Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. I recently released a video on the WORST fan theories that I came across in 2022. Well, in today's video, we're going to be taking a look at the opposite end of the spectrum, discussing the BEST Harry Potter theories to have surfaced or been discussed within the last year. From Dumbledore's DARK plan to secrets of Azkaban prison, this video isn't short of theories. From good to ABSOLUTELY AMAZING, I'll be taking you through these theories. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. Today, we'll be looking at five Draco Malfoy theories that have recently caught my eye.-To start, I'd like to acknowledge that there are loads of debates out there between fans as to whether Malfoy was a redeemable character or not. There seems to be two very distinct camps – one that believes Draco was a snake at the beginning of the series, and an even bigger snake at the end; and another that believes he was simply brought up in an environment of hate but was really a good person. The latter of these two groups, suggests that there is a very obvious character arc and redeeming storyline that Draco goes through in the latter half of the series. I must admit that I'm somewhat with the second group of fans in my beliefs regarding Malfoy. Sure, he was a pompous pureblood that did terrible things to Harry and his friends in their youth. But these terrible things were always done with juvenile intent. For example, in The Philosopher's Stone, Draco was responsible for tricking Harry into thinking he was going to fight Malfoy in a midnight duel. BUT his true intention in challenging Harry was to have him found outside of bed, running around the castle after hours – something which would have resulted in Harry's expulsion. EXPULSION – not death – not even harm. So, I imagine you take my meaning. Draco seemed to hate Harry but not to the point that he would cause him actual harm – at least as an 11-year-old boy. Of course, later in the series, there are many times in which Draco is presented with the opportunity to bring harm to Harry – such as when he was asked to identify if a very badly stung Harry was indeed THE Harry Potter. This happens at Malfoy Manor in The Deathly Hallows after a group of snatchers find Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the woods and they use a charm to puff up Harry's face beyond the point of recognizability. Of course, the snatchers suspect it's Harry, his lightning-bolt scar mainly to blame. But when Draco, home from school on holiday, is asked to confirm that the puffy-faced, adolescent wizard IS THE Harry Potter, he falters. He knows it's Harry – we know he knows. But he does not confirm it to his father, Lucius, even though it would've brought the Malfoy family back into great favour with the Dark Lord, because Draco knows that if he were to identify Harry as HARRY, he would've been killed. This is one of the MOST telling moments into the true nature of Draco Malfoy. And, so, it's with this perspective that I'll be taking you through today's theories on Mr. Malfoy. Let's dive in. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. Today we're taking a trip all the way back to the late 90s / early 2000s and uncovering WHY ON EARTH Harry Potter became (for a time) one of the most banned media franchises in the world. Over the past few decades the Harry Potter books have helped shape the imagination of millions of children worldwide. Millions lined up at midnight release parties, dressed up as Harry, Ron and Hermione for Halloween, and proudly shouted out their Hogwarts house for all to hear. But for some, these things were never an option. What's the deal? If you asked most people to describe Harry Potter, they'd consider it to be fairly innocuous.-The books and films follow the life of a young boy who figures out that he's a wizard, steps foot in to a magical world, and shortly thereafter begins attending a magical school. It's here that he builds new friendships, faces a variety of hardships / challenges, and ultimately finds himself facing off against a tyrannical dark wizard by the name of Voldemort. And my point is this: Harry Potter is, on the surface, about as unobjectionable as works of fiction come. Or.....is it? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. Today we're discussing MAGIC- specifically, what it is, where it comes from, and why only some people can channel it. Expanding on that, we're going to be looking at the physiological differences between wizardkind and mugglekind- attempting to identify biological characteristics that may differentiate the two.- Magic is defined as 'the power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces', which on paper seems like a fairly fitting description. However, the part of the definition I take issue with is the 'supernatural' component- as this implies that magic is beyond scientific comprehension. Supernatural means just that- a force that transcends the laws of nature. But is magic really SUPERNATURAL? Is it a force that relies on religious influence? Or can it be biologically explained? From what I can tell, this aspect of magic seems to have been interpreted very differently across a broad spectrum of Harry Potter fans. Some fans view / have viewed magic in the Harry Potter series as being based on science- a natural force that can be studied and understood through the study of magical theory and the practice of magic. Reinforcing this is the fact that the use of magic in the series often involves scientific principles such as the conservation of energy. However, many others view / have viewed magic in the series as being based on religion- a mysterious and unknowable force that is beyond the understanding of mere mortals. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to arry Potter Theory. Today we're discussing HOW on earth Harry Potter's parents amassed such an incredible amount of wealth. How is it that Harry's vault was absolutely bursting at the seams from galleons when the vault of an entire family (the Weasley's) had but just one single galleon. We're also going to be looking at why Rowling made the decision to make Harry as wealthy as he was. When the Philosopher's Stone was first released- we got our first look into the contents of Harry's vault (vault 687) when Hagrid escorts him to Gringotts: Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Harry gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts. "All yours," smiled Hagrid. And from the first time I read that passage, I became fascinated with Harry's immense fortune. How did he get it? How much was there? And what did these immense stacks of gold coins look like?- Fortunately, this scene was brought to life on-screen in the release of the Philosopher's Stone in 2001- and it allowed us to finally witness, with our own eyes, exactly what Harry would have seen when he first stepped foot in vault 687. I'd also like to point out that this scene was preceded by Harry asking: "But, Hagrid, how am I to pay for all this? I haven't any money." Oh, Harry. So again I ask- WHERE ON EARTH did Harry's parents (who were just 21 years old when they died) get all of this gold to leave for Harry? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. Today we're discussing a HORRIFIC Harry Potter Theory that bears the potential to completely flip the Harry Potter ending on its head.-It involves (you guessed it) our main antagonist Lord Voldemort- and a scenario in which Voldemort...*gasp*..SURVIVES. Voldemort is defeated (at least markedly) twice in the Harry Potter story. His first defeat was at the Potter residence in Godric's Hollow, where his rebounding curse (thanks to Lily's loving sacrifice) shot back at him and ripped his soul from his destroyed body. This marked the (temporary) end of Voldemort, and the end of the First Wizarding War. But Voldemort certainly wasn't done- oh no no. In 1995 Voldemort made his resurgence, more motivated than ever to take back control of the Wizarding World and get revenge on the boy who had defeated him. However, this didn't work out too well for him either, as shown in his final showdown with Harry during the Battle of Hogwarts. And after this final fated duel, it's generally accepted that Voldemort was dead. In the films, Voldemort's body broke off in to thousands of pieces and vanished in to nothing, and in the books the former dark-lord was reduced to a corpse just like anyone else.- Eventually, after all of the dust has settled, Voldemort's body is moved in to a resting Chamber within the walls of Hogwarts- something that the films fail to mention altogether. It's here- somewhere entirely unspecified within the castle- that Voldemort purportedly lay for the remainder of eternity.- Or...DID HE? The theory that I want to put forth today suggests that Voldemort, by way of- you guessed it- HORCRUXES- was able to survive. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. When you think of a Powerful Witch in Harry Potter I'm sure many names come to mind- Bellatrix, Hermione, Molly Weasley, McGonagall- but these characters aren't the subject of today's video. Today, we're going to be discussing a witch MUCH more powerful than them, and arguably more powerful than the likes of Dumbledore, Voldemort and Grindelwald- a character that's only really mentioned in passing, but also happens to have quite a rich history that pertains to the story.- I am of course talking about... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. Today, we're going to be discussing the absolute WORST Harry Potter theories to have surfaced or been discussed in 2022. Some of these theories you may recognize from videos of mine that I've released in the last year. However, many are topics I either didn't have time to address in specific videos or hadn't come across until now. These theories cover everyone from Dumbledore to Snape to Hermione. Of course, if you have yet to watch my past videos on some of the topics I mention today, I obviously encourage you to go check them out after this if you'd like to learn more about them!- So, without further ado, let's dig into eight of 2022's most terrible theories. As we make our way through each theory, I'll explain how some of these can be completely disproven, while others are...well, just ABSURD.- See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. Today we're discussing 10 iconic pieces of literature that DIRECTLY inspired the Harry Potter story. These books are the primary influences and in some instances motivators that prompted JK Rowling to create the vast Wizarding World we've all come to know so well. Some of them are quite obvious, but others are remarkably subtle. I'll also add that Rowling herself has given acknowledgement to MOST of the influences featured on this list, however I will mention that there are a few which are simply analogues too similar to ignore- books published PRIOR to Harry Potter that contain elements which appear all too familiar. Let's get in to it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. Today we're going to be discussing Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, and trying to unravel one of his dirtiest darkest secrets. As early as the Philosopher's Stone (in the first chapter, no less), we hear Dumbledore mention a certain scar in a conversation with McGonagall. But it's not the scar that you probably thought of, Harry's scar of legend, it's actually one of Dumbledore's OWN scars.- If the first place your mind went to was emotional scars then that would make perfect sense, as Dumbledore, who lived quite the tumultuous life, would be riddled with them.- But in this instance we're talking about a real bonafide scar.- Let's dive in... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. Today we're discussing Magical LAW. That's right, just like the muggle society, witches and wizards are confined to behaving within the framework of law and order. We saw a little bit of this in the films- like when Harry had a disciplinary hearing before the Wizengamot. In this instance, Harry had performed underage magic (a Patronus Charm) in order to ward off Dementors attacking him and his cousin Dudley. "Disciplinary hearing of the twelfth of August, into offences committed under the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery and the International Statute of Secrecy by Harry James Potter, resident at number four, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey." Fortunately for Harry, Dumbledore stepped in and protected him- which resulted in Harry walking away with no charges. However, underage magic is just ONE 'law' in a wizarding society that actually has a lot more laws than you may have thought. Today we're going to be uncovering them- at least, all of the ones we have information on. I should also add that I won't be conflating 'Law' in the sense of legislation with 'Law' in the sense of a set of principles or scientific axioms. I.e. the 'Law' for underage magic is a piece of legislation prohibiting the use of underage magic and GAMP'S LAW is a set of scientific principles.- Let's dive in. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today we're discussing the deaths of some of the late and great actors that took part in the Harry Potter Series. In 2022 we lost a couple of the Harry Potter greats, including Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid) and Leslie Phillips (The Sorting Hat), and I thought that with the closing of the year we could honour the rest of the names- big and small- that we've lost over the decades- from Dumbledore all the way to the driver of the Knight Bus- Ernie Prang. Let's dive in. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Where did the Death Eaters come from? What name did they operate under originally? How did their hierarchy work? And where did the Dark Mark come from? For answers to these questions and more check out today's video of Harry Potter Theory. Today we're going to be discussing the history of Voldemort's faithful servants - the Death Eaters. Specifically- we'll be looking at their founder, how they formed, what name they ORIGINALLY operated under, how you can become a death eater, why some members WEREN'T pure-bloods, their role in both wizarding wars, and what happened to the Death Eaters AFTER the second wizarding war had ended. Let's get in to it. It all started with a young orphan boy by the name of Tom Riddle who began attending Hogwarts School in 1938. Though on the outside Riddle appeared to be a normal young man, deep down he had an unimaginable number of demons- demons that haunted him every single day of his life. Why? Well, Tom didn't exactly have a normal chi*ldhood- he was abandoned by his witch mother Merope Gaunt at the steps of Wool's Orphanage right at the time of his birth. - Because Tom Riddle Jr never had a mother or father figure- he also never had any concept of love, or family. Like many powerful, evil, and enigmatic figures of history - Riddle had a rough start to his life- and this paved the way for the dark path that he was destined to follow. But, when Riddle eventually began to act on his dark nature, and began pursuing dark endeavours- he wasn't alone, and he was able to bring many other dark witches and wizards along for the ride.- Queue the FIRST iteration of the Death Eaters... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. Today we're discussing the probability of whether or not Santa's elves have any relation to the House Elves that appear throughout Harry Potter. As I'm sure you can appreciate, this is a somewhat complicated topic. First of all, there's an absurd amount of elven lore that has existed over the centuries. Of course, the elves that are rumoured to reside in the North Pole with jolly ol' Saint Nick are just one of many because, of course, elves are a common component of just about any fantastical realm created by novelists. One really doesn't have to think very hard or for very long to come up with a list of books and movies that include this magical species. Lord of the Rings, The Witcher...these are just a couple of the most popular and commonly known series and universes that include an elven people. So, why compare the House Elves of Harry Potter with Santa Claus' elves? Well, in my opinion, there are just one too many similarities between these two sets of elves to ignore. If we are ready to accept that both these creatures exist within the same universe – which I assume we are, since Christmas is acknowledged by the characters of Harry Potter throughout the books and the films, and in a world where magical beings clearly exist, it'd be rather ridiculous to rule out that Santa also exists – so, IF we are ready to accept that both sets of elves exist in the same universe, then it's only logical to assume that they are related, however distantly. Let's start with the obvious. Since, we're not simply comparing these two elven populations in the video – we're actually looking to uncover whether or not they are indeed related, linked, or what have you – that means that we must first establish how Santa, the North Pole, and his elves would fit into the Harry Potter universe and Wizarding World as a whole.- See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. Today we're discussing none other than popular Hufflepuff student Cedric Diggory. More specifically- however, we're going to be discussing his untimely death at the hands of Wormtail aka Peter Pettigrew during the penultimate moments of the Goblet of Fire. This video will NOT consider the events of the Cursed Child. Now, whether you're a film-goer or a book-reader, the untimely death of Cedric Diggory was no doubt impactful. It happened during the third challenge of the triwizard tournament- just after Harry and Cedric simultaneously clutched the triwizard cup. Unbeknown to them, however, the triwizard cup was actually a portkey- a portkey that sent them to straight to Wormtail, Voldemort, and the Little Hangleton Graveyard. It was here that Cedric lived out his final moments- ultimately reaching his fate at the hands of Peter Pettigrew and his killing curse. This is outlined in chapter 32 of the Goblet of Fire- Flesh, Blood and Bone. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. While there are likely many WIZARDS that come to mind when you think of Harry Potter and EVIL – Gellert Grindelwald and Lord Voldemort to name a few – the title of most evil WITCH may not be quite so obvious. So, in this video, we're going to be discussing why I believe that the most evil witch in the Harry Potter universe is... Now, I know what you may be thinking. WHO in Merlin's Beard is Gormlaith Gaunt?! Wouldn't Bellatrix Lestrange be the obvious choice for most evil witch? How could a witch who many may not have even heard of deserve the title of the MOST evil witch? Could she possibly be MORE evil than Bellatrix, the literal mistress of Evil Reincarnate? (More on that in just a second.)- Well, of course, Bellatrix was a truly evil b– er, witch. She performed some incredibly cruel and heinous acts of magic – and non-magic, for that matter – in the name of being one of Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters. In fact, the rumour is that Bellatrix was so devout to Voldemort and the Dark Arts that she actually fell IN LOVE and was intimate with the Dark Lord himself, producing a daughter named Delphi – taking the vows of a Death Eater quite above and beyond, if you ask me...But anyway, in addition to her ABSOLUTE loyalty to Voldemort, Bellatrix was also involved in some of the most disturbing acts of Dark Magic described throughout Harry Potter. For example, she took part in the torture of Aurors, Frank and Alice Longbottom, an act which drove them both mad and permanently landed them in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries for the remainder of their lives. She also committed many a murder, including that of beloved House Elf, Dobby, her own cousin, Sirius Black, and her niece, Nymphadora Tonks – and she did all this in the name of pure-blood supremacy and the Dark Lord's vision of the wizarding world. So, yes, of course, it's true – Bellatrix Lestrange was a monstrously evil witch. But, hundreds of years before there was Bellatrix Lestrange, there was an Irish witch by the name of Gormlaith Gaunt, whose acts of unspeakable evil rival Ms. Lestrange's to the point in which I must admit that, in my opinion, she was indeed the more evil of the two. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. Today we're discussing the Wizarding Afterlife- taking a closer look at what exactly happens to witches and wizards when they die. The line between the living and the dead is unquestionably a blurry one in Harry Potter. This is reinforced by the prevalence of beings that skirt these two planes of existence- Ghosts and Dementors are some of the first that come to mind. And with these blurred lines, the topic of death (which is also a key thematic element in Harry Potter) becomes even more alluring. In fact, one of the main messages of the Harry Potter books is that death is NOT absolute. It's also reinforced that it's not anything we should be worrying about. We're continually reminded that death is simply a part of LIFE, and that rather than obsessing over it we should instead shift our focus on seeking love and friendship- enjoying the time that we do have. Voldemort infamously tried to evade death - which is why his name is aptly derived from the french 'vol-de-mort' meaning 'flight of death'. But the lesson the books teach surrounding the inevitability of death is one that never quite resonated with our immortality-obsessed antagonist. Rather than embrace life at it's own pace, Voldemort devised all sorts of plans to achieve the ever-elusive goal of immortality.- On a side note- there are actually FIVE methods of achieving immortality in Harry Potter. If you're curious about them, check out my video 'all 5 methods of immortality in Harry Potter'. So life and death have blurred lines- but what exactly does that mean? What happens to a witch or wizard when they die? Why do some become ghosts? Is there an AFTERLIFE? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. Today we're discussing wizarding economics- specifically, why and how a MAGICAL world would still have impoverished people. With the advent of magical capabilities, how can there possibly be witches and wizards living derelict lifestyles? At the very least, shouldn't every witch / wizard be able to source clean clothes? In Harry Potter, there are many passages alluding to the lack of economic stability in certain wizarding families- with a particular focus on the Weasley's.- From their house to their to their hand-me-down robes, it's certainly no secret that the Weasley's were financially stretched. Draco Malfoy even makes a comment towards Ron where he suggests that the Weasley family name is synonymous with this sort of thing. "Think my name's funny, do you? Well, no need to ask yours. Red hair, and a hand-me-down-robe? You must be a Weasley." And when Harry first witnesses the Weasley Family vault, he's at a loss for words: "Harry enjoyed the breakneck journey down to the Weasleys' vault, but felt dreadful, far worse than he had in Knockturn Alley, when it was opened. There was a very small pile of silver Sickles inside, and just one gold Galleon. Mrs.Weasley felt right into the corners before sweeping the whole lot into her bag." But the Weasleys weren't the only characters in the Harry Potter story that were lacking in funds. In fact, in my opinion one of the most EXTREME examples of poverty in Harry Potter is Remus Lupin. It's reinforced over and over and over that his clothes are tatty and that he looked sickly.- The first time that we're introduced to Lupin's character, he's described as follows: "The stranger was wearing an extremely shabby set of wizard's robes that had been darned in several places. He looked ill and exhausted. Though quite young, his light brown hair was flecked with gray. [...] "It's on his case," she replied, pointing at the luggage rack over the man's head, where there was a small, battered case held together with a large quantity of neatly knotted string. The name Professor R. J. Lupin was stamped across one corner in peeling letters." Then, again at the sorting ceremony: "Professor Lupin looked particularly shabby next to all the other teachers in their best robes." When Harry encounters Lupin for the second time, after their arrival at Hogwarts, the passage even suggests that Lupin had eaten properly for the first time in a while: "Lupin smiled vaguely and placed his tatty old briefcase on the teacher's desk. He was as shabby as ever but looked healthier than he had on the train, as though he had had a few square meals." Was Lupin SO POOR that he couldn't afford FOOD? How can this be a reality in Wizarding Society? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. Today we're discussing RELIGION and Christmas in Harry Potter . We'll also be more broadly addressing the topic of religion in Wizarding Society- including it's prevalence, diversification and whether or not witches and wizards celebrate GOD-like figures. - peeling back the layers to uncover if Christmas means the same thing in the MAGICAL world as it does in the MUGGLE world. We're going to start with Christmas then segue in to religion. Let's get in to it. Christmas time at Hogwarts meant that it was time for Hagrid and the other professors to outfit the Great Hall with Christmas decorations. -Twelve large decorated fir trees, mistletoe, and holly were among the decorations that Hagrid and the other professors helped put in the Great Hall for the Christmas holidays.- On the surface, Christmas in Harry Potter appears to be celebrated very much the same way that it's celebrated in Muggle Society- with eggnog, carols, lights, trees, presents and Christmas feasts.- "Harry had never in all his life had such a Christmas dinner. A hundred fat, roast turkeys; mountains of roast and boiled potatoes; platters of chipolatas; tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick, rich gravy and cranberry sauce - and stacks of wizard crackers every few feet along the table..." In fact, the emphasis placed on Christmas traditions in Harry Potter is so significant that the franchise (in some ways) has transcended the page- becoming immortalized in the real world as a story that's become synonymous with Christmas itself. As soon as the snowy-season hits, it's inevitably time to hunker down in some blankets and throw on Harry Potter. But besides all of the warm jumpers, gingerbread houses and Christmas pudding- what is the ACTUAL significance of Christmas in Harry Potter? Is Christmas in Harry Potter driven by religion, or is it a secular holiday? First I'm going to take a look at what Christmas means to witches and wizards, then I'm going to dive in to the role of religion in the wizarding world as a whole. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. Today we’re discussing Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, it’s student population, how students are selected for the school, and how muggleborns are told that they’re magical! Since the tenth century, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (located in the Scottish Highlands) has been the PREMIER destination for you*ng witches and wizards to learn magic. At least, in THAT part of the world.  And since the school was founded, it’s been filled year after year with new batches of promising youn*g witches and wizards. Over the centuries the school has produced copious amounts of talented witch and wizard alumni. “The finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world” But my question is- how are these students chosen to attend this famous wizarding institution? How do they find out that they’ve been chosen? We know they get an acceptance letter- but who decides that THEIR NAME gets put on that letter? And how does this process differ for muggle-borns- youn*g witches and wizards with no prior knowledge of the vast wizarding world? Let's dive in! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. Today we're discussing the 10 LARGEST magical creatures- the behemoths of the wizarding world. This list was particularly difficult to make as the exact specifications of each creature (height, weight etc) are not easy to come by. Suffice to say, the honourable mentions list following the main list is pretty long as well. I don't think you'll be able to guess all 10, but leave a comment down below before you start and see if you're right at the end.- Anyway, I won't dawdle, here are the 10 most ENORMOUS magical creatures from both Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. Today we're discussing notorious werewolf Fenrir Greyback- digging in to his past and uncovering some things that you may have never known. Believe it or not, once upon a time, Fenrir Greyback was just a regular wizard. He didn't have sharp teeth, long yellow nails, whiskers, or hair sprouting from every part of his body. He also didn't transform in to a horrible, dangerous magical creature when a full moon filled the sky. There is speculation out there pertaining to whether or not Greyback was ever a wizard at all. But as it happens, Rowling has confirmed that ONLY wizards are able to transform in to werewolves after being bitten by one, and that muggles simply die. This (if it wasn't clear already) confirms the fact that Greyback was indeed a wizard. In fact, though information on him is sparse, the available evidence would suggest that Greyback was perhaps even once a student at Hogwarts just like Harry, Ron and Hermione. This fact would explain his magical skills, his connections within the Death Eaters, and his hatred of 'normal wizards'. But on one fateful day, presumably after his wizarding education had finished, wizard Greyback (who likely was already of dubious morality) had an encounter with a werewolf where he was bitten. At this moment Fenrir was infected with Lycanthropy by the un-named werewolf, a magical affliction that transforms witches and wizards in to werewolves. One who is infected with Lycanthropy is henceforth known as a 'Lycanthrope'. There are two ways to become a Lycanthrope, but regardless of HOW it is contracted, it is still considered to be a curse (for which there is no cure) that will completely alter the victims existence. The first (and most common) way to contract Lycanthropy is through being bitten by a werewolf, though in some circumstances the bite can/will kill you. You must also be bitten by a werewolf in their wolfish form at the time of the full moon- ensuring that the werewolf's saliva mingles with the victim's blo*od. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. Today we're discussing 5 popular (& shocking) Harry Potter theories. The assortment I've collected for you today is comprised of a few popular fan theories circulating the internet, as well as a few theories of my own. Let's jump right in to it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. Today we’re going to be discussing the future of the Harry Potter franchise- specifically, what direction Warner Bros will take if they decide to further pursue a potential Harry Potter show. I’m also going to be discussing the FUTURE of Fantastic Beasts. Over the last couple of years we’ve been teased SEVERAL times about the potential for a Harry Potter reboot- whether in the form of a TV show or movie. Most recently was 3 weeks ago, when Warner Bros CEO David Zaslav emphasized the importance and significance of the Harry Potter IP belonging to them.. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. Today we’re discussing Albus Dumbledore and the discovery he made in his youth that made him famous. I am of course talking about his discovery of the 12 uses of Dragon’s Blood- an alchemical feat worthy of a place in the history books. Today, when we think of Dumbledore’s achievements, the accomplishment that stands out most was his 1945 defeat of dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, as he effectively saved the wizarding world from a perilous fate. After 1945, there wasn’t a wizarding household in the world that didn’t know his name. However, what many don’t realize is that Dumbledore is also quite famous from his OTHER achievements in the wizarding world. Dumbledore lived a long time, 115 years to be exact, and during his formative years he was able to achieve a LOT, beginning to impress other witches and wizards as early as the year 1893. “In a matter of months, Albus’s own fame had begun to eclipse that of his father. By the end of his first year, he would never again be known as the son of a Muggle-hater, but as nothing more or less than the most brilliant student ever seen at the school.”  And for the remainder of Dumbledore’s studies, with his negative associations now a thing of the past, Dumbledore continued to excel- achieving every award and accolade imaginable.  After the death of his sister, he decided to take a trip to France where he visited his old friend Nicolas Flamel. Flamel was a famed alchemist, and it was in France that Dumbledore studied the ancient art and science of alchemy under his tutelage. After an unknown period of time, Dumbledore returned back to Britain- and it just so happened that in this time period Dumbledore became infatuated with the study of dragon’s blood- specifically it’s uses- a relatively uncharted subject in wizarding culture. Dragon blood was the blood of any of the many species of dragon, and it had 12 uses - all of which Dumbledore ‘discovered’ and subsequently published, earning him widespread recognition. Dumbledore was now world famous. But despite this discovery catapulting Dumbledore to stardom, there are still a lot of UNKNOWNS when it comes to Dumbledore’s discovery- at least, from our perspective. While the uses of Dragon’s Blood were published in all sorts of alchemical manuscripts, we- the muggle readers- have never been enlightened as to what these 12 uses are. Today, I want to dig in and see what I can find on this subject.  First things first- what IS Dragon’s blood? Dragon’s blood, as you might have expected, was blood extracted from any species of dragon- a dark red glutinous substance. The blood of a dragon was particularly powerful- but also adaptable- which is why it was eventually discovered to have so much practical application in the wizarding world. It’s worth noting, however, that Dragon’s weren’t the only magical creature with POWERFUL blood.  One sip of unicorn blood could keep witches and wizards alive even when they were an inch from death, but it did come with a big price tag- a condemnation to a cursed existence- a half-life. Drinking the blood of a Re'em, a type of rare giant horse, granted the drinker immense strength for a short period of time. And the blood of a Qilin, a mythical creature that was part-dragon and part-horse, had the ability to show people visions. It’s clear that the blood of certain magical creatures has extremely powerful capabilities, but oddly enough the first two uses of Dragon’s blood that I want to discuss in this video seem fairly mundane by comparison. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.