Hocus Pocus revealed that a circle of salt would protect from the Sanderson Sisters' magic, Hocus Pocus 2 contradicted this, but for good reason. The Hocus Pocus sequel introduced a new set of teenagers for the Sanderson Sisters to chase. When brought back, Winifred, Sarah, and Mary seemed much the same as they had been in Hocus Pocus 1, and the rules of their return were as well. However, the parameters of how prospective victims can protect themselves with salt seemed to have been altered from the original 1993 Hocus Pocus film.
In Hocus Pocus 2, a virgin lights the Black Flame Candle, and the Sanderson sisters are brought back for the night. This time around, a girl named Becca must stand against them. Thankfully for her, she had already done some fair studying into witchcraft, which gave her the idea during the Walgreens scene in Hocus Pocus 2 to use salt to protect herself and her friend Izzy. In the nick of time, Becca lays a line of salt across the ground, and Winifred's spell rebounds across the store. This surprised the Sandersons, which might seem strange since they should have already been familiar with salt's power.
Becca Was Supposed To Create A Circle Of Salt In Hocus Pocus 2
In the first Hocus Pocus, Allison and Max read in the Book that a circle of salt is the only thing that can protect a victim from the Sandersons' magic. This is proven correct when Allison put the idea to the test. Winifred laughed and called the teenager a "clever witch," but she did not attempt to attack her. She had clearly understood what the circle of salt meant, and though it didn't entirely concern her, she knew it was effective protection.
However, the issue with Becca's use of salt in Hocus Pocus 2 is that Becca didn't create a complete salt circle—only a single line. Yet, when Winifred attacked, the substance created a powerful barrier that blew the witch's magic back at her. This left the sisters completely shocked, and Izzy exclaimed her disbelief that "salt can do that?" This was significantly different from the scene in Hocus Pocus, both in how the salt worked and the sisters' reactions to the magic. While this could be a simple discrepancy between the two films, it may instead be one of the many hints that Becca was more powerful with magic than either Max or Allison had been.
Why Becca's Salt Worked Differently Than Allison's In Hocus Pocus 1
Throughout Hocus Pocus 2, Becca used powerful magic that her friends couldn't. When they were trapped in the cellar of the magic shop (owned by the Hocus Pocus sequel's new character, Gilbert), she was able to use magic to conjure some stairs to save them. Then, at the movie's climax, Becca used her connection to her friends to muster all her power and save the day (and even reunite the Sanderson Sisters while she was at it). This revealed that Becca's magical ability was tied to her desire to protect her friends.
So, while anyone could have used a circle of salt to protect themselves from Winifred and her sisters, the combination of Becca's magical ability and desire to protect her friends reacted with the salt to produce a more powerful effect. Winifred looked so surprised, not because she had miraculously forgotten all about salt, but because she had never before seen the substance react that way with her powers. It was the first clue in Hocus Pocus 2 that Becca was no ordinary girl and that—like Winifred—her powers were all about the people she was trying to protect.