing
Fans practically riot over why the Time Turner isn't used for major events in the series. J.K. Rowling has explained how the Time Turner could have been used to save Buckbeak and Sirius Black but not Lily Potter, James Potter or anyone else in the series many times, focusing on the rules of time travel in the wizarding world and the limitations on time frames. However, those rules are thrown out of the window during The Cursed Child's events, bringing us back to square one.
There's also the fact that something as important as a time-traveling device was entrusted to a teenage girl who just wanted to double her course load.
Sirius Black Came Close To Harry Potter
Hogwarts is supposed to be the safest place around, yet it continues to be the most dangerous. The kids are on high alert as Sirius Black is on the prowl as an apparently dangerous murderer, yet he's the most dangerous when they're in their beds, and the Fat Lady abandoned her post when he attacked. We know he entered as a dog, which still should've been impossible, but she recognized him, so he was human at this point.
Later, in Goblet of Fire, Sirius even appeared in the fireplace to talk to Harry. Why couldn't he have done this in Prisoner of Azkaban, and why isn't Hogwarts protected against his appearance, given that he's still a wanted criminal?
Wormtail Was On The Marauder's Map As Peter Pettigrew
It stands to reason that the Weasley twins might not notice a man named Peter Pettigrew on the Marauder's Map while they're managing their mischief. For all they know, it's another student or visitor, and they probably don't pay much attention to anyone outside their own plans.
The only issue with this is that the man would always be with their brother, including at bedtime. Fans like to joke about how this may have been brushed off as Ron's secret boyfriend for years by the twins, but would this really have been ignored during his first year at school? It should have been noticed and addressed at some point. And had they never heard of a famous wizard with that name who'd been blown up?
Lupin Transformed At Hogwarts
While Dumbledore's hiring methods are always questionable anyway, and the fact that he'd hire a werewolf who, no matter how kind and brilliant he was, would always be potentially dangerous, is already an issue, logic dictates that Lupin would never have transformed at Hogwarts.
This is a wizard who may as well be a walking guilty conscience, a man who won't even marry his love interest because he considers himself too dangerous. He would never forget to take his wolfsbane potion, no matter the circumstances, because being a werewolf is always at the forefront of his thoughts to the point of it being a character flaw, like the time he left his pregnant wife because of it.
Sirius Remains A Criminal
It's understandable that the Ministry of Magic might not believe a few kids, but with two Hogwarts teachers vouching for Sirius Black's innocence, not to mention the ability of the Ministry to test their memories via Pensieve, Sirius should have been cleared by the end of Prisoner of Azkaban.
It's true that Lupin is a werewolf and not considered as trustworthy and Snape all but demanded the Dementor's Kiss for Black, but once Dumbledore spoke with him and the two realized Pettigrew's betrayal, Sirius should have been cleared of charges, which would have prevented many problems in future books and films.
Sirius Works As A Legal Guardian
After denying Harry access to Hogsmeade on the technicality of not having a signed permission slip from his guardians, which is already rather flimsy considering that rules are constantly bent for the Boy Who Lived and his teachers are well aware of his home situation, his fugitive godfather's permission is now viable for Harry's Honeydukes enjoyment.
The fact that Sirius is able to serve as guardian doesn't fit with anything else in Harry's life, from his forced habitation with the Dursleys, which at least is explained later, to Sirius's continued criminal status, which should thwart his ability to grant permission as much as anything else has in Harry's past.
Sirius Can Make Major Purchases
Sirius is able to send Harry an expensive Firebolt, asking him, in the book, to consider it as 13 years of birthday presents from his godfather. That's all very sweet, but how does a convicted criminal on the run have access to his bank account? Muggle law enforcement check that first when tracking criminals, and goblin security is supposed to be so tight that they would surely notice an escaped fugitive charging a broom to his account.
Poverty also makes no sense in the wizarding world, given that everyone has access to magic, which makes the fact that Lupin can't afford clothing because of his werewolf status unlikely, too. Why not just use magic?
Who Are The Marauders?
Fans who've only seen the Harry Potter films left the theater wondering just who these Marauders people were after learning about their clever map. Their story, including the fact that they all became Animagi in order to support Remus Lupin during his monthly transformations, was omitted from the film, leaving one of the coolest sub-stories out of the movie.
The movies have to do this, otherwise, they would each be seven hours long, but it left such a big plot hole that it should have been explained a bit better. The Marauders are also such a fan favorite that fans who'd read the books were disappointed to have missed out on some of that history, despite the inclusion of the funny insults to Snape. That, of course, leads to another plot hole: how did the map know whom to insult and which personal insults to use?
The Importance Of Harry's Patronus
When Harry's Patronus showed up to save him from Dementors, he thought it might be his father, but why? In the book, we get this answer, but without the aforementioned information about his father's Animagus status, why would Harry think this in the film?
Fans may have assumed it was simply because Harry's own Patronus was a deer, but that's a bit of a stretch since, while true, Patronuses are never explained to be passed down to family members. It also fails to explain why Harry's own Patronus is a stag, which is much more meaningful in the book since it does represent his father.
Voldemort Never Acquired A Time Turner
The argument is often made that Hermione Granger was only entrusted with a Time Turner because she's a conscientious young witch who has proven herself trustworthy. This is laughable considering how many rules she's broken alongside her friends, but even if it's true and all one would need is Ministry permission, then why didn't Voldemort use the Imperious Curse to get one himself?
The Dark Lord could have done much with a Time Turner, from ensuring Potter never be born when he learned of the prophecy to enacting his revenge quickly after regaining full strength. After the Time Turner's introduction, it is weirdly forgotten until The Cursed Child comes along.