MuggleCast EP28 Transcript
Intro
Andrew [Show Intro with music in background]: M-M-MuggleCast 28 for February 19th, 2006. GoDaddy hosting plans are now more powerful than ever. Best of all plans start at just $3.95 per month. No matter what plan you choose your site receives 24/7 maintenance and protection in the GoDaddy.com world-class data center. I use them for my personal website, AndrewSimz.com and I know that GoDaddy has some of the best, affordable hosting plans online. I recommend you use them for your upcoming website or podcast, because as a MuggleCast listener, enter the code MUGGLE, that’s M-U-G-G-L-E when you checkout, and save an additional 10% on any order. Get your piece of the Internet today at GoDaddy.com.
Hello, everyone! And welcome to another edition of MuggleCast. This is the show where we bring you the latest in Harry Potter news, theories, discussions, recipes – whatever you want. All bundled into a little hour of your time. I’m Andrew Sims.
Kevin: I’m Kevin Steck.
Laura: I’m Laura Thompson.
Andrew: And joining us this week for the first time ever, Laura is excited because it is another girl on the show.
Laura: Yes!
Andrew: Rachel Godoy – MuggleNet content extraordinaire. Welcome, Rachel!
Rachel: [laughs] Thank you very much!
Andrew: Now, Laura. It was Rachel’s turn to talk.
Rachel: Wait, that’s me.
Laura: No, that was Rachel.
Kevin: Oh! Oh!
Andrew: [laughs] You guys sound a little alike. That’s okay. It’s cool.
Laura: No, we don’t.
Rachel: Okay, everyone says that.
Laura: Guys, write to Andrew – andrew at staff – and tell him…
Kevin: Yes, you do.
Andrew: Okay…
Laura: …Rachel and I do not sound alike.
Andrew: On second thought, please don’t.
[Everyone laughs]
Kevin: Who was that talking?
Laura: Be quiet!
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: I couldn’t even tell. I’m kidding! Before we go anywhere else, first let’s check in with Micah for the past week’s top Harry Potter news stories.
News
Micah: Thanks, Andrew.
Some Order of the Phoenix casting news: Afshan Azad, the actress who plays Padma Patil, has now confirmed in an interview
with Manchester Online that she’s coming back for the fifth movie. Her twin sister, Parvati Patil, will be played by
Shefali Chowdhury. And John Cleese, the actor who portrayed Nearly Headless Nick in the first two films
has been rumored to be returning for Order of the Phoenix, but nothing has yet been confirmed.
Evanna Lynch’s mother and sister sat down with a local radio show in Ireland to discuss the casting process Evanna went
through to be cast as Luna Lovegood and her personality in general. You can listen to the five-minute interview over on MuggleNet.com.
Speaking of movies, for our international audience a list of release dates have been posted on
MuggleNet.com for when the Goblet of Fire DVD will be released in various countries across the globe.
Don’t forget voting for the 2006 AOL Moviefone Moviegoer Awards is still open.
Nominations are in the areas of Movie of the Year (Goblet of Fire), Actor of the Year (Dan Radcliffe),
Actress of the Year (Emma Watson), Best Scene-Stealer (Brendan Gleeson), and Vilest Villain (Ralph Fiennes).
The winners will be announced February 28th.
The written version of the Black Family Tree that JK Rowling recently donated to Book Aid International will go up for auction
this Tuesday, February 21st. The Italian newspaper La Repubblica has now published a complete photo of the
Tree which includes more details on the family. At JKR’s request, some parts have been blurred so as not to give
away too much information.
And the Spanish translation of Half-Blood Prince will be released this Thursday, February 23rd at 12:30 PM EST.
Finally, an official announcement was made last week that our next Leaky Mug Live podcast is set for July 29th
with a tentative 6:30 PM start time, at the JW Marriott in Las Vegas, Nevada. Attendees who are registered for Lumos 2006
will be given seating preference at the event.
That’s all the news for this February 19th, 2006 edition of MuggleCast. Back to the show.
Andrew: All right, thank you, Micah Tan.
Announcements
Andrew: First of all, let’s welcome Kevin Steck back to the show, he’s been off for two weeks. Where have you…
Kevin: Two weeks? You mean like what? Three or four now?
Andrew: Uhhh, maybe three weeks. Well, you haven’t done voicemails for two weeks.
Kevin: Yeah, that’s true.
Andrew: Where have you been, Mr. Steck?
Kevin: I’ve been busy with school. I’ve been…
Andrew: Pfffffhhhhh!!!
Kevin: …overwhelmed. I’m sorry, it’s true.
Andrew: [laughs] School.
Kevin: Yeah
Andrew: Okay, moving on.
Kevin: I’m taking…I’m taking 20 credits. You have to give me some leeway here.
Andrew: Okay, moving on to some announcements. Now, as we have said recently, registration for Lumos is running out and now it is completely sold out. The convention is 100% filled up. That means that we are going to be in for a lot of fun. But one important thing to remember is that if you still want to go to the LIVE podcast that we’re going to be doing at Lumos , Las Vegas, 2006 at the end of July – you can still come and see the show, but it is going to be a first-come, first-serve basis for those that registered. Then they are going to let those who haven’t registered. Don’t forget that we are going to post a page very soon with all the latest info about MuggleCast Live in Las Vegas on MuggleCast.com. That will be in a few weeks.
In other news, the “Create Your Own MuggleCast Segment” is now closed. We received 20-30 entries. We haven’t listened to them yet. Basically, people created their own MuggleCast segments and the best one, chosen by us, will be aired on our show. And runners-up will be aired later on. We might put a whole show together of just user-submitted segments. The winner will be announced next week on Episode 29 (that’s the February 26th show) and the winners will be receiving a MuggleCast T-shirt. Everyone who participated in creating the segment will receive a MuggleCast T-shirt and will have their segment aired, like I already said. And, Laura?
Laura: I just wanted to give a shout out to Noah from Georgia who sent me his band’s, I believe it is their first CD, the Warp Tones. And I just wanted to say Noah I had a great time listening to your CD. It’s… All the songs are on my iPod and I just think it is really cool you’re doing something like this. You guys have exhibited loads of potential and talent and I am looking forward to seeing where you go. So, good job. The reason that came so late (because you sent it in December) is because Ben can’t manage the PO Box. So, I apologize on Ben’s behalf.
[Kevin and Andrew laugh]
Andrew: That’s why he’s not here this week, Laura. I punished him for you.
[Everyone laughs]
Laura: Yeah, good. [laughs] He’s in the corner right now.
Kevin: No, he’s… No, he’s in mailroom, sorting all the mail for five months.
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: And one last thing. We’ve been getting a lot of e-mails on this. And there is some concern. On HarryPotter.com, a few of you noticed if you mouse over “Media” there’s a new button that says “Podcast.”
Kevin: Uhhh.
Laura: Mmmm.
Andrew: Which suggests, and which we now is to be a…
Kevin: [coughs] Rip off!
Andrew: Harry Potter podcast…[laughs]…that is being developed by Warner Bros. We got e-mails from people saying, “Well, what the heck? Are you guys going to cancel your show now?”
Laura: NO!
Andrew: And the answer is… Well, I was going say, “Yes!” But, if you don’t want to, then, “No!”
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: No, we are not going to cancel the show. It will still be just as exciting as ever. Honestly, I think we should be flattered that WB is doing a podcast because between MuggleCast and PotterCast, we have created quite the Harry Potter podcasting phenomenon.
Kevin: Yeah.
Andrew: And without all the shows that have been created, I don’t think Warner Bros. would have ever considered it.
Laura: Yeah, I think there was definitely some influence there.
Andrew: Yeah.
Kevin: A tad bit.
Andrew: Now, what are they going to have on the show? [laughs] Probably some good stuff.
Kevin: Yeah. I would guess interviews and stuff like that. How are they going to approach it? Do you think they will have adults host or kids host?
Andrew: Oh, it will definitely be adult hosts.
Kevin: Are you sure?
Andrew: Yeah, Who are they going to have do it?
Kevin: They could have, they could be like the Disney Channel where they get all the kids to like, do all the reporting.
Laura: Oh my god. The Mickey Mouse club.
Andrew: Yeah, but the Disney podcasts aren’t hosted by children.
Kevin: Oh, that’s true.
Andrew: Yeah. [laughs]
Kevin: Because they’re unreliable. [laughs]
Andrew: Yeah. [laughs]
Laura: Yeah, like Andrew.
Andrew: They should have asked us. We would have done it.
Kevin: [Whining like a child] I don’t want to do a podcast!
Andrew: Yeah.
[Laura laughs]
Andrew: But seriously, we look forward to seeing what they are going to be doing. We don’t think it is going to be, well, I don’t think it’s going to be like a weekly thing.
Laura: No.
Andrew: I think it’s going to be like a nice Order of the Phoenix promotional podcast. I’m sure they’ll… Yeah, they’ll have interviews like someone else just said.
Kevin: That was me.
Laura: But it’s not like every show is going to be hosted by Harry Potter stars.
Andrew: Yeah.
Kevin: Yeah.
Andrew: And the effect on MuggleCast will be very minimal. We’re kind of hoping that they are going to have another section that says “Other Harry Potter Podcasts” and we’re going to be right there.
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: Please Warner Bros.! Pllleeeaaassseee!!!
[Kevin sighs]
Andrew: We will link back to you, I promise!
Laura: You know we love you!
Andrew: Yeah. Now, so we look forward to that. Thank you for your concern though, but we’ll be okay.
We have got a lot on the show this week, including the return of voicemails.
Kevin: Thanks to me.
Andrew: Thanks to Kevin.
Laura: Finally!
Andrew: I didn’t want to blame you, but if you insist, we will.
[Kevin laughs, then sighs]
Main Discussion – Minerva McGonagall
Andrew: But first let’s get to our Main Discussion this week, which is our continuing discussion on a specific character in the Harry Potter series. This week is Minerva McGonagall. So, so some basic info here.
She is 71 years old according to the official Harry Potter timeline. She is a member of the Gryffindor House. And her distinguishable characteristics: her square-framed glasses and her black hair pulled back severely into a bun. She is a registered Animagus, with her animal form being a tabby cat. Now, let’s get on to some questions that we have thought up here. A few of these were submitted by Terri, who suggested doing McGonagall in a future episode. So, thank you to her.
Here, Kitty
Andrew: One of the first questions is: What is her purpose as an Animagus? We saw it in Sorcerer’s Stone; she was spying on Harry and the Dursleys.
Laura: Yeah, but was that her specific purpose? I mean, I doubt she became an Animagus just to do that.
Andrew: No, no.
Rachel: Right.
Andrew: I’m saying one purpose that she’s found of it is to be able to spy.
Laura: Mhm. Well, yeah.
Kevin: But her purpose as an Animagus, like, I mean, I don’t think anyone becomes an Animagus with a single purpose in mind.
Laura: Yeah. I think it’s just a general thing.
Kevin: I think it’s more for the…
[Rachel laughs]
Kevin: Yeah, it’s more for the ability than the…
Andrew: Well, why can she use this ability? For spying. Anything else?
Kevin: I don’t know. It seems like a bizarre question. There’s multiple purposes.
Laura: I just think it would be… [laughs]
Kevin: It’s her.
Laura: Yeah, I don’t think there was any specific purpose she had in mind. It’s just helpful.
Name Origins: Minerva
Andrew: What are her characteristic ties to the goddess Minerva?
Laura: Well, we know that Minerva was the goddess of crafts and wisdom and she is also known as the warrior goddess. Zeus is her father, which suggests that whomever her father was might have some sort of high place in power, or had – I doubt he’s alive anymore. But, he could have been high up in the wizarding world. We also know, and this was kind of something that I found interesting, the goddess Minerva assisted hero the Perseus (I believe that is how you pronounce it) to kill the Medusa. And basically she told Perseus to look at Medusa’s reflection so that he could behead her, which I found kind of interesting because of the whole tie to the whole Basilisk and stuff. Even though Minerva didn’t have anything to do with that. And Perseus gave the head to Minerva and she used it on her shield to turn her enemies to stone. And I kind of attributed that to the fact that Minerva sort of has this expression that when she puts it on, the students kind of freeze because they are all a little bit intimidated by her.
Andrew: Maggie Smith does a good job of this in the movies. I think she was a perfect choice for the role.
Laura: I agree.
Kevin: Yeah, I do too. I think…
Andrew: She has that eye.
Kevin: And she’s like one of those people that they actually got correct. You know?
Laura: Mhm.
Kevin: Like not many people had complaints about her.
Andrew: Well, not many people… They got most of the characters correct. Nobody really complains about the characters.
Kevin: I don’t know if they got everyone correct.
Laura: Mmmm. I see a lot of complaining.
Kevin: Yeah.
Andrew: Really?
Laura: Especially about the Trio. Lots of Trio complaints.
Andrew: Well, we will have to save that for another episode.
Pureblood?
Andrew: Now, is she a pureblood?
Kevin: Oooh.
Andrew: Is there any proof behind it?
Laura: I don’t remember them saying anything.
Kevin: I don’t think they’ve ever mentioned it. Yeah, and would that really matter?
Laura: I think a lot of people tend to assume that Minerva and others like her are pureblood just because they just have such a knowledge of the wizarding world, and they tend to dress like wizards. But I don’t think that would matter, because if she’s 71, and she was Muggleborn, she would have picked up the wizarding habits by now. So, I don’t know if we can now for sure.
Rachel: Should it matter?
Laura: I don’t think it matters.
Rachel: I don’t think it should matter if she’s pureblood or not. [laughs] In my honest opinion.
Andrew: Not really. I mean…
Laura: No, no unless you’re Draco Malfoy.
Rachel: No, exactly. If you were that kind, then yeah, it does matter. But…
Laura: I think that, like Hermione, it just, it doesn’t matter because Hermione is one of the best witches in school, yet she’s Muggleborn. So, I think it just goes to show that it doesn’t matter what your background is.
Rachel: Exactly.
Teaching In December
Andrew: Now, one question that someone asked was, she’s mentioned to have been teaching at Hogwarts, in Order of the Phoenix, “39 years this December.” And the question is, why would she start teaching in December? By… But… My initial thought is, “Well, another teacher just dropped out or something happened.”
Kevin: Yeah.
Laura: Yeah.
Rachel: Yeah.
Andrew: It was probably no big deal.
Kevin: It’s probably no big deal, but it’s possibly a big deal. [laughs] You know what I mean? That could be one of those things that she’s saving for another time. Maybe in the war or something that happened. I don’t know. I mean it’s sort of like Dumbledore and what’s that other wizard’s name?
Laura: Grindelwald?
Kevin: Grindelwald. You know? She mentioned it, but never mentioned it again, and it’s supposed to be a big deal. So…
Laura: Well, do we know if Dumbledore went straight from being the Transfiguration teacher to headmaster?
Kevin: No, we don’t. We don’t really know if…
Laura: Because if that’s what happened then it’s always possible that he just became headmaster mid-term.
Rachel: Hmmm, that’s a possibility.
Kevin: Did that happen around the same time as Grindywald? Grindelwald? I can’t even pronounce it.
Laura: He defeated Grindelwald in 1945, correct? I think that that’s around the same time that Tom Riddle went to Hogwarts.
Kevin: That could be possible, though, as well. There could be a parallel between that. But, I don’t know. I think it’s like Andrew said: the most likely situation…
Laura: …scenario is that another teacher left.
Kevin: Yeah. Exactly. Or died or something happened to him.
Laura: But there’s always room for speculation.
Kevin: For all we know, that other teacher was Grindelwald.
Laura: Oooo! I like that.
Kevin:: Oooo!
Lacking Order
Andrew: She’s not in the photograph that Moody shows Harry in Order of the Phoenix. Uh, it’s a picture of the original Order of the Phoenix. Now why couldn’t she have been working in the first war and why is she in the Order now? I don’t think in Order of the Phoenix, we really saw much participation from her.
Laura: Well, she was showing up at meetings and stuff.
Kevin: Yeah, but that’s a lot like Hagrid as well. Because we didn’t see any participation…
Laura: Mhm.
Andrew: Yeah.
Kevin: But for all we know she was one of the most active members. You know?
Laura:: Mhm.
Andrew: And Hagrid seems like a good go-to guy. Like for simple tasks.
Kevin: Yeah, but…but…my point is, is that people make assumptions that just because we didn’t see them actively participating in certain Order tasks, means that they weren’t, you know what I mean?
Laura: Also, I think that she keeps a close eye on it because if you remember in Order of the Phoenix, when Hedwig got hurt and Harry took her out of whichever class he was in — I think it was History of Magic — and he ran into McGonagall and she was basically telling him, you know, giving him the hint that owls were being intercepted and stuff and that Umbridge had probably been the one that injured her trying to intercept the letter.
Kevin: And I’ve always imagined McGonagall as sort of like Dumbledore’s heir, like the one where he passes down all his stuff to. You know what I mean?
Laura: Mhm.
Role Reversal
Kevin: Sort of like, Dumbledore’s her mentor. Maybe I’m getting that incorrectly. You know? It’s… I just get that feeling from her.
Andrew: No, it made sense. I mean, what was everyone’s initial thoughts when Dumbledore died? Who was going to take over? McGonagall. It’s the perfect choice.
Kevin: Exactly.
Andrew: Yeah, so…
Laura: Except for those of us who think Dumbledore’s still alive. Andrew?
Andrew: No, I’m still mixed on that. I’m still mixed on that.
Laura: Oh! Okay. I don’t think that… I think that a lot people will try to look at that and say, “Oh, she was a Death Eater” and all this other stuff. I think…
Rachel: Oh no. No. [laughs]
Kevin: Wait a second, she was not a Death Eater. Anyone who says that is…
Laura: I think it’s just…. No, no, no. I think it’s… Well, whenever I think about the first war, I almost think about in the same sense as the second war where either people didn’t know or didn’t believe that Voldemort was around. It could just be a lack of information.
Kevin: Well, it could also be that she was just dealing with her own problems. I mean, it was a war so everyone was on one side or the other, you know? You were either the…
Laura: Or, you know, she might not have been there when they took the picture. She could have been off doing something important. We don’t know.
Kevin: That’s true, yeah.
Andrew: And, I mean, she must have known Dumbledore, because as we just stated a few minutes ago, she had taught for thirty-nine years and that would have been way before the first war.
Kevin: Yeah.
Andrew: So then the next question is what will her role in the Order become now that Dumbledore is gone? I’d imagine she’d, well, she could step up, but on the other hand, now she has a school to run.
Kevin: Yeah, but at the same time, that’s what Dumbledore did.
Laura: I’m not sure who I could see taking Dumbledore’s place, you know?
Kevin: You don’t think it’s McGonagall?
Laura: No, no, no, no, no. I’m saying in the Order…
Kevin: In the Order or at the school?
Andrew: Oh, in the Order.
Laura: In the Order.
Kevin: Oh.
Laura: I’m not sure who I could see taking that lead command position.
Kevin: I’ve honestly always seen, like, Lupin there, to be honest. Just because he’s one of the only Order members that is able to pull himself out of “the real world,” kind of, because of his affliction, so it enables him to have more time to devote to the Order, you know?
Laura: I also think the Order is going to become more of a group leadership effort, if you know what I mean. Like, I don’t see it having one specific head person anymore.
Andrew: That’s true. Although, I was thinking Dumbledore could have made it clear who would take over.
Laura: He might have.
Andrew: In the event that someone died…he died.
Laura: I’m sure he has some kind of will or something along those lines.
Kevin: Yeah, I think…I think I’ve said that before. I mean, I doubt he just left them sitting in the dust.
Laura: Yeah, I think he knew that there was a great possibility that he could die.
Andrew: But no, Laura, I think you made a good point. I think it would make sense for them all to become a team rather than having just a leader.
Laura: And that might be what they need.
McGonagall and Dumbledore
Andrew: Let’s talk a little bit more about McGonagall and Dumbledore because in the first chapter on Privet Drive, she seems a little out of the loop when finding out any information from Dumbledore. But then she’s surprised that Dumbledore recognized her in Animagus form. Dumbledore’s like, “Minerva.” And she‘s like, “Whoa, how’d you know?” So how close, or distant, is their relationship together? I think in the beginning, in Harry’s first year, it definitely wasn’t as close as it is now.
Rachel: Yeah.
Laura: I think it’s definitely something that developed because of Harry.
Andrew: She’s Head of House, he’s head of school, so of course…
Kevin: And is that possibly…maybe that’s a possible reason for why she wasn’t in the Order at the time of the first war. Because if their relationship was strained…
Laura: Yeah, because Dumbledore seemed to be…
Kevin: Yeah, it’s possible that….
Laura: Recruiting people that he knew well.
Andrew: And in each book she really steps it up, in handling, like, Chamber of Secrets. I’m not referring to the book, I’m referring to the actual problem with the Chamber of Secrets. All these people being petrified, and she steps up.
Kevin: Yeah.
Andrew: And this continued throughout the rest of the series and none of this really happened until Harry got there…any of these big events. So, yeah, they absolutely could have bonded together.
Laura: Well, that could go straight into the whole theory that, you know, do Dumbledore and McGonagall, do they have some sort of romantic interest in one another?
Rachel: Oh no. I doubt it.
Andrew: I doubt it.
Laura: I don’t think so but I know a lot of people like the pairing.
Andrew: It was an office relationship.
Rachel: No.
Laura: Yeah, I think so too.
Rachel: I don’t think so, no. [laughs]
Laura: Yeah.
[Andrew laughs]
Laura: But I’ve actually seen quite a few fan fictions on that topic.
[Rachel and Laura laugh]
Kevin: Wow.
Andrew: And what…
[Everyone laughs]
Kevin: Let’s get off that topic very fast.
Andrew: Rachel is blown away. She can’t…
Rachel: Oh yeah.
Andrew: …imagine it. So what have we seen from her in terms of magical ability? Besides her Animagus transformation.
Kevin: Well, she was fighting the Death Eaters.
Laura: Stunned. She got stunned five times in the chest. And even Madam Pin…uh, who was it…Madam Pomfrey. Excuse me, I was thinking of the librarian for a moment. Um, she said that it wasn’t every aging wizard that could take that many spells in the chest and come away from it. So I think she’s definitely…
Andrew: Oh.
Laura: …pretty powerful.
Rachel: Also, I also think that the reason that McGonagall is so powerful is because her relationship with Dumbledore. You’ve got to learn a thing or two from him, I guess, you would assume so…
Andrew: Yeah, everybody does.
Laura: I agree.
Rachel: Yeah, so I think that’s pretty much the reason why she’s gotten…she’s a pretty strong wizard because of that. She’s been with Dumbledore for quite some time now so she’s developed as their relationships developed, I guess.
Laura: Mhm.
Rachel: You would think.
Laura: I’m sure he’s shown her a thing or two.
Devotion to Harry
Andrew: So she seems very devoted to Harry throughout the series. Any particular reason for this? Laura?
Laura: I think it’s because she was…she showed a considerate amount of sympathy at the fact that the Potters had been murdered and I think that just being their teacher and seeing what kind of struggles their son has to go through. I think she wants to facilitate any of his dreams, goals, whatever she can.
Kevin: Well, I was just going to say that she seems like one of those all around nice people. So, it just seems like she sympathizes with his situation. I don’t think it’s any particular love of Harry, you know what I mean? Like…
Andrew: Yeah, that’s true.
Kevin: She’s built…
Andrew: She’s very motherly.
Kevin: Exactly. She’s built a relationship with but I don’t think the initial, you know, helping was for the fact that he was Harry Potter. You know, she just sympathized with his situation.
Andrew: She’d be that way, in other words, she’d be that way with any other character.
Kevin: Exactly, yeah. Yeah.
Rachel: You think?
Andrew: Well, in her House at least.
Rachel: I wouldn’t think so.
Andrew: In her House?
Rachel: Yeah, like I think her devotion to Harry, it mirrors maybe her relationships towards the Potters. But I can’t really see her being that way towards Ron or even Hermione. I don’t know, it just seems it’s something she’d only do for Harry, in my opinion.
Laura: Well, and I think that she was fairly fond of them when they were at school.
Rachel: Yeah. They were, exactly.
Laura: When she found out they were dead, she said “Lily and James…I can’t believe it.” But she called them by their first names, it wasn’t a last name basis like she tends to refer to her students as.
Kevin: Yeah, but I still see her as a person who, if any other student had their parents killed she’d still be just as sympathetic and helpful.
Laura: I think she’s sympathetic, but at the same time she treats Harry like another student.
Kevin: I mean, look at Neville.
Laura: Mhm.
Kevin: Well, now that she built the relationship, yes, but what I’m saying is initially. When she first met Harry, I think that she…if it was anyone else, she’d be just as sympathetic.
Laura: Well, I think that she would definitely have some sympathy towards the person, but even if they were anyone else, they aren’t the Boy Who Lived. And they aren’t the Chosen One. Harry is and he’s got even a larger burden then anyone else who’s lost their parents because he’s the one who has to defeat Voldemort.
Kevin: I guess I just believe she sees past that.
Laura: I think she would definitely be helpful in giving other students guidance.
Kevin: Well, I think she’d be helpful as acting as a motherly figure towards anyone who has lost their parents. That’s what I’m saying.
Laura: She’d definitely be a stern motherly figure. She does it without being…
Kevin: Oh, absolutely.
Laura: …unprofessional in a teacher’s sense.
Kevin; Exactly, but that’s what I’m saying. I believe she’s all professional in a sense that she offers sympathy when sympathy is required.
Laura: Mhm.
Kevin: And if someone else lost both their parents, she’d treat them the same way as she treated Harry the first time.
Rachel: I still stand by my word that McGonagall, I don’t know, is just more of a Harry thing towards her. Of course, she is motherly towards everyone, I guess, but I think there’s just something.
Kevin: So you think that she’s looking over Harry as sort of, she feels an obligation?
Rachel: Yeah, as more of a son. Well not really an obligation but I don’t know. It’s weird because when she talks about the Potters, you see that she really did have some sort of really close relationship with them. So I guess she feels the need to protect Harry as her own. And, yeah well, I agree with Kevin, though. Like, if it was anyone else who’s parents had died she’d do the same, but…
Laura: Yeah, I agree. I think the differing factor is that, like I said, Harry is the Chosen One, he’s the Boy Who Lived, he’s the one with this burden and I think that’s what makes a little bit of a difference in the way she’s trying to offer Harry guidance.
Minerva As Headmistress
Andrew: Now, we’ve discussed this in the past but, is she definitely the new headmistress, or just serving as a temporary role? I think we’re in agreement that she’s going to be the headmistress.
Laura: I think so, too.
Rachel: I hope so.
Kevin: Yeah.
Laura: Who else would they put in that place? Although…
Kevin: Yeah.
Laura: …I’m having terrifying thoughts of the Ministry taking advantage of the fact…
Andrew: I was just going to say that. Yeah.
Kevin: Yeah.
Laura: …that Dumbledore’s gone and trying to shove someone back in there.
Kevin: Yeah, but at the same time, I don’t think the Ministry has…I think the Ministry lost a lot of their power so…
Laura: Yeah, I think so, too.
Kevin: …you know.
Andrew: Absolutely.
Kevin: They lost a lot of their credibility so now, there….
Laura: Yeah but, just because they’ve lost credibility, is that going to stop them from using their power?
Kevin: It may not stop them, but…
Laura: People won’t like it, basically.
Kevin: …the power….exactly.
Laura: People will protest.
Kevin: You have to remember…exactly. The parents are sending their students, you know, their kids to this school. If the parents don’t like what’s going on, they’re going to vocalize. And, I think that it’s always been shown that the majority rules in the wizarding world and in this case…
Laura: Mhm.
Kevin: …it’s going to be…
Andrew: Although it may sound a little too political for the Harry Potter books, she’s going to have to prove herself, somehow.
Kevin: Do you think so?
Andrew: Yeah, well, to the parents? Who…why would they trust this woman now? She’s just jumping in out of nowhere. Unless Dumbledore…
Kevin: Yeah, but she’s been a teacher at this school for so many years…
Andrew: And that means what?
Kevin: A lot!
Andrew: Anyone can be a teacher; that doesn’t mean you can run a school.
Kevin: But, I understand that, but there’s quite a few superintendents are originally teachers.
Laura: Well, consider…how close did your parents pay to various unassorted…
Rachel: True, true.
Laura: …superintendents at your schools?
Andrew: And, were these teachers, whoever became superintendents ever in control of a school that was in danger of being…
Laura: Mhm.
Andrew: Massacred. [laughs]
Laura: Because my parents…
Kevin: Yeah, but…
Laura: …they mainly pay attention to my teachers.
Kevin: Do you think…one, do you think that the Order is going to be, like, public knowledge now? And two, do you think that will be enough to convince people?
Laura: I think the Order is going to remain more of an underground-type thing. Obviously, it will be public knowledge to some, but if too many people know about it, then…
Andrew: Yeah.
Kevin: Yeah, you lose your…yeah.
Laura: Yeah, they kind of lose their bite.
Andrew: No good could…no good would come out of making it completely public.
Kevin: But I just think that the fact of her taking a stance on the Voldemort issue will have enough credibility, you know what I mean?
Andrew: If you take a stance, that’s fine. But I just think McGonagall will have to prove to parents that the school will be safe, which is going to be a hard thing to do now.
Laura: I think it…it’ll be definitely a challenge for her.
Rachel: It will be, but I think she’s capable of showing what she’s got. So, I don’t think it will be a big problem like that…I don’t think it will be a big issue in the book, for parents to be worried. It’ll be like, really small and then people will be like, okay.
Laura: How much of that are we going to see because…
Rachel: Exactly.
Laura: …Harry says he’s not going back to Hogwarts.
Rachel: Exactly. If we even do see Hogwarts.
Andrew: That question always comes back to haunt us.
[Everyone laughs]
Assistance
Andrew: And now, is she going to be working closely with the Trio in the way that Dumbledore did? Dumbledore helped Harry out a lot in Half-Blood Prince.
Kevin: I don’t think so.
Laura: I don’t…no, I don’t think so either.
Kevin: Maybe in the sense of occasionally helping, but I don’t think that any of the Order will play a vital role in the Trio’s searching for the Horcri and all that stuff.
[Rachel laughs]
Laura: Well I think, it’s…
Kevin: I used “Horcri” because I know people like that.
Laura: I think it’s just part of the theme that Harry has to do it alone and what would be the point of not having Dumbledore around anymore if someone else was going to come along and take his place?
Kevin: Exactly…is going to fill in…exactly.
Andrew: And could Dumbledore have given her any sort of information before he died?
Kevin: Vital information would have been…
Laura: Mhm.
Kevin: …given to Harry. I think some of, maybe the Order stuff, like the…this is what should happen…this is what should happen to the school…would go to McGonagall but anything of, like, importance like, to defeating Voldemort would be a Harry exclusive.
Laura: Mhm.
[Everyone laughs]
Laura: It’s like Warner Brothers.
Kevin: Harry exclusive, exactly.
Andrew: Harry exclusive. So, she’s been a Transfiguration teacher all these years, we think she’s going to become the headmistress, could she possibly teach Harry, give Harry a few extra lessons in Transfiguration that could help him?
Kevin: I don’t think so. I think that Harry is on his own.
Andrew: But, why not help him out?
Kevin: Because he is separating himself from the school, and in doing that, I don’t see him getting involved in the school in any way. I think he should…it’s my hope at least, that he’s going to be self-taught and anything from here on out that he needs to defeat Voldemort will be learned by Harry himself.
Laura: I also think that, in terms of story-telling, there’s a lot that needs to be accomplished in Book 7 and I’m not sure we’re going to have time…
Kevin: Yeah.
Laura: …to see Harry go learn all sorts of new tricks.
Andrew: Unless it’s vital to what he does to get another Horcrux.
Kevin: Yeah, maybe every once and a while…
Laura: Maybe, but…
Andrew: All he has to do is transfigure into some small, unmovable object and…
[Laura laughs]
Andrew: …he’s safe from being spotted from wherever he is.
[Everyone laughs]
Laura: Or someone will turn him into a Horcrux.
Andrew: Yeah, there you go.
[Laura laughs]
Voicemail – Lost Kitty
Andrew: So now, let’s move on to some voicemails. Finally, yes! After two weeks…
Laura: Oh my god, we have voicemails!
Andrew: We’re back in it. We started getting emails of concern that people thought we’d canceled it.
Kevin: Yeah.
Andrew: And Kevin just canceled his interest in MuggleCast for two weeks, that’s basically what happened.
Kevin: I did not! [laughs]
[Audio]:: Hi, my name is Blake from Long Island, New York and I was wondering why, in the first book, McGonagall is mentioned as an Animagus and then throughout the rest of the series, it was never mentioned again? So, thank you, I love your show. Bye-bye.
Kevin: I would say that either, one, she never had the opportunity to mention it, or two, it’s going to be used in Book 7 in a specific way and she doesn’t want to reveal all the implications of being an Animagus.
Andrew: Or three, she had no reason to turn into a…
Kevin: Cat every five seconds.
Andrew: Right, she had no reason to turn into a cat, yeah.
Laura: Also, it was convenient for Prisoner of Azkaban because Hermione went and looked up the rosters for everyone that was an animagus and she went to look up Professor McGonagall and it was just a convenient part of the storyline for her to show that none of the Marauders were registered Animaguseses-thingies.
Kevin: Animagi.
[Everyone laughs]
Kevin: Look, I just coined a new word.
Laura: Yay, Kevin…you get a gold star.
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: Alright, now it’s time head into one McGonagall voicemail, then we’ll go into some general voicemails. You guys ready? Kevin, you ready? It’s been a long time. Here we go.
Voicemail – Fan Fiction
[Audio]:: Hey guys, this is Kate from Chicago and I was just wondering what you all thought of fan fiction. Are you a fan of it yourselves or do you think it’s just for delusional kids who have no time on their hands? Personally, I think fan fiction is a great time consumer between HP releases…movies or books. What do you think? Bye.
Andrew: Yeah, it’s a great way to fill up time between books and movies, besides listening to our show, of course. It’s too bad Ben’s not here because he is a big fan of fan fiction. Me, personally no. What about you guys?
Kevin: Same. I think it skews my opinions of the books, so I don’t read it.
Andrew: Yeah.
Laura: I used to read a lot of fan fiction, obviously because I used to moderate over at MuggleNet Fan Fiction…but, prior to that, I’d say…
Kevin: Especially the dirty stuff.
Laura: Yeah, and you know, actually we did get some dirty McGonagall stuff, but I’m not going to bring that up here.
Kevin: Okay.
[Laura laughs, then everyone laughs]
Laura: No, I used to…I’d say between the ages of thirteen and fifteen I read a lot of fan fiction. There was a period for a few months where I actually wrote quite a lot of fan fiction…and I think it’s really good if you’re pursuing a writing career whether it be in journalism, being a novelist, whatever… It’s a good way to tone your skills. Because Harry Potter is such a complex and diverse type of story that you can come up with so many theories and just elaborate on them and I think it’s a really, really good output. So, keep writing.
Andrew: Yeah, some of them are beautifully written. What about…
Laura: Yeah, there’s some great stuff out there.
Kevin: Well, yeah, I mean they’re good reads. It’s just that I probably won’t start reading them until after the final book.
Andrew: Yeah, that’s true.
Laura: On the other hand, there’s some really scary stuff out there, but I think that…
Andrew: Mhm. What are your thoughts on it, Rachel?
Rachel: Well, I started fan fiction before I, like…I think it was sophomore year in high school, I used to read it a lot. But, that was before I had my job on MuggleNet, so now I don’t read it as often because, yeah…
Kevin: You have no time.
Rachel: I have no time because I’m always working for the site. But, I used to write quite a bit of fan fiction, not really a lot, mostly one-shots and I used to be a beta for some fan fiction site, I don’t even remember what its name…but yeah, I used to read it a lot. It’s really cool, like some of the stories I used to read were awesome. But yeah, I don’t read as many anymore, oh well.
Laura: I also think that if you work for a site like MuggleNet and just any other Harry Potter site, you pretty much see all the theories that…
Rachel: Yeah
Kevin: Yeah, that’s true.
Laura: And it’s kind of redundant to read fan fiction.
Andrew: I mean, it’s not like fan fictions really break through on a lot of theories either.
Laura: No, but I can think of a couple that I’ve read that I thought were just really outstanding. Picked up on things that I hadn’t noticed in the books. There are definitely some talented people out there.
Kevin: Although, you know what? I would like to see those people who are devoting their time to writing Harry Potter fan fiction to writing a book.
Rachel: Yeah.
Laura: Mhm. Well, I think that’s what people do because, I mean, I don’t write fan fiction anymore. I write my own stories now. And I really think that writing fan fiction sort of helped me find my ground, sort of helped me find my writing style and kind of showed me what I wanted to do and what I wanted to write about, so, I think it’s a good thing. I think a lot of people do sort of break through from fan fiction to their own fiction once they become more adult.
Kevin: Yeah, and I do think that it’s a… There are some people who get stuck on it though, you know? Like, they aren’t willing to take the next step to try to write their own material and it’s somewhat disappointing because they are writing such good fan fiction, you know they could be writing very good books, you know. So…
Laura: Yeah, I agree. I don’t think…I think there are some fandoms you see that more in than Harry Potter. There is some fandoms where fan fiction…
[Rachel laughs]
Laura: …is kind of horrifying.
Kevin: Yeah, I can imagine.
Voicemail – The Killing Curse
[Audio]:: This is James from Southern California. My question is that there’s been a lot of debate on MuggleCast lately about whether it takes more than one Avada Kedavra to kill Hagrid, with his giant’s skin, or a dragon. But it says in Book 4 that Moody says, “There’s no counter curse, there is no blocking it,” referring to Avada Kedavra. And I think “there’s no blocking it” refers to not being able to block it, whether it be dragon’s skin or whatever. Just like to hear your comments. Love the show. Bye.
Kevin: Yeah, I agree. I don’t think there is any blocking it. Because, if there was any blocking it, then not as many people would be afraid of it, you know. So…
Andrew: Right, yeah, Hagrid might be more prone to fight it. He might not be as much of a wuss.
Kevin: Yeah but I honestly believe it would…
Laura: Yeah.
Kevin: …kill Hagrid in one hit or a dragon in one hit, whether or not…
Laura: Well, I think there are good points raised on both ends. I believe it was Ben who said it during the Hagrid episode that, if you walk up to someone with a baseball bat, a normal person, you’re going to do a lot more damage than…as if you walked up to a dragon and hit them with a baseball bat. On the other hand, if it’s a curse that can’t be blocked, then it’s reasonable to assume that it is a curse that could kill anyone, no matter their size or power.
Kevin: Not to mention, we’re not…who says it’s even going to work on a dragon? For all we know, it can’t…you know, the curse is only against humans.
Laura: It’s exclusive to humans?
Kevin: Yeah, it’s possible. I mean, I think I’ve read theories where they said it actually tears a person’s soul away from their body or something like that.
Laura: Well, but then, Moody used it against the spider.
Kevin: That’s true, that’s true.
Laura: Well, the imposter Moody used it against the spider…
Kevin: That’s true.
Laura: …in Goblet of Fire.
Kevin: So I guess it works for all of them and it kills all of them in one hit. [laughs]
Voicemail – Nagini, The Secret-Keeper?
[Audio]: Hey, this is Robert from Florida, and I was wondering: if you can speak Parseltongue, do you think that you could make, say, a snake your Secret-Keeper? And another thing, what happened to Sirius’ two-way mirror that he gave to Harry? They didn’t mention it in Half-Blood Prince, and I was thinking she was going to do something with that. I love your show!
Laura: I guess it depends on…
Rachel: Why would you make your snake a Secret-Keeper, though?
Laura: Well, I guess the reason you would do something like that is not that many people are Parseltongues, so…
Kevin: And it’s not like…
Laura: …it’s not likely that your snake is going to go blab [laughs] to somebody.
Rachel: True.
Kevin: And it’s not likely that they’d suspect that person as being your Secret-Keeper in the first place…
Laura: Mhm.
Rachel: Yeah, exactly!
Kevin: So they wouldn’t manipulate them. You know? Because…
Laura: That’s an interesting theory, though. I like that!
Kevin: But also, in that case, wouldn’t it be wise of Voldemort to make Nagini…
Laura: [At the same time as Kevin] Nagini.
Kevin: …his Secret-Keeper for hiding the Horcruxes. And then they’d be…
Laura: That’s pretty cool.
Kevin: …unfindable unless you had the snake.
Rachel: That’s…
Kevin: But…
Rachel: That’s definitely something to take into consideration.
Laura: Mhm.
Kevin: But as we know, they have found them, so…
Rachel: Yeah.
Kevin: It’s an interesting possibility.
Laura: Hmm!
Kevin: I don’t know how to…
Laura: It is.
Rachel: Yeah! It is.
Kevin: …I don’t think we can fully answer that. I mean, it’s a possibility that…
Laura: No.
Kevin: …yes, it could be, you could make an animal your Secret-Keeper, but the implications to that are not that great.
Laura: Yeah. And as for Sirius’ two-way mirror, Jo, I believe, did say that we were going to find out something about that. And I think that something that everyone needs to remember is there is one more book. And obviously, not everything is going to be answered…
Rachel: Right.
Laura: …in Half-Blood Prince.
Voicemail – Animagus Antics
[Audio]: Hi, this is Summer from Alexandria. I was just curious as to is there a way that you could transform into an animal and back from an animal by yourself that does not require you to be an Animagus? Because in the fourth book, Krum transfigures his head into a shark. I mean that’s at least partial transformation. And Moody (Mad-Eye) turns Draco into a ferret. I was just- that might be a way that you could transfigure yourself, or at least someone else could transfigure you. Thanks. Bye!
Kevin: I think the only benefit to becoming an Animagus is one, a more personal connection to the actual shape you become; and two, I don’t think it requires a wand, does it?
Rachel: No. When…
Laura: I don’t think so.
Kevin: Because… no, it doesn’t. Because Pettigrew did not have a wand when he tried to…
Rachel: Yeah, that’s what I was going to say.
Kevin: …transform into a rat.
Laura: Well, wait, hang on.
Kevin: Am I right? No?
Laura: I’m not sure if I’m confusing the book and the movie.
Kevin: I think I… yeah.
Laura: But it seems like I remember, I remember when Remus dropped his wand in Prisoner of Azkaban…
Kevin: He picked it up and then transformed.
Laura: …he picked it up and started to transform. Yeah. But I’m kind of, I’m kind of having this thought that maybe you can transfigure yourself into an animal, but it’s not a permanent thing, you know? Like… whereas being an Animagus, [pronounces with a hard “g”] Animagus, however you pronounce it…
Rachel: Yeah.
Laura: …you can turn into one and stay that way for the rest of your life, if you want to.
Kevin: Yeah, so the transformation may…it’s limited by your magical ability.
Rachel: Right.
Kevin: Whereas an Animagus, you can, you know, it’s not limited by your strength or…
Laura: Yeah, mhm. Well, you know, as we saw, Krum couldn’t even totally transfigure himself into a shark.
Rachel: Yes.
Laura: It was just his head.
Kevin: So it’s obviously some heavy magic.
Laura: Mhm.
Rachel: Yup!
Andrew: Okay.
Surprise Guest
Andrew: Oh! Wait! Hold on, guys. Before we get to the Dueling Club, I think I hear a knock at the MuggleCast studio door! Kevin, can you go see who that is? I’m too busy to go.
Kevin: Yeah, yeah, one sec.
Andrew: It’s… okay.
Kevin: Hello?
Andrew: It’s right over there, around the corner. Yeah.
Eric [in a false girly voice]: You guys want some cookies?
Kevin: Oh my god! Close the door!
Andrew: Oh, oh, it’s a Girl Scout! Awww…
[Laura laughs]
Andrew: Awww, no, it’s a Girl Scout. They’re selling cookies again! Wait… that’s Eric Scull, dressed in a Girl Scout uniform! Uh, Eric, shouldn’t you be recording the show rather than selling Girl Scout cookies?
Eric: I just thought I’d help out in the community. You know, doing my part, Andrew.
Andrew: [Laughs] Oh, right! Well…
[Laura and Rachel laugh]
Eric: Doing my part by wearing a skirt and prancing about with cookies.
Kevin: And he…
Andrew: Isn’t that something? You put on your headset and then you walked right over to the studio table here, and… that’s amazing. Because we’re all in one room.
Eric: Well, see, I figured by doing this, I not only sell cookies, but I, you know… you guys are what, six people here? So I’m going to sell a lot of cookies. You’ll all buy my cookies, won’t you?
Andrew: No, this would be…
Laura: Five.
Andrew: …five people.
Eric: Doesn’t matter, you guys will all buy my cookies anyway, right?
Andrew: Yes, of course. So thanks for joining us, Eric. You were actually working at the movie theater.
Eric: Yes.
Andrew: At your fine, fine job.
Eric: Yep!
Andrew: Sell many tickets?
Eric: Um…
Andrew: What was the hit movie this weekend? Give us the scoop.
Eric: The hit movie so far… well, it’s only Friday, so…
Andrew: Yeah, well Friday night. Friday night hit movie- what was it?
Eric: I’d have to say Date Movie.
Andrew: Yeah, I heard about that.
[Kevin laughs]
Eric: Yeah, Date Movie‘s getting lots of reviews. Lots of good people coming up to us for no reason and saying, “That was a really good movie. You should go see it.” And we feel bad, because we can’t really see it. So…
Kevin: Do they allow you to see the movies?
Andrew: Why not?
Eric: We get to peek in if all our other jobs are done.
[Andrew laughs]
Kevin: No, I mean do they have, like, the twelve o’clock screeners?
Eric: Yeah, there will be a screening of Date Movie tomorrow night, but unfortunately Pennsylvania residents, I can’t get you in.
[Everyone laughs]
Eric: It’s kind of employees only.
Andrew: What about New Jersey residents?
Eric: Yeah. Well, that…
[Andrew laughs]
Eric: …maybe for you. But nobody else. Shhh.
Andrew: Awww. Okay. Well, [laughs] thanks. I’ll head straight out there to save seven bucks.
Eric: Yeah, because I have a strange feeling that somehow, I’m going to find out that 300 people listen to MuggleCast right next door to me, and would all want in on this movie.
[Andrew laughs]
Eric: You know, they’ve never contacted me before; I’ve never heard from anybody. But I have a strange feeling.
Dueling Club
Andrew: Well as most of you know, the Dueling Club is where two co-hosts pick a wizard or witch behind the other person’s back. And at the same time, they give each other their character, and then they figure out who would possibly win. It’s an exciting new twist on the Dueling Club on MuggleCast.
Eric: It’s so exciting!
Andrew: One, two… [laughs]
Eric: It’s so exciting that it makes me…
[Andrew and Eric laugh]
Eric: It’s so exciting it warrants five seconds of silence!
[Laura and Rachel laugh]
Andrew: Often imitated, never duplicated. Okay, so on three. Ready, girls?
Eric: [in a mock girly voice] Ready, Andrew!
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: Seriously, what’s so funny?
Eric: How many times have we had that many girls on the show where we can just say, “Ready, Girls?”
Andrew: I know.
[Andrew, Kevin and Eric laugh]
Eric: It’s like…
Andrew: Usually it’s, “Ready, boys? And Laura.”
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: Okay, okay. On three. One, two, three.
Laura: Professor Flitwick.
Rachel: [At the same time as Laura] Cormac. [laughs]
Laura: I think Professor Flitwick would win, just because he’s so advanced at Charms and he’s obviously better…
Rachel: Well, yeah! You cheated! You got a professor. I got stuck with…
[Rachel and Laura laugh]
Laura: Hey, you’re supposed to defend your character.
Eric: Yeah, defend him. Be like…
Rachel: I don’t know! Well, he’s… he’s always kind of like an airhead, but… [laughs]
Eric: I don’t think there’s enough…
Laura: No, I think Flitwick is definitely far more magically advanced than Cormac McLaggen could ever be.
Rachel: Oh, you give… you don’t give Cormac enough credit. He might seem like an idiot or a jock or something, but I…
Eric: But he’s really a sweetheart. He’s really a sweetheart.
[Rachel laughs]
Laura: Well, he’s got a horrible temper.
Rachel: Well see, his temper might work. Because then he might curse you all, with like…
Laura: Yeah, he might sit on Flitwick!
Rachel: Yeah! See? He doesn’t need his wand. [laughs] He can just sit on him altogether!
Eric: He’s got his thumpin’ fists!
Rachel: [Gasps] Twins! Or… [laughs] See, I win. There we go.
Eric: Yay, Rachel!
Laura: Mhm…
Eric: She’s won her first Dueling Club.
Rachel: Yay!
Laura: Oh, please. Oh, please!
Andrew: Well, I think that does do it for this episode of MuggleCast, episode… what is this? Twenty-eight?
Kevin:Twenty-eight!
Laura: Twenty-eight.
Andrew: Seriously, once we got into the twenties, I just lost count. [laughs] I’m like, for some reason, I can’t remember.
Kevin: Well, that’s because you can’t count over twenty.
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: Oh, right.
Eric: Kevin can divide by zero!
Kevin: Yeah, I can!
Eric: He would whoop Goyle any day. [laughs]
Andrew: Yeah, you would divide by zero. You’d think there’s some theory behind it. [laughs] So…
Laura: Wow, it’s been twenty episodes since my first show.
Eric: It’s been 25 since mine! Twenty-five since mine!
Andrew: Awww, Laura!
Kevin: Awww… it’s been 28 since mine.
[Everyone laughs]
Eric: Kevin’s all like, it’s been…
[laughs]
Andrew: I’ve been on every episode. I’m so proud of myself!
Eric: You should be.
Kevin: You should be proud of yourself.
Eric: You’ve edited almost every episode.
Andrew: I’m sick of it. Twenty-eight, when you think about it, hasn’t really been that much.
[laughs]
Eric: No, it has! When you think about it. Think of that, and then…
Andrew: I guess. Twenty-eight hours…
Eric: Think of it like, five/six months, like, half a year.
Andrew: Oh my god.
Eric: I mean, that’s what it’s been. It’s been half a year.
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: 28… there’s 52… So, two weeks ago was like our halfway mark.
Andrew: I can’t wait for our year anniversary.
Laura: Awww.
Andrew: It’s going to be a fun show.
Kevin: We’re going to have a hazing.
[Eric and Kevin laugh]
Andrew: Well it’s going to be right after Vegas. We’ll have to record something down in Vegas and then put it out on August 4th.
Show Close
Andrew [Show close with music in background]: So once again, [laughs] I’m Andrew Sims.
Kevin: I’m Kevin Steck.
Laura: I’m Laura Thompson.
Kevin: I added some force to that.
Rachel: And I’m Rachel Godoy.
Andrew: And Eric, thank you for joining us at the end this week. It’s always good to have you on.
Eric: Thank you, Andrew, for having me on.
Andrew: We’ll see everyone next week for Episode 29. And don’t forget that you can send in your questions, concerns, comments, complaints- whatever you want- to mugglecast at staff dot mugglenet dot com. And also, if you have a question for us next week concerning Remus Lupin, who is the character we’ll be going in depth on, please send those in to voice at staff dot mugglenet dot com, or call it in at 1-218-20-MAGIC (62442).
Comments
[Groovy music starts]
[Audio]: Hey guys, this is Proma from Michigan, and I just wanted to thank you for Episode 27, because it was just awesome. I mean, I was having, like, a really bad week before that, and it cheered me up. It was so hilarious! And not only that, but it was kind of a good luck charm! I mean, the next day, I found out I was going to Lumos. So, thank you! Just thank you! Thank you. Okay, I’m sort of tripping over my words now, but thanks!
[Audio]: Hey MuggleCast! Anna from Maryland, and I just wanted to call to say how much I love your show. And Kevin, you rule, you’re my favorite. I love you guys a lot, and keep up the great work. And I loved watching the New York live podcast. Great job guys, you’re hilarious. And Laura, love you too. Bye!
[Audio]: Hey! This is Taylor Gibbon from Michigan.
Laura: you rock, man! But I have something to say about Episode 26, because Luna Lovegood could be so much better than that, man. Putting the down low on herself… boo! But I love your show. Okay, bye!
[Audio]: Hey all you MuggleCasters. This is Jeffery calling from California, and I have got one single thing to say about MuggleCast: [imitates Andrew] Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! All right. Thanks. Bye!
[Audio]: Hi, this is Laura from Ohio. I love your show, I’ve been listening ever since it came out. I was really excited, because I just got my iPod. Keep up the good work!
[Audio]: Hi! This is Spencer, and I just wanted to say I’ve been having a lot of fun watching your video- and Micah looks like a young John Stewart… which is really creepy. Yeah. Bye.
Bloopers
Andrew: Yeah. Well in previous shows, we had said, well, could Hagrid possibly block it? Because he’s got that… [laughs] it seems kind of dumb, when you think about it. He’s got the coat on, which some…
[Laura laughs]
Andrew: …we had thought, well maybe that helps. But then he’s got a thick layer of skin.
Laura: Is it the coat?
Andrew: Huh?
Laura: The coat?
Andrew: The coat!
Kevin: Yeah, apparently, there’s something with the coat.
[Laura laughs]
Andrew: Have you seen that coat? He has everything in that coat.
Laura: Well that doesn’t mean…
Andrew: You never know, it could have some sort of…
[Laura and Rachel laugh]
Laura: That doesn’t mean it deflects stuff!
Andrew: I know! I know! That’s why I just said it’s kind of stupid! But what I’m saying…
[Laura laughs]
Andrew: …yeah.
Laura: No, I’m just… I’ve never heard of a theory that Hagrid’s coat [laughs] could deflect…
Andrew: That’s what we said!
Laura: [Laughs] …an Unforgivable Curse.
Andrew: That’s what we said on the show a few weeks ago.
Laura: No! We were talking about his skin. His giant skin. [laughs]
Kevin: Yeah, that’s what I thought.
Andrew: Yeah, then we were talking about a coat! Because then I was like, “Oh yeah…
Laura: No!!!! No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Andrew: “…he’s got the sausage hanging out of it.”
[Everyone laughs]
Kevin: Oh god…
Laura: That’s not what we said! No! No, no, no. What happened was…
Andrew: I remember vividly.
Laura: No, apparently you don’t.
[Andrew and Laura laugh]
Laura: No, no, no…
Andrew: Where is that Hagrid doll for the second time? Go ahead.
Laura: No. [laughs] What happened was Eric said that if that were the case, people would be buying Hagrid-skin coats.
Kevin: Yeah.
Laura: Like coats made out of giant skin and dragon skin.
Andrew: Right. Forget I said that, I’ll just take that out.
[Laura laughs]
Kevin: Okay. But…
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Written by: Micah, Ally, Martina, and Sarah