This week on MuggleCast we bring back the most heavily listener-requested segment, Chapter by Chapter! Join Andrew, Eric, Laura and Micah as they begin Sorcerer’s / Philosopher’s Stone with Chapters 1, 2 and 3! Our read-through of the Potter series contains segments both old AND new (complete with sound effects) and the hosts are all much older now than when they first started more than 16 years ago!

On this week’s episode:

• Chapter by Chapter is rebooted! We first started the segment March 19, 2006 on Episode 31 (transcript here).
• What to expect from CbyC includes: 7 Word Summaries, the same (but older) hosts, and brand new segments and games.
• Main Discussion Part 1: Sorcerer’s Stone Chapter One, “The Boy Who Lived.”
• 7 Word Summary: Vernon thinks that people are behaving oddly
• Eric asks, “What are the wizards and witches thinking?! The Statute of Secrecy is at stake here!”
• Laura makes an excellent point about what humans do after being cooped up and being afraid for long.
• Was it safe for Dumbledore to leave Harry unattended on a doorstep overnight?
• Despite the magical protection, we ask, WERE the Dursleys the best option for Dumbledore to choose? Why didn’t Albus raise Harry himself?
• Main Discussion Part 2: Chapter Two, “The Vanishing Glass.”
• 7 Word Summary: Dudley can’t understand why he sucks badly
• Having read the whole series, how do we account for the magic that Harry did when he was young?
• Where exactly did the “Vanished” glass go? In the book, it is not put back.
• Would the zoo be able to stay in business after such an incident?
• The hosts get depressed about the Dursleys’ abuse of Harry, which hits differently now!
• Main Discussion Part 3: Chapter Three, “The Letters From No One.”
• 7 Word Summary: Chaos awaits the Dursleys everywhere and above
• How is it exactly that the letters change addresses for Harry? Is Vernon right, and are the Dursleys being watched?
• Why don’t Petunia and Vernon just tell Harry who/what he is? Why are they SO resistant?
• The hosts play What If? regarding Harry opening his Hogwarts letter while in the foyer.
• Most Valuable Chapter/Character of the Week returns
• Next week’s Quizzitch question: Who are the four known members of Dudley’s Gang, from Chapter 3 of Book 1?
• On next week’s episode: Chapters 4-6 of Harry Potter Book One
• This week’s episode is brought to you by Indeed (Go to Indeed.com/mugglecast to start hiring now), BetterHelp (Go to BetterHelp.com/mugglecast and get 10% off your first month), and MeUndies (Go to MeUndies.com/mugglecast for 20% off your first order)

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To celebrate going Back to Hogwarts, each MuggleCaster brings their own Hogwarts Lesson to the table, and you better pay attention because House Points are up for grabs.  Class is now in session!

• Welcome Slug Club member, Robbie! Check out his wand collection on Instagram!
• Main Discussion: Build Your Own Hogwarts Lesson as a new year at the school kicks off.
• Professor Andrew teaches about the Hogwarts Express in History of Magic.
• Spend Muggle Studies with Professor Eric
• Professor Laura introduces us to Proper Spell Enunciation
• Explore International Wizarding Cultures with Professor Micah
• Professor Robbie drops some serious Wandlore knowledge on us all!
• Beware of pop quizzes, homework and security nightmares!
• Quizzitch:  From what neighborhood does Harry first (accidentally) hail the Knight Bus?
• On next week’s episode: Chapter-by-Chapter returns with Chapters 1-3 of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone!
• This week’s episode is brought to you by Upside (download the FREE Upside App and use promo code mugglecast to get $5 or more cash back on your first purchase of $10 or more) and BetterHelp (get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/MuggleCast)

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On this week’s episode, the subject of many a late night with Laura and her boyfriend is made into a main discussion for MuggleCast as the hosts and Marc talk through the physics of Harry Potter! Surely magical objects don’t come from ‘nowhere,’ and there must be a magical cost for doing magic somehow? Those big questions and more are our target as Andrew, Eric, Laura, Micah and Marc put on their thinking caps and dive in!

• Welcome to this week’s special guest, Laura’s boyfriend Marc!
• Marc is a game designer with a passion for physics.
• A new trailer for Hogwarts Legacy has debuted, and we now know what all versions of the game will cost us. You might need to break into Gringotts to be able to afford the Collectors Edition!?
• Main Discussion: The physics of Harry Potter
• Just what is ‘physics’ and what answers does the study of physics seek to find?
• In the Wizarding World, is there a cost for doing magic? What kind of magic seems limitless, and what kind does not?
• Where does magical ability come from and how does it work?
• Are new magical spells created, or discovered?
• Next the MuggleCasters ask: where does the food come from, and where does your sh** go?
• What do our known laws (such as conservation of mass) have in common with Gamp’s known laws of Elemental Transfiguration? We go point by point.
• Does the Vanishing Charm break down an object’s atoms, or teleport it to a different dimension?
• In this week’s Bonus MuggleCast available exclusively to Patrons, the hosts examine the physics of some magical objects including Invisibility Cloaks, Time Turners and Dumbledore’s Deluminator.
• Quizzitch: In Year 4, What does Ron smush in anger after Draco taunts him about having inside-Ministry information regarding the TriWizard Tournament?
• Next week’s episode: The hosts are building their own Hogwarts lesson! Come prepared for lectures and a pop quiz!
• This week’s episode is brought to you by Backbone! Go to PlayBackbone.com/mugglecast NOW to order your Backbone. For a limited time, and get FREE access to over 350 console games and perks.

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OR, now read the Episode 576 Transcript!

On this week’s episode, we’ll be continuing our conversation that began in Episode 568, where we argued in defense of some of the most controversial, least favorite, most complicated characters in Harry Potter. There were plenty of characters we didn’t get to last time, so it’s time for Round 2!

• Welcome back, Pat!
• Happy Birthday, Micah! We share the very special video he received from Dan Fogler and react to it.
• Hogwarts Legacy has been pushed to February 2023! What do we make of the announcement and this very cool A Hot Summer Day ASMR Video?
• Main Discussion: Indefensible Characters in Harry Potter, Round 2
• What did Lucius Malfoy, Mundungus Fletcher, Horace Slughorn and Merope Gaunt do to put themselves in our cross-hairs?
• What characters do we love to hate? Professor Binns, Vernon Dursley and Cornelius Fudge make the cut!
• Can the hosts actually defend the indefensible? We try our best with Narcissa Malfoy and Barty Crouch Jr.
• New game alert: One Gotta Go
• Quizzitch: What did the Muggle, Mr. Roberts, say to the Weasley family as they left the Quidditch World Cup?
• Next week’s episode: The Physics of the Wizarding World
• This week’s episode is brought to you by: Audible’s Genesis, BetterHelp (get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/MuggleCast) and Indeed (start hiring now with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post at Indeed.com/MuggleCast)

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Inspired by a popular Reddit thread, this week’s episode asks the question: what was something that a ‘good’ character from the Harry Potter series did which rubbed us the wrong way? Are characters like Molly Weasley or Remus Lupin above reproach? You may find yourself nodding along with Andrew, Eric, Micah and special guest Chloé as they detail just what these supposed ‘heroes’ of the series did to get on our nerves!

• As we announced last week, Chapter By Chapter will be returning soon with Book One! Now that we are all grown-up. Look for it in September!
• Our hosts have recently appeared on each other’s other podcasts, including Eric appearing on #Millennial, and Micah appearing on Thank You for Spieling!
• This week’s main discussion was inspired by this great Reddit thread. Shout-out to Pamela G.’s brother for suggesting!
• Each host picks a supposedly ‘good’ Harry Potter character and lists their most heinous offenses.
• Molly Wealsey may be the motherly type, but her love is not evenly spread. What did Hermione or Fleur ever do to receive her ire?
• Albus Dumbledore may be the series’ biggest ‘good guy’ after Harry, but his reckless endangerment of students via his choices for DADA staffers are preposterous.
• Remus Lupin was our very favorite teacher, but when it comes to being a dad or a romantic partner, his skills are somewhat lacking.
• Hermione’s activism might win her some points, but she’s much colder to anything that is somebody else’s idea. Especially if she hasn’t read about it in a book!
• Consulting the Reddit thread, the MuggleCast hosts pick a few more of their favorite examples.
• Why did EVERY adult let Ron use his broken and unsafe wand? Did Dobby go too far when stopping Harry’s mail? Did the Weasley Twins go too far trying their products on students?
• August’s Bonus MuggleCast will cover personal secrets from the hosts’ early days podcasting and working on the Web. The latest Trelawney Tea Edition will be available exclusively via our Patreon.
• Quizzitch: in book canon, what color hair does Firenze have?
• This week’s episode is brought to you by MeUndies (Get 20% off your first order and 100% satisfaction guarantee at MeUndies.com/mugglecast), Shudder (Stream 30 days free by using code mugglecast), and Masterclass (Get 15% off an annual subscription at Masterclass.com/mugglecast)!

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Happy Birthday, MuggleCast! To celebrate our 17th year of podcasting, we host a very special edition of Quizzitch Live! Do you think you know everything about our hosts? What about our special guests? How good are you with episode titles and past segments? It’s time to put your MuggleCast knowledge to the test! Plus, we have a very big announcement about the future of the show!

• Watch the full episode of Quizzitch Live: MuggleCast, A History!
• It’s official! Chapter-by-Chapter returns this September!
• This week’s episode is brought to you by MeUndies (get 20% off your first order and free shipping at MeUndies.com/MuggleCast), MintMobile (get your new wireless plan for just 15 bucks per month, and have the plan shipped to your door for FREE at MintMobile.com/MuggleCast) and BetterHelp (get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/MuggleCast)!
• On next week’s episode we’re talking about things that “good” characters did that rubbed us the wrong way in the Harry Potter series!

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Armed with the brand new Secrets of Dumbledore: The Complete Screenplay book, the MuggleCasters go to work finding answers for mysteries that were not made clear by the 3rd Fantastic Beasts movie, but may have been clearer during production!

• What revelations do we have from the new Fantastic Beasts 3 screenplay?
• The MuggleCasters are hosting an Instagram Live event this Wednesday, August 3rd at 8:30 PM ET to celebrate our birthday!
• More birthday fun:  MuggleCast is hosting a LIVE Quizzitch game about ourselves this Saturday at 11 AM ET! Stay tuned to our social media for links.
• Don’t miss our 2022 Patreon Gifts – The MuggleCast Collectors Club and the MuggleCast Wand! Pledge to our Patreon by August 7, 2022 and fill out the form(s) to receive your gifts! We are so proud of this year’s items and hope you check them out!
• The Secrets of Dumbledore screenplay offers some very tiny moments that did not make it to the movie, but no deleted scenes.
• Dumbledore and Grindelwald’s tea time was likely a flashback, the Qilin comes from China, and Jacob’s bakery has some vermin trouble!
• Concept art provided with the screenplay includes Lally’s Charms book, and Whiskey the Goat!
• Was Yusuf Kama passing secret messages to Queenie?
• Mirror World confirmed! Albus and Credence’s battle takes place within the Deluminator. The visual effects department points out a fun fact.
• SUPREME MUGWUMP CONFIRMED! Posters for the candidates reveal the use of word that was omitted from all the dialogue in the movie. Eric cries with joy.
• The ‘little lobster creatures’ and the giant manticore at the bottom of the pit are the same creature, the screenplay confirms.
• Dumbledore’s fist fight is detailed on his family tree, with a mysterious page number we’ll be speculating about for years to come.
• MuggleMail includes Sorting Madame Pomfrey, James and Lily’s love, whether Squibs can talk to cats, Jedi in Harry Potter, Percy’s motives, and a new Marvel version of Voldemort!
• Quizzitch: Who succeeded Albus Dumbledore as Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards?
• This week’s episode is brought to you by Indeed (Claim your $75 credit now at Indeed.com/mugglecast), BetterHelp (Get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/mugglecast), and MeUndies (Get 20% off your first order and free shipping at MeUndies.com/mugglecast)!

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This week, we wrap up our month-long Deathly Hallows 15th anniversary celebration by discussing a number of “What If” scenarios from the final installment of the Harry Potter series! What if things had gone drastically different at several key moments of the seventh book? Would Harry, Ron and Hermione have found another way, or would it have just been GAME OVER?

• Welcome back Sequoia, from Fanatical Fics and Where to Find Them podcast! Also be sure to check out But Make It Scary, and find Sequoia on Twitter
• Don’t miss our 2022 Patreon Gifts – The MuggleCast Collectors Club and the MuggleCast Wand! Pledge to our Patreon by August 7, 2022 and fill out the form(s) to receive your gifts! We are so proud of this year’s items and hope you check them out!
• News: Quidditch is changing its name to Quadball
• We continue our Deathly Hallows 15th Anniversary Celebration!
• Main Discussion: What if… Deathly Hallows Edition
• What if… Harry had been sorted into Slytherin?
• What if… Harry had not inadvertently destroyed the Diary Horcrux in Chamber of Secrets?
• What if… Lily and James had kept Sirius as their Secret Keeper?
• What if… Cedric Diggory didn’t die in Goblet of Fire?
• What if… Draco had changed allegiances and served as double agent for Dumbledore’s Army? What if… he was a double agent all along?
• What if… Rita Skeeter never published The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore?
• What if… Dumbledore got it all wrong and Harry died? How would the Epilogue be different?
• What if… Snape never shared his memories with Harry?
• What if… Harry didn’t disarm Draco at Malfoy Manor? What if… Draco had given up the Trio to Voldemort?
• What if… Ron or Hermione had died?
• Listener What Ifs cover Hermione leaving instead of Ron, Narcissa’s confirmation of Harry’s death, Dobby and more!
• Next Week: We will be reviewing the Secrets of Dumbledore script book and see if we can gleam any new details from it!
• Quizzitch: What resident of Little Hangleton is quoted as saying that Frank Bryce definitely killed the Riddles no matter what the police think?
• This week’s episode is brought to you by Upside (Download the free Upside appand use promo code ‘mugglecast’ to get $5 or more cash back on your first purchase of $10 or more), Shudder (stream your first 30 days of Shudder for FREE at Shudder.com/MuggleCast) and BetterHelp (Get 10% off your first month of therapy at BetterHelp.com/mugglecast)!

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This week, the hosts grab their Time Turners and summon all the nostalgia that will fit in their beaded bag as they revisit the day after receiving Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Andrew, Eric and Laura were in London for a live podcasting event at Waterstones, and Micah was stateside. We reflect on our initial impression of the book, what things we feel differently about 15 years later, and how magical it felt to witness the “end” of an era together. Also on this episode: dramatic line readings of some Book 7 reactions and e-mails from the day after that we finally respond to!

• We’ve just announced our 2022 Patreon Gifts – The MuggleCast Collectors Club and the MuggleCast Wand! Pledge to our Patreon by August 7, 2022 and fill out the form(s) to receive your gifts! We are so proud of this year’s items and hope you check them out!
• Main Discussion: Revisiting MuggleCast #101, our first Deathly Hallows reactions episode
• Why did we start off Episode 101 talking about Lord of the Rings? Eric reminds us of how things have changed since 2007.
• Laura and the hosts lament the lack of return to the Department of Mysteries, across two time periods!
• Podcasting had made all the hosts cold, hard people. Did the deaths in Book 7 really even affect them?
• Did any of the deaths feel ‘unnecessary’ to us then, and do they now?
• 15 years later… does the epilogue feel satisfying? And what about those names for the kids?
• The hosts listen to themselves predicting what the Deathly Hallows movie will entail.
• We read some of the most dramatic reactions to the book, found in the MuggleNet Comments Section on July 21, 2007.
• Listener e-mails include: Who was the late-blooming Hogwarts student? What was it about Lily’s eyes? And, what happened to Kreacher?
• Quizzitch: Who witnessed Dumbledore using the Sword of Gryffindor to destroy the Gaunt Ring?
• This week’s episode is brought to you by BetterHelp (Get 10% off your first month of therapy at BetterHelp.com/mugglecast) and HelloFresh (Get up to 16 free meals and three free gifts by going to HelloFresh.com/muggle16 and using code muggle16 at checkout!)

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On this week’s episode of MuggleCast, we begin our celebration of the 15th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by looking at the burning questions the seventh  book didn’t answer. In the weeks ahead, stay tuned for more Deathly Hallows book discussions in honor of the anniversary!

• We’re excited to announce our 2022 Patreon Gifts – The MuggleCast Collectors Club and the MuggleCast Wand! Pledge to our Patreon by August 7, 2022 and fill out the form(s) to receive your gifts! We are so proud of this year’s items and hope you check them out!
• Main Discussion: Burning Questions Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Didn’t Answer
• Did Deathly Hallows provide the conclusion we all wanted?
• Which character(s) got the most disappointing Deathly Hallows resolution?
• Lavender Brown: dead or alive?
• What retributions (if any) were there for Death Eaters and Voldemort sympathizers after the second war?
• Did Kreacher live through the Battle of Hogwarts, and did he ever find out that the locket was destroyed?
• Gringotts, The Room of Requirement & Grimmauld Place: what happened to some of our favorite wizarding world locations?
• Listeners share their questions on everything from The Veil to Snape’s Boggart to Fawkes and more!
• How did Harry figure out so much during his time at Shell Cottage?
• Did the snake Harry set free in Sorcerer’s Stone ever make it to Brazil?
• Nagini & Bathilda Bagshot… HOW?!?
• What was the relationship like between Harry and Ginny? Luckily, Eric’s filling in the gaps in his fan-fiction!
• Was the taboo on Voldemort’s name a copout?
• Was Azkaban absolutely PACKED after the Battle of Hogwarts?
• On next week’s episode, we’ll revisit our reactions to Deathly Hallows after reading the book for the first time, and read old e-mails from the days just after the book was released!
• Quizzitch: In Deathly Hallows, during the camping scenes, after complaining about their meal to Harry and Hermione and saying his mom can conjure food from thin air, what does Ron Summon for dinner?
• This week’s episode is brought to you by MasterClass (get 15% off an annual membership at MasterClass.com/MuggleCast) and BetterHelp (get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/MuggleCast)!

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