MuggleCast: The Harry Potter Re-Read Podcast

Slug Club member Chris joins the show David Heyman says Grindelwald is scarier than Voldemort! Why is Dumbledore teaching a young Newt Defense Against the Dark Arts? "After all this time," Chapter-by-Chapter returns! And just in time for HBP's birthday! We analyze the chapter that had been brewing in JKR's mind for more than 13 years Would The Other Minister have worked earlier in the series? Where's Harry? Our first Potter book that doesn't begin with the boy wizard! Voldemort is on the rise and its clear the tone of the series has shifted Fireplace entrances, shady portraits, secret staff - do wizards have a superiority complex? Should the Ministry have considered lifting the International Statute of Secrecy?  Does Fudge ever consider enlisting the help of the Muggle Prime Minister? Do other heads of state have similar relationships with their Muggle counterparts? Rufus Scrimgeour: our thoughts on the new Minister and do we have cause to trust him? Kingsley Shacklebolt "Undercover Secretary" Whatever came of the Ministry's inquiry into the death of Sirius Black? How much control do magical governments have over their Muggle counterparts? Two new segments debut with Character MVP and Rename The Chapter!  Patrons weigh in with their thoughts on the first chapter of Half-Blood Prince! Quizzitch: What is the name of the bridge that gets destroyed by Death Eaters? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cursed Child is coming to two new cities... San Francisco (2019) and Hamburg, Germany (2020). Could a Midwest location be next? Chamber of Secrets turns 20 years old! We begin our Half-Blood Prince discussion looking back at some popular fan theories Patrons share their midnight release party memories! We discuss how parts of Half-Blood Prince were originally written for Chamber of Secrets and that it was Book 2’s working title The hosts revisit some of MuggleCast’s theories following the release of the sixth book Who is the Half-Blood Prince? Harry? Voldemort? Felix Felicis? We dive deep into The Underground Lake, one of MuggleNet’s notorious series of editorials What did Dumbledore mean by Remember My Last, Petunia? Who will take over the DADA vacancy? Why does Dumbledore trust Snape? Voicemails cover a Deathly Hallows symbol in Goblet of Fire, deluminators, Cho Chang and more! Quizzitch: What two Order members does Harry bump into (in order) in the HBP chapter, "Silver and Opals"? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Slug Club member Sarah joins the show! Warner Brothers cracks down on unofficial fan events Main Discussion: The Department of Mysteries & The Prophecy Who are The Unspeakables? The Brain Room: just what are they studying in there? What does each of us think is beyond The Veil? Does the Veil have magical properties to draw one in? Was the Ministry built around the amphitheater that houses the Veil? How is security so lax around such a dangerous room? The Love Room: why is it locked? The Planet Room: what can you do in here that makes it worthy of the Department of Mysteries?  Are there alien wizards? The Time Room: do we believe this is where Time Turners were invented? The Hall of Prophecies: why are they kept locked away?  Should who the Prophecy concerns be able to hold onto the prophecy? Do we forgive Dumbledore for withholding this information until now? Patreon Question of the Week: What other rooms could be within the Department of Mysteries? Quizzitch: What is the spell that Hermione uses to mark the doors in the revolving room? Coming this July... chapter-by-chapter for Half-Blood Prince! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Slug Club member Karen joins the show Listeners share their Order of the Phoenix release party memories Cursed Child cleans up at the Tony Awards Universal Orlando adds Harry Potter to their nighttime water show Main Discussion: Major Events of the Phoenix Grimmauld Place: Was this truly the safest place for the Order to be headquartered? Do Sirius and the Order underestimate the threats within the Black Family home? Ministry Interference at Hogwarts: What are Umbridge's credentials for becoming DADA professor? Was it always Fudge's intention for Umbridge to become Headmistress? Do the Educational Decrees expose weaknesses in Dumbledore's leadership? The Formation of Dumbledore's Army: we discuss the Hog's Head, the Room of Requirement and the importance of unifying (almost) all of the Houses Welcome to St. Mungo's: why was it cut from the film? Augusta Longbottom, Neville's parents, Lockhart and Harry's connection to Nagini We reminisce on those gum wrapper theories! Patrons share their top 5 moments from Order of the Phoenix Don't worry, we'll spend Episode 374 inside the Department of Mysteries and discussing The Prophecy Quizzitch: Who was the last member of the Dumbledore's Army to sign up in the Hog's Head? Bonus MuggleCast (available on Patreon) includes memorable lines from the fifth book and Crimes of Grindelwald trailer speculation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paris, London, New York: Pottermore offers fans the chance to attend the Fantastic Beasts 2 premieres for charity Cursed Child is up for 10 Tony Awards Main Discussion: Fresh Faces of the Phoenix What would have happened to Harry without the support of Luna and her father? We discuss Bellatrix exposing Harry's ignorance and her unwavering loyalty to Voldemort Does Tonks make the Order of the Phoenix cool? Dolores Umbridge has one redeeming quality - she's the reason for Dumbledore's Army! Do we overlook the importance of Ms. Figg? Was she best equipped to keep Harry safe? What's up with the relationship between Squibs and cats? Mundungus Fletcher... enough said! What if these characters were introduced earlier in the series? What if they never were? This episode's lone voicemail asks about a Hermione-based movie with Emma Watson Quizzitch: Who did JKR say would win in a fight: Crookshanks or Mrs. Norris? MuggleCast Vault: Luna Lovegood and Dolores Umbridge character discussions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Slug Club member Amy joins the show! The Crimes of Grindelwald screenplay cover is revealed... And we analyze every beast, symbol and little detail Did Alan Rickman feel Snape was an underutilized character in the films? JKR reveals her next project will be a children's book! We start June off with our first Order of the Phoenix discussion What were the biggest theories prior to Order of the Phoenix being released?  Like: What exactly is the Order of the Phoenix? Will Snape ever teach DADA? Is he a spy? Is Lupin really James Potter in disguise? What is the gleam of triumph and what does it mean? What's up with Ms. Figg? Which character(s) won't make it through Book 5? Quizzitch: A witch or wizard who is gifted at reading minds is called a what? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summer is here - we reflect on some favorite Potter memories J.K. Rowling reveals the toughest chapter for her to write in the Potter series Main Discussion: Whose origin story would we like to see brought to life on the big screen? Aren't Potter fans already getting that with Dumbledore in Fantastic Beasts? Quirrell, McGonagall, Slughorn, Hagrid… who has the best backstory and who would end up on Lifetime? Patrons give their top choices: Helena & Rowena Ravenclaw, Molly Weasley, Tom Riddle, Remus Lupin and Kingsley Shacklebolt Voicemails cover Cursed Child, Percy being sorted into Gryffindor and the hosts roles at MuggleNet and in the fan community overall We'll be celebrating the 15th anniversary of Order of the Phoenix in June with some Book 5-themed discussions And don't forget we'll see you in Dallas this summer for LeakyCon 2018! Quizzitch: What is the form of Kingsley Shacklebolt’s Patronus? Bonus MuggleCast, available on Patreon: The Elder Wand's Allegiance in Fantastic Beasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Micah out for the week, MuggleCast welcomes our friend Nasim and one of our Patreon supporters Andy to the show! The MuggleCast community lost a listener and friend this week. Hug your loved ones. The Beedle the Bard Illustrated Edition covers are out now, and they're gorgeous! We forgot to discuss Tonks on last week's Mother's Day episode, so this week we share some thoughts about her decision to head to the Battle of Hogwarts as newborn Teddy stayed at home. Annnd that leads perfectly into our main discussion this week: The Battle of Hogwarts turns 20 (fictional) years old! We share our feelings reading the iconic scenes again 11 years after it was originally published. Do our feelings on it change now that we're adults? Was it responsible to allow students who were 'of age' to fight? What role would we have taken in defending the school? What GOOD came out of the battle (besides Voldemort's downfall)? Eric quizzes us on the Battle of Hogwarts. And of course, Quizzitch wraps up the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Slug Club member and mom Cherise returns for a Mother's Day discussion How would raising a young witch/wizard differ from raising a child in the Muggle world? What would be the most difficult part of parenting? No schooling until Hogwarts? What do working parents do? What happens when your child begins exhibiting signs of magic? Would you be comfortable sending your child off to boarding school? We discuss notable mothers and mother-like figures in the Potter series From Lily and Molly to Narcissa and Petunia Patrons vote on who they think is the best mother in the wizarding world Listeners tweet their thoughts on the biggest parenting challenges Quizzitch: Which mother in the Harry Potter series is named after a Roman Catholic saint, whose Feast Day is famously preceded by a gathering of Witches? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cursed Child wrap up: Andrew sees it again, Hogwarts merch and Tony nominations JKR confirms Jessica Williams will play Ilvermorny professor Eulalie Hicks What's up with Dumbledore teaching DADA in a recent Crimes of Grindelwald clip? On the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts, JKR apologies for killing Dobby Main Discussion: Hogwarts Mystery The hosts give their initial reactions to the new Potter mobile game How far have we each advanced? Are we sold on the story? Do stories differ depending on which House your were sorted into? Is Merula the antagonist even if you were sorted into Slytherin? Time and energy issues! Patrons shared their mixed reactions to the game. Voicemails cover Hogwarts memorials, Teddy Lupin in Cursed Child, Puffs The Movie and more Quizzitch: In the trio's third year, what is the Care of Magical Creatures exam? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices