On this week’s episode, we’re celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone hitting movie theaters, and kicking off an incredible film series! Where were we on opening night? How did movie critics react to the first Potter film? Who would we cast in some of our favorite Potter roles?  Plus, Eric as the Sorting Hat? Join us for the first of several episodes celebrating this epic movie anniversary! 

• Good news: ALL episodes of MuggleCast are now available in our RSS feed! Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the podcast feed to relive the old days.
• What did we do for the film’s release on November 16, 2001?
• Thumbs up or thumbs down? We read some initial critical reviews of the movie!
• Quidditch hype! John Williams slander?!? No liberties taken?!?
• What were some of the more notable scenes that didn’t make it to the screen?
• Box Office Breakdown: how did Sorcerer’s Stone measure up?
• Recasting the first Potter film – our listeners weigh in with great suggestions!
• The hosts give their best Sorcerer’s Stone movie impersonations!
• Quizzitch: Eventually released in 2017, what is the name of the song Bruce Springsteen wrote for Harry Potter between 1998-2001 and offered to Chris Columbus for use in the first Harry Potter film? Submit your answer!
• This week’s episode is brought to you by MeUndies (get 15% off your first order at MeUndies.com/MuggleCast), HelloFresh (Get 14 free meals and 3 free gifts at HelloFresh.com/muggle14) and Quip (get your first refill of any refillable product free at GetQuip.com/Muggle).

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On this week’s episode, long time friend of the show Evanna Lynch joins us to discuss her new book, The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting. She talks about the challenges in writing her memoir and the hosts ask her about her experiences as a newly published author. Her book chronicles a struggle with mental illness and an eating disorder, as well as her correspondence with JK Rowling via letters, years before she was cast as Luna Lovegood. Evanna was kind to answer all of our questions and give us her time. This is one episode you won’t want to miss!

• Evanna Lynch returns to MuggleCast, a newly published author!
• Her book, The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting is a deeply moving, at times comical and mostly challenging tale of her struggles with an eating disorder while she was growing up.
• The hosts take turns asking Evanna questions both about her book, and some of the surprising stories found within.
• Evanna details why she was inspired to write Butterfly Hunting… and how she managed to remember so many details from when she was eleven.
• What lessons and messages can readers hope to get from the book?
• Laura asks Evanna what she would say to her younger self, and Evanna replies gravely and honestly.
• The interview touches on Evanna’s early correspondence with J.K. Rowling via letter. What made her reach out?
• The reasons Evanna is connected to the character of Luna.
• Evanna recounts her transition from everyday Harry Potter super-fan to friend and colleague of the cast, and how strange it was to get used to.
• Finally, what does the title of the book mean? And how did becoming a vegan change Evanna’s way of seeing the world?
• MuggleCast recently was on Evanna’s The ChickPeeps podcast, and we had a great time.
• Evanna leaves us with a story of walking into bookstores to sign copies of her book, and what it was like to record the audiobook.
• Quizzitch: What is Aragog’s wife’s name?? Submit your answer!
• This week’s episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Get 10% off your first month of therapy at BetterHelp.com/mugglecast!

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On this week’s episode, it’s our annual Halloween extravaganza! We invent some of our own wizarding world candy, discuss what treats Potter characters would hand out for Halloween and Potter-ize your favorite Halloween movies! Plus, some new and exciting info about The Secrets of Dumbledore following a test screening in Los Angeles last week!

• A new behind-the-scenes look at Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore sheds light on where the film will pick up and what countries we will be visiting! But what happened to Rio?
• We have a small, exciting, and spoiler-free tidbit about The Secrets of Dumbledore from someone who attended a test screening in Los Angeles last week.
• It’s our annual Halloween episode!
• Have any of the hosts ever dressed up as Harry Potter characters for Halloween? (Here’s Andrew’s Morning Show appearance as Harry Potter)
• Laura has a great costume recommendation for Micah this year!
• We try our hand at inventing Wizarding World candy
• What kinds of goodies would Snape, Molly, Mad-Eye and McGonagall give trick-or treaters? How about Remus, Sirius, Arabella Figg and Xenophilus Lovegood?
• Ron as Carrot Top? Dumbledore as a Lemon Drop Martini? We discuss what Potter characters would dress up as for Halloween!
• Night of the Living Fred! Horcrux Pocus! Who has the best Potter-ized Halloween movie title?
• Quizzitch: What sweet treat does Professor Flitwick give to Harry after his interview is published in The Quibbler? Submit your answer!
• This week’s episode is brought to you  BetterHelp – get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/MuggleCast!

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On this week’s episode of MuggleCast, we follow up on our original character discussion on Credence Barebone, aka Corvus Lestrange, aka “Aurelius Dumbledore”? Wading deep into prophecy, including forming one of our own using Nostradamus, the hosts try to answer the question: “Just what is going on with Credence?” Listen as we find some answers by reviewing the scenes and subplots of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

• We heard from the creator behind Harry Potter Database and its astonishing collection of deleted and unreleased movie scenes!
• The surprise main character in Crimes of Grindelwald is Credence Barebone! Micah points out why this is more usual than unusual.
• Filmmakers chose twice not to include a scene where Credence survives his bout with MACUSA, both the end of the first film and the start of the second. Would such a scene have been an improvement?
• What brought Credence to “Circus Arcanus,” and is it all one master manipulation from Grindelwald that has set Credence on his path to find his ‘family’?
• What do Credence’s name origins tell us about the character, for his various names?
• We revisit an old e-mail which explains how Greek mythology may influence the future of the character.
• The hosts read aloud the predictions of Tycho Dodonus… and try to identify characters within.
• Could the “son cruelly banished” be somebody else, like Albus Dumbledore?
• Eric reads key passages from the script book which lends a little insight into that humongous shipwreck. Does the script book quietly reveal an important element?
• We revisit major theories about Credence including, is he Ariana’s twin? Does he have her Obscurus? Is he really Corvus Lestrange, or a science experiment made by Dumbledore and Grindelwald?
• The hosts pick some numbers at random, and consult Nostradamus himself for a prediction of the future!
• Quizzitch: What was Leta Lestrange’s mother’s name? Submit your answer!
• This week’s episode is brought to you by Quip (get your first refill free at GetQuip.com/muggle) and Thirdlove (Get 20% off your first order at Thirdlove.com/mugglecast)

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On this week’s episode of MuggleCast, we get back to our Harry Potter character discussions with the brightest witch of her age, Hermione Jean Granger.  We discuss her personality traits, her academic prowess, and her overall perceptiveness. Plus, on Bonus MuggleCast on our Patreon, the hosts try to figure out if Hermione has a female best friend and debate which member of the trio is the “third wheel”?

• The Secrets of Dumbledore will hit theaters a week earlier in the UK. Why, just days after the franchise’s big announcement, are they making this change?
• Unimpressed by the The Secrets of Dumbledore official movie synopsis, Micah writes his own!
• Wizarding World Gold is coming to an end this month! Does this news have larger implications for other endeavors of the Wizarding World franchise?
• Character Discussion: Hermione Jean Granger
• Much like Hermes, messenger of the gods, does Hermione serve as messenger between the Muggle and wizarding worlds?
• Why we, as readers, should identify more with Hermione than Harry!
• What do we make of Hermione’s decision to return to Hogwarts after the war?
• How does she balance personal achievement with what is necessary and urgent?
• The hosts recall their initial impressions of Hermione. Is she really an “insufferable know-it-all”?
• Where does Hermione’s academic drive come from? Her parents? Pressure to fit into a new school? Pressure to fit into a new society?
• HER-MEE-OWN! How long did it take us to the proper pronunciation?
• Emma Watson and Noma Dumezweni: how each made their own profound impact 
• We share Our Top 7 Hermione Moments and give our Best Hermione Impressions
• Quizzitch: These ‘splintery’ treats were considered by Hermione for her parents while in Honeydukes? Submit your answer!
• This week’s episode is brought to you by Greenchef – the #1 meal kit for eating well (visit GreenChef.com/MuggleCast100 and use code mugglecast100 to get $100 off, including free shipping)!
• Coming up  on Bonus MuggleCast (available on Patreon), the hosts discuss if Hermione has a female best friend. And, just who is the true third wheel of the Harry, Ron and Hermione trio?

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On this week’s special episode of MuggleCast, we finally have some Fantastic Beasts 3 news to discuss! The third entry in the Fantastic Beasts series will be titled, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore! Also, a plot synopsis and new release date (April 15, 2022) are out! Join Andrew, Eric, Micah and Laura as they discuss their first impressions of the title, what specific “secrets” the title may be hinting at, and we hear from Slug Club-level Patrons listening live who have some great theories as well!

• Fantastic Beasts 3 will be titled, The Secrets of Dumbledore.
• The hosts all owe Andrew money. He has heavily speculated that “Dumbledore” would be in the title!
• Back on MuggleCast 442, the hosts each predicted the title of the movie in 2019, and some came close!
• What do we make of the title? Is this anything other than a money-motivated decision to get people to see the movie because it is called something “Dumbledore”?
• What does this mean for how prominent Dumbledore will be versus the Core Four and Grindelwald from previous movies?
• What could the “secrets” of Dumbledore be? Will it have to do with the Blood Pact, or Ariana perhaps?
• Will the secrets of Dumbledore be better explained than the crimes of Grindelwald in Crimes of Grindelwald?
• We discover that the film title shares a word with another Harry Potter movie! Will this be a trend?
• Andrew points out the huge visual difference in the size of both series titles on their respective title cards. It’s huge!
• The movie’s synopsis includes phrases like “intrepid explorers” and “Muggle baker” – but otherwise is pretty vague.
• Are we still going to visit Rio de Janeiro in this movie?! Was the Brazil setting filmed exclusively at Leavesden?
• Quizzitch: Who is the main character of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? WRONG answers only! Submit your answer!
• This week’s episode is brought to you by MeUndies, makers of the most comfortable loungewear and underwear! Get 15% off and free shipping by going to MeUndies.com/mugglecast

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On this week’s episode of MuggleCast, Andrew has some news that’s been 14 years in the making! Plus, we open up our Muggle mailbag to hear from listeners about our most recent Hogwarts House discussions (don’t forget, you can find them all here: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw & Slytherin). And on Bonus MuggleCast, to celebrate its 20th anniversary, we review deleted and unreleased scenes from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone!

• Andrew’s long-awaited Harry Potter Vibrating Broomstick review is here!
• Did Slytherins have collective guilt about leaving the Battle of Hogwarts?
• Snapping the Elder Wand?!?! Why one listener thinks the movie got it right!
• Pickett The Ring Bearer
• Cuteness Alert! We hear from one of our youngest Hufflepuff listeners!
• Did J.K. Rowling subtly rank the Houses based on their colors?
• Do fans’ perceptions of their House common rooms differ based on personality?
• We read several strong defenses of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff Houses.
• What if… Tom Riddle was in Gryffindor?
• A 2007 throwback emails asks how Harry could recognize Lily’s patronus?
• Quizzitch: What form does Cho Chang’s Patronus take? Submit your answer!
• This week’s episode is brought to you  BetterHelp – get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/MuggleCast!
• Coming up later this week on Bonus MuggleCast (available on Patreon), the hosts discuss the deleted scenes from Harry Potter and Sorcerer’s Stone, to celebrate 20 years since the movie was released! Did you know they filmed the Professors singing the Hogwarts school song?

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This week, the MuggleCasters tackle the fiercest Hogwarts house of them all with their main discussion centered on Gryffindor! Joining the discussion is long-time friend of the show and boyfriend of Andrew, Pat! The panel of current and former Gryffindors talk about the good and the bad traits of Gryffindor, like why being bold can be a bad thing, and how being “daring” can mean you like to get into trouble. The hosts also examine Gryffindor’s security system, ask why it is so insecure, and tackle how famous Gryffindors fit into their house assignments including Minerva McGonagall and Peter Pettigrew!

• On this episode we conclude our epic House-themed discussions with Gryffindor House!
• What do daring, nerve and chivalry have to do with the panel’s own experiences as former/current Gryffindors?
• Is the Sorting Hat’s description of Gryffindors the complete picture? Why is Pottermore’s welcome letter for Gryffindors so hilariously short?
• We examine the good and bad of Gryffindor, including their readiness to admit fault once they’ve been proven wrong, their hot-headedness and ill temper, and loyalty to one another.
• Is everything Snape said about Gryffindors true? We examine moments between he and the Marauders.
• What does it mean that Gryffindor House has had two pairs of troublemakers that we know of across two generations?
• What happens when Gryffindors fight each other? Seamus and Harry’s argument in Book Five may give us insight into the personalities of Gryffindor.
• The Fat Lady’s password system STINKS! It’s a security nightmare! The hosts discuss.
• Notable Gryffindors include Dumbledore, McGonagall and… Peter Pettigrew? The hosts discuss who fits in and who doesn’t.
• Quizzitch: The Sorting Hat tells us that Hufflepuff came from Valley Broad, Slytherin from Fen, and Ravenclaw from Glen, but from where did Godric hail?
• This week’s episode is brought to you by Quip — get $5 off a mouthwash starter kit at GetQuip.com/muggle5
• Coming up later this week on Bonus MuggleCast, available on Patreon, the hosts discuss HBO Max’s new Harry Potter Hub, where the platform makes TV and Movie suggestions based on what Hogwarts House you’re in. Do we agree with HBO Max’s choices? Definitely not — Laura is hurt by the Ravenclaw picks.

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Intelligence. Wisdom. Learning. Wit. Our four-part series on the Houses of Hogwarts continues this week with Ravenclaw House (be sure to check out our Slytherin and Hufflepuff episodes)! Andrew and Eric are surprised with just how critical Micah and Laura are of their own house (but, honestly, would you expect anything less of Ravenclaws?). Join us as we “look down” upon the Hogwarts grounds from high atop Ravenclaw Tower and discuss some of the House’s most notable members!

• Main Discussion: Ravenclaw House
• Could Ravenclaw be the house we know the least about?
• Does the Sorting Hat group Ravenclaws together based on academic prowess, regardless of their intent?
• Why was Hermione not sorted into Ravenclaw?
• What makes Micah and Laura Ravenclaws… Andrew and Eric have some ideas!
• Do certain descriptions of Ravenclaws, especially that of their common room, make them come across as elitist?
• What sort of students were the hosts during their younger years?
• What does it mean for Ravenclaw House that Luna was the character most often referred to as being authentically herself?
• What do we make of Cho Chang, a Ravenclaw, being Harry’s first love interest?
• Would the reader’s perspective have changed at all knowing the first two Defense Against the Dark Arts professors/frauds were both Ravenclaws?
• We discuss other notable Ravenclaws, including Garrick Ollivander, Sybill Trelawney, Filus Flitwick, The Grey Lady and more !
• Quizzitch: On which floor at Hogwarts can you find the staircase that leads directly to the door to Ravenclaw’s common room? Visit MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch to submit your answer!
• This week’s episode is sponsored by ThirdLove (get 20% off your first purchase) and HelloFresh (use code muggle14 for up to 14 free meals, including free shipping)!

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