We need to talk about this Harry Potter plot hole

The good people of the Internet put in good time discovering, dissecting and discussing plot holes, and I applaud them. It’s hard work, and someone’s gotta do it. Today’s plot hole is all about Harry Potter, and it’s a doozy. The Huffington Post alerted us to one eagle-eyed fan who posted an important oversight on the Science Fiction & Fantasy Stack Exchange:

OK, let’s break this down. You remember the Marauder’s Map—that sneaky piece of parchment gifted to Harry by the Weasley twins to help him sneak around Hogwarts and beyond. And you remember Peter Pettigrew, the man who was secretly moonlighting as Ron’s pet rat Scabbers. Well, this plot hole concerns them both in a big way.

Here it is: How come Fred and George didn’t see Peter Pettigrew—aka Scabbers—sleeping with Ron on the Marauder’s Map?

Mind. Blown.

As far as we know, Fred and George were very familiar with the Marauder’s Map. They understood how to reveal and conceal its contents. They knew which passages were best to use and which were closed off. And, they understood that dots represented people and their whereabouts.

If that’s true, why didn’t it alarm them that a dot labeled ‘Peter Pettigrew’ was constantly with their little brother? Not to mention Percy before that. Scabbers was with Ron everywhere: the Gryffindor common room, his dormitory, his pocket.

Maybe Fred and George didn’t notice, or maybe they didn’t think it was a big deal. Maybe it’s hard to pick out names if you aren’t searching for them. After all, they did seem most interested in the map for its secret passages. Still, it’s pretty crazy.

While we’re at it—why didn’t the twins notice their sister’s dot spending so much time in the Chamber of Secrets? That’s a question for another day.

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