Question: Why is it necessary for Draco to confirm that the real Harry has been captured by the bounty hunters? Lucius and Bellatrix have each dealt with Harry before.
raywest
16th Dec 2015
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
30th Apr 2015
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
Question: Why does Bellatrix accuse Dobby of defying his "masters"? Surely she would have heard from Narcissa, Draco, or Lucius that he no longer serves the family.
Answer: That would hardly matter to Bellatrix. She would look at Dobby as an inferior being who was fit only to serve wizards. She likely considers him to still be the Malfoy's possession, despite Harry's freeing him. Most wizards see their race as "masters" to all house-elves and other non-human sentient beings, regardless of whether or not they were free.
16th Mar 2015
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
Question: Draco said in the previous book/movie that Voldemort would kill him if he didn't kill Dumbledore, so why didn't Voldemort kill him after he refused and Severus had to do it instead?
Answer: Draco didn't refuse outright, though he did not want to kill Dumbledore. Voldemort threatened to kill Draco's family if he failed. Draco did make attempts, but they were half-hearted ones that failed. Snape stepped in before Draco was forced into killing Dumbledore. Voldemort would have killed Draco eventually, but keeping him alive was useful in his controlling both Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy (Draco's parents) and also Bellatrix Lestrange (Draco's aunt). Killing Draco early on would have turned them against him.
25th Apr 2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
26th Jun 2014
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
Question: Why do all of the Death Eaters hesitate to lend Lord Voldemort a wand? In "Chamber of Secrets", when Ron's wand was damaged, Professor McGonagall just said he would need to replace it. So I am assuming that purchasing a new wand is not particularly unusual or difficult.
Answer: Normally replacing a wand is easy, but there are only a few wizards who can make them. Voldemort has kidnapped Mr. Olivander, tortured him, and destroyed his shop, so he is not currently in a position to be making new wands. The Death Eaters fear offering their own wands to Lord Voldemort because he often strikes out, often fatally, at anyone who fails or displeases him. If someone gives him their wand and it does not perform adequately, they know there may be severe repercussions. Voldemort is also gauging his Death Eaters' reaction to his request so he can judge their loyalty and willingness to do his bidding. Most also realize that the request is mostly aimed at Lucius Malfoy, who has fallen from Voldemort's favor. Voldemort is taunting him.
9th Sep 2013
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
Question: If Dumbledore knew who Tom Riddle/Voldemort really was, then why take him to Hogwarts to teach him magic, since he would eventually grow up to be evil?
Answer: Dumbledore did not know when he first met the young Tom Riddle that he would one day become the evil wizard, Lord Voldemort. He even tells Harry this when they are discussing him. Riddle took the name of Voldemort when he began his rise to power some time after he left Hogwarts. Dumbledore always had suspicions about his behavior while he was a student and kept a close watch on him, but at that time he was unaware of who and what he would become.
Not to mention, Hogwarts is not the only school of magic. Dumbledore didn't know exactly how dangerous he would become, but he knew this kid had the potential to become dark. He'd be better off at Hogwarts than at a place like Durmstrang, where he'd learn much more dark magic and be more likely to grow up as a dark wizard.
1st Mar 2013
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
Question: In the Ministry of Magic when they try to get to Umbridge's locket, how does she knows that it's Harry? Did she use some magic?
Chosen answer: Umbridge did not know that it was Harry. During the interrogation scene when they are trying to retrieve the locket, Harry is still disguised as Albert Runcorn by the Polyjuice potion. The only thing that Umbridge noticed was that Harry suddenly produced his wand from his coat sleeve. This made Umbridge suspicious and she asked "Albert" what he was doing. That is when the polyjuice potion started to wear off and Harry was transforming back to himself, but he "stupified" Umbridge before she knew exactly what was happening.
19th Jul 2012
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
Question: I don't remember if this is explained in the book, but when it is discovered that Umbridge has the locket, assuming she wore it while she had it, wouldn't she be possessed by its powers like Ron was when he wore it? And did she know it was a piece of Voldemort's soul?
Answer: This was never answered in the book, but in The Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter, it is speculated that Umbridge may have been unaffected because her own evil nature was more aligned to the dark locket. Also, the locket being somewhat sentient may have sensed that she posed no threat to it, whereas Harry, Ron, and Hermione's sole intent was to destroy it.
18th Mar 2012
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
Question: Why did Hermione clear her parents memory of her at the beginning?
Chosen answer: To protect them from Voldemort. She knows that if he discovers anyone is helping Harry hunt the horcruxes, the Dark Lord will murder their families in retaliation. In the book, Hermione also sent them to Australia under a new identity, and Harry broke off his relationship with Ginny to protect her.
24th May 2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
Question: I didn't get it, but who was the "ghost" deer that led Harry to the pond with the Griffindor sword in it? Or why did it lead him there?
Chosen answer: It's not a ghost. It's a patronus, like the one Harry conjured in "The Prisoner of Azkaban," to save Sirius Black. Every wizard's patronus takes a different animal form. An as yet unknown ally (revealed in part 2, and the book) sent the doe patronus to lead Harry to where the Sword of Gryffindor was hidden.
17th Jan 2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
Question: How did Grindlewald know that Dumbledore was buried with the wand?
Chosen answer: This is actually never explained in the movie. In the book, Voldemort located Grindelwald in Nurmengard prison so he could learn the whereabouts of the Elder Wand. Grindelwald lied to Voldemort about ever having possessed the Elder Wand, perhaps in a belated effort to protect Dumbledore, his former friend and foe. Voldemort read Grindelwald's mind using Legillimancy and learned that Dumbledore had captured the wand from Grindelwald after defeating him in their epic duel many years before. Voldemort murdered Grindelwald, then deduced that the Elder Wand must have been entombed with Dumbledore.
24th Nov 2010
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
Question: When Harry finds the Sword of Godric Gryffindor in the frozen lake, why doesn't he just use the Wingardium Leviosa spell to levitate it out of the lake instead of diving in to get it himself? I assume that this is how J.K. Rowling wrote it in the book, but does this still count as a mistake?
Chosen answer: It is not a mistake. Harry does attempt to summon the sword with a spell, but like the locket horcrux in the sea cave in (in HP and the Half-blood Prince), all the horcruxes, as well as other particularly strong magical objects (like the three Deathly Hallows), are impervious to all types of summoning charms. They therefore must be retrieved by other means.
Join the mailing list
Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.
Answer: Lucius and Bellatrix were unable to confirm Harry's identity because Hermione had jinxed his face to disguise him just before the snatchers captured them. They are fairly certain it is Harry, but as Bellatrix says, if they summon Lord Voldemort, and they are wrong, he will kill them all. Of all the Death Eaters at Malfoy Hall, no one knows Harry better than Draco, having spent more time with him because they were schoolmates. Lucius and Bellatrix have to be absolutely sure that this is Harry Potter.
raywest ★