MuggleCast 77 Transcript
Show Intro
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[Intro music plays]
Andrew: Because shampoo has somewhat surprising side-effects, this is MuggleCast Episode 77 for February 17th, 2007.
[Music continues to play]
Andrew: I thought we would start off the show this week by talking about the weather. Because we don’t talk about…
Ben: The weather?
Andrew: Yeah, the weather.
Ben: All right.
Andrew: Ben, what’s the weather like in Kansas?
Ben: It’s cold. I was talking to Mikey last night and it was nine degrees here.
Andrew: Wow.
Ben: [laughs] Yep. Nine.
Andrew: Mikey, what’s the weather like – where do you live, first of all?
[Ben clears throat]
Mikey: I live in Fullerton, California. Currently, I’m looking at my widget right now; it says it’s 73 degrees. So, it’s uh…
Andrew: Wow.
Mikey: Kind of warm.
Andrew: Yeah, come to think of it, we’re all over the world here. Eric, what’s the temperature like in New Zealand?
Eric: Well, it just happens right now to be a very chilly 66 degrees Fahrenheit.
Andrew: Hmm, darn.
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: Kevin, how’s the weather up in Connecticut?
Kevin: It’s cold.
Andrew: Cold?
Kevin: Feels like negative one degree.
Andrew: Kevin, you sound like you have a cold.
Kevin: I…
Andrew: Do you have a cold?
Kevin: I do have a cold, quite a bad cold.
Andrew: Aw… Kevin under the weather. Kevin’s got a blue screen of death.
Kevin: Yeah.
[Everyone laughs]
Mikey: [laughing] For Vista.
Andrew: Well, I got…
Mikey: It does that arrow effect with the blue screen, you know.
[Eric and Kevin laugh]
Andrew: Yeah.
Mikey: It says, “You fail, you fail! You lose! Restart!”
Andrew: [cheesy voice] Hee hee, yay, Vista! Well, I got news for everyone. It is about to heat up in here.
[Mikey laughs]
Eric: Whoa ho, ho, ho.
Andrew: Look out, here it comes…
[Ben laughs]
Andrew: I’m Andrew Sims.
Ben: I’m Ben Schoen.
Kevin: I’m Kevin Steck.
Eric: Hey, wait a minute, let me put on my swim trunks.
[Andrew laughs]
Eric: Oh, what, no. This is Eric Scull.
Mikey: And I’m Mikey Bouchereau.
[Music continues to play]
News
Andrew: Micah Tannenbaum is standing by in the MuggleCast news center with the past weeks top Harry Potter news stories. Micah!
Micah: Richard Griffiths, the actor who plays Vernon Dursley in the Potter movies and who last night started playing the psychiatrist in Equus, says his presence in the Order of the Phoenix film is fleeting. He also discussed his character’s relationship with Harry. He said, “With this fifth film, Vernon is much more frightened of Harry than vice versa, and as it goes on, you see that it ends up with Harry as the master and Vernon as the shivering idiot, the shivering coward.”
Jason Isaacs, the actor who plays Lucius Malfoy, is currently performing in the West End play The Dumb Waiter. In a new interview, he talks about the play and, of course, briefly discusses Harry Potter. He said, “It’s absurd a man of my age doing that stuff. And then you get there and realize you’re doing scenes with Gary Oldman and Helena Bonham Carter. I look at the call sheet and they’re going to be there today. I’m going to get to talk to them. Before you know it you’re having lunch and sharing Harry Potter sauce. It’s fantastic.” He went on to say, “If you’re someone like me who finds work enjoyably tortured – I’m constantly niggling away trying to make it better and realer and more three-dimensional – it’s nice to leave all that at home and turn up at Harry Potter and just be unalloyed Nazi evil.”
A new Order of the Phoenix photo has surfaced showing Aberforth, the Hog’s Head barman. There are some high-res images from Newsweek and a new shot of Harry and Luna. For all the recently released photos from Order of the Phoenix, be sure to check out MuggleNet.com.
Earlier this week Scholastic, the US Harry Potter publisher, released a Deathly Hallows poster, available for download. Bloomsbury had previously released a UK Deathly Hallows poster. Both can be accessed through MuggleNet.com.
And in a new interview, Equus director Thea Sharrock expresses her thoughts on the seminal play, and also on Daniel Radcliffe playing the lead role, nude in some parts. She said, “The peculiar life Dan’s led has prepared him for things that most people will never have to deal with. To watch the ease with which he deals with things is extraordinary and immediately gave me great faith in the fact that he had as good a chance as anybody of pulling it off, if not better.”
Previews of Equus in London’s West End began last night.
Finally, Quidditch in outer space is a possibility. In an interview with the Times Online, a chief NASA scientist says that a micro-gravity sports competition is not out of the question when their first-ever space settlement arrives on the moon in 2024. The scientist said, “If you had a large, pressurised habitat, people could take advantage of the low-gravity environment by attaching wings to themselves and flying about.” While the typical Harry Potter fan may never be able to get to the moon, NASA says the Quidditch-like area would be used to keep their space inhabitants in shape.
That’s all the news for this February 17, 2007 edition of MuggleCast. Back to the show.
Dumbledore’s Back?
Andrew: Okay, thank you, Micah. Hey, we’ve got some news to talk about this week. You guys want to talk some news?
Ben: Ah, sure.
Mikey: Sure.
Andrew: I want to talk some news. Earlier this week, interesting tidbit came out of an interview with Dan Radcliffe. He revealed that JK Rowling was on set, and this – probably a few weeks ago, a couple months ago, and he says, the story went, “Jo came down to the set at one point and I said, ‘Oh, hello. Why are you here today?’ And she said, ‘Oh, I just needed a break from the book. Dumbledore is giving me a lot of trouble.’ And Dan said, ‘But isn’t he dead?’ And Jo replied, ‘Well, yeah, but it’s more complex.’ I was, like, briskly, ‘Okay, I’m not going to ask anything else.'” That’s what Dan said. What do you guys think is up with that? Dumbledore back in Book 7 and causing complications there.
Mikey: It’s his portrait. It’s his portrait. We know that.
Andrew: You think so?
Kevin: Yeah. Either that, or…
Mikey: Something like that.
Kevin: …something left behind that – something Harry’s going to…
Ben: Yeah. Something, some…yeah. They got it. They covered it.
Andrew: Some extra tidbit that’s really annoying.
Kevin: Yeah, something, some detail about where he was.
Mikey: Something he didn’t say in previous books.
Kevin: Yeah.
Ben: Actually, if you, actually – oh, what’s her name? Oh, yeah, JK Rowling. She said that…
[Everyone laughs]
Ben: …we were going to learn something significant about…
Andrew: You’ve done that before, haven’t you?
Ben: No, I don’t think so. We’re going to learn something significant about Dumbledore’s past. She said that in an interview.
Andrew: Oh, okay.
Ben: So…
Andrew: So, maybe it’s like a flashback or something? Not necessarily a…
Ben: Yeah, something.
Andrew: …flashback, but something…
Ben: Something that – maybe a memory in a Pensieve.
Andrew: Yes, yes.
Ben: Something like that.
Andrew: We got an e-mail from Katie, Tara, and Shannon from Chicago, who suggested that – well, they wrote,
“When Jo mentioned that ‘Dumbledore was giving her trouble’ and Dan asked, ‘But isn’t he dead,’ she responded that things were a bit more complicated. It seems like she was talking about Albus Dumbledore, but what if she meant Aberforth Dumbledore instead?”
Personally, I think when she refers to Dumbledore…
Kevin: Yeah, me, too.
Andrew: …she’s talking about Albus.
Ben: Yeah, because, “‘Isn’t he dead? Isn’t he dead?’ ‘Well, yeah, but it’s more complex.'”
Andrew: Oh, yeah.
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: Good point.
Ben: Well, yeah.
Andrew: Unless Aberforth dies, too, but that’s stretching it. But yeah, that’s kind of interesting, and a kind of cool little fact there that we know we’re going to see a complicated part of Dumbledore book in Death – back in book Death [stumbles] – what am I saying?
Mikey: Deathly Hallows?
Emma Watson to Return?
Andrew: Another tidbit came out this week. This came from an interview with Rupert Grint, one of our…
Ben: The Saddle Club. [laughs]
Andrew: From The Saddle Club, yeah. Don’t you guys subscribe? I subscribe to The Saddle Club.
Ben: Yeah, mhm.
Andrew: That’s a – it’s actually a magazine over in England. It’s a girls’ magazine over in England, so I’m sure Jamie’s a…
[Kevin laughs]
Andrew: …regular subscriber.
Ben: Yeah.
[Andrew and Kevin laugh]
Andrew: And the February/March issue featured a new interview with Rupert Grint where he talks about the sixth film and they ask him about rumors concerning Emma Watson staying around for the final two films. And from what we know, Emma Watson is going to be in Half-Blood Prince, but as for the seventh, apparently there’s been more rumors than we think because Rupert seems to be pretty well aware of them. He said that – well, they asked Rupert, “I heard that Emma Watson might leave the series before it’s over. Do you know the story there,” and Rupert replied, “I’m not actually sure. I don’t really know the details, but I have heard that. I don’t know. It would be weird without her, and it would be sort of a shame if she didn’t stick it out. It’s not up to me because they do take up so much of your life. I don’t know what she thinks, but I do hope that she doesn’t leave.” Also, they asked if, you know, she’s ever been like, “Ah, I can’t take this anymore!” and he said, “No, not really. She hasn’t really talked about it. I know me and Dan are going to stick it out, so we’ll just have to see, really. I hope she doesn’t leave.”
Ben, what would you do if she wasn’t back for the seventh film?
Ben: I wouldn’t see it. [laughs]
Andrew: [laughs] You wouldn’t see it.
Ben: No, I’m just kidding. I really think she’ll be back. I don’t know. Maybe they’ll twist her arm with it.
Kevin: Yeah, twist her arm with money.
Ben: Say, “Come on, please?” Because she has, I mean, it’s…
Eric: Guys, seriously.
Ben: It’s what made her so popular, you know? Throw a little bit of money at her, she’ll come back.
Eric: Why would they not, though?
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: Why would they not?
Mikey: She’ll come back.
Eric: I mean, if they were given the chance, if it weren’t the studio executives saying, “You guys are too old, we’re not allowing you to be in this film,” or whatever, why would they not do something like Harry Potter? I mean, there’s an issue, of course, being tired of the thing, tired of how much of your life it takes up, but seriously, guys, this is, especially, you know, in – and I know they have other things to do and other movies to be in, but this would seem – it’s such a great honor and you’re the only person who gets to fill this role. Why would you give that up? Especially, you know…
Andrew: Yeah.
Ben: No, you’re the Hermione.
Eric: It just doesn’t make sense to me. If you don’t like your character or how you’re portrayed, talk to the writers about it. If you have an issue with that, but…
Ben: And the problem I see with her getting out of it is it’s going to sort of…
Kevin: Destroy the trio, yeah.
Ben: …destroy things, because in a way, the trio…
Kevin: It’s going to be awkward.
Ben: Yeah, you know, when you think of the chemistry they’ve built over the past five films, when you put a new actress in there to fill the role of Hermione, it’s going to be…
Kevin: Exactly.
Ben: …completely different.
Andrew: Right. And plus, it’s the last film, so couldn’t you just stick it out…
Kevin: Yeah.
Eric: I know, really.
Andrew: …as Rupert says, for one more? That wouldn’t really make sense.
Eric: If you committed to the sixth film, I mean…
Mikey: Yeah.
Eric: …that’s the thing. If it’s only Emma who’s leaving, you know, if all three of them leave, that would just be complete crap, but just one of them leaving would just be weird. Introduce this new Emma.
Ben: Right.
Kevin: It’s not like she’s putting her whole career on hold. I mean, look at what Dan and Rupert are doing.
Eric: [laughs] Yeah.
Kevin: You know, they’re quite capable of…
Andrew: Yeah.
Kevin: …doing movies aside from Harry Potter…
Andrew: Potter.
Mikey: Harry Potter.
Kevin: …while doing Harry Potter. So…
Andrew: Yeah.
Mikey: Well, didn’t she come out and say that she has other things on her mind besides just acting, and she’s not sure if that’s what she wants to do?
Andrew: Is that what she said?
Mikey: That’s kind of why.
Ben: Well she probably wants to be a teenage girl.
Mikey: I think I read it somewhere a long time ago.
Eric: Even if you don’t – even if you hate acting, even if it makes you terminally ill from acting, I would still do the seventh one. Do them all if you’re going to make it through six.
Mikey: I agree with you there, but I don’t know. I definitely think she’ll be back. But she’s done this before. Weren’t there rumors that she wasn’t going to be in the fourth film and stuff like that?
Andrew: Yeah. It’s strange, and the only reason we’re talking about it is because Rupert brought it up and said he had heard about it, which I assume, maybe there are rumors going around set. I’m not going to judge, but [Laughs] it’s interesting, and even if she says, “Look guys, I’m not coming back,” WB will be like, “Okay, here’s an extra ten million – what do you say now?”
Ben: [Laughs] Yeah.
Kevin: We won’t hear an announcement or anything official about it from WB until they sign a contract or she says, definitely, that she’s not coming back.
Andrew: Yeah, and from what I heard from when I was on the set a few months ago, they were in the process of trying to sign them all on for the seventh film, and they said they were pretty close to that, so we’ll see. It makes sense for her to stick around.
New OOTP Pictures
Andrew: Then also this week we got a few new pictures. The first one – probably the biggest one of the week – our first look at Aberforth. A blurry picture of him in the Hog’s Head, and I feel like I’ve seen this before, but I also feel like that fits him perfectly.
Eric: Hmm.
Ben: The picture is too pixelated, I think.
Andrew: It is!
Kevin: Yeah.
Eric: It’s just low resolution.
Mikey: Do you know here it actually came from? I don’t know…
Andrew: No, it’s weird. Harrylatino.com and Danlatino.com have both been getting these new pictures first, and we’re not sure where they’re getting them from…
Kevin: It looks like a cell phone camera or something, doesn’t it? Like the pixelation of it?
Mikey: Yeah, it looks really – the resolution is really low.
Eric: A smuggled image.
Kevin: It’s quite possible. I mean, you’ve seen what happens…
Andrew: Yeah.
Kevin: When you let cellphones in stuff, so.
Eric: Yeah, it’s true.
Andrew: But is anyone surprised by this picture of Aberforth? Did anyone expect him to appear a little different? To me he suits it perfectly.
Eric: Yeah, he looks…
Ben: He’s exactly how I pictured him in my mind.
Eric: Pretty much. He’s kind of a somewhat look-a-like to Dumbledore, but not entirely.
Andrew: I think he’s got a little bit to him if he grew that beard in an extra two or three feet, I think he’d look just like him.
Mikey: Yeah, I actually like the shortness of his beard. It’s kind of – I think it gives him his own character distinction right there.
Andrew: Yeah.
Mikey: It’s like a six-inch beard; it’s kind of cool.
Andrew: Mikey, you should grow one of those. You could if you wanted to.
Mikey: Should I? But it will be dark black, and I’ll be like a Hagrid instead of a Aberforth, so…
Andrew: [laughs] Yeah.
Ben: [imitates Hagrid] Rubeus Hagrid!
[Andrew and Mikey laugh]
Andrew: Hi, Rubeus.
Mikey: Rubeus! Where are you coming from? I love that guy.
[Ben laughs]
Andrew: Another picture came from Danlatino.com showing an emotional Harry with a cut on the left side of his forehead, looking pretty sad. He looks like he’s a little teared up there.
Ben: This seems sort of – I don’t know. Dan’s just not very good at the emotional scenes, I don’t think.
Andrew: I think that’s one of the best.
Kevin: It’s hard to tell.
Ben: What makes you think that? Let’s see how it turns out on the film, because I was extremely disappointed with the scene in Prisoner of Azkaban…
Andrew: You killed my parents.
Ben: [Imitating Harry] “He was my friend!”
Eric: No, “he was their friend.”
Ben: Their friend!
Eric: It’s true.
Mikey: But he was good – He was better in Goblet of Fire. That was a huge improvement. He comes back. “He killed Cedric.” That was just like – it wasn’t that sad when Cedric died, but when he brought him back, that’s when it was just like, “Oh my god.”
Eric: Yes.
Ben: Did you cry, Mikey?
Mikey: You know, I may have shed a tear, but I’m not going to admit it.
Andrew: Dude, I’m tearing up just thinking about it. That scene was so depressing!
Mikey: Dude.
Andrew: In a beautiful way. It was just so well done.
Kevin: I remember sitting next to Ben, at the premiere, Ben turning to me and going, “The people next to me are crying! Hahahaha!”
Andrew: Didn’t you guys cry?
[Everyone laughs]
Ben: Yeah, because they were bawling. They were shaken up.
Andrew: Any idea who they were or what their relation was to internal WB?
Kevin: Probably critics.
Ben: No, I don’t know. They were by Melissa.
Kevin: I did originally, and then we moved – I switched seats.
Ben: No, you were sitting by Sue.
Kevin: Oh, yeah. That’s right. And you were sitting by Melissa.
Ben: Not next to John.
Andrew: Didn’t you say that Sue was bawling her eyes out? Wasn’t Sue bawling her eyes out?
Ben: Yes she was.
[Andrew laughs]
Mikey: But come on, it is a sad scene.
Eric: Yeah. Goblet of Fire really improved Dan’s emotions. I know the POA scene was shaky, but I thought Goblet of Fire was – Dan really got a lot better…
Andrew: Yeah, and I think Equus is going to do good for him for the final two films, because that really is going to challenge his acting abilities in an emotional sense, and I think that by the time the Half-Blood Prince comes around, he’ll be ready to do some really emotional scenes in that film.
Then we also got a new picture of Dumbledore from Harrylatino.com again. My guess is that these pictures are from the upcoming Harry Potter Scene-it?, second edition.
Kevin: Oh, that’s possible.
Eric: Oh, really? are they coming out with that for sure?
Andrew: They are coming out with that. I’m just looking at these and I just have a feeling that since that was announced recently, I’m thinking they might have gotten their hands on an early copy or something. And these pictures, they just look like stills that you would find in a Scene-it? game. I don’t know why, but…
Kevin: It’s either that, or WB is contacting them right now going, “Why the hell are you uploading these pictures?”
Andrew: Yeah, yeah. Then we saw a smaller one of Harry and Evanna this week from a Spanish magazine. That image was actually leaked, and we kept it up anyway. [Whispers] Don’t tell anyone!
Eric: Shhh.
Andrew: And… what else did we have… oh! We had a nice look at the Atrium – the MSNBC article with the Order of the Phoenix preview. We got high-res images from Warner Brothers this week. What do you guys think of the Atrium? We’ve seen it in…
Kevin: Does…
Andrew: …I think, just one video preview.
Kevin: It reminds me…
Andrew: Beautiful set.
Kevin: Yeah, it sort of reminds me of Chamber of Secrets but shrunk. Like…
Andrew: Well, the Atrium set was built on the same area where the Chamber of Secrets set…
Eric: Oh, really?
Kevin: And you can…
Andrew: …was built.
Kevin: …see… you can see why. I mean, the columns to the right and left are…
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: It’s not necessarily…
Mikey: It’s very similar.
Kevin: …the same set, yes, but it’s very similar.
Andrew: Yeah, it is and in the article, they said that it’s going to be digitally enhanced to make it look longer, but I was there when they were building that set and that is huge. And I’m wondering why… I don’t know – Mikey, maybe you can put your thought in on this. This picture, it seems kind of low, it’s not shot very high. Do you think they were trying to hide all the lights and stuff up top?
Mikey: I…
Andrew: Do you know what I mean?
Mikey: I think the lighting would probably be a lot higher, but I’m actually looking at the high resolution right now. I do like a lot of the lighting; it’s very bright in the center… It is dark. It definitely – I don’t think it’s a finished product. Like you mentioned, they were probably going to take a little bit longer. This might be something along the lines of, like, his dream or something going towards there, because it doesn’t look like it would be bright, you know…
Andrew: There’s a lot of…
Mikey: …like when he meets up for the…
Andrew: Well, well right. I’m sure they just took this for an MSNBC article. I mean, this isn’t a picture from the actual film.
Mikey: Yeah.
Andrew: This is just like the set, you know.
Mikey: I think the low, it would probably be stylized you know.
Andrew: Yeah.
Mikey: Again the dream, you know maybe the snake, maybe an eye view from the snake or something like that, you know what I mean?
Andrew: Yeah.
Mikey: So…
Andrew: And, by the way, the fireplaces on the right and left, those are where the wizards and witches enter.
Mikey: Yeah.
Andrew: If you guys didn’t know that, so…
Kevin: Now what – what do you guys think about the scale?
Andrew: What do you mean?
Mikey: What do you mean?
Kevin: Well, I always imagined it slightly larger. Maybe it’s just me.
Andrew: The set is pretty big. It’s – it is gigantic.
Kevin: Is it? Maybe I’m not getting a – maybe I’m not getting a true…
Ben: I know, I know, Andrew, you’ve seen it, I mean…
Andrew: Well I’m not – what do you want me to say, Ben?
[Ben laughs]
Andrew: I’m sorry, I can’t comment…
Kevin: Well how about…
Andrew: …because I don’t want Ben to, you know…
Kevin: Well, for example, how – give us a…
Ben: You’re grass marketing us.
Andrew: I’m not grass marketing, I’m just telling you.
Kevin: How big are the fireplaces in reference to you?
Andrew: Well, they’re about…
Mikey: Are they full size?
Andrew: They’re about normal size, I mean, if you stood up – if you stood next to one of them, your head would be up to probably the mantel, or your head would be a little higher than the mantel.
Eric: Wait a second, is it Ben’s head or Kevin’s head, because there is…
Andrew: [laughs] Well, obviously Kevin’s head. Kevin’s head.
Eric: Oh right, right. Okay. Because I know…
Andrew: They sort of – from what she told us, you sort of, like, slide out. They slide out…
Eric: That’s kind of cool.
Andrew: … from inside of them.
Eric: But…
Andrew: Yeah, and, I mean, the offices will be digitally enhanced too. So it goes up, like, a hundred stories.
Eric: Have you seen the offices? You mean, like, in the atrium, like the view of the offices?
Andrew: Yeah. See, there in the back with the red pillars.
Eric: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, there’s a lot of deep royal colors, like, on the walls and stuff and the tiles and stuff. It’s all kind of royal…
Ben: Yeah, like green and…
Eric: …purple, royal green, royal red.
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: But they’re darker.
Andrew: It’s Christmassy. I like it.
Eric: Well, it’s Christmassy. It reminds me of Willy Wonka, actually. I mean, if…
Andrew: I’m p…
Eric: If you want a comparison, I really think that’s – that those were my initial thoughts. It was very – a little bit – I don’t know if it’s too colorful, but I was thinking kind of crazy, Willy Wonka-y. I just – there’s a difference between showing…
Mikey: If…
Eric: … that the Ministry is like a crazy form of government, but then actually believing it as a government building? It just seems like a – in a way, a shiny new set [laughs] – and I like the colors – don’t get me wrong – but the colors kind of threw me off a little bit.
Mikey: You’re…
Eric: All those…
Mikey: … comparing this to the Tim Burton “Willy Wonka,” right? The really bright one with Johnny Depp?
Eric: Yeah, yeah, yeah. That’s – oh yeah, well, Tim Burton, yeah, sorry…
Mikey: Okay.
Eric: I should have specified, because I like Gene Wilder.
Andrew: All those offices are going to be filled with little wizards typing away at their magical typewriters and stuff like that, so that’s going to be pretty cool. And then we saw, not as exciting, Dan, well, Harry, walking through a corridor of the Ministry of Magic, all black. That was kind of scary, I guess. And that was pretty much it, in terms of new photos, and I’m sure there’s going to be some more coming out soon.
Announcements
Andrew: We want to move on to a few announcements now. Ben, you and I, along with Jamie and Micah, will be at Enlightening 2007 at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, this July 12th to the 15th…
Eric: That is…
Andrew: … for the movie premiere.
Eric: Is that going to be the next Jamie episode we have? Where is Jamie?
Andrew: Oh, god, I don’t know. Well, Eric, we cleared this up last week.
Eric: I know, I know. I heard you, but…
Andrew: Yeah, it’s, you know, he’s a busy guy.
Eric: I just realized, I was thinking I miss Jamie, so…
Andrew: He’s uh – oh, so – all of us do.
Mikey: I talked to him the other day but…
Eric: Really?
Mikey: …he was sick still.
Eric: Oh.
Mikey: He’s getting over a cold or whatever.
Andrew: He’ll be back soon. Yeah… so anyway…
[Andrew and Eric laugh]
Eric: Sorry.
[Andrew and Eric laugh]
Andrew: We’ll be doing a live podcast there and we’re also going to be doing a workshop showing everyone how we create MuggleCast. Please e-mail Enlightening 07 at gmail dot com. Send in your RSVPs with – letting us know that you’re going to be coming and how many people you plan on bringing with you, because the live podcast is going to be open up to the public, so even if you don’t sign up for Enlightening – although we highly recommend it – if you don’t sign up for Enlightening, you can still come to the live podcast, and then there’s going to be a movie event too. We’re not sure if that is going to be open to the public yet – they’re still working out the details – but we’ll fill you in as soon as we know more as well. Ben, you want to plug the book again?
Ben: Yeah. MuggleNet.Com’s What Will Happen in Harry Potter Seven. It was reviewed last week in the New York Times, a very positive review, you can check that out. And thanks to all of you, it will be debuting in the February 25th edition of the New York Times as the number four children’s best-seller. So…
Andrew: Wow!
Ben: … thanks to all of you.
Mikey: Wow.
Andrew: Now, wait…
Mikey: Congratulations, Ben. [laughs]
Andrew: Tell me how that works. Why does that – why is it in the February 25th edition? Is it like a once-a-month thing? Or what?
Ben: I’m not entirely sure, but that’s when it’s going to go in.
Andrew: Oh, okay.
Ben: It’ll stay on the list until – until it gets outsold or whatever, but it’s going to be in there.
Andrew: And is your interview on the New York Times podcast feed? Do you know?
Ben: Yes, it is.
Andrew: Do you think you could put a link in the show notes or something…
Ben: I haven’t listened to it.
Andrew: … so people can take a listen?
Ben: Well, you have to actually – well you have to go to…
Andrew: A link to the iTunes.
Ben: You have to go to iTunes. Yeah.
Andrew: Yeah, a link to the iTunes thing or whatever.
Ben: Okay, I guess so.
Andrew: Yeah.
Mikey: Yeah.
Andrew: Just so people can listen.
Feedback
Andrew: Also, thanks for everyone – thanks to everyone who sent in their feedback about the show. We asked for it last week. We got a lot of good feedback. We are reading all of it, and we do appreciate all of it. Biggest complaint was that, Eric, people don’t like you.
Mikey: That’s so mean.
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: I’m just kidding. [laughs]
Mikey: [laughs] I’m like, “wow.”
Eric: Well, I mean…
Andrew: I’m only kidding. I’m kidding! Nobody complained about us, I’m only kidding.
Eric: … on the other hand, it’s 75 episodes in…
[Ben laughs]
Andrew: No, nobody complained about the hosts. The biggest suggestion we got was – people recommend that we have our books with us, so when we can’t remember an exact quote or something, we could just look it up quick. So, thanks to everyone who sent in their feedback, and you can send it in at anytime, we love to read it, and we want to improve the show, and make it as enjoyable as possible for the majority of the audience.
And also, I have an update on my wizard rock band. I’m hard at work on my new song. Eric, I gave you an opportunity to work with me.
Eric: I know, I know. I – what?
Andrew: And you didn’t take it.
Eric: No, I said we had to collaborate. We were going to – you were going to call me.
Andrew: Okay, well, you never did. Well, I never called you because you moved.
Eric: I moved, I know. I’m…
Andrew: You didn’t call me. That’s why. And you moved, and you have a new phone number now. So…
Eric: I do. It’ll just cost you like, 30 cents now.
Andrew: It’s going to be to “Bye Bye Bye” by N’Sync. A lot of people liked it, and they suggested that I make it my next wizard rock single, so I’m working on it right now.
Eric: So, what? “Not in July?” Or whatever, you’re just going to extend that and make it a full-length song?
Andrew: Yeah, right.
Eric: Okay, that’s cool.
Andrew: Right, yeah, so it’s pretty groovy, and that’ll probably be – it won’t be out for a while. I just got bored a couple days ago, so I figured I’d start working on it but it should be good.
Eric: By the way, while we’re on announcements, I just got an e-mail – I do apologize in advance for portraying an Aussie. I did not mean to offend anybody.
[Andrew laughs]
Eric: Okay, just got an e-mail now. I just got to clear that up before the next episode. Didn’t mean to do that.
Results of Deathly Hallows Theory Contest
Andrew: [laughs] Okay. All right, hey, we have the results of our Deathly Hallows theory contest that we started a couple weeks ago on MuggleCast. We got a good amount of votes – a couple thousand votes. We thank everyone who voted on MuggleCast.com for their favorite theory that we aired on Episode 76 of MuggleCast. The winners are…
Eric: [gasps and makes drumroll noise]
Andrew: First place…
Eric: Sorry.
Andrew: Winner of a MuggleCast t-shirt, a MuggleNet book, and an optional piece of Jamie’s suitcase, which, by the way, is still sitting here in my room. It’s looking kind of limp.
Eric: Limp suitcase. [laughs]
Andrew: I am ready to get rid of it. With 14 percent of the vote, Cynthia from Kentucky. And here’s her theory now:
[Audio]: Hi, this is Cynthia, and I’m from Kentucky, and I have been hearing some theories going around about Harry – or that Harry was actually the one who was at Godric’s Hollow on that Halloween night in 1981.
After thinking about it, this makes perfect sense to me, because when you see the Sorcerer’s Stone movie, it looks like that scene is being witnessed by an onlooker. Yet in all of the books, they are written in or from Harry’s point of view, and this scene just does not seem to be in Harry’s point of view.
But after thinking about this theory, I think truly it was or has been written from his point of view because the present-day Harry used the Time-Turner to return to that night, and actually warned his parents that Voldy was coming. Remember, James said, “He’s coming,” like he was not at all surprised that Voldemort was coming. So then, James told Harry to get under the Invisibility Cloak and Harry then witnessed his mother being murdered. This was the hardest thing Harry’s ever done, but he knew he couldn’t change his mother’s murder because his – it would change his whole future.
After the murders, I think there was some kind of struggle with future Harry and possibly some Death Eaters, and that is why Harry’s house – that is why the Potters’ house was destroyed. After all, we’ve never seen the Avada Kedavra destroy a whole house.
After that, I think that Harry went to the Dumbledore of the past and told him what needed to be done with baby Harry and what had happened at the house, then told him what was going to happen in the future, as well. And also, he, at that time, gave Dumbledore the cloak so Dumbledore could give it to the future Harry in the future at his first year at Hogwarts.
Anyway, that’s kind of the way I think it’s going to happen, so thank you very much. Bye.
Andrew: Second place, winning a MuggleCast T-shirt and also an optional piece of Jamie’s suitcase, Jeff from Iowa. Here is his theory:
[Audio]: Hey, MuggleCast. This is Jeff from Iowa. This is my theory in response to the contest mentioned in Episode 73.
I was recently watching Disney’s Hocus Pocus, and there was a line in there that witches cannot set foot on hallowed ground. This got me thinking about how the “Deathly Hallows” could be a place of hallowed ground, so I did some research.
Hallowed ground refers to holy ground, generally a place where there has been death or burial grounds. The most common example of hallowed ground in American history is a stretch of battlefield from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to Charlottesville, Virginia, from the American Civil War.
If a battlefield where so much blood was shed is hallowed ground, is it not plausible that there is somewhere in the wizarding world where there was a great battle, perhaps the battlefield of the first war with Grindelwald? If there is such a place, I think Voldemort would be drawn to this place and perhaps conceal a Horcrux. I tend to lean more towards the place where the final battle between Harry and Voldemort will become known as the “Deathly Hallows.”
Andrew: And third place, winning a MuggleCast t-shirt and an optional piece of Jamie’s suitcase: Amy.
[Audio]: Hello, everyone. My name is Amy, and this is my submission for the one-minute theory.
The more I research, the more I believe that “Deathly Hallows” refers to the Horcruxes themselves, and, yes, I’m basing this on Arthurian legend. I know, big shocker, right? But there’s more to it than that.
We can’t deny that the Harry Potter series has been laced with King Arthur influences. Chamber of Secrets screams Excalibur.
I would like to point out another Arthurian connection that interests me. Taliesin was advisor and chief harper of King Arthur. But more than that, he became obsessed with becoming immortal. He believed that the Hallows of Logres were the keys to immortality.
When researching Taliesin, I came across several literary works in which Taliesin is a main character. The Dark Is Rising is a five-book series by Susan Cooper published throughout the ’60s and ’70s.
The books follow a young boy named Will, who discovers on his eleventh birthday that he is destined to seek the signs before the final battle with the Lord of the Dark. In these books, the signs are a set of six circles quartered by crosses. The six signs are each made of a different material and represent a different element. In the presence of these, the Dark is powerless.
I know this theory isn’t exactly answering all of the burning questions the fandom has, and I know the whole King Arthur theory isn’t exactly original, but I do believe this puts a different spin on it. Let me know what y’all think!
Andrew: Now, all three of you, we don’t have your e-mail addresses, because everyone called in, so if you could please e-mail me, andrew at staff dot mugglenet dot com, give me your phone numbers so we can verify that it’s really you, then we’ll check it with our records, and then we will get you your prizes to you. Also, include which piece of Jamie’s suitcase that you would like…
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: Mikey…
Mikey: Can we get the video of you sawing it up? I really want to see that, man! I really do.
Andrew: Yes, Mikey, if that does happen – if that is required, I will take video of it.
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: And it won’t be pretty, ’cause I’m not good with tools.
Eric: You’re taking an axe to Jamie’s suitcase. [laughs]
Andrew: An axe is a little too much, I think. [laughs]
Kevin: Oh, even – well… [laughs]
Andrew: Yeah. So, congrats to those three, and thanks to everyone who submitted their theories. Everyone enjoyed hearing them.
Character Discussion: Filch and Mrs. Norris
Andrew: Now, we are going to move on to something we haven’t done in a while, actually.
Eric: [gasps] Whoa…!
Andrew: A character discussion.
Kevin: Wow.
Eric: That’s trippy!
Andrew: This week, we are going to be talking about Filch and Mrs. Norris.
Ben: Argus Filch. His – his distinguishing characteristics is he has bulging, light colored eyes; thin, grey hair; prominent veins in his sunken cheeks; tendency to wheeze; usually wears a brown coat, but on special occasions, such as Christmas feasts or the revealing of the Goblet of Fire, he wears an ancient tailcoat. He’s a Squib – he can’t do magic, and he kind of – he’s kind of bitter about it, to say the least. And his family, as he is a Squib, both his parents must have been wizards. He’s got a big chip on his shoulder. It looks as though he probably wasn’t treated especially well by them, nor by the rest of the wizarding world, which makes sense, because Squibs are kind of shunned to the magical world, those who – you know, because they’re not worthy, in a way.
Filch is one of those Snape-like characters who makes us wonder what on earth Dumbledore’s been thinking. Why is Filch at Hogwarts? No one enjoys his presence there, least of all Filch himself. He can’t have been caretaker for more than 20 or 25 years, as Apollyon Pringle was caretaker in Mr. and Mrs. Weasley’s time – Mr. and Mrs. Weasley’s time.
Andrew: And now, a little name origin action. In Greek mythology, Argus was a monster that had 100 eyes and was ever so watchful. The name Argus means, “bright and watchful.” Which, of course, sounds just like Filch. I don’t know about bright.
Mikey: More watchful, definitely.
Andrew: He’s definitely watchful. Is he a smart guy? ‘Cause he doesn’t really…
Mikey: That’s where Mrs. Norris comes in.
Andrew: How so?
Mikey: She’s a pretty smart cat. She’s always there to catch things.
Ben: Yeah, that’s true. That’s true.
Mikey: So, I think…
Eric: Yeah, Mikey’s right.
Mikey: The combination of the two makes – adds there. I don’t know.
Andrew: They’re a good team, in other words?
Ben: They’re a good team.
Mikey: They’re the yin and yang. They make one perfect person, one perfect character.
Why Are Filch and Mrs. Norris So Close?
Andrew: That is a good question, actually. Why is Filch’s relationship with Mrs. Norris so close? They are a very tight team and…
Ben: Because she’s pretty much his one connection to the magical world, really. In terms of…
Andrew: Exactly!
Ben: … ability to do anything magical, she does it for him.
Eric: Well, not that she casts magic, but she is, yeah.
Ben: Magical.
Eric: Ben, that was as you said. She is magical, and it makes sense. Also, Mrs. Figg, who’s a Squib, has cats. I just think it’s like, especially in the case of Filch, we’ve seen things in the books that indicate he might be lonely and really wanting to do magic. He feels completely alone and stuff like that, so having a cat to keep him company and stuff, and watch the halls with him seems really cool.
Andrew: Yeah.
Mikey: Yeah, well, I’m actually on Answers.com, and I Google searched Filch, and it says it’s, “Snitch,” so, he’s always snitching on the kids. Getting them in trouble. I think the name fits him.
Who Came First?
Andrew: Yeah. Well, that is obviously why Jo named him Argus Filch. But…um…what was I going to ask? Do you think – do you think Mrs. Norris was at the school before Filch got there? Or Filch brought Mrs. Norris? Or…
Kevin: I would think Filch brought Mrs. Norris.
Eric: Yeah.
Mikey: I agree.
Kevin: I mean, it seems as though they’re too close to have had just a random encounter where they just began to like each other, you know?
Eric: Yeah, like Filch is the new caretaker so he inherited the cat. [laughs] The caretaking cat of Hogwarts.
Kevin: It also sort of makes sense for someone who is considered a reclusive-type person to have a cat. You know, get a cat for himself.
Eric: Yeah. Yeah, I agree.
Mikey: Well, also if he was, you know, a Squib growing up, his family would have got him something to make him not feel not as, you know, inferior as – he’s not a wizard but everyone else in his family is.
Finding the Root of Filch’s Anger
Kevin: Unless his family was horrible.
Ben: Yeah, that’s a good point.
Mikey: Yeah, but…
Ben: Which they were to him, I guess. [laughs]
Mikey: How do you know that, Ben?
Ben: Well, according to MuggleNet.com’s Encyclopedia he seems like he’s been oppressed because of his lack of magical ability.
Andrew: Well, that’s probably why he works at Hogwarts, right? Because he’s always wanted to have it and this is probably the closest as he can get to it.
Ben: Yeah.
Mikey: Yeah.
Andrew: Yet…
Mikey: Something.
What Makes Filch Happy?
Andrew: Yet, he’s hated how the school has been managed by Dumbledore. Maybe not hated, but in Order of the Phoenix when Umbridge took over he mentioned that the school…
Mikey: He was happy.
Andrew: Yeah. The school had never been run better, or something to that effect.
Kevin: Yeah, but don’t you think that it’s his… He’s happy to see the kids get in trouble? The kids be punished.
Andrew: Well, yeah, that’s what he takes…
Kevin: That’s where he takes pleasure, so…
Andrew: Yeah.
Kevin: …the more punishment they’re under, the better it is for him.
Andrew: Yeah.
Kevin: So, that’s why he would like…
Mikey: He’s always missing the…
Kevin: Yeah. That’s why he would like Umbridge more than Dumbledore right there.
Filch and Dumbledore
Andrew: Yeah. But do you think he – do you think he really didn’t like Dumbledore, or it was just his management, or his…yeah, basically, his management, administrative skills?
Eric: No, I think everybody does…
Mikey: I think he…
Eric: Oh, I’m sorry. I think all the teachers liked him. I mean, you know, or at least respected him. But yeah, I mean Filch just – I think Filch saw where Dumbledore was coming from about punishing the students, but I’m pretty sure, I’m almost positive, that Filch always felt like Dumbledore didn’t really care or – Not care, but cared too much about the students and didn’t really care about punishing the students. You know, I mean, Dumbledore is clearly like a rule-breaker, so I think, you know, maybe they didn’t always see eye-to-eye. But then Filch got to play when Umbridge stepped up, so…
Mikey: I agree with Eric on that one. It’s, you know – I think if anything, I think Dumbledore let everyone kind of get – have a little slack. You know, how many times should Harry have been in trouble?
Eric: Right.
Mikey: And after the first book, he was never worried of being expelled again. Well, other than crashing into the Whomping Willow. But it’s, you know…
[Ben laughs]
Mikey: …other than that…
[Eric laughs]
Mikey: …he never got in trouble. He never got in trouble.
Eric: They have – I think Filch and Dumbledore had their personal, you know, differences – I’m sorry, their professional differences – you know, but they kept it professional, I think. But I don’t think….
Andrew: Dumbledore – Go ahead, finish.
Eric: I don’t think that Filch would conspire against Dumbledore. You know, plot to kill him or be involved in such a plot.
Ben: Yeah, that’s absurd.
Andrew: Right.
Eric: Yeah.
Ben: Yeah.
Andrew: And Dumbledore probably let him do what he wanted to in terms of punishing the students, because he knew that it wasn’t out of line and at the same time the – yeah, it was keeping the school out of…
Eric: Yeah.
What Drives the Torture?
Andrew: …you know, harm’s way. But why does – I mean, we’re probably going to start beating around the bush here with these questions that Micah wrote up – but why does he always want to torture the students?
Kevin: He resents them.
Andrew: Because… What?
Kevin: [in a hoarse voice] He resents them. If I could talk I would say…
Mikey: Exactly.
Kevin: [laughs] Yeah. It’s because they have magical ability and he doesn’t. It’s that…
Ben: Right.
Kevin: …he resents them for the fact that they are growing up their life the way he wanted to live his.
Andrew: But don’t you think after thirty years or however long he’s been teaching at that – or that he’s been at that school, he would…
Mikey: Snape?
Andrew: Sort of get over it?
Kevin: Yeah, I don’t think so.
Andrew: No, Filch.
Mikey: It’s the same thing. I think he’s also just like Snape where he was probably picked on by, if not family members, people that he knew, ’cause they were at Hogwarts and he couldn’t be because he was a Squib. And he holds it against anybody that can do that.
Kevin: And is – Right.
Mikey: And he resents them. And like we see, Snape is just horrible to Harry because of his father. And he has no problems making fun of Sirius in front of Harry, making fun of Sirius after he is dead. You know, it’s one of those things where – it’s the same thing. You know, he was resented or he might have been picked on when he was a kid, and Filch is just having the time of his life taking it out on the kids. You know…
Ben: Well, you can’t get over it when it’s there every day.
Kevin: Right.
Ben: That’s the problem.
Eric: Yeah, yeah. The students continuously pick on Filch.
Andrew: Hmm.
Mikey: Yeah, and so does Peeves.
Kevin: Right.
Mikey: He’s constantly picked on by everything of magic. You know, Peeves picks on him, there’s just, you know…
Eric: Exactly.
Mikey: …there’s joke shops everywhere, the Weasleys, Harry and them are all breaking rules and he’s just constantly being put down, and, you know, people watch out for his cat – it’s just – Yeah, he’s constantly picked on, so…
Eric: So, I think you should not be patrons of the Fred and George Weasley store because you should feel bad for Filch and the fact that he cannot do magic to counter any of the things. You know, there have been points in the book where I felt sad for Filch. Especially after he – I think it was Book 3 – he had to clean up a really big mess. Like, he had to wash on his hands and knees twice or something. Do you guys remember that? Some kind of incident – I don’t think it was the swamp in Book 5 – but I think it was something else, maybe. Because he had to clean up with his hands and knees and do all their magical mess. It’s just – I do feel bad for him at times. I mean, you know…
Mikey: Oh, but it’s so much fun to pick on him.
Eric: Oh, it so is.
[Mikey laughs]
Eric: I would totally drop a dung bomb or something if I were at Hogwarts.
[Everyone laughs]
Eric: “Hey, Filchy!” [makes a throwing noise] You know.
Why Does Filch Still Work at Hogwarts?
Andrew: So, why do you think he still works there?
Eric: That’s a good question.
Andrew: Does he just feel safe?
Kevin: Because it just offers him the opportunity.
Eric: It’s more…
Andrew: To…
Kevin: It also offers the opportunity for him to get back at them. I mean…
Eric: Well…
Andrew: Well…
Kevin: He’s given opportunity to punish them or…
Andrew: Is it getting back…
Kevin: …rat on them.
Andrew: Is that why it is, though? To get back at the students? It’s not necessarily his fault that he wasn’t a wizard and it’s not their fault that he’s not…
Eric: I think it’s the most magical life. Or one of the more magical lives that Squibs would have. You know what I’m saying? Like, Mrs. Figg lives in a Muggle suburb in a Muggle life.
Andrew: Yeah. Well, you probably couldn’t get much more involved than working at Hogwarts, unless you worked at Diagon Alley or something like that.
Mikey: What was it, the first book or the second book where Harry got in trouble and he was in Filch’s office and he got out? Didn’t Filch have – still trying to learn to be a wizard?
Eric: Yeah, QuikSpell. That was Book 2.
Mikey: Yeah, Book 2, yeah.
Kevin: Maybe he is holding out for something.
Mikey: Yeah. Maybe he’s hoping that being at the school where they are learning stuff, he’ll pick up on something that he didn’t learn. He might still hope that he’s a wizard, you know. Even though he’s…
Andrew: That’s true.
[Ben laughs]
Andrew: Maybe he’s just hoping some day something will click.
Mikey: Yeah well, we heard it with Neville where they thought he wasn’t magical and then out of no where he bounced, so…
[Andrew laughs]
Eric: So, we have to throw Filch off the top of the tallest tower and see if he bounces.
Mikey: Yeah, the Astronomy Tower and see if he bounces.
Ben: Hold on. Hold on, though.
Eric: Get Peeves in on that one.
Will Filch Ever Do Magic?
Ben: What if Filch is the one who does magic late in life?
Eric: It could be.
Andrew: That is what we are going to get to.
Mikey: It could be. See, if I was here last week, we could have talked about that, but um…
Andrew: Why?
Mikey: I don’t know, I just…
Andrew: What do you mean?
Mikey: Well, Filch – You guys talked about Petunia…
Andrew: We can talk about it now.
Mikey: Okay. Well, I definitely think Filch could be the person because he is this so angry character because of the whole thing. If he is able to do magic, it would be a complete turn around for him.
Andrew: Ahh…
Mikey: And also, he is the least likely person to think about. Because, think about it, he’s there all the time, he knows the castle probably as good as the Phelps twins – not the Phelps, [laughs] Fred and George.
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: Yeah, there is a difference.
Mikey: I’m in the middle of school. But, yeah, you know what I mean? He’s really – He would be an asset if he was able to be a wizard and fight against anything that might come up. Plus, he probably knows stuff about the school and about all the teachers…
Kevin: Yeah, about the people, yeah.
Mikey: …and everything that could be really helpful to Harry. And if Harry and them found out – if Harry helped him become a wizard or he was able to do magic, I totally see him completely doing a 180 and opening up and being able to help Harry in some way. Being like, “Oh, this underground area,” because, come on, no one had ever found the Chamber of Secrets.
Eric: Well, I don’t know about that.
Mikey: Well, he could do something because…
Eric: I think if Harry has to learn about an underground lake or something he should consult the Weasley twins. Because if you look – Trying to think about the kind of company that Filch kept in school, you know, Snape. And nobody proclaims how much of a misfit Harry is than, besides Filch, and then Snape. And if you do recall Book 4, you know when – or Book 5, actually, wasn’t it? When he went up to the Owlery. It might have been Book 6, I think it was. And he met Cho, but then Filch was tipped off…
Andrew: It was Book 5.
Mikey: It is Book 5.
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: It was Book 5?
Mikey: Yeah.
Eric: Yeah, I’m all of a flutter there. But Filch doesn’t like Harry and even if he could do magic I think he still does think he’s a serious misfit.
Kevin: You have to remember that although he may not like him, it doesn’t mean that he’s not going to try to help him knowing that it’s for the good of everyone.
Andrew: In a situation like this, right.
Eric: It’s true, especially depending on how much he liked Dumbledore.
Mikey: And you also talked about Snape. Come on, couldn’t he know something about Snape that could – Maybe he doesn’t help him directly, but he knows something about Snape and maybe Dumbledore or something like that, that leads to Snape helping Harry, or something else that’s a big thing in the book.
Andrew: Yeah. Plus, in Book 5 – what you are referring to, Eric – I think it was Draco, or at least Harry believed that is was Draco, who had tipped Filch off to Harry possibly being involved in some suspicious activity. So, I mean, Filch works – He doesn’t work with, but he has respect for Draco, I think. So…
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: In terms of getting some Gryffindors in trouble. So, I think it wasn’t so much as Harry being hated by Filch, but I think Filch was just looking for someone to get into trouble. It could have been anybody.
Eric: Once he found out, or once he could not find proof of evidence of dung bombs and Harry, he didn’t turn around and say, “Oh, I was tricked by Draco.” He turned around and said, “Oh, Harry just got away with something.” He continued to believe that Harry had just sent a shipment of owls. He didn’t say, “Oh I was tricked.” That’s what he resorted to.
Andrew: Well, probably because he has respect for Malfoy. For Draco.
Eric: For Draco. But I’m saying over Harry he wouldn’t, you know…
Andrew: That’s true. So, you’re saying that he would say, “Screw Harry, I want to help out Draco.”
Tangent: DracoCast
Eric: But, again, if Draco’s good now or something, then…
Andrew: He’s not. [laughs] No way.
Eric: …you never know what kind of loyalties could – Really? You think Draco’s not going to… This isn’t DracoCast, but…
Andrew: You… [laughs] What?
Eric: You don’t think Draco’s going to be good?
Mikey: I think that Draco’s in trouble. He’s dead.
[Andrew laughs]
Mikey: He’s dead. Come on, he made a mistake. He didn’t kill Dumbledore.
Andrew: He’s being pressured, he’s…
Eric: But is he good?
Andrew: Is he good? No, he’s not good.
Eric: He’s not good?
Andrew: Come on.
Mikey: He’s naive, if anything.
Kevin: I think he’s only good for his own means, if that makes sense. He’s out for himself, kind of.
Eric: Okay. But he was ready to cry when Dumbledore told him to join the good side. He was ready to cry there. His father’s in a bad place. I don’t know, but we’ll talk about that some other time.
Andrew: Yeah, sure. Another main discussion. By the way, real quick – Have we had a discussion on Draco?
Eric: Yeah, I’m pretty sure we have.
Ben: Yeah.
Andrew: Anyway, but back on – We just went on so many different tangents there. What did we start off with? [laughs]
Kevin: Filch? [laughs]
Back to Filch Being Magical
Andrew: Filch. So, his involvement in Book 7. Being the one to display magic late in life. I guess that makes sense. What would be the first thing they would do?
Eric: Well, I suppose it’s directly proportional to how much of Hogwarts they show in Book 7. I mean, if it takes a big – If we find out that Hogwarts plays a big role, then I would say, yeah sure, I think Filch will be the one who displays magic. I can’t really see Filch away from Hogwarts, necessarily, so I would think…
Andrew: I was just going to say, Jo said that Filch stays around even during the holidays, so it’s a stretch, but maybe if we are going to see Filch display magic, it’s going to have to be at Hogwarts.
Eric: Yeah.
Ben: Where else? [laughs]
Eric: Yeah, Ben said it could be, and I like the idea of him being the one, but it depends on how much we see Hogwarts.
What King of Magic Would Filch Do?
Andrew: But, maybe we could talk about this for a second. What would give that would allow Filch to suddenly do magic? Would he be a full-blown wizard or would it just be little spells, or little jinxes?
Ben: We don’t know what magic means really, do we?
Andrew: Guess not, Ben.
Ben: Does magic mean wand magic, or does magic mean something magical’s going to happen to him? I don’t know if that makes any sense.
Eric: Well, I think we need to – If you look at the Quikspell course that Filch was reading, the readers that were listed in the book were people who are now inviting their friends or whatever to dinner, and setting the plates magically or something like that where they’re kind of doing minor stuff. But they are doing magic and they can control the magic. So, it’s kind of like – I guess the Quikspell course – if it isn’t a hoax – which it very well could’ve been just for laughing at Filch purposes – But if it’s not a hoax, I would think that they could do a little bit of spells. Force some magic out of the Squibs.
Andrew: Hmm.
Mikey: We don’t know what makes a person magical and what doesn’t make a person magical. It’s not a Star Wars here with the Midi-chlorians.
Eric: I think it’s Midi-chlorians, yeah.
[Eric and Mikey laugh]
Mikey: Okay. They can talk to them. Just like – okay, yeah. Because, honestly, what if – We know that Tonks’ Patronus changed when she was having problems when she was upset. Maybe he was just always picked on and he was just depressed about it.
Kevin: Yeah, that is possible, yeah.
Eric: [laughs] He was always upset.
Mikey: Yeah, and he’s so angry.
Eric: Hey, it’s possible.
Mikey: Maybe something happens, and he’s able to do magic.
Eric: He just needs to give in to love and, you know…
Mikey: Yeah.
Eric: And then he’ll just be casting spells left and right.
Mikey: Yeah, who knows? Something.
Filch’s Loyalty to Hogwarts
Andrew: So, do you think Filch would defend the school at all costs? If it came down to he suddenly got this magic later in life, and he was at the school and – I can’t imagine Voldemort trying to attack Filch – but do you think he would defend the school at all costs? Is he that loyal to the school? I think so.
Eric: You’re asking if he’s… Yeah.
Andrew: Because he lives there.
Eric: Is he in it for the school or is in it for himself?
Mikey: I think if someone hurt Mrs. Norris.
[Kevin laughs]
Andrew: Oh yeah.
Mikey: If a Death Eater came in and went after Mrs. Norris…
[Ben laughs]
Mikey: …and killed his cat, he’d be like – he would go insane! Come on. That cat is everything to him.
Eric: He did! He did in Chamber of Secrets.
Mikey: Yeah, so I think if something happened to Mrs. Norris – I would not be surprised – If something happened to Mrs. Norris, that’s what causes Filch to do magic. And I wouldn’t be surprised – because it’s going to be such a revelation if he is the one – I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a wandless spell that’s just really strong and he is more shocked than anyone else, and he’s able to save Mrs. Norris.
Ben: He’s particularly emotional.
Mikey: Yeah.
Eric: Every time Filch does magic, God kills a kitten. [laughs]
[Everyone laughs]
Mikey: But saves Mrs. Norris.
Eric: And saves Mrs. Norris. I don’t really want Mrs. Norris to have to die, but… So, is Filch in it for himself or is he in it for the castle? Because this isn’t really – Talking about Mrs. Norris it would seem like he’s in it more for himself more than the castle.
Andrew: I don’t think he’s in it for himself, because what has he got to gain?
Eric: By being picked on. Well, it gives him a home. And a dependency. Co-dependency.
Andrew: Yeah. Well, it’s his home. It’s his home. It’s Mrs. Norris’ home.
David Bradley as Filch
Eric: What do you guys think of David Bradley, the actor who plays Filch in the movies? Because he doesn’t get much screen time, but I think he really makes good use of what he does get.
Ben: I think he does a good job. Honestly, he’s what I pictured Moody being like for some reason.
Eric: Really?
Andrew: Physically?
Ben: Yeah. Physically. Whenever I imagine Moody when I read Goblet of Fire, I imagined him looking like Filch for some reason, except with a pegged leg.
Andrew: Right.
Ben: I think he’s done a good job.
Andrew: Yeah. I think he’s a great actor from what we’ve seen from just in these – like Chamber of Secrets when Mrs. Norris was petrified.
Ben: [impersonating Filch] “I’ll kill ya! I’ll kill ya! I’ll kill ya!”
Andrew: Yeah. That was great stuff. And he’s funny, too.
Eric: He is! Can you imagine filming Goblet of Fire? They’re like, “Okay, we’re going to shoot you out of a cannon.” [laughs] “Yeah, all right.” [laughs]
Andrew: I like when he lights the cannon too early. He does that a couple times in Goblet of Fire, right?
Eric: I know, right?
Andrew: It’s funny.
Mikey: Also, him running in. Him running in with the knees high. That was amazing! I was just like, “Wow.”
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: You’ve got to be a sport to do that kind of thing.
Mikey: He definitely brought life to a character that is not a major character. He did something to the character and I’m glad.
Andrew: Yeah, definitely. And Harry – Sorry – He’s going to have some good scenes in Order of the Phoenix. We know that he does one over the Great Hall entrance way – He’s nailing up proclamations made by Umbridge, and doesn’t he fall off the ladder or something? He does something goofy in one of those scenes where he’s hanging up the proclamations, so I’m really looking forward to seeing that. He’s great. It’s good comic relief and he’s funny. David Bradley, I think he said in a couple interviews that his grand-children are really supportive of his acting role.
Eric: Yeah. He’s doing it for his grandkids, you know? That’s kind of cool. I’d like to see what else he was in.
Mikey: Yeah.
Eric: I don’t recall seeing him in much else, but I know he’s done a lot of British movies.
Andrew: Mmm. All right. Any other questions, you guys, or are we done here? I think that’s…
Eric: Why is the sky blue?
Andrew: Yeah. I think that we covered everything.
Mikey: I think Filch makes the sky blue.
Andrew: Yeah. [laughs]
Eric: Filch does make the sky blue.
Book 7: Live or Die?
Andrew: Book 7, live or die? He’s got to live. That’s definitely interesting, displaying magic later in life. I think Filch is a good candidate.
Mikey: [unintelligible] …strong…
Eric: To die?
Andrew: No.
Mikey: To do magic.
Andrew: To display magic.
Eric: What if he displays magic and then dies?
Andrew: Well, that’s always a possibility.
Ben: That’s cool. That’s cool. [laughs]
Eric: Yeah. He’s kind of like the last card that they just throw in, you know.
Andrew: And Filch dies. Would anyone care?
Eric: With the scar.
Andrew: I’d be a little upset.
Mikey: I would be sad, come on.
Ben: Why would you be sad? It’s Filch.
Andrew: Yeah, that’s what I’m saying. [laughs]
Mikey: I don’t know. He’s not a bad guy, but he’s not a good guy, either, so…
Ben: It’s not exactly a ground-breaking death, I don’t think.
Andrew: No.
[Everyone laughs]
Mikey: I think it would be a pointless death.
Eric: Not like Dumbledore’s ground-breaking death. Sorry.
Andrew: Oh. Pun intended? Yes? No?
Mikey: Oh, wow.
Andrew: [laughs] What would Mrs. Norris do?
Ben: WWMND.
Eric: [laughs] Totally. PWN.
Andrew: All right, so that concludes today’s character discussion. Let’s move on to a few voicemails now.
Voicemail: British vs. Canadian Edition
[Audio]: Hey, MuggleCast. This is Tori Spencer from Alberta, Canada. I was listening to on Episode 76 when you talking about the Wormtail quote where he talks about, “should we proceed if we murder,” or if I “murder” or “curse.” I have the Canadian version of the book, Goblet of Fire, and it also says “curse” in mine. So it isn’t just the British edition. So I don’t know how this would affect the actual quote itself, but I thought I’d let you know that. All right thanks, love the show! Bye!
Andrew: Isn’t the British edition the same as the Canadian edition?
Ben: Yeah.
Andrew: Like cover and publisher?
Ben: No. The publisher is different. In Canada, it’s Raincoast, and in the UK, it is Bloomsbury.
Kevin: Is it the same editor?
Andrew: Probably the same editor.
Ben: But they’re the same editions, I think.
Andrew: Yeah.
Ben: Just different publishers.
Andrew: Isn’t Raincoast a subdivision of Bloomsbury? I could be completely off on that.
Ben: I don’t know. I think you made that up, actually. I don’t know, maybe you’re right. [laughs]
Eric: Bloomsbury is in New Zealand here. Bloomsbury, they publish the book here, so it’s no change.
Andrew: Well, that’s interesting. Thanks, Tori, for pointing that out. I guess it doesn’t seem like an integral – not integral – a crucial part of the plot.
Eric: Well, I think it’s just we were trying to say who else could he kill and, “Oh my God, we missed a death,” but if it’s just “curse” then I think it’s what, Barty Crouch, or something?
Andrew: Yeah, yeah.
Eric: Yeah. So, cool.
Andrew: Thanks, Tori. Next voicemail.
Voicemail: Deathly Cries
[Audio]: [name unintelligible] …from Bulgaria. Last week on 76 you were talking about deathly cry. You said you couldn’t really think of a deathly cry. Well, there’s the cry of the Mandrakes, which can be deathly, and the cry of the banshee which could be deathly, though I don’t think they’ll come out. I just thought I’d put that up. Okay, thanks! Bye!
Eric: She’s just saying that there could be voices from the past and that Deathly Hallows could be voices of the dead ones.
Andrew: Right.
Mikey: Yeah, I think that’s kind of what it says. Yeah, it could be the echos of the people Voldemort’s killed.
Kevin: Right, which is what…
Mikey: And that would be the Priori Incantatem, when their wands connect.
Andrew: This could relate to the Veil, too. We were talking about the Veil and how maybe on All Hollows Eve when the Veil is the thinnest… Someone remind me.
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: What?
Eric: There’s a party. One night only in the Ministry of Magic in the Department of Mysteries.
Andrew: Well, no, seriously, were you there for that episode?
Eric: Yeah, I was. They said that the connection – The Veil will become thinner and people are kind of allowed to transcend.
Andrew: Right. So, this sort of could relate to the Veil, too. The Veil is going to have to play a big role.
Mikey: Yeah. I think it’s going to have to come back, definitely.
Andrew: Yeah, well it never went away, but yes.
Mikey: Well, we didn’t see it in Book 6.
Andrew: That’s true.
Eric: Which upset me, but I just figured we’d have a big finale with it then. Then the Love Room.
Voicemail: Can Harry Use Two Wands?
[Audio]: Hi, MuggleCasters. This is Michael from Wisconsin. I was calling in to talk to you guys about the contests for the theory contest. I was listening and I heard about one guy talking about how Snape, Voldemort, and Harry will be in the final scene and how Harry – I mean how Snape will disarm Voldemort and Harry will get his wand. Well, going back to the whole thing with Priori Incantatem and how Harry and Voldemort’s wands connected somehow, and I was wondering if Harry and Voldemort can somehow…I mean if Harry can use Voldemort’s wand and his own wand at the same time to perform a spell to double the power, like if he held the two wands in one hand. I wasn’t sure, but that was one of my theories on how he could defeat Voldemort. So, thank you. I love the show. All right, bye!
Ben: I don’t think it’d work that way. I don’t think it would – I think, that doesn’t make much sense because otherwise you could take ten wands, buy ten wands…
Kevin: Yeah but, I got…
Ben: …and be like, Avada Kedavra, and just blow away a building or something.
Mikey: [laughs] It’s like Rambo Harry.
Andrew: Yeah, yeah.
Kevin: I got a few voicemails to this effect, and one of the main reasons people were pointing this out is because the wand has the same core.
Eric: Yeah, and do you think that…
Kevin: And it’s not often that…
Mikey: Oh, yeah.
Kevin: …Two wands you’re holding have the same core.
Eric: Well, that’s why they can’t…
Ben: Well, no, not just the same core. Brother – they’re brother wands.
Kevin: Right.
Eric: Well because they’re the same feather – or they’re feathers from the same phoenix.
Kevin: Right.
Eric: But just the fact that Voldemort has a phoenix feather, and it’s Fawkes’ phoenix feather, and Fawkes and Dumbledore are so connected, do you think that maybe Dumbledore’s death, or something, or Fawkes could actually affect Voldemort’s wand?
Andrew: Hmm.
Eric: Because I think – we had questioned a long time ago about how…
Ben: Fawkes is probably going to go ask for his feather back.
Kevin: Oh, yeah.
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: He’s going to steal it.
Eric: Yo, I want my feather back. So…
Mikey: He’ll have a piece of stick.
Eric: So Voldemort’s wand will be coreless, he’ll just have a stick. But, that’s where the stick comes from. But anyway, no, but I mean, we know they can’t face each other, which is why in the very beginning of the show we stated, you know, Dumbledore asked about Ollivander going missing. I mean, Jamie – Jamie talked about Ollivander going missing, and how they can’t really battle each other with those wands, so… because it would always do Priori Incantatem. So…
Andrew. I think that if Harry would ever get his hands on Voldemort’s wand, he would try to break it.
[Ben laughs]
Eric: You know, I wouldn’t want to touch that thing.
Andrew: I wouldn’t, well…
Eric: Who knows what kind of curses it has.
Ben: Yeah me neither.
Andrew: Yeah, I’m sure it’s nasty.
Ben: Yeah.
Andrew: Got stuff all over it, but, yeah.
Ben: Yeah.
[Everyone laughs]
Eric: Well, in the movie, it’s like a bone. It’s like a skeleton bone type thing.
Mikey: Can you imagine him as a first-year carrying that wand in?
Eric: [laughs] Yeah.
Mikey: [in a high-pitched voice] “This is my wand, everybody.”
Eric: [laughs] Well, I’m sure he changed…
Andrew: This is getting awkward, but…
Eric: Okay.
Andrew: I think they would try to break it, I mean, Harry would try to break it.
[Eric and Mikey laugh]
Andrew: Wouldn’t you rather try to destroy Voldemort’s wand than…
Eric: Do your magic, Voldemort!
Andrew: …try to double up, so to speak?
Kevin: Yeah, I think so, yeah.
Eric: Yeah. Yeah, you would.
Andrew: All right, enough about Voldemort’s wand. This is a G-rated show.
Listener Rebuttal: Voldemort’s Immortality Through Children
[Audio]: Hi guys, my name is Chris. I’m calling from the San Francisco area, and I’m one of your mature listeners. I had a thought for you guys to discuss. It’s actually kind of a funny thought. But as I get older, people ask me, “When are you going to settle down and have children?” My mom always tells me, “It’s the only way you’ll be remembered long after you’re dead.” That got me thinking into the Voldemort world. How come he doesn’t ever want to have children? Neither did Dumbledore, as far as we know. Really and truly, it is one way to become immortal. Your children pass on your genealogy, as well as your traditions and thoughts about you, and one way that Voldemort could live forever, really, is to have children. So I was just kind of curious. We know that he liked to operate alone, but we know that Bellatrix would do anything for him. Just I was curious as to why Voldemort never became a daddy. Can you imagine that thought? Well, I hope you guys have a great day, and pickles to you, too.
Ben: Thanks for that, Chris. Voldemort just has no love. He can’t make any love, because he has no love, so therefore he can’t be a daddy.
[Andrew laughs]
Eric: That was the best answer to a voicemail question ever.
Andrew: Well, it’s true though.
Eric: It is.
Andrew: It might be a good way to pass on your legacy. And I mean, obviously Harry inherited something from, especially his father. But, you know, if Voldemort wanted to truly – but I mean, then his son could die. I can’t, I just can’t imagine…
Eric: No, I like this voicemail because I think it illustrates Voldemort – I mean, we don’t know that Voldemort doesn’t have a kid. You know, people like Bellatrix, as stated. We don’t know.
Andrew: [in Darth Vader voice] I am your father.
Ben: There’s going to be a Star Wars scene in Book 7.
Eric: But, we don’t know, could be hidden away, could be twins that were separated to opposite ends of the galaxy. We don’t know. We don’t know. It’s unlikely. But, at the same time, I think it illustrates Voldemort’s not understanding that there aren’t things worse than death. And there are other ways to become immortal, you don’t need to kill 100 people, make a hundred Horcruxes…
Ben: You know what would be crazy?
Eric: Or seven in this case – Well, hang on, Ben.
Ben: Oh, sorry.
Eric: You don’t need to make Horcruxes to become immortal. You become immortal – you live on through your children. And that’s exactly, this is just that, exactly that. It’s not good enough for Voldemort to be immortal, to pass on his power through his line. I don’t even know if he’d trust a child that he had to either take on the throne, once he dies, even though he’s never going to die, according to him, or whatever, you know. I don’t think he’d even trust a kid of his own, or if he did – At least…
Ben: Right, right, right.
Eric: I really don’t think he’s thinking about that kind of stuff.
Ben: Wouldn’t it be crazy, though, if that’s how Book 7 ended? Voldemort tells Harry, “I am your father.”
[Everyone laughs]
Ben: And – That’d be cool, wouldn’t that be…
Eric: Ben, you want a real answer to that question? No, it wouldn’t be funny.
Ben: I think it’d be hilarious.
Mikey: That’d be so wrong.
Ben: That’s why he wanted to kill Lily.
Andrew: We’re exposing Voldemort a little too much on this week’s episode.
Eric: “Harry, I…” [laughs]
Mikey: Yeah, I don’t think so.
Eric: “Harry, I have a son. He is your scar.”
Mikey: [laughs] The scar is his, something, yeah.
Listener Rebuttal: Is Jo Hinting Harry’s Death?
Ben: Hey, so we have one final listener rebuttal for you. This comes from Mercy, age 15, from New York City:
Hey you guys, love the show. You always make me laugh during my art class when I listen to MuggleCast. I love it. Anyway, I just read the new diary posting on Jo’s site, and in one line, she writes, “I always knew that Harry’s story would end with the seventh book, but saying goodbye has been just as hard as I always knew it would be. Even while I’m mourning, though, I feel an incredible sense of achievement.” I can’t help but wonder if she’s hinting at Harry’s demise. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he died, but I just thought perhaps that was her way of telling us something. So, yeah. I’d like to know what you think.
End quote. So, it’s kind of interesting. “I always knew that Harry’s story would end with the seventh book.” Could there be a deeper meaning there?
Eric: She’s just fiddling with us.
Andrew: Well, it could have a double meaning. I mean, if Harry really does die, Harry’s story still is ending with Book 7 whether he’s dead, or not.
Kevin: The books are entitled Harry Potter and the something for a reason.
Eric: Well…
Kevin: You know? The whole book series itself, the whole story she’s telling us about is about Harry Potter.
Ben: But could his story end completely? That’s what she’s trying to point out.
Kevin: I mean, it could, but it doesn’t…
Ben: Do you guys think he’s going to die? Does anyone here think he’s going to die?
Kevin: It doesn’t say one way or another.
Eric: Just because she says that she always knew that there were going to be seven books – that could mean she always knew that it was going to take Voldemort seven books to die properly. You know, it doesn’t necessarily – but it’s like saying goodbye, but I think she also means saying goodbye to everybody. Saying goodbye to just stop writing the books she knows she doesn’t want to write forever. She said in interviews how she wants to go out with a bang, so I just think it doesn’t mean he’s going to die and I’m hopeful that it doesn’t mean that.
Harry Has To Die
Andrew: Honestly, I was sitting in class a few days ago and I just started thinking about Book 7. I had this huge revelation that – it was set in my mind. Harry has to die in Book 7.
Eric: Why?
Mikey: Why?
Andrew: It’s just the only way the story can end correctly.
Mikey: Nooo.
Kevin: Oh, geez. Don’t get Eric…
Eric: What?
Andrew: How many times he’s tried to save the day, he’s been the hero. What better way for the book to end? Tell me a better way this story can end.
Eric: How about Voldemort dies and Harry…
Andrew: That’s so generic.
Eric: Wait, get this, get this, Andrew. Harry lives.
Andrew: That’s generic.
Mikey: And he gets to life happily ever after.
Eric: Oh, it’s generic? No, it’s not generic. The hero always dies, the hero always sacrifices himself.
Andrew: Now, the hero always saves the day and the bad guy dies.
Eric: Bruce Willis always stays on the asteroid and it blows himself up.
[Andrew laughs]
Eric: Bruce Willis always stays on an asteroid.
Andrew: I don’t…
Eric: It always happens, Andrew.
Andrew: I’m sorry, but if Voldemort dying, and Harry’s saving the day, it’s not powerful enough for the ending.
Eric: It’s not saving the day.
Andrew: He won the battle.
Eric: Harry getting severely torn up. He did win the battle, but you can lose a lot of other things. Maybe he loses a leg, or something. You know, the strife, the pain, the agony that he went through should be worth something. She’s going to put him through all that stuff and then he dies.
Andrew: How about this compromise: Harry and Voldemort die. I think that would be a nice ending.
Eric: Well…
Andrew: Harry has to die. I really think he has to.
Kevin: I think…
Mikey: If Harry dies, I’m going to be sad. I will be sad.
Andrew: And that’s when you know the stories had an affect on you and if it’s a well written story.
Kevin: I sort of agree with you, Andrew, yeah.
Andrew: You’ve had emotion through it.
Eric: But I want to believe that Harry’s life had a better purpose…
Kevin: Of course it has.
Eric: Obviously yes, the purpose is to defeat Voldemort, but it’s not really – and if Harry dies, you don’t want to go back and read about his every thoughts because Harry’s been a little bit stupid in the past and you won’t want to read about that kind of stuff happening if you know he’s going to die.
Kevin: Well, I think it’s…
Eric: I know I wouldn’t want to read it…
Kevin: I think I’ve said this before. Throughout the books Harry has lost everyone close to him, and it seems to me as though she’s setting it up for him to potentially die.
Frodo’s Journey Compared To Harry’s
Kevin: And it’s sort of like – it reminds me of Lord of the Rings in the sense of – for all of those who haven’t read it, stop now. When Frodo went across the Great Sea with the elves and stuff like that.
Eric: The Great Sea? Where did he go to?
Kevin: I can’t remember. The…
Andrew: You are a disgrace to the hobbits.
Ben: Was it [uses accent] Mordor?
Eric: It’s The Grey Havens.
Ben: [uses accent]Mordor.
Kevin: My point is that the whole reason why he wrote it that way – Tolkien wrote it that way was because Frodo had been through this whole journey and there was nothing left for him there.
Eric: That was his purpose?
Kevin: Exactly. That was his purpose. He fulfilled his purpose and he had done all the good he can do and he was no more without that mission.
Eric: But…
Kevin: He was forced to leave.
Eric: It’s equally true, that Frodo didn’t really have a loved ending, didn’t Frodo have a loved one that was going to love him and that he still decided to go off to the Grey Havens because, I mean, besides Sam…
[Alice heard in background speaking to Eric]
Eric: Oh, Sam counts? Okay, I have a Lord of the Rings aficionado in the room. Sam and the hobbits all went back and Frodo did live, he did survive right before he went to the Grey Havens, but that his life has changed so much that it was really – and so much had happened to him it really wasn’t the same Shire anymore, and he really did and he was taken off to go to the Grey Havens and usually hobbits are certainly not allowed there. Not usually.
Andrew: Well, as someone who’s never read Lord of the Rings…
Kevin: Which is a shame.
Andrew: I can’t add my input to this, I’m sorry.
Harry Doesn’t Have To Die
Andrew: Ben, what do you think? Do you think Harry has to die?
Ben: I wouldn’t be surprised.
Andrew: But do you personally think he should die?
Eric: I don’t think so.
Ben: I think there needs to be an ultimate sacrifice. I can see him doing something like losing his magic or a physical death. I’m not sure.
Andrew: Yeah.
Ben: But I just think, the reason that I don’t think he’ll die a physical death is because Dumbledore puts a strain on there are so many things worse than death, you know what I mean? So, I don’t know.
Andrew: Yeah. [sighs]
Ben: I can’t see it ending in him dying, because that would just be advocating death as being the worse thing there is.
Eric: Yeah, that’s a good way of putting it.
Ben: In my mind.
Andrew: Yeah, but they’re not trying to respect what Voldemort thinks. They don’t agree with Voldemort, so…
Eric: He can’t die. What about Ginny?
Andrew: Yeah. I just…
Eric: Ginny would just not have a lover, then. And she’ll be one more widowed lover as a product of war.
Andrew: So what?
Eric: Oh, that’s a happy thought.
Mikey: Oh, come on.
Eric: For a happy book like Harry Potter. That’s a happy thought, Ginny’s lover dies. She has to go fall in love with someone else.
Andrew: Well, the books aren’t happy anymore…
Eric: Yeah, I know, I know. JKR has something against happiness or something.
Andrew: It’s a war. But I mean, okay, we could just…
Ben: We can go around in circles with this forever.
Andrew: Yeah, we could talk about this forever.
Ben: Yeah.
Kevin: Well, I do want to say one thing. Just because Harry dies doesn’t mean it doesn’t have to be a happy end.
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: Yeah, I know.
Andrew: Who knows?
Kevin: There’s ways she can write it so it’s a happy end.
Mikey: Well, maybe he dies at – in old age. That’s the end of it.
Andrew: [laughs] Yeah.
Mikey: You know, he lives a full life and then he dies.
[Ben laughs]
Kevin: That’s true, yeah. [laughs]
Mikey: Yeah, as the headmaster of, you know, I don’t know.
Ben: I guarantee you this, Harry will die eventually.
Eric: Ooh.
Mikey: Ooh.
Andrew: Good theory, Ben.
Mikey: Oh my gosh.
Eric: Yeah, that’s juicy Ben.
Shampoo Is Lethal
Mikey: You want to know a fact I just found out? Hundred percent of people that use shampoo, die.
Andrew: Wow.
Ben: [laughs] I’ll be damned.
Andrew: Never knew that.
Mikey: It’s true.
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: You would never guess.
[Eric laughs]
Mikey: Hundred percent of people that use shampoo. You’re gonna die.
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: Are you serious?
Mikey: [laughs] Yes, I’m serious.
Andrew: No way. I don’t believe you.
Mikey: Can you believe that? I’m like, “Wow, maybe I should stop washing my hair,” but then I said no.
Eric: [laughs] Nice choice.
Mikey: I’ll keep washing my hair.
[Andrew laughs]
Eric: A wise choice, Mikey.
Andrew: That is unbelievable.
Mikey: [laughs] I agree.
Andrew: Do you know that a hundred percent of people who drink water enjoy it?
Eric: No, that’s not true.
Mikey: I don’t.
Eric: Their bodies might enjoy it, but…
Andrew: I do.
Eric: Like for health-wise…
Kevin: [laughs] So you count for a hundred percent now, Andrew?
Andrew: I meant bodies. Skype broke up, I said bodies. But it came out…
Ben: [laughs] Yeah, sure.
Andrew: Point is that – point is to be funny. Let’s move onto a Chicken Soup before I look like a complete fool.
[Mikey laughs]
Mikey: Oh man.
Chicken Soup For The MuggleCast Soul
Andrew: This comes from – sorry I cannot pronounce your name – Aycay, 20, of Chicago. She writes:
Hey MuggleCasters! I just wanted to thank you guys for working so hard for us fans and keeping these podcasts coming faithfully every week. I’m a junior in college right now, and my stress levels are higher than ever. I’m working, trying to cope with a long-distance relationship, trying to keep my grades up, and trying to stay sane, just like every other college student.
Except for Emerson.
I have a secret weapon though: Fandom. I have a place I can go where work and school don’t exist, and everything is hypothetical. Since the end is in sight now, it makes me somewhat nervous. I’ve been a part of fandoms before that have kind of fizzled. It is a sad feeling. Losing something that you lean on and that you love is a sour affair. But since you guys are faithfully putting forth these podcasts, I can savor every second of anticipation until “Deathly Hallows” comes out, and then the two movies. Thanks for keeping Harry Potter alive for me by providing an easy way to keep up and keep my “HP” wits alive. You guys rock!
Eric: Yeah, that was nicely wrote, actually. It was nicely written.
[Everyone cheers]
Ben: High five team, high five team.
Andrew: High five.
[Clapping sound]
Andrew: [Borat impression] High five!
[Clapping sound]
Andrew: [Borat impression] High five!
[Clapping sound]
Mikey: That was fun.
[Clapping sound]
Ben: Andrew, do you remember we used to high five on webcam?
Andrew: Yeah.
[Mikey laughs]
Ben: Yeah, that was awesome.
Andrew: That was when we used to be cool and webcam. We…
Kevin: We really don’t want to know about your webcam experience.
Eric: Does Skype have video chat? For like a video podcast?
Ben: [sings] We Skype –
Andrew and Ben: [sing] All the time. You and I…
Mikey: Wow.
Ben: [sings] With the same soul.
Andrew: [sings] The same video cam.
Show Close
Andrew: All right then, I believe that wraps up today’s show we thank everyone for listening. Contact information. Ben, where can people send parcel mail?
Ben: To:
PO Box 223
Moundridge, Kansas
67107
Andrew: You can also leave a voicemail question by calling 1-218-20-MAGIC, if you’re in the United States. If you’re in the United Kingdom, you can dial 020-8144-0677. If you’re in Australia you can dial 02-8003-5668. Also you can Skype the username MuggleCast to send a voicemail. But whether you’re calling or using Skype, please keep your message under 30 seconds to a minute.
[Kevin laughs]
Andrew: Per the request of Kevin. And eliminate as much background noise as possible. Also you can use our handy Feedback Form right there on MuggleCast.com, just click on contact at the top. And then you can e-mail any one of us at our first name at staff dot mugglenet dot com. I believe that does wrap up today’s show. Hey, we’ve reached 6000 friends on MySpace.
Eric: Yeah, we kicked booty.
Kevin: Wow.
Andrew: That is a lot of friends.
Eric: We really kicked booty.
Andrew: I did not know that many people listened to the show.
Mikey: You’re a popular person, Andrew.
Andrew: News to me. Hey, Ben, we also got a cool new countdown people can put on their MySpaces, right? Or blogs?
Ben: Yeah, definitely. Have you seen it around yet? I haven’t. I’ve been looking…
Andrew: Yeah actually, I posted a bulletin on the MuggleCast MySpace. One that, you know, where it sends a message to everyone…
[Show music plays]
Ben: Oh, yeah?
Andrew: I was like, “Hey everyone! Use this for your MySpace.”
Ben: Oh, awesome.
Andrew: But, yeah. You want to plug it real quick?
Ben: Mugglenet.com slash countdown slash countdown dot shtml.
[Everyone laughs]
Eric: We’re so inventive with our subfolders. [laughs]
Andrew: And then you can add it to your own MySpace or blog to share your excitement for – it’s got two countdowns in one, how sick is that?
Mikey: That’s pretty cool.
Andrew: It’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.
Mikey: I like it.
Andrew: So – and then also you can join our group on Facebook. Join our YouTube group. Become a part of our Frappr.
Ben: YouTube, Last.FM – MySpace, Frappr – YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, Frappr, Last.FM.
Andrew: [laughs] That is completely out of order.
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: You can dig the show also on Digg.com/Podcasts.
Kevin: [laughs] Dig the show.
Andrew: For some reason our…
Ben: Do you dig it?
Andrew: Our listing has not been updating. It’s only – the most recent episode is Episode 70 and I e-mailed them and asked them if they could fix it, but I have not heard a reply back yet. Mikey, Kevin Rose does not like Harry Potter, so that might have to do with it.
Mikey: Yeah.
Andrew: Might be why it’s not being fixed.
Mikey: But Alex does from Digg Nation, too.
Andrew: Yes, that’s true.
Mikey: So.
Andrew: And then you can also vote for us on Podcast Alley. We’re doing pretty good over there, so we thank everyone that’s been voting for us in all these different places. Once again, I’m Andrew Sims.
Ben: I’m Ben Schoen.
Kevin: I’m Kevin Steck.
Eric: I’m Eric Scull.
Mikey: And I’m Mikey B.
Andrew: Thank you once again, Mikey, for joining us. Well, we’ll see everyone next week for Episode 78. Bye, bye.
[Show music ends]
Bloopers
Micah: Earlier this week, Scholastic, the US Harry Potter [mispronounces] publisher. Da-duh.
Alice: [yelling] Turn it off!
Eric: What?
Alice: [still yelling] Turn it off!
Eric: Fine.
———————–
Written by: Micah, Adrienne, Allison, Amanda, Briana, Cindy, Eloise, Jessica, Laura, Leah, Mandie, Margaret, Matt, Megan, Roni, Samantha, Sarah, Shannon, Shelly, and Tina