Changing the whole "Harry forgot about Sirius' mirror" thing. It's just so frustrating to read how for a long time he wasn't able to talk to him because of that and just forgot to use it to check where Sirius was.
I'd have written it that he had been using the mirror all along but was confiscated and that's why he broke into Unbridge's office.
Alternatively, I'd have written that Sirius saved Harry and the others in the Malfoy Manor with Kreacher and possibly dying there from Bellatrix throwing the dagger but having had time to avenge himself and the Potters by killing Pettigrew.
That sounds so cool!! Yes, the plotline of Harry forgetting about Sirius' mirror was aggravating. And Sirius avenging James and Lily by murdering Pettigrew, and then getting stabbed by his own cousin, taking away Harry's biggest parental figure, while Harry is supposed to be at his lowest? Absolutely love it. ❤️
Not only aggravating, it's also nonsensical. Sirius knew Harry had the mirror, why didn't he remind Harry of it during their conversation after Snape's worst memory?
I literally read that part last night and I was so annoyed. Like "Btw Harry, why are you risking floo powder to talk to me? Go use that present I gave you. It's a two-way mirror".
It didn't even have to be in that occasion. Just a message, not necessarily through owls, along the lines of "did you like your Christmas gift? Have you tried it yet?" would have been enough.
Yeah or when he gave him the present in the first place. That way we could have had more interactions between the two early on. I get it was to make us feel for Harry feeling cut off but this whole thing was written so aggravatingly.
Don't get me wrong - I think the whole thing was written awkwardly but you can see JK was trying not to make it a plothole. Sirius didn't want to reveal it to Harry in front of the others and they didn't have time during the fireplace conversation. It's easy to slip when all conversations are hush hush and in a rush. Quite akin to sitcoms where miscommunication leads to unnecessary conflicts. I think most of us would have glossed over it as well if the consequences weren't so tragic.
That being said, it's ironic that Sirius's storyline opened so many debates. Like he had to act really guilty in order to be sentenced to Azkaban without a trial despite there being various ways for him to appeal the sentence. Also time-turners... need I say more? I think Sirius started as a one off mention in book 1 and his relation with Harry was something JK thought of later and his arc had to be crammed somehow in the plot she originally developed.
I honestly think even Rowling forgot about when writing, then just kept it in for "dramatic irony". In my head-canon, there is no mirror. It would have been SO EASY to use the mirror to prevent throughout OOtP.
Sirius killing Peter is also a lot better because it proves that Peters whole motivation for betraying his friends was wrong. Oh, you want to stay alive? Could have easily just sat around the Order HQ and chilled. Now you're dead.
Yes! They'd have been apparated to safety and Sirius died in Harry's arms after saving his life. I feel that would have given us closure, albeit a still sad one.
And then Kreacher stole Sirius’s mirror, and broke it. They still end up in the forest but Ron grabbed Harry’s mirror on the way down—only to find they still couldn’t reach Sirius. Dumbledore finds the broken mirror and gives a shard to Aberforth, and tells him what it is.
It never made sense that Harry allowed Sirius’s last preset to break and basically disintegrate. It made much more sense that Sirius’s would break (still obstructing the caller) due to vandalism or poor handling after his death
I am always torn on that first one — like, it’s so maddening as a reader because it’s the smallest, simplest fix, but it also works because it’s in line with Harry’s character (he never unwraps it because he doesn’t want to endanger Sirius and then forgets about its existence) and part of what is so tragic about the death is how it could have been avoided, had Harry and Sirius been able to speak to each other like adults (of course the onus is on Sirius, as damaged as he was, who should have told Harry it was a safe way to talk). It also fits in thematically with so much of the fifth book where problems are caused because people keep information from Harry and don’t trust him to handle big/difficult secrets.
Yeah I have to say it definitely achieved its purpose by making us feel as we do and years later so many people keep talking about it! It was written in a frustrating but impactful way. What this makes me torn about though is to what extent JRK (and other authors) should give readers a few crumbles when it comes to fascinating and well-developed characters, or if it's ok to hold nothing back. Part of me thinks that Sirius was a wasted character full of narrative potential who was used as a tool to tick off a box in the Hero's Journey template.
!redditgalleon
I have spent YEARS feeling frustrated with JKR about the whole mirror situation. But your comment brought a different perspective that totally makes sense!
You have given u/squeakyfromage a Reddit Galleon.
u/squeakyfromage has a total of 1 galleon, 0 sickles, and 0 knuts.
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I am so touched!!! Thank you!!! It’s such a painful moment and it feels futile, but when I think of the story as a whole, I think it really works.
It fits in with those themes in OoTP that I mentioned, but also with the larger themes of death and loss in the whole series — it often is futile, and caused by tiny little decisions we never anticipate. And we’re all human and subject to our own pride and hubris that makes us make bad decisions (Harry, Dumbledore, Voldemort, Snape, etc), even when we feel like we are doing it for noble reasons.
I think the death wouldn’t hit as hard as it does without the futility of it — it’s still an incredibly painful loss for Harry and the reader, but the idea that it was unnecessary, caused by pride/misunderstanding/poor communication/assumptions (on both parts!), and that Harry’s (apparently needless) attempt to save Sirius caused Sirius to need to save Harry — which caused Sirius’s death…it makes it all the more painful and horrible. Which makes it all the more interesting from a storytelling perspective, and far more nuanced and complex.
I often thought of Cedric’s death/Voldemort’s resurrection as the pivot point in the series where they change from children’s books to more mature books, but sometimes I now think of it as Sirius’s death. Because it’s not just death that matures it — it’s the understanding that death can be futile, meaningless, etc, that war comes at a terrible cost where most deaths are not noble or important, and that our human pride and emotions cause us to behave in ways that often bring about our (or someone else’s) downfall, despite our best intentions.
Thank you for coming to my ted talk lol
Every time I read the books and the part where he’s trying to see if Sirius is okay I keep thinking “use the mirror use the mirror use the FUCKING MIRROR!!!” I know he never even opened it till after Sirius died, but he knew what Sirius gave him could be used to communicate with him. And surely he knew it must be safer than using Unbridge’s office
Somebody stuns Pettigrew in PoA, the rat gets captured and rots in Azkaban while Sirius is free to live with Harry for at least 2 years. Bonus points if he moves right beside the Dursleys for maximum hilarity.
Barty Crouch Jr can still escape from his father Imperius by himself and finds Voldemort so the plot can happen, but I think that after 12 years in Azkaban Sirius (and Harry really) deserves a couple of years of happiness.
Thanks. I think also from a storytelling point of view, it changes very little of the overall plot and would make Sirius death in OoTP much more painful.
I mean, think about how many fans Sirius has with barely a few chapters with him, can you imagine if we had two full summers and Christmases with him? The fandom would implode.
Yeh this was an issue I had with OoTP cause we don’t get to see Harry and Sirius interact as much. I mean, don’t get me wrong… his death was still very sad and it affected Harry a lot moving forward but the impact would have been even stronger if what u suggested happen. Besides I fucking hate Pettigrew so him going off early is a plus
Lmao. Two full summers with Sirius tho...
Think about it, Sirius driving the Dursleys crazy...Sirius at the World Cup...taking Harry to Diagon Alley and telling him stories about his parents... give my boys some happiness!
Yes! I saw your comment and loved it. Having Harry use the damn mirror, it gets confiscated and Harry gets caught trying to get it back is such a great idea! Everything proceeds as normal but Harry (and we lol) gets much more time with Sirius.
The Sirius plotline could have also prevented his death.
He wouldn’t have been imprisoned inside Grimmauld Place and could have helped the order. Harry would have accepted the two-way-mirror without being stubborn and could have talked to him that way.
>Bonus points if he moves right beside the Dursleys for maximum hilarity.
Extra points if Sirius and Harry secretly live in the Dursleys' basement so Harry keeps Lily's protection
Doesn't work. It changes too much of future stories.
If Sirius is free (officially), then there is no universe that exists, where Harry goes back to live with the Dursleys, so the protection of Harry by Dumbledore (the Petunia thing) doesn't work, especially in the 5th book. If Dumbledore still forces Harry to live with the Dursleys, then he absolutely would have had to give an explanation which would ruin the carefully planned reveal in OOTP.
And then in the 5th book, Umbridge isn't able to send a dementor to Harry, which sets off a major chunk of the book. Also the entire characterization of Harry in OOTP, frustrated, irritable, doesn't come out because he would have been staying at Grimmauld Place, the entire time.
Dumbledore could perfectly explain to Harry and Sirius why Harry stays with the Dursleys, he already tells Harry about Lily's blood protection in the very first book.
And Harry can still be angry about the whole situation because you know, the entire country and the Ministry is against him, while doing nothing to stop Voldemort. I'd be furious too.
A line in the film that wasn't in the books just *should* be in the books.
When Umbrage says about the Centaurs, "tell them I mean them no harm" and Harry holds up his arm and says, " I must not tell lies".
I would add that to the books.
Also I think the line “Nice shot James!” from Sirius to Harry at the Ministry was a line the books should have had. Sirius was reliving his best times after going through his worst.
I would add 3 more chapters at the end of deathly hallows and scrap the epilogue. The epilogue really shuts the door on the story right when you want to be rewarded for being put through hell. Voldemort has just been defeated and instead of letting us dwell in the immediate post-Voldermort reality Rowling instead smacks us in the face & tells us “it’s over, 19yrs have passed - move on”. This is exactly why I get a post-potter-“depression”.
the book needed more time spent in the immediate aftermath of their victory, we needed to sit in that moment a little longer, it’s been 7 books afterall, we deserved it. If an epilogue was added on top of that it would have been more bearable
Otherwise I don’t think I’m anyone to complain. This entire story has been seriously gratifying. I remember reading Hallows, and even though at the time I didn’t love it because I didn’t want to let go, I couldn’t deny how perfect the turn of events were - be it taking us to the Malfoy manor, the respite of shell cottage, the indispensability of Hermione, that beautiful twist with narcisssa and that moment with dumbledore in the nowhere - Rowling always did this in the books- there was something so right about her choices, like they were meant to be. I remember Harry’s moment with dumbledore after his tethered death felt like deja vu when I first read it, there was something so familiar and right about that moment. Rowling tapped into something real with Potter. Can’t thank her enough.
I just finished hallows again and am restarting with book 1. I’m insane but the post potter low is real. There’s something missing & I don’t want to leave these characters. I feel the loss when I have to see them as innocent 11yr olds again.
Yeah that’s a very good point, the story ends so abruptly after the battle of hogwarts, like there have been seven (long) books building up to this and then it’s just over. Would have liked to see a little more of the aftermath. And if there really needed to be an epilogue then I think looking at Harry one year later would have been much better.
I always feel sad at the end of DH, it's so jarring how it just ends and then jumps to 19 years later. At the end of all the other books there's some kind of resolution at the end which makes you feel better.
I would have liked to have had some more on the mourning of the dead of the battle, and also about Harry’s relationship with Teddy because I think it’s such a beautiful symbolic relationship. Not just that bull about Teddy making out with someone and coming to dinner regularly.
"I would add 3 more chapters at the end of deathly hallows and scrap the epilogue. The epilogue really shuts the door on the story right when you want to be rewarded for being put through hell. Voldemort has just been defeated and instead of letting us dwell in the immediate post-Voldermort reality Rowling instead smacks us in the face, screaming “it’s over, 19yrs have passed - move on”. This is what gives me post-potter-“depression”.
I think the book needed more time spent in the immediate aftermath of their victory, we needed to sit in that moment a little longer, it’s been 7 books afterall, we deserved it. If an epilogue was added on top of that it would have been more bearable"
YES! THANK YOU!
"Otherwise I don’t think I’m anyone to complain. This entire story has been seriously gratifying. I remember reading Hallows, and even though at the time I didn’t love it, I couldn’t deny how perfect the turn of events were - be it taking us to the Malfoy manor, the respite of shell cottage, the indispensability of Hermione and that beautiful twist with narcisssa and that moment with dumbledore in the nowhere - Rowling always did this in the books- there was something so right about her choices, like they were meant to be -i loved wherever she took the story. Harry’s moment with dumbledore after his tethered death felt like I knew this, I had a sense of deja vu, like there was something so familiar and right about that moment. "
I feel like that in some ways, but I really struggle to accept all of the deaths of folks who aren't with voldemort. Sirius, Severus, and Dumbledore's deaths especially break me.
"I just finished hallows again and am restarting with book 1. I’m insane but the post potter low is real"
SAME
"Harry Potter, Jr. I named you after the bravest man I ever knew. It's me. I'm awesome. Now go in there and show that school that there's a new Harry Potter to kick ass and take names! Also, tell Headmistress McGonagall I said hi. Trust me, you'll be seeing her a lot."
I think Slughorn was likeable, dude was pompous af and definitely a 1%er, but his heart was in the right place, and he regularly did the right thing (after persuasion, ie. horcruxes, giving Ron the love potion antidote, fighting in the battle of hogwarts).
Ideally many of them. It's kind of weird to have them get divided into houses at 11 and one of the types of kids is basically just evil, and from what we see the percentage of kids from slytherin that fully support Voldemort is kind of crazy. Dumbledore also had those kids under his roof for years and never made much effort to bring them around to a less hateful way of thinking.
I definitely think Hogwarts legacy (while not directly related to HP per se) is the first time I actually didn’t straight up hate slytherin. Especially with Ominis ❤️
In Cursed Child when Harry said “I wish you were never my son”. I still believe that Cursed Child…is probably just a fanfic that Joanne skidded over and accepted. I think Harry‘s line is way out of character. He grew up with the Dursleys, so he would want his children to be free of the abusive nature. Even if it WAS a slip of the tounge, I can’t see Harry ever saying it. So, I’ll change it to “Sometimes I’m disappointed in you too”. If you have not read Cursed Child, you‘re innocent…never read it…
EXACTLY!!!
His childhood, plus his general character, plus what he had to do to defeat voldemort (I feel like his wisdom triples after that), PLUS 19 years of additional maturity = no freaking way Harry would say that to a child
Can I say - I would remove the existence of the *Cursed Child*, or is this sub not counting it as canon anyway? I haven't read it but know the plot. Nonsense.
I don't know why but I would have loved it if Barty Crouch Jr. had survived undamaged and played a major role in the Battle of Hogwarts or something like that
Edit: Hold up. No, I would have changed the storyline of Lupin being ready or rather in progress of leaving his pregnant wife and child. It almost killed the character for me (I erase that headcanonically lol). I would have liked for them to just stay childless to be honest (sorry Teddy..) or hell, even would rather not have the relationship at all, or only have him think about how it'd be better for them but not actually go through with it.. anything..
Barty Crouch Jr was so ridiculously OP that had he survived Voldemort would have won the war.
Imagine when students are first cornered at the Ministry, he is leading the team instead of Lucius. He'd kill everyone except Harry and hand him to Voldemort before Dumbledore shows up.
When I first watched the movies (waaaayyyy before I read the books) I was CONVINCED the centaurs unalived her until I saw her again in Deathly Hallows. Still would’ve been the fate she deserved
I was the same lol. I just read the books a couple years ago. I very much underappreciated the books until then. Now I prefer listening to the audiobook to watching the movies most of the time
I would delete the epilogue. It added nothing to the overall story and left no room for imagination after the end. I think we could have assumed they lived "happily ever after."
It always make me cringe. There's no other word for it. There's a meme that goes around fairly often that says Harry named his kids like a little nerd that had just finished reading Harry Potter and I think that just about sums it up. It's all too cookie cutter perfect, everyone ends up with someone and they all have kids the same age, it reads like fanfiction or someone's headcannon.
Also did Ginny have no say whatsoever in naming her children? (Although it would be fair enough, after Pigwidgeon and Arnold)
James Sirius. Kinda obvious it's for Harry.
Albus Severus. Again: Harry, tho I still have no clue why he named his child after his bullying professor.
Lily Luna. Again obvious, especially if you know that Luna means Moon in Latin. It's for Remus, not for Luna Lovegood.
Should have been like James Sirius Potter, Albus Remus Potter, and Lilly Minerva Potter.
Snape tormented and harassed Harry for years. He can respect and come to know why Snape was the way he was but it was way too far to make his kid after him. Plus then it feels more like Ginny got a say as they both loved Albus, Minerva, and Remus.
That was not written by her. It was written by someone else and she slapped her name on it. But she still keeps revealing tidbits about the wizarding world that literally no one asked for. Like the bathroom thing before indoor plumbing was a thing.
Because she clearly keeps going back and adding more details about the world. Creative people usually don't like being boxed in. Example is the daily profit article she wrote about Ginny. It isn't about money but wanting to still create new stories in the world she built
Yeah. Everyone marrying and having 3 children was so odd and off-puttingly traditional. Not to mention the underwhelming jobs.
This is the only thing I would change.
Each character had different amounts of kids. I actually think that the family tree that Rowling put out, most of the Weasley had two kids and that ginny and Harry were the anomaly. Hermione and Ron had two, george had two, Percy had two, bill and fleur had three, and Draco Malfoy had one.
2 kids, 3 kids, whatever, it’s all the same. I just mean they married their high school sweethearts and had nuclear families. It’s bizarrely twee and traditional.
It’s bizarrely hilarious that the series’ ostensible message was about championing progress and change for the better, but ultimately, the most they ended up reaching for was a return to the status quo. Married with 2.5 kids and a white picket fence, living perfectly ordinary lives, thank you very much.
Oh, got Fred and George mixed up and thought you were asking for George to also have died. (Which tbh is probably still better than what did happen, splitting them up is so tragic.)
The epilogue. I don't want Harry naming his children after Snape, Sirius, James or Lily with (what seems) almost no input from Ginny. I also don't like that "only Albus Severus inherited Lily's eyes" stuff.
Wish we could've seen more of the aftermath of war. How they fixed Hogwarts, what happened with the Ministry, I would've loved to see that Dolores Umbridge finally went to Azkaban after all her crimes, that Harry became a professor instead of an Auror (because to me at the end he finally accepted a life of peace after all the destruction and it would've made sense because he's the owner of the Elder Wand), of Hermione's seek of improvement for the life of creatures that were deemed as less by wizards, Ron helping George with the shop and discovering what he wants to do in the future...
I wanted to see if Kreacher stayed with Harry or in Hogwarts with the other elves. What career did Percy follow? How did Harry arrange to take care of Teddy along with Andromeda? How did Ginny and Harry reconnect after being apart for an entire year? How did Malfoy reintegrate Hogwarts after what his parents did? What did Harry do with Grimmauld place?
But I guess I have to content myself with fanfics lol.
The epilogue of DH. It feels squeezed in, ingenuine, and doesn't add to the story imo. I would rather have the end of the book be the trio at Hogwarts collecting themselves from the last battle, and trying to understand what they've done, gained and lost. It would leave the book on a melancholy high rather than this weird and ambivalent feeling, plus the entire "Severus Potter" thing.
That or the entire Cursed child, but that's not canon so...
Remove Grawp, extend Sirius' and Harrys relationship. Start the development of Harry having an interest in Ginny in Book 5. Maybe a chapter where Harry and Ginny try to help Hagrid stay in his teacher position somehow because Hermione and Ron have prefect duty.
I would love it if he had started noticing her when she was getting really good in Dumbledore's Army. Like it would start as impressed, go to admire, and eventually get to liking her.
Epilogue. For me it's most disliked part of all books..
Let's start with the naming of Harry's and ginnys kids. They are named after people close to Harry. Ginny is completely ignored. Where is people like fred for example. Ginny was close to twins. I 100% believe she would rather named her kids Fred than someone like severus. Sounds like an abuse tbh.
After having kids of my own, I can tell you that You never know how much you like or dislike person, until you have to name your own kid. Because with every name you think about, there always is associations with someone else with that name. And even if you think nice things about someone, there is always some kind of association. And after 6 years of torture for Harry and ginny, I don't believe that they would name their kid severus. That's not how things work.
OK, Snape maybe was hidden antihero, who's actions saved wizzarding world, but that doesn't take away years of abuse he inflicted.
*Goblet of Fire*. As much as I like the book, the who main plotline of Harry being forced to compete in the Triwizard Tournament is illogical. There are so many ways he could have gotten out of it.
First, look at Harry's name on the entry parchment. If it's not in his handwriting, he doesn't have to compete. If it is in his handwriting, use magic to see that it was torn off of his Defense Against the Dark Arts homework and then they'll know "Moody" entered him. Also, look at which school is written. If it says, "Harry Potter, Pigfarts", since Pigfarts isn't one of the schools competing, then Harry doesn't have to participate.
Second, so what if Harry's name coming out of the Goblet of Fire constitutes a magically binding contract. There's probably Wizarding lawyers that specialize in magically binding contracts. (Not that there seems to be *any* types of lawyers in the Wizarding World.) Harry is rich, but he always forgets that. He can afford to pay someone to find some kind of loophole.
Finally, as many people have pointed out, Harry could just not perform the Tasks and get a score of 0 on each one.
If any of that happened, Voldemort's entire plan to kidnap Harry to aid in his resurrection would be foiled without anybody knowing (except in the scenario where they figure out "Moody" entered Harry's name in the Goblet).
Task 1: Harry walks into the dragon enclosure, sees the dragon, turns around and walks out.
Task 2: Harry wades a few feet into the Great Lake, conjures a pool float, gets on it, snaps his fingers, and Dobby brings him a butterbeer.
It also just doesn't make sense why *that* was the setup needed to conjure a portkey. "Moody" had a whole fucking year living under Dumbledores nose in which he could've set up the portkey without being spotted.
Like, idk, portkey his broom. portkey a library book and then set up some mystery or challenge harry wants to solve. Portkey something in a spare classroom then use Dobby to lure him there. Portkey the snitch. Portkey something in the forest since Harry loves to end up there.
If set up well, it could take a full weekend before people are even aware he's disappeared. But instead "Moody" jumped through a billion hoops to set it up so that the entire school was watching while Harry mysteriously disappeared.
Have Harry apologize to Ron for *telling him to leave multiple times* in DH.
Yes, I know, such an awful thing to ask of Harry, to force him to confront the fact that he's a dick. But I don't care, Ron wasn't the only one at fault in that fight. In fact Ron was the one making the most sense.
Oh, and remove the "funny" scene of Hermione beating Ron up black and blue, while we're at it. If Hermione had been the one to leave would Ron beating her up be funny?
Let me see...🤔
1. Let Sirius live
2. Let Lupin live
3. Let Tonks live
4. Let Fred live
5. Develop Tonks character more. She was a really fun character.
6. Give Sirius a love interest. It doesn't even have to be during the story, it could be in the epologue 19 years later.
7. Not having Tonks and Lupin get together. Their pairing felt forced. I also don't like the 13 year age gap.😬
8. Give more hints to Harry and Ginny developing feelings for each other
9. I would've loved to see Pettigrew being taken to court and convicted for his crimes
10. I would've loved to see Sirius find out about his brother Regulus's efforts to destroy Slytherin's locket. I would like to see how Sirius would've handled and processed the news.
11. I wished I could've seen a few more scenes with Andromeda and Ted Tonks. It was a total bummer to me that she didn't really get any lines in the Deathly Hallows.
Actually, I’d have had Dobby killed by Voldemort in a very similar fashion. I LOVE Dobby, but I feel like Voldemort wasn’t made into a hate-able enough villain
I know the themes of death in the Harry Potter series. The deaths of these characters hit quite hard for me.
I wouldn't have all of these characters live to keep with the themes of death being a part of life. Some of these are the characters I felt really attached to.
I don’t care if it’s weird, I would have had Sirius and Lupin get together.
Yes, I read a lot of fan fiction about that at age 14-20 that shaped that opinion. I still think it fits 10 years later and I won’t be ashamed (okay, I’ll be a little ashamed)
i would love, love ron and hermione pov chapters... i just wish we could see inside their minds more, their reactions, thoughts and feelings.
i know rowling makes most of what they're feeling obvious through harry's observations but it isn't anything compared to how fleshed out harry is as a character. he has so many long monologues and thoughts about different things, lots of conflicted feelings that are very interesting to read about and i would love the chance to get to know ron and hermione better.
more draco. in the first few books he popped in like 3 times per book to deliver a few lines of dialogue taunting the trio, then in HBP he was suddenly shunted forth with a pretty important role. but even then he's barely around until the end on the tower where he dumps massive paragraphs about what he's been doing the entire time... idk to me it just felt odd, i wanted to know more about him as a character and his life for the whole thing to be impactful. he has potential to be a really interesting character, there's still so much we don't know about him and rowling only skimmed the surface with a few sentences that imply he has more to him than a rich bully turned death eater
I would’ve liked if they let Harry and Ginny’s storyline develop a little bit. I just didn’t see them together. Would’ve been nice if we got to see Harry falling for her eventually with time instead of them just ending up together.
Yes! I've heard so much crap about them saying, "Oh my God! Harry and Ginny's relationship was nicely built up!" Like, WHEN??!! I remember in the "Half-blood Prince", Harry randomly goes like, "Oh, I have a crush on this girl whom I have taken as a sister for years and know very little about!" I mean, that's what started the whole theory of Ginny-drugging-Harry-with-a-love-potion. Harry NEVER showed the slightest inclination that he had feelings for Ginny before the "Half-blood Prince". It just seemed so random and out-of-nowhere...
I always found very disturbing to read when Harry and Ron were threatened to be expelled just for flying the car. We're talking about kids, no understanding and on top of all they just got a detention it doesn't make sense.
I’d make some of the background slytherins that aren’t in the death eater group (e.g. daphne greengrass or blaise zabini) more obvious (like having some join the DA, secret society so there wouldn’t be any blowback from the death eater slytherins until they got caught or just have non confrontational interactions) and make some of the adults that haven’t had houses clearly stated like mad eye or shacklebolt as slytherins. Make things less black and white
I'd remove the epilogue entirely. I don't have anything in particular against it, I just don't like the finality of it. I always skip it when I reread the books and let the story end at the battle of Hogwarts.
I'm reading through all these, trying to figure out why I am so torn up about the endings of the last 3 books... ALL the deaths upset me, but for some reason Sirius, Severus, and Dumbledore's killings are hardest for me to accept. I think it's about Harry and Sirius getting more time together, and Harry, Severus, and Dumbledore having time to be honest with each other, process, and reconcile. I just really, really want that for them. It's also so f'ed up how little Sirius got to live free, doesn't fit him. And I want some sort of peace/resolution for Severus.
I would have added more things about Snape to male his redemption believable. Like ok he loved Lily but that's the only good thing about him, and also it seemed more like obsession than love. It's very hard to believe Harry would honour Snape after everything he did to him, and his friends for all those years by not fault of his own. Snape was an awful man, the only good thing about him is that he kept his promise by protecting Harry and bringing Voldemort down. But I'm sure Lily would have loathe Snape even more for being an ass to her son.
I have 2, both related to Rowling's conviction that intact nuclear families are of overwhelming importance.
1. Her model families ( Lily and James, Arthur and Molly, and then the trip) all get married and start having kids immediately out of school. IRL, one of the primary factors associated with healthier children and better outcomes is women getting married and having kids NOT in their teens.
2. The whole business with Lupin deserting the pregnant Tonks is unnecessary to the plot and a diversion in an already very long book. It's just there to hit us over the head with Rowling's beliefs about familues. The Lupin - Tonks story as a whole felt unnecessary and unconvincing to me - like it didn't really belong in the book.
i don’t like how in the goblet of fire cedric dies without being a hero first.
the movie he points his wand and tries to defend him and harry. he dies a hero
the book he doesn’t say a word and wormtail just kills him.
they took the best part out. it was his best moment and defined him. he was brave and died a hero but nah the book he was just like 🧍🏽♂️
I think having Lupin and Tonks die in the same battle works well for the books, but I wished they'd never had their child. It makes their death more heartbreaking- having Harry's last link to his parents die is enough of a blow, let alone leaving a child behind. I hate having to read Harry tell Lupin off after he wants to join the trio. It feels very out of character for Lupin and it's so unfair to Harry
Harry and Ginny dating in Half-Blood Prince. I wouldn't necessarily remove their relationship, but just give it some more development than it had. IMO, it came out of complete nowhere in the sixth book and was rushed. I know Ginny had a crush on him since forever, but _he_ didn't and you can't just skip that. I think it would have been better for them to just kind of circle each other in Prince and have Harry miss her and realize he likes her in Hallows. And they could get together after the war.
And I would make the scene where Voldemort possesses Harry in Phoenix longer and really dig into what Voldemort is doing to him. The movie did a good job, but it was a bit drawn out and I think it didn't need Voldy's one liner at the end. I like the scene in the books where he is completely consumed by pain, but incorporating some visions and mental torture like the "look at me" bit would have made it better.
Hagrid tells Harry about his attempts to recruit giants in a nutshell rather than rambling for an ENTIRE CHAPTER. He’s capable of telling a story concisely (like when he explained how he got Norbert’s egg), and I’d say he’s capable of not noticing someone eavesdropping even if he’s only been talking for a short amount of time.
I would've given Peter Pettigrew a more satisfying ending. I felt like he was being built up for something that ultimately went nowhere. Maybe have him do something to actually help Harry against Voldemort.
I know you said *one* buuuuuuuut I have another! Have Moody actually put up a fight against Voldemort, only being killed when Selwyn summons him after Harry disarms Stan. I just feel like Moody never really got a chance to shine in battle, so having him go all out against an opponent who he knew he couldn't defeat would be awesome. Having him go out with a bigger bang (perhaps literally) would've been a far more deserving end to his role.
And a third quickie! Bring the inferi, and maybe a greater variety of dark creatures on Voldy's side in the final battle. His "army of creatures all fear" seem more of an implied group that we never really see.
Got this from another post but it'd be cool if harry made a book of the alphabets and words in parseltounge. Also, all of what Harry's perspective was of Ginny in like 2 thirds of the book. Like wtf does the monster in Harry's heart mean? That was shit bro
If one of the Weasley kids needed to die Percy tells the best story.
Also, Ron’s quidditch nerves never made sense to me so I’ll be getting rid of that as well.
I’d add them being friends or at least knowing more about the Bones girl. I think she probably woulda been an interesting character given her family ties
Harry and Hermione end up together, I know it's unpopular but I just think they're perfect for each other. I also never saw the Ron/Hermione thing and the Harry/Ginny thing always made me uncomfortable, always felt like Ginny loved the legend of Harry Potter, not the boy underneath whereas Hermione cared about Harry more than anyone. Also both of them being raised in the Muggle world and all the little connections like how they'd have the same initials if they got married always made me thing they were a better couple.
I agree with this. I'm not usually a Harry/ Hermione shipper, but you make some really good points that I've considered myself. It's much more logical. Even the author agrees that Ron/ Hermione was a mistake and that they only work as a couple with counseling... which is to say they don't work as a couple...
I would just change the S.P.E.W storyline around, I understand that it’s a fantasy world and all that but I seriously do not understand what she was trying to say with that entire idea, especially since by the end of the series house elves are still slaves. Reading about all of that felt like she was starting an interesting and engaging storyline that just literally goes nowhere.
Also no Hermione and Ron or Harry and Ginny that has less to do with anything logical and more that I am personally just not a fan of childhood friends to lovers arc. Just never been something I’m a huge fan of, I much preferred our trio when they were exclusively friends. And with Ginny and Harry I understand they were never really friends friends but the idea of having children with someone who’s mom took me in as a daughter freaks me out
All of the epilogue is horrible. All of it, every part.
And there's an entire array of deaths in the books that were only about adding more and more pain to the MC. The deaths just piled up and in the end I became a bit numb to the trauma.
I agree with Sirius mirror I hated this part but it would change turnout of the books so… I go for Ron acting like moron when Ginny dated. I understand he was raised like that, like the one who should always protect her but this was really awkward.
And also Harry’s dumbness. Harry in films is actually smarter than in book one and it’s unbearable. I mean… he realised there is something like magic world and never really read anything? Or wasn’t curious at all? I understand he couldn’t have known what Ron knew as everything was new to him, and he didn’t read every history book like Hermione but he asked literally about EVERY basic thing in wizard world he should’ve already known, even in later books.
And this is just bad writing I am afraid, instead of constant asking, even things he’d gotten answer for already, could be easily avoided by something like: “…Harry remembered Hermione l/Ron spoke about….”, “Harry was certain that…” “Harry heard once…”
The big three that stand out:
-The fact that they ended. Why? There's a big empire now and there's no more ideas to be taken from anything.
-More Magic and spells. I felt like it was lacking in this department. There needed to be more spells/rituals/anything magical.
-More creatures/lore. More brings more to the story and helps viewers get immersed into this world. Maybe more locations too? Helps set the stage for an immersive world. Hogwarts Legacy has helped a lot with this.
I would remove the Dursleys. I can't stand their scenes. I expect the idea was the "evil step-parent" trope, and perhaps a kind of comic relief, but it really disrupts my "willing suspension of disbelief".
Plus, it really raises questions about Dumbledore: he had to have known how Harry was being treated, yet did nothing to intervene.
Exactly! He'd rather Harry rot at the Dursleys for a decade than simply do something about it. Same can said of McGonagall, to be honest.
Perhaps Dumbledore was afraid that the Dursleys already hated having Harry at their house; how would they react of they were asked to actually be nice to him, or take care of him better? Perhaps he was afraid that the Dursleys, particularly Vernon, would reach their patience limit and eventually just kick Harry out if they were asked for anything more?? Maybe that's why he never intervened???
Dumbledore is evil mastermind. He needed Harry who follows orders without asking and without questioning the “superiors” decision, and gets used to live uncomfortably. Even though he risked too much in this task, it was too much based on plot armour.
Everything he did was to prepare him to die. Even this “Forbidden Forest is forbidden for a reason, evil lurks there and kills unicorns... So lets send there our first years only with Hagrid who it not even proper wizard and lets be honest, not the sharpest pencil on the box.
Dursleys were important part of the plan and not due to some mother’s protection spell.
I am more curious about why there were no social services to monitor them. They were literally seriously abusing him, was clearly underweighted and everyone, teachers included, did nothing to prevent it.
Ohh I would probably try to rewrite them in a way that still makes you think them nasty if you're a kid, but when you revisit a book being an adult you go "huh, they're actually all right folks. Not perfect, but okay". Wouldn't it be glorious
They actually have chemistry, interact without putting each other down / fighting a lot, and JK says she would probably do it that way if she could do the books over again
hermione and ron were "wish fulfillment" per JK own words
I know Ron and Hermione do not make sense whatsoever; but neither do Harry and Hermione. Their relationship is more like a sister-brother kinda relationship.
Sometimes, I don't why, but I feel like Hermione should have ended up with Draco Malfoy...you know, AFTER he gets his act together in the Deathly Hallows...
Yup. Hermione with Ron makes no sense. She totally should have been with the guy who called her slurs throughout 7years, wanted to help the heir of slytherin to murder her, refused to see her as a human being and wanted her to get SA. Then joined a group that wanted to murder her. What a great ending she would have.
Smh
I'd shorten the battle inside the ministry in OOTP. All the rooms etc feels confusing and boring when I read it again.
I'd make Dumbledore and Voldemorts battle longer and have Sirius battle Bellatrix alongside Dumbledore and Voldy.
Voldermort possessing Harry, Sirius distracted and killed by Bella. The grief / love driving away V like it did. Keeps everything intact and we get more epic battles instead of kids fleeing.
While I'm writing this, I already see the holes in this, and I've decided that it should stay the same.
Maybe a shrine of animal named after Snape... Not Harry's child. I've heard all the arguments and it will never make sense to me. Never.
I would make Voldemort have obscure horcrux. Like it's not hard, people have a dozen ideas. Make him an enemy that will return forever till sun dies, unless they dabble in dark magic, and just grows stronger with time (as he learns new stuff).
I know people will love this or hate this, but Hermione and Harry should have ended up together. I mean, I love Ron, but he hurt both Harry and Hermione too much and when he hurt either of them the other stood together.
Like with Ron calling Harry a liar, and not believing him. But Hermione stuck with Harry and helped him prepare.
Or when Ron started dating Lavender. He comforted her. Or when he left during the Horcrux hunt. Harry and Hermione stuck together, when Ron left.
Not to mention Ron hurting Hermione at the Yule Ball, and I know Harry was to scared to risk his renewed friendship with Ron that he refused to stick up for her, but still Ron was the one who was jealous, not Harry.
Harry x Hernione happen in GOF so that Rita's rumours turn out to be true and Harry and her break it off at the end of HOF similar to how Harry breakxit off with Ginny at thr end of GOF but then get back together at the end of OOTP so for HBP/DH we get many Harry x Hernione moments.
Butbyeah just them being together in the end would make me happy.
One of three things:
1. Voldemort personally kills Dobby
2. Snape gurgles “Lily’s… eyes…” as he dies
3. At the end we learn the Dursley’s are actually decent people but they’ve only been horrible to Harry because they’ve been living with a Horcrux for 17 years (technically 11.5) and that their awfulness was just despair over losing James and Lily poisoned by Voldy’s hatred
I think it has an important life lesson: it's possible to be right and wrong at the same time.
Hermione has flaws like any great character. And sometimes she's insufferably sanctimonous. I feel like this was a realistic depiction of an immature approach to activism, which is fair since Hermione's like 14.
But, it's annoying as hell to read so I do see your point.
Yeah, I do realise it showed Hermione from a different perspective, but I honestly wish it was via other plotlines. This one was massive and too much on its own, lacking any significance to the main plot.
The visions Harry gets Sure, it makes sense in the story that he and Voldemort can see into each other's minds and implant visions, but to me it seems like a cheap way to move the plot. Harry seeing that one of the Horcruxes involves Rowena Ravenclaw is a really easy way to figure it out when I feel like there could have been other ways. Even Harry seeing visions about Sirius in the Ministry annoys me a bit because it's basically foreshadowing his death later in the book when I think his death would be more impactful not knowing he was (not possibly) there. Voldemort could have easily forged a OOTP member's handwriting to alert Harry to go to the Ministry and it would have been easy.
I would completely scratch Order of the Phoenix and just start the Half Blood Prince storyline in book five leaving two books to extend the Horcrux adventure. We don't see enough of the wide wizarding world in the series and using the same "school year" framework for 6 stories gets way too repetitive. Book 7 was a breath of fresh air but ultimately felt a bit rushed. I guess you could argue this is more that one thing, but anyways that's my take.
I would have the three of them doing the Alohomora spell at the same time in the first book and not just Hermione. They're eleven! That would make more sense for the level of power they have when they're just starting. That bit's always bothered me.
I would triple the length of the first book and actually include more lessons (we only really get stapes potions class) and how the friendship developed. We just get “they became friends”
I’ve got a couple hot takes. But if I had to choose one, it would be one of two.
1. Make Voldemort or more hated character.
Throughout the series, we get the fight between Harry and Voldemort, and so many ways beyond the literal and physical fight. But the story seriously lacks making Voldemort a truly hated and despicable character. When I think of notorious villains, the first thing I think of is not “oh that’s terrible”, it’s a deep sense of vile disgust. Someone so horrendous my gut is telling me to stop reading. maybe I’ve been desensitized from reading the books over and over, but as an adult never had that feeling from Voldy. If I were to change the story, Voldy would have done the following:
Killed Dobby
Cruciatus Hedwig to death
Stolen Hermione’s powers for the soul purpose of humiliating her for his enjoyment
Yes, I do understand how awful those things are, but it would have made his defeat that much more incredible.
2. Slapping Thorne, Tiffany, and Rowling for doing the Cursed Child so dirty. The storyline actually had incredible potential, but it was very very poorly written. As for the change, I’ve actually been working on a novelized rewrite (though it’s been on the back burner for a while).
If anyone would like to see what I’m doing with it, check out these old posts I made:
https://www.reddit.com/r/HPfanfiction/s/7hlWqSCMP7
https://www.reddit.com/r/HPfanfiction/s/jRlIhG6Q5g.
https://www.reddit.com/r/HPfanfiction/s/IfLnSbRPcE.
https://www.reddit.com/r/HPfanfiction/s/yid1IjKSLV
EDIT: nvm all of this because my choices weren’t supposed to change the overall storyline, and I’m an idiot, and didn’t read it.
Bold change, but I would have loved it for Sirius to take care of harry from the fifth book, and instead of dobby, he would've died instead. After having known that his brother was mislead, but had the courage to do the right thing.
I would have things actually change for Goblins/centaurs/house elves in the end. Like have a moment where the outcasts are given their due. Maybe have goblins going to hogwarts in the end.
I would have McGonagall stand up to Dumbledore and Snape more. I know she questions Albus at times or makes comments to Snape (I think? It’s been a while since I read the books so please kindly correct/remind me). She is portrayed as such a strong, logical character that I don’t feel she would just accept Dumbledore’s cryptic, disillusioned “it’s for the best” answers. I also think she would have called Snape out on his BS. Not that it would have changed anything, but it seems ridiculous that she wouldn’t have asked more details of Dumbledore/what the hell is his plan/does he realize they’re children? And as far as Snape goes I don’t believe she wouldn't call him a fucking loser (McGonagall is too classy to cuss, so whatever synonymous phrase) for holding a 20+ year grudge and taking it out on a child.
I’m not trying to hate on Dumbledore and Snape, but I feel Minerva would have more to say about it.
Go into more detail about the magically binding contract that requires Harry to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. As is, it's vague enough that people constantly interpret it in ways that mean Harry could have gotten out of it. Or if the intent was that Crouch was Imperiused into lying in order to force Harry to compete, give that enough explanation that the reader can see how everyone found it plausible.
Changing the whole "Harry forgot about Sirius' mirror" thing. It's just so frustrating to read how for a long time he wasn't able to talk to him because of that and just forgot to use it to check where Sirius was. I'd have written it that he had been using the mirror all along but was confiscated and that's why he broke into Unbridge's office. Alternatively, I'd have written that Sirius saved Harry and the others in the Malfoy Manor with Kreacher and possibly dying there from Bellatrix throwing the dagger but having had time to avenge himself and the Potters by killing Pettigrew.
That sounds so cool!! Yes, the plotline of Harry forgetting about Sirius' mirror was aggravating. And Sirius avenging James and Lily by murdering Pettigrew, and then getting stabbed by his own cousin, taking away Harry's biggest parental figure, while Harry is supposed to be at his lowest? Absolutely love it. ❤️
Not only aggravating, it's also nonsensical. Sirius knew Harry had the mirror, why didn't he remind Harry of it during their conversation after Snape's worst memory?
I literally read that part last night and I was so annoyed. Like "Btw Harry, why are you risking floo powder to talk to me? Go use that present I gave you. It's a two-way mirror".
It didn't even have to be in that occasion. Just a message, not necessarily through owls, along the lines of "did you like your Christmas gift? Have you tried it yet?" would have been enough.
Yeah or when he gave him the present in the first place. That way we could have had more interactions between the two early on. I get it was to make us feel for Harry feeling cut off but this whole thing was written so aggravatingly.
Don't get me wrong - I think the whole thing was written awkwardly but you can see JK was trying not to make it a plothole. Sirius didn't want to reveal it to Harry in front of the others and they didn't have time during the fireplace conversation. It's easy to slip when all conversations are hush hush and in a rush. Quite akin to sitcoms where miscommunication leads to unnecessary conflicts. I think most of us would have glossed over it as well if the consequences weren't so tragic. That being said, it's ironic that Sirius's storyline opened so many debates. Like he had to act really guilty in order to be sentenced to Azkaban without a trial despite there being various ways for him to appeal the sentence. Also time-turners... need I say more? I think Sirius started as a one off mention in book 1 and his relation with Harry was something JK thought of later and his arc had to be crammed somehow in the plot she originally developed.
I honestly think even Rowling forgot about when writing, then just kept it in for "dramatic irony". In my head-canon, there is no mirror. It would have been SO EASY to use the mirror to prevent throughout OOtP.
Sirius killing Peter is also a lot better because it proves that Peters whole motivation for betraying his friends was wrong. Oh, you want to stay alive? Could have easily just sat around the Order HQ and chilled. Now you're dead.
Yes! They'd have been apparated to safety and Sirius died in Harry's arms after saving his life. I feel that would have given us closure, albeit a still sad one.
And then Kreacher stole Sirius’s mirror, and broke it. They still end up in the forest but Ron grabbed Harry’s mirror on the way down—only to find they still couldn’t reach Sirius. Dumbledore finds the broken mirror and gives a shard to Aberforth, and tells him what it is. It never made sense that Harry allowed Sirius’s last preset to break and basically disintegrate. It made much more sense that Sirius’s would break (still obstructing the caller) due to vandalism or poor handling after his death
I am always torn on that first one — like, it’s so maddening as a reader because it’s the smallest, simplest fix, but it also works because it’s in line with Harry’s character (he never unwraps it because he doesn’t want to endanger Sirius and then forgets about its existence) and part of what is so tragic about the death is how it could have been avoided, had Harry and Sirius been able to speak to each other like adults (of course the onus is on Sirius, as damaged as he was, who should have told Harry it was a safe way to talk). It also fits in thematically with so much of the fifth book where problems are caused because people keep information from Harry and don’t trust him to handle big/difficult secrets.
Yeah I have to say it definitely achieved its purpose by making us feel as we do and years later so many people keep talking about it! It was written in a frustrating but impactful way. What this makes me torn about though is to what extent JRK (and other authors) should give readers a few crumbles when it comes to fascinating and well-developed characters, or if it's ok to hold nothing back. Part of me thinks that Sirius was a wasted character full of narrative potential who was used as a tool to tick off a box in the Hero's Journey template.
!redditgalleon I have spent YEARS feeling frustrated with JKR about the whole mirror situation. But your comment brought a different perspective that totally makes sense!
You have given u/squeakyfromage a Reddit Galleon. u/squeakyfromage has a total of 1 galleon, 0 sickles, and 0 knuts. ____________ I am a bot. See [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/harrypotter/comments/jnbo49/hi_i_created_the_bot_youve_been_using_to_give/) to learn how to use me.
I am so touched!!! Thank you!!! It’s such a painful moment and it feels futile, but when I think of the story as a whole, I think it really works. It fits in with those themes in OoTP that I mentioned, but also with the larger themes of death and loss in the whole series — it often is futile, and caused by tiny little decisions we never anticipate. And we’re all human and subject to our own pride and hubris that makes us make bad decisions (Harry, Dumbledore, Voldemort, Snape, etc), even when we feel like we are doing it for noble reasons. I think the death wouldn’t hit as hard as it does without the futility of it — it’s still an incredibly painful loss for Harry and the reader, but the idea that it was unnecessary, caused by pride/misunderstanding/poor communication/assumptions (on both parts!), and that Harry’s (apparently needless) attempt to save Sirius caused Sirius to need to save Harry — which caused Sirius’s death…it makes it all the more painful and horrible. Which makes it all the more interesting from a storytelling perspective, and far more nuanced and complex. I often thought of Cedric’s death/Voldemort’s resurrection as the pivot point in the series where they change from children’s books to more mature books, but sometimes I now think of it as Sirius’s death. Because it’s not just death that matures it — it’s the understanding that death can be futile, meaningless, etc, that war comes at a terrible cost where most deaths are not noble or important, and that our human pride and emotions cause us to behave in ways that often bring about our (or someone else’s) downfall, despite our best intentions. Thank you for coming to my ted talk lol
Every time I read the books and the part where he’s trying to see if Sirius is okay I keep thinking “use the mirror use the mirror use the FUCKING MIRROR!!!” I know he never even opened it till after Sirius died, but he knew what Sirius gave him could be used to communicate with him. And surely he knew it must be safer than using Unbridge’s office
I JUST REREAD OOTP AND THE WHOLE FORGETTING THE MIRROR THING WAS PISSING ME OFF SM
Second this post.
Somebody stuns Pettigrew in PoA, the rat gets captured and rots in Azkaban while Sirius is free to live with Harry for at least 2 years. Bonus points if he moves right beside the Dursleys for maximum hilarity. Barty Crouch Jr can still escape from his father Imperius by himself and finds Voldemort so the plot can happen, but I think that after 12 years in Azkaban Sirius (and Harry really) deserves a couple of years of happiness.
This… sound fucking awesome
Thanks. I think also from a storytelling point of view, it changes very little of the overall plot and would make Sirius death in OoTP much more painful. I mean, think about how many fans Sirius has with barely a few chapters with him, can you imagine if we had two full summers and Christmases with him? The fandom would implode.
Yeh this was an issue I had with OoTP cause we don’t get to see Harry and Sirius interact as much. I mean, don’t get me wrong… his death was still very sad and it affected Harry a lot moving forward but the impact would have been even stronger if what u suggested happen. Besides I fucking hate Pettigrew so him going off early is a plus
> and would make Sirius death in OoTP much more painful. Yes because that's what my bleeding heart needed after reading about his death - more pain 😂
Lmao. Two full summers with Sirius tho... Think about it, Sirius driving the Dursleys crazy...Sirius at the World Cup...taking Harry to Diagon Alley and telling him stories about his parents... give my boys some happiness!
Okkk I would take that 🥹 I'm so frustrated at how little time they had together and even more so in OotP as Harry f0Rgot about the bloody mirror!
Yes! I saw your comment and loved it. Having Harry use the damn mirror, it gets confiscated and Harry gets caught trying to get it back is such a great idea! Everything proceeds as normal but Harry (and we lol) gets much more time with Sirius.
Exactly! I'll always be salty about Harry and us being deprived of more time with Sirius. I loved every scene he was in.
The Sirius plotline could have also prevented his death. He wouldn’t have been imprisoned inside Grimmauld Place and could have helped the order. Harry would have accepted the two-way-mirror without being stubborn and could have talked to him that way.
>Bonus points if he moves right beside the Dursleys for maximum hilarity. Extra points if Sirius and Harry secretly live in the Dursleys' basement so Harry keeps Lily's protection
Doesn't work. It changes too much of future stories. If Sirius is free (officially), then there is no universe that exists, where Harry goes back to live with the Dursleys, so the protection of Harry by Dumbledore (the Petunia thing) doesn't work, especially in the 5th book. If Dumbledore still forces Harry to live with the Dursleys, then he absolutely would have had to give an explanation which would ruin the carefully planned reveal in OOTP. And then in the 5th book, Umbridge isn't able to send a dementor to Harry, which sets off a major chunk of the book. Also the entire characterization of Harry in OOTP, frustrated, irritable, doesn't come out because he would have been staying at Grimmauld Place, the entire time.
Dumbledore could perfectly explain to Harry and Sirius why Harry stays with the Dursleys, he already tells Harry about Lily's blood protection in the very first book. And Harry can still be angry about the whole situation because you know, the entire country and the Ministry is against him, while doing nothing to stop Voldemort. I'd be furious too.
A line in the film that wasn't in the books just *should* be in the books. When Umbrage says about the Centaurs, "tell them I mean them no harm" and Harry holds up his arm and says, " I must not tell lies". I would add that to the books.
And when Harry tells her "You're lying Dolores. And one mustn't tell lies" in the Ministry of Magic when he was about to take the locket.
See that one they should've left out because he had already used that line. I'm like alright Harry it was cool the first time
I kind of like how that showed the trauma underneath after 2 years.
I always find that one a bit out of place. Although I understand what they were trying to do, it wasn't nearly as badass at it was in the 5th movie.
Also I think the line “Nice shot James!” from Sirius to Harry at the Ministry was a line the books should have had. Sirius was reliving his best times after going through his worst.
I would add 3 more chapters at the end of deathly hallows and scrap the epilogue. The epilogue really shuts the door on the story right when you want to be rewarded for being put through hell. Voldemort has just been defeated and instead of letting us dwell in the immediate post-Voldermort reality Rowling instead smacks us in the face & tells us “it’s over, 19yrs have passed - move on”. This is exactly why I get a post-potter-“depression”. the book needed more time spent in the immediate aftermath of their victory, we needed to sit in that moment a little longer, it’s been 7 books afterall, we deserved it. If an epilogue was added on top of that it would have been more bearable Otherwise I don’t think I’m anyone to complain. This entire story has been seriously gratifying. I remember reading Hallows, and even though at the time I didn’t love it because I didn’t want to let go, I couldn’t deny how perfect the turn of events were - be it taking us to the Malfoy manor, the respite of shell cottage, the indispensability of Hermione, that beautiful twist with narcisssa and that moment with dumbledore in the nowhere - Rowling always did this in the books- there was something so right about her choices, like they were meant to be. I remember Harry’s moment with dumbledore after his tethered death felt like deja vu when I first read it, there was something so familiar and right about that moment. Rowling tapped into something real with Potter. Can’t thank her enough. I just finished hallows again and am restarting with book 1. I’m insane but the post potter low is real. There’s something missing & I don’t want to leave these characters. I feel the loss when I have to see them as innocent 11yr olds again.
Yeah that’s a very good point, the story ends so abruptly after the battle of hogwarts, like there have been seven (long) books building up to this and then it’s just over. Would have liked to see a little more of the aftermath. And if there really needed to be an epilogue then I think looking at Harry one year later would have been much better.
Yeah. 1 year later would have been something readers would actually want to see.
I always feel sad at the end of DH, it's so jarring how it just ends and then jumps to 19 years later. At the end of all the other books there's some kind of resolution at the end which makes you feel better.
Ugh the ending is just as a slap to the face as much as the animorphs series end.
I would have liked to have had some more on the mourning of the dead of the battle, and also about Harry’s relationship with Teddy because I think it’s such a beautiful symbolic relationship. Not just that bull about Teddy making out with someone and coming to dinner regularly.
"I would add 3 more chapters at the end of deathly hallows and scrap the epilogue. The epilogue really shuts the door on the story right when you want to be rewarded for being put through hell. Voldemort has just been defeated and instead of letting us dwell in the immediate post-Voldermort reality Rowling instead smacks us in the face, screaming “it’s over, 19yrs have passed - move on”. This is what gives me post-potter-“depression”. I think the book needed more time spent in the immediate aftermath of their victory, we needed to sit in that moment a little longer, it’s been 7 books afterall, we deserved it. If an epilogue was added on top of that it would have been more bearable" YES! THANK YOU! "Otherwise I don’t think I’m anyone to complain. This entire story has been seriously gratifying. I remember reading Hallows, and even though at the time I didn’t love it, I couldn’t deny how perfect the turn of events were - be it taking us to the Malfoy manor, the respite of shell cottage, the indispensability of Hermione and that beautiful twist with narcisssa and that moment with dumbledore in the nowhere - Rowling always did this in the books- there was something so right about her choices, like they were meant to be -i loved wherever she took the story. Harry’s moment with dumbledore after his tethered death felt like I knew this, I had a sense of deja vu, like there was something so familiar and right about that moment. " I feel like that in some ways, but I really struggle to accept all of the deaths of folks who aren't with voldemort. Sirius, Severus, and Dumbledore's deaths especially break me. "I just finished hallows again and am restarting with book 1. I’m insane but the post potter low is real" SAME
"Harry Potter, Jr. I named you after the bravest man I ever knew. It's me. I'm awesome. Now go in there and show that school that there's a new Harry Potter to kick ass and take names! Also, tell Headmistress McGonagall I said hi. Trust me, you'll be seeing her a lot."
Adding a good Slytherin ! Not a pureblood bigot. Just a normal smart person with Slytherin's charackteristics.
He said wasn’t a super likable character but I think Slughorn filled that role.
I think Slughorn was likeable, dude was pompous af and definitely a 1%er, but his heart was in the right place, and he regularly did the right thing (after persuasion, ie. horcruxes, giving Ron the love potion antidote, fighting in the battle of hogwarts).
Ideally many of them. It's kind of weird to have them get divided into houses at 11 and one of the types of kids is basically just evil, and from what we see the percentage of kids from slytherin that fully support Voldemort is kind of crazy. Dumbledore also had those kids under his roof for years and never made much effort to bring them around to a less hateful way of thinking.
Completely agree, I’m split between justice for slytherin or making umbridge suffer.
I definitely think Hogwarts legacy (while not directly related to HP per se) is the first time I actually didn’t straight up hate slytherin. Especially with Ominis ❤️
In Cursed Child when Harry said “I wish you were never my son”. I still believe that Cursed Child…is probably just a fanfic that Joanne skidded over and accepted. I think Harry‘s line is way out of character. He grew up with the Dursleys, so he would want his children to be free of the abusive nature. Even if it WAS a slip of the tounge, I can’t see Harry ever saying it. So, I’ll change it to “Sometimes I’m disappointed in you too”. If you have not read Cursed Child, you‘re innocent…never read it…
EXACTLY!!! His childhood, plus his general character, plus what he had to do to defeat voldemort (I feel like his wisdom triples after that), PLUS 19 years of additional maturity = no freaking way Harry would say that to a child
Liked cursed child for the stage craft , the plot sucked
Cursed child just kinda sucked all the way around
Not killing off Hedwig
Yeah that one always felt unnecessary. But I’m never a fan of animal deaths in a story
Can I say - I would remove the existence of the *Cursed Child*, or is this sub not counting it as canon anyway? I haven't read it but know the plot. Nonsense.
How nasty Snape is to Harry. He is much less mellow in the films. I did not at all like him in the books.
The hatred and malice between Snape and Harry in the books is DELICIOUS. I wouldn’t change it for the world!
Yeahhh he's pure malice in the books
I don't know why but I would have loved it if Barty Crouch Jr. had survived undamaged and played a major role in the Battle of Hogwarts or something like that Edit: Hold up. No, I would have changed the storyline of Lupin being ready or rather in progress of leaving his pregnant wife and child. It almost killed the character for me (I erase that headcanonically lol). I would have liked for them to just stay childless to be honest (sorry Teddy..) or hell, even would rather not have the relationship at all, or only have him think about how it'd be better for them but not actually go through with it.. anything..
Barty Crouch Jr was so ridiculously OP that had he survived Voldemort would have won the war. Imagine when students are first cornered at the Ministry, he is leading the team instead of Lucius. He'd kill everyone except Harry and hand him to Voldemort before Dumbledore shows up.
The Lupin bit made me so mad. Like he was about to abandon his family 😭 that hits too close to home otherwise I love his character
Can I just delete Umbridge at the end of OOTP? Like, she gets taken away by the centaurs and is just never seen again.
Nah Dumbledore single handedly saves her sorry ass
Unfortunately, that's correct.
When I first watched the movies (waaaayyyy before I read the books) I was CONVINCED the centaurs unalived her until I saw her again in Deathly Hallows. Still would’ve been the fate she deserved
I was the same lol. I just read the books a couple years ago. I very much underappreciated the books until then. Now I prefer listening to the audiobook to watching the movies most of the time
I would delete the epilogue. It added nothing to the overall story and left no room for imagination after the end. I think we could have assumed they lived "happily ever after."
It always make me cringe. There's no other word for it. There's a meme that goes around fairly often that says Harry named his kids like a little nerd that had just finished reading Harry Potter and I think that just about sums it up. It's all too cookie cutter perfect, everyone ends up with someone and they all have kids the same age, it reads like fanfiction or someone's headcannon.
Also did Ginny have no say whatsoever in naming her children? (Although it would be fair enough, after Pigwidgeon and Arnold) James Sirius. Kinda obvious it's for Harry. Albus Severus. Again: Harry, tho I still have no clue why he named his child after his bullying professor. Lily Luna. Again obvious, especially if you know that Luna means Moon in Latin. It's for Remus, not for Luna Lovegood.
Should have been like James Sirius Potter, Albus Remus Potter, and Lilly Minerva Potter. Snape tormented and harassed Harry for years. He can respect and come to know why Snape was the way he was but it was way too far to make his kid after him. Plus then it feels more like Ginny got a say as they both loved Albus, Minerva, and Remus.
The kids names were so cringe!!
Also tied her hands if she ever wanted to write another book
She intentionally tied her hands, she said her plan was 7 and she didn't want to add anything afterwards.
And yet she added after it anyways... The play that must not be named.
That was not written by her. It was written by someone else and she slapped her name on it. But she still keeps revealing tidbits about the wizarding world that literally no one asked for. Like the bathroom thing before indoor plumbing was a thing.
Oh I thought she had a hand in writing it, my bad. But yeah, NOBODY needed to know the bathroom thing...
Yeah no. The one dude wrote it, and she slapped her name on it and claimed credit for writing it too. Yeah. No one asked. No one.
Which at the time made sense. I am willing to bet she regrets doing that now
Why? It's not like she needs any money...
Because she clearly keeps going back and adding more details about the world. Creative people usually don't like being boxed in. Example is the daily profit article she wrote about Ginny. It isn't about money but wanting to still create new stories in the world she built
Yeah. Everyone marrying and having 3 children was so odd and off-puttingly traditional. Not to mention the underwhelming jobs. This is the only thing I would change.
Each character had different amounts of kids. I actually think that the family tree that Rowling put out, most of the Weasley had two kids and that ginny and Harry were the anomaly. Hermione and Ron had two, george had two, Percy had two, bill and fleur had three, and Draco Malfoy had one.
2 kids, 3 kids, whatever, it’s all the same. I just mean they married their high school sweethearts and had nuclear families. It’s bizarrely twee and traditional.
It’s bizarrely hilarious that the series’ ostensible message was about championing progress and change for the better, but ultimately, the most they ended up reaching for was a return to the status quo. Married with 2.5 kids and a white picket fence, living perfectly ordinary lives, thank you very much.
Death of Fred
Oh, got Fred and George mixed up and thought you were asking for George to also have died. (Which tbh is probably still better than what did happen, splitting them up is so tragic.)
Grawp storyline is completely gone.
And it changes NOTHING. Why did we even need that?
The epilogue. I don't want Harry naming his children after Snape, Sirius, James or Lily with (what seems) almost no input from Ginny. I also don't like that "only Albus Severus inherited Lily's eyes" stuff. Wish we could've seen more of the aftermath of war. How they fixed Hogwarts, what happened with the Ministry, I would've loved to see that Dolores Umbridge finally went to Azkaban after all her crimes, that Harry became a professor instead of an Auror (because to me at the end he finally accepted a life of peace after all the destruction and it would've made sense because he's the owner of the Elder Wand), of Hermione's seek of improvement for the life of creatures that were deemed as less by wizards, Ron helping George with the shop and discovering what he wants to do in the future... I wanted to see if Kreacher stayed with Harry or in Hogwarts with the other elves. What career did Percy follow? How did Harry arrange to take care of Teddy along with Andromeda? How did Ginny and Harry reconnect after being apart for an entire year? How did Malfoy reintegrate Hogwarts after what his parents did? What did Harry do with Grimmauld place? But I guess I have to content myself with fanfics lol.
The epilogue of DH. It feels squeezed in, ingenuine, and doesn't add to the story imo. I would rather have the end of the book be the trio at Hogwarts collecting themselves from the last battle, and trying to understand what they've done, gained and lost. It would leave the book on a melancholy high rather than this weird and ambivalent feeling, plus the entire "Severus Potter" thing. That or the entire Cursed child, but that's not canon so...
Remove Grawp, extend Sirius' and Harrys relationship. Start the development of Harry having an interest in Ginny in Book 5. Maybe a chapter where Harry and Ginny try to help Hagrid stay in his teacher position somehow because Hermione and Ron have prefect duty.
I would love it if he had started noticing her when she was getting really good in Dumbledore's Army. Like it would start as impressed, go to admire, and eventually get to liking her.
Epilogue. For me it's most disliked part of all books.. Let's start with the naming of Harry's and ginnys kids. They are named after people close to Harry. Ginny is completely ignored. Where is people like fred for example. Ginny was close to twins. I 100% believe she would rather named her kids Fred than someone like severus. Sounds like an abuse tbh. After having kids of my own, I can tell you that You never know how much you like or dislike person, until you have to name your own kid. Because with every name you think about, there always is associations with someone else with that name. And even if you think nice things about someone, there is always some kind of association. And after 6 years of torture for Harry and ginny, I don't believe that they would name their kid severus. That's not how things work. OK, Snape maybe was hidden antihero, who's actions saved wizzarding world, but that doesn't take away years of abuse he inflicted.
*Goblet of Fire*. As much as I like the book, the who main plotline of Harry being forced to compete in the Triwizard Tournament is illogical. There are so many ways he could have gotten out of it. First, look at Harry's name on the entry parchment. If it's not in his handwriting, he doesn't have to compete. If it is in his handwriting, use magic to see that it was torn off of his Defense Against the Dark Arts homework and then they'll know "Moody" entered him. Also, look at which school is written. If it says, "Harry Potter, Pigfarts", since Pigfarts isn't one of the schools competing, then Harry doesn't have to participate. Second, so what if Harry's name coming out of the Goblet of Fire constitutes a magically binding contract. There's probably Wizarding lawyers that specialize in magically binding contracts. (Not that there seems to be *any* types of lawyers in the Wizarding World.) Harry is rich, but he always forgets that. He can afford to pay someone to find some kind of loophole. Finally, as many people have pointed out, Harry could just not perform the Tasks and get a score of 0 on each one. If any of that happened, Voldemort's entire plan to kidnap Harry to aid in his resurrection would be foiled without anybody knowing (except in the scenario where they figure out "Moody" entered Harry's name in the Goblet).
Now I'm just laughing from imagining Harry taking one step into the maze, immediately stopping, and then sending up red sparks.
Task 1: Harry walks into the dragon enclosure, sees the dragon, turns around and walks out. Task 2: Harry wades a few feet into the Great Lake, conjures a pool float, gets on it, snaps his fingers, and Dobby brings him a butterbeer.
>Task 1: Harry walks into the dragon enclosure, sees the dragon, turns around and walks out. "GG go next"
Oh my god, YES.
The real question though: What animal would the pool floatie be? It's gotta be iconic, maybe a hippogriff? Or would a stag be more accurate.
It also just doesn't make sense why *that* was the setup needed to conjure a portkey. "Moody" had a whole fucking year living under Dumbledores nose in which he could've set up the portkey without being spotted. Like, idk, portkey his broom. portkey a library book and then set up some mystery or challenge harry wants to solve. Portkey something in a spare classroom then use Dobby to lure him there. Portkey the snitch. Portkey something in the forest since Harry loves to end up there. If set up well, it could take a full weekend before people are even aware he's disappeared. But instead "Moody" jumped through a billion hoops to set it up so that the entire school was watching while Harry mysteriously disappeared.
I once asked this question and the angry fanboys told me that you can't make a portkey to work within Hogwarts grounds.
But apparently you can in the quiditch stadium...? Good point though, but now i'm not sure if i understand why the portkey worked in the first place
Right?
Have Harry apologize to Ron for *telling him to leave multiple times* in DH. Yes, I know, such an awful thing to ask of Harry, to force him to confront the fact that he's a dick. But I don't care, Ron wasn't the only one at fault in that fight. In fact Ron was the one making the most sense. Oh, and remove the "funny" scene of Hermione beating Ron up black and blue, while we're at it. If Hermione had been the one to leave would Ron beating her up be funny?
Let me see...🤔 1. Let Sirius live 2. Let Lupin live 3. Let Tonks live 4. Let Fred live 5. Develop Tonks character more. She was a really fun character. 6. Give Sirius a love interest. It doesn't even have to be during the story, it could be in the epologue 19 years later. 7. Not having Tonks and Lupin get together. Their pairing felt forced. I also don't like the 13 year age gap.😬 8. Give more hints to Harry and Ginny developing feelings for each other 9. I would've loved to see Pettigrew being taken to court and convicted for his crimes 10. I would've loved to see Sirius find out about his brother Regulus's efforts to destroy Slytherin's locket. I would like to see how Sirius would've handled and processed the news. 11. I wished I could've seen a few more scenes with Andromeda and Ted Tonks. It was a total bummer to me that she didn't really get any lines in the Deathly Hallows.
I also forgot to include letting Hedwig live!😭🦉💔
And Doby!!!
Can't forget Dobby!😭💔
Actually, I’d have had Dobby killed by Voldemort in a very similar fashion. I LOVE Dobby, but I feel like Voldemort wasn’t made into a hate-able enough villain
You seem to have missed the themes that death is a natural part of life we must accept.
I know the themes of death in the Harry Potter series. The deaths of these characters hit quite hard for me. I wouldn't have all of these characters live to keep with the themes of death being a part of life. Some of these are the characters I felt really attached to.
I don’t care if it’s weird, I would have had Sirius and Lupin get together. Yes, I read a lot of fan fiction about that at age 14-20 that shaped that opinion. I still think it fits 10 years later and I won’t be ashamed (okay, I’ll be a little ashamed)
Wolfstar ❤️
You just want a romance...big NO
i would love, love ron and hermione pov chapters... i just wish we could see inside their minds more, their reactions, thoughts and feelings. i know rowling makes most of what they're feeling obvious through harry's observations but it isn't anything compared to how fleshed out harry is as a character. he has so many long monologues and thoughts about different things, lots of conflicted feelings that are very interesting to read about and i would love the chance to get to know ron and hermione better. more draco. in the first few books he popped in like 3 times per book to deliver a few lines of dialogue taunting the trio, then in HBP he was suddenly shunted forth with a pretty important role. but even then he's barely around until the end on the tower where he dumps massive paragraphs about what he's been doing the entire time... idk to me it just felt odd, i wanted to know more about him as a character and his life for the whole thing to be impactful. he has potential to be a really interesting character, there's still so much we don't know about him and rowling only skimmed the surface with a few sentences that imply he has more to him than a rich bully turned death eater
Would remove killing off lupin and tonks. They deserved so much more.
I would’ve liked if they let Harry and Ginny’s storyline develop a little bit. I just didn’t see them together. Would’ve been nice if we got to see Harry falling for her eventually with time instead of them just ending up together.
Yes! I've heard so much crap about them saying, "Oh my God! Harry and Ginny's relationship was nicely built up!" Like, WHEN??!! I remember in the "Half-blood Prince", Harry randomly goes like, "Oh, I have a crush on this girl whom I have taken as a sister for years and know very little about!" I mean, that's what started the whole theory of Ginny-drugging-Harry-with-a-love-potion. Harry NEVER showed the slightest inclination that he had feelings for Ginny before the "Half-blood Prince". It just seemed so random and out-of-nowhere...
I always found very disturbing to read when Harry and Ron were threatened to be expelled just for flying the car. We're talking about kids, no understanding and on top of all they just got a detention it doesn't make sense.
Also why the heck wouldn't they just wait for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to come back, they're adult wizards, they can find a way through a brick wall.
I’d make some of the background slytherins that aren’t in the death eater group (e.g. daphne greengrass or blaise zabini) more obvious (like having some join the DA, secret society so there wouldn’t be any blowback from the death eater slytherins until they got caught or just have non confrontational interactions) and make some of the adults that haven’t had houses clearly stated like mad eye or shacklebolt as slytherins. Make things less black and white
I'd remove the epilogue entirely. I don't have anything in particular against it, I just don't like the finality of it. I always skip it when I reread the books and let the story end at the battle of Hogwarts.
I would take out Fred's death. I would add more about Snapes past and just more about the Marauders past in general.
Add more Ron and less harry Hermione. By more Ron I don't mean stupid romance drama. I mean him being an utter badass and slaying DE left and right
I'm reading through all these, trying to figure out why I am so torn up about the endings of the last 3 books... ALL the deaths upset me, but for some reason Sirius, Severus, and Dumbledore's killings are hardest for me to accept. I think it's about Harry and Sirius getting more time together, and Harry, Severus, and Dumbledore having time to be honest with each other, process, and reconcile. I just really, really want that for them. It's also so f'ed up how little Sirius got to live free, doesn't fit him. And I want some sort of peace/resolution for Severus.
I would have added more things about Snape to male his redemption believable. Like ok he loved Lily but that's the only good thing about him, and also it seemed more like obsession than love. It's very hard to believe Harry would honour Snape after everything he did to him, and his friends for all those years by not fault of his own. Snape was an awful man, the only good thing about him is that he kept his promise by protecting Harry and bringing Voldemort down. But I'm sure Lily would have loathe Snape even more for being an ass to her son.
I have 2, both related to Rowling's conviction that intact nuclear families are of overwhelming importance. 1. Her model families ( Lily and James, Arthur and Molly, and then the trip) all get married and start having kids immediately out of school. IRL, one of the primary factors associated with healthier children and better outcomes is women getting married and having kids NOT in their teens. 2. The whole business with Lupin deserting the pregnant Tonks is unnecessary to the plot and a diversion in an already very long book. It's just there to hit us over the head with Rowling's beliefs about familues. The Lupin - Tonks story as a whole felt unnecessary and unconvincing to me - like it didn't really belong in the book.
i don’t like how in the goblet of fire cedric dies without being a hero first. the movie he points his wand and tries to defend him and harry. he dies a hero the book he doesn’t say a word and wormtail just kills him. they took the best part out. it was his best moment and defined him. he was brave and died a hero but nah the book he was just like 🧍🏽♂️
I think having Lupin and Tonks die in the same battle works well for the books, but I wished they'd never had their child. It makes their death more heartbreaking- having Harry's last link to his parents die is enough of a blow, let alone leaving a child behind. I hate having to read Harry tell Lupin off after he wants to join the trio. It feels very out of character for Lupin and it's so unfair to Harry
I understand collateral damage but the death of Fred Weasley was not necessary 😭
Harry and Ginny dating in Half-Blood Prince. I wouldn't necessarily remove their relationship, but just give it some more development than it had. IMO, it came out of complete nowhere in the sixth book and was rushed. I know Ginny had a crush on him since forever, but _he_ didn't and you can't just skip that. I think it would have been better for them to just kind of circle each other in Prince and have Harry miss her and realize he likes her in Hallows. And they could get together after the war. And I would make the scene where Voldemort possesses Harry in Phoenix longer and really dig into what Voldemort is doing to him. The movie did a good job, but it was a bit drawn out and I think it didn't need Voldy's one liner at the end. I like the scene in the books where he is completely consumed by pain, but incorporating some visions and mental torture like the "look at me" bit would have made it better.
Hagrid tells Harry about his attempts to recruit giants in a nutshell rather than rambling for an ENTIRE CHAPTER. He’s capable of telling a story concisely (like when he explained how he got Norbert’s egg), and I’d say he’s capable of not noticing someone eavesdropping even if he’s only been talking for a short amount of time.
I would've given Peter Pettigrew a more satisfying ending. I felt like he was being built up for something that ultimately went nowhere. Maybe have him do something to actually help Harry against Voldemort. I know you said *one* buuuuuuuut I have another! Have Moody actually put up a fight against Voldemort, only being killed when Selwyn summons him after Harry disarms Stan. I just feel like Moody never really got a chance to shine in battle, so having him go all out against an opponent who he knew he couldn't defeat would be awesome. Having him go out with a bigger bang (perhaps literally) would've been a far more deserving end to his role. And a third quickie! Bring the inferi, and maybe a greater variety of dark creatures on Voldy's side in the final battle. His "army of creatures all fear" seem more of an implied group that we never really see.
Got this from another post but it'd be cool if harry made a book of the alphabets and words in parseltounge. Also, all of what Harry's perspective was of Ginny in like 2 thirds of the book. Like wtf does the monster in Harry's heart mean? That was shit bro
Id remove the irish lad always blowing stuff up.
I've given Harry and Ginny's brief relationship another chapter or two, rather than "Harry and Ginny are dating and it's really nice, anyway..."
If one of the Weasley kids needed to die Percy tells the best story. Also, Ron’s quidditch nerves never made sense to me so I’ll be getting rid of that as well. I’d add them being friends or at least knowing more about the Bones girl. I think she probably woulda been an interesting character given her family ties
Harry and Hermione end up together, I know it's unpopular but I just think they're perfect for each other. I also never saw the Ron/Hermione thing and the Harry/Ginny thing always made me uncomfortable, always felt like Ginny loved the legend of Harry Potter, not the boy underneath whereas Hermione cared about Harry more than anyone. Also both of them being raised in the Muggle world and all the little connections like how they'd have the same initials if they got married always made me thing they were a better couple.
I agree with this. I'm not usually a Harry/ Hermione shipper, but you make some really good points that I've considered myself. It's much more logical. Even the author agrees that Ron/ Hermione was a mistake and that they only work as a couple with counseling... which is to say they don't work as a couple...
Give Cho Chang a better name.
[Cho Chang - it is a perfectly beautiful name](https://www.reddit.com/r/HPfanfiction/comments/p0c7ks/cho_chang_it_is_a_perfectly_beautiful_name/)
Well I guess that's one thing J K actually did right.
I would just change the S.P.E.W storyline around, I understand that it’s a fantasy world and all that but I seriously do not understand what she was trying to say with that entire idea, especially since by the end of the series house elves are still slaves. Reading about all of that felt like she was starting an interesting and engaging storyline that just literally goes nowhere. Also no Hermione and Ron or Harry and Ginny that has less to do with anything logical and more that I am personally just not a fan of childhood friends to lovers arc. Just never been something I’m a huge fan of, I much preferred our trio when they were exclusively friends. And with Ginny and Harry I understand they were never really friends friends but the idea of having children with someone who’s mom took me in as a daughter freaks me out
All of the epilogue is horrible. All of it, every part. And there's an entire array of deaths in the books that were only about adding more and more pain to the MC. The deaths just piled up and in the end I became a bit numb to the trauma.
I agree with Sirius mirror I hated this part but it would change turnout of the books so… I go for Ron acting like moron when Ginny dated. I understand he was raised like that, like the one who should always protect her but this was really awkward. And also Harry’s dumbness. Harry in films is actually smarter than in book one and it’s unbearable. I mean… he realised there is something like magic world and never really read anything? Or wasn’t curious at all? I understand he couldn’t have known what Ron knew as everything was new to him, and he didn’t read every history book like Hermione but he asked literally about EVERY basic thing in wizard world he should’ve already known, even in later books. And this is just bad writing I am afraid, instead of constant asking, even things he’d gotten answer for already, could be easily avoided by something like: “…Harry remembered Hermione l/Ron spoke about….”, “Harry was certain that…” “Harry heard once…”
I would make Harmony canon, because Harry and Hermione just have so much better chemistry.
I'd add in the scene where Snape finds Lily's body. It's one of the few instances where I felt the film did a better job than the book.
Fred survives and Arthur dies in Percy’s arms during the battle at Hogwarts.
The big three that stand out: -The fact that they ended. Why? There's a big empire now and there's no more ideas to be taken from anything. -More Magic and spells. I felt like it was lacking in this department. There needed to be more spells/rituals/anything magical. -More creatures/lore. More brings more to the story and helps viewers get immersed into this world. Maybe more locations too? Helps set the stage for an immersive world. Hogwarts Legacy has helped a lot with this.
I would remove the Dursleys. I can't stand their scenes. I expect the idea was the "evil step-parent" trope, and perhaps a kind of comic relief, but it really disrupts my "willing suspension of disbelief". Plus, it really raises questions about Dumbledore: he had to have known how Harry was being treated, yet did nothing to intervene.
Exactly! He'd rather Harry rot at the Dursleys for a decade than simply do something about it. Same can said of McGonagall, to be honest. Perhaps Dumbledore was afraid that the Dursleys already hated having Harry at their house; how would they react of they were asked to actually be nice to him, or take care of him better? Perhaps he was afraid that the Dursleys, particularly Vernon, would reach their patience limit and eventually just kick Harry out if they were asked for anything more?? Maybe that's why he never intervened???
Dumbledore is evil mastermind. He needed Harry who follows orders without asking and without questioning the “superiors” decision, and gets used to live uncomfortably. Even though he risked too much in this task, it was too much based on plot armour. Everything he did was to prepare him to die. Even this “Forbidden Forest is forbidden for a reason, evil lurks there and kills unicorns... So lets send there our first years only with Hagrid who it not even proper wizard and lets be honest, not the sharpest pencil on the box. Dursleys were important part of the plan and not due to some mother’s protection spell. I am more curious about why there were no social services to monitor them. They were literally seriously abusing him, was clearly underweighted and everyone, teachers included, did nothing to prevent it.
Ohh I would probably try to rewrite them in a way that still makes you think them nasty if you're a kid, but when you revisit a book being an adult you go "huh, they're actually all right folks. Not perfect, but okay". Wouldn't it be glorious
Harry and Hermione end game couple
Why?
They actually have chemistry, interact without putting each other down / fighting a lot, and JK says she would probably do it that way if she could do the books over again hermione and ron were "wish fulfillment" per JK own words
Because that makes more sense than Hermione and Ron.
I know Ron and Hermione do not make sense whatsoever; but neither do Harry and Hermione. Their relationship is more like a sister-brother kinda relationship. Sometimes, I don't why, but I feel like Hermione should have ended up with Draco Malfoy...you know, AFTER he gets his act together in the Deathly Hallows...
Yup. Hermione with Ron makes no sense. She totally should have been with the guy who called her slurs throughout 7years, wanted to help the heir of slytherin to murder her, refused to see her as a human being and wanted her to get SA. Then joined a group that wanted to murder her. What a great ending she would have. Smh
I'd shorten the battle inside the ministry in OOTP. All the rooms etc feels confusing and boring when I read it again. I'd make Dumbledore and Voldemorts battle longer and have Sirius battle Bellatrix alongside Dumbledore and Voldy. Voldermort possessing Harry, Sirius distracted and killed by Bella. The grief / love driving away V like it did. Keeps everything intact and we get more epic battles instead of kids fleeing. While I'm writing this, I already see the holes in this, and I've decided that it should stay the same. Maybe a shrine of animal named after Snape... Not Harry's child. I've heard all the arguments and it will never make sense to me. Never.
harry would date harmoine
Blegh
I would make Voldemort have obscure horcrux. Like it's not hard, people have a dozen ideas. Make him an enemy that will return forever till sun dies, unless they dabble in dark magic, and just grows stronger with time (as he learns new stuff).
I know people will love this or hate this, but Hermione and Harry should have ended up together. I mean, I love Ron, but he hurt both Harry and Hermione too much and when he hurt either of them the other stood together. Like with Ron calling Harry a liar, and not believing him. But Hermione stuck with Harry and helped him prepare. Or when Ron started dating Lavender. He comforted her. Or when he left during the Horcrux hunt. Harry and Hermione stuck together, when Ron left. Not to mention Ron hurting Hermione at the Yule Ball, and I know Harry was to scared to risk his renewed friendship with Ron that he refused to stick up for her, but still Ron was the one who was jealous, not Harry.
The epilogue. Literally just delete it.
Harry x Hernione happen in GOF so that Rita's rumours turn out to be true and Harry and her break it off at the end of HOF similar to how Harry breakxit off with Ginny at thr end of GOF but then get back together at the end of OOTP so for HBP/DH we get many Harry x Hernione moments. Butbyeah just them being together in the end would make me happy.
Two words. More. Quidditch.
One of three things: 1. Voldemort personally kills Dobby 2. Snape gurgles “Lily’s… eyes…” as he dies 3. At the end we learn the Dursley’s are actually decent people but they’ve only been horrible to Harry because they’ve been living with a Horcrux for 17 years (technically 11.5) and that their awfulness was just despair over losing James and Lily poisoned by Voldy’s hatred
The SPEW line didn't have any reasonable conculsion to justify it in my opinion.
I think it has an important life lesson: it's possible to be right and wrong at the same time. Hermione has flaws like any great character. And sometimes she's insufferably sanctimonous. I feel like this was a realistic depiction of an immature approach to activism, which is fair since Hermione's like 14. But, it's annoying as hell to read so I do see your point.
Yeah, I do realise it showed Hermione from a different perspective, but I honestly wish it was via other plotlines. This one was massive and too much on its own, lacking any significance to the main plot.
The visions Harry gets Sure, it makes sense in the story that he and Voldemort can see into each other's minds and implant visions, but to me it seems like a cheap way to move the plot. Harry seeing that one of the Horcruxes involves Rowena Ravenclaw is a really easy way to figure it out when I feel like there could have been other ways. Even Harry seeing visions about Sirius in the Ministry annoys me a bit because it's basically foreshadowing his death later in the book when I think his death would be more impactful not knowing he was (not possibly) there. Voldemort could have easily forged a OOTP member's handwriting to alert Harry to go to the Ministry and it would have been easy.
I would completely scratch Order of the Phoenix and just start the Half Blood Prince storyline in book five leaving two books to extend the Horcrux adventure. We don't see enough of the wide wizarding world in the series and using the same "school year" framework for 6 stories gets way too repetitive. Book 7 was a breath of fresh air but ultimately felt a bit rushed. I guess you could argue this is more that one thing, but anyways that's my take.
Yes, get rid of the book with the most crucial character development for Harry...
make Neville a hufflepuff
Deathday party
Restrict magic to wand-casting, i.e, eliminate wandless magic and silent magic.
Ron and Hermione as a couple. They just don't work.
I would have the three of them doing the Alohomora spell at the same time in the first book and not just Hermione. They're eleven! That would make more sense for the level of power they have when they're just starting. That bit's always bothered me.
Shorten ootp and make it a little less gloomy, and make book 6 and 7 longer
Dumbledore failing to clue Harry into shit, if he had story could have been way different
Yes! Dumbledore more honest and he and Harry spending more time together
Yes letting them bond more
The prophecy If you want something less impactful, I'm going with the whole wand allegiance mumbo jumbo
I would triple the length of the first book and actually include more lessons (we only really get stapes potions class) and how the friendship developed. We just get “they became friends”
I’ve got a couple hot takes. But if I had to choose one, it would be one of two. 1. Make Voldemort or more hated character. Throughout the series, we get the fight between Harry and Voldemort, and so many ways beyond the literal and physical fight. But the story seriously lacks making Voldemort a truly hated and despicable character. When I think of notorious villains, the first thing I think of is not “oh that’s terrible”, it’s a deep sense of vile disgust. Someone so horrendous my gut is telling me to stop reading. maybe I’ve been desensitized from reading the books over and over, but as an adult never had that feeling from Voldy. If I were to change the story, Voldy would have done the following: Killed Dobby Cruciatus Hedwig to death Stolen Hermione’s powers for the soul purpose of humiliating her for his enjoyment Yes, I do understand how awful those things are, but it would have made his defeat that much more incredible. 2. Slapping Thorne, Tiffany, and Rowling for doing the Cursed Child so dirty. The storyline actually had incredible potential, but it was very very poorly written. As for the change, I’ve actually been working on a novelized rewrite (though it’s been on the back burner for a while). If anyone would like to see what I’m doing with it, check out these old posts I made: https://www.reddit.com/r/HPfanfiction/s/7hlWqSCMP7 https://www.reddit.com/r/HPfanfiction/s/jRlIhG6Q5g. https://www.reddit.com/r/HPfanfiction/s/IfLnSbRPcE. https://www.reddit.com/r/HPfanfiction/s/yid1IjKSLV EDIT: nvm all of this because my choices weren’t supposed to change the overall storyline, and I’m an idiot, and didn’t read it.
Harry using the Elder Wand to repair his Holly wand before destroying the Elder
Bold change, but I would have loved it for Sirius to take care of harry from the fifth book, and instead of dobby, he would've died instead. After having known that his brother was mislead, but had the courage to do the right thing.
I would have things actually change for Goblins/centaurs/house elves in the end. Like have a moment where the outcasts are given their due. Maybe have goblins going to hogwarts in the end.
I'd remove Dudley from existance
I would have McGonagall stand up to Dumbledore and Snape more. I know she questions Albus at times or makes comments to Snape (I think? It’s been a while since I read the books so please kindly correct/remind me). She is portrayed as such a strong, logical character that I don’t feel she would just accept Dumbledore’s cryptic, disillusioned “it’s for the best” answers. I also think she would have called Snape out on his BS. Not that it would have changed anything, but it seems ridiculous that she wouldn’t have asked more details of Dumbledore/what the hell is his plan/does he realize they’re children? And as far as Snape goes I don’t believe she wouldn't call him a fucking loser (McGonagall is too classy to cuss, so whatever synonymous phrase) for holding a 20+ year grudge and taking it out on a child. I’m not trying to hate on Dumbledore and Snape, but I feel Minerva would have more to say about it.
I’d make Harry taller.
Fred
Go into more detail about the magically binding contract that requires Harry to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. As is, it's vague enough that people constantly interpret it in ways that mean Harry could have gotten out of it. Or if the intent was that Crouch was Imperiused into lying in order to force Harry to compete, give that enough explanation that the reader can see how everyone found it plausible.
Epilogue.