MuggleCast: The Harry Potter Re-Read Podcast

Slug Club member Jac joins the show all the way from Australia! Fantastic Beasts 3 is seemingly delayed! When can we expect it in theaters? Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is set to open this June! We dive deep in the Crimes of Grindelwald deleted scenes & featurettes Credence and Nagini: why was their budding romance left on the cutting room floor? There was a completely different opening to this film and we discuss why it would have worked!  Dumbledore reveals the truth behind why he sent Newt to New York! Who is the man Grindelwald fears above all others? Is it truly Dumbledore? The Romance That Will Never Be: Dumbledore & McGonagall Hello, Yaxley! Leta's mysterious ballroom dance: Can she hear other people's thoughts just like Queenie? What does “her brother will lead us from the shadows…” mean? Newt's Basement gives us more Augurey screen time and another look at those Baby Nifflers We geek out with Ezra & Evanna as they watch select scenes from Crimes of Grindelwald It's clear Dumbledore knows something about Credence, but Ezra can't divulge! J.K. Rowling: A World Revealed includes her feelings on the differences between the first two films, Heyman's analysis of Grindelwald vs. Voldemort and a great Yates' hero quote! JKR makes it clear that the line between good and bad is not as defined in this series: "Good guys cross over, bad guys are redeemed!" What?!? "Make no assumptions. Whatever you think you know at the end of the movie may not be the case when you get to the end of the third movie." Quizzitch: What prop did the art department make 100 copies of to place in the French Ministry of Magic? This week's episode is brought to you by the new podcast One Plus One! The show tells the story of some of the world’s most legendary creative unions like Beyonce & Jay-Z, Google’s Sergey Brin and Larry Page, and Lorne Michaels and the first cast of Saturday Night Live. Bonus MuggleCast, available on Patreon.com/MuggleCast: Distinctly Dumbledore - we discuss some notable revelations, including that Jude Law now knows everything Rowling does about Dumbledore and that there was, in fact, a sexual component to the Dumbledore-Grindelwald relationship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

News covers Cursed Child in San Fran, Fantastic Worlds and Crimes of Grindelwald Uh oh! Dan Fogler says Fantastic Beasts 3 is bigger than the first two films combined! Voicemails cover a furry little correction, mother in-laws and unbreakable vows  Chapter-by-Chapter continues with A Sluggish Memory 7-Word Summary: Young wizards can make Horcruxes from murders What is the Fat Lady getting at by making the common room password “abstinence”? Is Hermione too harsh to Ron when she returns, ignoring his existence entirely? Is it time for Hermione to put a little more stock in Harry's theory about Draco? Harry is Dumbledore's man through and through. Based on the headmaster's reaction, is this his final happy moment? Were we surprised by Dumbledore’s reaction to Harry’s story about Snape & Draco? Is it fair for him to tell Harry to just cast his thoughts aside?  Is it impressive how advanced Tom Riddle is at this young age? Given his ability to change the memory of his uncle Morfin? Tom’s good looks are noted multiple times in this chapter. Is it a coincidence that both he and Harry are said to look like their fathers? When did Slughorn alter his memory? Why doesn't Harry ask what Horcruxes are? Connecting The Threads to Chapter 17 of Chamber of Secrets - The Heir of Slytherin The hosts give their MVPs of the Week and Rename of the Chapter Quizzitch: What is the name of the Apparition instructor? In Bonus MuggleCast, we dive deeper into the motley crue that Tom surrounded himself with at Hogwarts. Why didn't Dumbledore keep a closer eye on them? What other teachers did Tom charm? This week's episode is brought to you by Care/Of (Visit TakeCareOf.com and use code MuggleCast50 for 50% off!) and Robinhood (Get a free stock at mugglecast.robinhood.com)! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s up with JKR’s Twitter? Larry Potter gets nixed from the latest LEGO movie Chapter-by-Chapter continues with A Very Frosty Christmas 7-Word Summary: Rufus tries to convince Harry by persuasion Do the words unbreakable vow finally make Ron a believer? Harry’s Draco argument has been rejected so many times he can hear Hermione’s response to the latest development in his head Arrests for the sake of arrests. Perception vs. reality. We dive deep into the Ministry under Rufus Scrimgeour. Does Lupin’s current state make him more sympathetic to Snape? Lupin may unknowingly provide some hints to the identity of the Half-Blood Prince How is Lupin able to go undercover without other werewolves knowing who he is? Could the Ministry take a page out of Voldemort’s book - playing to the underserved and underrepresented? We discuss how Scrimgeour goes about his conversation with Harry all wrong. Why, why would the Minister use Umbridge’s name to try and strengthen any argument he made? Is it fair Harry takes out all of his frustration towards the Ministry on Scrimgeour? Could Harry and Dumbledore have benefited from working with the Ministry? Connecting the Threads, MVP of the Week and Rename the Chapter Quizzitch: How much does it cost to take Apparition lessons? This week's episode is brought to you by Away Travel (Get $20 off your suitcase by using promo code MuggleCast) and AMC Shudder (Use promo code MuggleCast for a free 30-day trial)! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome Slug Club member Kristy to the show! Chapter-by-Chapter continues with The Unbreakable Vow  7-Word Summary: Harry parties hard when with Luna Partygood Harry has taken to secret passageways to avoid his admirers - is he overreacting? Ron's behavior toward Hermione: toxic masculinity or teenage immaturity? Hermione cautions Harry about being a target for Love Potions. Are Fred and George creating a security risk at Hogwarts? Argus Filch and Madam Pince? OTP or a casual Harry joke? What would Mrs. Norris say? Why Luna is a better friend to Hermione and Harry than we may realize Why does Harry immediately regret asking her? Why didn't he ask Hermione? Why didn't he go stag? Hermione announcing her date for all to hear - over-the-top or perfectly justified? Slughorn's Christmas party: vampires, drunk seers and the Rotfang Conspiracy The hosts and patrons take a crack at titling Harry's biography Draco gatecrashes and we discuss why Snape shows a hint of fear Should Draco take Snape up on his offer to help? Connecting The Threads: Harry The Auror. What other professions could he have pursued? MVP of the Week and Rename The Chapter Voicemails cover Tom Riddle The Obscurus, old Illustrated Edition predictions, Cursed Child Australia and more Quizzitch: What Christmas gift does Harry receive from Kreacher? This week's episode is brought to you by OpenFit! Text MUGGLECAST to 303030 for a free 30-day trial. Bonus MuggleCast: Is Ginny a Mary Sue? Available at Patreon.com/MuggleCast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wizard dogs! Anna joins the show to talk about her Internet famous pup and how she taught Remus all of those spells! What can we expect in the Crimes of Grindelwald Extended Edition arriving in March? Our thoughts on why Fantastic Beasts 3 production has been delayed until Fall 2019 Will this impact the release date in 2020? Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Felix Felicis 7-Word Summary: Ron hates being left out of snogging LOTS OF TEENAGE ANGST! Harry, for the first time, acknowledges the possibility of a Ron-Hermione relationship What if… Ron and Hermione did get together and then broke up? What if… they became like Bill and Fleur? We explore Harry's feelings to seeing Ginny with Dean. Sorry Harry, it's more than you just being like a big brother! Ginny OWNS Ron in an epic sibling duel! The Slug Club & snogging: Is Ron just upset that he's always the one who gets left out? Eric makes an important observation about the "girl" with the toadspawn in the seventh floor corridor Harry fakes putting Felix Felicis into Ron's pumpkin juice and calls out Hermione on her Confundus Charm! How hypocritical in his reaction to Hermione when he learns that there was no Felix Felicis? Would Ron have snogged Lavender if he wasn't treated so poorly throughout the chapter? Connecting the Threads, MVP of the Week and Rename The Chapter Quizzitch: In Chapter 15 of Half-Blood Prince, what is the title of the book that Harry is assigned to read for Charms class? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

News covers a Goblet of Fire Illustrated Edition release date and a Cursed Child cast change Chapter-by-Chapter returns with Chapter 13 of Half-Blood Prince: The Secret Riddle- 7-Word Summary: Tom is very disturbed by Albus’ presence  Exactly what does Dumbledore know about the necklace situation? Is he aware Draco is responsible? How was Harry able to watch Caractacus Burke on the surface of the Pensieve? How do we feel about Dumbledore confunding Ms. Cole and then getting her drunk? Do Hogwarts professors normally make house calls to witches or wizards headed to Hogwarts? Or were Harry and Tom the exceptions because of their situations? When we first meet young Tom Riddle in this memory, is he beyond saving? Why does Dumbledore let Tom believe the lie that his mother couldn’t have been a witch? We realize Dumbledore visits Tom's orphanage during the Fantastic Beasts timeline! Was he the only one? If Tom hadn’t been left to fester in an orphanage for his first 11 years, would he have turned out differently?  Collecting trophies: Dumbledore drops a major Horcrux clue at the end of the chapter! From Harry entering a memory about Tom Riddle to Dumbledore's auburn hair, we connect the threads to Chapter 13 of Chamber of Secrets: The Very Secret Diary MVP of The Week and Rename The Chapter are back! Quizzitch: At what time is the first Gryffindor quidditch practice without Katie Bell held? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laura returns as we hit 400 episodes! What Potter gifts did the hosts get for the holidays? Does Andrew have to return his to NJ Transit? See a photo of the gift on MuggleCast.com. Our patrons put Laura on the hot seat as she answers some tough Potter questions Pottermore's #NationalTriviaDay tweet creates a real sh*t storm by saying Hogwarts didn't have bathrooms pre-18th Century So… did they really just do their business wherever they stood? Who teaches younger students how to wipe up after themselves? Why bother adding bathrooms to Hogwarts at all? Did wizards never see a need for a private place for them to relieve themselves? We dig deep into our MuggleMail bag and retrieve some vintage emails just for Laura After six years, Laura finally becomes Lady Geek of the Week, learns she correctly predicted Neville's head on fire and has a best friend named Eve Voicemails cover a Kowalski descendant, Newt's expulsion, Queenie's mental state, a Leta horcrux and more The Dueling Club is back featuring characters from The Crimes of Grindelwald Quizzitch: Which Slytherin student prevented the Chamber of Secrets from being discovered? Chicken Soup comes all the way from Pakistan! And the hosts entertain this Crackpot Theory: Is Aurelius Dumbledore a homunculus? In Bonus MuggleCast, available on Patreon, we discuss a strange Harry Potter book, Crimes of Grindelwald's prophecy, and Hermione's actions in Half-Blood Prince. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our final episode of 2018 & our last of the 300s. We count down our Top 7 Potter Moments of 2018! 7. A great year for us at MuggleCast 6. The New Wizarding World logo (Seriously!!) 5. Hogwarts Mystery 4. Harry Potter RPG trailer leaks 3. From Nagini to Aurelius Dumbledore, 2018 was full of canon additions 2. Cursed Child opens on Broadway 1. Crimes of Grindelwald hits theaters worldwide What can we look forward to in 2019? Harry Potter Wizards Unite? A new Wizarding World theme park attraction? Will we learn the title of Fantastic Beasts 3 and get our first promo? When will Goblet of Fire: Illustrated Edition hit store shelves? Quizzitch: Graduates of the magic school Uagadou are particularly skilled in these subjects: Self-Transfiguration, Astronomy, and ??? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s episode is brought to you by Wondery’s Imagined Life podcast — listen to their Fantastic Beasts episode! It’s also brought to you by Care/Of, makers of monthly vitamin and supplement subscriptions. Visit TakeCareOf.com and use code ‘MuggleCast’ for 25% off your first month. Laura is back and gives us her thoughts on the Crimes of Grindelwald! Plus, we share an exciting announcement about the future of the show. Cursed Child is a go in San Francisco Main Discussion: Predicting Fantastic Beasts 3 (it's never too early!) Are we headed to Rio? Austria? Both? We examine JKR's tweets. Laura gives us a World War II history lesson Will Castelobruxo make an appearance? Ilvermorny? What amount of time will pass between Movies 2 & 3? What Harry Potter-era character will make his or her debut? Are we about to see the original Order of the Phoenix? Each host has an interesting take on Movie 3's opening scene Will McGonagall actually have a bigger role, like the actress' publicist says? Will Queenie be revealed as a double agent? Where is Yusuf Kama and does his Unbreakable Vow still apply? Is Leta alive? Will Newt finally stand up to Dumbledore? Will Dumbledore destroy the Blood Pact? Can we expect a Dumbledore / Grindelwald confrontation? Will Dumbledore open up about his relationship with Grindelwald? Will Eulalie Hicks save the day? Quizzitch: Which Castelobruxo alum is/was Captain of the world-renowned Quidditch team… the Tarapoto Tree- Skimmers? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zoe Kravitz hints at last-minute changes in Leta’s fate. The hosts explore unresolved questions from the first Fantastic Beasts film, like the mysteries surrounding Newt’s suitcase and Jacob’s bakery. They analyze deep character dynamics, especially Newt's and Credence's journeys, while addressing inconsistencies between films. Voicemails spark theories on Voldemort and timelines. Trivia about historical witch accusations adds a fun twist. Overall, there's a desire for richer storytelling and character exploration in future installments.