7 Ridiculous Harry Potter Moments That Are Only In The Books
Sometimes, the Harry Potter series went a little too far...
There are almost two-hundred chapters across the seven Harry Potter books, and though this lengthy series generally excels at crafting an authentic, nuanced fictional world, there are a number of disconcertingly strange moments during Harry’s adventures.
Such moments often, but not always, stem from a character’s odd decision making or lack of judgement. Though this does result in a fair degree of humour, there are certain times during the Harry Potter books where particular choices make little to no sense whatsoever.
It wouldn’t be foolish to assume the majority of these moments come from Harry’s earliest adventures at Hogwarts. Given the first two books are for a younger audience, odd story beats would feel less out of kilter with the tone of the story. But this isn’t the case at all. Most of them actually come from the longer, more mature books in the series.
Whilst these ridiculous moments aren’t so bizarre they spoil the central narrative, they do raise a number of questions. Perhaps J.K. Rowling just enjoyed writing these books so much she got a bit too carried away at times...
7. Harry’s Final Quidditch Match – The Half-Blood Prince
Harry’s aptitude for Quidditch is one of his greatest strengths. He’s an irreplaceable asset to the Gryffindor Quidditch team every time he plays. It would have been nice, therefore, to see him go out in a blaze of glory.
Instead, Harry experiences the oddest Quidditch match of his entire career. Luna Lovegood commentates on the whole thing, and – predictably – she delivers a bizarre report on the events of the game, and often drifts away from the match entirely.
Yet the strangest moment is Harry’s altercation with Cormac McLaggen, the new Gryffindor Keeper. Partway through the match, McLaggen demonstrates how to hit a Bludger to Jimmy Peakes, one of the Gryffindor Beaters. Somehow, he completely misses the Bludger, and manages to whack Harry around the head.
The chances of this happening are minute. And – what’s more – why did Harry feel the need to get so close to McLaggen? He could have just yelled instructions rather than fly straight towards him.