It’s time to re-open the MuggleMail bag as we prepare to read the closing chapters of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Join Andrew, Eric, Laura and Micah as they answer questions relating to class schedules, GCSE’s, sports equality, prejudice toward ‘soft’ subjects and more!

• Happy birthday, Neville and Harry! While we may not be covering those characters today, Episode 523 and Episode 481 both have excellent discussion of Neville and Harry and the prophecy.
• Speaking of birthdays, MuggleCast is about to turn 18! We will be releasing a special birthday episode on August 7th in conjunction with our Patreon where we release Bonus MuggleCasts twice monthly to patrons.
• The MuggleCast Live at LeakyCon schedule is now available on our web site! In addition to our Live MuggleCast show, all panels and events with us participating will be listed there in one place for attendees to reference. We hope to see you there!
• Main Discussion: MuggleMail returns!
• How does dropping a Hogwarts class work? Wouldn’t more students beside Hermione have class times that conflict?
• Was Scabbers / Pettigrew present during the table of 13, and does that doom Dumbledore?
• A listener draws the comparison between Quidditch broom model discrepancies between teams and professional Boblsleigh racing and Formula One. We love it.
• Is Divination maligned on purpose in the books, and does the issue largely resolve when Firenze is brought in?
• Harry’s Helping Horcrux is debated by a listener who thinks it would hinder Harry’s Patronus-making skills.
• Did Snape know about the DADA job being cursed? Was Professor Lupin searching Filch’s office for the Marauder’s Map?
• Quizzitch: Who did Snape see Lupin traveling with on the grounds of Hogwarts, toward the Whomping Willow, in the 1970s?
• Micah, Eric and Chloe will be at LeakyCon 2023 in Chicago from August 4-6!  Listeners interested in registering for the con can visit LeakyCon.com and enter code Muggle during checkout for a $10 discount. Our live panel will be on Saturday, August 5 at 1:15 p.m. Check the full list of our panels on our web site!

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The threads are slowly starting to connect themselves as we head toward the final few chapters of Prisoner of Azkaban! Join Andrew, Micah, Laura and Meg as they battle the Whomping Willow and brave the Shrieking Shack, only to be confronted by an unregistered Animagus and a fraudulent werewolf professor. All on this week’s episode!

• Welcome back, Meg!
• Our birthday is just a couple weeks away! To celebrate, we’ll be recording a special episode that looks back on 18 years of podcasting! AND WE WANT YOU INVOLVED! Submit a voice message to mugglecast@gmail.com by Friday, July 28 and we just might include it on our birthday episode!
• Last chance! There’s less than a week left to become a Patron and order the Exclusive MuggleCast Beanie! Learn more about how you can get yours by clicking here!
• Main Discussion: Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 17: Cat, Rat and Dog
• 7-Word Summary: Sirius attacks Ron viciously when Scabbers appears
• Do we think the attack was premeditated? Was Crookshanks actively shadowing Harry, Ron and Hermione waiting for Scabbers to reappear?
• Animagus Sirius is really strong! Despite his weak, ragged human condition, how does he drag a (nearly) fully grown person, pulling so hard he breaks Ron’s leg?
• Why doesn’t Sirius come clean immediately with Harry, Ron and Hermione?
• What must Hermione be thinking when Crookshanks protectively leaps on Sirius’s chest? And just how have Sirius and Crookshanks been communicating?
• Harry is too young to know the Unforgivable Curses. How is he planning to kill Sirius? Could the Horcrux be influencing his emotional state?
• Why would Sirius not have told Lupin the truth about the Secret Keeper Switch? 
• Hermione and Ron SOUND OFF on Lupin! We examine their biases in depth!
• Strong threads are connected between lycanthropy and the HIV/AIDS epidemic
• Hagrid, Trelawney, Lupin: how do we feel about Dumbledore’s hires?
• When time turning, would Harry and Hermione appear twice on the Marauder’s Map?
• Quizzitch: According to the Animagus registrar Hermione looks at, how many registered Animagi have there been this century?
• Micah, Eric and Chloe will be at LeakyCon 2023 in Chicago from August 4-6!  Listeners interested in registering for the con can visit LeakyCon.com and enter code Muggle during checkout for a $10 discount. Our live panel will be on Saturday, August 5 at 1:15 p.m.
• This week’s episode is brought to you by BetterHelp (visit BetterHelp.com/MuggleCast today to get 10% off your first month)!

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It’s exam time again! On this week’s episode we are joined by Professor Julian Wamble, PhD. (@ProfW on TikTok), who teaches a college course on Harry Potter and who shares his awesome thoughts on TikTok! The hosts dive in to chapter 16 of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, “Professor Trelawney’s Prediction.” We examine Trelawney’s brand of divination and question whether she has ever been right to her knowledge. Is Dumbledore to blame for what kind of teacher she has become? And what is the source of Harry feeling out of it after leaving Hagrid’s hut? All of that and more on episode 619!

• Our 2023 Patreon Physical Gift is here! We’re so excited to debut our MuggleCast Beanie, perfect for those outdoor winter and indoor air conditioned months! Let’s face it, it’ll look great on you anytime of the year! This knitted, high quality beanie features colors inspired by our current album art (which, conveniently, are also the four hosts’ Hogwarts Houses) and a MuggleCast patch on the front with the MicBolt built in! Learn more about how you can get yours by clicking here!
• There will be a live MuggleCast meet up in downtown Chicago next month! Please RSVP to let us know if you can make it! The event is during LeakyCon but open to the public regardless of your ticket status.
• Welcome to the show Professor Julian Wample, PhD.!
• Main Discussion: Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 16: Professor Trelawney’s Prediction
• 7-Word Summary: Exams consume clairvoyance and shocking revelations, executions
• Hermione’s exam schedule is the biggest example yet of her secretive methods, why do Ron and Harry not say something?
• Buckbeak’s appeal looms, but the executioner is coming. Should Ron have spoken his mind to Fudge?
• Some hosts believe that Hagrid gives Dumbledore WAY too much credit. Should Dumbledore have put a stop to the whole Buckbeak incident?
• What did Parvati Patil do to impress Trelawney so much? Why does Ron fail but Harry skate by on his?
• Andrew catches something amazing about the circumstances surrounding both Trelawney predictions.
• Harry feels “unreal.” Would this have something to do with there being *two* of him, we wonder?
• Odds and Ends features a particular pair of footsteps…
• Quizzitch: What spell does Sirius Black use on Harry and Hermione?
• Next Week: Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 16: Professor Trelawney’s Prediction
• This week’s MuggleCast is brought to you by Indeed (visit Indeed.com/MuggleCast to start hiring now), ZocDoc (visit ZocDoc.com/MuggleCast, download the app, and schedule your next health appointment today!) and Factor (visit FactorMeals.com/MuggleCast50 and use code mugglecast50 to get 50% off your first box.)

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Our crystal ball told us that we can expect a lot of emotions this week as Chapter by Chapter continues with Prisoner of Azkaban Chapter 15, “The Quidditch Final”! Plus, there’s a new Gryffindor-themed playlist to listen to, new social media apps where you can find MuggleCast, and more technical fouls than you can shake a stick at! Join Andrew, Eric, Laura and Micah for this guaranteed good time episode.

• Our 2023 Patreon Physical Gift is here! We’re so excited to debut our MuggleCast Beanie, perfect for those outdoor winter and indoor air conditioned months! Let’s face it, it’ll look great on you anytime of the year! This knitted, high quality beanie features colors inspired by our current album art (which, conveniently, are also the four hosts’ Hogwarts Houses) and a MuggleCast patch on the front with the MicBolt built in! Learn more about how you can get yours by clicking here!
• TikTok star Chanel Williams has graced us with her talents by the record machine. Her new collab with MuggleCast is the Gryffindor Glory playlist! Sure to meet all of your Gryffindor representation needs.
• There will be a live MuggleCast meet up in downtown Chicago next month! Please RSVP to let us know if you can make it! The event is during LeakyCon but open to the public regardless of your ticket status.
• Main Discussion: Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 15: The Quidditch Final
• 7-Word Summary: Fatigue sets in for Hermione intensely whoa
• From sleeping in the Common Room, slapping Malfoy and quitting Divination, just what is going on with Hermione?!
• The hosts examine the consequences of Hermione’s overpacked class schedule.
• Is Professor Trelawney a bully?
• A listener e-mail responds to common criticisms of Divination and defends the real-world practices, and we discuss our favorite types to use in real life.
• We contrast the Quidditch play style of Cho Chang versus this game’s Slytherin players.
• The age-old house rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin heats up once again. Entire groups must walk with Harry to keep their Seeker safe. Is this overkiil?
• Lee Jordan is at his peak best, while the whole school apart from Slytherins is cheering for the red team.
• We contrast the Quidditch play style of Cho Chang versus this game’s Slytherin players.
• Odds and Ends include Harry’s dreams, Crookshank’s friend and Draco’s name origin.
• Quizzitch: What is the first line of Professor Trelawney’s PETTIGREW prophecy?
• Next Week: Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 16: Professor Trelawney’s Prediction
• This week’s MuggleCast is brought to you by Indeed (visit Indeed.com/MuggleCast to start hiring now), BetterHelp (visit BetterHelp.com/MuggleCast today to get 10% off your first month) and MeUndies (get 25% off your first order, plus free standard shipping at MeUndies.com/MuggleCast).

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This week, we’re hosting a Wizarding Wold BBQ! See who is invited and what they would bring to the party! Then, your Harry Potter friends attempt to be better friends to each other than Harry is to Hagrid, Lupin and Hermione as we discuss the latest chapter in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban! 

• Our 2023 Patreon Physical Gift is here! We’re so excited to debut our MuggleCast Beanie, perfect for those outdoor winter and indoor air conditioned months! Let’s face it, it’ll look great on you anytime of the year! This knitted, high quality beanie features colors inspired by our current album art (which, conveniently, are also the four hosts’ Hogwarts Houses) and a MuggleCast patch on the front with the MicBolt built in! Learn more about how you can get yours by clicking here!
• Main Discussion: Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 14: Snape’s Grudge
• 4-Word Summary: Mud finds its recipient
• Security is ramping up at Hogwarts! Why weren’t these measures taken after the Fat Lady was attacked? And, as we’ve asked many times before in this book, WHERE is the Ministry?
• Neville takes the fall for Hogwarts being a security nightmare! Is his punishment fair or just downright humiliating?
• DAD-GRID: Hagrid gives his best lesson of the year, but it’s not in Care of Magical Creatures, it’s in FRIENDSHIP! Does he get through to both Harry and Ron?
• Do we agree with Hermione’s threat to turn in the Marauder’s Map?
• Snape has DADDY — and bullying — issues!
• Is it a crime for Harry and Neville to be walking around the castle while the other students are in Hogsmeade? 
• Why doesn’t Harry wait in the passageway until the area is free of Snape?
• Does Snape use Legilimency on Harry or does he just sense a student being up to no good?
• Connecting The Threads: Snape’s Worst Memory (Order of the Phoenix) is an extension of Snape’s Grudge (Prisoner of Azkaban)
• We reveal never-before-heard audio from the 30-year-old conversation between Snape and Harry!
• Should a teacher really talk to a student the way Snape talks to Harry?
• How much does Snape truly know about the Marauders Map and its manufacturers?
• Much like in the beginning of the chapter, Harry feels as if he’s let someone else he cares about down! In this case, it’s Lupin!
• Odds & Ends cover Sirius Black’s knife, Ron’s popularity, Snape’s ego, the Shrieking Shack and more!
• Quizzitch: Which class with the Gryffindors does Hermione forget to attend?
• Next Week: Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 15: The Quidditch Final

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The friendship between Ron and Hermione receives its greatest test to date, while the friendship of your MuggleCast hosts remains solid as ever. We tackle Chapter 13 of Prisoner of Azkaban, “Gryffindor Versus Ravenclaw” and ask Micah all of the sports questions as it pertains to Harry’s new broom and Cho Chang’s sports tactics. There is also an appearance from Sirius Black, and four Slytherin students are busted but ultimately given a light slap on the wrist for their attempted sabotage. All of that and more on this week’s MuggleCast!

• The MuggleCast Patreon is now offering free trials for 7 days as a way of promoting our amazing bonus content, as well as the upcoming physical gift. Join our Patreon today!
• Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 13: Gryffindor Versus Ravenclaw
• Seven Word Summary: Cho distracts Harry with her amazing looooooooooooks
• Is Ron being overdramatic about Scabbers’ disappearance? Do we side with Ron or Hermione now that the worst has presumably happened?
• Expert thread-connector Laura details moments when the trio argues with each other in the future.
• Did we ever argue with our friends when we were 13 and are we still mad about it today?
• On the Quidditch field, Cho has a strategy that gets Harry’s attention. We examine whether it’s fair to play in this way and whether Hogwarts should give everybody the same broom.
• Harry succeeds in casting his first full Patronus, but is it really an accomplishment given the circumstances?
• Does McGonagall go easy on Draco, Crabbe, Goyle and Flint?
• The hosts examine Harry’s latest dream and connect it to future books.
• Did nobody show Sir Cadogan a picture of Sirius Black? How secure is Hogwarts anyway?
• Quizzitch: What does Flitwick do to the front doors of Hogwarts?
• Next Week: Chapter 14 of Prisoner of Azkaban, “Snape’s Grudge”
• This week’s episode is brought to you by Indeed. Visit Indeed.com/MuggleCast to start hiring now.
• In Bonus MuggleCast, Laura takes us through stories that seem to be full-on Harry Potter rip-offs, worldwide. Join our Patreon at Patreon.com/MuggleCast today to listen!

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Expecto Patronum! On this week’s episode of MuggleCast, Andrew, Micah, Laura and Chloé join Harry as he faces down his biggest fears under the tutelage of his greatest teacher! Plus, just what’s up with Oliver Wood? Was he really going to bench The Chosen One?

• Happy 20th anniversary to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix! On this week’s bonus MuggleCast on Patreon, we celebrate 20 years of the fifth book!
• Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 12: The Patronus
• Seven Word Summary: Lupin teaches Harry how to fight Dementors
• How does the faculty feel about Lupin searching their personal spaces for a boggart?
• Why is it that a boggart Dementor has the same effect on Harry as a real Dementor?
• Harry struggles to find a powerful enough memory to conjure a Patronus. If we were in Harry’s position, what would we choose?
• Harry’s internal struggle: for as much as he wants to fight the Dementor, he also wants to hear his parents
• How much is the Horcrux influencing Harry at certain moments throughout this chapter?
• Lupin is the first adult figure to really believe in Harry!
• We examine Lupin’s reactions to the mentions of both James and Sirius
• What if the dementor’s kiss was your FIRST (and only) kiss? ::vomit::
• Lupin challenges Harry on Sirius receiving the Dementor’s Kiss. Is this as a friend, a compassionate human being or a bit of both?
• Anywayyyyyyy, back to the Firebolt Fiasco!
• Wouldn’t a teacher have found out eventually that Harry had a super cool new broom, and wonder where it came from? Which begs the question… shouldn’t there be standardized equipment for school-based Quidditch?
• Did Oliver Wood plan to bench Harry? Is there nothing he wouldn’t do to win?
• Odds & Ends cover Lupin’s condition, Neville’s password problem, Hermione’s favorite subject, and more!
• Quizzitch: What does Percy win from his girlfriend Penelope when Gryffindor beats Ravenclaw?
• Next Week: Chapter 13 of Prisoner of Azkaban, Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw
• This week’s episode is brought to you by Factor (visit FactorMeals.com/MuggleCast50 and use code mugglecast50 to get 50% off your first box)and BetterHelp (visit BetterHelp.com/MuggleCast today to get 10% off your first month).
• Our Patreon is now offering 7-day free trials: Get full access to Bonus MuggleCasts and behind-the-scenes extras for a limited time!

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On this week’s episode of MuggleCast, it’s Christmas break at Hogwarts and the castle is full of emotions… and mostly the not-so-good kind. Since Hogwarts doesn’t have a guidance counselor, we’ll be the trio’s guiding light today! Join Andrew, Eric, Micah, Laura and Jason as they enjoy a special meal inside The Great Hall with all the stress and awkwardness of a normal holiday family get-together!

• Welcome Slug Club member, Jason!
• Our Patreon is now offering 7-day free trials! Get full access to Bonus MuggleCasts and behind-the-scenes extras for a limited time!
• Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 11: The Firebolt
• Seven Word Summary: Somebody sends a Firebolt mysteriously to Harry
• “A hatred such as he had never known before was coursing through Harry like poison.” Harry quickly grows obsessive over hating Sirius Black. How much could his Horcrux be fueling these emotions?
• Why didn’t anyone ever tell Harry that the reason James and Lily Potter died was because their best friend Sirius had betrayed them?
• We discuss how in both Prisoner of Azkaban and Order of the Phoenix, Harry not being given information negatively impacts his mental health and leads to reckless decision-making!
• We analyze Harry’s treatment of Ron and Hermione in this  chapter
• Comparing Gryffindors: Peter Pettigrew and Neville Longbottom
• Comforting Hagrid: Lucius Malfoy’s influence rear its ugly head again! Did they not learn from the previous year when he threatened the Board of Governors?
• Hagrid goes into grim detail about his time in Azkaban. Should Azkaban just be for maximum security prisoners?
• Fan Fic Alert: “The Other Prisoner of Azkaban” by Jack Ichijouji
• The Firebolt: Does Hogwarts not have a security measure in place for packages delivered to the school? Why, just now, are they “evaluating” the broom?
• When 13 dine, the first to rise is the first to die: did Trelawney get it right after all?
• What crawled up McGonagall’s @$$?
• Hermione’s Most Gryffindor Moment
• Odds & Ends cover Manticores, Lupin’s condition, Pettigrew’s finger and more!
• Quizzitch: In which location does Harry’s first Patronus lesson take place?
• Next Week: Chapter 12 of Prisoner of Azkaban, The Patronus
• This week’s episode is brought to you by Indeed (visit Indeed.com/MuggleCast to start hiring now)  and ZocDoc (visit ZocDoc.com/MuggleCast, download the app, and schedule your next health appointment today)!

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From pranksters to marauders, this week’s chapter by chapter episode of MuggleCast is PACKED with all of our favorite characters and overflowing with plot. Join Andrew, Eric, Laura and Micah for a trip to Hogsmeade where we learn all about Sirius Black and his secret connection to Harry. Also, Professor Lupin reminds us why he’s our favorite teacher.

• Our Patreon is now offering 7 day free trials! Get full access to Bonus MuggleCasts and behind the scenes extras for a limited time!
• This week, we read through Prisoner of Azkaban Chapter 10, “The Marauder’s Map”!
• Seven Word Summary: Secrets are divulged via Professors drinking Butterbeer
• The hosts reflect on Harry’s attachment to his broken Nimbus 2000 and their own attachment to inanimate objects from their youth.
• Harry’s isolation is hard to watch as with Book Five, but why doesn’t he reach out to Hermione and Ron? And, is Dumbledore to blame for all of it?
• When Lupin reaches for Harry, should we have intuited more about his relationship to the boy? What about when he drops his briefcase?
• Just how hard is it to learn the Patronus Charm and why isn’t it more widely taught?
• Is the Marauder’s Map a dangerous magical item? Are Fred and George reckless for giving it to Harry?
• How did Fred and George learn to use the map? Did the map itself help?
• What impressive magic is involved in the function of the map?
• Secrets are revealed and we wonder how the teachers could have kept this from Harry.
• Quizzitch: What date is set for the Ministry hearing of Hagrid and Buckbeak?
• This week’s episode is brought to you by Indeed (visit Indeed.com/MuggleCast to start hiring now) and BetterHelp (visit BetterHelp.com/MuggleCast today to get 10% off your first month).

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This week, we’re taking a break from your regularly scheduled programming! BUT, Micah recently got a chance to preview Harry Potter: The Exhibition in New York City! Enjoy this MuggleMiniCast, which includes an interview with Tom Zaller, the President & CEO of Imagine Exhibitions.

• Harry Potter: The Exhibition is now open in NYC’s Herald Square!
• Micah speaks with Tom Zaller, the President & CEO of Imagine Exhibitions
• Eric and Micah discuss how this exhibition differs from previous ones, what to expect as you make your way through, favorite moments, exclusive merchandise and more!
• Next week: Chapter-by-Chapter returns with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 10: The Marauder’s Map
• And don’t forget! There’s much more MuggleCast waiting for you on Patreon, including Bonus MuggleCast segments! Most recently we discussed if HBO Max should gear the new Harry Potter TV show towards adults and the next Wizarding World park coming to Universal Orlando! Become a patron of ours today at Patreon.com/MuggleCast! As always, we appreciate your support of the show!

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