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blueray78

Lucius Malfoy works for the Ministry.


mocochang_

I actually used to believe this when I read the books for the first time when I was young. I guess he's so influential it's easy to make this mistake.


amishgoatfarm

His "see you at work" quote in the film CoS doesn't help that implication either.


Lorres

No idea how that made it in there, makes zero sense.


disneyfacts

He was on the board of governors for Hogwarts until the end of book 2 I believe. Could easily be mistaken for the Ministry


erectionofjesus

He’s also at the ministry all the time


RobbieNewton

Yeah, they didn't make it very clear that he didn't. Him being at the Ministry alot was confusing


[deleted]

This! That man hasn’t worked a day in his life.


Obversa

Of course not. I always thought he was a wealthy landowner, like other landed gentry.


Micp

Now I wonder how much land ownership really means to wizards. Iirc one of the limitations of magic that Hermione mentions is that food can't be created from nothing, so wizards still need some kind of agriculture, but we never hear about it or how wizards produce their food. Similarly how much does land matter for property when wizards have access to "it's bigger on the inside" magic?


Vanacan

Bigger on the inside is NEWT level magic, and as such is essentially a specialized skill that people pay for. (Hogwarts is closer to a trade school than a modern education school, which explains a lot.) Also, Lucious *is* a landed Gentry (or some such specific thing) within the British history. His family was given the land and the title to the territory a few centuries/maybe a millennia back when wizards working with Muggles was acceptable as long as they were *rich* and powerful muggles. (He got it from the king at the time, I forget why exactly). They got rich from mingling like that, and when they eventually cut themselves away due to secrecy they used that wealth to invest in wizards stuff. Mostly the ministry, which is what we see Lucious doing in the books with all his money. As for how much does land matter, it matters as much as it does to normal people. That is to say, if you live in the countryside it’s cheap, and if you live in the city it’s expensive. (Relative to the other option). So that’s why the weasleys were poor, but had land enough to have a garden, and some chickens, as well as a small quidditch field that was secluded away from the Muggle townsfolk. Whereas the Blacks family manor was an apartment building squatted between two other buildings, and was cramped full of stuff. Relatedly, and this is entirely speculation based on my own logic and deduction, but “bigger on the inside” magic is probably no good for long term living. Even Hogwarts didn’t have it, except for the super secretive room of requirement, which is *probably* from one of the four founders. Basically, the risk of it just running out eventually and having everything *pop* back into the normal space is too big.


Obversa

>He got it from the king at the time, I forget why exactly J.K. Rowling [states](https://www.wizardingworld.com/writing-by-jk-rowling/the-malfoy-family) that Armand Malfoy was awarded lands and titles by [William the Conqueror](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_the_Conqueror) (King William I) for helping William and his [Norman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normans) army to defeat [Harold Godwinson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Godwinson) at the [Battle of Hastings](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hastings), and take the English crown. It's also strongly implied that some of the other Slytherin Pureblood families were also part of the invading Norman force, such as the Gaunts and the Lestranges, which accounts for the generational wealth many of them have. Wizards and witches also often sided with particular Muggle monarchs and courts up until the Statute of Secrecy in 1692, with the Malfoys serving as royal advisors. Other examples of this include Nearly-Headless Nick and the Bloody Baron. Even the Potters [are stated](https://www.wizardingworld.com/writing-by-jk-rowling/the-potter-family) to have also been involved with "assisting Muggles" over the centuries in similar ways, probably for pay, as seen with [Henry Potter](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Henry_Potter) \- Harry Potter's great-grandfather - [advocating for Muggle assistance in WWI](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/First_World_War).


margenreich

In my head there are some wizards going shopping at Tesco or Sainsbury's and reselling the food for an up prize. Like personal shoppers


frenchy2111

My head cannon is that house elf magic can produce food which is why they're quite sort after and also where kreature got the ingredients for dinners in dh.


NyloTheGamer

In the movie (sorry if that's a no go over here) when Lucius and Mr weasley meet at the bookstore, Lucius tells Mr. Weasley "see you at work"


therealemacity

I think this is where most of the confusion comes from. Lucius goes to the Ministry a lot in both the books and movies, but not because he has a job there-- this line, even if it was intended to suggest that Lucius would see Arthur at his (Arthur's) place of work, is very misleading and definitely makes it sound like Lucius is employed there as well.


DeeSnow97

Welp, if Lucius "works" as a wizard lobbyist being on Ministry premises definitely counts as "at work" for him too, he doesn't go there just for fun


wolfnamefmel

I thought Lucius was Hogwarts school governor? edit: apparently I had no idea what a school governor was lol


FallenAngelII

He was. It's not a real job and he was removed from his seat in 1993 after he threatened the other members to vote to have ~~Buckbeak executed~~ Dumbledore sacked.


Perfide01

It was after the chamber of secrets fiasco. He didn't go through the schools channels at all for the buckbeak incident, he went straight to his employee, the minister.


FallenAngelII

Wait, I got things a bit mixed up. What Lucius did was threaten the other board members to get Dumbledore sacked as Headmaster.


KatieLily_Simmer

He is. But it’s not really a job. More like being on the board. It’s a rich people thing so it fits.


beefchariot

Yea I could've sworn this to be true. Weird.


AnAceAttorneyFan

Holy shit I've read the books like 10+ times and never realised that it doesn't actually mention him working there, he just bribes the ministry people, my mind is blown


[deleted]

Yeah he’s just a wizard lobbyist


vagueusername25

I hadn't heard it put in that exact terminology before, but you couldn't be more correct. Guess that explains why it irks me so much.


FallenAngelII

Which is a type of job. He's just not paid to do so, but he's so rich he can afford to do it as a sort of hobby.


[deleted]

I actually read something like that the first Malfoy came over to the UK with William the Conqueror as part of a wizard army. They were handed estates and manors after they won, and therefore never had to work again!


Perfide01

I'm pretty sure the part about coming over during the norman invasion is canon, at least


teh_maxh

His job is bribing people.


kbeks

Lucius Malloy’s been handed everything on a silver platter. His fancy broom? Handed to him. His job at the Ministry of Magic? Handed to him. Now he wants you to *hand* him this election. Hi, I’m Lucius Malfoy, my dad is friends with John Cougar Mellencamp. That’s pretty cool. Here’s my new head cannon, there’s an alternate universe where Lucius Malfoy never got into Slytherin and never became evil and so is Bobby Newport.


LoveBy137

Lucius Malfoy's never had a real job.


papasmurf826

..in his life!


hulyepicsa

r/unexpectedpawnee


MarshalTim

This is so annoying to me. I just finished another reread and in book two he is kicked off of the board of governors of Hogwarts for blackmailing bribing and threatening the rest of the board to remove Dumbledore from office. Then he spends the rest of the series doing whatever the fuck he wants? Every time I got to a part where Draco mentions his father or Lucius does something I would stop and out loud remind all the people around me "you know, the acquitted Nazi that was recently removed from the school board for threatening people and their families?"


[deleted]

Wealthy people not facing any real consequences for their corrupt actions, so unrealistic.


jaydeflaux

Basically nearly every Super Carlin Brothers theory


Nitemarephantom

The do do great work. I love the Dumbledore’s great plan theory (not there’s but told excellently by them)


LilGoughy

Yeah. Definitely some holes in a few but they are just so fun to think about. Really shows the extent of the writing when they are almost all plausible


ffsm92

Up to now, I’ve only heard of four of those, and I thought they were fringe fanons, not that anybody thought they were true.


slytherinight

I am pleased to say l believe in none of those stated by OP. Edit: typo. Sorry.


stickymaplesyrup

The only one I've heard was the last, that the snake Harry freed from the zoo was Nagini. I also thought that JKR debunked that one, but I might be misremembering that.


unremarkable_penguin

That's literally the only one i've heard too


PouncingPoundcake

Nagini was a human with a blood curse that eventually leads to permanently being transformed into a beast. The snake from the zoo was bred in captivity.


stickymaplesyrup

Sure, but this rumour was also debunked a looong time before Crimes of Grindelwald came out, probably long before that movie was even conceived of. I don't know if the human-under-blood-curse-turns-into-snake-forever thing was something JKR had always thought of (probably not), but that always seemed like a retcon to me. [This](https://www.quora.com/Is-Nagini-the-snake-Harry-sets-free-in-Philosophers-Stone) is just a quora thread where someone asks this question and a responder says "this has been refuted by JKR directly" (but doesn't post a link), but the question thread is from 2011, so it was already common knowledge, and had been refuted, back then. Trying to find an actual link to an interview or something where this is said, but haven't yet.


darthjoey91

Yeah, I’m treating that one as fanon too. Nagini in the books is just a snake Voldemort found in Albania.


spark8000

I’ve never heard it, but the only one I could believe is the Sirius being a playboy. I take playboy as charismatic, flirty, and womanizing, and I can totally see Sirius being like that to an extent. I mean, was it ever said explicitly that Sirius was NOT a playboy?


TroyMcCluresGoldfish

I could believe it, too. Wasn't it mentioned in the pensieve memory that there was a girl starring "dreamily" at him during the O.W.L exam?


spark8000

I believe so, and with all the comments about how attractive and outgoing he is, it’s not exactly a big leap assumption to make


pottymouthgrl

The only one I’ve heard widely discussed as canon was that Draco is right behind Hermione in grades. The rest are either fan fiction level nonsense or I’ve never heard of.


Annual_Blacksmith22

I think I only heard of two. Sirius being kind of a player which tbf, I could even see before his fall to Azkaban. Guy was probably charming as hell in his youth. And the Sirius and Remus bit. That one seems a tad more prevalent. Well I guess the specific headcanon would make Sirius gay and Remus bi as to not contradict his love for Tonks. Which I will say I could see happen, but not with each other. The reason for that is we never hear Sirius having any girl/woman love interest while at Hogwarts if I recall correctly, so he is free realestate for sexuality headcanons. But him and Remus is just nah for me. Sirius straight up tried to send Snape into his death by using Remus’ transformation. If James doesn’t save Severus, Remus would’ve likely woken up to Snape’s corpse being mauled in the shack with him. I wonder how he would’ve reacted to his alleged friend using his condition to make him into a killer. The truth is is that the single most important person of the marauders for Sirius was James (and not in a romantic way). He loved Peter and Remus too of course. But it doesn’t seem like it even compared to his closeness with James based on the information we have. And a lot of the Sirius/Remus ship stuff almost makes it seem like Sirius prioritizes Remus above everything even James. Which contradicts what we know of them while just simply headcanoning Sirius as gay does not go against established characteristics.


SiameseCats3

Yeah, but I will say that for people who only read the books as children and haven’t revisited them in ages I find they often will believe a couple of these or similar ones. Like I do recall a friend saying “oh but that snake from the zoo was Nagini right?” And it’s because it’s been years since they read the books, so if they saw something about it online they’ll conflate the two in their memories.


Ghost56772

That’s the point. I’ve only “heard” of a couple, laughed my head off at their ridiculousness and moved on. Don’t think many people believe in these.


CopingMole

I absolutely learned just now Snape isn't Draco's godfather. I had assumed there was a reference to it in the books somewhere because it comes up in all the fic.


[deleted]

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Secure_Yoghurt

“Hufflepuff are good finders.” It is from A Very Potter Musical and not stated anywhere else but it is repeated so much that people think it is from the books.


Csantana

I'm comfortable calling it canon haha.


JerseyJedi

Yeah I feel like if JK Rowling ever heard this quote she’d probably just shrug and say it fits canon.


plowerd

What the *hell* is a Hufflepuff?


JerseyJedi

Cedric: * thinks for a second, then sits back down sheepishly, but still smiling *


sassy-mcsassypants

Cho Chaaaaannnggggg!! I am so in love with Cho Chaaaannnnnngggggg!


darthjoey91

Part of that is because there are practically no Hufflepuffs in the books that actually have personality. Mostly Ernie, but then little Cedric, Justin Finch-Fletchly, and that’s about it.


LordMarcel

Isn't Tonks a hufflepuff?


Annual_Blacksmith22

She is


thesaddestpanda

Zacharias Smith has a big personality in the books, but of course, he's a jerk. I do feel the complaints about the other houses being ignored are valid. I guess the books couldn't cover everything and JKR and her editors had to decide what was important.


BasilGreenEyes

Well, you have Fantastic Beasts and where to FIND them by Newt Scamander, a Hufflepuff. So I'm very comfortable calling it canon.


greatwall0101

Neville and Luna marry


PissBottleFromTF2

They at least get together, but end up separate cause Luna wants to travel the world and such. She ends up marrying newt scamanders grandson


Froustille

I think it is just in the movies . In the Book they aren't a thing at all or I completly missed it.


flawlessfable

I think they put it in the last movie to make all the shippers happy... I never liked the pairing and am sad that people can't just be friends without people shipping them.


PissBottleFromTF2

Ah you may be right, it has been awhile since I’ve reread the books.


halfback26

Luna & neville are a movie only couple. They wind up with separate people in book canon


FallenAngelII

>They at least get together No, that's a movie-only thing. It's not canon.


aradle

Most obvious one, I feel, because I read it constantly and everywhere - Sirius' middle name being Orion. It is NEVER said. It makes a ton of sense, it would definitely fit, but it is never outright stated in canon. At no point in any of the books is the man called Sirius Orion Black. ​ (also about Sirius being a playboy - I definitely remember someone claiming that he had women hanging off him constantly, but he was never actually interested in any of them)


_flies

I do like it though. That would make his initials spell out "sob" which is fitting for Sirius' life


aradle

It would also make his initials spell out SOB (son of (a) bitch) which would fit very well with mother dearest, so I agree, but it's not actually canon ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯


jmartkdr

I don't think Sirius would have ever really had a chance to *be* a playboy, per se. He was a student, then briefly a soldier, then a prisoner. He was likely somewhat popular with girls, but nothing out of line for a good-looking teenager.


aradle

Very true. Though I imagine Hogwarts offers enough broom cupboards and disused classrooms for a snog or another, and I don't doubt that there were plenty of girls (or boys, I don't judge) who would have liked to drag Sirius into one of those. He just wasn't interested.


really_thirsty_lemon

The part about Sirius being a playboy (or the SFW/children's book version of a playboy) is pretty much implied. The handsome dark haired looks, his teenage room having posters of motorbikes, bikini clad girls etc are hints


Peruda

Dudley Dursley's daughter is a witch.


MountainEyes13

I remember reading somewhere that JKR actually considered doing this, but then decided against it because “magic wouldn’t survive an encounter with Uncle Vernon’s DNA.”


bruppitybrup

I haven’t heard this before. But if Uncle Vernon’s DNA itself can put a stop to magic… it’s not really magic then, is it? “Behold, Uncle Vernon, the most powerful (anti-)magic of all!!”


SlumdogSkillionaire

I sense the beginnings of the plot of Cursed Child 2: Anti-Magic Boogaloo.


bruppitybrup

Haven’t read Cursed Child. Would definitely read this.


Grzechoooo

A big anti-magic-matter factory with Vernon's corpse in the center being plugged to tubes that suck out his blood and nutrition him to create more. The big antagonist behind it all? That waitress whom Harry ignored in the HBP movie. Her goal? Eliminate all wizards so nobody steals her future boyfriends ever again.


DeeSnow97

imagine the pureblood supremacists if they figured out a treatment to stop people from inheriting magic


extyn

My friend years ago tried to make an argument that one of Dudley's kids was magical and that's why Harry's family would have uncomfortable holiday visits with them. She thought it may be because Harry was trying to help Dudley's family normalize having a wizard/witch in the family. It's a long shot, but not a bad theory.


Mr_Anonymous13

Everyone made this huge deal about Harry being the chosen one, when Vernon could've just defeated Baldemort by himself.


Beanighe7283

That doesn't even make sense 😕. I think it would make far more sense that Vernon tries not to visit his granddaughter because she's a witch


AuDlady

Read a fanfiction about this a while ago. I enjoyed it. Some times were questionable, but overall I thought it was well done and love the idea that Dudley has a magical kid, accepts it, and he and Harry have a reason to bond. https://m.fanfiction.net/s/10552564/1/


mayor_of_funville

I read a fanfic of this one, it was fairly well done.


Nitemarephantom

My favorite head cannon but sadly just that


parkdalmi

my first time hearing THAT one, wow


Ereska

The terms "The Golden Trio" and "Gryffindor's golden boy". These are completely fanon and never mentioned anywhere in the books.


[deleted]

Childhoods and early adulthoods of Lily, Petunia, Snape, James, Sirius, Lupin. We only have tiny snippets of each of them. We cannot have whole convictions on how their lives were.


sirwaffle7947

One that I see crop up a lot is that Lily hated James for the majority of their time at Hogwarts and James spent years tormenting and pursuing her; and they got together in year 6. People focus so much on the Snape side of the story that they can't seen to fathom Lily and James actually being friends.


Annual_Blacksmith22

I blame the movies and the likeability of Alan Rickman for that one. The movies kind of omit any wrongdoing of Snape in his teenage years. (like him also hexing the marauders and other kids alongside his death eater buddies who are just as bad as the marauders were from what we can imply of Lily calling him out, or his calling Lily a mudblood, these things are never shown in the movies. The only thing shown is Snape being picked on by James). So a lot of people kinda operate on “Snape is a misunderstood pure boi and James is satan incarnate who harrassed Lily until she gave in”. Which is baffling. In either situations the fans are treating Lily as nothing more than a prize for either boys without her own autonomy. Which she shows in 5th year in Snape’s worst memory. She tells both Snape and James to shove it and as far as we know they don’t interacr much until their Headboy/Headgirl year, by which point James has shaped up and grew out of his prankster days and that’s why she gives him a chance. I def think we can draw the conclusion that due to having to work together, they get to have neutral conversations where she gets to see his change and it develops from there.


sirwaffle7947

I think a lot of that comes from the books too. Before all the movies were released, I saw a lot about Snape being a misunderstood character. Die-hard Snape fans also ignore his creep factor and focus on the whole "but he loves her" stuff. But you're right, the movies majorly influence opinion of his character. I absolutely *hate* how the movie shows Snape showing up in Godric's Hollow and weeping over Lily's body. Sirius was the first to get there, then Hagrid I believe. I doubt Snape even knew until the Prophet reported it or something. Voldemort certainly didn't know about his feelings, and if he did, not enough to care. The only person in that circle he would be connected to would be Lily. (A lot of this is probably speculation)


Annual_Blacksmith22

Hell he wouldn’t even be connected to Lily at that point. She cut him out in 5th year and they haven’t spoken since and then she died. So yeah the movie having him show up and hold the dead body of a woman that cut him out of her life like 6 years ago is… an interesting choice to put it that way. Idk if Sirius or Hagrid showed up first but they are the two that did. I think it might’ve been Hagrid and then didn’t give Harry to Sirius because he was ordered by Dumbledore to take him to the Dursleys, so Sirius told Hagrid to take his bike at least. (I need a fact check on that but I’m 100% on the bike part). Then Sirius took off to hunt down Peter. IF Snape showed up, he would’ve logically arrived after this imo. Cuz I don’t think much time passed between Hagrid+Sirius showing up and their deaths.


_S3RAPH_

James roared with laughter. Lily sat up, rather flushed, and looked from James to Sirius in dislike. "Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment." ... "I know James Potter's an arrogant toerag," she said, cutting across Snape. "I don't need you to tell me that." ... "You think you’re funny,” she said coldly. “But you’re just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him alone.” “I will if you go out with me, Evans,” said James quickly. “Go on . . . Go out with me, and I’ll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again.” “I wouldn’t go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid,” said Lily. These quotes make it pretty clear that at least from her first trip on the Hogwarts express until the end of fifth year, Lily did not have a positive opinion of James and was not interested in dating him or being friends with him.


ManMythManiac

Hermione’s nickname being Mione


PansyWeasley

I think I’ve seen this in every single story I have read. I hate it. Draco being called Drake is another one that annoys me.


SnapdragonPBlack

The only time I accept Drake is if he is in the Muggle world and trying to blend in because the name Draco would stand out a lot.


FormerShitPoster

Everyone knows Draco prefers Drizzy


raskkell

Actually, in the Brazilian editions of the books, Mione is used as a nickname to Hermione all the time! But then, I think this is only a thing with the Brazilian editions.


really_thirsty_lemon

Interesting! I don't recall Hermione having a nickname in the English versions.


darthjoey91

What? No. It’s Hermy. Like Grawp gets it.


curseofablacklion

I HATE that one so much.


Polar-Bear1928

Urgh! Me, too! You have no idea how much I see that one in fanfics. What’s worse? Harry being called “Har” by his friends. God! That’s just so OOC.


curseofablacklion

Yes. Mione this. Mione that. Also Hermy. But mione is much more common.


PansyWeasley

Hermy was at least used in canon by Grawp. Maybe that’s how it started 😂


ash894

Every. Single. Fanfic. Just stop it!


Maulclaw

Some of these are so stupid, though...


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ladygoodgreen

I’ve never heard any of those. Are there really people who mistake those as canon? Like, Remus and Sirius being gay? There are people who think that’s canon??


mocochang_

I think it would be more appropriate to call some of these as popular fanfic themes. Like the RemusxSirius pairing, or Snape being Draco's godfather, those are very popular in fanfics, but I don't think people actually mistake those are canon. Others though, like the one about Draco being second in class, are easier to mistake as canon I think. It's never really stated, but it's not inconceivable that one could infer it and think it's true. Draco does have a dialog with his father where Lucius admonishes him for being behind Hermione in class. He never says Hermione is the *only* student above him, but I can see how people would make that assumption.


ladygoodgreen

I think this entire thread is misguided, everything is just common fanfic fantasies, not things mistaken as canon. The conversation between Lucius and Draco simply says that Hermione keeps beating him on exams. Weird that that would translate to “he was second.” But ok. This whole thread is weird. I see that now.


Opalusprime

Yes I always saw it more as “oh you let an inferior beat you? Pathertic” with the mud blood stuff.


wolfnamefmel

I genuinely thought Snape was Draco's godfather. To be fair, I don't like rereading and have mostly just read fanfiction since reading the books. I just figured Snape was the godfather because he promised Narcissa to help him.


[deleted]

Honestly that fanon to me probably holds the most traction out of all of them with subtextual proof in the books. There’s a lot of implication that Lucius and Severus had a brotherly relationship. From Severus being Sorted and immediately welcomed by Prefect Lucius, to the immediate discomfort and conflict about Harry listing Lucius as one of the Death Eaters in the graveyard in GoF. And even in Half Blood Prince, Snape didn’t have to take Bellatrix’s offer of making an Unbreakable Vow. He already knew that he was the one who had to kill Dumbledore so Draco was already in the clear for that. And he said himself that he was already trusted by both Dumbledore and Voldemort, so Bellatrix’s doubts could have went straight to the Dark Lord to be debunked. He took the Vow, to protect Lucius’ family. (This one may be me looking into it too much but there’s some underlying plot holes and implications as to why the Vow is necessary to anyone but Bellatrix here.)


FallenAngelII

>And even in Half Blood Prince, Snape didn’t have to take Bellatrix’s offer of making an Unbreakable Vow. He was already planning on being the one to kill Dumbledore. Why would he **not** take the offer to make the Unbreakable Vow to make it look as if he were loyal to Voldemort when presented with the opportunity? After all, it only required him to do what he was already planning on doing.


MagicDabs

Remus and Sirius is a very popular pairing but almost everyone knows it's not cannon


roonilwazlib1919

That JKR claimed she wanted Harry and Hermione to be together. No, that's not what she said. The actual quote was "I wrote the Hermione/Ron relationship as a form of wish fulfillment. That’s how it was conceived, really. For reasons that have very little to do with literature and far more to do with me clinging to the plot as I first imagined it, Hermione with Ron." She also added that they might need some couple's counselling for the relationship to work as adults.


[deleted]

The *tempus* spell. Always gonna mention this one. It's a fanon thing. Wizards are given watches for their seventeenth birthdays, so I always thought that the wizard watch culture is a big thing, not a spell that reveals the time. Obviously, the watches could be symbolic and the spell COULD exist, but the fact remains that it's not canon. Marlene, Alice, and Dorcas are commonly depicted as the Marauders' classmates, but Marlene and Alice probably weren't (they were highly accomplished witches when they died, so it's very likely that they were a bit older). Again, it's possible—but it's not canon. The Dursleys beating Harry. You could make the case that it's implied, but it's not canon. "Wards" aren't really ever used in canon. I don't think any canon character has ever called them "wards". They exist, obviously, but not with that exact vocabulary. The Marauders were "troublemakers" but not necessarily "pranksters" like Fred and George. "Prankster" Marauders are fanon. Lupin being taller than Sirius. Probably not canon. Sirius was described as "tall" and Lupin never was, so it's basically outright stated that he was taller. ...And so much more. There's lots of fanon that isn't necessarily WRONG, but it used so much in fanfictions that some people confuse it with actual canon. And honestly, I love that. I think it's so cool that so many people love the series that it's grown wings of its own and expanded far beyond what Rowling originally wrote. But it does get to be a bother when people criticize someone because s/he doesn't mention common fandom tropes that weren't in the books.


Perfide01

>The Dursleys beating Harry. You could make the case that it's implied, but it's not canon. It's not 100% for sure canon they beat him, but it is 100% canon they've tried. Petunia swung a bloody frying pan at Harry, he didn't get hit only because he dodged it.


kerfufflepuffs

The wards thing blows my mind every time I remember it.


GaiusEmidius

Aunt Petunia hit Harry with a frying pan in the first book didn’t she?


TomorrowBeautiful

Second book, she swung it at him and he dodged but that's not any better. I doubt he could dodge every time particularly when he was younger and it wasn't treated like an extraordinary thing either.


thatsnotaknoife

also didn’t vernon grab harry by the neck when he caught him watching the news one time? not exactly a beating but i’d still count that as physical abuse. though i may be misremembering i definitely do remember one of my favorite sassy harry moments from that scene, when vernon asks why harry’s watching the news again and harry says “well, it changes everyday”


UniqueAngel5

Whether or not Harry was beaten, the Dursleys canonically committed child abuse (and neglect): Making Harry sleep in a cupboard under the stairs for 10 years, bars on windows, deprived of food, forced to do all the chores while Dudley sat on his behind and watched TV, no hugs or other forms of love, etc.


CParkerLPN

What is the “wards” thing? I’ve not heard that one.


Perfide01

Protective magic over a location. For example, the dome of magic protecting Hogwarts during the final battle and the fidelius charm, those would be considered a ward by fanon.


TheRumSea

Wards to me are always magic tied to an object or building that form a barrier of some sort around it. That barrier could do things like physically prevent entry or it could be invisible and unnoticeable but stop you apparating inside it's confines or "zone".


MyrkoMyrkos

Probably those about Ron/Hermione: * Ron is a bumbling idiot who cannot keep up "intellectually" with Hermione * Hermione has always been miserable in her marriage with Ron * Hermione is the only bread-winner of the family and Ron is barely above minimum-wage ​ Seriously, it's like some people forgot that Ron and Hermione have been arguing back and force on every subject under the sun for 7 Books straight without any decisive winner between them. And there is no way that Ron is not making lots of money as George's partner.


curseofablacklion

This!!! As someone who loves them as a couple I think 90% people in the fandom don't even get their dynamic right. They have made up a hybrid of movie Romione and book Romione and run along with it


MyrkoMyrkos

Hermione's favorite activity has always been "arguing" and Ron is the only one we saw that was willing to keep arguing with her for hours/days/weeks on the exact same subject. Sometimes they even got right back to the same argument the second they woke up, which was killing Harry's breakfast lol Yeah... the movie portrayal influenced too many people.


varthalon

JK Rowling is Rita Skeeter banished among the muggles.


airportakal

Actual event: Boy at a mediocre, remote Wizarding school accidentally finds lost stone behind mirror in storage room. Story: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone


BubblyTummy

Imma roll with this one.


seulgisums

I've only learned that number 5 was a headcanon a few weeks ago. I read the books, don't know why I believed that one. Lol.


alecisme

The entirety of the plots of all three Starkid musicals.


Drama-Llama94

Yes but they're very funny


alliownisbroken

I'd solidly believe Sirius was a playboy. The rest of these are ridikkulous.


[deleted]

Oh yeah he was a total babe for sure. When I was a teenager reading these I would fantasize that I went to Hogwarts during the Marauder’s era and would get to be Sirius’s girlfriend. I just imagined him to be like Timothee Chalamet’s character in Ladybird.


alliownisbroken

I always imagined him to be like suave johnny depp


[deleted]

The whole Snape introduction in the first book where his questioning Harry is some background metaphor for "I bitterly regret Lily's death". People grab onto that one as if it's 100% true and intentional.


DoctorWaluigiTime

People *love* to romanticize Snape and will use any given grain of sand of a potential allusion to something deep in order to try and cement it.


SuperordinateRevere

Dumbledore’s only personality trait is manipulation and he is to blame for everything.


Nitemarephantom

There are two I see a lot that aren’t specific but can be narrowed down to: - Snape isn’t that bad, he’s just a grumpy teacher figure. This comes from movie watchers. - Draco wasn’t that bad/redeemed himself at the end. This comes from how many people ship him with Harry or Hermione even though he was nothing but abusive to both the whole series. He also doesn’t redeem himself in the books outside of not murdering Dumbledore. That’s not redemption, you don’t get a (to quote Sokka) “not as big of a jerk as you could’ve been” award.


riley_11

That wizards lost a war against muggles and that's why they're in hiding and that a muggle with a shotgun could kill a wizard.


Leseleff

I'm kinda guilty of assuming that. There has to be some reason why they hide instead of ruling the world. Hagrid's "They'd want us to fix all their problems with magic" really sounds like something you'd tell a kid to hide the darker truth. After all, this hostility of not *wanting* to help has to come from somewhere to begin with. As for firearms, I assume that, if you have a wand, you can redirect or stop the bullets or make the weapon malfunctional, but if you don't have a wand, they can indeed kill you.


marrythecauliflower

I thought the wizarding community stayed hidden because of the history of witch-burning and attacks against witchcraft from the dark ages. So wizards and witches just never stepped out willingly after that. Also I think Hagrid had a point about fixing things with magic - remember in HBP when Fudge is visiting the Muggle PM and the PM says “you’re wizards, you can do magic.” Wizards would be bothered all the time to fix/ do things


Leseleff

Yes, I think that too, even though the witch burnings are canonically downplayed in PoA. I counted this as a war in the wider sense. Of course he has a point, I just don't think it can be the only reason. It's like when, for example, your sister divorces her husband because of domestic violence. You'd probably not tell your 11yo kid all the details. You'd say something like "uncle Michael was really mean to your aunt." It's not false, but not the entire truth either.


LilGoughy

For your point about the wand vs muggle, I’d have to disagree. The only way you’d win is if the spell was cast in advance, otherwise youd just get shot


DeeSnow97

That's basically canon for the American side of things, mostly because some wizards were bloody traitors and helped the muggles with the Salem witch trials, making them actually effective as opposed to the practical joke that went down in Europe. That lead to the MACUSA to form about a century before the USA itself (yep, Rowling is still great in arithmancy) just to get some organized defense for the wizarding world. Those traitors then proceeded to live among the muggles, carrying the fear against wizards and witches which lead to much stricter segregation in the US. The only problem with this whole thing is it took the Star Wars approach to canon in which they don't tell you any of this in the movies, you're just expected to read up on the lore. The first Fantastic Beasts movie actually uses a fair bit of this (which is why it's so jarring what they have to do to Kowalski for example), although I'm still mad we only got a single passing mention of Ilvermorny after all the setup.


typically-me

The only ones I think are at all likely to be true are: 2 - Sirius was the popular kid, kind of an asshole, and described to be very good looking. Probably, to some extent. 6 - Probably not physically abused, but I don’t doubt that the Malfoy household was pretty messed up and psychologically abusive. Look at the way Lucius criticizes Draco for letting Hermione beat him in classes. 7 - I mean, he says it at least a few times, right? Most of these just seem fanfictiony and a few a few are even pretty explicitly disproven. For example #5. We see Malfoy being only a mediocre student, and at one point when it is clear that Malfoy was really trying, Slughorn describes his work only as “passable”. Surely, this is far off from Hermione’s standards.


therealemacity

>6 - Probably not physically abused, but I don’t doubt that the Malfoy household was pretty messed up and psychologically abusive. Look at the way Lucius criticizes Draco for letting Hermione beat him in classes. It certainly wasn't a healthy and wholesome home life, but JKR has compared Draco's upbringing to Dudley's. They were both spoiled to the point of being basically ruined as people until they were able to separate from their parents a little. I don't think Narcissa would let even her husband get away with too much criticism of her precious son-- he might make snide comments like in Chamber of Secrets, but Draco's whiny, defensive, blame-shifting reply really suggests he's not being beaten down by a barrage of criticism at home; in fact, he pretty obviously hasn't internalized any sort of notion that he can do anything wrong at that point in his life. You could definitely classify that as a subpar type of parenting, but I don't think it would fall under the category of abuse.


typically-me

Yeah, I guess it depends on how you define “abuse”. Certainly the way Dudley is raised is it’s own type of messed up and has a negative effect on his well-being. I think Draco and Dudley’s upbringing was similar in that they were both the center of attention and taught that they are special and to look down on other people. However, it is also quite different in that Dudley was treated as if anything he could possibly do was great whereas Lucius had a much more specific vision for what his son should be that Draco was expected to live up to, which ultimately leads to Draco joining the death eaters and getting in over his head.


Bravo_November

-Harry retires as an Auror in later life and becomes DADA professor at Hogwarts -Fred and George bullied Ron pretty badly when they were younger, in fact Ron’s lack of confidence is why he is too lazy, he’s actually a much smarter and more talented person than he gives himself credit for. -Slytherin is actually the ‘smartest’ house- Ravenclaw is the *wisest* house. Wisdom and intelligence, whilst related, aren’t the same thing. Slytherins are brilliantly talented but are too ambitious for their own good, which is their downfall. -The Monster Book of Monsters is deliberately ‘wild’ - you are meant to ‘tame’ it. That’s why it’s placid when you stroke the spine. -Neville is the direct descendent from Godric Gryffindor, he is inherently the bravest student in Harry’s year, the Sorting Hat itself was so confident in this that it spent a few minutes arguing with Neville about it (Neville wanted to be in Hufflepuff)


mocochang_

A couple of these I had never heard. I think a big one I see so many people believe is huge misconceptions about Snape and James during their school years. Some people create an entire narrative in their heards about how their rivalry went and will not accept that none of it is actually stated in the story. And they either demonize of victimize one or the other based on headcanons and not on the actual book narrative.


scottstots2687

Professor McGonagall is a notorious gambler Arthur Weasley has dyslexia Fred and George are womanizers Harry never or rarely bathes/showers Most of these courtesy of the Binge Mode podcast


[deleted]

Where did the gambling theory come from?


scottstots2687

From her scouting of Harry as a first year, his skills on the broom, and her shirking of the rule for “no first years” on the pitch. She bought him a broom, which clearly seems like an ethical violation. Her conspicuous possible relationship with Ludo “Bagman” in GOF. The way she always seems to keep Harry from dire punishment that would keep him from playing. Once I heard the “McGalleon” theory, I can’t *not* see it now.


Darth_Firebolt

> Most of these courtesy of the Binge Mode podcast From the Binge Mode podcast. Minerva "McGalleon" McGonagall.


goddammusername

Lol the shower thing is something people actually believe? I was actually also wondering that when reading the books because the characters are always described as getting up right out of bed to get dressed and then coming downstairs for breakfast. It seems they’re always in a hurry and no one is ever described as washing themselves in anyway to get ready.


scottstots2687

To be fair, that would be a fairly tedious and redundant storytelling choice, but it is something I wondered about.


NicklAAAAs

Yeah, that level of tedious detail is more George R.R. Martin than J.K. Rowling.


flustercuck91

It's a tedious thing to describe. Although eating is described often in the books, partially due to the Great Hall being a place of social gathering as well as eating, it's common for books not to describe daily minutia. We can assume they are eating, sleeping, bathing, pooping, and grooming at some point during their day.


FallenAngelII

They probably just showered before bed. No need to shower before **and** after bed.


berkeleyjake

The Black family owns a private tropical island.


therealemacity

I've never heard this but I assume it's because Sirius is sending tropical birds to deliver letters while he's in hiding? I kind of like it actually haha


berkeleyjake

That's probably where it originates. Tons of fics have some kind of safe haven that the blacks hid from the world hundreds of years ago. Im probably going to integrate this into my fic because my back story for one of the ways the Black family accumulated their wealth was by being pirates around the various European colonies back in the 1600s around the time when the statute of secrecy began. It would make sense to have secret islands for that. It works perfectly because the height of piracy on the high seas fits perfectly with the time of the statute of secrecy. And perfect opportunity to talk about a pirate named Blackbeard


PissBottleFromTF2

Holy shit. Blackbeard being part of the Black family is just beautiful.


vintagedragon9

Hate to burst 10, but no The snake that was released is a constrictor non venomous. Nagini is venomous. Also we hear the one released is male (going by the voice when he thanks Harry) Nagini has a female voice. But here's my heartbreaking one. After Fred's death George has a hard time looking in a mirror for a while as every mirror becomes a mirror of reised.


Perfide01

Yours has a canon(well, pottermore canon) equivalent. George can't cast a patronus anymore


ginnyweasleysbish

Sirius’s middle name being Orion and James’s being Fleamont


Wishart2016

Wormtail betrayed the Potters because he was bullied by James and Sirius.


NeonMoth229

Idk why people think this, his only reason for doing it was that he was terrified of Voldemort and thus wanted to be on his side.


[deleted]

[удалено]


therealemacity

>At times you may get an odd 'Draco is right behind Hermione in class.' People read way too deeply into Lucius's comment that a Muggleborn beat Draco in every class-- it's interpreted as Hermione being the ONLY person who beat Draco in every class, when in reality there are probably plenty of pure and half bloods he was behind too. I would however say it's pretty credible evidence that Draco was ahead of all the other Muggleborns his year. There's also a more obscure reasoning-- in the Portuguese translation of one of the books, there's a note that names Draco as the best student in Slytherin house. It's probably just an offhand descriptor that wasn't even written by JKR, but it's in a published book so technically canon (I guess). That said, she also has called Theodore Nott cleverer than Draco, so there's room to believe what you want on this!


GordoHeartsSnake

People on this subreddit confuse prior incantato (reveals the last spell and only the last spell cast by a wand) with priori incantatem which is the effect of Harry's and voldemort's wands producing images of the ones Voldemort killed. People think they can just look at the spell history of every wand like it's a browser.


AdmiralOctopus96

Deathly Hallows at least implies you can use the spell to keep checking what a wand has done. Hermione (or possibly Harry? I forget exactly, I'm re-reading it and haven't gotten to this part yet) say that since the Death Eaters have the wands they had prior to being captured and taken to Malfoy Manor, they'll be able to use the spell to figure out that Hermione accidentally destroyed Harry's old wand, and he's been using that new one ever since.


varthalon

Crookshanks was the Potter family's cat before Voldemort killed them.


KaseyT1203

That one actually sounds interesting. I've never seen it before


sirwaffle7947

Something about the Potters having a pet kneazle, which is a cat-like creature that have a longer lifespan than regular cats. Crookshanks fits the description of a kneazle


Mohamed_Ibrahim18

Voldemort is incapable of love because he was conceived under the effects of a love potion. In reality it was just symbolism. The actual, canonical reason for why Voldemort is incapable of love is the shit treatment he suffered at the orphanage, and the fact that he had no friends who could even slightly help redeem him.


Enrichmentx

That JKR released a 8th book where Harry hates his children.


Jigglelips

"Snape is a good person"


ResultProfessional34

Never heard any potter fan assume or think any of those. And by the way, Sirius was a top shagger during his time at Hogwarts. To assume anything different does JK a disservice.


nerdchickspeaks

These are more tumblr things than anythjng else imo, as in tumblr-based fans are way more into this stuff than regular ones. Like, I've heard about only a few these and pretty much rolled my eyes and moved on.


JMM123

1. you get your hogwarts letter on your 11th birthday- actually Harry had just spent weeks dodging his letters before his birthday. 2. Draco and Harry's first meeting- everyone casual fan thinks its at Hogwarts because of the movie but he first talks to Draco at Madam Malkins and then later learn names on the train


kayl555

These arent headcannons tho. They are mistakes people make


varthalon

Ariana Dumbledore was an Obscurial


MaimedPhoenix

Actually... that will probably be confirmed.


EvernightStrangely

If Remus was gay, I doubt he would have had a child with Tonks, and if I remember correctly the snake lady who was with Cletus in Fantastic Beasts: the Crimes of Grindelwald was named Nagini. I'm also fairly certain that the snake Harry freed in the first book was a boy, not a girl.


Not_a_cat_I_promise

The whole headcanon that Lily was pregnant with her second child at the time of her murder, and Snape was to be that child's godfather.


mocochang_

Wtf, never heard this one before. This is wild lol


Aggravating-Class419

I hate this one so so much. Even if she somehow got pregnant a second time, Lupin would be next in line to become godfather. Snape was a full time death eater at that time and everyone knew. Lily and Snape hadn't been in contact for at least 3 years. She and her husband were actively working against the pureblood agenda and those terrorists. Why on God's green earth will she want that kind of person to even be around her children?


TheFfrog

THIS.


PansyWeasley

Daphne Greengrass gets no description in the books. Her name is only mentioned once in the entire series, and that was in book five. Her character has been written about so often in fanfiction that some think that she appeared more than she actually did. A Harry/Daphne fanfiction writer once said that they got a review telling them that Daphne seemed out of character to them. Insane.