Consider this huge “Harry Potter” fan theory officially debunked

There have been *plenty* of Harry Potter fan theories that have gone viral on the Interwebz. Take, for example, the theory that the Dursleys were such jerks because they were unpleasantly reacting to Harry’s being a Horcrux, or that Dumbledore is Death. Here’s a new one started by Tumblr user Inkhat that totally blew everyone’s minds: That those who are in Gryffindor had to ask to be placed there.

According to Inkhat, everyone in Gryffindor had to request the Sorting Hat to be placed in the house of bravery:

Solid theory, right? (And rather inspirational, TBH.) However, this theory has been officially debunked, not by a Tumblr user, but by Seventeen‘s Kelsey Stiegman, who cleverly (because she’s obviously a Ravenclaw) noted that there’s actually one small (but important!) detail we’re all forgetting to take into account. Yes, Harry did plead with the Sorting Hat, but not in the way this theory would require.

Harry didn’t ask the Sorting Hat to put him in Gryffindor — he asked it to not put him in Slytherin. Specifically, the words in the book were, “Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.” Plus, as Stiegman points out, the theory may seem sweet, but it’s actually pretty prejudiced against Muggle-born witches and wizards, because most of these young first years hadn’t grown up knowing anything about the wizarding world, and many of them likely wouldn’t know anything about any of the houses — other than Hermione, of course.

Well, it was fun while it lasted, but we gotta put that Harry Potter fan theory to rest. No doubt that Tumblr will come up with a new brilliant one to put in its place.