It's been 25 years since the first Harry Potter book was published, but it is still one of the most beloved franchises out there. Fans are so attached to this fantasy series that it has been expanded into other works, such as The Cursed Child play and the Fantastic Beasts trilogy. HBO CEO David Zaslav has even commented that he would like to keep creating Harry Potter projects alongside J.K. Rowling (via Variety). Despite Harry Potter's success, it isn't perfect.

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As time passes, there are many things about the Harry Potter saga that now seem questionable, such as the lack of proper representation and some dark jokes. Hopefully, as this series grows, the franchise will be brought into the present and will make up for some past mistakes.

10 Albus Dumbledore Trains A Teenager To Face The Most Dangerous Wizard

Albus Dumbledore standing in front of his pensieve in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

When Harry discovers that he has to kill Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, it seems like a huge task for a 15-year-old. It makes very little sense that a fully-grown adult would put this sort of responsibility on a child who he's supposed to protect.

By this point in Harry Potter, Harry becomes involved in Voldemort's scheming either by chance or because he's inherently heroic. From then on, Dumbledore sets a clear path for Harry to defeat the Dark Lord, which ends with Harry having to sacrifice himself for the good of society.

9 Harry Potter Doesn't Include Racial Diversity

Neville, Hermione, Fred, George, Ginny, and other members of Dumbledore's Army

Throughout the years, one of the most criticized aspects of Harry Potter is its lack of racial diversity. England is home to people of all races and ethnicities, an aspect of the country that the books and movies mostly leave out. While there are a couple of token side characters who are Black (Dean Thomas), Indian (Parvati and Padma Patil), and Chinese (Cho Chang), the overall representation in Harry Potter is lacking.

These characters are rarely given important roles, and J.K. Rowling’s mention of Hermione’s potential Black skin isn’t enough. Fortunately, the fandom has created a dozen of works of art with a more diverse Harry Potter cast, which makes the franchise more inclusive and interesting.

8 Harry Potter Portrays Women In Stereotypical And Bidimensional Ways

Hermione Granger on the Hogwarts Express

Harry Potter features some beloved female characters. Strong women like Hermione, Professor McGonagall, and Molly Weasley soon became role models for the readers and viewers. However, as time passes, it becomes increasingly obvious that these characters were barely developed.

Throughout Harry Potter, most female characters are valued for their nurturing traits (Narcissa Malfoy, Molly Weasley, or even Hermione who is forced to be the mom-friend). Even when they aren't, they have an internalized misogyny. For instance, Hermione thinks that Lavender and Parvati are dumb, just because they're feminine and uninterested in academic pursuits.

7 Heavier Children Are Portrayed As Villains And Other Characters Tease Them

Dudley Dursley angry in Harry Potter

The Harry Potter books and movies follow a common children's book trope in which characters with big bodies are villainous. Just like Augustus Gloop in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl, Dudley Dursley is defined by his heavy body, greediness, and constant gluttony. This also happens with Crabbe and Goyle, Draco Malfoy’s minions, as well as Horace Slughorn, the Potions teacher.

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Although Harry Potter is participating in a common tradition in children's storytelling, this aspect of the books and movies has aged poorly. The saga ascribes negative attributes to overweight bodies, and it also makes it seem okay to make fun of this aspect, such as when Hagrid calls Dursley a pig.

6 Lack Of Proper LGBTQ+ Characters

Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald talking in Fantastic Beasts Secrets Of Dumbledore

When the Harry Potter series was first published (1997 to 2007), representation of LGBTQ+ characters was uncommon. Harry Potter is another saga that doesn't include any openly LGBTQ+ characters. Even though J.K. Rowling stated in an interview that Albus Dumbledore was gay, this doesn't appear anywhere in the books or movies.

The franchise even had a chance to revisit this issue with the Fantastic Beasts series, but it still cowered away from giving Dumbledore and Grindelwald an actual love story. As of 2022, LGBTQ+ representation in media is crucial, so the Harry Potter franchise is becoming increasingly obsolete in this sense. This, combined with J.K. Rowling's political views, makes for a very disappointing realization for LGBTQ+ fans.

5 Aberforth Dumbledore's Goat Joke Grows Darker As Time Passes

Aberforth Dumbledore with Hermione and Ron in the Hog's Head Inn, Harry Potter

During the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix book, Dumbledore and the Golden Trio are trying to cheer Hagrid up after Rita Skeeter trashes him in the newspaper for having a Giantess as a mother. Dumbledore casually comments that his own brother, Aberforth, was "prosecuted for practicing inappropriate charms on a goat."

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They soon dismiss this conversation, but its implications are incredibly disturbing. Growing up, all Harry Potter fans have come to realize this is a bestiality reference, and Rowling even avoided explaining the joke to a child in an interview. This is definitely one of the creepiest moments of Harry Potter.

4 The Order Of The Phoenix Implied That Umbridge Was Assaulted By Centaurs

Umbridge on the Forbbiden Forest Floor

After psychologically and physically torturing her students for a year, Dolores Umbridge ended up on the losing side at the end of The Order of The Phoenix. Harry and Hermione tricked her into going into the Forbidden Forest so she could antagonize a group of centaurs, who apparently kidnap her and rough her up.

Neither the books nor the films delve into what really happened to Umbridge with the centaurs, but she’s clearly heavily traumatized after the ordeal. Some fans have pointed out that, according to Greek mythology, centaurs often assaulted their victims. Given this piece of trivia, Umbridge’s ultimate fate is one of the darkest things about the Potterverse.

3 Most Wizards Are Comfortable With House-Elves' Forced Labor

Dobby the House Elf in Harry Potter

In the fourth installment of Harry Potter, fans and Hermione realize that most of the cleaning and cooking labor in Hogwarts is done by House-Elves, who receive no payment or benefits for their work. Hermione immediately reacts to this issue, finding it deeply upsetting and disturbing that wizarding society forces Elves to do most of their cleaning.

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As was previously seen in the Chamber of Secrets with Dobby, a lot of House-Elves belong to Pure-Blood families who abuse them and put them through terrible ordeals. The fact that most wizards believe this is okay, and Harry and Ron try to ignore Hermione's political activism, shows that this society has aged poorly.

2 Love Potions Are Too Normalized In Harry Potter

Ron Weasley under Love Potion influence smiling while holding chocolates

Love Potions are some of the many magical drinks available in the Wizarding World. These concoctions force their drinker to get infatuated with the person who created the potion, and they come in very different intensity levels. The most powerful one is Amortentia.

Forcing someone to fall in love with another person is unacceptable, as it forces someone to become involved in a non-consensual emotional and physical relationship. It can even aid someone's assault, such as when Merope Gaunt managed to get pregnant when Tom Riddle used this potion.

1 The House Division Is Deterministic And Promotes A Toxic Environment

The Great Hall in Hogwarts

When Harry first arrives at Hogwarts, he learns that all students are divided into four houses, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff, depending on their most prominent traits. Effectively, Gryffindors are brave, Ravenclaws are smart, Slytherins are cunning, and Hufflepuffs are kind.

Although fans enjoy the sense of belonging that each house provides, it's also problematic that a school has no problem with determining 11-year-olds. It's unfortunate that people believe the Slytherin children are inherently evil. This system also makes for a competitive and toxic environment among the students.

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