MuggleCast 68 Transcript
Show Intro
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[Intro music plays]
Andrew: Because Laura Mallory lost her appeal, thank you, Ryan, 14, of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, this is MuggleCast Episode 68 for December 17th, 2006.
[Music continues to play]
Andrew: Everyone, I am in a festive mood this week.
Micah: So am I, Andrew.
Laura: Yeah, absolutely.
[Andrew laughs]
Laura: I’m right there with you.
Andrew: I am – I’m dressed up in my finest holiday clothing, I am drinking eggnog with pickles.
Micah: You have a Santa hat on?
Andrew: Yes, I do. And I have Christmas music on in the background, can you hear it?
Laura: Oh, yeah.
Micah: Yep.
Andrew: The Hogwarts theme. It’s very Christmassy, isn’t it?
Laura: Yup. [laughs]
Andrew: We’re here with Dylan this week. Dylan, thanks for joining us.
Dylan: My pleasure, Andrew.
Andrew: You haven’t been on in a while.
Dylan: Yep, but maybe next time, I can be on when I don’t have a sore throat. [laughs]
Andrew: Yeah, I heard you had a craaazy night last night. [goofy laugh]
Dylan: It was a festive party.
Andrew: Yeah.
[Laura laughs]
Andrew: Well, that’s good. Well, we’ll talk about that a little later on. We have a good show for everyone this week. In case you were wondering, Jamie and Ben are god knows where, and Eric’s… [laughs] Eric’s out, too, but they should all be back next week along with Kevin.
Micah: Don’t forget about Kevin.
Andrew: No, I didn’t forget. [laughs] Along with Kevin. So, I’m Andrew Sims.
Laura: I’m Laura Thompson.
Micah: I’m Micah Tannenbaum.
Dylan: And I’m Dylan Spartz.
[Music continues to play]
News
Micah: Laura, Laura, Laura, Laura, Laura.
Laura: What?
Micah: No, not you. Laura Mallory! Her case for removing the Harry Potter books from Georgia’s libraries was dealt another blow on Thursday, as the Georgia Board of Education made a unanimous decision to keep the books.
The Gwinnett County school board also voted previously for the books to remain, but Mallory appealed the decision to the state school board. Mallory, who has been working for over a year to ban the books, has shown no signs of giving up, as there is talk of yet another appeal. We have footage covering the story from Fox 5 in Atlanta including an interview with Mallory herself, who claims the HP series is “mainstreaming witchcraft to our children and presenting it in a child-friendly format that’s dangerous and deceptive.”
Thank you, Professor Umbridge.
A new photo depicting Dan Radcliffe and Order of the Phoenix director David Yates was officially released by Warner Brothers this week. It was originally printed in the December 18th issue of Newsweek with an accompanying article. Additionally, French magazine Cinelive has a new photo with Dan with his wand at the ready on their cover and the January/February 2007 edition of Premiere magazine has a preview of the upcoming fifth film.
Order of the Phoenix merchandise isn’t expected to hit shops until next year, but the first Phoenix t-shirt is now available for pre-sale. It features Voldemort from the promotional poster released earlier this year and costs just $15. However, the t-shirt is in limited stock, only available online and must be purchased by this Monday, December 18th.
Cards Incorporated, the company that recently received the European license for Harry Potter merchandise, has released some new details pertaining to their Order of the Phoenix line. The firm understands the Potter audience is maturing, and will therefore be aiming its Order of the Phoenix products at both young and old customers. Some major retailers have already been given previews of the upcoming line of toys, and have been hugely impressed by both their range and quality. The first wave of this exciting new Harry Potter merchandise will hit stores this June, in conjunction with the July release of Order of the Phoenix.
Lycos has released their list of the top 50 search terms for 2006. Despite having no new book or movie this year, Harry Potter remained on the list at number 40, which is a drop from its rank of 27 in 2005.
At the Eragon premiere in London, Katie Leung, Bonnie Wright, and the Phelps twins were present at the film’s first showing, and they attended the after-party. You can see a few photos over at Shurtugal.com.
Finally, Jo put up some Christmas decorations on her site the day after I asked her to do something on last week’s edition of MuggleCast. Perhaps I’ll have to ask for something big for Christmas.
That’s all the news for this December 17th, 2006 edition of MuggleCast. Back to the show.
Andrew: All right, thank you Micah.
Micah: Oh, you’re welcome.
Announcements
Andrew: Well, we have a few announcements this week, and then we will move on with our regular show. MuggleCast t-shirts are going out of sale very soon. There’s only two or three weeks left. We can’t guarantee them for Christmas, however, if you purchase a MuggleCast t-shirt I will guarantee – personally guarantee – that you will, um, be happy for the rest of you life.
Dylan: Eternal happiness! [laughs] That’s priceless!
Laura: What happens if they’re not? What’s the…
Andrew: Ummm.
Laura: What’s the consequence for you if that doesn’t happen?
Andrew: I don’t know, because we don’t do exchanges.
Laura: Oh, I see
Andrew: But seriously, we do have to stop selling MuggleCast t-shirts. Everyone is well aware, so purchase yours today, and you also help support the show.
Micah: The squares.
Andrew: Huh?
Micah: The squares.
Laura: Oh yeah, no more squares tees. They’re gone.
Andrew: Oh right. Thank you, thank you. Yes, we cannot sell the – well, it’s not that we can’t – we have sold out of squares t-shirts. We’ve been sold out for awhile. They’re probably our most popular t-shirt, but we can’t get them reprinted because we have to stop in a couple of weeks, however there’s still three other designs left. MuggleCast at Lumos, the new MuggleCast Crest t-shirt, and the Micbolt, which we’ve had for awhile. So, purchase any of those, or purchase two, or purchase three, or purchase as many as you want, because they’re all fantastic.
And also, don’t forget to vote for us on Podcast Alley. Vote once a month and help us beat Keith and the Girl. Let me check right now. We’re being beat by Keith and the Girl right now, again. I still don’t understand what is so great about this Keith and the Girl podcast. It’s just these two people. They just sit there and talk about anything, and it makes me sad that their fans are more loyal than us – than ours.
Laura: Oh no, don’t say that. That’s not true.
Dylan: I think the MuggleCast fans are very loyal.
Laura: Yeah, I think it’s just because they…
Andrew: [Fake crying] Well, then why aren’t we number one on Podcast Alley?
Laura: Because they have a Keith; we only have a Kevin.
Laura Mallory Loses Court Case
Andrew: Oh. [laughs] Good point, Laura. All right, so as a lot of people might have heard over the past week, Laura Mallory has once again lost her court case.
Laura: Darn.
Andrew: Laura, you want to give us a quick update on this? We’ll cut over to a news article.
Laura: Yeah, well I mean basically she went up – she appealed to the state and she lost again, and I believe one of her excuses now was that the reason she lost was because she didn’t have a lawyer, and I really don’t see how that even applies at all, because it’s not a case where you even need a lawyer, it’s just a matter of you can’t sit there and dictate what other people can and can’t have access to.
Andrew: Right. We actually have a news clip now that we wanted to play. It’s – we wanted to talk about it because it’s kind of funny. A couple of things she has to say. This was an interview with Laura Mallory that was held on…
Laura: Fox 5 News.
Andrew: On a local Fox News station in Atlanta. Laura, is this a good station down there?
Laura: No.
Andrew: No?
[Andrew, Micah and Laura laugh]
Andrew: Well we have a news report from it. Let’s listen to this.
Reporter: After a year and a half of controversy over Harry Potter and his place in the library, the state school board, today voted to allow the book to remain on the shelves of Gwinnett County.
School Board: Thank you. It is unanimous for those present.”
Reporter: The simple a reaction to the ruling by the board?”
Andrew: This is Laura talking.
Laura Mallory: “Not surprised. Expected.”
Andrew: Nor surprised. Expected. She’s been at this for how long, and that’s all she has to say about it? A few words?
Micah: Over a year.
Laura: Well, I believe…
Andrew: Not surprised.
Laura: Well, I believe she continued to add at one point, that if all she was able to do was kind of help out any families who have had children convert to witchcraft, then that’s fine with her, but…
Dylan: Please, think of the children.
Laura: Yeah, really. It’s like, if we want to go on banning things that promote certain things to children, why don’t we just go down the list here? I mean, I personally think we should ban Winnie the Pooh, because Pooh Bear doesn’t wear pants.
[Andrew and Micah laugh]
Laura: We wouldn’t want our children to think they can’t wear pants.
Andrew: It just amazes me that this is her response on it. After all this, and that’s what she has to say.
Dylan: It is quite shocking.
Andrew: Well, let’s keep listening.
Reporter: “The fight began here in JC Magill Elementary School in Loganville, where a mother of four, Laura Mallory, believed the Harry Potter series was inappropriate for…”
Andrew: You know, she looks like your normal mother. There’s nothing – you know, she looks like a nice lady. I don’t…
Laura: Oh, I don’t doubt for a moment that she’s, you know…
Andrew: She seems like a nice person.
Laura: Yeah. She seems very polite, but I…
Andrew: Yeah, all right, keep going.
Dylan: It’s just like why don’t you just do something more useful, and maybe…
Laura: Exactly! That’s what I don’t get about her.
Dylan: Instead of banning, instead of trying to ban Harry Potter, which is – anyone who’s read the stories knows that they’re not teaching any kids witchcraft. I don’t know of any kids converting to witchcraft because they read Harry Potter.
Andrew: Right.
Dylan: It’s not the devil’s words. It’s a wonderful story.
Andrew: Yeah.
Dylan: And everybody loves it.
Laura: Well, you know what gets me about her? Is there are a number of charitable organizations that would bend over backwards to have someone so determined on their side.
Andrew: Right.
Laura: So, why is she wasting her time trying to get a book banned from a library?
Andrew: [sighs] Well.
Laura: There are people dying in the world. I’m sorry that’s all I have to say.
Andrew: Maybe the rest of the article has the answer.
Reporter: “…kids, in that she said it promoted witchcraft.
Laura Mallory: “The Harry Potter books are mainstreaming witchcraft to our children. They’re presenting it in a child-friendly format that’s dangerous and deceptive.”
Andrew: Dangerous and deceptive. It can hurt you guys.
Laura: Child-friendly format of witchcraft?
Andrew: Yeah.
Laura: What? [laughs]
Andrew: That’s what she says, look out.
Reporter: “The issue was challenged at several levels, all the way up to the state board of education.”
School Board Attorney: “The reason it probably has had such…”
Andrew: You know it just – they have a shot of all the people on the board here, like 20 people have to sit there and have there time wasted with this. Especially a unanimous decision, doesn’t that just scream, “Hey we don’t want to be bothered to do this.” [laughs]
Laura: Yeah.
Dylan: I mean she kind of said it herself that it was expected so…
Andrew: Right. [laughs]
Dylan: Why are you going to pursue this anymore if you don’t think you’re going to win?
Andrew: [laughs] So why are you trying if you expected it. Okay yeah.
Dylan: Are you just trying to get like press time, or trying to raise more awareness for the cause? What cause? That won’t win.
Laura: No one wanted to deal with it this time, because I was actually looking in to going down there and speaking on behalf of the books and I read that they weren’t even allowing anyone from the public to come in and speak. It was just between herself and the Board of Education.
Andrew: They just wanted to get it over with.
Laura: Yeah. So, they just wanted to get it done.
Micah: Yeah. Well, it’s a First Amendment issue too and…
Andrew: Mhm.
Micah: …when you try and mess with people’s first amendment rights, it’s always a touchy subject.
Andrew: Yeah.
School Board Attorney: “…the scrutiny is because in America we get very, very nervous if there ever is any type of censorship of educational materials or First Amendment materials.”
Reporter: “Many Gwinnett educators claim the Potter series promoted reading.”
Micah: See, this guy is on the same page.
Reporter: “And were a hot commodity at the checkout lines.”
Andrew: Yeah.
Reporter: “Still the book wasn’t for everybody.”
Librarian: “And they were children here who would never read this book because it’s not the kind of book they would like simply because of the genre of the book.”
Reporter: “But kids do like it. Why do they like it?”
Librarian: “I think they just like fantasy.”
Andrew: That’s the librarian talking. I mean that’s what it comes down to.
Laura: Yeah, exactly.
Andrew: If you don’t want to read it, don’t read it. But you know, you have a freedom of choice, but don’t ban the books for nobody to read them, just because you don’t want – you don’t think they’re right.
Reporter: “Some parents saw the fight as much ado about nothing.”
Parent: “I think it’s an overreaction. You know I’m a very, I was telling him, I’m a very, very Christian person, but I think it’s more of a parental responsibility.
Reporter: “Will Laura Mallory appeal the decision to the superior court? She’s not sure yet but still proud that she fought the issue. In your mind worth the toil, the hassle, the abuse, the anything else you’ve taken?”
Laura Mallory: “Abuse, yeah.” [laughs]
Andrew: Abuse from us calling her. [laughs]
Laura: Well, no. I’m sure she got a number of…
Micah: Well, abuse she’s brought on herself.
Dylan: She brought it on herself.
Laura: …a number of people who have harassed her.
Andrew: No, it cuts to a picture of our album art so I think that’s what they were talking about.
Laura: [laughs] Well, you know what I find interesting about this whole thing is, I don’t know if it’s the same in Gwinnett County, but when I was in the Forsyth County public schools, parents were actually allowed to have input on what their kids could and could not check out. Like, if you tried to checkout a book that your parents had said you could not, the system wouldn’t let you.
Andrew: Mhm.
Laura: So why doesn’t she just say, “My kids can’t check out Harry Potter.”
Andrew: Yeah, right
Dylan: I think it’s dangerous whenever you suppress anything. Like, that’s why abortion such a touchy subject because some people think that it should still be allowed in some cases whether it at no point should be illegal, but then again there’s other people that say it’s morally bad. But Harry Potter is at a completely different level because it doesn’t really promote witchcraft in any way. I mean, it uses witchcraft in the books, but it doesn’t promote it, it doesn’t tell them, “Hey, go try these things, kids.”
Andrew: Right.
Laura: I think Harry Potter is just a very popular scapegoat, basically.
Andrew: Yeah.
Laura Mallory: “I think it’s worth it only if people will listen to do their own research. If even one family or one child has been saved from the heartache that other families have gone through with their children actually getting into witchcraft, then it’s worth it.”
Andrew: A heartache? And what children have been getting into witchcraft? Is there any evidence of that? I mean, I’m not trying to rip her apart I just want to know, is there, is – does anyone know if there’s been evidence of witchcraft destroying children and causing heartache?
Laura: I have never heard of that.
Andrew: Anyone?
Micah: I don’t think so.
Dylan: I don’t know of anyone.
Micah: I don’t remember a story.
Dylan: Not one of my friends, at least.
Laura: Unless she thinks of little kids running around with fake plastic wands and yelling Expelliarmus is witchcraft, then no. [laughs]
Andrew: Yeah, that must be what she means because… [laughs]
Dylan: That ruins families, you know?
Andrew: Yeah, it really does.
Dylan: Eight year-olds waving wooden wands around, you know?
Andrew: Yeah.
Dylan: Terrible sight.
Andrew: So, that’s that. [sighs] Well, it’s interesting and, of course, she’s going to go appeal it again. Laura, do you know anything else about that?
Laura: I don’t think we’ve actually heard anything, have we?
Andrew: She’s planning on it, isn’t she?
Laura: I don’t think there’s been any confirmation of that.
Dylan: There have been talks of it, but we don’t know if it’s for sure.
Laura: Yeah, we don’t know if it’s for sure yet.
Listener Rebuttal: Blowing up Pluto
Andrew: Okay. We have an e-mail now from Catie, 19, of Minneapolis. She writes:
“Hi MuggleCast, rock and roll. Just a comment: You guys were talking in the last Episode 67 about Ginny, and whether she would be a major character or just a supporting role. Personally, I think she will play a major role in the defeat of Voldemort. There are plenty of reasons, but I think the most telling one, brought to my attention by Galadriel Waters, is that she blew up Pluto in the planet room at the end of Book Five. If you know anything about Roman or Greek mythology, Pluto is the Roman name for the Greek god of the underworld, [mispronounces] Hades…”
Laura: Hades.
Micah: Hades.
Andrew: “…Hades, (i.e. Satan). No way would JK Rowling include something so small if it wasn’t important. Anyways, take it into consideration. Have a party.”
Laura: What, you don’t think she foretold that Pluto was going to be exiled as a planet?
Andrew: I know.
[Andrew and Laura laugh]
Laura: No, I think that’s definitely important. I think Ginny will absolutely play a major role in the seventh book, there’s no question.
Andrew’s Wizard Rock Band
Andrew: Before we get to our main discussion this week, I have an update on my wizard rock band. It’s basically, you’ve heard of wizard rock, right?
Dylan: Of course, it’s sweeping the nation.
Andrew: I’m starting my own Wizard Rock band. I’m really excited about it. I think it’s going to be a big hit.
Laura: Oh.
Andrew: And I actually have a preview of my song now because, I decided that I wanted to get the hype up a little bit more and the only way to do that would be to give people a sneak peek. Now, Laura, I gave you a preview awhile back, but it’s changed a little bit.
Laura: Yes.
Andrew: The song.
Laura: Oh, okay.
Andrew: So, don’t act surprised if you don’t recognize it.
Laura: Okay. Well, I’ll definitely curb my enthusiasm.
Andrew: Are you guys ready?
Laura: Yeah.
Andrew: Okay. Well, here we go.
[Music begins playing]
“We’ve got to save Ginny Weasley from the Basilisk
We’ve got to save the school from that unseen horror.”
Laura: Oh.
Andrew: What do you guys think? Laura, do you like that?
Laura: Yeah. It sounds like you had a bit of an influence, but yeah.
Andrew: No. What are you talking about?
Laura: I don’t know. It just sounded kind of familiar.
Andrew: No. No, I made that up myself.
Laura: Okay. I just can’t really place it.
Dylan: [coughs] Rip-off.
Andrew: That was the chorus of the song. The whole song, of course, is going to be released on Episode 70. So, hopefully that’s going to get the hype up a little bit because I’m really excited about it and I hope everyone else is too. So, e-mail me your feedback and what you thought of that. Thanks. [laughs]
Main Discussion: The Four Founders of Hogwarts
Andrew: Our main discussion this week now is the four founders of Hogwarts. We’ve talked about them in bits and pieces through out these past 67 shows, but now we’re going to talk about them in a little more detail. Right, Laura?
Laura: Yeah, absolutely. After a very long night of Micah and I being extremely grumpy and trying to come up with something, we actually came up with a discussion on the four founders.
Why Were Slytherin and Gryffindor Friends?
Laura: I think just to kind of jump right into it, my first question would be: why would someone like Gryffindor be friends with someone like Slytherin, who clearly valued pure bloods above others? Because we know that in the sorting song in Order of the Phoenix, it stated that Gryffindor and Slytherin were very close friends, as were Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. So why would someone like Gryffindor want to put up with someone like Slytherin, who had such skewed values?
Andrew: Maybe you could relate it to in the beginning of Sorcerer’s Stone, when Draco offered Harry his friendship, and you can almost think what would have happened if Draco hadn’t made fun of Ron and wasn’t taunting Ron? What would happen if they became friends? I mean, because the only thing…
Laura: I don’t think that would have happened though because Harry kind of, from his point of view in that chapter, I always got the impression he thought he was kind of snotty and that he didn’t really want that much to do with him, especially when he asked, like, his surname and stuff. I kind of got the impression that Harry felt like, why does that matter, you know? So…
Andrew: Yeah.
Micah: Well, I think if you’re presuming it on the basis that you were talking about, I think people of different views, whether it’s politics or other things, can be friends. Just because they have different viewpoints doesn’t mean that they can’t get along with each other.
Laura: Well, they can, I think, to an extent, but when it gets to a point where you’re actually actively alienating people because of their heritage, their bloodlines. I don’t know many people that can be friends with someone who does that. So, was Slytherin…
Micah: Well, maybe they were friends up to that point.
Did Slytherin Always Discriminate?
Laura: Yeah, that was kind of going to be my next point. Was Slytherin always – did he always discriminate against Muggle-borns and purebloods? Or half-bloods, excuse me. Or if he didn’t, what would’ve happened to make him be that way?
Andrew: Well, this sort of goes back to our discussion that we had on evil. Like, had Salazar always had a hate for purebloods? And I don’t – it might be like – I don’t even know if we should be bringing this example up on the show, but it’s almost like someone, someone being racist. In the sense that…
Laura: Well, yeah, it is in a sense.
Andrew: … you’re not…are you… You’re not born with that. You gather that over time, whether there’s and influence…
Laura: Mmm.
Andrew: …from your family and friends or…
Laura: Right.
Andrew: …what not.
Laura: Well, see, we know that Slytherin was at least prejudiced towards those who didn’t come from pureblood families from the point when the school started, because in the sorting song, it said that Slytherin stated that he would accept those whose blood was purest. So, we know that from at least that point on, he held a prejudice towards people who were not pureblooded.
Micah: But can you also see that as a traditionalist view, as opposed to being a racist view?
Laura: Well, yeah. That – I mean, you always kind of have to consider people as products of their time. But then again, you look at someone like Helga Hufflepuff, who said, “I’ll take the lot and treat them all the same.”
Andrew: Mhm. Well, that’s sort of, in a way, a mindset, too, because you’re a caring person who wants to welcome everyone or anyone.
Slytherin’s Chamber of Secrets
Laura: Mhm. Hmmm. Well, do you think Slytherin had any sort of intention going into the school? Because we know he build the Chamber of Secrets. Do you think that his first thought, whenever the four proposed the idea of starting a school, was to kind of use this as a platform to gain some sort of power and a way to kind of alienate others of – you know, who weren’t pureblooded or in a sense to essentially build the Chamber of Secrets? That way he could rid the school of Muggle-borns. Maybe that was his first intention?
Andrew: Well, yeah, maybe when Salazar was going into this idea of creating Hogwarts, maybe he – originally he did not want to? Well, I mean, originally he was going in and acting like he would treat everyone fairly, but then his ultimate goal was going to be to try to kick everyone out who wasn’t a pureblood. So, it…
Laura: Do you think that was…
Andrew: So, it was just a pureblood school.
Dylan: [clears his throat] I don’t think he went in with that goal, but I think that maybe he – his views have changed. His views changed. After a while he saw the direction the school was going in and it was allowing Mudbloods into the school and he didn’t like it, so he changed his views.
Andrew: Well, why wouldn’t you like that? I mean, what do you not like about Mudbloods, other than that they weren’t born with wizarding parents? I just don’t see…
Laura: Well, that’s – that’s like asking a…
Andrew: You know?
Dylan: I guess you’ll have to ask Salazar Slytherin. I guess…
Laura: Yeah, that’s like asking a racist person, what do you not like about a person of a specific race? Aside from the fact that…
Andrew: And what would that person say? You’re just…
Laura: Yeah, because…
Andrew: You’re just trying to think…
Laura: Yeah, it’s just a prejudice that you’re kind of conditioned into having.
Andrew: Mhm.
Laura: And it’s – it must be terribly, terribly hard to overcome something like that.
Andrew: Yeah.
Dylan: Well, it’s probably put into him since birth, you know? His father did the same thing and he just didn’t think those people were fit to be in his school.
Andrew: All right.
Was This a Defining Time in the Wizarding World?
Laura: Well, do you think maybe that this was kind of a time of change for the wizarding world? Like maybe up until the point – up until that point, if you weren’t a pureblood, you weren’t really considered a wizard? You weren’t considered part of that world? And it came to the point where they discovered that yes, you could have magical abilities if you were half-blooded or Muggle-born, so they started kind of accepting those people into the world and kind of understanding that wizards would have died out if they hadn’t married Muggles and that sort of thing, kind of like what Ron said. That could sort of explain his resentment towards it, because you’re bringing all of these new people into this world that had been kind of a small community for so long.
Andrew: Right.
Micah: Well, I mean, part of the problem with that is you know that there are witches and wizards that were born to people that weren’t of a wizarding bloodline. So, would it have actually died out is probably a hard question to answer…
Laura: Well…
Micah: …if you have these children that are being born to people who, previously, had no magic in their history.
Laura: Maybe not technically, but in a sense of culture, I think it could’ve because if there was a point where Muggle-borns weren’t being notified of their magical abilities, they could have just gone on and married more Muggles and it would have gotten to the point where no one would really know magic existed, even if it did.
Andrew: Yeah.
Micah: Well, they would know that they had power, though. I mean, certainly…
Laura: Well, Harry didn’t know he had power.
Micah: …they would have demonstrated something.
Laura: Harry just thought he was weird. [Laughs]
[Andrew laughs]
Micah: Well, so did Tom Riddle, but I think he always knew that there was something about him that was different from other people.
Laura: Yeah, but there are a lot of things that can be said – you can talk about a lot of things in that sense. For instance, I think every one of us kind of has a trait that’s distinguishable from other people.
Andrew: Yeah.
Micah: Yeah, that’s true.
Laura: You can just…
Andrew: Like, I am excellent in my…
Laura: In your Wizard Rock band.
Andrew: …podcasting skills, and my Wizard Rock band.
Laura: And I absolutely fail in my podcasting skills. That’s what really…
Andrew: Yeah, you’re not that good.
Laura: …creates a contrast there. Yeah, I know.
[Andrew and Micah laugh]
Andrew: You’re good at liking bad music.
Laura: Oh, please.
Andrew: Green Day.
Laura: Oh, please. You’re so full of crap. I like playing…
Wizarding World Pre-Hogwarts
Andrew: But anyway, this whole thing makes me wonder what the wizarding world was like before Hogwarts and the other two schools.
Laura: I think it was kind of – obviously, it did exist in the medieval time period, but do you think they kind of had the same philosophies as Muggles did? You know, the kind of torture and the…
Andrew: Torture?
Laura: Well, yeah! Medieval – God, they tortured people.
Dylan: That’s got to be in human nature, though. I guess it would just kind of be in human nature…
Andrew: To what? I mean, were there schoolhouses?
Dylan: Anything that the Muggles did would be in human nature. Maybe wizards are different, but…
Laura: Were there schoolhouses when the schools started?
Dylan: Oh, but I hope wizards are smarter not to war amongst themselves, but…
Andrew: Well, no, I mean, look at the colonial days in America. There were schoolhouses where it was one little schoolhouse, just one room with a hundred kids in it and they would all just sit there and learn everything all at once, no matter what your age was.
Laura: Well, no, I don’t think so, because there really weren’t schools in that sense during the time that Hogwarts was allegedly built, because it’s allegedly at least 1,000 years old. So, I doubt that there was any sort of school in that sense; I think that Hogwarts was a relatively revolutionary idea for its time.
Andrew: Right, yeah.
Micah: And they may have been afraid to do anything at that time, because they didn’t know what the consequences would be from even the Muggle world.
Andrew: Or just teaching kids magic?
What Made These Four Start Hogwarts
Laura: Yeah. Yeah, what would kind of – what was the influence there? What made these four people want to start this school?
Andrew: Doesn’t the Sorting hat say? Or…
Laura: No. You know what’s interesting about that Sorting song? It goes on and says, basically, essentially tells the school, “I’m going to tell you the whole tale of the founders,” but it doesn’t. It doesn’t really tell you anything aside from what they valued individually.
Andrew: Oh, right, right. Well, I’m going on MuggleNet’s Sorting Hat Songs Page.
Laura: I don’t appreciate that, Jo.
Andrew: I’ll read up on my…
Micah: Perhaps it’s really written in there and we’re too dense…
Laura: Yeah, we’re too dense to catch it. [laughs]
Micah: …to realize.
Andrew: They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,
They hatched a daring plan
To educate young sorcerers
Thus Hogwarts School began.
I love these school songs. They’re just [laughs] awesome, so that’s what we got from the Sorting Hat.
Laura: Yeah, it was just four people with a dream.
Andrew: With a dream, a hope, and a wish.
[Laura laughs]
Andrew: You’re wishing for, what are they wishing for? Educated students?
Laura: Yeah, to educate. I guess to educate people because, when you really think about the way that civilizations have grown and changed, a huge contributing factor to that is education. If we didn’t have education, we would still be beating each other with clubs and…
Andrew: Yeah.
Laura: …all sorts of wonderful things.
Andrew: They also shared a hope. The hope was, I guess, to…
Laura: Well, was there something terrible going on at that time? Was there a war going on in the wizarding world? Did they maybe hope to educate the next generation to kind of prevent any kind of conflict that was happening then from happening again?
Andrew: That’s good. That’s a good idea, actually.
Laura: Well, input?
Andrew: Well, I mean, what is the Hogwarts motto that the…
Laura: Oh geez, I know this. It’s Latin.
Andrew: Yeah.
Laura: But I know what is translates to. Isn’t it…
Andrew: Don’t trick a…
Andrew and Laura: Don’t tickle a sleeping dragon.
Laura: Yeah.
Andrew: [laughs] So, that has something to do with it.
Laura: [laughs] Maybe it does. Knowing Jo.
Andrew: The war broke out and – the war broke out and it all started by someone tickling a dragon.
[Laura laughs]
Andrew: Yeah, that’s it! We just solved it!
Laura: The key to the Harry Potter series…
Andrew: What else, what other reason could there be?
Laura: I don’t know.
Andrew: No, but, so, I guess the hope was to create a school where people who realized that they had a magical ability could come and…
Dylan: Yeah, and create an entire generation of – generations of youth that would be educated in furthering the cause of wizards.
Andrew: Yeah. Yeah.
Laura: Right.
Dylan: They’d be better about hiding and smarter about dealing with Muggles and that sort of thing.
How Could Such Friendships Fail?
Laura: Kind of moving on, we see that these four friends were clearly, clearly very close people, whenever they started this, but clearly, something happened to change that. The Sorting Hat says during the song, “How could such friendships fail?” and this kind of implies to me, at least, that it wasn’t just Gryffindor and Slytherin who had a falling-out. I always kind of got the impression that, when Gryffindor and Slytherin started feuding, that the resentment kind of spread throughout the group and that it caused the school to essentially fall apart.
Dylan: To take sides and…
Laura: Yeah.
Dylan: …divide.
Laura: I mean, what could have possibly happened?
Dylan: Like the greatest nations; like Rome, the fall of Rome.
Laura: Yeah.
Dylan: The – you know, anytime there is a devise of a great civilization or any great society, it’s because it does not stay united.
Andrew: I think…
Laura: I mean, with the – go ahead.
Andrew: If you were the four founders and you start building this gigantic school and there is so much responsibility and planning and just over all general work that has to go into it, you’re bound to run into disagreements about different things.
Laura: Well, clearly there was a disagreement. [laughs]
Micah: But, what was so great…
Andrew: No. What I’m saying is that’s what broke up…
Micah: …of a disagreement that caused them…
Laura: Yeah.
Micah: …not to get along with each other?
Andrew: Well, just look at the size of the school. It could have started off with one little thing, “Where should this bathroom go?” Wasn’t it, who was it? Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw that built the floor plans?
Laura: Built the what?
Andrew: Who designed the floor plans.
Laura: I didn’t know we knew who designed the floor plans.
Andrew: Well, what was that one thing that says…
Dylan: I thought they all did.
Andrew: Wasn’t there something… [laughs]
Laura: [laughs] What are you talking about?
Andrew: …in the Sorting Hat song or something that said Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw came out with the… [trails off]
[Laura laughs]
Andrew: I’m going to look this up. Carry on.
Laura: In the Sorting Hat it said…
Andrew: I know I read that this morning.
Laura: It said, “Ravenclaw came up with the floor plans.” [still laughing]
Andrew: [laughs] No, that’s not what I’m saying.
Laura: [laughs] I don’t think it said anything along the lines of any one of the founders specifically designing the floor plans. I think it was kind of a collaborative effort, which could be where the conflict kind of arose from. I mean, when you think about it…
Dylan: Well, the conflict arose after the school was founded and after the school was built, so apparently it couldn’t have been over that.
Laura: Well, if you kind of consider; as a school progresses, it’s going to grow. I’m not sure that Hogwarts was nearly as big or as complex as it is now, when they first started it.
How Was The Chamber Built?
Laura: And that kind of – how would Slytherin, we know that he built the Chamber of Secrets, how could he have built such a vast chamber, how could he have created this secret entrance to it without the other founders knowing?
Andrew: Yeah.
Laura: Because I really don’t think that, especially Godric Gryffindor, would have been too appealed by the idea of hosting a giant snake under the school.
Andrew: I don’t know. I think that he must have put some sort of magic on it to keep it quiet or undetectable, but he must have done it while they were away.
Was Magic Used in the Construction of Hogwarts?
Andrew: Like, okay, here’s my question. When they built Hogwarts, was it all magic or was it actually built? Like, I know they weren’t…
Laura: I don’t know, they could have…
Micah: It was a bunch of elves in construction hats.
[Laura laughs]
Andrew: Yeah. Well that’s why I’m saying…
Dylan: I would assume that they would use magic to put all the big blocks in beforehand.
Andrew: Yeah. I’m saying like who did the roofing, who did the plumbing? [laughs]
Laura: [laughs] I always kind of…
Andrew: [still laughing] I’m not saying those four walked out with tool belts.
Dylan: I think they could just like use magic to do it…
Andrew: Yeah.
Dylan: And it goes faster, I guess.
Andrew: Yeah.
Laura: I always kind of thought they used a preexisting castle.
Andrew: Really?
Laura: But that’s just me. Yeah.
Andrew: But then how would you add… Well, I guess…
Laura: Add what? Well, of course you could add on to it. I mean, clearly someone built buildings back then.
Andrew: I’m trying to think of a part of Hogwarts that wouldn’t – I guess that’s an interesting theory.
Did Magic Give Hogwarts a Mind of Its Own?
Laura: Well, kind of – you know, you kind of mentioned magic. Was the school completely composed out of magic? I don’t think that the actual structure was, but I think there was definitely a lot of magic put on the school. And we know that there is somewhat of a danger when you kind of put magic into inanimate objects, because as Mr. Weasley says, “You shouldn’t trust anything if you can’t see where it keeps its brain.” Is there kind of – is there a possibility that Hogwarts kind of grew out of control of the founders? As if to say they put so much magic into the school itself that it kind of grew a mind of its own? It was able to do its own bidding, and…
Andrew: Its own bidding?
Laura: Yeah, it’s own – kind of, you know, its own thing. Be independent of their will.
Micah: Like what though?
Andrew: Yeah, like…
Dylan: So, where would we find out this agenda of…?
Andrew: What do you mean?
Dylan: That the Hogwarts castle has.
Laura: [laughs] I’m not saying it has an agenda, I’m saying it has…
[Andrew laughs]
Laura: It…
Dylan: So, it has New Year’s Resolutions or something?
[Andrew laughs]
Laura: [still laughing] I’m just saying that it possibly…
Dylan: Does it get a birthday wish?
[Andrew and Laura laugh]
Laura: Maybe, Dylan.
[Dylan and Laura laugh]
Laura: I’m just kind of saying that the school could possibly develop a mind of its own in the sense that the Ford Anglia did because Ron kind of remarked that it had become wild in the forest, and as we saw in Chamber of Secrets at the beginning of the book it only flew, drove, whatever, whenever Mr. Weasley or Ron or someone forced it to. But when it was put into the forest, which is clearly a magical place and a place where it would also have to defend itself, it clearly grew an independent streak, and I think that it’s possible that Hogwarts did the same thing. We know that the school has – it has its own character. I mean, it has doors that disappear on Friday, and staircases that move, and walls that pretend to be other things.
Micah: Well, I always thought that the Ford Anglia lost its own control and it was sort of being controlled by the magic that was surrounding the school once it entered, I guess, the air around it. And that’s part of the reason why it went into the tree and sort of did its own thing after that. So, I think the school definitely has its own magic that has been put there. I don’t know by who, and I know that’s kind of part of what you’re asking; but I think part of the reason why there’s certain things that operate on certain days and certain things that do their own thing is because it’s magic and that is just sort of Jo’s way of adding to what we’re reading and making it out to be something that’s magical.
Laura: Okay, but…
Micah: Do you know what I mean?
Is Hogwarts Dangerous Because of its Magic?
Laura: Yeah. Could you kind of turn that around to say that there’s a possibility that a place like Hogwarts could potentially be dangerous? Because it clearly has magic of it’s own that it’s able to exhibit and create influence on things around it. So who’s to say that the school couldn’t result in something terrible happening?
Hang On: Back to the Floor Plans
Andrew: Ummm, I just found my – hold on. I just found my evidence to prove you wrong, Laura. Which I enjoyed doing.
Laura: Uh oh.
Andrew: I actually found this on the Lexicon. “The famous wizard cards attribute this magical rearranging floor plan to Rowena Ravenclaw.” That’s what it was.
Laura: Oh, the magical cards. The Chocolate Frog cards?
Andrew: Yeah. Yeah. Apparently it’s on…
Laura: You said the Sorting Song.
Andrew: Well, okay, so I got that part wrong. But my point is I… [laughs] That it was one of the founders who came up with the floor plans for the school. So, with that said…
Laura: Well, do you think Ravenclaw helped Slytherin create the Chamber of Secrets, then?
Andrew: No.
Laura: Why not?
Andrew: Because it was a secret. Because the Chamber of Secrets was a secret. That only he knew of.
Laura: You’re not being very helpful here. [laughs]
Andrew: Huh?
Laura: You’re not being very helpful here. So, I mean, if it’s a secret, who’s to say that is has to be a secret to one person?
Andrew: Ummm….
Dylan: Because it’s not the Chamber of Secret Societies, it’s the Chamber of Secrets.
Laura: Yeah.
Andrew: Yeah.
Laura: Well to… I mean, it’s not secret anymore.
Andrew: Well, yeah, right, but no one’s ever said that someone other than Salazar could have known, or would have, or did know.
Laura: Yeah, but no one’s ever said that no one else knew, either.
Andrew: That’s true, but even aside from that, that answers the question, “Could Hogwarts have been built or been used from an existing castle?”
Laura: Oh, yeah, that’s true. That must have taken a long time. If you think about it.
Andrew: It would have.
Laura: Yeah.
Andrew: [laughs] Small talk, with MuggleCast.
[Laura laughs]
More “Mind of Its Own” Discussion and the Danger of Hogwarts
Andrew: I would think that the – back on to the question of, “Would the school have a mind of its own?” I would think that the founders would know what they were getting themselves into if they were putting so much magic into the school.
Laura: But what if they did, though?
Andrew: I’m still confused as to what the mind – the school’s mind – would be able to do. I don’t get what you’re saying there, Laura.
Laura: Well, I guess – let me try to compare. Have you ever seen the movie Rose Red? Stephen King.
Andrew: No.
[Laura sighs]
Andrew: Keep going.
Laura: Okay. [laughs] Okay, basically it is one of the made for TV mini-series things that Stephen King likes to do, and it’s basically…
Andrew: What channel?
Laura: It wasn’t originally run for a specific channel. I don’t remember.
Andrew: Is it available on DVD?
Laura: Yes, it is. It’s available on DVD. But, it basically is about a house that has developed a mind of its own because it is inhabited by spirits that once lived there. And the house – it changes, and you’ll walk down a hallway, and it will build a wall so you can’t get back. That sort of thing. That’s what I’m saying about Hogwarts. It kind of has the same capability. Not for the same reason, but the school is definitely capable of doing great things, and I think that’s because of all the magic that the founders put into it. Obviously Tom Riddle’s diary would have been nothing more than a diary if Tom hadn’t put magic into it, and, clearly, that became a very dangerous item. So, is it possible that the school could be the same way?
Andrew: Well, the staircases have a mind of its own, but I guess it could. [laughs]
Dylan: You could just bewitch it like the Great Hall – the roof in the Great Hall. It’s bewitched to look like the night sky. You could bewitch the staircases to move.
Laura: Well, sure, but I just think that especially after these wizards have long since been dead, their magic has really held on and continued to grow. I couldn’t see that the school wouldn’t have a mind of it’s own, because you think about things like the Room of Requirement that will kind of appear at will and have very random assortments of objects in them, according to what the seeker is looking for.
Micah: But yeah, it is dangerous and that’s a perfect example because look at what happens in Half Blood Prince. But, I think if you look in any of the books, starting with Sorcerer’s Stone, you have the trap door and everything that they progress to, to finally get to the Sorcerer’s Stone. So, the school in itself is dangerous in that way. All the tasks that they have to go through for Harry to finally get to Quirrell. In Chamber of Secrets you have the Chamber of Secrets which is obviously dangerous. Prisoner of Azkaban…
Laura: You have the Whomping Willow.
Micah: …the Whomping Willow plays a huge role. You look at any of the four tasks even though some of those areas were created just for that purpose, but, and then the Black Lake was – is a perfect example in Goblet of Fire.
Laura: Yes, and before we get rebuttals on it, we are completely aware that the Whomping Willow was planted by Dumbledore when Remus went to school, not…
Micah: Well, that’s my point though.
Laura: But I know that people are going to write in and say, “That wasn’t there when the founders built the school.” So, just kind of clarifying, we know that.
Micah: Yeah, but I think though the school itself is only as dangerous as the mechanisms that people use to put protective magic on. I don’t think the school has a mind of its own. It has a mind of its own as far as whatever magic people use to sort of make it this protective environment.
Laura: So, essentially what you’re saying is the school is a safe place as long as Dumbledore’s there which is what a lot of people have said throughout the series.
Micah: Well, no, no, no. It’s not, because look at what happened in Sorcerer’s Stone. All that magic that was used to protect the Sorcerer’s Stone was in fact dangerous to anybody who tried to seek it out.
Laura: Well I guess they were kind of operating out of the…
Micah: Slytherin put this Chamber of Secrets, look how dangerous it was to get down into that area.
Laura: Yeah, that’s true. But, wouldn’t you say that it’s also true that if you have the school under the command of someone like Dumbledore, it will be more of a safe place and it really couldn’t be used to do evil things in the sense that it could be, if say Voldemort controlled it. Because we’ve always known that Voldemort would love to get Hogwarts and turn it into a school of the Dark Arts. So, clearly, the magic can be manipulated.
Micah: I think… But to go back to what you said, Laura, about it being dangerous or not being dangerous when Dumbledore is there, I don’t agree with that because if you look at any of the six books, something bad has happened every year that he’s been there.
Laura: Well, yeah. That’s true.
Micah: Inside the castle, I would say that it’s safe from any danger happening from outside, so any external thing coming in, except for what happens at the end of Half Blood Prince, I’d say that he’s good at protecting from stuff on the outside, but as far as inside the school, I think a lot of things that he, himself instituted as protection has actually come up as a barrier to Harry and threatened him throughout the course of the series.
Laura: So, it basically can be dangerous from the inside because of how vast it is and how really – it’s kind of like one of those places where it’s so huge that someone could be living in it and you could never know for months.
Andrew: Yeah, yeah. Well, especially – you could never know period, ever, because of all the hidden rooms.
Laura: I heard Micah lives there.
Micah: Unless you have the Map.
[Short pause]
Micah: Yeah, I’m there…
Laura: Well, that depends though because obviously the map doesn’t extend to every room in Hogwarts. We know the Room of Requirement doesn’t come up.
Micah: I’m actually there right now. Podcasting from…
Laura: Where are you, Micah?
Andrew: Are you?
Laura: Where in Hogwarts are you?
Micah: I can’t give away that information.
[Andrew laughs]
Laura: I mean, does anyone have any last minute comments? I think that pretty much wraps it up. I think we had killed it.
Andrew: I guess.
Laura: We have 45 minutes of audio so far.
Andrew: Yeah. I don’t know, those founders.
Dylan’s Birthday and Layouts
Dylan: Should I probably say something about my voice being a little hoarse?
Andrew: I can’t – I mean, it sounds a little hoarse.
Dylan: If you guys haven’t noticed, my voice is kind of hoarse because last night was my birthday.
Andrew: Oh, was it?
Laura: Yeah, it was. Happy birthday!
Andrew: Oh, that’s right. Happy Birthday, Jam – or Dylan! [laughs]
Dylan: We were very loud.
Andrew: [laughs] How old are you? 18?
Dylan: I am legal. I’m 18.
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: What does that mean? [laughs] Okay, yeah, Happy Birthday. Good stuff. And while we’re on it, we might as well plug your latest layouts. Want to talk about those?
Dylan: Oh yeah, there’s the new… There’s… I think we have four Christmas layouts out.
Andrew: Four?
Dylan: Yeah we have the Yule Ball, which is kind of a Christmas Eve layout. We have two brand new Christmas layouts and then we have the Hogwarts snowy layout. So, all those are good and my voice is still hoarse from last night. [laughs]
Andrew: I personally am a fan of the Hogwarts snowy layout. I like that. It’s nice.
Dylan: Oh yeah.
Andrew: Yeah.
Dylan: That’s a good one. And I also like the one where Dan’s like, “Oh, yeah.”
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: Yeah.
Dylan: Like right in the middle he’s got the “okay” symbol. He’s like, “Happy Holidays, okay? You got it?
Andrew: [laughs] Yeah. I’m sure Evanna is very appreciative of you adding her picture in there. Is that the first theme with Evanna?
Dylan: Well, I made a Evanna Dumbledore’s Army layout.
Andrew: There is the Dumbledore’s Army layout that has her.
Dylan: Yes, she’s in the Dumbledore’s Army as well, but I made layouts for almost all the Order of the Phoenix high definition photos. I made layouts for all of them. But, you see the thing is that a lot of layouts were just one image or so and there wasn’t a whole lot going on, but you’ll probably be able to see those in the new layout archive that’s coming on. So you’ll be, you know, the Halloween layout, the past one. You would be able to find all the layouts that weren’t released so there won’t a big jumble of layouts in the corner there. You can find them in the entire section. So…
Andrew: Yeah that will be nice and handy.
Dylan: Yeah and it will be. There will be a lot more layouts for you to choose from and you guys can actually submit your own stuff. You can just tell me what you want to see on the site and I can make it for you guys. So if you want to see a Sirius layout, we’ll make a Sirius layout. You want to make a Snape layout, we’ll make a Snape layout. How about a Weasley layout? Who knows.
Andrew: Come on.
Dylan: This site is all about the fans. I mean, if you guys…
Andrew: I want a U2 layout.
Dylan: …want it, we can make it. Because the site is made for you guys. This is why we made it.
Andrew: Dylan, I want a U2 layout.
Dylan: A U2 layout?
Laura: Don’t do it.
Dylan: I don’t know. We got to get at least ten people to…
Andrew: Oh heck, that’s it?
Dylan: …e-mail me saying…
Andrew: [laughs] Throw a wand in there then it could be related.
Dylan: Or maybe I can put Bono [pronounced “bo-no”] right next to Harry or something I’ll just squeeze him in.
Andrew: [laughs] It’s Bono. It’s not “Bo-no.”
[Laura laughs]
Dylan: It’s Bono. I’ll put Bono in there.
Laura: Yeah, I don’t think we should do U2 because…
Dylan: Not the biggest U2 fan, but…
Laura: …I heard that it was actually Bono that killed Dumbledore.
[Andrew laughs]
Dylan: But they are very good artists.
Andrew: Yeah well, good job, Dylan, on the layouts and I’m sure that everyone is looking forward for the layout changer. When does that going up? Do you…?
Dylan: The layout archive? I don’t know.
Andrew: Yeah.
Dylan: It should be up soon, if Ben…
Andrew: Once Ben does it…
Dylan: Yeah.
Andrew: …It will be up.
Dylan: When Ben does it, it will be up.
Dueling Club: Snape vs. Mad-Eye Moody
Andrew: But moving on. We have a new Dueling Club this week. How about this one, someone e-mailed this this week, I think, and now I don’t have the name, I’m sorry. Snape versus Mad-Eye Moody.
Laura: Oh.
Andrew: I say Snape [laughs]
Dylan: Eh, Mad-Eye Moody
Laura: That’s difficult.
Andrew: Mad-Eye Moody – why Laura?
Laura: Because Moody – he clearly captured so many Death Eaters and put them in Azkaban. You know? He’s…
Micah: However, Barty Crouch did a pretty good number on him in Goblet of Fire.
Laura: I guess it depends if you’re referring to Moody in his element or the Moody that we know now.
Andrew: I would think that Mad-Eye… See, I… If Mad-Eye was capable of beating Snape, then obviously it is a good idea to have him in the Order of the Phoenix, but I think that – do you think that Mad-Eye trusts Snape?
Laura: Probably not. I don’t think he trusts much of anyone
Andrew: Micah, what do you think?
Micah: Well, Mad-Eye is definitely not as fast as he used to be and all the battles that he’s been in, he has pretty good examples of all over his body. So…
Andrew: [laughs] Yeah.
Micah: It would be hard and Snape is still pretty young and…
Dylan: Yeah, but Alastor Moody has got his experience marks.
[Micah and Laura laughs]
Andrew: [in deep voice] In more ways than one.
Dylan: Yeah, really. He’s got a lot of experience and that has to be worth something. He has captured a couple dozen Death Eaters, if to my knowledge.
Andrew: That is pretty good. I mean there’s not that much to say of Snape other than that he is very good at Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions, but…
Laura: Well, the thing is, I think you can safely say is that Moody does have experience and wit on his side but Snape has youth, experience, wit and stealth. And I think in the end…
Andrew: And the courage to kill.
[Andrew and Laura laugh]
Dylan: Yeah because he actually pulled the trigger on Dumbledore
Micah: Yeah, they’re both pretty ugly. Who do you think would win in a staring contest?
[Andrew and Laura laugh]
Andrew: What? How about a beauty contest?
[Laura and Micah laughs]
Dylan: I want to see them in a staring contest.
Laura: I don’t know, there are a lot of Snape fan girls who would be all over Snape winning that, I think, Andrew.
Micah: Well are they Alan Rickman fan girls or are they Snape fangirls?
Andrew: There is a difference.
Laura: No, they’re really – yeah, there are really a lot of Snape fan girls. Isn’t that kind of terrifying? I mean our very own Jess on MuggleNet is a huge Snape fan girl.
Andrew: Well, Jess is weird so I am not surprised by that.
Laura: No, she’s not.
Andrew: But anyway, we… [laughs] I’m just kidding.
Laura: She’s pleasantly odd, like me.
Listener Rebuttal: James and Sirius Related?
Andrew: [laughs] We have another e-mail this week: Megan, 23, of Michigan. She writes:
“Hey MuggleCasters. I was looking at the Black family tree and noticed that Dorea Black married a man called Charlus Potter. Underneath the two, it says that they had ‘one son.’ We know that James was an only child – I was wondering what you thought about the possibility of Dorea and Charlus being James’ parents.”
Hmmm.
Laura: Yeah, I think so. [laughs]
Andrew: Not a bad theory.
Dylan: It could happen. It could happen.
Micah: Very possible.
Andrew: Well, wait a second. No, no never mind.
[Laura laughs]
Andrew: She goes on to write:
“I also found it interesting that there are some Longbottoms found on the same family tree. This means that the two boys to which the prophecy of Voldemort’s defeat applied have close family ties with the very same family that produced Voldemort’s biggest supporters. It is true that all pureblood families are interrelated, so it doesn’t come as a shock, just an interesting observation. Love the show!”
[sighs] The Black family tree.
Laura: That is interesting.
Andrew: Very interesting.
Laura: Well, when you think about all the people…
Dylan: I think it’s definitely possible…
Laura: …that are related.
Dylan: I think it’s definitely possible, but I don’t know. Would Jo really do that?
Andrew and Laura: Do what?
Dylan: Relate them so closely? Maybe that makes sense.
Laura: Well, I think it kind of makes it interesting, because you consider all these people and how closely related they are, and how they all kind of feud with each other. I mean, when you connect pureblood families, it kind of makes me wonder how closely related Voldemort could be [laughs] to some of these people.
Andrew: Yeah.
Dylan: Yeah, but he isn’t pureblood.
Laura: Well, no, but he comes from – his father’s side was pureblood.
Micah: That would make…
Dylan: His mother’s side.
Micah: …Sirius and James cousins, wouldn’t it?
Andrew: I guess so.
Laura: By – yeah. Yeah, I guess so.
Micah: If we’re assuming that Dorea Black…
Dylan: Or second cousins.
Micah: …is Sirius’s mother’s sister.
Dylan: Twice removed.
Andrew: Yeah, yeah.
Micah: Right?
Andrew: [laughs] I guess so!
Laura: Yeah. [laughs] I guess. Yeah.
Favorites: Spells
Andrew: We’re going to play a segment now that we haven’t done in a while, and Dylan, I didn’t tell you about this earlier, so you should probably look one up, quick. Favorites, where we…
Micah: [laughs] Oh, I didn’t even look at that.
Laura: Awww, Favorites.
Andrew: Where we take a certain aspect of the books or movies, and we say our favorite of it. We haven’t done this in a while, and in the past, we’ve done favorite movie, favorite book, favorite just very general stuff. Now, here’s the request we’ve been getting for a while: favorite spell. And Laura, you want to start us off?
Laura: Sectumsempra.
Andrew: Sectumsempra?
Laura: [laughs] Yeah.
Andrew: Can you say why, Laura?
Laura: Ahhh…
Andrew: Other than that, it’s not funny to say. Sectumsempra.
Laura: Yeah. [laughs] Well, it’s not that; it’s pretty awesome. You think about the way that Harry was just, kind of, able to, in one flick of his wand, have Draco down on the floor and bleeding everywhere. It’s kind of a useful tool, if you think about it. Certain people who deserve it. Not that I’m violent, but…
Micah: Oh, wow! [laughs]
Andrew: Yeah.
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: Do you fancy…
Micah: Certain people who deserve it.
Andrew: …using that spell?
Dylan: I’m just saying, Laura, I’m going to keep my distance.
Laura: Perhaps.
Andrew: [laughs] Well!
Dylan: All right, well, my favorite spell would probably be the Bat Bogey Hex, because do you know how awesome it would be to be able to throw bat bogeys at everyone?
Laura: Yeah, that would be pretty cool. It would be fun.
Dylan: You’d just be like, I don’t know…
Laura: Would you ever do that to Emerson?
Dylan: …you’re annoying. Whap! Ummm, it depends. [laughs] But only if he deserved it. Like, legitimately.
Micah: I like Locomotor mortis, the Leg Locker Curse. [laughs]
[Dylan and Laura laugh]
Micah: Sounds like a wrestling move.
Andrew: Micah, you liking that kind of disturbs me, I’m going to be honest.
Micah: What’s that? [laughs]
Andrew: You liking that curse would – it disturbs me.
[Micah and Laura laugh]
Andrew: Okay, well, I would probably have to say my favorite is [mispronounces] Morsmordray, Morsmordre. Sorry. Because it’s the Dark Mark, and I remember…
Micah: Have you tried doing that outside your house?
[Laura laughs]
Andrew: [adopts an goofy voice]Yes, I have. No.
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: I remember when I used to – when I first heard that spell in the books, I just thought that was so cool. That’s when I was 12 or 13, but I was a fan of that. It was so scary!
Dylan: You know, I would think that your favorite spell would be Vertigo or something.
Andrew: Vertigo? [laughs] If there was a spell. Only if. [laughs]
Laura: [laughs] Thank God there isn’t.
Listener Rebuttal: McGonagall
Andrew: Anyway, another e-mail, now.
[Laura laughs]
Andrew: Jacqueline, 19, of Utah writes:
“I heard your discussion for Episode 67.”
Oh, well, good.
“One part, in particular, really got me: the question about why Harry couldn’t and didn’t tell Professor McGonagall where he and Dumbledore had been, and I have to agree. The more people that know a secret, the more likely it is the secret will get out. I also couldn’t stop thinking of this particular line: ‘Dumbledore’s man through and through.’ Harry is loyal to Dumbledore, and that is why he doesn’t tell McGonagall. You also mentioned that she seemed to not take that very well. I think it has to do with the fact that she is used to the teacher-student role, and normally Harry would give up that information as a student, but here there is more at stake than 50 points and detention. I think that is why McGonagall reacts this way. She is just thrown off.”
Good thinking, Jacqueline.
Laura: Yeah, well, I think you’re probably right, Jacqueline.
Listener Rebuttal: Zacharias and Hepzibah Smith
Andrew: Burts, 14, of It-Was-Not-Me-It-Was-Not-Me-Snape-Did-It-See-He-Is-The-One-Who-Has-The-Wand-Not-Me. Okay.
[Laura laughs]
Andrew: Writes about “Smiths”:
“Dear MuggleCast, a thought popped into my head about Zacharias Smith, and Hepzibah Smith. Hepzibah Smith was the old lady who was a descendent of Hufflepuff and had Helga Hufflepuff’s cup and Slytherin’s locket, which Tom Riddle murdered her for in Half-Blood Prince. Maybe Zacharias and Hepzibah perhaps could be related regularly. I would perhaps have just let it go, but Zacharias is a Hufflepuff. If they are, what effect would it have in Book 7? I just wanted to see what you guys and Laura thought. Sincerely, Burts.”
Hmmm…
Dylan: Or maybe it could definitely happen if they had pureblood relations.
Andrew: Yeah. Mhm.
Dylan: This is what we were talking about earlier.
Micah: Yeah, I would just want to point out that this is not the only person that has sent in this e-mail.
Laura: Yeah.
Micah: It’s come from a bunch of different people. So, but, yeah, it’s definitely a possibility.
Laura: Yeah.
Micah: But there’s also the fact that Smith is a very common last name.
Laura: Yeah. [laughs] As we know about Evans.
Andrew: Yes. [laughs]
Laura: Although it could just kind of be something, kind of like a point of interest. Like, yeah, they were related, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that Zacharias has the Horcrux.
Listener Rebuttal: Are Textbooks Enchanted?
Andrew: And finally, Hannah, 18, of New York writes:
“I was recently having a discussion about Harry Potter with some of my fan friends. We were discussing Nicholas Flamel from the first book, and during this discussion I came up with a theory that could be completely far-fetched, but I wanted to let you guys know anyways. In the British version, page 161, it says, ‘Mr. Flamel, who just celebrated his 656th birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle, 658.’ Some people think that this age may not be accurate, because we do not know when the book was published. I came up with the theory that perhaps wizard books are bewitched to automatically update all the dates every year, so that the ages stated in the book would always be true. It seems like this would be a simple enchantment for a full wizard to do, and I just wanted to know what you guys think, and if you think this is possible.”
I think that’s a good idea.
Laura: Yeah, I think it’s possible.
Dylan: That’s like the wizards’ form of Wikipedia or something.
[Micah laughs]
Dylan Spartz’s Inspirational Quote of the Week
Andrew: And finally this week, we are going to wrap things up with a Dylan Spartz Inspirational Quote of the Week. Now, this segment only ran two times, and now that Dylan’s on, I thought it would be only right for it to run again. Dylan, could you – could you please provide us with an inspirational quote?
Dylan: “We can do that. We don’t even have to have a reason.”
Andrew: [laughs] Okay, so please give it to us.
Dylan: That was it. [laughs]
[Andrew laughs]
Laura: [laughs] That was it.
Micah: That was the quote! [laughs]
Dylan: That’s the quote.
[Everyone laughs]
Dylan: “We can do that. We don’t even have to have a reason.”
Andrew: Oh, thank you, Dylan.
Dylan: That quote was from my favorite movie, Caddyshack. Any Caddyshack fans out there, way to represent.
Show Close
[End of show music begins]
Andrew: That does it for [laughs] for this episode of MuggleCast 68. Next week, I am very excited, it’s our holiday show, and I am even more excited for Episode 70, which is our New Year’s show, not just for the wizard rock song. We have a lot of fun stuff planned. [in a goofy voice] I don’t want to give away any details yet, but we do have some good things planned next week. We should have a nice holiday discussion, and everyone will be in a festive mood. Yay!
Laura: Yay!
Andrew: [laughs] So…
Laura: I want Micah to say, “Yay!” Say, “Yay!” Micah.
Andrew: Yay, Micah, do it!
Dylan: Yay!
Micah: Yay!
Andrew: Yay! Micah said, “Yay!”
Dylan: Hooray for the holidays!
Andrew: Micah sounded enthusiastic! Yay! We would like to remind everyone we have a PO Box. It’s located in Kansas.
MuggleCast
PO Box 223
Moundridge, KS, 67107
If you want to send us stuff. You can also call in any voicemail comments, questions, to MuggleCast – the user name MuggleCast on Skype. Or you can dial 1-218-20-MAGIC in the United States. If you are in the United Kingdom, you can dial 020-8144-0677. If you are in Australia, you can dial 028-003-5668. You can also visit MuggleCast.com for the feedback form, or you can contact any of one of us. You could also reach us at our first name at staff dot mugglenet dot com. That includes Dylan. So, once again, I’m Andrew Sims.
Laura: I’m Laura Thompson.
Micah: I’m Micah Tannenbaum.
Dylan: I’m Dylan Spartz.
Andrew: Thank you, everyone, for listening, and we will see you next week. Bye-bye!
Micah: Bye!
[Music concludes]
[Audio]: This podcast is brought to you by Buena Vista Home Entertainment’s release of Step Up. When Tyler Gage, a rough and street-wise hunk with raw talent finds himself doing community service at a school for the performing arts, he also finds Nora, a beautiful and privileged classically-trained dancer who is searching for a new partner. Spying Tyler’s smooth moves, Nora decides to take a chance on him. But as they begin training, tension builds, tempers flare, and the differences in their backgrounds explode. On DVD December 19, rated PG-13.
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Written by: Micah, Adrienne, Allison, Amanda, Briana, Eloise, Jessica, Judy, Martina, Matt, Megan, Samantha, Shannon and Shelly