Episode 186:
In this episode, we discuss the most disappointing moments in Harry Potter. Enjoy!
Topics/Summary:
· 2:14 Ron and Hermione’s awkward interactions. In the café when they have to wipe the memory of one of the Death Eaters in the beginning of Deathly Hallows, Ron and Hermione have an oddly placed romantic moment that is quite a strange interaction between them. The scene when Ron tells Hermione she has toothpaste on her face at the Burrow in the Half Blood Prince, it is much more the right time and place.
· 6:15 Mad-Eye’s death. There wasn’t enough time spent on this moment even though he was such an influential and powerful character that played a huge role in the story. In the book, it is much more drawn out and somber. Lupin, on the other hand, had a final moment with Harry at the end and was much better than Mad-Eye.
· 10:49 Hedwig’s death. (Watch it here) This is one of the most impactful moments in the entire sequence, and we didn’t really have the chance to process what happened before we were thrown right back into the action and Voldemort is on the horizon. Hedwig is an iconic character that is a central to the magic of the story, and she was killed.
· 14:43 Dumbledore’s funeral. The book, this was a powerful moment and Dumbledore’s final goodbye to the world. The Minister, centaurs, even the people living in the lake showed up to pay their respects. But we didn’t get it in the film. Granted, there was a moment where all the students and staff raised their wands to say goodbye, but that could never replace a scene such as Dumbledore’s farewell.
· 20:14 The Great Hall scene in the Battle of Hogwarts. In the book, we had an epic sequence where Bellatrix and Voldemort were dueling multiple people and spells were flying everywhere, and eventually, Harry and Voldemort had a standoff and Voldemort was defeated. The only thing that could have made it better is for this scene to be in the film. It is poetic and very well structured, and frankly quite awesome.
· 25:01 Lupin’s transformation. This scene is plain old gruesome, and that is the sole reason why I don’t like it. His hands are growing claws and fur is sprouting from every part of his body. It is very well done, and that is why I don’t like.
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Episode 185:
In this episode, we discuss a duel between Harry Potter and Lucius Malfoy. Enjoy!
Topics/Summary:
· Listen to Dobby vs. Lucius here!
· 2:03 Why this particular match up? Well, while watching the Battle of the Order of the Phoenix this past week, I was left wanting a battle between Harry and Lucius, even though it seemed like a natural next step. They interacted a lot, but they never truly went head-to-head in a magical duel. It is an outcome that I am very curious to see, and one that I feel there should have been.
· 5:44 Harry’s strengths and weaknesses. His style is focusing on offence and not seriously hurting his opponent but removing their ability to duel. That is why he is such a fan of expeliarmus. Unfortunately, that gives him a big weakness. Harry might hesitate when delivering the final blow, or he might be dragged down by his aversion of causing pain to innocent people (Lucius isn’t that innocent, but he hadn’t done anything too horrible that would warrant death from Harry).
· 12:25 Lucius’s strengths and weaknesses. One of his greatest strengths is his experience. He has been practicing magic for decades longer than Harry, and he is one of Voldemort’s core Death Eaters. However, when the pressure is put on, it becomes difficult for him to keep a cool head and keep his focus. We see him falling apart under Voldemort’s wrath, and when he loses control of a situation, he gets too worked up to see things clearly. But Lucius is very smart, and that is an asset that he will use a lot.
· 16:47 Scenario #1: The Order does show up and it is Lucius and Harry alone. We can assume that the final outcome of the battle will be similar, but Harry and Lucius have a little moment alone that will allow them to duel. In this situation, Lucius has the upper hand. He would toy and taunt Harry, and that might be Harry’s only chance to win. If he strikes when Lucius doesn’t expect it, it can be the thing that give Harry the edge. However, Lucius is unlikely to be caught by surprise and he will come out on top. 80% to Lucius, 20% to Harry.
· 23:18 Scenario #2: The Order does not show up and Harry’s friends are battling Lucius and the Death Eaters. There is more of a chance that the duel would become a 2v1 because the Death Eaters can more easily beat his friends, but the DA can also use the element of surprise to come out on top. However, assuming that Lucius and Harry are alone, Lucius would most likely win. He is older, more experienced, and more powerful. Overall, he is the better wizard.
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Episode 184:
In this episode, we discuss if Snape should have died. Enjoy!
Topics/Summary:
· 1:29 No. Snape should not have died. The answer to this question isn’t the mystery and it isn’t a challenge to figure it out, we just have to explain what else he could have done and give reasons for everything that he could have done if he had lived.
· 5:02 He should have gotten the chance to get to know Harry better. Snape is one of the people that was working with Dumbledore the closest, and he knew a lot about the plan. Harry was questioning his relationship with Dumbledore at the time and Snape could have given them. Snape and Harry could have become truly good friends and helped each other in the post-Voldemort world.
· S2 E14: Is Snape still alive?
· 13:29 Snape could have made peace with Lilly and James. Those two people were the people who caused him the most pain in the story by far. He has to come to terms with both of them to calm his mind. In the end, Snape actually wanted to make up with James, and the fact that he didn’t get the chance to make the whole situation worse. Of course, he was alive with James, and I think we would have made efforts after Voldemort to make his peace, but he didn’t ever get the chance.
· 19:55 Snape died thinking the Voldemort was on his way to victory, which is just another reason why he should have lived. He went to such lengths to see Harry’s success, and he should have had the chance to see it.
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Episode 183:
In this episode, we discuss possible origins for well known magical ideas and wizarding practices. Enjoy!
Topics/Summary:
· Listen to the episode where the challenge question came from here.
· 3:18 Why are spells in Latin? This is a simple answer. A plausible answer is that spells are in Latin because spoken magic was coming into being when and where Latin was popular. They used the words that made sense to them and conjured what they wanted. The Latin versions of spells have stayed around because casting a spell is an exact art, and it would be very difficult to move away from that without redesigning the entire magical system.
· 9:05 Where did wands come from? This is a more difficult answer, as tracking the origins of a language are far easier than that of a wand. However, we can try. The basic explanation that makes sense to me is the shape of a wand just made sense. The shape that wands are is exactly how trees grow and it is very easy to find a wand-like twig. It is also natural, and it makes sense that the spell would come out of the end. A scene in the Half Blood Prince between Hagrid and Slughorn tells us that unicorn hair can get caught on bushes and trees and come out, which means that a lot of magical material in the woods surrounded by wand quality wood? It works. Not to mention a sign outside Olivander’s that says “Makers of fine wands since 382 B. C.”
· 15:41 An ulterior function of magical schools. Besides a place of education, magical schools are also the perfect place to act as a safe house for wizards in times of need. They are extremely well protected, with hundreds of spells protecting its every inch. Their locations are also kept secret, which is even more important. If a band of muggles were to stumble across Hogwarts, they would see a sign of warning and a rundown building. Very convenient. Harry’s year isn’t alerted because a threat like that hasn’t been around for a very long time. They don’t protect the location from Voldemort because he already knows where it is.
· 20:13 Why do wizards drink so much pumpkin juice? The UK produces millions of pumpkins every single year, and it would be suspicious to send millions of gallons of water to Hogwarts a year. Pumpkins, on the other hand, are less suspicious. However, it still might draw eyes, so they might just grow their own. Hagrid does, so why not the rest?
· 23:58 Why are muggle magic tricks so similar to real magic? Well, they came from the same exact thing. Wizards can show muggles low level magic and pass it off as good handwork, and muggles will buy it. The first muggle magic tricks evolved right around the same time and place as wizard magic. It makes a lot of sense for real wizards to be performing and inspiring the origins of muggle magic.
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Episode 182:
In this episode, we test our knowledge on the Ministry of Magic. Enjoy!
Topics/Summary:
· Some of the information in this episode came from the Ministry of Magic page on Fandom. Thanks!
· 2:17 Warm up round.
· 4:52 Question 1: How old is the Ministry?
· 10:14 Question 2: What is the succession of Ministers?
· 15:46 Question 3: What is the visitors entrance code?
· 18:54 Question 4: On which level is the atrium?
· 21:16 Question 5: What is the name, subject, and function of the fountain in the atrium?
· 26:36 Question 6: How many levels are in the Ministry?
· 28:58 Question 7: What is the name for a magical jury?
· 30:46 Challenge Question: What is the name of the security guard? Tune in next week to hear the answer!
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Episode 181:
In this episode, we discuss the best classes in Hogwarts. Enjoy!
Topics/Summary:
· 2:08 #8 Divination. What a surprise. Divination is a very specific skill that a very small amount of people can really use. Even true seers don’t have too many visions. Trelawney had about three in her entire life. Plus, she has a flair for the dramatic. Most of her class is spent predicting the death of Harry, which might be another reason why he doesn’t like it very much. Harry knows his time is somewhat limited, but it is unsettling for someone who can see the future tell you that death is in the future. Harry also doesn’t like how divination is opening the gap between him and Voldemort wider.
· 8:38 #7 History of Magic. History is a fascinating topic and magical history is even better, but Professor Binns makes the subject as dull as it could be. It is almost useless. If Binns put in the effort, there might be something there. But he doesn’t.
· 13:05 #6 Astronomy. Though this is still not a great class, it is a bit better than the others on this list. Wizards can use the planets for more than just understanding more about science, however. Centaurs use the night sky to tell the future, which they did with one glance at Mars better than Trelawney did in all her years at Hogwarts.
· 17:28 #5 Transfiguration. It might seem low on this list, but transfiguration isn’t ever the center of magic ever in the story. It is a very specific kind of magic that can’t be applied to other areas of magic. That is also a plus, because in those moments where you need something specific, transfiguration might be the subject to use.
· 20:22 #4/Honorable Mention Herbology. Herbology is a slept-on subject that fades into the background which is why not a lot of people think about it. However, understanding plants is a very important part of all branches of magic and supports the areas that would otherwise collapse.
· 21:53 #3 Potions. Potions are extremely powerful and has a wide range of skills. With the right potions, any battle can be won. However, there several drawbacks. They have to be prepared in advance, so you can’t just use an infinite supply. They also can wear off. Despite this, potions is still high on the list.
· 24:30 #2 Defense Against the Dark Arts. This is a fantastic class, even though there are some factors that change this. If there is no war, it isn’t as important. Also, if the teacher changes ever single year, it’s hard to get a well-rounded education. But even with all those reasons, DADA is still one of the most useful classes in Hogwarts.
· 28:06 #1 Charms. Charms is fantastic! All you need is a wand, it is fast, useful, and covers a wide range of subjects. The vast majority of spells that Harry uses in the story is learned in charms. There is also no cool down or preparation time before hand. They can also be very powerful, helping anyone with a good knowledge of charms class in a pinch.
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Episode 180:
Sooooo… yeah. I know I said there would be an episode this week, but unexpected events have come up and unfortunately I am yet again away from the studio. See you next week!
In this episode, we discuss Deathly Hallows, and if it was a good end to Harry Potter. Enjoy!
Topics:
- All the unanswered questions! We never found out what happened to Lavender Brown for sure after being attacked by Fenrir Greyback. We also never saw several characters again, like Fluffy or the flying car.
- Was Dumbledore’s plan good? And if he didn’t exist, would the trio have still come out on top or would Voldemort have won? Dumbledore had a very large effect on the story, but the question is: was it good or bad?
- Why did Harry make such a bad decision when it came to the Elder Wand? He broke it in the films without fixing his own wand or any of the castle, and just left it be in the books after the Battle of Hogwarts. Did it never occur to him that a random person might stumble upon the wand and another Voldemort would appear?
- Much More!
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Episode 179:
In this episode, we discuss the new Harry Potter TV show. Enjoy!
Topics/Summary:
· 2:04 So what’s going on? We are still in the very early days of this announcement, so we don’t have a great idea of what’s going on. Here’s what we know so far: the timeline is very spread out. The first season isn’t going to be released for several years. As far as we know, there are going to be seven seasons with each season covering a book in the story. We should look to the future to see what comes next.
· 6:08 What is the benefit of a TV show? We are going to be able to explore more of the wizarding world that we haven’t seen. Things like the Quidditch World Cup and SPEW and Peeves; things and people that we haven’t seen. The show will also be an opportunity to right the wrongs of diversity in the story. TL;DR There is very little. HBO will hopefully foster more diversity in the casting. There is also the issue of the signature Harry Potter things, like Harry’s scar, Hogwarts, and Hedwig’s Theme. It would be great for the show to branch out, but these themes are some of the things that keep the magic alive and create such a fantastic world. I would personally like to see some of the things like Hogwarts, filming location, and robes to be the same. One thing that would be great to see is classes. Really diving into a class and seeing how it works would be fascinating. Are they going to close Leavesden? Maybe. They could save a ton of money be reusing some of the things at Leavesden for the filming. It would be great to see some of this overlap, but they still shouldn’t rely on those original props to carry to show.
· 22:34 Is the show going to include more movie-isms or book-isms? I’ve been going back and forth, but scenes from the book seem to make the most sense. They show is going to have a lot more time per season to explore the story, so the things that were cut from the films because of time have no excuse to be cut from the show. They might also include things that weren’t in the book like Neville and Luna’s backstory and the duel between Dumbledore, Aberforth, and Grindelwald. There is an endless supply of questions to be answered that will make the story all the more magic.
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Episode 178:
In this episode, we discuss the new Harry Potter TV show. Enjoy!
Topics/Summary:
· 2:04 So what’s going on? We are still in the very early days of this announcement, so we don’t have a great idea of what’s going on. Here’s what we know so far: the timeline is very spread out. The first season isn’t going to be released for several years. As far as we know, there are going to be seven seasons with each season covering a book in the story. We should look to the future to see what comes next.
· 6:08 What is the benefit of a TV show? We are going to be able to explore more of the wizarding world that we haven’t seen. Things like the Quidditch World Cup and SPEW and Peeves; things and people that we haven’t seen. The show will also be an opportunity to right the wrongs of diversity in the story. TL;DR There is very little. HBO will hopefully foster more diversity in the casting. There is also the issue of the signature Harry Potter things, like Harry’s scar, Hogwarts, and Hedwig’s Theme. It would be great for the show to branch out, but these themes are some of the things that keep the magic alive and create such a fantastic world. I would personally like to see some of the things like Hogwarts, filming location, and robes to be the same. One thing that would be great to see is classes. Really diving into a class and seeing how it works would be fascinating. Are they going to close Leavesden? Maybe. They could save a ton of money be reusing some of the things at Leavesden for the filming. It would be great to see some of this overlap, but they still shouldn’t rely on those original props to carry to show.
· 22:34 Is the show going to include more movie-isms or book-isms? I’ve been going back and forth, but scenes from the book seem to make the most sense. They show is going to have a lot more time per season to explore the story, so the things that were cut from the films because of time have no excuse to be cut from the show. They might also include things that weren’t in the book like Neville and Luna’s backstory and the duel between Dumbledore, Aberforth, and Grindelwald. There is an endless supply of questions to be answered that will make the story all the more magic.
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Episode 177:
Hey everyone! I’m sorry to say I did not get to the studio this week, so the episode is a rerun of episode 159.
In this episode, we talk about the main theme of Harry Potter. Enjoy!
Topics/ Summary:
· 2:40 Why does the main theme of the story matter? The theme of the story is the core element that it needed to understand the plot and characters and give us a better view of the story. We have a better grasp on the different events, the climax, and why different characters do what they do.
· 6:31 J. K. Rowling said the main theme of the story is death. Does that make sense? Essentially, yes. Death is described as not the end, but the beginning of another great adventure. Harry sees his parents and Sirius and Dumbledore long after they died. This theme applies to may different aspects of the story, but death is not the only message in the story.
· 12:07 What are other main messages in the story? Love and friendship are the obvious ones, but what are some others? The inner struggle also takes a front seat. Harry struggles with Voldemort possibly possessing him in the Order of the Phoenix and beyond shows this. One of the main story lines in the fifth book was Harry trying to escape Voldemort. The value of working together was also highlighted. Harry was rarely working alone. He always stood united with his friends. Voldemort is the opposite, working with his supporters in much more of a cold relationship. The final theme that I saw was the “you’ll be fine” mentality. Harry learns very little information in the beginnings of the story, and only knows the full story at the very end of the story. Did the world collapse? It was close, but no.
· 20:54 Which characters have the authority to make a theme out of a message? There are three scenarios: single person, multi-person, and prolonged single person. The first example (single person) is the least common. This is when a message is already present, and a character points it out. Multi-person is the most common. This is when many people join a movement or commit an act of make a statement that has lots of repercussions. Single person prolonged is the final example. This is when a single person will create the theme themselves over many years, doing the same things and helping the same people, creating a dynamic that allows for a theme to grow.
· 26:01 Do characters or events create themes? Both! One or more characters should be performing an act over a long period of time or do something so monumental it has lasting effects.
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Episode 176:
In this episode, we discuss magic outside of Hogwarts. Enjoy!
Topics/Summary:
· 2:00 Why should Hogwarts students end their education at 17? 11-17 is a pretty wide range, but they would gain so much more value from more magical schooling. There may be an element of diminishing returns, but it can’t diminish so far that going further would be a waste. Just think how valuable it would be to have other schools in the UK like universities for magic that would specialize in different areas like in the muggle world. Wizards would be more prepared than ever to take on the world and they would have a skill set that Hogwarts can’t give them.
· 9:36 Can’t students go abroad? Hogwarts isn’t the only magical school in the world, and it seems a simple thing to go to a different school before and/or Hogwarts. It would be great for wizards to learn about different parts of the world before they start their formal education. It is a simple next step to take a simple journey and see a different part of the world and have a completely new layer of knowledge to add to education in your home country that would add such vibrancy to magic as a whole.
· 14:44 There are different kinds of magic in different places. For example, in Uagadou, a magic school in Africa, magic with the hands in far more popular. They are very well versed in Astronomy, Alchemy, and self-Transfiguration. The young students in Africa are chosen in an interesting way as well. A Dream Messenger will appear to a child in a dream and give them a token. That child will wake up with the same token in their hand, and they have been chosen to go to Uagadou.
· 21:10 The expectation of what happens after school is also different. In Hogwarts, you graduate at 17 and get a job. But in different parts of the world, students might graduate at a very different time and have a contrary experience. They might travel around the world and learn skills that they would need to then pick up a job. At Mahoutokoro, a Japanese school on top of a mountain, students begin at age 7 during the day and begin to board at 11. They begin a lot earlier than Hogwarts and might have a much more solid base of education when they eventually do get more serious.
· 25:23 Skills that wizards need in different places dictate what they learn. Every place is different and there are many different specialties and requirements that people need for different climates and situations that change what they learn and how they learn to live.
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Episode 175:
In this episode, we discuss the wonderful traits of Jacob Kowalski. Enjoy!
Topics/Summary:
· 2:12 Jacob is a good person. That single fact drives his entire character. He is a fantastic companion and friend to Newt. Newt has always been on the outs of society and has had trouble finding friends. But with Jacob, Newt had no trouble at all fitting in. Jacob was also a good support system for Newt. Jacob is the living representation of “we must always make the choice between what is right and what is easy”. When Lally came to the bakery in the Secrets of Dumbledore, Jacob made the decision to go with her and help save the world even though he knew it could be the end of him as well.
· 8:18 Jacob helps even though he isn’t a wizard. He can’t cast spells or take part in duels, but he still aids in other ways. For example, he helped Newt find the erumpent in Central Park. Without Jacob Newt wouldn’t have found the erumpent and might still be looking for it today. Jacob also was the thrower of the bug in the teapot in the Macey’s department store. He also helps Newt in his case with all the magical creatures. He may not be a wizard, but Jacob can still help out.
· 12:49 Jacob understands people. One thing in particular sets his understand apart from everyone else. That is his attempts at getting Newt and Tina together. Jacob can see they’re perfect together and they should be together, so he tries to urge Newt to make an effort to show his affection for Tina.
· 16:58 Jacob’s branding is on point. There is a distinct set of trademarks the Jacob has that make him the person we know and love. Dan Fogler delivers his lines in such a charming way that really shows the person behind Jacob. Jacob also has a fantastic musical motif associated with his person. He also has a great set of lines. From “Hey Mr. English Guy. I think you egg is hatching!” to “That’s me. I’m the pan.”, Jacob has awesome lines the put a great spin on the story.
· 25:42 Jacob can handle magic. That is a quality that a muggle like him could dearly use. Though he may have not been so happy about it in the beginning, he developed a tolerance for spells flying left and right. The story would be very different if he was terrified of just the simplest spell.
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Episode 174:
In this episode, we discuss some of the more confusing aspects of Fantastic Beasts. Enjoy!
Topics/Summary:
· 1:50 Yusuf Kama. He was introduced later in the story and seemed to play a strange role in the story. I wasn’t sure which side he was on for the entire film and I’m still not completely sure. Another thing that made him so confusing is how he was trying to tell us the true background to Credence when his entire story wasn’t the truth. Now that we know that Credence is actually a Dumbledore, it makes Kama’s story all the more confusing because it plays no part in the story and its existence has become pointless.
· 7:04 Tina Goldstein. Tina was a fantastic character in the first film with multiple layers and was a true 3D character. However, that didn’t last. In the very next film, Tina became this dark and depressed person who wore long trench coats and had a different hair style. It was further exaggerated in the third film when Tina seemed to return from the dark and was still kept away from the story. Why? It’s strange that a main character just disappeared, and we never saw her again for the longest time. What is going on with Tina?
· 12:51 Couldn’t the obliviating rain have missed someone? It must have. An umbrella worked to keep the rain away from Queenie, so what about the muggles who put up an umbrella. And the aurors were walking around in the open air and they were just fine? What if someone just stayed inside and didn’t take a shower or a drink of water? It would be such a simple to fix this problem, yet we got no more information.
· 18:53 Why didn’t Newt’s case get all shaken up? And how it is so big? Newt runs around and does all these crazy things holding his case. How does all his stuff stay the same? And it seems far too big. It is absolutely huge. An entire world exists inside of that little case. And there are some extension charms within in case, so could you just keep on extending until you had an entire planet? This is far too big a plot hole to be ignored.
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Episode 173:
In this episode, we break down the character of Severus Snape. Enjoy!
Topics/Summary:
· Huge thanks to Leona Dolfie who submitted a fascinating theory about Grindelwald’s skull. If you want to submit any questions, comments, or theories, you can email it to thepotterdiscussion@gmail.com.
· 2:57 Who is Snape? He was born on January 9th, 1960. He died on May 1st, 1998. Snape grew up in a rather depressing area, but he did have a friend. Lily. Lily had no idea about the magical world and wanted someone to tell her about it, and Snape wanted a friend. They were perfect for each other. They both went to Hogwarts together, but they drifted apart after Snape slipped and called Lily a mud blood. They never made up.
· 8:32 What is Snape’s role in the story? There might be a fancy English term that could get close to describing him, but he is too much of a complex character to be fully encompassed in a single term. He played both sides while fighting for only fighting for himself. There is an art to what he does and the things he says. He is way bigger than a single role in the story. He is a 3D character for sure. He fights for so many things and so many people, there is no way we can call him just one kind of hero.
· 13:42 How would the story be different without him? First, Voldemort would have won and there is nothing they could do about it. Harry would have gotten captured far earlier, Dumbledore would have been killed, and there would have been no hope. Dumbledore would have tried to make a plan without Snape, but Snape’s position as a trusted advisor of Voldemort. Harry also wouldn’t be as good a wizard. We can lose sight of how good a wizard and teacher Snape was because of how mean he was to Harry. Come to think of it, Harry would be dead without Snape. Think of the first book. Quirrell was trying to kill Harry in the quidditch match, and Snape stopped him. Without Snape, Harry would have died.
· 21:40 What is his motivation? Obviously, his love for Lily is paramount. However there are others. When James died, Snape felt bad. Not for James, but about the fact that he died thinking Snape hated him. It was true, but Snape felt like he owed him. So Snape decides to protect Harry in his first year at Hogwarts. He did, and Harry lived. Snape went back to hating James’ memory. After a while, another motivation starts to evolve. He begins to care about Harry. Snape saw Lily’s son in Harry and wanted to protect him for the person he was.
· 26:32 Is Snape a good person? Is he trustworthy? Of course, we know that Snape is a good person. But is he trustworthy? Know it gets a little more complicated. This is the root of his character. At his core, he is trying to protect, avenge, and remember Lily Evens. So technically, he is loyal to Lily. If Voldemort decided to protect Lily, Snape would have been loyal to him. So is he really that trustworthy after all?
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Episode 172:
In this episode, we discuss the downfall of Cornelius Fudge. Enjoy!
Topics/Summary:
· 2:09 The downfall of Cornelius Fudge. His reign began pretty well. The economy was stable and the secret of magic was safe. However, that didn’t stay. Once Voldemort began to creep back into the picture, Fudge fell apart. He was alright in the first book, but when the Chamber of Secrets opened, he was under fire. He arrested Hagrid just to show the world that he was doing something. In Prisoner of Azkaban, they can’t catch Sirius Black for the life of them. Fudge is panicked and he put everything they could on the case. It does eventually work, but Sirius then escaped, and they never saw him away. So, he was already set up for failure in the Goblet of Fire. The dark mark was cast at the Quidditch World cup and the world goes into a panic. Fudge denies Voldemort’s return as much as he can and convinces himself that Voldemort is gone. How wrong he is.
· 12:35 Fudge didn’t listen to Dumbledore. This was really the final nail in the coffin. Dumbledore is the one of the most powerful wizards in the world and the only person Voldemort feared. Fudge knew this and was writing to Dumbledore early on in his career. The times became good, and Fudge stopped writing. When evil came back, Fudge still believed Voldemort was gone, scared that the dark days would return. Dumbledore could see his crumble, so he sent envoys to the giants and pretty much became the Minister. There is a direct correlation between listening and the times going well, and not listening to him and times going bad.
· 19:21 Fudge was far too controlled by fear. Fear dictated his entire life after the Prisoner of Azkaban, and it prevented him from seeing the truth. He had the facts in front of him and simply ignored them. He did everything he could to make sure the world thought Voldemort wasn’t back, as if that would kill Voldemort again. If he had just done one single thing right, they would have stood a chance. But he didn’t and Voldemort returned. Fudge acted too late and didn’t do what he was supposed to. By the time Fudge finally realizes what was really happening, it was too late.
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Episode 171:
In this episode, we discuss whether the Defense Against the Dark Arts job is cursed. Enjoy!
Topics/Summary:
· This episode was submitted by a listener! If you want your idea featured on the show, send it in to thepotterdiscussion@gmail.com.
· 2:14 A history of Defense Against the Dark Arts (DADA) teachers. First is Quirrell who appeared in the first book. He seemed like a good person, but was actually harboring Voldemort in the back of his head and was burned to ash a the end of the book. Lockhart in the Chamber of Secrets seemed too good to be true, and turned out to be a complete fraud. He placed a memory charm on himself that made him forget his entire life. Lupin was probably one of the best teachers Harry had, but he had one flaw: he was a werewolf. He resigned quickly after that. Alastor Moody seemed like a good person at first, but was really a Death Eater is disguise. Umbridge was arguably the worst DADA teacher we have ever seen, teaching through a book for fear of an uprising. Snape was the final DADA teacher we saw at Hogwarts. Snape took his class very seriously and had some very strict policies. Snape was killed by Voldemort who was in pursuit of the Elder Wand.
· 11:53 Does the subject itself have anything to do with their deaths? The reason why there is a higher rate of death for DADA teachers is the fact that those people are most involved with dark magic and dark wizards. Quirrell was young and wanted to teach, so when he took a trip to Albania and met Voldemort, it was the perfect situation for Voldemort to descend and get an inside man at Hogwarts. Similarly with Moody, Barty Crouch Jr. was a very skilled wizard that the world thinks it dead, so he was in the perfect position to take a post at Hogwarts. His downfall came when he had no Polyjuice potion. He was also one of Voldemort’s closest followers. Snape is also a Death Eater who is mostly in support of Dumbledore. Snape’s end comes when he became too involved with Voldemort and his position was one Voldemort wanted.
21:03 Is the DADA job cursed? Absolutely, but not for the reason you might think. There isn’t any magic that is involved with the position, it’s just the fact that DADA teachers are more involved with the dark arts than others. It is very difficult to find a DADA teacher who is morally good and good at magic. That’s why Dumbledore is forced to hire these people that aren’t the perfect choice by far. There are two ways you can avoid dying as the DADA teacher. The first is: completely eradicate every ounce of evil from every part of the world and make certain that there is no chance of any evil coming back. Or 2: don’t take the job.
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Episode 170:
In this episode, we discuss Tom Felton’s new book. Enjoy!
Topics/Summary:
· Get Tom Felton’s book here.
· 1:47 What can be gained from this book? There are a lot of different stories that have a wide variety of stages in Tom’s life. The book doesn’t move in perfect chronological order. It’s very well done and every piece of the story fits in place. As to what can be gained, we can gain a peek behind the curtain of production on the Potter set and of Tom’s life. We now have a different view of the filming that deepens our understanding of the filming. We also see what was going on in Tom’s head. It’s hard to be put on a set with millions of dollars on the line and pressure of producing a fantastic film. With this book, we can fully understand what was going on in Tom’s head every step of the way.
· 9:52 Was there an element of surprise? No! Granted, I didn’t know 99% of the things he wrote about in the book about his life and just about every page held a story or piece of information I had no idea existed. But at the core of the book, it is the story of a kid dealing with the difficulty of being in a stressful situation.
· 14:55 Did Tom’s childhood affect his acting? Of course. He had a pack of brothers that showed him the world and were some of his first big supporters. They taught him how to fish and how to keep a job and how to steal something from a store. Perhaps what was more influential in his acting before Potter was his experience acting beforehand. He did several ads and projects including The Borrowers which was his first real time on a large-scale set.
· 19:24 Should similar books be published like this? Absolutely. Having this 3D view of the story is extremely valuable and any more stories of the goings on behind the curtain on set are only going to help the story. Anyone else who worked on the set could write something just as amazing.
· 22:25 What are some of my favorite parts in the story? First is the first chapter where he stole a CD. It showed his character and was a great introduction to the book. I enjoyed his stories of getting driven into work and his dyed hair. He also wrote about how often they corpse on set. A story that stood out to me was toward the end of the book when he left rehab for a bit and wanted to see some of his friends across town and met some very amazing people along the way.
· 28:25 Thumbs up or thumbs down? Well, surprise surprise, I give Tom’s book a giant thumbs up. It is a fantastic behind the scenes look on Harry Potter and what goes on in Tom’s life.
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Episode 169:
In this episode, we discuss Ravenclaw and how it is very underrated. Enjoy!
Topics/Summary:
· This episode comes from a listener! Thank you very much. If you want to have your own idea featured on the show, submit it to thepotterdiscussion@gmail.com.
· 2:11 Who are some famous Ravenclaws? Rowena Ravenclaw is the founder of Ravenclaw and the founder of the diadem of Ravenclaw. Luna Lovegood and Cho Chang are some of the modern students in Ravenclaw house that we know in the story. Ollivander the wand maker is another Ravenclaw that is a huge help to the wizarding world. Flitwick is an awesome character with fantastic lines and a great sense of humor that brings a fascinating depth to the story. Perhaps the least known on this list is Millicent Bagnold who was the Minister of Magic when Voldemort was first in power. She handled the situation well and famously said “I assert our inalienable right to party.” Click here to learn more.
· 9:55 What are some of the traits of Ravenclaw house? First and foremost, there is intelligence. But it goes past a good grade on a test. Ravenclaws think about what they say before they say it and are very quick thinking. They make clever jokes and have form a retort in a matter of seconds. They are also funny. You can always count on a Ravenclaw to give a good jibe. Ravenclaws are also quite intuitive. They can read the room and have a good sense of what’s going on just by looking at someone’s mannerism.
· 15:59 What would happen to Hogwarts if Ravenclaw house didn’t exist? The education would skew away from wand-based magic. Thinking back, the things that are associated with Ravenclaw are dueling and quick thinking, the wand user’s friends. So, if Ravenclaw were to disappear, learning the theory behind magic would become a lost art. You’ve got to know what you’re doing instead of what happens.
· 21:50 What are some common myths and misconceptions? There have been several Ravenclaws who haven’t aligned with the Ravenclaw values and began some of these myths. Firstly, the thought that every Ravenclaw is a smart-Alec. It is very easy for a joke to come off as made to put someone down than get a laugh. Ravenclaws might also be seen as self-centered. Professor Lockhart might have something to do with the beginning of this one.
· 25:13 What are the takeaways? It’s simple: Ravenclaw is cool. There are a ton of amazing qualities Ravenclaws have and there is so much depth they bring to the story.
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Episode 168:
In this episode, we examine different couples in Harry Potter and give them a rating based on how healthy it is. Enjoy!
Topics/Summary:
· 1:53 Why are we talking about relationships at all? Well, relationships are what everything in the Harry Potter story is built on. And with Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I figured it would be fun to analyze more romantic couples in the Harry Potter story.
· 3:52 Remus and Tonks. These are two amazing people that are fighting for good and with Harry, and they have an overall good relationship. However, they have one major problem: Lupin is a werewolf. Lupin was petrified that any children they would have would turn out to be a werewolf and it would turn out to be his fault. They get a thumbs up and a rating of 8.4.
· 9:13 Hagrid and Madame Maxime. They are two unique people who share many traits that allow them to be so close. What makes them so perfect for each other is the fact that they are both half-giants who find it difficult to form romantic relationships with any other person than someone who is a similar size to them. They also managed to iron out any difficulties early (unlike Lupin and Tonks) which allowed them to form a strong bond early on. They get a thumbs up and an 8.9
· 14:31 Lily and Snape. Though they might not have an openly romantic relationship, there were certainly feelings between them. Let’s look at them separately. Lily is a good person. She has good morals, and she understands social situation and is easy to be friendly with. Snape is thrilled to have a friend who cares about him the same way he cares about him. Lily needed someone who was magic like her to teach her about the wizarding world and Snape wanted someone to talk to. If they were left alone, they may have turned out very happily, but alas they went to Hogwarts and Lily met James. Lily fell for James, and Snape was devastated. He turned bitter and burst out, calling Lily a mudblood. Lily never liked him again. Snape was too volatile to form a healthy relationship. They get a thumbs down and a 6.7.
· 22:37 Dumbledore and Grindelwald. Their relationship is like that of Lily and Snape. There is one good person who understands how to have good values, and one person whose feet is too big for their boots. The difference comes with their separation. Dumbledore and Grindelwald still loved each other when they broke up, whereas Lily and Snape had no such feelings. This is one of those relationships that is difficult to decide a rating because they have gone through many stages. To rate their early stage, they get a tentative thumbs up and a 7.9.
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Episode 167:
In this episode, we discuss the future for Fantastic Beasts and the new development that there may not be another film. Enjoy!
Topics/Summary:
· Check out the interview with Eddie Redmayne here.
· 2:43 Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Depending on your view of the series, you may prefer different things. If you enjoy the films for the story and the characters, another film is exactly what you want. But, if you take the more critical path of analyzing the film, you might not enjoy the fourth film if Warner Brothers were to put it out. Whatever your view, returns on investment might point towards the fourth Fantastic Beasts film staying away from a reality.
· 10:13 Where can we go from here? This is another question that we can’t have a correct answer to. It’s hard to think that this whole chapter of Harry Potter is going to fade into the background and amount to far less than what the filmmakers wanted to make and what we wanted to see. This is a dangerous and expensive game that, in this scenario, WB has lost. Now, we’re looking to WB for a continuation of the story.
· 15:26 How can the story continue? The perfect situation would be two more films to finish of the series, but let’s just assume that’s not going to happen. More realistically, I’m hoping they put out a sort of short film that wraps up the story that doesn’t cost more than $20 or $30 million to make. Unfortunately, that might not happen. What I think will really happen is some sort of statement from WB addressing this. They might say that they are planning the next films or say that the project is coming to a close. As consumers, we have no say in this. We just have to wait.
· 22:12 Let’s make a plan. Warner Brothers can take this many ways. When/if they put out a statement, we can react accordingly. If they say that they are planning the next film(s), we can gear up for the next release. If they say that nothing is going to happen, we can put Fantastic Beasts up on the shelf and call it a day.
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Episode 166:
In this episode, we discuss if Dumbledore is really a good person.
Topics/Summary:
· Check out episode 147, Dumbledore is a Death Eater here.
· 2:44 Why are we talking about this at all? Well, it changes the story a lot. If Dumbledore was helping Harry in a selfish way, we can see this in a very different light. In the Battle of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore comes to Harry’s rescue. Just think, what if Dumbledore was saving Harry so Harry could die at the right moment instead of just saving him so he would be spared.
· 10:30 Dumbledore makes a lot of sacrifices. His entire plan was to keep Harry alive until he could die at the right time, and he used human shields to do this. Harry’s sacrifice was the only one that had to happen. Sure, others may have died, but it was Dumbledore who put the rest of the people who died in front of Harry. It might have gone better if they set a trap for Voldemort or thinking of something else besides hope that he can’t kill everyone until Harry.
· 15:31 Dumbledore bears an uncanny resemblance to Grindelwald. A lot of the things Dumbledore is doing is very similar to a ‘for the greater good’ mentality. Both Grindelwald and Dumbledore think they need sacrifice to reach the perfect world they are fighting for. Even Dumbledore says he isn’t a perfectly moral person, and though this doesn’t mean Dumbledore is trying to develop these secret plots against Harry, just keep in mind the influence from Grindelwald.
· 20:42 Given the chance, would Dumbledore change his life? Not his current one, no. But his past… yes. If Dumbledore could go back and change his relationship with Grindelwald and give his young self advice, he absolutely would. Dumbledore wouldn’t change his life in a huge way, but he would want to tweak a few key things that would steer him away from Grindelwald.
· 25:10 So. The zillion dollar question. Is Dumbledore a good person? Overall, yes. Dumbledore is a good person. But, he’s not perfect. Dumbledore has made many mistakes in his life, making sacrifice upon sacrifice. The reason Dumbledore is a good person, is he didn’t make any big mistakes when it counted. Dumbledore used his youth to be with Grindelwald, then in his adult life, saw his mistakes and became a good person.
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Episode 165:
In this episode, we explore AI combined with Harry Potter. Enjoy!
Topics/Summary:
· There have new developments in the world of AI recently, involving tools such as ChatGPT. In this episode, we are going to be asking ChatGPT questions about Harry Potter and seeing if it can answer the question.
· Challenge question: What boat company did Newt use to get back to London at the end of Fantastic Beasts? Answer: The Royal Star Steam Company.
· 5:06 Is Harry Potter a good person? ChatGPT: “Harry Potter is a fictional character and it is ultimately up to the reader whether they consider him to be a good person or not.”
· 9:55 What could the story of Harry Potter have done better?
1.) Develop secondary characters more.
2.) Address racial prejudice more directly
3.) Explore the aftermath of the war more
4.) Address the consequences of magic
5.) Show more diversity in the wizarding world
6.) Show more of the Ministry of Magic
7.) Show more of the muggle world
8.) Had a more satisfying ending
· 17:02 What could Harry Potter the character have done better in the story?
1.) Communicating with his friends and allies.
2.) Trusting in his own abilities
3.) Not being so reckless
4.) Being more forgiving
5.) Seeking help when needed
· 27:43 Give me an outline for a potential 8th Harry Potter book please.
o “The book would begin with Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and Ron all being in their late thirties and living their own lives. The book would follow Harry as he is drawn back into the wizarding world when a new threat emerges. Harry would then seek help from his friends and allies, including Hermione and Ron, who would help him investigate this new threat. As they investigate, Harry and his friends would uncover a dark secret about the organization and its true purpose. They would also learn that the organization has been recruiting young witches and wizards, and Harry would have to stop them from doing so. Along the way, Harry would have to face his own demons, including his past and his feelings of guilt and regret about hie role in the previous war. The final showdown would take place at Hogwarts where Harry and his friends would have to face off against the organization and its leader. The book would end with Harry and his friends finally defeating the organization and bringing peace to the wizarding world again.
· 31:17 Tell me a Harry Potter joke. Here’s the best we got: Why did the Death Eater cross the road? To get to the dark side!
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Episode 164:
In this episode, we test out knowledge on Newt Scammander. Enjoy!
Topics:
- Where does Newt live?
- Which bank did Newt meet Jacob?
- Why did Newt say he was in America?
- Much more!
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Episode 163:
Hi everyone! I’m sorry to say I’m not feeling my best at the moment, so this episode is a rebroadcast of my favorite episode from 2022. Enjoy!
See original episode, show notes, and transcript here.
Episode 162:
Thanks. The world’s been pretty crazy this year, and I’m glad I could sit down every weekend and ramble about Harry Potter. I have a blast every episode and I look forward to every week, knowing there’s an episode or an Instagram post or a newsletter waiting for me. I couldn’t have done any of this without you, so I just want to say thanks. See you soon.
-Oscar
Favorite Episodes of 2022:
Episode 138: My Visit to Harry Potter Filming Locations in England! (Lacock, Oxford, The Harry Potter Studio Tour)
Episode 123: The Music of Harry Potter!
Episode 120: Analyzing the New Secrets of Dumbledore Trailer!
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