MuggleCast: The Harry Potter Re-Read Podcast

Welcome Slug Club member, Franzi! Main Discussion: Professor Sprout & Herbology’s Role in the Harry Potter Series To start off, the hosts test their skills in a new game: Potter Plant or... Pokemon? What’s the first word that comes to mind when you think of Professor Sprout? What does Sprout's name origin tell us about her character? Miriam Margoyles shined in her limited screen time in the Potter films The Chronicles of Sprout and McGonagall are canon - should it be a spin-off series? Laura dishes on some good Sprout fan fictions as we revisit the Splitwick publishing controversy! Does Professor Sprout's character suffer from lack of representation? How would we rank her in comparison to other heads of house?  Does the connection between Professor Sprout and Hufflepuff house get lost on the reader? Is she not that memorable for the average reader?  Do Sprout (Hufflepuff) and Flitwick (Ravenclaw) suffer from not being focal points of Harry’s story and attention?  Top Sprout Moments in the Potter series include devil's snare, mandrakes, keeping Hogwarts open and more Sprout, Snape, and Neville:  we discuss Herbology's role in the series and its relationship to Potions Quizzitch: What is the common name of the family of flowering plants, solenacaeae, which include tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, bell and chili peppers? Visit MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch to submit your answer! This week’s episode is sponsored by ThirdLove (Visit ThirdLove.com/MuggleCast for 20% off your perfect fitting bra) and Quip (visit GetQuip.com/muggle to get a free plastic gum dispenser with any refill plan). Support us on Patreon and receive magical benefits, like access to our recording studio, Bonus MuggleCast, a personalized thank you video from one of the hosts and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Take note! The new-ish Harry Potter Database is keeping track of deleted and never-seen scenes from the movies, with stills and even script excerpts! Including the alternate ending from Goblet of Fire that we mentioned last week. It's the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts! The hosts honor the occasion by looking at what the movie left out from the book. How do the hosts feel about the Harry/Voldemort face-off, now that they've reread it? What role would Andrew, Laura, Micah, and Eric taken in defending the school? Would any particular moment during the Battle of Hogwarts have caused us to retreat or rethink our strategy? What is the one thing that we'd change after all these years about what happened during the Battle of Hogwarts in the book? Listeners weigh in with the top things they would change as well. Which character who died would Andrew, Eric, Laura and Micah save, and who would we kill in their place? We eulogize those who lost their lives on this fateful day in the book series. Quizzitch: What is the final sentence in Deathly Hallows prior to the epilogue?Visit MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch to submit your answer! This week’s episode is sponsored by MeUndies, makers of the most comfortable underwear (get 15% off your first order at MeUndies.com/mugglecast) and HelloFresh (Get 12 free meals plus free shipping, at HelloFresh.com/12muggle, and using code 12muggle) Support us on Patreon and receive magical benefits, like access to our recording studio, Bonus MuggleCast, a personalized thank you video from one of the hosts and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

News: Harry Potter flagship store opening on June 3 in New York City, but not everyone on the panel is into the news. This week’s episode is all MuggleMail! Did Harry's "I am The Chosen One" line miss its mark with some fans? Listeners share lots of feedback on our Fred and George episode! We even hear from several twins! Should you omit "problematic" parts of the books when reading Harry Potter to your children? Seline from South Australia sparks a spirited discussion about teaching basic reading, writing and arithmetic at Hogwarts! Do the hosts enjoy the books more because the movies omit so much? We examine a secret deleted scene from the Goblet of Fire movie Night Crawler: Wasn't Harry old enough to crawl or even walk away from the Dursley's doorstep at the beginning of Sorcerer's Stone? Everyone seems to want a Harry Potter TV show. Well, what if it's really bad? Is Ron the glue that holds the trio together? What was Hermione doing on the train ride to Hogwarts while Harry and Ron were in the flying Ford Anglia? Why weren't students told Voldemort's real name? We answer a vintage email from August 2007! Did Ron use Helga Hufflepuff's Cup to gain entrance to the Chamber of Secrets? Quizzitch: What is the mathematical formula for determining the circumference of a circle? Visit MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch to submit your answer! This week’s episode is sponsored by BetterHelp (Get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/mugglecast) and Usual Wines (get your first glass on us by using code ‘mugglecast’ at checkout)! Support us on Patreon and receive magical benefits, like access to our recording studio, Bonus MuggleCast a personalized thank you video from one of the hosts and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

News: British star of stage, film and TV Helen McCrory has died. We wish the best to her family and loved ones. Main Discussion: Former MuggleNet Fan Fiction moderator Laura Tee is here to discuss fanfic! Have the MuggleCast hosts read fanfic before? Why or why not? Was there a stigma attached in the early days? Laura runs through some common Harry Potter fanfic tropes including American exchange students, students getting "HOT" over the summer, and replacement love interests for Snape. The hosts have each read some of the most popular Potter fanfics as suggested by our listeners, and are here to dish! In "The Very Secret Diary" by Arabella, Laura found a depth to Ginny's character that was lacking for her in the books. Eric describes the 700,000 word Hermione time-travel epic, "The Debt of Time" by ShayaLonnie Debt of Time is so massive that it even has its own read-through podcast, Firewhisky and Honey. Micah's choice for fan fiction, "In the Light of the Stars" by little0bird, features a lot of diversity as a teenaged McGonagall navigates wartime Britain. Draco and Hermione meet repeatedly for coffee in Andrew's new favorite fanfic, "Remain Nameless" by HeyJude19. After talking about SO MUCH fan fiction, and listing off some honorable mentions, the hosts try their own hand at writing fanfiction with prompts given to them by Laura! Andrew reads his heartwarming meetcute for adult Scorpius Malfoy and Albus-Severus Potter. Micah adds a new best friend on to the journey Hagrid and Maxime take through the mountains in his fanfic. ...and Eric reads his scene in which My Chemical Romance headlines the Yule Ball at Hogwarts. Quizzitch:  Which member of American rock band MCR dropped out of college to join the band? Visit MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch to submit your answer! This week’s episode is sponsored by BetterHelp (Get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/mugglecast) and MasterClass (Get 15% off an annual subscription at MasterClass.com/mugglecast)! Support us on Patreon and receive magical benefits, like access to our recording studio, Bonus MuggleCast a personalized thank you video from one of the hosts and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Main Discussion: What Would We Change About The Harry Potter Books & Movies? A couple of Mary GrandPre's book covers should've taken a different direction! It's Philosopher's Stone, NOT Sorcerer's Stone! Get with it, America! What's Buggin' Micah returns as he Americanizes the other Harry Potter book titles Enough Expelliarmus, Harry! Don't you know more than one spell? Justice for Slytherin! What in the world was that final fight scene between Harry and Voldemort? Too many directors, not enough consistency! Plainclothes Hogwarts students - this isn't an Abercrombie & Fitch ad! Why is every major wizard duel made to look like Priori Incantatem? Our patrons weigh in with their book & movie changes! Why does Harry break the Elder Wand? Where is S.P.E.W.? Why does Bellatrix burn down The Burrow? Moody Sirius, Sassy Harry, Tonks & Lupin, Grawp and more! Quizzitch:  What is the British Television series from 2003 which was directed by David Yates, and scored by Nicholas Hooper? Visit MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch to submit your answer! This week’s episode is sponsored by MeUndies and Quip! Support us on Patreon and receive magical benefits, like access to our recording studio, Bonus MuggleCast a personalized thank you video from one of the hosts and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

News: Warner Bros' recent deal with Regal means a shorter window between theaters and streaming for future Wizarding World films. This week, we focus our attention on Fred and George Weasley, in celebration of their April 1st birthday. Following up on our Ron discussion, we read the Twins' horoscope (Aries) for insight into their personality. Is it strange for George to marry Angelina Johnson, after Fred's death? The hosts weigh in. The Weasley Twins have traits that can be found in each of their other family members, like Percy's ambition and Arthur's ingenuity. Are Fred and George the most entrepreneurial characters in Harry Potter? Eric asks: Can readers readily tell the twins apart from one another in the books? It turns out, Fred and George really do have different personalities! One of the twins often "goes too far," while the other is more restrained. The hosts read textual evidence to support the findings. From harming childhood pets to forcing Unbreakable Vows and feeding acid pops, one Weasley Twin sure has a mean streak, even toward his family members! Check out MuggleCast #235 for our interview with Oliver Phelps. Our patrons weigh in on the top Weasley Twins moments... together. On Bonus MuggleCast, available on Patreon this week, the hosts celebrate March Madness by competing in a Weasley Twins Quotes bracket The MuggleCasters gift each other one product from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Quizzitch: What TWO things do the Twins bewitch Percy's badge to say in the books? Visit MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch to submit your answer! Support us on Patreon and receive magical benefits, like access to our recording studio, Bonus MuggleCast a personalized thank you video from one of the hosts and more! This week's MuggleCast is brought to you by ThirdLove. Visit Thirdlove.com/mugglecast for 20% off today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're joined by Bradley Bakes, a YouTuber in the United Kingdom who’s currently baking his way through the entire Harry Potter book series! Bradley shares why he started creating every food and drink item mentioned in the Harry Potter books 64 recipes for Sorcerer's Stone, 54 recipes for Chamber of Secrets - what's next on the menu? Golden Snitch Lemon Meringue Pie... Whomping Willow Chocolate Cabbage Cake... Bradley puts a twist on some notable Potter items! Bradley shares a few simple recipes the listeners (and hosts) can try at home and the most challenging food for him to make How long does each recipe take from start to finish? What's it like to shop for all of these delicious items? Which item in the upcoming books is Bradley most looking forward to making? MuggleCast gets its very own recipe! Fans have no excuses for their next Harry Potter party! Be sure to check Bradley out on YouTube, Instagram and his blog! Snog, Marry, Avada Kedavra returns! Can the hosts name the Top 50 Most Mentioned Characters in the Harry Potter series without naming those outside the Top 50? You give a try! Quizzitch: The night Norbert is born, Hagrid makes the trio tea and offers them which food that they refuse? Visit MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch to submit your answer! Support us on Patreon and receive magical benefits, like access to our recording studio, Bonus MuggleCast a personalized thank you video from one of the hosts and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We asked our listeners, following last week's discussion, what fan films they would like to see made. From Arthur and Molly's courtship, to Regulus' thwarting of Voldemort, the hosts discuss what the best plots yet to be seen could look like. Since Ilvermorny has been more or less forgotten about by the author, should fans take it back / make it their own? This week's episode is all MuggleMail! Theories on how Ron inherited Charlie's wand, and similarities between Hogwarts and boarding school arrive in hushed tones in new voicemails from our listeners. We've received a litany of responses to our Security Nightmare series, agreeing that Hagrid, the Floo Network, the troll, and the Chamber of Secrets all prove Hogwarts is not safe. We hear from a listener who homeschools her kid and loves sharing Harry Potter as a proud parent. MuggleMail covers other topics such as: Could Harry and a Young Tom Riddle be romantically involved? Could Mrs. Norris be a secret Animagus? And how one listener feels about the women of Harry Potter. We answer a vintage email from August 2007! Where is 13-year-old Blake now? Quizzitch: What secret does the Grey Lady say Rowena Ravenclaw kept from the other founders? Visit MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch to submit your answer! This week's episode is sponsored by BetterHelp: Get 10% off your first month of therapy at BetterHelp.com/mugglecast Support us on Patreon and receive magical benefits, like a personalized thank you video from one of the hosts and Bonus MuggleCast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The MuggleCasters recently appeared on Evanna Lynch’s ChickPeeps podcast, where we nerded out on Harry Potter - check it out! We remember Harry Potter fandom icon Nigel Taylor (Vladimir Snape) Grab the popcorn, candy and soda and hide it inside Laura's huge purse, because this week, we're going to the movies! In our main discussion this week, we review several excellent Harry Potter Fan-Made Short Films We review some of the best fan-made movies over the last several years Severus Snape the The Marauders Voldemort: Origins of the Heir Lily Evans and the Eleventh Hour Life After Fred Dumbledore and Grindelwald: For The Greater Good Harrey Podder: Say The Magic Word Sisters of House of Black The hosts give their own ideas for a Harry Potter short film Quizzitch: At what United States college was A Very Potter Musical written and first performed? Visit MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch to submit your answer! This week's episode is sponsored by MD Acne (Take the quiz and get your first month supply for free, just pay shipping). Support us on Patreon and receive magical benefits, like a personalized thank you video from one of the hosts and Bonus MuggleCast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome Slug Club guest Olivia! The Hogwarts Legacy video game will reportedly allow for players to customize their character's gender identity.  To celebrate International Womens Day 2021, the hosts discuss achievements by women in the Harry Potter series Not only did Lily Potter save her son, but she ended the war with Voldemort the first time, saving thousands of lives! Hermione has saved Ron and Harry's lives more times than we can count! Ginny overcame the trauma of Tom Riddle's teenage Horcrux and turned out well adjusted, in spite of a lack of psychological services at Hogwarts Fleur Delacour and Nymphadora Tonks distinguish themselves as strong and powerful witches Sirius Black's mother defeats the Order of the Phoenix! How comes nobody could get her painting down? The hosts uncomfortably talk about Umbridge's attack on Privet Drive and Harry, before they even met.  Others we discuss include Luna, Professor McGonagall, Narcissa, and Molly. Do the ladies on our panel feel like women in the series were brought to the forefront in a way they're happy with? To wrap up our International Womens Day celebration, the hosts tackle multiple choice trivia questions based on J.K. Rowling's Witch or Wizard of the Month segment And finally, we recognize that the author herself faced an uphill battle in the publishing industry as a woman, which she overcame. Quizzitch: Name this famous female campaigner for breaking the Statute of Secrecy, she's been imprisoned several times for her blatant and deliberate use of magic in public placesVisit MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch to submit your answer! This week's episode is sponsored by MD Acne (Take the quiz and get your first month supply for free, just pay shipping) and ThirdLove (Get 20% off your first purchase) Support us on Patreon and receive magical benefits, like a personalized thank you video from one of the hosts and Bonus MuggleCast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices