The Marauders Mystery: Harry Potter Fans Can't Make Sense of This Plot Hole
Grossing more than $7 billion worldwide, The Harry Potter film franchise is one of the most beloved and successful book-to-screen adaptations ever made.
Yet for all of its successes, even the movies' biggest supporters can't deny that they include several senseless plot holes. One of them adding even more to the mystery of the Marauder's Map itself.
What is the Marauders Mystery
The Marauder's Map first appeared in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. In the film, Harry is upset that he can't join his friends on weekend trips to Hogsmeade without permission from his guardians (i.e. the Dursleys). To cheer him up, Weasley twins Fred and George give him one of their most prized possessions, the Marauder's Map.
Although the pair do not know the story behind the map, they have discovered its secrets in aiding them to navigate Hogwarts undetected. As well as revealing some hidden passages the siblings have used to get to forgotten locations around the castle.
Of course, the inclusion of the map is not just added as a whim within the story. Harry soon discovers the name of Peter Pettigrew appears; an old friend of his parents that he believes to be dead.
While investigating after dark, Harry accidentally gets caught by Snape and Professor Lupin, who confiscate the map. Much later in the film, however, Lupin reveals to Harry he knew what the Marauder's Map was all along and how to operate it. Yet it is never revealed how Lupin knew any of this at all. Especially for an object whose very nature was to conceal its true purpose.
What the fans say
Of course, fans of the films have picked up on this error straight away. Users on Reddit have discussed why they think this plot hole exists at all. Pointing out that in the books, details are divulged about Harry's dad James, and his friends Lupin, Sirius, and Peter's secret monikers while at Hogwarts themselves.
This also reveals them to be the original creators of the map and gives a sufficient explanation of how Lupin could use it so easily.
Some Redditors ask therefore, why was this not explained fully within the film if the explanation already existed in the book?
One commenter even suggests it could have been made much more obvious for the audience with just one additional line in the script. However, others theorise it was likely cut during editing, if it did ever exist, to save on the overall run time.
Overall as plot holes go, this doesn't largely harm the overall story. Especially considering the film also includes large sections of complex time travel. Yet this small error will likely continue to bug fans all the same. And for the fans who never read the books at all, it definitely presents an argument that including a short explanation for the Marauder's Map was still necessary, if not just desperately wanted.