Harry Potter has always been my childhood escape into the magical world. I can bet every ’90s kid has rewatched the movies countless times, and even the Gen Alphas are hooked now. Over the years, fans have shared the darkest and strangest theories online. Some make no sense at all, but a few really make you think and pull out all the books and movies to connect the dots.
Now that the new Harry Potter series, directed by Mark Mylod, is in the works, we as Potterheads are hoping some of our wildest theories might finally be answered. Some of the cast members have been confirmed, with Dominic McLaughlin playing Harry Potter, Paapa Essiedu as Snape, Nick Frost as Hagrid, and John Lithgow as Dumbledore. The series is set to release in early 2027 and will run for ten long years. But for now, here are some of the theories that just might find closure in the new reboot.
10
Mrs. Norris Is an Animagus and in Love With Filch
No wonder she’s so loyal to Filch.
For years, fans have questioned the unsettling bond between Argus Filch (David Bradley) and his ever-watchful cat, Mrs. Norris. Several fan theories on the internet claim she is not a cat after all, but an Animagus (a witch who took cat form, and never changed back). Now, there are tons of clues that support this theory; for instance, her presence on the Marauder’s Map. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Mrs. Norris appears on the map by name, even though the map only tracks human presence. By this logic, she could be human.
Then there’s her uncanny behavior, which adds to the speculations. She doesn’t sulk in corridors like normal cats, but patrols Hogwarts with intent — often turning up the exact moment Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his friends break curfew. The most obvious hint is that Filch, a Squib, cares for her with an intimacy that extends beyond that of master and pet. Now this could signal a darker backstory, too, that Filch was once married to Mrs. Norris, who got trapped in a cat’s body by magic he couldn’t undo. HBO’s new Harry Potter series could finally put this question to rest by showing flashbacks of the two characters’ pasts. If unpacked, this could turn out to be the saddest love story Hogwarts ever hid.
9
Dudley Dursley’s Children Might Be Magical
Perhaps magic skipped a generation.
We all collectively went from hating Dudley Dursley (Harry Melling) to loving him by the end. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry and Dudley part on friendly terms (although this was a deleted scene in Deathly Hallows: Part 1). That’s when theories about his children started to circulate. Dudley was a Muggle born to a woman with magical blood, Petunia Dursley (Fiona Shaw), sister of Lily Potter (Geraldine Somerville), and Harry’s aunt.
Now, Wizarding genetics can work its way mysteriously. Even Squibs like Filch had magical parents, so the reverse can also be true. Petunia carried a magical gene that was recessive, but her grandchildren might. It would be ironic to see Dudley, who once feared anything magical, now discovering his child has a letter from Hogwarts. Hopefully, the new Harry Potter series could touch on Dudley’s life in the end to show an ultimate redemption arc. Proof that magic can turn up anywhere, even in the family that tries their hardest to shut it out.
8
Petunia Dursley Was Tortured by Death Eaters
She’s not just a neglectful aunt, but a traumatized one, too.
Petunia Dursley spent years mocking anything magical, thereby hating Harry for no reason at all. But this bitterness didn’t just come out of nowhere. Before Harry was born, Petunia might have been emotionally and possibly physically tortured by Death Eaters. Voldemort’s followers might have targeted her and killed her parents for not revealing James (Adrian Rawlins) and Lily’s secret location.
Petunia may have been spared only because the original Order of Phoenix intervened after a tip-off from Professor Snape (Alan Rickman). It would explain why Petunia reacts with fear, not just hatred, when Harry mentions Voldemort’s name. It might also clarify why the Dursleys remained safe all those years — because of Dumbledore’s (Richard Harris and Michael Gambon) protective charm over all the residents of 4 Privet Drive, not just Harry. From the Harry Potter books and movies, it is clear that she was jealous of her sister, and that jealousy turned into resentment after Harry was born. However, her cruelty might have stemmed from the traumatic events that occurred in her life.
7
Dumbledore’s Chocolate Frog Card Was Spying for Him
A clever spy network held together by chocolate.
At first glance, the Dumbledore chocolate frog card doesn’t seem anything more important than a collectible. But this theory suggests that it had a more strategic purpose. Harry first opens his chocolate frog card on the Hogwarts Express in Sorcerer’s Stone, where the card shows Albus Dumbledore’s (Richard Harris) moving portrait.
It feels almost planted, as if Dumbledore wanted to observe who Harry surrounded himself with.
Now, it’s no stretch to imagine Dumbledore using his card to keep an eye on new students. The card appears at exactly the moment Harry meets Ron (Rupert Grint), right as he is choosing his first real friend. It feels almost planted, as if Dumbledore wanted to observe who Harry surrounded himself with. This wouldn’t be the first time Dumbledore used portraits as spies. In Order of the Phoenix, he sends portraits of former headmasters, Professor Everard (Sam Beazely) and Professor Dilys, to help Arthur Weasley (Mark Williams). Maybe his chocolate frog cards are also the reason why he was the greatest wizard at Hogwarts.
6
The Horcrux Made Dursleys Crueler
Voldemort found a way to torture The Boy Who Lived as he grew up.
The Dursleys never found the sweet spot in our hearts and were definitely meant to win the cruelest guardians’ award. Throughout the series, they terrorized and ignored Harry for being Lily Potter’s son and, later, for being a wizard. Even after hating Harry to their core, the Dursleys took him in as a child and provided for him in his early years. So, it is hard to believe that the Dursleys, especially Petunia, were so heartless to their nephew.
Harry carries a fragment of Voldemort’s soul, a Horcrux. In the first book, when Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) tried to kill baby Harry, he unintentionally made him a Horcrux because his soul was deeply unstable. When the curse rebounded, a fragment of Voldemort’s soul broke off and latched onto the only living thing nearby, Harry himself. Now, Horcruxes are known to poison those around them, so it is plausible that this dark magic also affected the Dursleys, and it became the reason for their hatred towards Harry.
5
Snape Resented Neville for Being the “Wrong” Chosen One
Lily might still be alive if Harry wasn’t the Chosen One.
Professor Snape was a resentful man in general, but he picked on Harry for obvious reasons — one being his father, James Potter. He hated Gryffindor students, not even giving Hermione (Emma Watson) credit for her intelligence. However, he seemed especially cold and cruel to Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis). Snape instilled so much fear in Neville that when Neville faced a Boggart in Prisoner of Azkaban, it transformed into the Potions master.
However, Snape’s disdain ran deep. According to the Harry Potter prophecy, both Harry and Neville fit the description of the “Chosen One,“ as they were both born at the end of July, to parents who had defied Voldemort. Because Snape loved Lily, Harry’s mother, the possibility of Neville being the Chosen One could have meant Lily would have survived. Neville’s very existence was a constant reminder to Snape that Lily died because Neville wasn’t “the one.”
4
Dumbledore Planted the Weasleys in Harry’s Life
Headmaster by day, friendship matchmaker by night.
Dumbledore was a wise yet sometimes manipulative wizard who wanted to have control over Harry’s life — for his own good. Some theories suggest that Dumbledore might have orchestrated events around Harry to give him the sense of normalcy, such as that provided by the Weasleys. The Weasleys were a warm, loving family who anchored Harry emotionally and filled the gap left by the Dursleys’ neglect.
Harry met the Weasleys while lost at King’s Cross, right when he needed help most. Molly Weasley (Julie Walters) steers him toward the right platform and, by extension, toward Ron. Later, the family welcomes him for Christmas, birthdays, and even summers. All of this could have been strategically planned by Dumbledore, who cared for Harry like his own son. The theory can be confirmed by the new series, maybe through a letter or a conversation between Dumbledore asking the Weasleys to watch over Harry.
3
Salazar Slytherin Was the True Creator of Horcruxes
It would be fitting for Voldemort to inherit this twisted family practice.
The dark art of making Horcruxes is credited to Tom Riddle (Christian Coulson), but it might have started long ago. Herpo the Foul One was the Greek wizard who invented the deadly Horcruxes. One of the darkest fan theories suggests that Salazar Slytherin might be the same person as Herpo the Foul, since both of them spoke Parseltongue, practiced dark magic, and chased immortality at any cost.
Because of Salazar Slytherin, the Slytherin House had a bad reputation from the start. It is possible that Herpo could have found magic to stay immortal and ultimately took over the body of Salazar to survive in the Wizarding World. Slytherin also created the Chamber of Secrets and possessed a locket that Voldemort later turned into a Horcrux. While there is not much evidence to support this theory, the new series, however, can confirm its possibility.
2
Harry Potter Is Godric Gryffindor’s Heir
If true, it could’ve been awkward if Harry was sorted into Slytherin.
In Chamber of Secrets, Harry feared he might be Slytherin’s heir. The signs seemed to point that way because he unknowingly carried a fragment of Voldemort’s soul. Later, it was revealed that Tom Riddle was the true heir of Slytherin, but there was no information in the books or movies hinting at Harry’s ancestry.
Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin were once great friends who later turned into rivals. Their rivalry made Slytherin create the Chamber of Secrets and store a Basilisk within it to fight against Muggle-born students. Nearly a thousand years later, Tom Riddle, Slytherin’s heir, carried out his ancestor’s plan, which was then poetically countered by a Gryffindor student (Harry). This could also explain why the Sword of Gryffindor presented itself only to Harry and Neville, the two candidates named in the prophecy about Voldemort’s downfall. Later, Harry uses the same sword to defeat Voldemort, which implies that they share a deeper, ancient connection. Plus, he and his parents lived in Godric’s Hollow for a short period of time.
1
Voldemort, Snape, and Harry Represent the Three Brothers
The tale of the Peverell brothers lives on.
The “Tale of the Three Brothers” is a Wizarding fairytale about three brothers who cheat Death. The eldest brother seeks power through the Elder Wand but dies because of arrogance and obsession. The middle one uses the Resurrection Stone to bring back his lost love, but ends up taking his own life. The youngest brother uses the Invisibility Cloak to evade Death, but in the end, he accepts his fate and passes the cloak to his son.
The three brothers mirror Voldemort, Snape, and Harry, respectively. Voldemort dies because of his ego, while Snape mourns Lily’s loss all his life and ultimately dies for her. The youngest brother is much like Harry, who often uses his father’s Invisibility Cloak to escape danger. This fan theory is mind-boggling as it suggests the series’ three central characters to be brothers. Since Dumbledore indirectly causes Voldemort and Snape’s deaths, controls Harry’s life, and gifts him the Cloak of Invisibility, he is read as the embodiment of Death.
