From: rdavidwalters@earthlink.net   
      
                  Harry Potter: Errors and Inconsistencies   
                                by R. David Walters   
      
         J. K Rowlings¹s Harry Potter series is a masterful work, obviously   
   outlined in great detail before she began writing the first book. Here   
   are two examples of her extensive planning. When Hermione Granger was   
   introduced to us in The Sorcerer¹s Stone, she was described as having   
   ³lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.² Then in the   
   fourth book the author wrote, ³Hermione¹s front teeth ­ already larger   
   than average ­ were growing at an alarming rate...² Draco Malfoy¹s   
   Densaugeo Curse, meant for Harry, had hit Hermione instead. Also, early   
   in the first book, Harry¹s aunt called his mother a ³Freak.² I thought   
   this was both cruel and uncalled for. But, at the end of the final book,   
   we discovered the reason for Petunia¹s animosity toward her sister.   
   Severus Snape had found the letter sent to Lily¹s sister from   
   Hogwarts¹s. Petunia was so enraged that Snape had read it, she called   
   her sister a ³Freak!² This passage explained Petunia¹s hostility  ­ pure   
   resentment. She had been denied admission to Hogwarts.   
         As an avid fan of the books I noticed several errors and   
   inconsistencies. I cataloged them in hope that others might enjoy the   
   list.   
         Throughout, the Roman numerals designate the volume, and the   
   Arabic numbers refer to the page. All words and phrases in bold Italics   
   were done for emphasis.   
      
   Ron and the Forbidden Forest   
        III - 65 ³ ŒI don¹t want to make him miserable. I want to put him   
   on his guard!¹ retorted Mr. Weasley. ŒYou know what Harry and Ron are   
   like, wandering off by themselves ­ they¹ve ended up in the Forbidden   
   Forest twice!¹ ²   
        It was only Harry who had been in the Forbidden Forest twice during   
   his first two years at Hogwarts, but Ron just once when he went along to   
   speak to Aragog.   
   It was Neville who went into the forest when he accompanied Harry,   
   Hermione, and Draco when the four served their detention for being out   
   of bed after curfew. Ron was in the hospital wing during that time   
   having been bitten by Hagrid¹s pet dragon, Norbert.   
      
   The Hospital Wing   
        II - 182 ³Harry woke up on Sunday morning to find the dormitory   
   blazing with winter sunlight and his arm reboned but very stiff. He sat   
   up quickly and looked over at Colin¹s bed, but it had been blocked from   
   view by the high curtains Harry had changed behind yesterday. Seeing   
   that he was awake, Madam Pomfey came bustling over with a breakfast tray   
   and then began bending and stretching his arm and fingers.²   
        So, just where was Harry, in Gryffindor Tower or in the hospital   
   wing? If he were in the dormitory, Colin wouldn¹t be there. His class   
   was a year behind Harry¹s.   
      
   Harry and the Boggart Lesson   
        When Professor Lupin called him into his office, Harry asked his   
   DADA teacher why he wasn't given a chance to face the boggart. Remus   
   replied, ³I assumed that if the boggart faced you, it would assume the   
   shape of Lord Voldermort.²   
        III - 155 ³ ŒI didn't think of Voldermort,' said Harry honestly. ŒI   
   ­ I remembered the dementors.¹ ²   
        III - 136a ³Harry thought ... What would scare him most in the   
   world?²   
        III - 136c ³His first thought was Voldermort ­ a Voldermort   
   returned to full strength.²   
      
   Hogwarts¹s Student Population   
        Throughout all seven books only eight students were ever mentioned   
   as being in Harry¹s Gryffindor year: Dean, Harry, Hermione, Lavender,   
   Neville, Parvati, Ron, and Seamus.   
        I - 146 ³The Slytherins were already there (when the Griffindors   
   arrived), and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the   
   ground.² We¹re left to assume there were twelve first year Slytherins   
   but just eight Gryfindors. If each year averaged just ten students per   
   house, then the entire student population would be about two hundred and   
   eighty.   
        II - 91 ³About twenty pairs of different-colored pairs of earmuffs   
   were lying on the bench (for the repotting of the Mandrakes in Herbology   
   class which Griffindors had with the Hufflepuffs).² This reinforces the   
   notion that each year¹s house averaged just ten students.   
        III- 305 ³Behind the Slytherin¹s goal post, however, two hundred   
   people were wearing green; the silver serpent of Slytherin...² Since the   
   other three houses wished to see Slytherin House defeated, who else   
   would be wearing green and silver except Slytherins?   
        IV - 415 ³The House tables had vanished; instead, there were about   
   a hundred smaller, lantern-lit ones, each seating about dozen people.²   
   Even given that a few guests and the professors attended the Yule Ball,   
   why was there seating for twelve hundred people when only fourth years   
   and above could attend unless some had invited students from the lower   
   years as Neville did by asking third year Ginny?   
        V - 245 ³He had hardly talked to anyone about this (Cedric¹s   
   death), least of all thirty eagerly listening classmates.² This scene   
   took place in the DADA class taught by Dolores Umbridge. If there are   
   just eight Griffindor¹s in Harry¹s year, then there must be twenty-three   
   students from another house to add up to the thirty staring at Harry.   
        VII ­ ³Every head turned, every eye in the place (The Great Hall)   
   seemed to have found Harry, to hold him frozen in the glare of thousands   
   of invisible beams.² Assuming that J. K. Rowlings was referring to two   
   eyes per student plus the presence the teachers and a few members of The   
   Order of the Phoenix that would still suggest a student population of   
   well in excess of just two hundred and eighty.   
   Hagrid¹s Size   
         I - 14 ³He (Hagrid) was almost twice as tall as a normal man and   
   at least five times as wide.²   
        IV - 179 ³At least twice as tall as a normal man, and at least   
   three times as broad, Hagrid with his long, wild hair, tangled black   
   hair and beard, looked slightly alarming ­ a misleading impression.²   
       V - 421 ³Hagrid himself, twice the size of a normal man and three   
   times as broad, was now limping over to the fire and placing a copper   
   kettle over it.²   
       Apparently, J. K. Rowlings reconsidered Hagrid¹s width.   
   Kreacher   
        V - 479 ³ ŒWhere¹s that accused house-elf? Kreacher? KREACHER!¹ But   
   Kreacher did not answer the summons. ŒOh, forget it then muttered   
   Sirius, counting the people in front of him.¹ ²   
        VI - 419 ³ ŒKreacher?¹ There was a very loud crack.² Harry had   
   spoken Kreacher¹s name, and the house-elf immediately appeared.   
        VII - 190 ³ ŒIt¹s not over yet,¹ said Harry, and he raised his   
   voice and called, ŒKreacher!¹ There was crack and the house-elf that   
   Harry had so reluctantly inherited from Sirius appeared...²   
        A house-elf¹s duty is to obey its master, and Keacher did twice   
   when called by Harry. Yet, he ignored Sirius¹s summons.   
      
   The Elder Wand   
        VII - 407 ³So the oldest brother, who was a combative man, asked   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)