Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 was released in 2011, and people are still talking about canon events from the movies. Multiple theories pop up every now and then from a very active fandom. There is no doubt that Dumbledore’s obsession with Harry Potter leads him to orchestrate major events in the boy’s life, including Harry’s death. How could Dumbledore have foreseen events that occurred even after his demise?

Unless, of course, “He’s lived it all before.“

Rachael Evren, an Australian movie reviewer and host, posted this theory on her Instagram page (via @rachevren/IG).

My favourite Harry Potter theory is that Dumbledore used the time turner to redo the story. The original timeline had Neville as the chosen one but they lost to Voldemort in that one. He had to go back and make sure it was Harry this time. That’s why he knew how everything was going to play out. He’s lived it all before.

There are many reasons why this theory can be proven legitimate, so let’s break it down.

Why This Theory Works

Dumbledore is a mastermind when it comes to wizardry and Harry’s life. Most of Harry’s life was shaped with the intention of stopping Voldemort.

“Dumbledore used the time turner to redo the story.“

Dumbledore choosing the time turner to redo the story is a possibility given that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is canon to the universe. In the book/play, Hermione remarks that the Time-Tuner is completely different from the one she had, which only allowed time travel without rewriting history.

“Neville as the chosen one“

According to Sybil Trelawney’s prophecy, the chosen one is “the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies… and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not… and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives”

The prophecy applies to both Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom. Their parents have thrice defied Voldemort, according to a December 2007 PotterCast interview with J. K. Rowling :

It depends how you take defying, doesn’t it. I mean, if you’re counting, which I do, anytime you arrested one of his henchmen, anytime you escaped him, anytime you thwarted him, that’s what he’s looking for. And both couples qualified because they were both fighting.

Another coincidence is the fact that Neville’s birthday falls on July 30, while Harry’s falls on July 31, both marking the end of July.

Here is a table comparing Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom as the Chosen One candidates.

ASPECTHARRY POTTERNEVILLE LONGBOTTOMBirthdateEnd of July 1980End of July 1980ParentageSon of James and Lily Potter, members of the Order of the PhoenixSon of Frank and Alice Longbottom, members of the Order of the PhoenixParents’ FateMurdered by Voldemort (Lily’s sacrifice gave Harry magical protection)Tortured into insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange and Death Eaters (alive but incapacitated)Prophecy FulfillmentDelivers the final blow by killing Nagini, crucial to Voldemort’s downfallCould have been chosen, but Voldemort ignored himRelationship to VoldemortParents thrice defied VoldemortParents thrice defied VoldemortOutcomeDefeats Voldemort, fulfills prophecy fullyDelivers final blow by killing Nagini, crucial to Voldemort’s downfall

Snape hears only the first half of the message during a conversation between Dumbledore and Trelawney and relays it to Voldemort, who believes that the prophecy was about the Potters. He could just as easily have chosen the Longbottoms.

“He had to go back and make sure it was Harry this time.“

This is where the theory becomes a bit tricky to prove, as Voldemort’s decision to kill the Potters was born from Tom Riddle’s psychology of seeing himself in Harry, who was also a half-blood. Given that Dumbledore knew Voldemort in and out through his entire time in Hogwarts, he could’ve easily orchestrated for Snape, the soon-to-be double agent Death Eater, to be present during the conversation with Trelawney, knowing it would be relayed to Voldemort.

We will get a much deeper dive into the story of Harry Potter as HBO Max is currently developing another adaptation of the franchise. Unfortunately, Chris Columbus, director of the first two Harry Potter movies, says a reunion will not happen with the original cast members.

J K Rowling Ruins The Opportunity For A Reunion

J.K. Rowling. | Credits: @jk_rowling / IG.

Chris Columbus, in an August 2025 interview with The Sunday Times, talks about a reunion impossibility:

It’s gotten so complicated with all the political stuff. Everyone in the cast has their own opinion, which is different from her opinion, which makes it impossible

Chris Columbus wants to adapt Harry Potter and the Cursed Child onto the big screen, but the movie might lose its magic without the original cast members. He also said that he hasn’t spoken to Rowling in over a decade:

I have no idea what’s going on with her.

Given the cast’s stance on the views that J. K. Rowling has shared about trans people, it’s highly unlikely they’ll come back, but never say never. Perhaps we’ll see how well the theory can work with a new Time-Turner on the big screen.

What is your take on this theory? Let us know in the comments.

All Harry Potter films are available to stream on HBO Max in the U.S.
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