There are quite a few mistakes and plot holes in the Harry Potter books and films. In fact, there are enough for me to make several compilations of them. However, perhaps one of the most confusing and inconsistent elements of the Wizarding World is undoubtedly the 'Trace'- a fairly major plot component that is riddled with contradictions.-

To the Harry Potter casual, these issues with the Trace probably went by relatively unnoticed, but for the die-hards, it was hard to ignore the glaringly obvious ways in which the trace was misrepresented. There are also many components of the trace that are never explained- like how it is actually applied to underage witches and wizards.

Today, we'll be diving deep into the Trace - exploring what it is, how it's applied to children, and, through examples from the books and films, uncovering why this concept is essentially a total trainwreck. We'll also be looking at the trace from a more SINISTER perspective via one of my theories.

Let's dive in.