Summary
Items like Veritaserum, Sneakoscopes, Pensieves, and Felix Felicis could have been utilized more to solve problems or gain important information.
Despite their unique capabilities, items like the Two-Way Mirrors, Remembralls, Foe-Glass, Time-Turners, Marauder’s Map, and Mrs. Weasley’s Clock were not fully utilized or replicated in the series.
The world of Harry Potter is full of nifty magical items, many of which should have been used far more than they were. This has been considered one of the many faults of the wizarding world—it doesn’t seem to take advantage of its own inventions. Throughout the series, a piece of magical technology would be introduced, used when convenient, and then forgotten about, regardless of how much easier it might have made a particular situation.
Of course, there are some cases with a good reason for this. Just because a potion or invention could be handy doesn’t mean it’s safe to use in all situations. Still, with the dire circumstances common in the Harry Potter series, it seems that Albus Dumbledore or the Minister for Magic could have sprung for an additional vial of Veritaserum or brought along the Pensieve to an important interview or two. In other cases, only one of a particular magical item existed—but surely their unique use would warrant putting them into production. Regardless of the reason, these Harry Potter objects certainly should have been seen more.
10 Veritaserum
Veritaserum came in handy a time or two in Harry Potter, but there were several more situations where the potion could have solved some significant problems. Known as the Truth Potion, the brew makes the drinker tell the truth. It’s not perfect and works best on someone who isn’t expecting to be forced to tell the truth. Therefore, Veritaserum couldn’t be used for most Harry Potter criminal cases. Still, it could have been very useful for someone like Dumbledore, who could have used it on some of the teachers he interviewed for Hogwarts to avoid hiring villains.
9 Sneakoscope
Sneakoscopes were absent from the Harry Potter movies, but Harry first saw one in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban when Ron gave him one for his birthday. The spinning-top-looking instrument would whistle and whir if someone nearby was up to no good. For example, Harry’s always went off when Scabbers was around, though he assumed this just meant it was broken. Since even cheap Sneakoscopes were revealed to be effective enough to sense a secret Animagus, it’s a surprise that Harry didn’t keep one on his person from then on.
8 Pensieves
Pensieves were perhaps the most used magical item in the Harry Potter series, but these instances were rather mundane compared to other opportunities. Dumbledore enjoyed using him to sift through and organize his memories. Snape used the Pensieve to store memories that he didn’t want other people to access within his own mind. Luckily for audiences, the Pensieve allowed Harry to see scenes that he could never have witnessed firsthand (allowing us to see a lot of vital information in Harry Potter). However, the artifact was never used for criminal trial, which seems a significant waste.
7 Felix Felicis
A plot hole that Harry Potter is often accused of is the underutilization of Felix Felicis, but the series did come ready with an answer. As Professor Slughorn explained, Liquid Luck can be deadly if used too much and can lead a user to become dangerously overconfident. It’s also tough to brew, so only the most talented wizards could get their hands on it. Still, Dumbledore was a competent wizard, and since he knew Harry would have to face off against the greatest Dark wizard of all time, he could have kept a bottle around just in case.
6 Two-Way Mirrors
The mirror Harry used to contact Aberforth Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was first introduced in the Order of the Phoenix book. It had initially belonged to Sirius Black, who had used the two mirrors with James Potter back during their Hogwarts days. It was a nifty method of communication—far more efficient than owl mail or using Floo Powder to communicate through flames. Regardless, it was only truly used in Harry Potter when Aberforth used it to save Harry’s life.
5 Remembralls
The Remembrall is a memorable item from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Neville had received one from his Gran after starting at Hogwarts, and it wound up being the thing that would prove that Harry had what it took to be a great Quidditch Seeker. Of course, this wasn’t its intended purpose. The Remembrall is supposed to alert its users if they have forgotten something. Unfortunately, the objects were never seen again in the Harry Potter series after the first installment. Really, it seems like it would have been in the robe pockets of every witch or wizard.
4 Foe-Glass
Mad-Eye Moody loved his anti-Dark items and brought far more along with him than any other wizard. When Barty Crouch Jr was impersonating him in Harry Potter, he brought the old Auror’s Foe-Glass to Hogwarts. The giant magnifying glass is supposed to show the shadowy forms of a person’s enemies. If their image became clear, it meant they were nearby. This would have been handy when everyone thought Sirius Black was trying to kill Harry.
3 Time-Turners
Time-turners became such a problem in the Harry Potter series that the author conveniently eliminated them in Order of the Phoenix. The time-traveling devices came in handy in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, when Harry and Hermione used one to go back in time to save Sirius and Buckbeak. Of course, it would have been tempting to use it to save Sirius’ life again in Order of the Phoenix, but the Ministry of Magic’s entire supply was destroyed in the battle. Still, it’s absurd that no one would have thought to use it before Prisoner of Azkaban or that work wouldn’t have been done to create more after.
2 The Marauder’s Map
.jpg)
There was no other item in Harry Potter like the Marauder’s Map. It had been created by James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, and though it was really just a version of the Humunculous charm, it possessed several features that were entirely unique to this piece of parchment. Regardless, Harry didn’t use it nearly as much as he might have. What’s more, it seems that those who knew about this map would be interested in duplicating its powers. Of course, this never happened.
1 Mrs. Weasley’s Clock
The Burrow is full of useful domestic tools, including Mrs. Weasley’s clock. It showed where every member of the Weasley family was at any given time, which is great for a mother of seven children. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore called this clock “marvelous,” which implies that it is an invention that wouldn’t be common even in wizarding homes. If this is the case, then it begs the question of “why?” It seems that every family would want one. Even Mrs. Weasley didn’t use hers in cases where it might have been convenient, such as when the Golden Trio in Harry Potter were getting into mischief they shouldn’t (like sneaking into the Ministry of Magic).
