20 Insane Harry Potter Theories That Actually Make Sense
These Theories Are So Crazy, They Could Be True
Part of the fun of being a fan is using our imaginations to riff off of the material we have at hand and create our own theories. Some of the ones that formed around Harry Potter sound wild on the surface, but when you think about them, actually make a lot of sense. From the truth about Filch's cat to the real reason the Dursleys despised Harry, here are 20 of our favorite Harry Potter fan theories.
1. Mrs. Norris Is Mrs. Filch
Fans find it strange that a man like Filch who's rough and unfeeling has such tenderness towards his cat. This has bred the theory that Mrs. Norris is actually Filch's wife in animagus form.
2. Herpo The Foul Is Salazar Slytherin
Herpo The Foul was the first known wizard to create a Horcrux. He also spoke Parselmouth, leading fans to believe he used Horcruxes to stay immortal, and that he and Salazar Slytherin are actually the same person.
3. Draco Malfoy Is A Werewolf
Remember how sickly and haggard Draco looked in sixth year? Fans speculate that he might've been bitten by the Death Eater and werewolf Fenrir Greyback (the same one who bit Lupin) as Voldemort's punishment to the Malfoy family.
4. Ron Is A Seer
Despite hating Trelawney's divination class, fans speculate that Ron possesses psychic abilities, he just doesn't know it yet. This theory stems from the fact that Ron predicts a curious number of events like when he makes a remark suggesting that Tom Riddle killed Moaning Myrtle which ended up being true. His ability for predicting the future also explains his talent for chess.
Mademoiselle Ortie / Elodie Tihange on Wikimedia
5. Neville Has The Wrong Wand
Another fan theory suggests that Neville isn't a bad wizard at all, he just has the wrong wand. "The wand chooses the wizard," but Neville uses his father's wand. This makes him a clumsy wizard until that wand finally breaks and Neville finally gets to find the right one for himself, instantly improving his skills.
6. Dumbledore Uses The Chocolate Frogs As A Network
Dumbledore's knowledge of the goings on around Hogwarts goes far beyond just being observant. That's led fans to believe he's using the chocolate frogs, moving from card to card to obtain information.
7. Neville Is The True Chosen One
One theory suggests that Neville was the true chosen one, and Voldemort attacked the wrong child. Trelawney's prophecy states that the one born on the seventh month will destroy the dark lord but Neville was also born in July and his parents also fought Voldemort three times, so it could just as easily have been him.
8. Crookshanks Was Lily Potter's Cat
The Potters owned a cat who disappeared the night Voldemort killed Harry's parents, leading some to believe Crookshanks was the Potter's cat before Hermione adopted him over ten years later. This theory explains the cat's hatred of Scabbers as he would've known the true identity of the rat.
9. The Horcrux Made The Dursley's Hate Harry
It seems strange to some just how much the Dursleys despise their nephew who is just a child after all. Some fans explain the family's horrible attitude by the fact that Harry is a Horcrux, and Horcruxes are known to negatively affect people's moods.
10. Ginny Gave Harry A Love Potion
Ginny develops a crush on Harry after first seeing him at the train station, but Harry initially sees her only as Ron's kid sister. However, his feelings towards her change suspiciously abruptly in his sixth year leading fans to speculate Ginny used a love potion to make him fall in love with her.
11. George Weasley Becomes Willy Wonka
One of the weirdest and funniest Harry Potter fan theories that could make sense is that George Weasley and Willy Wonka are the same person. The theory goes that, after losing his brother, George turns back time and creates a new life for himself as Willy Wonka, using his magical talent and passion for candies and jokes to open the fantastic chocolate factory.
12. Draco Was In Love With Hermione
Throughout the Harry Potter series, Draco seems to always go out of his way to bully Hermione, despite the fact that she's not the only Mudblood at Hogwarts. This has led fans to believe that he was actually into her, but as he was raised to believe Mudbloods were beneath him, he felt insecure and ashamed by his own feelings, leading him to attack her.
Joella Marano from Chicago, IL on Wikimedia
13. Harry Is Descended From Godric Gryffindor
As Voldemort is the heir of Salazar Slytherin, it seems entirely plausible that Harry is the heir of Godric Gryffindor. This would make him the true owner of Gryffindor's sword and further related to Voldemort.
14. Neville's Childhood Trauma Was Obliviated
Fans speculate that baby Neville was present as his parents were getting tortured at the hands of Bellatrix. Wizard doctors would've tried to erase the experience from poor Neville's brain using a memory charm which would explain why Neville's memory is so poor.
15. Hagrid Is A Death Eater
One of the more far-fetched fan theories is that Hagrid is a double agent, working behind the scenes as a Death Eater. Fans find some of Hagrid's actions suspicious such as the fact that Hagrid knew exactly where to find baby Harry, Hagrid's enduring belief that Voldemort was alive, and the few times he "inadvertently" helped Voldemort such as when he gave away information about Fluffy while drunk.
16. The Narnia Children Are The Hogwarts Founders
Happy Potter fans love to interweave fantasy realms. Perhaps the best example of this is the theory that the four Hogwarts founders and the Narnia kids, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, are the same people. Peter is brave like Gryffindor, Susan is intelligent like Ravenclaw, Edmund is ambitious like Slytherin, and Lucy is loyal like Hufflepuff, so you can see how some would draw parallels.
17. There Are Other Animal Languages
If Parseltongue is the language of snakes, it's reasonable to assume other animals have their own language too. Fans speculate many wizards in magical society would be able to communicate with different animals and that Parseltongue was only highlighted in the book because Harry could speak it.
18. Ron Weasley Is Dumbledore
Perhaps the most hated fan theory on the internet is that Ron Weasley is a young Albus Dumbledore who traveled through time. It's a pretty far-fetched theory, but Ron's physical resemblance to a young Dumbledore, his love of candy and chess, and the fact that Dumbledore seemed to understand Ron very well despite only ever exchanging a few words could make for a compelling argument.
19. Harry Imagines The Whole Thing
The saddest theory of all is that none of this really happened and it was just a lonely, sad, abused young Harry dreaming up the whole thing in the cupboard under the stairs at the Dursely's. The whole magical story is told from Harry's point of view and it's not altogether unreasonable to think that it was just the fantasy of a neglected child.
20. J.K. Rowling Is Rita Skeeter
Fans got meta with this one thinking J.K. Rowling inserted herself into the story as the annoying reporter, Rita Skeeter. This theory suggests that the whole story was written by someone with first-hand information about Harry's life.
Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA on Wikimedia
