Fat-Shaming and 9 More Harry Potter Film Moments That Aged Poorly

The Harry Potter films have remained a source of comfort for fans who love nothing better than to binge-watch the entire franchise on a rainy weekend. But as uplifting as the movies are, in the decade since the last installment was released, some aspects of the franchise have not aged as well as others.

Here are 10 specific moments from the films that have not aged well at all.

10. Fat shaming the villains

These days, film characters can come in all shapes and sizes. It's not uncommon to see larger-bodied actors portraying a character without their weight or size being mentioned at all. Yet the HP films did not do a good job of remaining body positive, particularly for the villains. Characters such as the Durselys were often portrayed as greedy or piggish. Aunt Marge was literally inflated. And the likes of Crabbe and Goyle didn't get off lightly either.

9. The love potion

In the sixth film, when Ron cheekily has some of Harry's chocolates, he becomes the unsuspecting victim of a love spell secretly planted by another student. Although the whole event is meant to be mostly comical, with Ron suddenly obsessed with a girl he hasn't even met, the incident on reflection seems quite disturbing. Drugging someone unwilling is never funny. And it begs the question, why were these students taught such sinister abilities in class anyways?

8. Umbridge's fate with the centaurs

We'll admit that Delores Umbridge is undeniably the most hated character in the HP films. Imelda Staunton's perfect performance makes you absolutely despise her. However, was her fate at the end of Order of the Phoenix really necessary? Umbridge was willing to torture and even kill for her cause, yet Harry letting her be dragged off by the centaurs makes him almost no better.

7. The students of Slytherin

The general idea of a sorting hat is a pretty cool one. Who wouldn't want to be sorted into a group with people just like you, ready to make new and long-lasting friendships? But when you have a house of students whose whole identity is basically their hunger for power and association with the most evil wizard of all time, you have to question why they were even allowed into the school.

6. House-elves

It's clear from the movies that house-elves are very common in the wizarding world. They are some of the most powerful and abiding creatures, but for some reason, are forced into domestic slavery. In a world where magic makes anything possible, why do wizards and witches even need house elves? The books at least do a better job of addressing the controversial matters surrounding them, but the movies outright ignore the question of why they are enslaved.

7. Lucius Malfoy tries to kill Harry

Speaking of house-elf abuse, no one is treated more poorly than Dobby. When Harry tricks Lucius in The Chamber of Secrets to give Dobby his freedom, he attempts to kill him in response, uttering the killing curse. Fortunately, Dobby saves Harry with his new freedom. Hilariously, Jason Isaacs later admitted to ad-libbing the spell during the scene, as it was the first one he thought of and forgot it was one of the forbidden curses.

8. The Malfoy's final moment

While we're on the subject of the Malfoys, their last appearance is during the Battle of Hogwarts, when they eventually turn against Voldemort who they have been so loyal to previously. Draco next appears at the very end of the movie, when we see him and his future children being dropped at the Hogwarts Express along with Harry's kids. But what happens to them in between? A lack of clear redemption for the Malfoy makes Draco's happily ever after all that harder to believe.

9. Harry and the Thestrals

Thestrals are some of the most mysterious creatures of the HP series. Yet to see them, you must first see someone die in front of you. Harry finally sees Thestrals for the first time after seeing Cedric murdered after The Goblet of Fire. But didn't Harry see his parents die as a baby? This has become an annoyingly obvious plot hole that the books at least attempt to explain, but the films skip over entirely.

10. Harry's ongoing abuse

The abuse that Harry received while living at the Dursley's over the summers (and before) was not minor. He even had to be rescued from Privet Drive several times throughout the films. Yet many of his close friends, including the Weasleys, Hagrid, and even Dumbledore, all knew of Harry's struggling situation but never did anything to prevent it. If there is one thing that may be worse than the suffering that Harry had to go through, it's that it seems totally unnecessary to begin with.