5 Major Twists in Harry Potter Season 1 That We Can’t Wait to See

The Harry Potter books are for children. They feature a magical world full of adorable creatures, focus on a trio of kids, and teach important lessons about right and wrong. However, wanting to appeal to a young audience doesn’t mean the serious avoids serious topics. In fact, as it continues, things get pretty dark. Ron Weasley’s rat turns out to be the dark wizard Peter Pettigrew, who is in league with Voldemort, and Harry Potter’s classmate, Cedric Diggory, loses his life in a battle with the Dark Lord. Those moments all happen in later books, though, which means the HBO Max reboot doesn’t have to worry about them for a couple of years.

The first season of the Harry Potter TV show will focus on reintroducing viewers to the Wizarding World and all its inhabitants. Harry will make his way to Hogwarts and try to settle in at a place that wants him to embrace his gifts. Of course, there are still going to be dark forces that want to bring him down, and that means plenty of twists are on the way.

1) Harry Speaking Parseltongue

Before Harry learns about his magical origins, he’s living at home with his aunt, uncle, and cousin. They view him as a burden rather than a member of the family, so he always gets the short end of the stick, including after a trip to the zoo. A snake escapes from its exhibit and threatens everyone, and Harry’s the one who calms it down.

Harry doesn’t realize it at the time, but he speaks Parseltongue to defuse the situation, which isn’t an easy feat for any witch or wizard. The titular character’s ability to actually communicate with snakes will become a major part of his journey as the HBO Max series goes on.

2) The Sorting Hat’s Game

It doesn’t take long for Harry to realize that Slytherin isn’t for him. He wants to be in the house of noble students, Gryffindor, which is where his parents were placed back in the day. The Sorting Hat doesn’t make life easy for Harry, though.

When Harry goes up to get his assignment, he makes it clear that he’s not about Slytherin. The Sorting Hat can’t help but see some of the qualities of the bad boy house within him and reveals that the decision isn’t an easy one. Harry ends up where he wants to be, but he has to sweat for a minute there.

3) The Troll in the Dungeon

Strange things happen at Hogwarts in every book, but Harry’s first year is anything but normal because of the hunt for the Philosopher’s Stone. The kids are learning more about the object, but their progress comes to a halt on Halloween night when a troll shows up in Hogwarts.

At first, it doesn’t seem like a big deal because one of the professors will handle it. However, Hermione is off on her own when the beast is spotted, forcing Ron and Harry into action. They fight off the troll as a team, proving that they’re far from regular first-years.

4) Professor Quirrell’s Real Identity

Professor Quirrell always seems to be in the right place at the right time, and the reason why only becomes clear at the end of Harry’s first year at Hogwarts. The teacher is in league with Voldemort and trying to steal the Philosopher’s Stone. However, Harry learns that Quirrell isn’t just doing Voldemort’s bidding but letting him live on his body.

After Ron and Hermione complete challenges to get to the Philosopher’s Stone’s location, Harry comes face-to-face with Quirrell. They argue back and forth until Quirrell reveals that Voldemort’s face is on the back of his head. The Dark Lord has been in Hogwarts the whole time, and nobody knew it.

5) Professor Snape Not Being the Bad Guy

The reason Quirrell flies under the radar for so long is that the main trio believes that Professor Snape is the one after the Philosopher’s Stone. After all, he doesn’t like Harry and appears to bewitch the young wizard’s broom during a Quidditch match.

It turns out to be a big misunderstanding, though, as Snape was actually trying to use a counter-curse to save Harry from getting hurt. Harry still has his reservations about Snape after his first year, but later books reveal the professor’s true nature.

Which of the twists on this list are you most excited to see in the first season of the Harry Potter show? Are there any others that you think belong on this list? Let us know in the comments below!

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