Episode #448: Have a Biscuit (OOTP 12, Professor Umbridge)

/ Micah

  • Andy from Harry Potter Fan Zone joins the show and shares the history of his website and how he received the prestigious J.K. Rowling Fan Site Award
  • The hosts share the Harry Potter gifts they received during the holidays
  • Chapter-by-Chapter returns with Order of the Phoenix – Chapter 12: Professor Umbridge
  • Seven Word Summary: Classes begin for the term despite attitudes
  • Harry’s troubles continue: Seamus bolts early in the morning, Dean is at a loss for words and Lavender isn’t buying Harry’s story either.
  • Hermione once again raises the importance of House unity. But is Hogwarts set up well for such a thing?
  • Does Dumbledore, in fact, not want to draw attention to Hagrid’s absence?
  • Fred & George are in search of test subjects! Why couldn’t the Gryffindor Head Boy or Head Girl handle them?
  • Why doesn’t Harry own up to giving the Weasley twins their money for the joke shop?
  • Kissy Kissy! Cho is back. Enter Ron – Master Wandblocker! 
  • Is J.K. Rowling trying to tell the reader something about jumping on bandwagons?
  • Harry has his worst day of classes: History of Magic, Potions, Divination, DADA
  • What classes when we were kids could we just not get through?
  • With Hagrid gone and Umbridge teaching DADA, Harry really has no classes he enjoys! 
  • Does Snape ride Harry hard because he sees potential in him or because he’s an ass?
  • Umbridge raises the point that Defense Against The Dark Arts at Hogwarts has been rather disrupted and fragmented. She’s not wrong, is she?
  • So, we’re going back to basics? We could see doing this for one or two lessons, but the entire year?
  • What does Umbridge having a short wand mean?
  • Do we believe this new DADA class was really carefully devised by experts at the Ministry?
  • Is Umbridge wrong about Lupin?
  • Parvati raises a great point about the practical nature of their O.W.L.s. So, the students should just show up and perform a spell? Isn’t Umbridge setting the students up for failure? Wouldn’t it be a poor reflection on her if all of her students fail their O.W.L.s?
  • Have a biscuit, Potter!
  • Umbridge Suck Count, Connecting The Threads, MVP of the Week, Rename The Chapter return
  • Quizzitch: What has Hermione been making over the summer?

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