Bill and Fleur are engaged, and Molly is not thrilled. Guest Kathlyn joins Andrew, Eric, Micah, and Laura at the Burrow for Chapter 5 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, “An Excess of Phlegm.”
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Give the episode a listen above, and keep scrolling for a recap of what we talked about.
What Was Dumbledore’s Backup Plan?
Harry shows up at the Burrow in the middle of the night, way earlier than anyone expected. Molly, Arthur, and Ron all point out that he wasn’t supposed to arrive for days. That got the hosts wondering: what would Dumbledore have done if recruiting Slughorn had taken longer?
Kathlyn had the best answer. “I mean, I’m convinced he would have taken them down the pub for a nightcap,” she said. Andrew added that there’s nothing a Butterbeer couldn’t fix.
Micah also took issue with Dumbledore’s habit of popping up unannounced in the middle of the night. He called it “extremely rude.” Dumbledore spends the summer bouncing from one late night visit to the next, and nobody ever seems ready for him.
Arthur Weasley’s New Job and the Burrow’s Security
Arthur has been promoted to head of the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects, and the Ministry is sending out security advice to everyone. That includes checking that people are who they say they are.
Which raises an obvious question. If the whole family is surprised that Harry is there so early, shouldn’t that set off alarm bells? “That would be suspicious to me,” Kathlyn said. Eric agreed that an unexpected visitor arriving at an unexpected time is exactly what the security guidelines are meant to catch.
Kathlyn also had a theory about why Arthur might be extra careful. With Fred and George selling magical products, Arthur may feel he has to be “extra good” about following the rules so nobody suspects his own sons of making the kind of fake protective items his office investigates.
Molly Is Not Thrilled About Bill and Fleur
Fleur brings Harry breakfast in bed and is surprised he hasn’t heard that she and Bill are engaged. Molly’s reaction to the engagement is chilly at best. She thinks the two are rushing into it after knowing each other for only about a year. But when it’s pointed out that she and Arthur married quickly too, Molly insists they were “made for each other.”
The hosts weren’t convinced. Laura argued that a year can mean very different things depending on what a couple is going through, and living through a war can make people grow closer faster. As she put it, Molly is in a little bit of denial. Kathlyn compared it to what she saw after the COVID lockdowns, when people started moving in together and getting married sooner because “you think, God, like, life’s too short.”
Micah did give Molly some credit for not mentioning the engagement to Harry right away. She’s exhausted, it’s one in the morning, and she’s worried about whether Arthur will make it home on time. An engagement probably isn’t the first thing on her mind.
Giving Fleur a Fair Shake
The hosts spent a lot of time standing up for Fleur. Micah pointed out that she’s a foreigner in this house, and Harry is one of the only people there she actually knows. That might explain why she’s so happy to see him and brings him breakfast herself.
Andrew said Fleur can seem “almost larger than life” to the people around her, and Eric felt the chapter sets her up to fail socially. Everyone reacts to her looks and her Veela charm before they get to know her.
Kathlyn and Laura brought up the language barrier. Fleur is still learning English, and something that sounds blunt in a second language isn’t always meant that way. “She’s not being rude, she’s just being her,” Kathlyn said. Laura added that everyday expressions don’t always translate neatly. Kathlyn even compared Fleur’s comments about French and British exams to the real differences between Scottish and English school exams.
Why Don’t the Women in Harry Potter Support Each Other?
Molly, Hermione, and Ginny spend much of the chapter criticizing Fleur, and Laura noticed a bigger pattern in the series. “A lot of the examples we see of women interacting with each other are more on that side of the spectrum than they are on the support side,” she said. Teenagers can be unkind, but she wished the books showed more friendship between women.
Laura also thinks Ginny has never had to share the family spotlight with another young woman. Maybe she doesn’t know what it’s like to have a big sister, and Fleur is acting a bit like one. Ginny is about 15, and Fleur is about 19, which feels like a huge gap at that age.
Ginny and Fleur Should Have Been Friends
Eric thinks the books missed a great opportunity here. “On paper, Ginny and Fleur should absolutely get along,” he said. They’re both athletic, smart, and confident, and in a different situation they could have been close. Eric even pitched it as a fan fiction idea: Ginny and Fleur slowly becoming sisters.
Of course, the book puts them together under the worst possible circumstances. There’s a war going on, Molly disapproves of the engagement, and Ginny is still a teenager. It’s easy to see why they clash, but it’s also fun to imagine what could have been.
Harry Tells Ron and Hermione About the Prophecy
Near the end of the chapter, Harry finally tells Ron and Hermione what the prophecy said, with Dumbledore’s blessing. Andrew loved the moment when Harry realizes his friends are still right there beside him, “speaking bracing words of comfort.” It’s a reminder of how much lighter the weight feels when you don’t carry it alone.
Then the O.W.L. results arrive, and everyone picked the grade that surprised them most. Andrew was surprised by Harry’s D in History of Magic, Laura picked Divination, and Kathlyn went with Herbology. Harry also gets the Outstanding in Defense Against the Dark Arts he deserves, but his Exceeds Expectations in Potions means he can’t take N.E.W.T. Potions with Snape, which puts his dream of becoming an Auror in doubt. Luckily, a certain new Potions teacher is on the way.