How Did Fred & George Not See It? 5 Harry Potter Plot Holes That Bug Fans To This Day

Wizarding World fans have reread J.K. Rowling's iconic book series and rewatched the films based on it millions of times. The story of the boy who lived is so jam-packed with lore, magic and action that each new reading and viewing reveals unexpected details and raises new questions.

Over the years, fans have managed to find a few plot holes in the Harry Potter story. But are they really plot holes or just tidbits that require some extra imagination to explain?

Let's look at five major ones and see if we can come up with a plausible explanation for each.

Intriguing Bedroom Neighbor

This is a big one. How could Fred and George not notice that first Percy and then Ron were sleeping with a man named Peter Pettigrew every night on the Marauder's Map? Weren't they the least bit interested?

Explanation: The map was created by the Marauders, hence the name, and Pettigrew aka Wormtail aka Scabbers was a member of the group. So he and others probably made sure that they were not identified on the map in case someone else got hold of the magical artifact.

Thestral Mystery

How did Hermione not know that Thestrals pulled the Hogwarts carriages? When Harry saw them in Order of the Phoenix, she thought he might be going crazy, despite being a know-it-all who has Hogwarts: A History as her bedside table book.

Explanation: Thestrals may not be in Hogwarts: A History. Hagrid mentions that he was the first to breed the invisible creatures and use them on the grounds of Hogwarts. So it's possible that Hermione read about them somewhere, but didn't put two and two together.

Time-Turner Hazards

Why was a student given such a dangerous device as the Time-Turner? And why was it never used again, even though it could have been very useful in the dark times when Voldemort came to power?

Explanation: McGonagall trusted Hermione, plain and simple. Also, Dumbledore probably knew that the protagonists would have to use the device to save two lives.

As for the second question, we know that the Battle of the Department of Mysteries destroyed all the Time-Turners in the Time Room. While other countries might have been able to provide the British government with one of the devices, it is likely that wizards were not willing to risk it falling into the hands of Death Eaters.

Wizard Economy

If the wizarding community has expanding tents and bottomless bags, how can some families be rich and others poor?

Explanation: Everyone can do the same magic, but not everyone is equally skilled. We know that not every wizard can cast the Patronus Charm and even a simple protection spell. So some families can profit from the spells they are good at.

Calendar Mishaps

Why is September 1st always a Sunday? In a few J.K. Rowling's books, we see students arriving at Hogwarts on September 1st, feasting, going to bed, and then waking up the next morning to see their brand-new Monday schedules. Of course, this is convenient for the educational process, but it feels more like a writer's error than anything else.

Overall, the Harry Potter calendar seems to completely ignore real life. The very first page of Philosopher's Stone states that the day the story begins, November 1st, 1981, was a Tuesday. In reality, it was a Sunday.

Explanation: Well, we don't have one. But come on, is it really that important?