HBO’s Harry Potter TV show has the chance to expand on certain characters and storylines from the books, and the remake also has the opportunity to answer a Prisoner of Azkaban question that’s been front of mind since the book’s 1999 debut. The Harry Potter movies did a decent job of bringing the Wizarding World to the screen in the early 2000s and 2010s. Of course, there were Harry Potter scenes the movies weren’t ready for, and their limited run times necessitated cutting certain subplots and characters from the source material.

There were also issues that existed in the Harry Potter books that the adaptations perpetuated. HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter TV show can finally fix these aspects of the source material, answering major questions fans have been wondering about for years. This includes one question raised by Prisoner of Azkaban. Despite presenting a glaring problem with the narrative, neither the Harry Potter books nor the movies have ever adequately answered it.

The Harry Potter Books & Movies Never Explain 1 Marauder’s Map Plot Hole
Someone Should Have Noticed Peter Pettigrew Before Prisoner Of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban introduces the Marauders and their backstory — and it also brings the cleverly crafted Marauder’s Map into the picture. The Marauder’s Map shows all the ways in and out of Hogwarts, as well as where all the people in the castle are at any given moment. Fred and George give the map to Harry in Prisoner of Azkaban, but neither of them realizes its connection to his father. They also, conveniently, never notice Peter Pettigrew lurking around Hogwarts during Sorcerer’s Stone, Chamber of Secrets, or Prisoner of Azkaban.

Although Fred and George may not have been interested in every person on the map, it’s surprising they didn’t notice a famously dead wizard hanging around their brother.

Pettigrew disguises himself as Ron’s rat, Scabbers, for the first few Harry Potter books and movies — but Remus Lupin discovers the truth about his old friend after confiscating the Marauder’s Map. With Pettigrew showing up even as an Animagus, it’s a wonder no one realized he was alive earlier. Although Fred and George may not have been interested in every person on the map, it’s surprising they didn’t notice a famously dead wizard hanging around their brother. This is one of Prisoner of Azkaban’s biggest plot holes, and it’s still hard to make sense of years later.

Harry Potter’s TV Remake Can Finally Answer This Prisoner Of Azkaban Question
The HBO Series Must Fix This Plot Hole From The Source Material

The books and movies never explain why Fred and George don’t notice Pettigrew on the Marauder’s Map, but HBO’s Harry Potter TV show can finally make sense of this. This is a question Harry Potter fans have been asking since the third book came out, and it’s one that warrants explanation. After all, Sirius Black’s alleged crimes and Pettigrew’s faked murder are well-known events in the Wizarding World, and they’re mentioned frequently in Prisoner of Azkaban. It stands to reason that Fred and George would know who Pettigrew is — and that they’d question his name appearing in the Gryffindor dormitory.

It stands to reason that Fred and George would know who Pettigrew is — and that they’d question his name appearing in the Gryffindor dormitory.

While Harry and Ron likely wouldn’t be looking at themselves on the Marauder’s Map that frequently — though their inability to spot Pettigrew’s name is also questionable — Fred and George would almost certainly have used it to spy on their younger brother and his classmates. The Harry Potter TV show needs to reveal why they didn’t notice the well-known wizard’s name on the map. Alternatively, the HBO series could offer a believable reason for them to ignore its presence.

How The HBO Series Can Explain Fred & George’s Marauder’s Map Mishap
The Series Can Acknowledge It Or Change Harry Potter Lore

There are a couple of ways the Harry Potter TV show can address Prisoner of Azkaban’s Marauder’s Map plot hole, and one is to have Fred and George acknowledge the strange name appearing on the map. With ghosts existing at Hogwarts and the magical item shrouded in mystery, it’s possible that the Weasley twins simply saw Pettigrew’s name and ignored it. Perhaps they can mention the odd occurrence on the heels of Sirius Black’s escape from prison, offering a hint about Prisoner of Azkaban’s twisty ending.

A more complicated way of fixing this plot hole would be to change the rules surrounding Anamagi and the Marauder’s Map. While Animagi appear on the map in the Harry Potter books and movies, they don’t necessarily need to in the TV show. Unfortunately, changing this bit of Harry Potter lore could create other problems for the upcoming series. With the Marauders creating the map for their adventures as Animagi — and the map being directly related to Prisoner of Azkaban’s big reveal — it’d probably be better to just acknowledge the issue and move forward.