On this week’s episode, join us as we elude mass murderers with a sleepover in The Great Hall, attend a brutal Defense Against The Dark Arts class and play Quidditch in the worst possible conditions! What could possibly go wrong?

• Harry Potter: The Exhibition is now open in NYC’s Herald Square! Micah got a chance to preview the experience, so keep an eye out for a Muggle MiniCast set to be released Memorial Day Weekend, which includes an interview with Tom Zaller, the President & CEO of Imagine Exhibitions.
• Main Discussion: Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 9: Grim Defeat
• 7-Word Summary: Suspicions rock the Hogwarts student body tonight
• With Sirius Black running around Hogwarts, shouldn’t at least one professor have stayed WITH the students in The Great Hall?
• How did Sirius Black break into Hogwarts? Could Crookshanks have been involved? Has Sirius formed a connection with him at this point?
• Why isn’t the Ministry alerted? This is now TWICE that Sirius has gotten past the Dementors!
• What was the conversation like between Sirius Black and the Fat Lady?
• We analyze Snape’s conduct in teaching Defense Against The Dark Arts, his great joy in criticizing the students’ lack of knowledge on the subject, and his attempt to sow seeds of doubt amongst about Lupin’s effectiveness as a teacher!
• Snape is trying to OUT Lupin! Is Snape more vicious in Prisoner of Azkaban than he is at any other point in the series?
• Do we think Sirius knows Lupin is at Hogwarts? Did he use Lupin’s “time of the month” to his advantage as well?
• Could Lupin be “sick” because of the guilt of knowing that Sirius broke into the castle?
• Quidditch Controversy: What’s up with the Slytherin favoritism?
• Did the dementors come onto the Quidditch pitch because of Sirius?
• Odds & Ends cover Cedric Diggory, Harry’s worst memory, Hermione’s bloodshot eyes and more!
• Quizzitch: In what school year of theirs did the Weasley Twins obtain the Marauder’s map?
• Next Week: Reminder, we’re off BUT you will get a very cool MuggleMiniCast all about the new Harry Potter: The Exhibition!
• This week’s episode is brought to you by BetterHelp (visit BetterHelp.com/MuggleCast today to get 10% off your first month)!
• And don’t forget! There’s much more MuggleCast waiting for you on Patreon, including Bonus MuggleCast segments! This week, we’ll have a new look at 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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A Hogsmeade weekend approaches! Will Harry get his permission slip signed by a stand-in guardian in time? This week we are joined by Slug Club guest Ashley as we discuss Chapter 8 of Prisoner of Azkaban, Flight of the Fat Lady! We discuss Snape’s continued bad attitude, Lupin’s secret, and whether Harry could’ve gotten more out of him during their unplanned tea time. Enjoy!

• Main Discussion: Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 8: Flight of the Fat Lady
• Welcome Slug Club guest Ashley! Host the show just like Ashley by joining us at Patreon.com/MuggleCast
• 7-Word Summary, Justice for Micah Edition: Teachers forbid Harry from going to Hogsmeade
• Snape picks on Neville worse than ever because he’s Snape. But does Trelawney pick on Harry due to her prophecy?
• Did we ever have a teacher we were close with in the way that Parvati and Lavender are with Trelawney?
• Is Oliver Wood justified in feeling desperate about this year’s Quidditch Cup?
• Is McGonagall mean for not signing Harry’s permission slip? She knows about the Dursleys after all.
• Hosts connect some great threads between Book 3 and Book 5.
• Harry’s Hogsmeade FOMO hits us in the feels.
• What makes Remus Lupin able and willing to say Voldemort’s name?
• What If: Harry told Lupin about seeing the black dog off Privet Drive?
• Is Hermione wrong to point out the evidence against Trelawney’s prediction about Binky? Could her doing so point to neurodivergent behavior?
• Rename the Chapter returns! And hosts assign MVP of the Week.
• Quzzitch: What does Hannah Abbott tell the students that Sirius Black can transform into?
• Next week: Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 9: Grim Defeat
• This week’s show is brought to you by Indeed (visit Indeed.com/MuggleCast to start hiring now) and HelloFresh (use code “muggle16” for 16 free meals at HelloFresh.com/Muggle16), and by ZocDoc. Visit Zocdoc dot com slash mugglecast, download the app, and schedule your next health appointment today.
• And don’t forget! There’s much more MuggleCast waiting for you on Patreon, including Bonus MuggleCast segments! This week, we discuss how the Harry Potter TV show could appeal more to adults! Become a patron of ours today at Patreon.com/MuggleCast! As always, we appreciate your support of the show!

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Waddiwasi! On this week’s episode, grab your wand and get ready for the best magical classroom session to date …following the WORST magical classroom session to date! We compare and contrast Snape and Lupin’s teaching styles and the impact it has on the students of Hogwarts!

• Main Discussion: Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 7: The Boggart in The Wardrobe
• 7-Word Summary: Neville fears rebuke when Snape “poisons” Trevor
• We compare and contrast Harry’s worst class to date (Potions) with his best class to date (Defense Against The Dark Arts)
• What do we make of Snape’s treatment of any student that is not in Slytherin?
• We analyze the effects of bullying vs. collaboration in a classroom setting
• What types of emotions does Snape elicit from Harry? Neville? Hermione?
• Snape The Enabler creates an unsafe learning environment for his students
• Micah plays devil’s advocate and rationalizes Snape’s actions toward both Neville (paying attention to detail) and Hermione (listening to the teacher)
• What is the world is up with the Shrinking Solution?
• Do Lupin and Peeves the Poltergeist share a history?
• We contrast Snape’s treatment of Neville with Lupin’s desire to instill confidence in him (very reminiscent of how Harry works with Neville in Order of the Phoenix)
• Does Lupin’s past with Snape inform his instruction to Neville about his Boggart?
• Should Lupin have explained to Harry why he didn’t let him have a turn at the Boggart?
• Connecting The Threads includes taking a look at the non-practical nature of Harry’s first class in Order of the Phoenix and a very important Boggart scene with Mrs. Weasley
• Odds & Ends cover the origin of Boggarts, Draco’s knowledge of Sirius Black, Hermione’s secret, rat references and more!
• Quzzitch: What is the name of the Fat Lady’s close friend?
• Next week: Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 8: Flight of The Fat Lady
• This week’s show is brought to you by Indeed (visit Indeed.com/MuggleCast to start hiring now) and HelloFresh (use code “muggle16” for 16 free meals at HelloFresh.com/Muggle16).
• And don’t forget! There’s much more MuggleCast waiting for you on Patreon, including Bonus MuggleCast segments! This week, we discuss how the Harry Potter TV show could appeal more to adults! Become a patron of ours today at Patreon.com/MuggleCast! As always, we appreciate your support of the show!

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This week the hosts dive deep into the MuggleMail bag to bring listeners’ latest thoughts on recent Chapter-By-Chapter segments, as well as the new Harry Potter television series announcement! Voicemails include a 10 year old asking if Harry abuses Hedwig by making her travel so far, and someone has a theory about a Dementor that we all adopt on the spot as canon. Check out this laid back correspondence episode and be blown away by the opinions of our listeners.

• Main Discussion: It’s a MuggleMail bag episode!
• Voicemails ask if the WWOHP theme park will adjust itself to accommodate the new TV series, a potential Cursed Child adaptation featuring the original trio, and an HP cartoon.
• More ideas for the HP TV series abound, with one listener asking how far the creators will stray from the look and feel of Hogwarts and surrounding areas.
• Will members of the HP movies be brought into new roles as a nod to their original performances? Who do we think would be most likely?
• One listener fan-casts the HP TV series for an actor from the Sandman series.
• Could the TV show flesh out the moments when Hermione and Ron learned that they would be attending Hogwarts?
• An eagle-eyed listener points out the use of the term ‘Azkaban guards’ disappears once we are introduced to Dementors.
• We hear a tragic story of school bullying where the school covered it up, and comparisons are made to Hogwarts
• The hosts reveal that double decker buses are not as prominent in the US as in the UK, in response to an email. And, the Sneakoscope was always right when Peter was around.
• Our latest “Legacy” E-mail from 2006 asks us if we think Draco and Harry will work together to defeat Voldemort. We offer our theories 17 years too late.
• Quizzitch: What animal causes the death of Lavender Brown’s rabbit?
• Next Week: We return to Prisoner of Azkaban Chapter By Chapter with Chapter 7, “The Boggart in the Wardrobe”!!
• This week’s episode is brought to you by BetterHelp (visit BetterHelp.com/MuggleCast today to get 10% off your first month), and also Indeed. Visit Indeed.com/MuggleCast to start hiring now.
• And don’t forget! There’s much more MuggleCast waiting for you on Patreon, including Bonus MuggleCast segments! Most recently, we discussed more breaking news… a brand-new Quidditch video game! Become a patron of ours today at Patreon.com/MuggleCast!  As always, we appreciate your support of the show!

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On this week’s episode, get ready to broaden your minds and see past the mundane as we take our first Divination class! And remember to bow and blink while listening to this episode or your may be attacked by a hippogriff! 

• News covers a new Quidditch video game is coming soon… for consoles! We’ll discuss it in this week’s Bonus MuggleCast, which is available exclusively on our Patreon!
• Main Discussion: Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 6: Talons and Tea Leaves
• 7-Word Summary: McGonagall shades Trelawney during Transfiguration class, ooooooo!
• We meet Professor Trelawney, who we later learn made the prophecy about Voldemort and Harry/Neville.
• From Neville’s grandmother to Parvati’s stalker to an Easter departure, we keep track of Trelawney’s predictions and see if they come true!
• Have any of the hosts ever seen a fortune teller or tarot card reader? What did we make of the experience?
  
• Do we think Hermione is too quick to judge Trelawney? Does McGonagall influence her opinion?
• Professor Hagrid… Micah argues Dumbledore set him up for failure from the start!
• Name Origins: The Grim & Hippogriff
• Does Harry offer to approach Buckbeak to test the validity of his death omen?
• Odds & Ends cover paying attention in Transfiguration class (cough, animagi), Hermione’s busy class schedule, Sir Cadogan and more!
• Quizzitch: What form does Parvati Patil’s Boggart take?
• Next Week: It’s a MuggleMail bag covering Prisoner of Azkaban and the new Harry Potter TV show announcement
• This week’s episode is brought to you by BetterHelp (visit BetterHelp.com/MuggleCast today to get 10% off your first month).
• And don’t forget! There’s much more MuggleCast waiting for you on Patreon, including Bonus MuggleCast segments! This week, we discuss more breaking news… a brand-new Quidditch video game! Become a patron of ours today at Patreon.com/MuggleCast!  As always, we appreciate your support of the show!

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CHOO CHOO! On this week’s episode, we’re on the Hogwarts Express for what is sure to be another lovely… enchanting… peaceful… safe….. ride to Hogwarts. As they say, the third time’s the charm, and this year everything’s gonna be A-OK!

• News covers the recently confirmed Harry Potter television series! Be sure to check out Episode 606, where we dive deep into the initial news leak and this week’s Bonus MuggleCast, where we discuss all the new details!
• And… check out MuggleCast Episode 483, where we fan-casted a Harry Potter television show, and Episode 566, where the hosts developed ideas for an all-new Harry Potter television series!
• Main Discussion: Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 5: The Dementor
• 7-Word Summary: Fear about the murderer abounds on trains
• We contrast Harry’s trips to King’s Cross in Prisoner of Azkaban and Order of the Phoenix
• How much information do we think Arthur would have offered to Harry about Sirius Black if Harry didn’t tell him he was already “in the know”?
• Welcome, Remus Lupin! Check out the full Pottermore article on him and his family!
• How did Dumbledore convince Lupin to take the post of Defense Against The Dark Arts?
• Laura offers some interesting insight on the Wolfsbane Potion, lyncathropy and the AIDS epidemic of the 1990s
• Why is Snape so angry with Lupin being named to the Defense Against The Dark Arts post?
• We analyze the effect the Dementor had on Harry, Ginny and Neville
• Could a Dementor have removed the Horcrux from Harry? What if it took Harry’s soul and left Voldemort’s?
• Could anything have been done to prevent the Dementors from boarding the train? Did Dumbledore intentionally place Lupin on the train for this very reason?
• With McGonagall tending to Harry and Hermione, just who the hell hosted the Sorting Ceremony?
• Odds & Ends cover Sneakoscopes, Hogsmeade, the Shrieking Shack, secret passages, thestrals, forgetting passwords and more!
• Quizzitch: Who guides the trio to their first Divination class?
• Next Week: Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 6: Talons and Tea Leaves
• This week’s episode is brought to you by Indeed (visit Indeed.com/MuggleCast to start hiring now) and MeUndies (get 25% off your first order, plus free standard shipping at MeUndies.com/MuggleCast).
• And don’t forget! There’s much more MuggleCast waiting for you on Patreon, including Bonus MuggleCast segments! This week, we discuss breaking news… a brand-new Harry Potter TV show is coming to HBO!
• Become a patron of ours today at Patreon.com/MuggleCast!  As always, we appreciate your support of the show!

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This week saw news of a Harry Potter television series cascading across the interwebs as it seems like Warner Bros and HBO are in final talks to develop a straight adaptation of the original 7-book series, this time for TV! Join Andrew, Eric, Laura and Micah as they discuss the news, read a ton of listener feedback, and provide their must-haves for any live action Potter TV adaptation.

• According to Bloomberg, a new Harry Potter television series which follows the storyline of the 7 books is nearing final talks over at Warner Bros. Discovery.
• Given that the TV show would adapt the 7 books, whose final film adaptation was released in 2011, Micah asks “is it too soon?”
• What steps would the television show take to distance itself from the HP films?
• Would they ever adapt The Missing 24 hours?
• Could we ever see new actors actually taking the place in our hearts of the actors who originated the role?
• What role will the book series’ author have in the development of the show?
• Laura senses a real opportunity for bringing fresh voices and more diversity into the Potter universe.
• Check out MuggleCast Episode 483 in which we fan-cast an HP television show, and also Episode 566 where the hosts develop ideas for all new HP television series.
• Eric gives his must-haves for the would-be TV adaptation. Number one: the color yellow?
• Twitter feedback on this news includes: would we ever see an animated version?; problematic politics and the struggle to find joy with the series in 2023; is a Peeves backstory on the table?; what can the show learn from HBO’s House of the Dragon?
• Facebook feedback includes: the stories we’d rather see told in the Wizarding World; embracing new cast members so soon after the films; and a cry for justice for Ron Weasley
• IG feedback includes places we still want to see, and differing perspectives of characters.
• 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)!
• Become a patron of ours today at Patreon.com/MuggleCast!  As always, we appreciate your support of the show!

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OR, now read the Episode 606 Transcript!

On this week’s episode, we kick back, relax and enjoy some ice cream every half hour from our pal Florean Fortescue! Join us for some delicious sundaes as we bum around Diagon Alley, meet up with our best friends and get some surprising news about a recently escaped convict!

• In celebration of April Fool’s Day, check out Episode #508: How To Tell Fred and George Weasley Apart, and More Twin Talk
• News covers Daniel Radcliffe expecting his first child and his Moderating A Trans and Nonbinary Youth Roundtable for The Trevor Project, which you can watch in full right here!
• Main Discussion: Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 4: The Leaky Cauldron
• 7-Word Summary: Discoveries are everywhere around this Leaky Cauldron
• Harry is free to roam all of Diagon Alley by himself! How old were we when our parents started letting us venture out on our own?
• Do we think that this is foolish of Molly and Arthur, to just let Ron roam around Diagon Alley given he is Harry’s best friend?
• Ron gets a his own wand! We analyze what the core and wand wood mean for his character!
• Something is definitely up with Scabbers! We start putting the pieces of the puzzle together!
• Molly and Arthur get into a heated argument about Harry. Which parent do the hosts ultimately side with?
• Connecting the Threads to Order of the Phoenix: Molly’s protection of Harry, the safety of the larger wizarding community and Harry’s escort to King’s Cross
• Odds & Ends cover the Grim, the Firebolt, Dementors, the No. 12, Percy and more!
• Quizzitch: What is Professor R.J. Lupin’s middle name?
  
• This week’s episode is brought to you by Indeed (visit Indeed.com/MuggleCast to start hiring now) and Zocdoc (go to Zocdoc.com/MuggleCast and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Then find and book a top-rated doctor)!
• Become a patron of ours today at Patreon.com/MuggleCast!  As always, we appreciate your support of the show!

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On this week’s episode, Harry is saved by a (violently purple) knight in shining car wax as the Knight Bus whisks him away to London, where Uncle Cornelius pats him on the back and tells him everything is fine. Join Andrew, Laura, Eric and Micah as they dive into Chapter 3 of Prisoner of Azkaban, The Knight Bus!

• This week the hosts provide alternative identities to help them escape detection…
• Main Discussion: Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 3: The Knight Bus
• 7-Word Summary: Help arrives for Harry after an encounter
• Harry’s frustration and short-sightedness mirrors our own in times of stress. Do we relate to Harry following his incident with Aunt Marge?
• Andrew has a full tally of all the times Harry thinks he is about to be expelled. It’s higher than our Dumbledore Lie Count :'(
• We ask again, just why was Sirius Black not given a full trial? Is Dumbledore, or the government, to blame?
• Laura reminisces about an old campaign asking readers if they spotted The Grim.
• We ask, What If? Sirius had introduced himself to Harry? Would Harry believe him then and there?
• Why can’t the Knight Bus go underwater, if it can do all the other things that it does?
• Not one but TWO Name Origins segments help us appreciate the details on display.
• Why did Harry choose a pureblood wizard that Stan might have known as his alias?
• Why didn’t Harry know about the Knight Bus sooner?
• Fudge being described like an ‘uncle with a favorite nephew’ raises our interest.
• Why can Fudge trust Harry to follow his orders?
• Quizzitch: In Chapter 4 of POA, a hag orders what from the Leaky Cauldron?
• Next week: We continue with Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 4: The Leaky Cauldron
• And don’t forget! There’s much more MuggleCast waiting for you on Patreon, including Bonus MuggleCast segments! Last week, we discussed the recent Harry Potter Almanac news and reflect back on the history of all the times we were promised a Harry Potter Encyclopedia!
• Become a patron of ours today at Patreon.com/MuggleCast!  As always, we appreciate your support of the show!

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On this week’s episode, we get a visit from one of Harry’s favorite relatives, Aunt Marge! They share wine, brandy and have so much fun that she even let’s Harry perform magic on her at the end of the chapter! Oh wait…

• Welcome Slug Club member, Sherry! Sherry, who is blind, shares her story of finding the Harry Potter series! Be sure to check out her fan fiction: Sirius Black and Becoming a Father and her book: Haven!
• Andrew and Laura will be discussing the potential ban of TikTok in the U.S. on their podcast, #Millennial. Follow the show for free in your favorite podcast app!
• Main Discussion: Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 2: Aunt Marge’s Big Mistake
• 7-Word Summary: Aunt Marge enjoys abusing Harry every minute
• What do we make of Vernon’s assessment of Sirius Black?
• What do muggle relations offices look like at the Ministry?
• Hogsmeade Permission Slip: Harry learns how to play on Vernon’s prejudices
• Aunt Marge was based on J.K. Rowling’s grandmother, who preferred her dogs to human relatives
• While Marge is generally nasty to Harry, the gloves really come off when she starts to drink; is this an indictment on abuse levels rising (both verbal and physical) when family members have a drinking problem?
• Did Harry have to sit with Marge on multiple occasions during her visit? Is it actually to protect Vernon?
• Why doesn’t Petunia stand up more for her sister?
• Is Colonel Fubster, Marge’s boo?
• Quizzitch: What name does Harry give to Stan Shunpike when he boards The Knight Bus?
• Next week: We continue with Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 3: The Knight Bus
• 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)!
• And don’t forget! There’s much more MuggleCast waiting for you on Patreon, including Bonus MuggleCast segments! This week, we discuss the recent Harry Potter Almanac news and reflect back on the history of all the times we were promised a Harry Potter Encyclopedia!
• Become a patron of ours today at Patreon.com/MuggleCast!  As always, we appreciate your support of the show!

Download now