I want to preface this article by saying that I love Harry Potter. The world is immersive, the writing is great, and there’s just enough about the Wizard World left unsaid for hours and hours of fan speculation.
However, it is still a work of fiction and as such, the plot must move forward. Most of the time, Rowling does a great job of doing this without making anything seem too out of the ordinary. Granted, these characters live in a world where magic exists so “out of the ordinary” is a bit different for us then it is for them.
Sometimes, though, there are moments when the plot moves forward with just a little too much convenience. Here are the top ten awfully convenient pieces of the "Harry Potter" storyline that make or break the entire plot.
10. Harry’s lack of living relatives
James and Lily die when they are 21, and yet, somehow, Petunia is the only living relative this child has? Does he not have grandparents? Other aunts or uncles?
9. Harry becoming master of the Elder Wand
Now, I'm not saying Harry shouldn't be the master of the Elder Wand. The boy cheated death twice. But, you want me to believe that Harry Potter became master of the Elder Wand because he took Draco Malfoy’s wand - not even the Elder Wand mind you - off of him in a house miles away from the Elder Wand? That's the explanation we’re going with here?
8. Hermione Granger
I know that Hermione shouldn’t technically count as a convenient plot device because she’s a character, and a fabulous one at that, but this child knows everything, all the time, and is always around to help Harry and Ron when they need it. Honestly, sometimes I think the real hero of these novels is Hermione.
7. Time Turners
I don’t really think I need to say much here.
6. Felix Felicis
The alternate name for this potion is literally liquid luck. I know, I know that if you use it too many times there are terrible side effects and you have to be particularly skilled at potions to make it, but you’d think, Harry, who is literally being attacked by Voldemort every book except for the third, would always have some on hand, you know, just in case he’s about to duel the most famous dark wizard in history.
5. The Marauder’s Map
This is literally a map with the whereabouts of everyone in Hogwarts at any given moment. I mean, really.
4. No one investigating Harry’s name appearing in the goblet of fire
Dumbledore draws an age line, one we see Fred and George Weasley – exceptional wizards in their own right – not being able to cross, everyone has a fit because Hogwarts now has two contestants instead of one, and still literally no one decides to look into this situation.
3. Pettigrew being the secret keeper for the Potters
Now, I am fully aware that at some point in both the book and the movie Sirius explains that he didn’t want to be the secret keeper because Voldemort would have known and this way it would be harder for him to pin down where the Potters were hiding, but why not make Remus the secret keeper? Or Dumbledore? Or literally anyone else in the books except for Peter Pettigrew?
2. Voldemort’s refusal to use anything not magical
He literally could have killed Harry in a variety of different ways the first time. Why? Because Harry was a baby and could not fend for himself. Voldemort did not, under any circumstance, have to use the killing curse on Harry for any reason other than the fact that he just wanted to be extra about the whole thing.
1. Veritaserum
This, much like Felix Felicus, always bothers me. It’s a truth-telling potion. It's only property is forcing people to tell the truth. Why don’t wizards just use this in trials (Sirius, Harry, any of the Death Eaters being imprisoned after Voldemort was “killed”)? And if you don’t want to make it mandatory, at least let people decide if they want to take it or not.
