Top 10+ Big Changes J.K. Rowling Made to Harry Potter Canon After the Movies Released

When the Harry Potter franchise was at its peak, it was considered one of the best-written YA fantasy series. Fans loved the lore and worldbuilding of the series and yearned for more. Once the series came to an end with the final film's release in 2011, fans were joyful when more lore was revealed through the Pottermore website, which provided backstories and notes that weren't included in the novels or films. Even more additions and changes to the canon came in the form of the Fantastic Beasts films, the Cursed Child play, and tweets from the author.

However, as time went on, many of these retroactive additions to the lore were met with confusion, disappointment, and even controversy. For even the most dedicated Harry Potter fans, the new information given by author J.K. Rowling left much to be desired. With HBO's Harry Potter remake in the works, many have wondered whether these retroactive additions and changes to canon will be included.

How Wizards Went to the Bathroom Before Plumbing

This Bit of Added Lore Was Very Bizarre

Easily one of the most infamous additions to the Harry Potter canon came in the form of this information from Pottermore. In 2019, Rowling announced through the Pottermore site that wizards did not use plumbing until the 18th century, with wizards simply relieving themselves where they stood and then using magic to clean after themselves. This was naturally met with a lot of confusion and even backlash from fans.

The biggest issue with this information was how unnecessary and bizarre it felt. Fans have dreamed of being wizards and attending Hogwarts, and now knowing that students would simply 'go' in the middle of the corridors definitely ruined the ambiance. While Rowling confirmed that this practice stopped when Hogwarts installed plumbing, it has become one of the biggest examples of Rowling adding too much to the lore.

Nagini Used to Be a Human Woman

Fantastic Beasts Revealed That Voldemort's Snake Was a Maledictus

Another controversial change to the Harry Potter lore came with the second Fantastic Beasts film, The Crimes of Grindelwald. When the trailer showed a woman transforming into a very familiar-looking snake, it was revealed that Nagini, the pet snake and Horcrux of Lord Voldemort, had previously been a human. Rowling revealed that Nagini was a Maledictus, a human with a blood curse that could change back and forth between human and animal before permanently becoming the animal at some unknown point.

Naturally, many fans found it rather odd that this was never brought up in the original Harry Potter books. Nagini having being a woman certainly added a whole new level to her relationship with Voldemort, which many fans criticized, especially as she was portrayed by a South Korean actress. This reveal also dampens Neville Longbottom's triumphant moment of killing Nagini, as now the fans know that she was once a human with no evil intentions.

Fantastic Beasts Changed Dumbledore's History as a Teacher

The Transfiguration Professor Was Changed to a DADA Professor

In the Harry Potter novels, it was revealed that Albus Dumbledore was a Transfiguration professor before he became the Hogwarts Headmaster. However, when the trailer for The Crimes of Grindelwald was released, fans were confused to see Jude Law as a young Dumbledore teaching a completely different subject. In the Fantastic Beasts films, Dumbledore is portrayed as being the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

While this change is understandable, as it could be considered a more fitting subject for Dumbledore, it seriously confused book readers. It could initially be argued that Dumbledore was teaching a form of Transfiguration on boggarts, but another scene shows him teaching dueling to his class, confirming that in the canon of the films, he was the Defense professor.

Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger Went to Marriage Counseling

J.K. Rowling Revealed That Ron and Hermione Would Have Problems in Their Relationship as Adults

For many Harry Potter fans, the romance between Ron and Hermione was incredibly heartwarming, built up throughout the seven novels before the two finally get together in Deathly Hallows. Fans were especially thrilled when the epilogue chapter revealed that Ron and Hermione were married with two children.

It came as a shock in 2014 when Rowling revealed in an interview with Emma Watson that she thinks Ron and Hermione would probably need marriage counseling in their adult life, going so far as to say that Hermione should've ended up with Harry. Many fans felt betrayed by this statement, especially as Rowling had made it very clear in the past that Harry and Hermione would never work and that it was always meant to be Ron, which she admitted in her interview with Watson came from some wish fulfillment on her part.

The Trolley Witch Was an Immortal Being

Cursed Child Added Some Lore to This Minor Character

Harry Potter fans have loved the backstories Rowling revealed about the more minor characters after the end of the series, but the one character many hadn't given too much thought to was the trolley witch, the elderly woman who ran the sweets' trolley on the Hogwarts Express. The Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play revealed some very interesting lore about the character, which mostly caused confusion among the fans.

The Cursed Child revealed that the trolley witch was not a normal witch but an immortal being who spent her life making sure that no children escaped the train on their way to school. The play showed the witch growing monstrous features and using her trolley treats as weapons in an attempt to prevent Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy from jumping off the train. In this scene, she mentions how she had previously prevented Fred and George Weasley, as well as the Marauders, from causing trouble on the train, so it is odd that none of them ever mentioned it to Harry during their school days.

Albus Dumbledore Had a Nephew

Secrets of Dumbledore Revealed That Credence Was the Son of Aberforth

One of the biggest mysteries of the Fantastic Beasts films was the true identity of Credence Barebone, an Obscurial with an unknown past. Many fans were confused when The Crimes of Grindelwald ended with Credence being called a Dumbledore, with many believing he was a previously unmentioned third Dumbledore brother. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore revealed, however, that Credence was actually Aurelius Dumbledore, the nephew of Albus Dumbledore and son of Aberforth Dumbledore.

While this reveal certainly made more sense than a third brother, some fans found it strange that this was never revealed previously. While Albus hardly ever spoke of his family to Harry, Harry did get to know the history of the Dumbledore family throughout Deathly Hallows, even meeting Aberforth. Despite Aberforth explaining his long, complicated relationship with his brother, he never brings up the fact that he had a son, though it is very likely that Aurelius had died long before Harry's time.

The Golden Trio's Careers as Adults

Harry and Hermione Went on to Work at the Ministry

While the epilogue chapter of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows reveals that Harry, Ron and Hermione were all married with children, their careers as adults were not revealed until after the book's release. Rowling revealed that all three of them went on to join the Ministry of Magic, with Harry becoming an auror, something he had wanted to pursue since Order of the Phoenix.

Later, it was revealed that Ron also trained to be an auror but eventually gave it up in favor of running Weasley's Wizard Wheezes with George. The Cursed Child revealed that Harry had worked his way up to the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement by the time he was 40, with Hermione being elected the Minister of Magic. Some fans argue that Harry should've rather become Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, particularly given how much he grew to distrust the Ministry in the later novels.

Minerva McGonagall's Backstory

Pottermore Revealed That the Hogwarts Professor Was Once Married

Minerva McGonagall is a fan-favorite character in the series. The stern but fair witch was a great teacher and warrior who always had Harry's best interest at heart. Fans had been curious about McGonagall's past for many years and were later treated with a detailed backstory on Pottermore. The backstory revealed that McGonagall had a romance with a muggle named Dougal McGregor, even being briefly engaged in 1954. However, the relationship didn't work out, as Minerva did not want to risk her career at the Ministry of Magic by telling him she was a witch.

Minerva also went on to marry her boss at the Ministry, who died sometime before Harry's time at Hogwarts. Notably, another addition to McGonagall's backstory caused a lot of confusion, with McGonagall originally being said to have been born in 1935 but appearing in The Crimes of Grindelwald as an adult professor in 1927. After the release of the film, McGonagall's original birth year was removed from her Pottermore page, making her age around Harry's time unknown in terms of which canon is followed.

Lord Voldemort Had a Daughter

The Cursed Child Revealed That Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange Had a Baby

Another controversial retroactive piece of canon came with the Cursed Child play. The play, starting in 2017 but taking place mostly in 2020, follows the story of Harry's second son, Albus Severus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy on a time-traveling adventure to save Cedric Diggory. Along for the journey is a mysterious new character named Delphi Diggory, who claims to be the niece of Cedric's father.

However, the play revealed that Delphi was actually a witch named Delphini, who was the biological daughter of Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange. Many fans found this incredibly strange, as Bellatrix would've had to have been pregnant during the events of Deathly Hallows to have reasonably given birth to Delphini. While Bellatrix was certainly obsessed with Voldemort, many felt like he would never have even considered continuing his legacy through an heir, as he was under the belief that he would never die and would, therefore, not need an heir.

Dumbledore and Grindelwald Had a Romantic Relationship

Secrets of Dumbledore Finally Confirmed That Dumbledore Was Gay

It's no secret that the Harry Potter novels feature no representation of LGBTQIA+ characters or relationships. After the release of the Deathly Hallows novel, Rowling revealed that Albus Dumbledore was gay, which caused much controversy in the fandom, with some feeling that saying a character is gay after the fact doesn't really count as representation. During the press promotion of The Crimes of Grindelwald, Rowling revealed that not only was Dumbledore gay but that his feelings for Gellert Grindelwald were reciprocated, describing their relationship as "intense and passionate."

Many fans were then disappointed when this was barely indicated in the film. However, Secrets of Dumbledore did finally provide on-screen confirmation of a romance between the two wizards, but for many fans, this felt a little too late. While it makes complete sense for Dumbledore not to go into the details of his love life with Harry, HBO's adaptation could definitely make some reference to this romance, whether through flashbacks or implications in dialogue.