10 Harry Potter Plot-Holes That Are Actually Aren't

The Plot-Hole

The logic behind The Trace is a touch wonky. If it detects magic cast around under age wizards should it not be a constant source of frustration for parents?

But Wait...

Make an addendum to the established lore and the solution to the conundrum is simple. That the Trace does not activate in the case of parents’ spell-casting indicates that the Trace can differentiate between those who do – and do not – have a Trace on them. Ergo, as far as the Trace is concerned, as long as magic is cast in the presence of someone who does not have a Trace on them then that person must, by definition, be of appropriate age.

A definition as basic as this leads to inevitable loopholes, one of which brings us to the question of Dobby. Prejudice against House Elves is characteristic of even the pre-Voldemort era, with the House Elves being seen as little more than menial servants. That a House Elf would act on their own initiative outside of the will of their master is something that likely never occurred to the wizards who created the Trace. Dobby, being the unusual Elf that he is, knew of the loophole and was smart enough to exploit it.

What of the Muggle-born Hermione? The Ministry must have notified the Grangers that their daughter was a Witch and, to help them cope, would have added a bit of magic to prevent false alarms.

As for Tom Riddle killing his father? Well, you don’t send a reprimand to a murderer – you send the police, and Tom was obviously long gone by the time the Aurors arrived.