The story of the Harry Potter series focused on the titular boy wizard, alongside his two best friends; Hermione Jean Granger and Ronald Bilius Weasley.

The fact that the story focuses on Harry, Hermione, and Ron means that they are often the focal point of the errors that have crept into the series.

We mostly saw the world of Harry Potter through Harry's eyes, so the bulk of the inconsistencies revolved around the actions of his peers.

The world of Harry Potter is filled with magic and monsters, but the rules that govern these mystical elements don't always make sense and aren't always consistent with each other.

The inaccuracies piled up as the books went on, especially in The Deathly Hallows when a bunch of new rules for magical wands was added out of nowhere.

The Harry Potter series' original intended audience was children, but as it found mainstream success, the text started to be judged through an adult lens. The inconsistent rules of the magical world would likely fly over the head of a kid, but they were obvious to the critical eye of an adult.

This led to J.K. Rowling answering some of the questions about the series on her old website and on Pottermore, some of which were intended to patch up the parts of the series that didn't make sense.

We are here today to discover which parts of the most famous literary trio of all time don't make sense. From the rat that broke all of the rules, to the Thestral problem that was created by the Harry Potter movies.

Here are the 20 Things About Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, And Ron Weasley That Make No Sense!

Ron's Rule-Breaking Rat

Ron Weasley Scabbers

All of the new first-year students who are attending Hogwarts are given a list of items that they need to purchase for their time at school.

These items include the uniform that they need to wear, several different books for their classes, and a list of miscellaneous items, including a wand, a cauldron, and a telescope.

A student who is attending Hogwarts is also able to bring one of three different animals-- a cat, an owl, or a toad.

The list is very clear on the fact that a student can only bring one of those three animals to Hogwarts, yet Ron was able to bring Scabbers without it being an issue.

Rats aren't exactly the most popular animals in the world, so you would think that one of the Hogwarts staff would have had an issue with a rodent in their classroom. Snape or one of Malfoy's gang could also have kicked up a fuss, but no one seemed to mind.

The Parseltongue Retcon

Harry Potter with the Snake at the Zoo

The only reason Harry Potter was able to speak Parseltongue was due to the fact that he was one of Voldemort's Horcruxes.

It's possible (though very difficult) to learn Parseltongue as if it were any other language, but those connected to the bloodline of Salazar Slytherin possess the natural ability to speak with snakes.

When the part of Voldemort's soul that was inside of Harry was destroyed in The Deathly Hallows, it prevented Harry from being able to speak Parseltongue.

We know this due to comments made by J.K. Rowling after the series was completed.

J.K. Rowling's words were retconned in The Cursed Child, as Harry speaks Parseltongue while impersonating Lord Voldemort.

Harry Has His Mother's Eyes (Until He Doesn't)

Harry Potter is compared to his parents throughout the series, due to the fact that he looks just like his father, except for his striking green eyes, which look just like his mother's eyes.

The fans once speculated about how Harry's eyes would become relevant to the story, with Harry Potter and the Green Flame Torch being a rumored title for the sixth book in the series.

Daniel Radcliffe has blue eyes, but the comments about how he had his mother's eyes remained in the films, so it was assumed that Lily Evans now had blue eyes.

The movie version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows includes a scene were Snape tells Harry that he has his mother's eyes, we later see a flashback where a young Lily Evans has brown eyes.

It seems that the producers were unable to find a single ginger girl with blue eyes in all of Hollywood.

The Flying Ford Anglia Needs A Sat Nav

The ford anglia flies over the hills in Harry Potter

The Harry Potter book series was filled with numerous inconsistencies when it came to dates.

The Harry Potter movie series was even worse, as the producers always seemed to forget that the series was supposed to be set in the '90s, yet they kept using locations and props that didn't exist yet in the timeline of the story.

The journey that Harry and Ron took in the flying Ford Anglia has a notable error, as it is said that Muggles spotted them near the Post Office Tower, which had its name changed in 1984 and should have been called the BT Tower.

If Harry and Ron did indeed pass the BT Tower, then they would have been traveling in the opposite direction of the Hogwarts Express.

This is because the BT Tower is about a mile southwest of King's Cross Station.

The Inconsistent Trace

All witches and wizards under the age of seventeen are placed under an enchantment known as the Trace. While the Trace is in effect, the Ministry of Magic will be alerted everytime magic is used around that underage witch or wizard.

The Trace seems to be suspended in areas like Diagon Alley or Hogwarts, but it will activate pretty much anywhere else in the Muggle world.

The Trace can be activated by any spell cast in the vicinity of the underage wizard, as was the case with Dobby in Chamber of Secrets. 

The Trace is pretty inconsistent from that point on, as Arthur Weasley, Albus Dumbledore, and Nymphadora Tonks all cast spells around Harry Potter when he is in Privet Drive or out on the streets, yet he never gets into any trouble.

Harry Is Easily Impressed

The ability to fly is something that mankind has desired since the dawn of time. This is something that has been reflected in movies, with characters being amazed when given the chance to fly.

It doesn't matter if you are being carried by Superman or riding on the back of a dragon: it would still be awesome.

The movie version of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban tried to use this sense of wonder during the scene where Buckbeak takes Harry for a ride around Hogwarts, which is something that impresses Harry to no end.

The problem with this level of excitement is the fact that Harry flies all of the time.

He has been a member of the Gryffindor Quidditch team for three years at this point and is commonly given the chance to fly around on a broom, so why is he so impressed when flying on the back of a hippogriff?

The Multiple Wand Style

The wizards in the world of Harry Potter aren't exactly the most well-prepared bunch in the world. You would think that someone would have invented a wrist strap for the wand, to prevent it from being dropped or knocked from your grasp.

You would also think that a wizard would invest in a few spares to keep on their person, as we see several incidents in the Harry Potter series where people are disarmed and become totally helpless.

It's never explained whether wizards could use multiple wands at once in the Harry Potter books.

It does come up in the movie version of The Deathly Hallows, as Harry casts a spell using multiple wands in one hand during the battle in Malfoy Manor, which seems to be more powerful than the normal spells that he uses, as it blasts Lucius Malfoy across the room.

Does this mean that you can get better results by fighting with multiple wands in the Harry Potter movie universe? If so, then they don't more wizards use several wands?

Hermione's Birthday Should Change

Time Turner in Harry Potter

The Time-Turner was one of the most polarizing items in the Harry Potter series, as it constantly raised questions about why problems couldn't be solved with time travel.

J.K. Rowling added some new rules to the Time-Turner on Pottermore, which listed some pretty severe drawbacks. The only safe way to use the Time-Turner was by saving it for mundane tasks, which is why Hermione was given one.

Hermione existed for a few extra hours day, as she was using the Time-Turner to take multiple classes at once.

This means that Hermione's birthday should have shifted, as she was several days older than she should have been. This also raises the question of whether her Trace would end earlier than expected?

The Sacrificial Power Of The Evans Bloodline

Alan Rickman as Severus Snape Holding Lily Evans in Harry Potter

The reason Harry Potter survived the initial attempt on his life by Lord Voldemort was due to the spell that was conferred to him by his mother when she willingly sacrificed her life for his.

This protection was so powerful that it reflected Voldemort's own Avada Kedavra spell back at him and prevented him from physically touching Harry.

Harry Potter would later cast the same sacrificial spell when he willingly sacrificed his life while confronting Lord Voldemort during the Battle of Hogwarts.

It was never revealed why the sacrificial spell can only be cast by those of the Evans bloodline.

We never hear of any other examples of this happening during either of the Wizarding Wars, even though there were plenty of opportunities for it to have been used.

Charlie Doesn't Care About His Wand

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows introduced the intricacies of wandlore to the series, which is something that had only been hinted at in previous books.

This referred to the allegiance of wands to their master, which was something that was not easily won. Those who used a wand that they hadn't won over yet would find that their spells would not be as effective.

This revelation raised all kinds of questions about Ron's original wand, which was passed down to him by his brother Charlie. If there was such a strong connection between the wand and the wizard, then why did Charlie give up his wand?

If Charlie had enough money to purchase a new wand, then why didn't he allow Ron to have the new wand so that he could keep his own?

It's possible that Charlie's wand was also a hand-me-down, but from who? Bill Weasley was his older brother, but they both attended Hogwarts at roughly the same time, so they must have both had wands.

Lumos Needs A Letter

Harry uses Lumos to read in Harry Potter and the Prisoner Of Azkaban

The Ministry of Magic is relatively lenient when it comes to uses of underage magic in a Muggle household, as it would take a lot of willful infringements of the law to get kicked out of wizarding society.

The only reason they were so tough on Harry in Order of the Phoenix was due to the Ministry trying to kick him out of Hogwarts.

It seems that the Ministry of Magic was a lot more lenient in the Harry Potter movies, as Harry casts Lumos Maxima several times during the opening of the movie.

Harry does this while still in his bedroom at Privet Drive, yet he never receives any reprimands from the Ministry.

It's not like he could have argued that the use of magic was necessary, as he could have created the same effect with a torch.

Hogwarts Needs A Rule About Broken Wands

The faculty at Hogwarts are lucky that there isn't any kind of school safety board in the wizarding world.

If there was, then Hogwarts would be shut down in about five minutes, while Dumbledore would have been sent to Azkaban to serve out multiple life sentences for the endless safety breaches under his watch.

As horrible as the safety rules are for students at Hogwarts, you would think that the teachers would have stepped in when a student was running around with a broken wand that backfired all of the time.

Ron Weasley was allowed to undertake all of his classes during his second year at Hogwarts with a wand that could have blown up in his face at any time, yet the teachers were cool with allowing him to endanger himself every day.

Mercy Is A Bad Thing

Timothy Spall as Peter Pettigrew in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were all ready to take revenge on Peter Pettigrew during the events of Prisoner of Azkaban, but Harry steps in and spares Pettigrew's life. This would later allow Pettigrew to escape and rejoin his old master.

Peter Pettigrew owes Harry Potter a life debt from that point on. The story presents Harry's mercy as a good thing, but the reality paints a different picture.

If Harry had allowed Sirius Black to get his revenge, then Voldemort's rise to power would have been delayed, as he wouldn't have had enough servants to complete his plan in Goblet of Fire. 

Peter Pettigrew's life debt ended up saving Harry's life, but Harry would never have been put in that position where his life was threatened if he had been more ruthless in his youth.

The Lack Of Life Debts

Arthur Weasley

When a wizard saves the life of another wizard, they are owed a life debt from their beneficiary. This means that the other wizard is duty-bound to perform a similar service in the future, even if they hate the person who saved them.

This bond is so strong that Severus Snape felt the need to preserve the life of Harry Potter, even though he owed the life debt to Harry's father.

We only ever hear of two life debts in the series (Severus Snape to James Potter and Peter Pettigrew to Harry Potter), yet Harry should be owed several of them by the end of the story.

Harry was personally responsible for saving the lives of Ginny Weasley, Arthur Weasley, and Ron Weasley, yet it's never mentioned whether they owe him a life debt or not.

Harry's Telescopic Eyes

Hogwarts Astronomy Tower

J.K. Rowling made many mistakes when it came to creating the world of Harry Potter. There were numerous instances when dates happened on different days, to the point where the calendar of the world made no sense.

Characters would just vanish from the story without explanation, like the mysterious Sally-Anne Perks, while the Hogwarts classrooms would change location from book to book.

One of the biggest mistakes in the series involved Harry's Astronomy O.W.L. in Order of the Phoenix, as it is said that he saw Venus using a telescope, even though the test was being taken around midnight.

This is despite the fact that it's impossible to see Venus at that time of the day.

Why Try In The Triwizard Tournament?

A dragon from the Triwizard Tournament in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

This point ties into a larger question about the Goblet of Fire and the Triwizard Tournament, as Harry was forced to enter the latter against his will due to a binding magical contract (that he never agreed to) which meant that he had to risk his life, otherwise... something bad would happen that was never actually explained within the text.

If we accept the fact that Harry was forced to enter the Triwizard Tournament, then why couldn't he just forfeit each task as soon as it began?

We know this is possible, as the entrants were given the option to quit during the third test, by firing red sparks from their wand into the air.

If Harry didn't want to risk his life and potentially play further into the schemes of whoever put his name in the Goblet in the first place, then why not quit each task straight away?

The Lack Of Social Services In The U.K.

The Dursleys looking haughty in Harry Potter.

Harry Potter endured terrible abuse at the hands of the Dursleys, which is partly due to the fact that Social Services don't appear to exist.

Harry was said to have been malnourished and physically abused by his cousin at various points throughout his childhood, yet none of the teachers at his school were concerned about this.

All it would have taken was a single visit from a social worker to have ensured that Harry was taken away from the Dursleys, especially after seeing the cupboard under the stairs.

Aunt Petunia would have needed to legally adopt Harry to take him into their household, even if she was his aunt. This means that some legal process and form of monitoring should have taken place, yet it never did.

One possible explanation is that Dumbledore was ensuring that no one took Harry away from his blood relatives, but that means that he was aware of the abuse being taken place and did nothing to stop it.

Harry Can't Fight Voldemort Right Now, He's Too Busy Flirting

The book version of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens with a chapter about the Muggle Prime Minister, before switching to Narcissa Malfoy.

Harry doesn't appear until the third chapter, where he is waiting for Dumbledore to come to meet him at Privet Drive.

The movie version of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens with the Death Eaters and skips over the Prime Minister, before showing the Narcissa/Snape scenes. When we get to Harry, he is sitting in a random London diner and flirting with a waitress.

It seems that Harry isn't as concerned about his safety in the movie universe. Sure, Voldemort and his cronies are capturing people in broad daylight, but that ain't about to stop Potter from macking on a random waitress while away from the protection of Privet Drive.

The Numerous Methods Of Discovering The Truth

Fantastic Beasts Easter Egg Pensieve

One of the main story elements in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is that the wizarding world at large doesn't believe Harry's story about the return of Voldemort.

This leads to Harry becoming an outcast, with the Ministry ready to kick him out of Hogwarts at a moment's notice.

The problem with this storyline is that there are several methods by which the truth of Harry's words could have been proven.

The Ministry could have used Veritaserum on Harry, so long as it was administered without his knowledge.

It's possible for someone to have used Legilimency to have read Harry's mind concerning the events of the fateful night when Voldemort returned.

It would also have been possible to extract Harry's memories and made them viewable through a Pensieve. We know this is possible, as Dumbledore does it to Hokey when acquiring memories of Tom Riddle.

It seems that the Ministry believed that Harry was powerful enough to trick three of the most effective methods of information retrieval at their disposal.

The Thestral Problem

Harry Potter, Luna Lovegood and a thestral

Hogwarts is home to a kind of creature known as a Thestral. These are skeletal horses with wings, that can only be seen by those who have witnessed the demise of another. Harry is unable to see the Thestrals until Order of the Phoenix, due to witnessing the fate of Cedric Diggory in the previous book.

The fans have quibbled about the mechanics of Thestrals at length, especially due to the presence of ghosts in Hogwarts. It seems that seeing Nearly Headless Nick remove his head isn't enough to instill a sense of mortality in the students.

The books at least maintained some consistency when it came to the Thestrals.

The movie version of events makes no sense, as Harry witnessed Professor Quirrell being disintegrated in the first film. This didn't happen in the books, as Harry passed out before Quirrell passed away.

Harry should have started seeing Thestrals from that point on, but the movies ignored the fate of Professor Quirrell and maintained the same lore about the Thestrals, even though it no longer made any sense.

---

Can you think of any other things about the main trio in Harry Potter that don't make any sense? Sound off in the comments!