[Somebody mocks Andrew saying “New Year’s resolutions”]

Ben: MuggleCast resolutions or ours?

Andrew: Well, I have a MuggleCast News… New Year’s Revo… [laughs] Resolution.

Kevin: How many times can you say it? Come on.

[Kevin and Eric laugh]

Andrew: I can’t. That’s the problem.

Eric: News Year. News Year.

Ben: What is it Andrew?

Andrew: Well, let’s go around the table. I’ll start. My New Year’s resolution is to have by the end of 2006, 100,000 MuggleCast subscribers. Is that so hard to ask?

[Laura laughs]

Andrew: I don’t think so.

Ben: I don’t know about that one.

Eric: No. There’s 6.5 billion people in the world. So…

Andrew: Well, we’re almost there.

Eric: We’re almost there. We’re at what? 7?

Ben: Okay, my New Year’s resolution…

Andrew: Something like that.

Ben: …well, first of all, is to stop eating so much Sonic.

[All laugh]

Laura: Awww.

Andrew: Why, Ben?

Eric: Ben, trying to cut back. Trying to cut back.

Ben: Because, it’s not good for my heart.

[Kevin laughs]

Ben: My second New Year’s resolution is to meet Emma Watson. Okay. Go. You, Kevin. It’s you.

Kevin: My New Year’s resolution is: get rich and take over the world. Yeah.

Andrew: Hmmm.

Ben: We all know that’s not going to happen.

Eric: Yeah, my New Year’s resolution is to get…

Ben: To stop talking.

[All laugh]

Eric: But, my New Year’s resolution is to get rich and take over the world first.

Micah: Booo!

Kevin: That was lame.

Andrew: Laura?

Laura: All right. My only New Year’s resolution would be to write more.

Kevin: Write more?

Laura: Yeah. Write more. I don’t write as much as I should.

Kevin: So, you’re going to write a book?

Laura: I’ve been writing since I was a kid, so…yeah.

Ben: So have I, actually.

Kevin: So, she wants to publish. You heard it first on MuggleCast.

Laura: Oh yeah. I want to be a published author. Definitely. I do.

Andrew: That’s inspiring. Micah Tan?

Ben: She’s the next JK Rowling.

Laura: [laughs] I wish.

Micah: I would say to sweep out the Transcript Dungeon. There’s a lot of stuff piled up down there.

[Laura laughs]

Andrew: Oh, you’re such a jokester, Micah Tan.

Main Topic – Looking Back on Harry Potter in 2005

Andrew: Now, now let’s take a moment to take a look back at the top Harry Potter stories of 2005. Obviously the first two things that come to mind are The Half-Blood Prince being released, and the…

Kevin: Movie.

Andrew: …the Goblet of Fire movie being released.

Kevin: Yep.

Andrew: But, the stories that surrounded it though; there were quite a few.

Kevin: Mhm. Yeah.

Andrew: Of course, with Half-Blood Prince…

Kevin: Half-Blood Prince was fun.

Andrew: There… Leading up to it, and… Yeah, it was fun. Working on the site. Providing everyone with this information. But there were a lot of scams too, that happened.

Kevin: Yeah.

Ben: Kevin Steck tried to steal a copy from his local Wal-Mart.

Kevin: I did. I did.

Andrew: Oh Kevin, that was terrible. He got arrested.

Ben: He was unsuccessful.

Eric: Then he realized he could get the book online anyway, on the computer.

Kevin: I was successful. I typed three of the chapters and put them online…

[Andrew, Eric, and Kevin laugh]

Andrew: Of course the biggest story that occurred was when the man… There was a guy in Britain who stole a copy and he put…he had a gun and there was a whole shooting thing involved. And it was really serious. And then from there on we kept getting reports of lots of book stores putting out their books early.

Ben: I can’t believe Jamie did though. Can you believe that?

[All laugh]

Eric: Yeah, he has, his court date is today.

Andrew: Oh my god! That was so funny.

Laura: Yeah. For those of you who are really wondering why Jamie hasn’t been on lately, that would be why. [laughs]

Eric: He’s in court.

Andrew: [laughs] He’s been on probation.

Ben: He’s been charged.

Eric: Yeah, college is just what he paid us to tell you.

Andrew: So, Ben. So, we want to share a story with everyone right now, Ben and I.

Ben: Okay. [Starts to talk]

Andrew: Hold on. Wait. Let me set this up.

Ben: Okay.

Andrew: We’re going to be speaking for this first time since this tragic incident.

Ben: Well…

Andrew: And it’s just really hard to speak about it because…

Ben: It was very difficult for all of us.

Andrew: We… We were duped. It’s not fun to get an early sneak-peek at Half-Blood Prince and then have to turn it into Scholastic.

[Ben and Kevin laugh]

Ben: We can’t say that.

Andrew: So Ben, you talk. I can’t. Go on.

Ben: Well, it all started one bright June day. It was just a few weeks prior to the release of Book 6 – early July maybe. And well, one day we got an e-mail and you’ll never believe what was attached to this e-mail – three scans of the opening pages of the Sixth Harry Potter Book. Well, after reading these pages – it was the first chapter about the other Minister – we were flipping out pretty hardcore. We were like, “Oh, I want more right now and stuff.” Well, I called up Scholastic and I talked to a representative from there and I said, “I work on the fan site MuggleNet.com and we just got sent scans from the opening pages and I thought you guys might want to know about it.” And the representative basically flipped out and started calling all these lawyers. And they were calling me every five minutes. And it was pretty cool, actually.

[Andrew laughs]

Ben: It wasn’t cool for them because they had a big mess on their hands, but it was kind of cool. You know? It was really exciting for a second there. Yeah, and over the next few days Andrew and I pretty much became Scholastic cops and we…

Kevin: [Laughs] Scholastic cops?

Andrew: Yeah.

Ben: Every time there was a… Every time someone broke the embargo, and we heard about it, we were calling up Scholastic and being like, “Hey…

Kevin: You may not want to tell them this. Because this is going to be like the last time you ever receive advanced…

Eric: Any kind of advanced copy.

Kevin: Exactly. Any advanced information.

Eric: That’s okay. Then I’ll start getting them.

Andrew: We never did receive any advanced information.

Kevin: Except for the first three pages of the book.

Eric: Yeah, nothing big. You know?

Andrew: Well, that wasn’t from Scholastic. [laughs]

Kevin: I know. But I’m saying the fans are never going to want to send…

Andrew: Oh. Oh please.

Ben: That’s true.

Andrew: That’s another two years from now.

Eric: If we’re going to stick Scholastic on them.

Kevin: Essentially, what they’re trying to say is that Andrew and Ben ratted you guys out.

[All laugh]

Kevin: And they were trying…

Andrew: Listen…

Kevin: And they were trying to get you arrested.

Eric: Yeah.

Andrew: We were protecting the books for the good of the people.

Eric: Right.

Andrew: Me and Ben spent a lot of time figuring out where those three pages came from.

Kevin: But see…

Andrew: And in the end… Shhh! Listen, Kevin. I’m making a breakthrough here. We did find out where these came from because there was a sticker on the book, and we looked it up, and we did all this Google searching and all that.

Kevin: I think the worst thing that happened was receiving – what was it? A new picture from the movie or a magazine scan, and you opened it, and highlighted and circled in big letters was, “Dumbledore dies” on the scanned page of Half-Blood Prince.

[Andrew laughs]

Ben: Right, and…

Laura: Oh no! You’re kidding me.

Ben: No, what happened was, was I was.

Laura: Oh, that sucks.

Ben: When I found out that…

Kevin: I was a little upset. I won’t lie.

Ben: When I found out it was Dumbledore that died, I was at Spellbound – the release party that MuggleNet sponsored.

Kevin: Oh were you? I knew well before then.

Ben: I was at… Well, what happened was I was sitting behind Damon Brangers, one of…our Senior Systems Manager, at his hotel room. And he opens up the window and he moves aside. And he points at it and it says, “Snape kills Dumbledore.” And I looked at Damon and I said – I probably used a few swear words. I said, “Dude, what is your problem? Why would you show me that?”

[Andrew and Kevin laugh]

Ben: He said, [imitating Damon] “You’re going to find out anyway.”

[All laugh]

Ben: It was really depressing. And then what was really fun though, was that during Spellbound, during the party, we were down in the basement running the media stuff and Matt Vines from Veritaserum.com was down there, and I told him I knew who died in the book. And he was like, “Do not tell me. Do not tell me.” And he was basically being a big spaz about it. And I’d be like, “Well, guess who dies?” And then he’d run around the room screaming like a little girl.

[Eric laughs]

Ben: And then I told Mike from Shurtugal.com who dies, and he started flipping out. And then Matt was so scared that I was going to tell him that he ran away. And then yeah, it was pretty funny.

Kevin: I was actually pretty upset that I found out. It was like a week or two before the book’s release. It really…

Eric: Yeah, Kevin. Kevin, hadn’t I talked to you? Or somebody on the… It was a few hours before the release and I called one of you guys and you were…I asked for hints and stuff. Was that any of you?

Kevin: I’m not sure if it was me.

Eric: Because…

Kevin: I remember before the release of the book, Andrew and Emerson were calling me about Warner Bros. because [laughs] Warner Bros. was…

Ben: It was actually Emerson’s dad who was calling you.

Kevin: Yeah, because they had an exclusive or something and they decided…

Andrew: Oh, that whole debacle.

Kevin: Yeah, and they decided to give it to us the night of the release.

Ben: Yeah, that was pretty funny.

Andrew: We ended up not getting…or did we? I can’t remember.

Kevin: No, I think we did. We got it in the e-mail and no one had access to the e-mail and it was a big mess.

Ben: Yeah.

Eric: Well, if anything, Andrew and Ben, to ease your troubles, I think you’re pretty good for a walk-on role on CSI.

Ben: I think so too.

Andrew: [laughs] Yeah, they owe us.

Eric: You know? All this sticker-looking.

Andrew: What other stories were big?

Eric: Ummm.

Andrew: Goblet of Fire getting the PG-13 rating in the United States.

Kevin: Yeah.

Laura: Yeah.

Andrew: That was pretty big.

Ben: We talked about that in the First Episode.

Eric: Yeah

Andrew: Or was it the Second Episode, I think?

Ben: Actually, what happened… No, what happened was we talked about in the First Episode because, in the First Episode we said, “What’s this movie going to be rated?”

Andrew: We considered it.

Ben: Yeah, we considered it.

Andrew: Yeah.

Ben: And I said it was going to be rated PG-13 and you two…you two doubted me. And then you said…Kevin said, “There’s no way. They would be shooting themselves in the foot.”

Laura: I remember that.

Ben: Later that week, later that week they said it was rated PG-13 and the next episode I couldn’t be on and rub it in Kevin’s face, so I’m doing it now Kevin Steck.

[All laugh]

Ben: It was rated PG-13! In your face!

[Andrew laughs]

Kevin: But, but from what I remember of that episode I said, “If they did make it PG-13, it would be because of the last scene.”

Ben: No, no, no. What you said in that episode was that they weren’t going to rate it PG-13.

Kevin: Ask Eric. Eric just listened to the whole episode.

Ben: No. You said that they were not going to make it PG-13 because… I don’t believe you, Kevin Steck.

Kevin: What did I say, Eric?

Eric: You said it was right, but what I want to say… Yeah Kevin, you’re right. Ben’s right. You’re both right and that’s the solution to everything.

[Kevin and Eric laugh]

Eric: But what I want to say is…

Kevin: Okay. Solution to everything. We’re both right.

Eric: Yeah. I want to say that I’m going instant message Kelly when we’re done with this. Kelly Egan, our resident artist, and have her actually draw a picture of PG-13 being thrown in Andrew’s face. Like the giant letters PG-13.

[Laura laughs]

Andrew: Okay.

Ben: No. Have her having me throw it in Kevin’s face.

[Micah laughs]

Kevin: Oh, thanks a lot.

Andrew: Yes. And that will just happen?

Eric: We’ll get that out to you people.

Andrew: Yeah.

Eric: I think that will be a fun thing for the new year.

Andrew: But Emerson had spoken to David Heyman, the producer of all the movies so far. Right? All the movies?

Ben: Yeah.

Eric: Which reminds us…the interview with JKR.

Andrew: And David Heyman had said that they were aiming for a PG-13 rating.

Ben: No, no, no, no, no, no, you’re wrong about this.

Eric: PG. He said that they were going to keep it PG.

Ben: I told Emerson, I said, “I think the movie is going to be rated PG-13.” And he said, “No, I spoke to David Heyman and David Heyman said that they were going to have all the movies be rated PG.” And so, Emerson doubted me too.

[Eric laughs]

Ben: And guys, honestly, I’m just tired of being right. It gets…

[Andrew laughs]

Andrew: But my point…

Eric: You know what, Ben? [laughs]

Andrew: Eh, what?

Eric: You have our mail from the PO Box, so just mail us PG-13 letters.

[Ben laughs]

Eric: Just mail us stuff. Mail it in our face.

Andrew: But my point with that was that it was sort of unexpected. Warner Bros. didn’t even expect it. At least it seemed that way. Or when Emerson had spoke to David Heyman about it. Because think about it, why would they want to make it PG-13?

Ben: But guys…

Andrew: In a way…

Ben: Andrew?

Andrew: What?

Ben: What you must realize is that it’s not that big of a deal because it didn’t hurt the movie at all. Because it’s the second largest grossing movie. Because the audience has grown with the series and most of the Harry Potter fans, a large majority of them are over the age of 13 right now. And so…

Andrew: And if anything, it did help it because more older kids said, “Hey, this is rated PG-13. This isn’t a kid’s movie.”

Eric: Which… Right. Which was speculated in Episode Two. You even said that it might actually help it.

Andrew: But, we’re not going to go back on that topic again. So, that was definitely a big story of 2005. What else?

Eric: The JKR interview and the delusional Harry/Hermione ‘shippers.

Kevin: Oh yeah.

Laura: Oh my god!

Kevin: Yeah. That was.

Eric: That was significant for MuggleNet.

Andrew: That was an online big story for the MuggleNet community fan base.

Eric: For MuggleNet, that was…

Laura: Oh, that was terrible.

Eric: That was a rift.

Ben: Well, Emerson did visit JK Rowling on the night of the release, was a big story – Emerson and Melissa doing that. That wasn’t just online, that was all over the news.

Andrew: Yeah.

Ben: I mean I was with Emerson when he did an interview with Soledad O’Brien from CNN’s “American Morning,” I think it’s called.

Andrew: Yep.

Laura: Mhm.

Ben: That was pretty cool.

Andrew: Mhm.

Eric: The LIVE podcast.

Ben: I actually made it to Emerson’s local newspaper. That was the best.

Andrew: You did?

Ben: Yeah. Because I was with him when they did an interview, and the interviewer said, “Who’s this kid right here?” And he said, “Oh, he works on the website with me.” Yeah, I made it in there. It was pretty cool. But Emerson was all over the news because of that. He was on TV left and right.

Laura: Yeah, I remember that.

Ben: There were videos up online.

Eric: And he gave her a key to the city.

Ben: So actually this summer is when Emerson Spartz became famous.

[Ben and Micah laugh]

Andrew: No, he got his five minutes of fame…maybe ten minutes.

Eric: Well, he was already… He had…

[Andrew laughs]

Eric: There were articles or there used to be on MN, and with him…him and the paper. So…

Andrew: Yeah.

Eric: Dating back to like 2000. So…yeah.

Andrew: So…

Ben: But also Emerson, they transcribed the interview, which is up online now too. If you want to go back and review your JK Rowling information because they did that just right after they read the book. So, that would be a good thing to look at.

Kevin: It’s too bad we couldn’t hear the audio.

Eric: I know.

Laura: Oh yeah.

Eric: They have it, but they can’t release it.

Kevin: No, they’re not allowed to release it.

Eric: They’re not allowed.

Kevin: It was one of the, it was one of the… [thinking of word]

Micah: Stipulations.

Kevin: …stipulations.

Eric: So, we could hear the tone of voice and stuff, but I think we’ve been clued in from Melissa about JKR’s tone. And…no…you actually brought that up in Episode Two or so.

Kevin: Yeah, with R.A.B.

Eric: Yeah, with R.A.B.

Kevin: Yep. Because it’s very hard to figure out what the tone was through the transcripts. So…

Eric: Yeah. Our LIVE podcast.

Ben: That is a good story to talk about though.

Eric: That was brilliant.

Ben: When R.A.B. was leaked online.

Andrew: Yeah. That was another big one.

Eric: Yeah. The “Arcturus Black.” Do we ever know what happened with that? Why Lexicon…

Andrew: What do you mean “leaked,” Ben?

Eric: Lexicon.

Ben: Well, because HP-Lexicon…

Andrew: The HP-Lexicon thing? Yeah.

Ben: …posted that his name was “Regulus Alphord Black.”

Andrew: Yeah.

Eric: Arcturus.

Ben: And then like magic it disappeared.

Eric: No Arcturus, Ben.

Ben: Arcturus, whatever it was.

Main Topic – Looking Back on Harry Potter in 2005

Andrew: I remember – someone sent us an email the other day pointing out that in one of the translations, the middle initial was changed to a different word that still meant Arcturus. Or something like that.

Eric: That’s really cool.

Andrew: Yeah, which pretty much sums up that theory. Everyone knows that it’s Sirius…

Ben: R.A.B. is Regulus.

Kevin: Yeah.

Andrew: Yeah, yeah.

Ben: Because he was killed by Voldemort and all.

Andrew: There is no question at this point, so…

Eric: I think he was personally killed by Voldemort but that’s my own thing. I think Sirius underestimated his brother because Voldemort can’t tell his followers – well he can but then he can’t be descriptive. If they ask why, not that they do, but if they did, he’d have to tell them about the Horcruxes. I don’t know. Our Live Podcast guys, talk about that.

Ben: Well but first, but first…

Eric: No, cause I want the video. I want the video of it.

Ben: The pre-show. We know the pre-show was a lot.

Eric: Well something major.

Ben: But something major is just the release of our podcast. That was new. [laughs]

Eric: Oh well, MuggleCast in general.

Ben: Before this year, there wasn’t any Harry Potter Podcasts, not as specifically.

Andrew: Or just Podcasts in general, pretty much for 2005.

Eric: Yeah, Podcasts have gotten popular.

Andrew: They really started actually making a scene in late 2004 and then Twit came along and all that. But MuggleNet has changed a lot too.

Kevin: Yeah.

Laura: Yeah, it really has.

Andrew: We got out HP Encyclopedia.

Eric: And about 500 layouts.

Andrew: Yeah, 500 new layouts. [laughs]

Ben: Yep, I put all of them up.

Andrew: 500 new staff members.

[All laugh]

Eric: Ah, man. That page is massive now. The eBay scam, which I wouldn’t bring up except I was just ripped off on eBay, twice. So, I’m doing that. [laughs]

Andrew: The eBay scams. It’s…

Ben: It’s JKR and Eric versus eBay. That’s what it is.

[All laugh]

Eric: Hey, Andrew, if I can have her lawyer, I’ll do that. If I can have…

Andrew: It’s such a big problem that I don’t even really think eBay could have stopped it effectively.

Eric: No.

Andrew: First of all, you really have no way in telling if the signature is authentic. If I took my signed copy, not saying that I do have a signed copy. [laughs]

Kevin: Oh yeah right.

Andrew: That’s unheard of. If I did have one and stuck it on eBay, would eBay automatically assume it’s fake? How do they know it’s real?

Ben: Yeah, there is one way to make sure it authentic.

Kevin: In order to get it truly authenticized, I guess you would call it.

Ben: Authenticated?

Kevin: Authenticated, thank you. You’re cutting that out.

[All laugh]

Eric: Authenticized.

Laura: No, no, no, no, no.

Kevin: What you have to do is, you have to go to an actual auction house like Sotheby’s or something, where they have an appraiser and they look at the signature and they make sure it’s authentic. You have to collaborate your story and stuff like that.

Eric: Yeah, the thing is, yeah eBay is not bad. People are bad, and people who use eBay are bad. So…

Kevin: Exactly, so in order to…

Eric: Yeah.

Kevin: If you are going to spend 2000 dollars on a signed copy of Harry Potter, you should be going to an auction house…

Eric: Right.

Kevin: You shouldn’t be going to eBay.

Eric: And they might not have many…

Micah: Or toast.

Eric: Or toast.

Laura: Oh my gosh.

[All laugh]

Eric: Or toast, Micah. But yeah, Sotheby’s might not do auctions with signatures as often as people would like or as many as people would want, but that’s the only safe way.

Kevin: But you can also go to certain appraisers that will say, “This has been authenticated by me,” and the appraiser has a, you know, history and a reputation.

Eric: Oh really?

Kevin: Yeah, you can do that.

Eric: That would probably cost a lot of money though.

Kevin: Oh I’m sure, but…

Eric: Oh well.

Kevin: You are making 2000 dollars on the book.

Eric: Right.

Kevin: It’s worth spending 200 to get it properly appraised.

Eric: That’s a good point.

Kevin: Not to mention you should have it insured anyway since it’s worth 1,000 dollars, so…

Ben: Well, guys. Let’s talk about New York City. What did you think, Eric, what did you think of the Live Podcast?

Eric: I thought the Live Podcast went incredibly well, Ben. I think we did an excellent job of keeping the fans entertained while you guys sat around in the movie theater. Micah and I and Dylan were the only ones who didn’t get in to see the movie, but – so we went running around doing all the grunt work. Keeping the fans entertained, pre-show will never be seen again, but no, the Podcast…

[All laugh]

Eric: Honestly, guys, the Podcast went fabulous.

Andrew: Oh jeez.

Eric: Everyone loved it. Okay, I loved it. I sat in the audience most of the time and it was the best thing. You know, in my heart, I’m a fan, which it was just great seeing you guys and I got a voicemail in, and it was fun. I was very pleased with it. The fans loved it. We’re doing more and we’ve really got our own, that was the first time, the real culmination, where people from MuggleNet that listened to our Cast actually got together and congregated. I know people at Spellbound were like that to an extent, but I think this is the first time solely listeners of MuggleCast said, “Hey Mom, can I go to New York?” and they actually went there.

Ben: Tell me what it was like to be stuck on 50th and one way wearing your…

[All laugh]

Ben: …wearing your Gryffindor House robes.

Eric: Well, okay, Ben, that’s an excellent question and I’ll enjoy answering it. First of all, 50th and one way that is, I have to credit this, I’ve been saying it so often and I never ever credited it. I have to credit Zach from HarryPotterFanZone.com, Zach and Andy rather. They were staying with Catherine from MuggleNet and I, and they actually came up with a system and New York has so many one way streets and signs, that whenever you look up to find what street you’re on it usually says one way. So whenever you’re giving cross streets in New York, it’s always funny to say “Well I’m on so and so and one way.” 50th Broadway and one way, you know, stuff like that. Walking along the street was fine. Nobody said anything. People, it’s the interesting thing about New York, is you can blend in no matter how weirdly you’re dressed.

Ben: Yeah. [laughs]

Eric: People have seen ten times more weird things in one day walking along the streets, so me and my Harry Potter robes, the kids liked it. There were little kids that were like “Mommy, Harry Potter!” and stuff like that, but basically…

Andrew: [laughs] And you were like “Yay, hi! Want my autograph?”

[All laugh]

Eric: Well no…

Andrew: And you signed it Harry Potter.

Eric: But I can’t say I didn’t fake a British accent once or twice but, yeah. No, so I was just concentrating, went to the Disney Store and got the Mickey. Went to Burger King, the only Burger King in New York. [laughs] There is like three of them, three of them, one hundred McDonalds, anyway. But yeah, nobody jumped me or anything, it was just the cab driver.

Andrew: [laughs] Wait, are you sure that nobody jumped you?

Eric: I don’t remember anything.

Andrew: That person who came up to you with a knife, that’s called jumping.

Eric: Yeah, but that was Jamie. I greeted him like a friend, and you know…

Micah: Wait, where were you? Did you say 50th?

Ben: Micah’s all [in a deep voice] “I know pretty much everything in New York City.”

Micah: [Laughs] Well, I don’t think you get jumped on 50th street. Weren’t you on like 11th or something?

Eric: No, no. The Disney Store was on 50th. I actually went to I think, 5th Avenue, yeah, it was 5th Avenue., and the cab driver didn’t understand what I said. So, I was looking for the Disney Store and the thing is with information they give you, I asked for the address or something, but you have to ask for the cross streets or else you get lost. So, I was looking for, it’s a long story.

Ben: What do you guys think about 2006? What are we going to see in 2006?

Kevin: I hope to see a lot about Book 7.

Laura: Yeah, me too. Definitely, I want to.

Ben: Well JK Rowling, of course, because JK Rowling said in a little blog entry on her diary or whatever she calls it on her website, she said that 2006 will be the year I write the last Harry Potter book. So, I’m expecting sort of how we saw the title for Book 6 at the end of 2004, it’ll probably be the same with 2006. We’ll see the title of…

Andrew: The end.

Ben: Book 7.

Andrew: Which is great because we’ll have something to look forward to next year. Also, Order of the Phoenix filming, or should I say this year because, Order of the Phoenix filming. We’re going to be getting tons of information on that. Especially casting information.

Eric: Even Luna.

Kevin: Yeah, that’s a big thing, the casting.

Eric: Yeah.

Ben: Filming starts in February.

Andrew: Yeah.

Eric: So we’re going to know Luna Lovegood in about a week or so, wouldn’t you say? They said they were going to release that early January.

Andrew: Yeah, and I’m going to be honest with you guys. I love filming season cause we always get tons of news.

Laura: Yeah, tons of news.

Ben: Yeah, that’s always fun.

Eric: And Emerson gets invited to the set, you know.

Andrew: So yeah, I look forward to that.

Kevin: Maybe we’ll be invited to the set.

Eric: Yeah, I hope so.

Kevin: That would be exciting. [Andrew laughs]

Laura: Podcast from the set.

Kevin: Yeah, seeing as…

Ben: By the way, didn’t Emerson and Melissa visit the set…

Eric: In Glencoe.

Kevin: Yeah, there was.

Ben: Don’t recall.

Eric: Yeah, now that we do stuff…

Kevin: What about her site? She said, JK Rowling said she was going to make updates on her site, didn’t she? Or changes?

Ben: Yeah, because for example: The “Fan Site of the Year,” I mean “of the Month” [Andrew laughing] is supposed to be updated.

Andrew: “The Fan Site of the Year.” [laughs]

Ben: This year it’s Leaky Cauldron.

Andrew: It’s been Leaky all year.

Ben: That definitely needs to be updated. Actually I heard MuggleNet’s getting it again, is what I heard. [laughs]

Andrew: Yeah, I heard MuggleCast is picking up a, oh I want to talk to Jo for a second. Hi Jo, it’s Andrew. I just really wanted to say that I hope you recognized the Podcasts. MuggleCast and PotterCast, because we’ve really put a lot of work into it, and…

Ben: Email us.

Andrew: I just think it would be cool if…

Ben: Love you, Jo.

Andrew: You could call me. You know my number. I sent you a Christmas card, I hope you got it. Um, and we’re on for next Friday? Ok, see you then.

Ben: Ok, 620-708-4753. Call me, Jo.

Andrew: Ok now on to the voicemails. This is the part of the show where we get you, the listeners, involved. Kevin, why don’t you play us the first one?

Voicemails – Harry’s Other Opponents

[Audio]: Hi MuggleCast, this is Tyler from Massachusetts. In Book 7, Harry is probably going to be facing enemies before Voldemort. Do you think he is going to be able to finish off the enemies before facing Voldemort or would he not be able to kill them before he would get there? I don’t know if Harry would have the will to kill people before he would kill Voldemort. So, I was just wondering what you think. Thanks. I love your show. Bye.

Andrew: Have the will power, like he won’t be afraid to?

Laura: I think it’s a definite possibility.

Micah: Well, who’s he going to come in contact with? Who would be the people that he…

Kevin: Yeah.

Eric: Snape and Bellatrix…

Laura: Death Eaters.

Eric: And all the Death Eaters.

Laura: I’d like to see Neville finish Bellatrix off.

Eric: Yeah, I do too.

Kevin: Yeah, me too. I think she’s been building that up though.

Laura: Yeah, me too.

Ben: Well, ok, if he doesn’t finish off these other enemies, then how’s he going to get to Voldemort in the first place?

Kevin: Exactly.

Laura: Yeah, I think he’s going to have to finish off various Death Eaters.

Kevin: Do you think he’s going to kill them or he’s just going to defeat them?

Ben: Actually I think he’s going to tie them up and deliver them to Azkaban gift-tied.

[Eric laughs]

Eric: For Christmas maybe.

Laura: Will he, though?

Eric: No, I think that it could be the case where Harry, if Harry starts accepting help in the books and he goes in with all the Aurors and things like that, then maybe they’ll do the killing for him. You know, and they’ll take care of them. Death Eaters won’t take, I think it takes death to get rid of a Death Eater, which sounds kind of funny, but they’re not going to keel over, they’re not going to be defeated by a Stunning Spell. Even though they were by the Shrinking Head and things like that in Book 5, but mostly, I think they will have to be killed to be taken care of. But Harry doesn’t have to do that. I don’t think.

Kevin: Yeah, and it’s a valid point to make that there really isn’t much of an Azkaban left, you know.

Laura: Mhm.

Kevin: The dementors have changed sides so where are you going to put these guys if you don’t kill them?

Laura: That’s exactly what I was going to say. As long as you have Death Eaters alive, there is always a risk that they are going to cause harm.

Eric: Right.

Ben: And I don’t see Harry actually, I don’t know how the Death Eaters actually are going to fight until the final battle. Because I think a lot of the books might just be planning. We’ll hear about the war going on outside of Harry but he’s probably not going to put himself in jeopardy, basically going out and try to…

Kevin: And I truly…

Ben: …search for Voldemort initially, until he’s ready for the final battle.

Kevin: And I truly hope he becomes a little more active in fighting wizards, you know. It seems that up until now he’s been sort of laid back.

Eric: Yeah.

Laura: He’s always been, yeah he really has.

Andrew: A little too nice.

Kevin: Exactly and it seems like he doesn‘t have any power. He’s suppose to be one of the most powerful wizards in the world. He seems like he has no power.

Eric: Not only that…

Laura: There are points where he just stood and not done anything.

Kevin: Yeah.

Eric: And just been attacked.

Andrew: And although, if you think about it, all this weakness could be building up to the final Voldemort killing.

Kevin: Yeah.

Andrew: You know what I mean? Like he’s playing up being weak.

Eric: But even when Harry…

Andrew: Not weak but…

Eric: But even when Harry has attacked, it’s been things like Expelliarmus. And that’s fine because he proved that one snotty kid right that Expelliarmus helped him in the past, but that’s not the point. When, in Movie 4 and Book 4 when Voldemort asked him if he’s been trained properly to duel, he hadn’t.

Andrew: Yeah.

Eric: The only dueling training was from Gilderoy Lockhart, the biggest stupid head in the world. So…

Andrew: Well…

Ben: When Voldemort – no. What Voldemort was talking about was just like the initial how you start off.

Eric: With the bowing, yeah.

Laura: Yes he was. He was using it as a mockery, but it still brings forth the fact that Harry doesn’t know how to duel properly.

Eric: Harry is inept.

Ben: Well, okay, okay. I don’t buy that for one minute because I don’t think you have to learn how to duel properly – he’s fought all kinds of people.

Eric: Yes, but it’s…

Laura: Yes, but in certain ways…

Kevin: Look at how he fought them.

Eric: Yeah, by the skin of his neck.

Laura: Yeah, a lot of the times he’s gotten out, out of luck.

Kevin: Exactly.

Ben: Yeah, but you need a little bit of luck with anything. No one is just that good.

Laura: Yeah, but luck runs out. Luck isn’t going to help Harry defeat Voldemort.

Eric: Yeah.

Ben: Yes, it is.

Laura: No, it’s not.

Ben: Yes, it is.

Laura: No.

Ben: 100 percent.

Eric: Not primarily, not primarily.

Laura: No.

Andrew: 100 percent luck. [laughs]

Kevin: I…

Ben: No, 100 percent chance that it will happen. Not that he’s defeating Voldemort because he’s lucky. It’s 100 percent chance that luck is going to play a role in him defeating Voldemort. Of course it is. Luck is how…

Laura: No, but that would totally undermine his character development.

Ben: No, not true. Luck is how he survived every time.

Laura: Yes but it’s got to come through that Harry can defend himself and not depend on luck. That’s the point.

Eric: Otherwise…

Ben: No, you need a little luck with anything. I don’t care how good you are…

Laura: A little bit of luck but it’s not going to be 100 percent luck that defeats Voldemort.

Ben: I didn’t say it was going to be 100 percent luck. You are taking what I said right out of context. I meant that luck will be involved. There will be 100 percent chance luck will be involved, that’s what I’m saying. I’m not saying that if he gets lucky, Voldemort’s going to perish.

Laura: I think if it is, it’s going to be very minimal.

Eric: Yeah, basically…

Ben: I’m just saying it will play some role.

Eric: Yah, of course it will, but he still needs more brawn than he’s got right now.

Kevin: Yeah.

Laura: Mhm.

Eric: Or that we’ve seen. Or that we’ve seen him get. And he needs to start, we’ve said this before, he’s screwed. He’s inept and incompetent as far as we’ve know. At least organized battle. Every time he’s gotten grazes on his neck and things like that, he can’t keep doing that or he’s going to die. Maybe that’s the moral of the books.

Ben: No.

Eric: Maybe that’s the moral of the books. Maybe if Harry dies, maybe if he takes Voldemort with him, but maybe if he dies that he truly is a wonderful person and he could love but at the same time he didn’t study enough. Or something like that.

Kevin: No.

Ben: No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I think the reason that he has come out of his battles not unscathed and he’s had all these scars and stuff is because he has never been the one to force the battle. He’s always got suckered into it. That’s why I think with Book 7 he has to stage it.

Laura: Definitely.

Ben: It has to be on his own time rather than being the will of Voldemort. Like I said a few episodes back, the reason he ended up in the graveyard is because of imposter Moody, who was a “good guy,” showed up with a Portkey and basically tricked everyone and sucked him into the graveyard. He was not prepared for that. Then we saw in Book 5 when Lord Voldemort put the scene into his head, he wasn’t prepared for that either. So that’s what keeps happening. He keeps falling into Voldemort’s traps. What he has to do is create a trap of his own.

Eric: I agree.

Ben: Because if, I guarantee that if Book 7 happens on Voldemort’s terms, that if the final battle is basically in Voldemort’s backyard, then Harry’s going to die.

Eric: I agree.

Ben: Harry has to make sure that it is planned out enough to where it is on his terms. Where he can surprise the enemy rather than being surprised by the enemy likes he‘s been in the entire book.

Eric: Yeah.

Laura: Yeah, it’s got to be on his turf.

Eric: Exactly. That’s what we’re saying. He needs to show that he can start doing that and start controlling that situation.

Kevin: But Ben, I think what they were trying to say was that they – no one wants to see him win by any amount of luck.

Eric: Yeah.

Kevin: They want to see him win consciously and fair. They want to see Harry win by himself without tripping over a rock and firing a curse that’s going to nail Voldemort in the chest.

[All laugh]

Ben: I know, I know. But the point I’m trying to make is that, we’ve kind of gone around in circles here, is that I think that there’s going to be some degree of luck involved because just like with anything, basketball even. You may have five of the best athletes in the world but if you have one night where everyone’s off, then you’re going to lose.

Andrew: I couldn’t agree more with that statement. Take the time when me and you versed. You won by luck.

[All laugh]

Ben: Oh whatever. I beat him by 15 points. I beat him in pool.

Andrew: All of it was luck.

Eric: I think all of you watch too many sports movies where it all comes down to the last shot with the buzzer, and the shot is…next voicemail. Please. For the love of God MuggleCast.

[All laugh]

Voicemails – Marauders Death Pattern?

[Audio]: Hi MuggleCasters! This is Kathleen from Michigan. The other day I was discussing the Marauders with some of the other listeners and we noticed they put the Marauders Map names Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. Prongs being the first to die, then Padfoot, backwards on the map. Do you think that this is significant of who is going to die in the seventh book? Thanks!

Ben: Absolutely not.

Eric: No, Ben, this is the voicemail I’ve been waiting for.

Micah: It’s backwards though.

Laura: Yeah.

Ben: It’s backwards compatible.

[All laugh]

Laura: I just think it’s a coincidence.

Kevin: I do, too.

Ben: I think so, too. I don’t think, because okay. Anything in the Harry Potter book, every time someone finds something that maybe a coincidence, just like on…

Laura: Mark Evans.

Ben: JK Rowling announced the title last year around Christmas. People tried to find some way to add up how many Christmas presents under the tree, amount of ornaments on the tree, divided by seven because that’s a magical number, add four to that just because there is four branches on top of the tree, divided by five because there is a five point star at the top and that gives you 7/16/05.

[All laugh]

Andrew: And MuggleCast staffer, MuggleNet staffer K’lyssa did that. [laughs]

Ben: Yeah, and I though that was absolutely absurd. You are just going to twist and get what you want. That’s ridiculous.

[All laugh]

Kevin: No, but this isn’t such a large…

Ben: Okay, actually…

Kevin: This isn’t such a large twist. It’s…

Eric: This is actually pretty good. This is…

Ben: Okay, this reminds me of English class where the teacher tries to make everything symbolize something else.

Eric: That’s because…

Ben: The word ‘the’ doesn’t have to symbolize something. The numbers of times my router light blinks in the next minute doesn’t have to symbolize something. It being backwards does not have to symbolize anything. It does not have to be a coincidence. That’s it. It’s just a coincidence. There is no…uhhh.

Eric: But, but Ben…

Micah: The names themselves…

Andrew: Ben, you need to slow down.

Laura: Ben.

Kevin: You need to calm down.

Laura: Chill. [laughs]

Kevin: You’re becoming Eric. You’re becoming your worst enemy.

Eric: Yes, exactly. Anyway…

Ben: Sorry.

Eric: I think, maybe your rant would be a little more appropriate on another voicemail. I think this is pretty cool. I think it’s an actual book-centered thing. They’re listed, why couldn’t it be Wormtail, Moony, Prongs, and Padfoot? That sounds cool. Or Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs, and Moony. Why is it that way when maybe just cause it sounds right. I think that’s the right answer, but, two of them have died. Two of them are left. What’s to say if Wormtail doesn’t die first?

Ben: You know what? Then I’m going to write a letter to JK Rowling and say, “Jo. You know what? I am proud you put them in reverse order because that was a big plot spoiler.”

[All laugh]

Ben: That was a big plot spoiler. Eric, you spoiled the book for everyone, okay?

Eric: No, it wasn’t me. It was Kathleen! It was Kathleen.

Ben: Call me Mr. Negative but, I see people making that connection, and it’d just be a weird coincidence. But it’s not like I think there’s the key to the series in that. No, dream on.

Eric: She’s not saying that, though.

Andrew: Well there could be if it‘s true…

Eric: She’s not saying that.

Andrew: You just got to take it into consideration, if it happens, it happens and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t.

Laura: Exactly.

Kevin: I remember, Ben, when she wrote in one of the earlier books that Voldemort’s soul was fragmented, I can’t remember her wording, and everyone took it as like a symbolic meaning. And it turned out to be literal.

Eric: Exactly.

Ben: I know, but what symbolism can you draw from being in reverse order?

Micah: I’m with Ben on this.

Eric: It’s not supposed to be…

Ben: Thank you, Micah. Thank you.

Laura: Yeah, if it turns out to be true, I will be the first person to step up and say I was wrong. I just think it’s a coincidence.

Micah: But if it does come true, did she even intend it that way?

Eric: No, maybe not.

Laura: Yeah, it could be a complete coincidence. It really could.

Eric: Look guys, I’m not saying this is a major plotline. Oh my god, you know, oh my god, what the F Horseybird, okay on this. I’m not doing that.

[All laugh]

Eric: I’m saying that if it happens, it’ll be cool. It doesn’t have to be the biggest thing since Voldemort soul is fragmented, it doesn’t. All this person is asking, and I think I’m right in asking this too, is: Wouldn’t that be cool if that happened and do you think, exactly what she said, do you think this is significant? And I don’t think it’s the key to the books is Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs backwards.

Ben: Whatever Eric. Eric, you do too. You do too, I know you do.

[Andrew laughs]

Eric: All right.

Andrew: Well, we’ll just have to see. Next voicemail, please.

Eric: Okay.

Kevin: Wow.

Voicemails – Impact of Cruciatus Curse

[Audio]: Hi, my name is Valleri from Virginia, and I have a, I love your show first of all. It’s awesome. I just have a question about the Imperius Curse. Why is it that Harry can fight it off so easily when Mad-Eye Moody, the real one, can’t, when he’s so much more of a powerful wizard than Harry? And as my alternate question, if there is different levels of powerful Imperius Curse. Thank you so much for the show. I love it. Thank you, bye.

Eric: I think this is a brilliant voicemail because indeed an Auror, and especially Mad-Eye Moody, he’s supposed to be very powerful and very accomplished. He can’t fight the Imperius Curse from Crouch Jr. but when Crouch Jr. puts it on Harry, he says, “You know what, maybe I don’t want to jump on the table. It seems like a silly stupid thing to do.” So basically I think it’s brilliant because clearly Mad-Eye Moody, who’s an Auror, is much more powerful than Harry which is what we were just talking about, and why can Harry fight the Imperius Curse? I think it has to with his independence and the importance of his independence as a wizard and as how different he is from everybody else. I think it’s just…Yeah.

Ben: And also, yeah, I agree what you’re saying, and also I think it has something to do with Jo trying to show that he’s really gifted because, earlier we were talking about how some people think, “Well, he just escaped with luck. He’s going to amount to nothing.” But in reality he really is a powerful wizard and maybe this is one of the gifts he got from Voldemort.

Eric: Maybe.

Laura: Mhm, yeah.

Ben: I sure Voldemort’s able to do the same thing and when he transferred over the scar, he transferred over basically gave him Parseltongue. Why couldn’t he have the ability to resist curses that the mind just thinks are ridiculous?

Eric: Exactly. I think that’s a brilliant interpretation Ben. And also if…

Laura: I agree completely.

Eric: Yeah, Harry has been given things as well, like Parseltongue and maybe like this, and also like the good Patronus. And remember, they were shocked in Book 5 to figure out that he could produce a fully, whatever, a fully formed…

Ben: A corporeal.

Eric: Yeah, corporeal Patronus. They were like, “What? What the heck?” And that’s another one of those things that he was just always good at. Always good at Quidditch like his father, you know. Some things just carry on.

Kevin: I think, I also think…

Ben: Do you think Voldemort was good at Quidditch?

Kevin: I doubt it. [laughs]

Eric: That’s why it came from his father, you see, so it could have come from several places. That’s like asking if Voldemort can produce a great corporeal Patronus at age thirteen because Harry could. It doesn’t mean it came from Voldemort, could it have come from his father, like Quidditch.

Kevin: I also think it’s one of those subtle reminders that Harry is a powerful wizard but he’s not showing his full potential yet.

Eric: Yeah.

Laura: Yeah, I think it’s just a reminder that he has the potential.

Kevin: Yeah.

Eric: I mean, we’ve seen Harry scream his lungs off at Ron and Hermione and stuff, he’s taken them down. He’s P W Ned them. He needs to P W N Voldemort and some of the bad guys now.

Voicemails – Employment Line

[Audio]: Good morning, this is Chad from Grand Rapids, Michigan. One of the main things that I’m curious about is what was the occupation of James and Lily Potter? They seem to have accumulated enough wealth yet I don’t imagine the Order of the Phoenix paid for your services. Any thoughts? Also on a side note, for wizarding duels, how about Fred versus George? Have a nice night.

Andrew: So I was actually intrigued by this question cause I thought it was interesting, and as it turns out JK Rowling does mention, has mentioned, whether it’s on her official site or in an interview, that James actually did inherit a large sum of his fortune. So that pretty much answers that question, which would answer why he wouldn’t need a well-paying job. And one of the many things…

Kevin: But…

Laura: I’m sure that they had jobs, but…

Kevin: Yeah, but…

Andrew: But however…yeah, but Jo’s never mentioned what they have done and… I was actually reading a couple articles because I’m so intrigued by this [laughs] and one theory was that James could have been a professor at Hogwarts.

Eric: I don’t think that’s true.

Andrew: Defense Against the…

Kevin: I don’t think so either.

Eric: If he was…

Andrew: Defense against the – well okay…

Laura: I think we would know, wouldn’t we?

Eric: Yeah, it would have been mentioned.

Ben: We would have known.

Kevin: Shot down there, Andrew.

Andrew: Well…

Eric: Yeah.

Ben: Yeah.

Andrew: Why? How? What would have been the point?

Kevin: Because that is a huge legacy, and…

Eric: Yeah.

Ben: Yeah.

Kevin: JK Rowling would have mentioned that if…

Eric: Especially if Harry…

Kevin: …Harry’s father was a teacher.

Eric: If Harry’s…yeah.

Ben: Especially, no, no, Andrew, listen. Especially in Book 6 when we found out that Voldemort basically cursed the position when Dumbledore denied him of it. Dumbledore probably would have said, “Well Harry, your father took up that job and…”

Eric: Yeah.

Ben: “That year he was killed.”

Eric: I think he definitely would have known.

Andrew: That’s true. But if you think about it. Harry’s so good at Defense Against the Dark Arts and he ends up teaching people in Hogwarts about Defense Against the Dark Arts. So don’t you think it’s completely possible that was little hint at that James did?

Eric: No, it’s just…

Laura: No, wasn’t James gifted at Transfiguration?

Eric: Yeah.

Laura: I’m pretty sure that he…

Andrew: Was he?

Laura: Yeah. He was Transfiguration and Lily was Charms and Potions.

Andrew: Yeah but that doesn’t mean he had to teach it.

Eric: His wand.

Andrew: Yeah, Lily was Potions. We’ve already talked about that.

Laura: Yeah.

Andrew: Yeah, well those are all my notes. [laughs]

Eric: The most obscure thing that we found out about James at Hogwarts was that he was a Seeker, or whatever, for the house team.

Laura: I thought he was a Chaser?

Eric: They changed it in the movie. They changed it in the movie, which is why. But in Book 5 wasn’t he playing with the Snitch? So…

Laura: Yeah, but I think she also answered that somewhere.

Eric: She did. She said that whatever it is…

Laura: Just because he was playing with, yeah.

Eric: Yeah.

Laura: Just because he was playing with the Snitch doesn’t mean he’s the Seeker.

Eric: Right, but he was on the Quidditch team and everybody that tells Harry says, you know “Oh your father was great at Quidditch.” Um…

Andrew: You know what I was just thinking about? They died pretty young, didn’t they? So…

Laura: Yeah.

Eric: Yeah.

Andrew: They wouldn’t have really had time to get a job.

Micah: Are we assuming though that just because James had money, that Lily didn’t work either?

Eric: No, maybe we’re assuming that since…

Laura: I don’t know. The kind of character that I’ve gotten the idea of what James and Lily are, I don’t think that they would not have jobs. I think that they would do it just because it was something they felt was a necessity to do.

Eric: You know what, guys?

Ben: Kind of like JK Rowling’s husband. How he…

Laura: It’s just part of being an adult. Having a job.

Ben: Right. Like JK Rowling’s husband. JK Rowling has billions of dollars. He wouldn’t have to work but he does because…

Laura: Exactly.

Eric: Guys, guys, guys I got it.

Kevin: Otherwise, you’d go crazy.

Andrew: Yeah.

Eric: I got it.

Andrew: But…

Ben: And it wouldn’t look good in the media eye either. It would look like he was mooching off his wife.

[Micah laughs]

Kevin: Not to mention if you notice, everyone in the Order currently has a job except, of course, Sirius before he died, you know. He was the only one who was unemployed.

Andrew: Yeah, but…

Kevin: Lupin was unemployed for those people who are going to bash me.

Laura: Yeah, so is Molly and Mundungus Fletcher. [laughs]

Kevin: He wasn’t…That’s true.

Ben: Actually, you know what I think? I think that Aunt Marge was right all along. James is a drunken bum.

[All laugh]

Ben: I’m just kidding. I’m going to get massacred for saying that.

Kevin: Yeah.

Andrew: Yeah, um…

Kevin: Next voicemail.

Andrew: But hold on. Wait a second. What was the huge…we still haven’t really touched on this very much. What was the huge thing that was supposed to be revealed about Lily? Because…

Eric: I know it.

Andrew: I have gone back to work…what is it, Eric?

Eric: I know what it is.

Andrew: What is it?

Eric: Lily’s good at Potions, right?

Andrew: Yeah.

Eric: And James is good at Transfiguration.

Andrew: Uh-huh.

Kevin: Yeah.

Eric: All right, everybody sit down. Take a deep breath [takes a deep breath along with Kevin]. I know what it is. I found the key, I found what Lily’s secret is.

Andrew: You better be serious about this. What is it?

Eric: I’m dead serious. I know what they did.

Andrew: What is it?

Eric: It was drugs.

Andrew: Okay, it was not drugs.

Eric: No, no, it was drugs. Lily made them and James disguised them so they didn’t get caught. That explains the fortune. That explains the fortune.

Laura: Maybe she explained it and we just didn’t see it.

Andrew: I know, exactly.

Laura: And we’re not going to realize it until Book 7.

Micah: From what I understand.

Andrew: What?

Micah: Is that Harry’s been looking in the book all year long, don’t you think he’d know Snape’s handwriting by now?

Eric: He should, because it says…

Laura: It depends.

Eric: It says that handwriting…

Laura: Because how much does he focus in Potions? [laughs] You know.

Ben: And also, what does Snape do? He probably, he could do it magically or…

Micah: That’s true.

Ben: When he hands a paper back with a grade on it, it might just say, F, A, B – whatever the English grading system is in. You can’t really tell what their handwriting is because…

Eric: Yeah.

Ben: It’s not…when you write a big A at the top of a paper, it isn’t your style when you’re writing a letter.

Micah: That’s true.

Laura: Not to mention the possibility that Snape’s handwriting could have matured, I mean…

Kevin: Yeah, it was quite a while.

Eric: Cause he sure hasn’t.

Kevin: He’d been a teacher for how many years after he wrote that book, so we all…

Eric: But that’s the thing. If he wrote it, he took it with him. He must have continued to update it or at least kept it close to him because it was in his Potions cabinet, so he must have had it with him when he became a teacher, don’t you think? Cause he left it in his room. I mean obviously I don’t think he was, he didn’t use it recently because he would have remembered to take it with him, but it was in the cabinet…

Kevin: Yeah, that’s true.

Eric: And he, you know. So, where would it have gone have gone from his school bag to his cabinet in the past? That he would have been opening it or looking through it or using it last.

Voicemails – ‘Ships

[Audio]: Hey, this is Michelle from LA, California, and I just was wondering what you guys ‘shipped? Like, what you thought was going to happen between two people before JK Rowling crushed your dreams in life, sadly. I just thought, I am one of the sad people who wanted Harry and Hermione, and Ron and Luna, and Neville and Ginny, but you know what that’s just me. So Merry Christmas and have a nice life. Bye.

[Eric laughing]

Micah: Ooo, this is a dangerous area.

Eric: I loved that.

Laura: No one say the D word.

Eric: Okay…

Micah: I killed everything last week or two weeks ago, with the otter and the weasel.

Kevin: This is a…

[Laura laughs]

Eric: This is dangerous but you know what? I loved the way she said JKR crashed her dreams. I love that. It makes her so criminated. Like JK goes around and takes pleasure in crashing, it’s great. I love it.

Ben: Well actually, okay I knew what was going to happen within canon because it’s all about what you define as a shipper. Some people think a shipper is someone who actually firmly believes that’s going to happen in the series or you just like having those two people together. For example, I’ve read many fan fictions where I like the Harry/Hermione relationship, it goes very well together and it adds a certain dynamic to the story. However, if you get down to the actual, like I said, I’m a realist here. I think in the books, it’s quite obvious it’s Harry/Ginny, Ron/Hermione, and there is no debate about it. That’s just my two cents.

Laura: Yeah, I agree. Now, while I always pretty much figured that it was going to be Harry/Ginny, I always kind of liked the idea of Harry/Luna just because I thought it would be unusual.

Eric: Oh god, Harry/Luna.

Laura: And something that people would see coming.

Kevin: I thought so too, yeah.

Eric: Yeah. He thinks she’s crazy but if he can get past that, you know.

Laura: Mhm.

Eric: I think Harry/Luna shippers have the veil, that they share that hearing the whispers. They at least have that down in canon.

Laura: But I think that there’s a point to them sharing too much with the death thing.

Eric: The Thestrals.

Laura: To understand being with each other.

Eric: Yeah.

Kevin: Yeah. It would be a pretty depressing couple.

Eric: I think we’re going to find…

[All laugh]

Laura: Yeah, exactly.

Eric: No, no, no. Cho and Harry are a depressing couple because that’s just, yeah. No but…

Laura: Apart from that, I don’t have any problems with it.

Eric: Harry/Luna both see Thestrals.

Ben: Actually guys, I was a Harry/Andrew Sims shipper.

Laura: Oh me too, no way.

Kevin: Yeah. That was a popular one.

Ben: Yeah, it really was.

Eric: Cause that’s all over the canon.

Andrew: Yeah, I just walked away too. Good thing I came back in time.

[All laugh]

Eric: Anyway…

Laura: No wonder Harry was so ticked off in Order of the Phoenix.

Andrew: I [laughs] I have no comment on that.

Ben: They are some pretty good ships for the MuggleCast people.

Laura: Oh god no.

Ben: Me and Hermione. Eric and Barty Crouch Jr.

[All laugh]

Eric: You know what, I’m going to clarify this. No, Ben, Ben. I’m going to clarify this once and for all.

Ben: Yeah.

Eric: Barty Crouch Jr. was evil when he left Azkaban. It’s that simple.

Kevin: Ok, let’s not…

Eric: He was a bad guy when he left Azkaban.

Andrew: Alright, so I’m really excited about our next two voicemails because they are going to kick off our brand new, hopefully [laughs] hopefully weekly segment.

Kevin: Don’t say we’re going to do it every week.

Andrew: Well…

Kevin: Just say…

Eric: New Segment.

Andrew: I think we are, we’re going to have plenty.

Eric: Advice with us.

Andrew: We’re start a new segment–wait Eric! Come on, seriously. We’re starting a new segment this week called: Advice with MuggleCast. This is going to be the part of the show where we give you, the listeners, advice on your Harry Potter dilemmas. Say for example, you’re in a dilemma where none of your friends, all of your friends, think you are crazy for liking Harry Potter. We’re here to help you. We’re here to help you. So, we have two prerecorded, well one pre-recorded one and another one that relates to the show. Um, but each week at a specific time that I’m going to put in the show notes, you get to call in, 1-218-20MAGIC, and ask for our help with your Harry Potter dilemma. We’re going to record it for you and we’re going to put it on the show. Yeah, you guys like this, huh?

Laura: Yeah.

Ben: Hi this is MuggleCast. We’re all ears.

[All laugh]

Andrew: We’re all ears. I think it’s going to be pretty fun, so ummm…

Laura: You sound like a little pedophile, [Used with a hard “e” like Jamie] Ben.

Micah: Oh geez.

Andrew: Let’s listen to the first one now. This one’s going to be prerecorded but the rest of them we’re going to actually talk to the people.

Kevin: Okay.

Andrew: Let’s listen first.

Advice – Getting Your Friend To Read The Series

[Audio]: Hey MuggleCast boys, it’s Laura, and Lindsey, and we’re cousins from Maine. We love the show and we were wondering if you could help us out. Our friend Molly doesn’t like the HP series at all, and we obviously love it. Do you have any tips for getting her to read the books? Thanks a bunch and lots of love to Andrew. [Andrew impersonation] Yeah! Yeah! Bye.

Ben: Okay, dear Laura and Lindsey. Who cares about your friend? I’m just kidding.

[Everyone laughing]

Andrew: Ditch her.

Ben: Dear Laura and Lindsey: What you should do about Molly, is I think you should get her to see the first two movies. Because I don’t think you really explained to us what she’s seen right now, why she doesn’t like it, but you have to remove that barrier somehow. If it’s just because she’s been overexposed to the media and she’s sick and tired of hearing about Harry Potter, she needs to figure out what the craze is about because I kind of felt the same way at first. I heard about all the books and stuff and then my friends started reading it and I said, “What are you doing? What? No, no.” And I made fun of them for it, and then one day I needed a book for SSR and I just said give me, I just read a book and then I went “Wow, now I see why these millions of people love it.” You tell them, you tell them that Ben Schoen can’t be wrong. You say, the millions of people reading this book right now can’t be wrong, and I think that’s the truth.

Kevin: Okay, what I would say, is give her money to read the first book. Okay, tell her “I’ll give you ten dollars…” [Andrew groans in the background] No just listen. Ten dollars to read the first book because once she’s read the first book, she’s going to be hooked. So you say, “After you complete the first book, I’ll give you ten dollars. If you don’t like it from then on, you don’t have to read the rest of them.”

Ben: Molly’s going to like that book so much, she’s going to tell you to keep your money. She’ll pay you…

[All laugh]

Laura: Well I have a couple of things. First of all, don’t force it because the more you force it, the more obstinate Molly’s going to be and not read it. The next thing is, one of my best friends on the planet used to hate Harry Potter. I would wear my Gryffindor shirt to school and she would point at it and be like “Burn it.” and I was like, ok. And one day I was like, “Okay, how about this. You give me a book that you love and I’ll give you the first Harry Potter, and we’ll both read them by the end of the week.” She was hooked and I was hooked on the series she got me into, so…

Kevin: What series was it?

Andrew: Make a compromise.

Ben: Series of Unfortunate Events…

Laura: It was the Redwall series.

Ben: [laughs] No, I don’t know. Well we got to close this up. I’m sure that will help you, Laura and Lindsey. Sincerely, the MuggleCasters. [laughs]

Voicemails – Playing MuggleCast On Your MP3 Player

[Audio]: Hi, this is Haley again from San Antonio, Texas, and I was calling probably on behalf of many people. Because I have an MP3 player, I don’t have an iPod. It’s hard to find time to listen to your program on the computer when I have such a busy schedule as many people do. How do I either convert or find a way to put it on my MP3 player. It’s, MP3 players can’t use iTunes and that’s what everybody knows you’re available through. It says on your page that you can listen to it on any CD player, computer, or MP3 player. It’s just a question, you can…I don’t know. If you can find some way to tell me, I’d appreciate it. Thank you. I love your show! Bye.

Andrew: Well, this is a good question because everyone assumes that podcasts can only go onto your iPod, and that is not true. Obviously if you’re listening to this, you know how.

Kevin: I would hope. [Laugh]

Andrew: But for those of you who are wondering, it can go on any MP3 player. Just treat it like a normal song. Pretend like…

Ben: Well, I think the problem that she’s having is that she uses iTunes to catch it, because they can’t use iTunes. If you direct download it…

Andrew: Oooh.

Ben: If you direct download it from the site…

Andrew: Right.

Ben: You can just add it to your MP3 player like normal. It has the MP3 file, it’s just…

Andrew: We have a solution for you if you want to continue using iTunes which we do appreciate. All you have to do is got to Start and then My Music or if you are using Mac, you just open up a new finder window and hit Music on the left, click on the folder that says iTunes. Then click on the folder that says iTunes Music, then click on the folder that says podcasts, and each podcast show you subscribe to will have its own folder in there. So, click on MuggleCast, then each Episode you‘ve downloaded is in that folder. So all you have to do is click and drag these into your MP3 playing program. Or you can do the same thing if you’re burning a CD. So right here, they are just like normal songs. They’re MP3s, so all you got to do is drag and drop. Simple. That wraps it up so don’t forget, check in the show notes for the time to call us and we will answer your questions about your HP dilemmas. Anything, but it has to be about HP and we will hang up on you if it‘s not.

[All laugh]

Eric: “OH MY GOD I LOVE THE SHOW!” Click.

Andrew: Don’t waste our time.

Ben: We don’t need to know about your relationship problems.

[All laugh]

Ben: Andrew Sims, don’t be calling in.

[Everyone laughing]

Announcements

Andrew: Okay, okay just a couple quick announcements. As it is just past the holiday season, a lot of new people have gotten iPods. Lot of people got iTunes.

Laura: Myself included.

Andrew: See what I’m saying? Yes, so welcome all new listeners thanks to the holiday season. I just wanted to say welcome, to you, the new holiday listener. And then also, what else? Just a reminder, P.O. Box…

Ben: P.O. Box 223, no

MuggleCast
P.O. Box 223
Moundridge, Kansas, 60107.

We had quite a lot of stuff over the holidays. Quite a few Christmas cards, someone even sent in candy canes. Thank you, Lisa, for sending those candy canes, they are very delicious. I might send them to the other people.

Andrew: You ate them all, admit it.

Ben: I didn’t eat all of them. But someone, let me get a name real quick because this is very remarkable and she definitely deserves a major thank you for sending this to us. Uno memento. Ok, a very big thanks goes to a Katie from Ellicott City, Maryland. And she did her report on Harry Potter versus Christianity, comparing and contrasting it, and how God fits in with Harry Potter and all that stuff. And she sent us all of her old books. Nineteen of them and the box was so heavy I about passed out carrying it to my parents’ car.

[All laugh]

Ben: That’s not the only reason I almost passed out but we can’t go into that.

[Continuing laughter]

Andrew: Oh my god.

Ben: Yeah so. it was a very big box so thank you for sending those to us. Thanks, so continue to send stuff in.

Andrew: We appreciate that.

Ben: I still want a Chipotle gift card.

[Ben and Andrew laugh]

Andrew: And, also thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, to everyone. We’ve gotten a lot of extra emails lately I’ve noticed. A lot of like “I love the show,” blah blah blah.

Laura: Mhm.

Andrew: We thank everyone and a reminder. We are reading every single one of your emails, we just don’t have time to reply to them all. So please…

Laura: We try. We really do.

Andrew: I feel bad cause, yeah, sometimes people send in really long emails and I read them, sometimes a few of us read them, we just don’t have time to reply to them all. So, keep them coming and we really do appreciate all of your support, of course. 2006, guys.

Laura: Yeah.

Andrew: It’s going to be a…

Ben: Great Year.

Andrew: Fun year for…

Dueling Club – McGonagall vs. Umbridge

Eric: So Andrew, why don’t we do a Dueling Club for 2006?

Andrew: Yeah, let’s finish it off with a Dueling Club. Micah, you had an idea.

Micah: Yep. I guess I’m going to start with, how about, Umbridge and McGonagall?

Laura: McGonagall.

Andrew: Oooo.

Eric: Yeah.

Andrew: I wouldn’t even call this a duel, I’d call it a cat fight.

[Laughing and oooing]

Laura: I say McGonagall all the way.

Eric: Yeah.

Micah: Cat fight?

Ben: Yeah because I think Umbridge is very…

Laura: I don’t think that she exhibited much talent. [laughs]

Ben: She doesn’t have much power. For example, if it was, basically she got overtaken by the centaurs. I think McGonagall is in the same situation. First of all she wouldn’t be in that situation, second of all, if somehow she got caught in it, she would be able to fight them off I think, or find a way to escape.

Eric: Well centaurs are very powerful. You know…

Andrew: I’m pretty sure…go ahead.

Eric: Ok. Well, centaurs are very powerful people. I just wanted to say that Umbridge would lose because she’s the kind of person who sits in her chair and gets very angry to herself and fumes, and if there is anything she can do in her power she will do another stupid Educational Decree 21, saying that she has P W Ned McGonagall. You know, that’s how she’d deal with it. But McGonagall said…

Ben: It’s PWN.

Eric: [laughs] McGonagall said to Umbridge that “I’ll train this boy up if it’s the last thing I do, to make sure he’s ready,” and all that crap. McGonagall is dedicated. McGonagall P W N’s Umbridge.

Laura: Not to mention, how many times have we seen Umbridge do anything for herself? She’s always finding minions.

Andrew: I was just going to say. I don’t think she really has experience.

Eric: Yeah.

Laura: No, she doesn’t. She’s incompetent.

Eric: She’d get Goyle.

Andrew: Yeah, so…

Ben: Apparently McGonagall is a pretty powerful witch.

Laura: Oh she is.

Andrew: Yeah.

Ben: Because don’t you remember in Book 5 when she got sucker-punched by all the Stunning Spells from the Ministry. Who was it? Madame Pomfrey said, “No one can take Minerva McGonagall if she…” basically aware of what was happening. Like a real duel, she wasn’t basically sideswiped like in Order of the Phoenix.

Laura: Not to mention she not exactly a spring chicken. And the fact that she was able to take all those and come out of them fine is pretty remarkable.

Hagrid And The Killing Curse

Ben: And about that. About taking spells, I’m not trying to spark a whole new discussion, but we all know that it would take more than one Stupefy to stun Hagrid. Would it take more than one Avada Kedavra to kill Hagrid, do you think?

Eric: No.

Kevin: I don’t think so.

Eric: No.

Andrew: I don’t think so. A Killing Curse is a Killing Curse, he’d be dead.

Eric: Hagrid in many ways, even though he’s loving, Hagrid in many ways is incompetent in certain ways. Because he’s only been through what? Two years of school, or so, so there is some things that even students would have over him and that‘s just based on whatever. Avada Kedavra killed probably many good Aurors. Avada Kedavra is good enough to kill the best of people so I think…

Ben: Right, but I’m just talking about the sheer size of Hagrid.

Laura: Well, it’s also been mentioned that giant’s skin is also sort of a repellent. It bounces spells off of it.

Kevin: Yeah, but do you think it gets rid of all spells?

Laura: I don’t know. It depends on if the spells are at a higher level than what a Stupefy spell would be. I think it’s possible that they are because it requires so much hate to cast one.

Kevin: Yeah.

Laura: And I think if you have enough hate to cast Avada Kedavra…

Ben: Yeah, but…

Laura: Then it’s very possible that that could do Hagrid in.

Eric: You know…

Ben: Yeah, but Hagrid still is, what we have to realize here is that Hagrid is half a magical creature and…

Laura: Mhm.

Ben: That, that may play a part too because…

Laura: Yeah, definitely.

Ben: Do you think that if they try to Avada Kedavra a dragon, it wouldn’t work? I guarantee you one couldn’t take down a dragon. I don’t care if it’s Lord Voldemort, the most powerful wizard…

Eric: No, Ben you’re wrong, you know why?

Ben: The most powerful wizard of the age. They couldn’t take down a dragon with one spell?

Eric: Ben. I disagree with you for two reasons. If there were a magical creature whose skin was thick enough or size was big enough to repel Avada Kedavra, they would start selling Hagrid skin coats.

Kevin: Yeah that’s true.

Eric: Or Hagrid skin vests.

Kevin: And everyone would have dragon scale armor or something like that.

Laura: That’s true.

Andrew: Yeah.

Eric: Yeah, if it could.

Micah: Good point.

Eric: If Hagrid, even though Hagrid’s big, he’s a big guy, he’s a big physical creature, he is still only one life. One person, one soul, kind of like that so…

Ben: I think it would be kind of ridiculous to think that if you shoot an Avada Kedavra spell at a dragon that it’s going to drop dead.

Laura: Yeah, but we don’t exactly know how dragons take spells anyhow. The only thing we’ve ever heard is that their weakness is their eyes.

Ben: And we don’t know how…

Laura: That was from Goblet of Fire, that’s the only thing we know.

Eric: Yeah, but if Hagrid could be killed…

Ben: But we don’t know how exactly how if you buy a dragon skin vest or something that…

Kevin: Or the creature itself, yeah.

Ben: The skin is what’s repelling the spell. I think it’s the creature itself and the size. Just the sheer size of the body of the person because, for example, if I was to take a baseball bat and whack Kevin Steck upside the head…

[All laugh]

Ben: It would be a lot more like, a steel bat, it would be more likely to kill him than…

Kevin: A bear.

Ben: If it was a big…

Kevin: A bear [laughs].

Ben: A big dragon or something.

Eric: Ben, forgive my French, but where the hell do you get this stuff?

Ben: It’s the amount of force…

Laura: I think everyone’s bringing up valid points here and that would be a good question to ask Jo.

Kevin: Let’s ask Jo.

Andrew: Dear, Jo. Hi, it’s Andrew.

Kevin: We have a problem.

Laura: Let’s call her up right now.

Andrew: I was wondering if…

Laura: Let’s Skype out Jo.

Andrew: No, Jo listens to this show so I’m sure she’ll answer it for us.

[All laugh]

Andrew: Thanks, girlfriend.

[Laura laughing]

Ben: Okay.

Andrew: Ummm…

Micah: Did we want to do anyone else?

Ben: Who else?

Andrew: 46 minutes.

Ben: Fred versus George. Is that a good one?

Andrew: Yeah sure.

Laura: Do we even know enough about their individual magical abilities?

Ben: No, we don’t. I don’t think we have because…

Micah: The two…

Kevin: Yeah.

Ben: They’ve always been referred to as one.

Kevin: Basically a square match.

Laura: Yeah. They’re both pretty clever.

Dueling Club – The Two Ministers

Micah: What about the two Ministers? Do we have enough to go on with those two?

Eric: Yeah, because Scrimgeour can kick ass.

Andrew: Not Scrimgeour.

Eric: Fudge doesn’t do anything. Fudge hides everything from the public and he’s incompetent and he runs out to Dumbledore everyday because he doesn’t know what to do.

Ben: Right.

Laura: He sucks, just to be frank.

Ben: Actually Scrimgeour would win because didn’t he use to be the Head of…

Laura: I would say Scrimgeour would win just because he…

Eric: Scrimgeour would totally kick his butt.

Laura: Scrimgeour, like Fudge, is very focused on the all is well facade, but I think he still has more experience and more talent than Fudge.

Eric: Fudge is an all is well person because he sees that as reality. Scrimgeour has been through too much crap to not realize life isn’t like that and he can handle himself. You know, Fudge is like “Oh Voldemort can’t be back, that’s just not happening because it’s happy times.”

Laura: Yeah but Scrimgeour was trying to get Harry to come and tell everyone that everything’s okay. That’s what he was trying to do the whole book and that’s not what needs to happen. People need to understand the reality.

Ben: Right, but that doesn’t have anything to do with dueling.

Laura: Yeah, I’m just saying, like Fudge, he’s kind of a liar, but I think he’s far more competent than Fudge is.

Eric: Yeah.

Ben: Well he’s self-absorbed with the Ministry and basically his self interest, what’s going to make him look good.

Eric: Yeah.

Ben: Because Harry Potter basically went against Cornelius Fudge and said, “Publish the stories in the Quibbler,” and all that said Fudge is an idiot. And look how good it would be for Scrimgeour’s PR, Harry Potter saying how good he was…

Laura: Oh, exactly.

Ben: On his own side.

Eric: Scrimgeour is a politician and that’s what you have to remember about him.

Andrew: Yeah.

Eric: Which is why he’s self-absorbed and like that. And maybe not all politicians are like this but you got to realize that’s who he is. But in a fight, he’s definitely more competent.

Laura: Oh I agree. 100 percent.

Kevin: I think quite a few people are more competent than Fudge.

Show Close

Andrew: So on that note, I think this does wrap up the first, aw sure why not, call it the first Podcast of 2006. Ever.

Ben: The first Harry Potter Podcast for sure.

Andrew: Well, that’s for sure. [laughs] Well, we just insulted our friends over at PotterCast.

Laura: Do you think they are going to try and do it too? I think they will.

Ben: No, they couldn’t touch this.

[All laugh]

Andrew: Yeah, no way.

Ben: We’re MuggleNet, no one can touch us.

Andrew: [laughs] And last but not least, Goblet of Fire Soundtrack winners. These are the people that entered our contest that we announced on Episode 19 and they guessed the songs we played quick samples of in the correct order. The correct order was The Black Lake, This is the Night, The Quidditch World Cup, Rita Skeeter, and Neville’s Waltz. And the winners were, I’m doing it just by first name: Chris, Lynn, Missy, David, Shay, Nicholas, Darcy, Amanda, Fay, Donovan, Perak, John, Raffia, Jennifer, and Violent Midget. That’s a weird one. You’ve all been notified by email so congratulations. And sorry if I pronounced your name wrong. For right now, I’m Andrew Sims.

Ben: I am Ben Schoen.com.

Eric: I am Eric Scull.

Kevin: I’m Kevin Steck.

Laura: I’m Laura Thompson.

Micah: And I’m Micah Tannenbaum.

Andrew: We will see you next week for Episode 23.

Laura: Happy New Year!

Andrew: Yeah, Happy New Year!

Micah: Happy New Year!

Andrew: And welcome all you iPod listeners again. I love you guys.

[Show ends with “Auld Lang Syne” performed by Bruce Springsteen]

Comments

[Soothing music begins playing]

[Audio]: Hey MuggleCast, this is Katie calling from Maine and I love your Podcast. I listen to it every Monday. When I come home, I always update it onto my iPod and I listen to it before I go to bed. And I’d just like to say, Jamie I’m so glad you’re back. I love your British Jokes. And for Andrew I am obsessed with your “yeahs” and “all rights.” I think they are hilarious so keep up the good work you guys. Bye.

[Audio]: Hi this is Matthew, I want to give a shout out to Andrew Sims and I love Harry Potter! I can’t wait until the next movie.

[Audio]: This is J.W. from…and I just wanted to say that I was listening to you show on my CD player and I stopped and still heard it, and I looked next to me and there is someone else listening to MuggleCast. And I hear this cell phone number and I call it, and it is MuggleCast. I’m like whatever you know? It’s crazy. I’m listening to 19 and just about 20 so whatever. You guys have a great show. Bye.

[Audio]: Hello, this is Haley from Texas. I was just calling to say that I am very upset that Bemma was cancelled. I love listening to Ben go on and on about Emma and if you could give him 60 seconds to say whatever he wants, I think many fans would greatly appreciate it. And I love your show. And I love all of you. And um yeah, thanks. Bye!

[Audio]: Hey. Really good idea. Excellent! Can you put me on? I’m Andrew’s Dad. That would be awesome.

[Audio]: Beeeeen. I love Ben. Ben is my favorite. [makes girly squeaky noises] I love Ben. Out of them Ben is my favorite. Ben. Ben, Ben, Ben, Ben, Ben. Do not date Emma. Emma’s nothing compared to me, she’s nothing! Okay? Emma is nothing! She’s a skinny little brat! I am your queen. Buh-bye!

[Audio]: Hi. Oh this is so loud. Hello MuggleNet, this is Kate and Lauren from Tennessee and we would like [someone talking in the background] Hi again. Hi MuggleCast, this is Kate from Tennessee and I just wanted to say that Micah looks like Jake Gyllenhaal. Especially in his picture on the About Us page and – okay, bye!

[Soothing music stops playing]

Andrew And Ben Sing, U2 Style

[Sung to the tune of U2’s “City of Blinding Lights”]

Andrew: The more we read the more we know. The more we find out as we go. I know so much more now than I did then.

Ben: MuggleCast is the best thing. Each episode makes me want to sing. They’re analyzing everything for people like us.

Ben and Andrew: And I wish you’d stick around.

Ben: There are so many theories to be found.

Andrew: Ooooo. Ooooo. Oh it’s fun to analyze [laughs] all night.

Ben and Andrew: In a world of Potterites.

Ben: Potter jokes make us laugh. We want Harry’s autograph. Finding clues and brand new theories. Make us want to squee.

Andrew: Book 7 makes us afraid. What will happen to the world we’ve made? Can you see the beauty in HP? Nothing could change the beauty of HP.

Ben: And I wish you could stick around. There are so many more theories to be found.

Andrew: Oooooo. Oooooo. Oh it’s fun to analyze all night.

Ben and Andrew: In a world of Potterites.

Ben: Time. Time. Time. We’re stuck here waiting again. Time. When will it be time for HP 7?

Andrew: Oh it’s fun to analyze all night.

Ben: Oh you don’t need sleep right. Oh it’s fun to analyze all night.

Andrew: In a world of Potterites.

Ben: The more we read the more we schpiel. Wishing Hogwarts was real. Harry Potter isn’t just for nerds. We should know. [laughing]

[Singing ends]

Andrew: That’s pretty long.

Ben: It was six minutes.

Andrew: Haha, yeah. Okay.

Bloopers

Andrew: Okay.

Ben: Well guys I’m proud of us. I’m really seriously proud of us.

Laura: Yeah. This was good.

Ben: Yep, that was really good.

Eric: Wait…

Andrew: I just said to myself…

[All laugh]

Ben: Audacity just froze. I am not kidding. I am not kidding.

Eric: Yes he is.

Laura: If you’re screwing with me, I’m going to kill you.

Ben: Okay. [laughs]

Laura: My heart just froze.

Andrew: Yeah, I changed my mind about taking a break next week. How could we give up this for a week?

Kevin: I know.

Andrew: How could we possibly stop this for a week? Apparently I’m the only one. [laughs]

Laura: No, I couldn’t either. It’s become part of my life…that’s really sad. [laughs]

Andrew: Okay.

Laura: My parents would like it if we took a week off.

Andrew: Well, Laura, we’re going to build you a studio, we just don’t know when.

[All laugh]

Laura: Ah, that’d be great.

Andrew: Once we start making some money.

————————————————————-

Andrew: Ben, how are we going to do this?

Ben: Here, let’s talk it out and we’ll record it later.

Andrew: Why?

Ben: It’ll take like ten minutes.

Andrew: Why can’t we do it right now?

Ben: I don’t want to do it right now.

Andrew: Why not?

Ben: Because I need to get a drink and…

Andrew: Come on.

Ben: Relax my voice.

Andrew: I need an audience. Let’s just practice right now, please? Come on, come on.

Ben: No, stop the audio. Stop the audio.

Andrew: I really want to sing.

Ben: No, we’ll do it in a little bit. Yeah, stop recording.

Andrew: Yeah. Fine, I’ll stop.

———————–

Written by: Micah and Ally