By
Dhruv Sharma
Published Feb 14, 2026, 8:45 PM EST
Dhruv is a Lead Writer in Screen Rant's New TV division. He has been consistently contributing to the website for over two years and has written thousands of articles covering streaming trends, movie/TV analysis, and pop culture breakdowns.
Before Screen Rant, he was a Senior Writer for The Cinemaholic, covering everything from anime to television, from reality TV to movies.
After high school, he was on his way to become a Civil Engineer. However, he soon realized that writing was his true calling. As a result, he took a leap and never looked back.
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Apple TV has an exciting new fantasy franchise lined up, which is seemingly avoiding Harry Potter's biggest magic plot holes.
No fantasy story is free from plot holes, logical leaps, and narrative inconsistencies. Owing to this, as compelling as Harry Potter may seem, it also has numerous moments of magical conveniences where previously established rules are bent or ignored to progress the plot. While most of these do not necessarily harm the overarching story, a few seem a little too visible and can be hard to ignore.
An upcoming fantasy franchise on Apple TV will seemingly be free from these issues.
Harry Potter's Magic Systems Are Wildly Inconsistent Throughout The Series
Professor McGonagall in front of an image of Harry Potter Magic AwakenedCustom image by Carrie Lambertsen
J.K. Rowling does an incredible job of creating a world that feels both lived-in and novel. However, when one closely looks at all the gears behind the curtain, it becomes hard not to notice how they often grind against one another. For instance, the simple law surrounding the performance of magic by minors is more of a plot convenience throughout the series than a narrative device.
Time-turning in the franchise's stories also makes little sense because it makes the stakes of the future vanish. Even in a closed loop, the mere existence of time travel raises questions about why it is not used to prevent far greater tragedies elsewhere in the story.
Everything, from the rules surrounding the ownership of wants to the use of Felix Felicis, is also packed with convenient exceptions and loosely defined limitations. There are also sequences in the books and the movies where characters could have easily used a portkey or apparition to travel. Yet, they stick to flying with brooms or using other longer means of transport.
These are only a few surface-level examples of moments where Harry Potter either defies its own rules or bends its existing magic systems.
Apple TV's Cosmere Universe Adaptations Will Have Better Magic Systems
Apple TV has acquired the rights to Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere Universe. As reports suggest, the streaming service plans to develop movie adaptations of the Mistborn books in the series. Meanwhile, The Stormlight Archive series will receive a small-screen treatment. While only time will tell whether the adaptations will be able to match Harry Potter's on-screen legacy, they will likely be free from the magic system issues in the J.K. Rowling franchise.
Like most fantasy novels, Sanderson's books also stretch the suspension of disbelief a little too far sometimes. However, the magic systems and the laws that govern them in his stories are often consistent and rarely retconned.
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Dive into the world of movies and TV shows with Screen Rant, your source for news, reviews, and exclusive content. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.The franchise benefits from establishing strict rules surrounding magic and ensuring that it only serves as a tool for character ingenuity. Even when Sanderson introduces "god-tier" magical abilities, he ensures its rules and limitations are established from day one instead of constantly bending them for convenience.
Harry Potter's upcoming HBO series has the opportunity to fix some of these magic issues from the books, but it would risk changing the source material a little too much if it strays too far. Apple TV's upcoming fantasy franchise already seems to have solid source material and benefits from Brandon Sanderson's unprecedented involvement with the adaptations.
Harry Potter
Created by
J.K. Rowling
First Film
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
First TV Show
Harry Potter
Cast
Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton, Alan Rickman, Matthew Lewis, Bonnie Wright, Evanna Lynch, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Richard Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Alfred Enoch, Harry Melling, Gary Oldman, Robert Pattinson, Warwick Davis, Oliver Phelps, James Phelps, David Bradley, David Thewlis, Katie Leung, Jason Isaacs, Imelda Staunton, David Tennant, Jamie Campbell Bower, Timothy Spall, Robbie Coltrane, Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Katherine Waterston, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Johnny Depp, Mads Mikkelsen
TV Show(s)
Harry Potter
Movie(s)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
Harry Potter is a multimedia franchise about an orphaned boy who enrolls at Hogwarts School of Wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family, and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world. Adapted from the novels, Harry Potter is an eight-episode film saga that follows the journey of Harry Potter and his friends, Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley, as they navigate the tricky world of growing up, school life, and magic. Starting from year one and moving to their seventh year, the films chronicle the students' time at Hogwarts while unfurling a sinister plot that centers around the unsuspecting Harry. With the return of the dark wizard, Voldemort, the students and professors at Hogwarts will fight to carry on as the world around them may change forever. Harry Potter has expanded beyond the world of its films and novels with several video games, a spin-off film series titled Fantastic Beasts, and even attractions at Universal Studios.
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Harry Potter
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