# What's your least favorite plot device/character/section of the Harry Potter books (OPEN SPOILERS) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 28, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-least-favorite-plot-device-character-section-of-the-harry-potter-books-open-spoilers/504593 "2009-07-28T20:53:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-least-favorite-plot-device-character-section-of-the-harry-potter-books-open-spoilers/504593/1 "2009-07-28T20:53:41Z")
I’m a Harry Potter fan and thoroughly enjoyed most of the series. There were, however, some parts I thought were clunkers. For the OP I’ll just do one: **OPEN SPOILERS** The [Time Turner](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Turner) used by Hermione in _Prisoner of Azkaban_. The problems I had with this are- —It’s far too powerful a device to risk in the hands of a student (even one as trustworthy as Hermione) because of the risk of it falling into the wrong hands —Time travel, even if it’s only 3 hours, opens up way too many plot holes —Why destroy it? Keep it but as a top secret device. That way when Dumbledore destroyed his hand breaking the horcrux ring he could say “Well, that destroys the ring but has consequences, let’s go back” or after the battle at the Ministry “let’s go back and this time have aurors waiting”. Any parts that you wish she’d left out or rewritten? ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-least-favorite-plot-device-character-section-of-the-harry-potter-books-open-spoilers/504593/2 "2009-07-28T21:00:54Z")
The whole thing with the wands at the end. “I’ve disarmed you, therefore your wand belongs to me”:rolleyes: Never mind that we’ve just had 6 books clearly establishing IT DOES NOT WORK LIKE THAT! Please don’t have the last battle of the final book of a 7 book series depend on some mechanic you pulled out your arse a few pages ago that contradicts established practice. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-least-favorite-plot-device-character-section-of-the-harry-potter-books-open-spoilers/504593/3 "2009-07-28T21:07:26Z")
Hagrid’s brother, Grawp. You could easily leave out that entire section of the book and lose nothing. I always skip it when I re-read. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-least-favorite-plot-device-character-section-of-the-harry-potter-books-open-spoilers/504593/4 "2009-07-28T21:27:36Z")
> [@Mr\_Shine](#): > > The whole thing with the wands at the end. “I’ve disarmed you, therefore your wand belongs to me”:rolleyes: Never mind that we’ve just had 6 books clearly establishing IT DOES NOT WORK LIKE THAT! I understand your frustration, but the Elder Wand is not like other wands. My complaint about it is that Grindelwald’s claim of ownership over it is apparently valid despite the fact that _he merely stole it_. How this differs significantly from Snape’s equally magic-free _picking it up_ technique Rowling does not, to my recollection, explain sufficiently. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-least-favorite-plot-device-character-section-of-the-harry-potter-books-open-spoilers/504593/5 "2009-07-28T21:31:31Z")
I touch your face. You melt. Horrible to be so evil, eh? ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-least-favorite-plot-device-character-section-of-the-harry-potter-books-open-spoilers/504593/6 "2009-07-28T21:49:57Z")
> [@badbadrubberpiggy](#): > > Hagrid’s brother, Grawp. > > You could easily leave out that entire section of the book and lose nothing. I always skip it when I re-read. This would be my choice as well. The whole subplot was boring and rather unpleasant, and it didn’t ever lead to anything important. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-least-favorite-plot-device-character-section-of-the-harry-potter-books-open-spoilers/504593/7 "2009-07-28T22:22:05Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > The whole subplot was boring and rather unpleasant, and it didn’t ever lead to anything important. Unless you count trying to figure the dynamics of a regular sized man impregnating a giantess (who would be the size of and look like Grawp rather than Hagrid) as important, though definitely still unpleasant. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-least-favorite-plot-device-character-section-of-the-harry-potter-books-open-spoilers/504593/8 "2009-07-28T22:30:11Z")
The Quiddich Wold Cup in _Goblet of Fire_. Exciting, kind of fun, does _nothing_ to advance the story. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-least-favorite-plot-device-character-section-of-the-harry-potter-books-open-spoilers/504593/9 "2009-07-28T22:48:50Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > I understand your frustration, but the Elder Wand is not like other wands. > > My complaint about it is that Grindelwald’s claim of ownership over it is apparently valid despite the fact that _he merely stole it_. How this differs significantly from Snape’s equally magic-free _picking it up_ technique Rowling does not, to my recollection, explain sufficiently. IIRC, when Grindelwald stole the wand, he also fired an attack spell at the wandmaker from whom he stole it. This, evidently, was supposed to count as “defeating” the other wizard. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-least-favorite-plot-device-character-section-of-the-harry-potter-books-open-spoilers/504593/10 "2009-07-28T22:54:37Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I’m a Harry Potter fan and thoroughly enjoyed most of the series. There were, however, some parts I thought were clunkers. > > For the OP I’ll just do one: > > **OPEN SPOILERS** > > The [Time Turner](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Turner) used by Hermione in _Prisoner of Azkaban_. The problems I had with this are- > > —It’s far too powerful a device to risk in the hands of a student (even one as trustworthy as Hermione) because of the risk of it falling into the wrong hands > > —Time travel, even if it’s only 3 hours, opens up way too many plot holes > > —Why destroy it? Keep it but as a top secret device. That way when Dumbledore destroyed his hand breaking the horcrux ring he could say “Well, that destroys the ring but has consequences, let’s go back” or after the battle at the Ministry “let’s go back and this time have aurors waiting”. The reason to destroy it is to stamp out the unlimited “let’s go back” scenarios that you just described. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-least-favorite-plot-device-character-section-of-the-harry-potter-books-open-spoilers/504593/11 "2009-07-28T22:59:18Z")
Cut ALL of the giant nonsense. At least the centaurs had a point to them (no pun intended). Grawp is a dead end and an annoying one. Hell, Hagrid is too front and center for my tastes. I would have liked to have seen more of the other houses. We got a glimpse of Hufflepuff with Cedric, but really nothing about Ravensclaw as a house until Book 7. I highly doubt that Harry, with that cloak, would not have explored each of the common rooms if he could. I wish they had been more integral to the plot overall. That, and Petunia needed to be less cartoon and more complex. This is her nephew–surely when she looked into Harry’s eyes she saw a part of Lily? The flashbacks in Book 7 are less plausible because Petunia has been so cardboard, IMO. Oh, and the biggest insult to the reader is the what I call the Austin Powers moment in Book 7. The whole Voldy saying “you have an hour” BS. And the epilogue is just stupid. Ok, enough. This is like cashews. I can’t stop! (but I do like the films and the books as a whole–it’s just I can’t read them uncritically). ---
**Author:** ![raspberry\_hunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@raspberry\_hunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raspberry_hunter)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-least-favorite-plot-device-character-section-of-the-harry-potter-books-open-spoilers/504593/12 "2009-07-28T23:01:54Z")
The part where Harry is told, over and over again, by just about everyone in the books, including everyone who is smarter than he is, that he needs to practice his Occlumency. Does he ever? No. Does he ever suffer any consequences whatsoever? No. The whole thing seems like just a plot device so that we get Snape’s little memory in Book 5. Similarly, it kind of irks me that bad things done by the protagonists are apparently just fine. Like modifying people’s memory? How is that not an incredibly awful thing to do? But if it’s Dumbledore doing it, apparently it’s okay. Or permanently scarring a kid? (Marietta’s scars last at least a year; I forget whether it’s mentioned in the 7th book.) Just great, since it’s Hermione who did it. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-least-favorite-plot-device-character-section-of-the-harry-potter-books-open-spoilers/504593/13 "2009-07-28T23:10:49Z")
Voldemort’s plan in GoF makes no sense. The imposter Moody just has to turn anything of Harry’s into a portkey: a piece of homework, a sock, his bedspread, anything. The whole Triwizard Tournament thing is pointless. Also, I despite the bait-and-switch “Harry’s dead – oh wait no he’s not” ending of DH. It’s like something out of bad fanfiction. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-least-favorite-plot-device-character-section-of-the-harry-potter-books-open-spoilers/504593/14 "2009-07-28T23:11:43Z")
> [@raspberry\_hunter](#): > > Does he ever suffer any consequences whatsoever? You meant to say, I’m sure, “except the ending of _Order of the Phoenix_ where Voldemort caused Harry to think that he was torturing Sirius in the Hall of Prophecy, leading Harry to rush there unprepared and with insufficient backup and resulting ultimately in Sirius’ death,” right? ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-least-favorite-plot-device-character-section-of-the-harry-potter-books-open-spoilers/504593/15 "2009-07-28T23:30:10Z")
This is a small, small thing - but it has annoyed me ever since the first book (I just got around to finishing the sixth.) The house contests “That’s 10 points for Gryffindor” or “that’s -100 from Slytherin.” It just seems so stupid and arbitrary. Especially the way the teachers throw out or take back random amounts, willy nilly, & then the end results seem to be constantly manipulated so Gryffindor wins. It’s just dumb. Maybe that’s the way it really works in English public schools, but it comes across as lame. ---
**Author:** ![Elyanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5ac83/32.png) [@Elyanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elyanna)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-least-favorite-plot-device-character-section-of-the-harry-potter-books-open-spoilers/504593/16 "2009-07-28T23:34:43Z")
Dobby. Like a miniature Jar Jar Binks. I too wish we could have seen more of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. The bits we DID see of Ravenclaw were fascinating. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-least-favorite-plot-device-character-section-of-the-harry-potter-books-open-spoilers/504593/17 "2009-07-28T23:52:54Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > Voldemort’s plan in GoF makes no sense. The imposter Moody just has to turn anything of Harry’s into a portkey: a piece of homework, a sock, his bedspread, anything. The whole Triwizard Tournament thing is pointless. I didn’t really understand this either, or the fact that Harry had _no choice_ but to participate once his name shot out _even though he was ineligible_. Dumbledore would have known that either Harry did that (which it was clear he didn’t) or that it was a set-up and couldn’t possibly end in anything good. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-least-favorite-plot-device-character-section-of-the-harry-potter-books-open-spoilers/504593/18 "2009-07-29T00:02:33Z")
I wish that there would be a few good Slytherins. If an entire section of the school is always unambiguously evil, why have it in the first place? At least give us a supporting wizard who sides with the good guys. It doesn’t have to be a paragon of virtue, either- it can be a stuck-up prig who thinks purebloods are superior, but draws the line at murder and subjugation. But having the entire student body be evil is just stupid. OTOH, I thought the revelations about Petunia in book seven were _brilliant_. Yes, she was a cartoon character, but her childhood memories (I thought) gave a plausible explanation for her hatred of magic. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-least-favorite-plot-device-character-section-of-the-harry-potter-books-open-spoilers/504593/19 "2009-07-29T00:05:29Z")
**Remus J. Lupin** Nope, no chance this guy is a werewolf. None at all. Where’s **Ima Vampire** and the wise and trusted **Professor Traitor Backstabber Turncoat III**?. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-least-favorite-plot-device-character-section-of-the-harry-potter-books-open-spoilers/504593/20 "2009-07-29T00:18:34Z")
The whole Triwizard Tournament. That’s freakin’ dangerous. Now, I know that kids at English boarding schools are much tougher than ordinary adult Americans, but still. It seems so irresponsible on the part of the headmasters. Dumbledore’s eventual explanation is pretty weak, along the lines of it would have been dangerous not to let Harry compete in a dangerous tournament because then he would be vulnerable to more … danger? What? And even with the dangerous, lethal parts aside … it seems like a huge portion of the school year is disrupted for the tournament, and _there are only four students participating in it anyway._ I could almost see it if the point was that each school had to work in teams to earn points - plus, cool opportunity for the houses to be forced to work together, but only FOUR, one of whom isn’t even supposed to be involved in the first place? I also HATE how much of the last book in particular is taken up with Harry, Ron and Hermione not getting along. It went on _forever_ and it was bad enough anyway to be reading the book and knowing it was the last one, and on top of that it felt like we were wasting so much time watching them be miserable. I love the series, I really do, but it is fun to talk with kindred spirits about the parts that didn’t work quite so well for us. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-least-favorite-plot-device-character-section-of-the-harry-potter-books-open-spoilers/504593.md?page=2)