MuggleCast: The Harry Potter Re-Read Podcast

For the first time in five years, J.K. Rowling stays quiet on the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts Fantastic Beasts 3 filming is delayed until 2021! How will this impact the fandom? Will people lose interest in the series? This Week in MuggleCast History returns! Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Chapter 25 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Seer Overheard 7-Word Summary: Harry discovers who listened to the prophecy Harry and Ginny: why did Rowling gloss over some of the happiest moments of Harry's life? Hermione begins to unravel the identity of the Half-Blood Prince... and Harry "just knows" it isn't a woman! Is he being sexist? Why is Harry still so defensive of the Half-Blood Prince? Truth is, we've seen him behave this way before! The Room of Requirement: easier to access than previously thought - you just need to be drunk! Why has Dumbledore been so reluctant to see Trelawney lately? Harry learns Snape was the one who overheard the prophecy! Would Dumbledore have ever told him? What does it say about Snape's character that despite playing a role in Harry's father's death, he still continues to insult James? Is Albus and Aberforth's relationship as contentious as we're led to believe in Deathly Hallows? Lax security: is there any reason to think the school will be safe with Harry and Dumbledore headed to The Cave? The hosts Rename The Chapter and give their MVPs of the Week Quizzitch: What is the first spell Harry casts at the Inferi? Bonus MuggleCast (available on Patreon): what if Hermione had discovered the identity of the Half-Blood Prince in this chapter? Would it have been too much for Harry to deal with? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Which character, if any, will JKR pay tribute to on May 2? MuggleMail covers the power of love, Felix Felicis and interesting listening locations Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Chapter 24 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Sectumsempra 7-Word Summary: Harry almost gets discovered by Snape bathroom Breakup Central: Ron and Lavender and Dean and Ginny are splitsville! Charms Class and Quidditch: we reflect on how Harry's time at Hogwarts is coming to an end Katie Bell has finally returned and Harry remains convinced Draco was behind her attack Harry is hung up on Felix Felicis and Hermione draws an interesting conclusion about the effects on the potion Ravenclaws and Gryffindors: how Quidditch championship matches bring out their wild side! Let's go to the bathroom… because it's where all the important shi*t happens in the Potter series Sectumsempra: Why would Harry use a spell on Draco when he has no clue of its effect? Why doesn't Harry argue that he was defending himself against an Unforgivable Curse? Was Snape also keeping tabs on Draco? Was Moaning Myrtle assisting him? Should a professor be able to use Legilimency on a student to find out the truth? Does Harry's punishment fit the crime? Shouldn't it have been more severe? The Room of Requirement: we get brief glimpses of the Vanishing Cabinet and the Diadem Horcrux The Half-Blood Prince's book has done a lot of good for Harry and he lets Hermione know it! Ginny rushes to Harry's defense and SLAMS Hermione not once, but twice! Snape detention has an interesting twist to it!The hosts believe it's important that Gryffindor wins the Quidditch Cup without Harry Harry and Ginny: did it feel rushed? Forced? Or about damn time?!?! We Rename The Chapter and give our MVPs of the Week! Quizzitch: What unlikely companion does Harry find outside the Room of Requirement? This week's episode is brought to you by OpenFit! Text MuggleCast to 303030 to receive full access to all the workouts and nutrition info for a month! In Bonus MuggleCast, available exclusively on Patreon, we discuss what would have happened if Draco had died as a result of the Sectumsempra attack! [podcoin] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Universal reveals the beasts we can expect to see on Hagrid's motorbike adventure including one never seen in the films! We take voicemails in defense of Slughorn, on the Room of Requirement, Harry's daydreaming and Hufflepuffs ability to find things Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Chapter 23 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Horcruxes 7-Word Summary: Secrets are discovered inside the Slughorn office Compromised security: what's up with the Fat Lady denying Harry entrance to Gryffindor Tower? Could Felix have still been at work? Dumbledore is initially shocked that Harry has acquired the memory. Did he really think Harry could do it? Do we actually know where Tom first learned about Horcruxes? We contrast Tom and Harry's approach to extracting information from Slughorn Wizards of a certain caliber have always been drawn to Horcruxes... really?!?! Like who? We learn Dumbledore is particularly fierce about Horcruxes. Why is that? Could Grindelwald have made one? Horcrux Breakdown: the diary, the ring, the locket, the cup, Nagini and something of either Gryffindor's or Ravenclaw's Did part of Dumbledore's prophecy explanation reveal that Harry is a Horcrux? Can Voldemort feel when one of his Horcruxes is destroyed? Not in the books, but it works in the films! Does Dumbledore's rant about tyrants creating self-fulfilling prophecies mean even more now that we know more about Grindelwald? The hosts rename the chapter and give their MVPs Quizzitch: How long does it take to make Felix Felicis? In celebration of recording on 4/20, we offer thoughts on which characters in the wizarding world like the ganga! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Slug Club member Sara joins the show! Muggle Mail covers Bunty The Spy, Snape The Protector and Snape The Bully Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Chapter 22 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, After The Burial 7-Word Summary: Aragog causes Harry no issues with Slughorn Despite its dark undertones, is this one of the funniest chapters of the series? Eric tells us why Hagrid's letter defined his Potter reading experience Aragog is one of our biggest (literally) connecting threads between Half-Blood Prince and Chamber of Secrets Will we see Aragog make an appearance in the Fantastic Beasts series? Thanks to Ron... it's time for Harry to GET LUCKY! Thoughts of Ginny... are they romantic or a bit disgusting? If the placebo Felix Felicis effect worked on Ron, do we think it could have done the same for Harry? Is Slughorn so elusive because he considered Harry would eventually use Felix Felicis? Venomous tentacula, acromantula venom, unicorn hair... Slughorn has a side-hussle! House-Elves as poison taste-testers! What does this reveal about Slughorn's character? I Will Remember You: our patrons pay tribute to Aragog Let's get drunk! Is this becoming a recurring theme in Half-Blood Prince? Does Slughorn feel guilty, maybe even responsible, for what happened to Lily? Francis The Fish is possibly the best addition the filmmakers made to the series Rename The Chapter and MVP of the Week Quizzitch: Who tells Nearly-Headless Nick about Dumbledore's whereabouts? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The latest on JKR's assistant's credit card fraud Quidditch Through The Ages is getting an illustrated edition! Team StarKid is turning 10 and they're planning an event in LA! Muggle Mail covers the cursed DADA position, Dumbledore lecturing Harry and the powers of Hufflepuff's Cup Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Chapter 21 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Unknowable Room 7-Word Summary: Harry searches for Draco unsuccessfully but determinedly JKR drops yet another subtle hint to the identity of the Half-Blood Prince Dobby and Kreacher report back their findings on Malfoy!  Despite the result, should Harry have been more explicit with his instructions? Why does Harry never consider that Draco could be entering the Room of Requirement? What combination of words would we use to try and enter the room? Given her persistence, should Hermione have offered Harry suggestions on how to acquire the Slughorn's memory? Snape is having a really bad day (again), but should he be taking it out on his students? Why was Tonks in this chapter? What did she need to see Dumbledore about? We draw connections between Moaning Myrtle, Draco and Tom Riddle The hosts Rename The Chapter and give their MVPs of the Week! Quizzitch: When Professor Slughorn gets plant leaves from Professor Sprout, what group of students does he say they are for? In Bonus MuggleCast (available on Patreon): The creators of the amazing graphic art within the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts film series visit Chicago, and Eric recaps their event. Don't forget to follow @MuggleCastPod on Instagram! This week's episode is brought to you by Robinhood, the easiest way to invest in stocks, ETFs, cryptos and more. Get a free stock like Apple, Ford, or Sprint at MuggleCast.Robinhood.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're now on Instagram! Follow us: @MuggleCastPod! A first edition Potter book sells for $90,000! Have any hosts ever been tempted to buy a rare piece of Potter memorabilia? Patreon update: Get ready! Signed album art and our 2019 gift are coming! Pledge now to become eligible to receive the goods. We take feedback on last week's J.K. Rowling discussion Voicemails cover a listener who doesn't like JKR (but is nice about it), Fawkes, Horcruxes and Cursed Child San Francisco Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Chapter 20 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Lord Voldemort's Request 7-Word Summary: Voldemort tries again to obtain Dumbledore’s allowance Just how is Draco getting the "ingredients" he needs for Polyjuice Potion? Hogwarts staffing problem: what's the deal with Trelawney and Firenze? Dumbledore calmly shames Harry for not retrieving Slughorn's memory. Have we ever experienced anything like this in real life? Given everything Harry has been through recently, is this a fair request? Why doesn't Dumbledore get off his ass and do it himself? How might the course of history have changed if Tom Riddle had been allowed to teach at Hogwarts? Hepzibah, Hokey and Horcruxes What was Voldemort truly after in Dumbledore's office? It is clear Dumbledore had inside information on Voldemort early on. Why didn't he do more to stop him? From tour guide to caretaker, the hosts give Voldemort a job at Hogwarts! Rename The Chapter and MVP of the Week return!  We make several connections between this chapter and Order of the Phoenix Quizzitch: How many points does Harry lose for being later to DADA class? This week's episode is brought to you by OpenFit! Work out from the comfort of your own home and see great results -- text 'MUGGLECAST' to 303030 to receive a special extended 30-day trial! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome Slug Club member Kayla! The cover for Goblet of Fire: The Illustrated Edition is here -- could it be the best one yet? Micah may've discovered a Cursed Child reference on the cover.... Details concerning Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure are revealed. Micah was on the scene for an event. What mysterious beast will we encounter that never made it into the films? The man behind Fantastic Beasts is out at Warner Brothers -- will JKR say anything? Main Discussion: J.K. Rowling and The Fans Who Now Attack Her The hosts react to the recent misleading headlines about Dumbledore and Grindelwald's "intense sexual" relationship How far apart are the headlines from what J.K. Rowling actually said?  Do fans of the Potter series owe it to themselves to fact check before reacting? The Complex History of JKR and Controversy: outing Dumbledore, Ron and Hermione's relationship, Cursed Child, Native Americans and more Is there a very real possibility that we have burned our bridge to JKR as a fandom? The hosts and patrons share what they would like to see from JKR in the future. Everyone's responses are available to read on Patreon. Quizzitch: In her first memory, what time does Tom Riddle come calling for Hepzibah Smith? Bonus MuggleCast (available on Patreon): we discuss the latest news on the upcoming iOS and Android game Harry Potter: Wizards Unite! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join the MuggleCasters as they watch Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald together! This is a commentary track in which we watch the entire movie and discuss everything that's going on. Don't stop once the credits start rolling -- we end up talking all the way through them, and after. We're those people in the theater who refuse to leave! This is a movie commentary track meant to be played in sync with your own copy of the film. This commentary is designed to work with American DVDs (which are in NTSC format) and all digital and Blu-ray copies of the movie. At the beginning of the commentary we help you sync up with us. ENJOY! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

News on Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is coming!  MuggleMail covers the Goldstein last name, Accio-ing bullfrogs and the Deathly Hallows Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Chapter 19 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Elf Tales 7-Word Summary: Quidditch takes a backseat to Draco’s activities Horace Slughorn: Death Eater or Target? Is Dumbledore being reckless again? Hermione's voice of reason: is anyone listening? Harry has saved most of the Weasley family. Where was he when Fred needed him most? Hagrid's conversation with Harry and Hermione has strong ties to Chamber of Secrets Why is Dumbledore angry with Snape? Hagrid displays a side of him we haven't seen before!  What does it say about Ron that more people aren't concerned about what happened to him? A "rogue" bludger lands Harry in the hospital... sounds familiar! Harry takes his stalking of Draco to a new level with Kreacher and Dobby Connecting The Threads, Rename The Chapter and MVP of the Week Voicemails cover Fawkes, Newt as an Animagus, Dumbledore and more Quizzitch: Who was the DADA teacher when Lord Voldemort was at Hogwarts? Our Crimes of Grindelwald commentary is headed your way next week! This week's episode is brought to you by AMC Shudder (Visit discoveryofwitchestv.com and use promo code 'mugglecast' for a free 30-day trial) and Robinhood (visit MuggleCast.Robinhood.com for a free stock!) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

News: WB CEO speaks out on the Crimes of Grindelwald  Harry Potter Wizards Unite will be released this summer! JKR returns to Twitter… sort of… MuggleMail: One listener surprises her daughter in a very cool way on her 9 3/4 birthday Chapter-by-Chapter returns with Chapter 18 of Half-Blood Prince, Birthday Surprises 7-Word Summary: Ron doesn't really love Romilda Vane wholeheartedly  Harry must juggle telling Ron and Hermione about Dumbledore's task Why aren't more questions about Horcruxes being asked? Harry once again masters Potions Class: is it foretelling of what's to come later in the chapter? JKR drops another subtle hint that Snape is the Half-Blood Prince Do we feel bad that Hermione is working her butt off while Harry is essentially cheating his way through Potions? Harry and his mother: A deep discussion about Lily, Snape, Potions and Slughorn Would the Internet have helped Hermione's Horcrux search? The hosts debate which mode of transport is better: flying or Apparition Maraudering Malfoy: Is Harry borderline stalking Draco at this point? How do all of these tainted/poisoned items continue to get into Hogwarts? Patreon Question of the Week: Should anyone in Lavender’s situation forgive Ron due to the love potion? Is it an excuse? Or does it destroy a relationship? Connecting The Threads, MVP of the Week and Rename The Chapter Quizzitch: Who is the “big Hufflepuff” player that gets the Quaffle from Ginny during Quizzitch? In Bonus MuggleCast, the gang work together to play BuzzFeed's viral "How many Harry Potter characters can you name?" quiz. We won't spoil how well we did, but we were pretty pleased with our results. This week's episode is brought to you by CHEGG (visit Chegg.com/MuggleCast and use promo code MuggleCast for $5 off) and OpenFit (Text MuggleCast to 30-30-30 for a free 30-day trial)! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices