MuggleCast 92 Transcript
Show Intro
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Andrew: Today’s MuggleCast is also brought to you by Borders. It won’t be long before the much-anticipated release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Do you have your mind made up about where Severus Snape’s loyalties lie? Do you think he’ll betray Harry and his friends, or will he help them to triumph over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? Find out more about this complex character in the hot new book The Great Snape Debate available only at Borders. Remember to reserve Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at Borders and save 40 percent.
[Intro music begins to play]
Andrew: Because Voldemort is like a big, bald Mr. Clean, this is Mugglecast Episode 92 for May 28th, 2007.
[Intro music continues to play]
Andrew: I’m not going to lie, this has not been our week.
Kevin: No, it hasn’t.
Andrew: We’ve…
Laura: Definitely not.
Andrew: Sorry to start the show off with a couple of bumps in the road, but besides it being my birthday. Thanks to everyone who sent gifts, grand total of one. It has not been our week. But now I feel like we got a good show planned.
Laura: Yes.
Kevin: Yeah, we do. Definitely.
Andrew: I’m really excited because I have a very big announcement on the show this week.
Micah: What is it?
Andrew: It’s – well, I don’t want to give it away, because it’s sort of like my teaser into the show.
Micah: Awww, that’s not fair.
Andrew: Well, Micah, I don’t want to reveal anything because it’s big news.
Micah: Wow.
Andrew: Yeah.
Micah: I’m excited.
Laura: Really.
Andrew: I’m excited to tell you, but I can’t tell you yet, so…
Micah: Awww.
Kevin: Awww.
Andrew: Sorry. Micah, you seemed like you were in a good mood earlier. What was that about?
Micah: I am in a good mood, because today is the unofficial start of summer: Memorial Day.
Laura: Well, not necessarily. Down south summer started in like February, but okay.
Andrew: I actually think my announcement is more exciting than that, Micah.
Micah: Really?
Andrew: Yeah. I can’t say anymore, though. I’m Andrew Sims.
Kevin: I’m Kevin Steck.
Eric: I’m Eric Scull.
Laura: I’m Laura Thompson.
Micah: And I’m Micah Tannenbaum.
[Intro music continues to play]
News
Andrew: Micah Tannenbaum is in the MuggleCast news center with the past week’s top Harry Potter news stories. Micah?
Micah: All right, thanks Andrew.
Jo Rowling has updated her website with her plans for the release of Book 7. According to Bloomsbury, to celebrate the publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on July 21st, J.K. Rowling will be signing the night away at the Natural History Museum in London. 1,700 fans will have the opportunity to meet J.K. Rowling and have their book signed at the Natural History Museum. The first 500 randomly selected winners will attend the midnight reading with J.K. Rowling and the signing is expected to last until dawn. Tickets to the event are free and were made available by online drawing back on May 23rd. The deadline for applicants is June 11th. To apply for these tickets, be sure to head over to Bloomsbury’s website.
Tilden, the Swedish Potter publisher, has revealed on their official website that JK Rowling has provided an alternative Deathly Hallows title to foreign countries. It will now be called Harry Potter and the Relics of Death. The second title was released by Jo and Bloomsbury because the phrase “Deathly Hallows” is hard to translate.
Speaking of Sweden, the book will be released there on November 21st and in Germany on October 27th.
The Mirror reported on Saturday that initial printing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has begun at a GGP print factory in the small town of Poessneck, Germany. Reportedly, staff at the factory are searched when entering and leaving the factory each day. Furthermore, they are forced to work in “total darkness” to prevent them from reading the book. While we already know that security is stricter for this book, this seems to be a rather ridiculous measure. Keep in mind, however, that The Mirror is a tabloid.
Moving on to movie news, The Scotsman is reporting that Warner Brothers is looking into several locations in Scotland for Half-Blood Prince. Warner Brothers, which is preparing to shoot the sixth Potter film, has sent an executive to the cliffs and caves around Cape Wrath. The producers are interested in using the caves and cliffs as part of the dramatic climax of the new film.
And the BBC reported earlier this week that the World Premiere of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be held in Japan on June 28th. The Japanese capital was chosen after another highly-anticipated sequel, Spider-Man 3, opened there and broke box office records. But a Warner Brothers spokeswoman said there was “no special reason” for opting to launch the film in Japan.
As previously mentioned, the London premiere will take place on July 3rd, and the US premiere will take place in Los Angeles on July 8th.
And speaking of the U.S. premiere, Warner Brothers has announced that actors Dan Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint will all be participating in a “hand, foot, and wand” ceremony at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, California, on July 9th.
Finally, the British Board of Film Classification has revealed that the fifth Harry Potter movie will be 138 minutes long. That’s 2 hours and 18 minutes. Also, the movie will be rated 12A in the UK and PG-13 here in the US.
That’s all the news for this May 28th, 2007 edition of MuggleCast. Back to the show.
Andrew: All right, thank you, Micah.
Micah: No problem.
News Discussion: Movie Spots
Andrew: You know, Micah. There’s been an okay amount of news over the last week, and I know last week we were complaining that there wasn’t news.
Micah: Yeah. It’s been great, man. Keeping me busy. Having been getting much time away from the News Center, to be quite honest with you.
Andrew: You know, that’s all right, though. Earlier this week, ix new TV spots came out for Order of the Phoenix. WB sort of through them all on us at once, and did you guys watch these?
Micah: I caught them on TV. These were the ones that were on during Survivor: Fiji. Is that what you were talking about?
Andrew: Was it? Yeah, I think they were the same ones. I’m just not – I watched all six of them and I wasn’t very impressed. They weren’t very momentous. They weren’t very…powerful. They
were just bland. I guess when you are only doing 30 second spots, you can’t really make much.
Micah: Saw Draco for the first time.
Andrew: Yeah. Yeah, we did…
Eric: Whoa, Draco’s in this movie?
Andrew: Draco’s in this movie.
Eric: [laughs] Hey!
Andrew: No big surprises that wasn’t anything special. They just lacked power. They failed to make me want to go see the film, just by watching those TV spots, which is what they should be
aiming for. You know?
Eric: Hmmm.
Andrew: But also, this week on The Ellen Degeneres Show here in the United States, they aired an entire scene…
Kevin: Yeah, I saw that one…
Andrew: The Umbridge welcoming scene.
Laura: I did watch that…
Andrew: Where Dumbledore is giving his welcome speech.
Kevin: Yeah, me too. I really liked it.
Andrew: I’m really happy with it.
Laura: Yeah. I was impressed. Exactly how I imagined from the book, which – it’s kind of a rare thing wen you can consider these movies, you know whenever you see something that is exactly as
it was in the book, it’s like, ‘Wow!’ Because so often they are changing things, or condensing things. So, it was really good to see it intact.
Eric: Does Hermione say, you know, ‘The Ministry is interfering at Hogwarts?’ or what exactly sticks to the book?
Laura: Well, they didn’t really get that far, it was like Umbridge’s character and the way she presented herself to the school, and they were actually lines verbatem from the book. Like, you
know how she said…
Eric: Umbridge’s speech is really in the book, is it? I mean it opens, but then Harry tunes out. Harry tunes out.
Laura: Yeah, but the whole theme of it is there though.
Eric: Oh, yeah.
Laura: The whole beginning part were she was talking about how she hoped to be good friends with everybody and they left that whole thing in. And they really had her…
Micah: Yeah.
Laura: …talking to everyone as though they were five-years old, which was really fantastic.
Andrew: Right, right.
Kevin: Yeah, it really was.
Micah: I liked the way she interrupted Dumbledore.
Laura: Yeah.
Andrew: Yeah, I was just going to say that. Perfect. I really enjoyed that. Michael Gambon was looking pretty good, and there was a little cut scene of the trio. I’m trying to load the clip up. Oh, Trelawney. [laughs] The look on Trelawney’s face!
Laura: Yeah.
Andrew: The look on Trelawney’s face is the best!
Kevin: Yeah, it’s awesome.
Andrew: Oh my god. Oh my god. I love her. So good. [laughs] But yeah, this is going to be fantastic. I love show spots, too. It’s a very short preview, but it’s great. It looks like a great scene.
News Discussion: Running Time
Andrew: And then the Order of the Phoenix running time was confirmed: 2 hours and 18 minutes. The shortest film [laughs] of all five.
Eric: Is it?
Andrew: I’m pretty sure. Yeah.
Kevin: Yeah.
Andrew: Yeah, it’s the shortest.
Laura: I’m wondering how they are managing this because it’s the longest book…
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: It doesn’t make sense.
Kevin: Yeah.
Eric: The shortest and yet- The shortest movie, and yet it still seems it fits more of the book than perhaps 3, or 4.
Andrew: Well…
Kevin: We’ll see.
Andrew: What are you basing that off of? Pictures?
Kevin: Small clips.
Eric: Yeah, that’s true.
Andrew: It’s very true. [laughs] I mean, it’s kind of weird.
Eric: Still. I mean, they can make the third Pirates movie three hours long. And that’s not even, you know – I mean, they could have condensed that into two-and-a-half hours, I think. So, I think that Harry Potter…
Andrew: You’ve got to think of the production company, too. That wasn’t WB, was it?
Laura: Yeah, that was Disney.
Eric: Umm…
Andrew: I mean, they all – yeah, that’s a Disney film.
Eric: That’s Disney.
Andrew: They all have their different takes on it. I don’t know. You know, just seeing the facts: longest book, shortest film. Yeah, it doesn’t make sense immediately. But maybe they’re going to prove us wrong.
Laura: Well, I think what we need to consider is that they have done a lot of condensing when it comes to certain plot lines. Like they’ve completely left out Rita Skeeter. I mean, and that was a huge part of the book.
Kevin: Oh yeah, definitely.
Andrew: Yeah.
Laura: They’ve left out a lot of that kind of stuff. And I think that they’re kind of going to stick to the idea of the Order and Harry’s conflict with Umbridge. And when you’re thinking about sticking to only those two plot lines, it’s not going to be a really long film.
Kevin: That’s true. Yeah.
Eric: That’s true.
Andrew: That’s true.
Kevin: And hopefully they’ll do those parts correctly and we’ll be happy with it.
Eric: So, if they can essentially just squeeze off some of the threads of the plot and hold it and focus on two of the larger ones, or two of the ones they want to focus on. The other ones can kind of fall into place. Not necessarily aren’t possible by the movie, but just aren’t focused on in the movie. You know? So the plots could potentially – do you think the plots could still be going on, kind of? Even though they aren’t in the movie? Or do you reckon this is actually, WB presents the fifth Harry Potter book. And they totally just don’t use some of the stuff.
[Andrew laughs]
Laura: Well…
Eric: Because we’ve seen before where they…
Laura: You can’t really use all of those plot lines. You just can’t. There’s too much to follow in a movie. And I’m sure…
Eric: Yeah, I suppose you’re right.
Andrew: Yeah.
Laura: I’m sure that they’re considering that they’re going to have a lot of little kids going to see these films. And little kids don’t like to sit through three hour movies.
Micah: I don’t like that argument. That argument drives me nuts.
Laura: I can tell you…
Eric: I totally don’t – yeah. Micah…
Laura: It’s true though.
Kevin: It’s true, yeah.
Laura: I mean, it’s a true consideration. Not all kids are like that. But when you…
Eric: It’s “bull” true.
Micah: Well, let’s look at Goblet of Fire, which obviously was longer than this film. Not by much, but still, why not extend it out to at least two-and-a-half hours. Like you guys said before, this is the longest book in the series.
Laura: Yeah, but at the same time, would you want them to give it an extra 10 or 20 minutes if it really didn’t need it?
Micah: No, no, no, no. I agree.
Laura: I mean, if it was tied up well enough.
Micah: Quality is the most important thing. If it’s 2 hours and 18 minutes and it’s quality for those two hours and eighteen minutes, then that’s fine.
Eric: I agree, too. I agree.
Andrew: Yeah. Well, if you think about it, 10 to 20 minutes is maybe three scenes.
Kevin: Yeah. It’s not going to make that drastic…
Laura: Yeah.
Andrew: So, you’re not adding much in a 10 to 20 minute period. That could be enough time for maybe a re-made Rita Skeeter plot.
Eric: Could be enough…
Andrew: Or maybe a little more development of the Cho Chang relationship.
Eric: No, no. It could be enough to show all of the Mrs. Black scenes, with her portrait. Could be enough time to…
Laura: Yeah, but that’s a big budget-cut, though.
Eric: Yeah.
Laura: I mean, leaving her portrait out of the movie saved them a lot of money.
Kevin: Yeah.
Eric: Yeah, but this is Harry Potter…
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: What money do they need to save?
[Andrew and Kevin laugh]
Eric: You know?
Laura: Well, I mean…
Eric: That’s the actual question. This might end up being, and I predict it will be, probably the coolest movie. A lot of people will be very happy with it, as a movie, as a compilation of the longest book. Even despite how much it leaves out. But at the same point, even though we’ve always acknowledged that Warner Brothers has no – they have a commitment to the fans, but they don’t need to please them. They can cut whatever they want to out of the movie. If it cuts the budget, then that’s fine. They can do that. But what I think we’re going to see is, even though it’s 2 hours and 18 minutes long, it is the shortest movie. I think that is slightly worrying, not for any content of the film. But I think it’s a little bit sad that they turned the longest book into the shortest movie. Even if it’s the best movie yet. And I agree with your quality statement. I think they should have added just a bit more. Just so that they could do it, because this – These are supposed to be the movie representations of the books.
Kevin: Yeah, but it’s hard to say that without seeing the movie, because like Laura was saying, it’s quite possible that they just removed, they just removed certain plot lines in the book and the added time wouldn’t help the movie at all.
Laura: No, because if you consider that…
Andrew: Yeah.
Laura: …the movie’s already 2 hours and 18 minutes, if they tack on another 15 to 20 minutes to try and develop another plot line, it’s going to be very poorly developed.
Eric: Well, that’s…
Laura: It’s going to be very rushed.
Eric: That’s if the added footage – that’s if the added footage is another plot line.
Laura: Yeah, but then you’re talking about…
Eric: They could also seemingly…
Laura: …over – then you’re talking about overdoing…
Andrew: Overdoing it, yeah.
Laura: …a plot line that already had plenty of explanation.
Andrew: Laura’s right, yeah.
Eric: Well, what I mean is adding a plotline as opposed to adding scenes that are good to see, but don’t actually go either way with the plot. I mean, each movie – obviously the director wants to add their own, you know, feel to it, so that overall, you can see, like in Goblet of Fire, the whole thing had, you know, an ongoing movement to it. The movie didn’t really necessarily stop, or if it did stop…
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: …those were fun scenes, too. Oh, I’m just saying adding…
Andrew: What do you think…
Eric: …scenes – sorry, Andrew.
Andrew: What do you think is WB’s main goal when designing how long the film is going to be? I don’t think it’s going to be kids, because I think kids would rather sit through a movie. I think the bigger concern with littler kids is how scared they might be. Because I was talking to a parent the other day who’s not taking their kids, and granted, they’re young, they’re about three or four, but they’re huge fans of Harry Potter, just based on, you know, seeing other kids dressed up as Harry Potter, and the first two movies, which aren’t very scary, and even Prisoner of Azkaban, but Order of the Phoenix, this parent was telling me, looks pretty darn scary, and they’re right, with the Voldemort scenes at the end. That’s scary, that scares kids. So…
Eric: He’s a big…
Andrew: I don’t think…
Eric: …bald Mr. Clean!
Kevin: Yeah.
Andrew: It doesn’t matter.
Eric: With talcum powder on. He’s not…
Kevin: Yeah, but…
Micah: Wow!
Eric: Just because he doesn’t have a nose.
Kevin: But Eric, how old are you?
Eric: He doesn’t have a nose – okay.
Kevin: How old are you?
Eric: Rolie Polie Olie looks scarier than that.
Kevin: Because you can…
Eric: Rolie – okay, okay. So I can get into the mind of a three-year old, okay, but…
[Andrew laughs]
Eric: …but I grew up watching Eureka’s Castle and Nick Jr., okay, and by – I was a little – actually, Nick Junior was a little bit after my time, but I still watched it, okay? So, don’t tell me that kids are going to A. you know, be in a theatre for three hours, because if you put them in front of the TV, which is not how children should be raised, but they will sit there for as long as they want to. Now, as far as the scary scenes, I would like to be sympathetic and say that you’re right, Order of the Phoenix will be a scary movie, and they should cut out, or they should at least worry about some of the scariness. Yes, to a degree I believe you’re right as well but you can’t really say that Chamber of Secrets wasn’t scary, because some people might not like spiders.
Andrew: Well…
Eric: You know, and just…
Andrew: Yeah. Okay, but let me…
Micah: Or the basilisk.
Andrew: …put it this way. I went to see…
Eric: And the basilisk was…
Andrew: …Shrek 3.
Eric: …scary. I would, I would actually…
Andrew: I went to go see – yeah. No, you’re right, you’re right. All right. I went to…
Eric: I would say that the basilisk was scarier than Voldemort. I don’t want to, I don’t want to keep cutting you off, Andrew, but I would say that the basilisk was scarier than Voldemort, and Voldemort’s…
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: …just done well, you know? That’s – and well, the basilisk was, too, but…
Andrew: I went to go see Shrek 3 last week with my brother, and towards the end of the movie…
Eric: Congratulations.
Andrew: …that whole – well, I’m just saying. There was a little kid who got scared at the end of Shrek 3. Shrek 3! And that wasn’t scary at all. So what I’m saying is, little kids can get scared easily by these things. However, back to the point. What is WB’s main concern? Micah?
Micah: WB’s main concern is what’s ending up in their pocket after the day is done.
Laura: Yeah.
Kevin: Yeah.
Laura: Exactly.
[Laura and Micah laugh]
News Discussion: Printing in Germany
Andrew: Moving along to some other news now, rumor has it that Deathly Hallows is being printed up in Germany, so that means in about another week we’re going to be seeing the bets about the outcome of Book Seven and the whole plot is going to be ruined for all of us.
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: So I can’t wait for that. In the article, it said that they were printing the books in the dark…
Micah: Yeah.
Andrew: …which sounds a bit extreme. That can’t, I mean…
Laura: That’s awesome! [laughs]
Andrew: It came from a tabloid, but how can you work in the – that’s – I can understand…
Laura: They’ll have to bring their night lights.
Andrew: Yeah, well I can understand dark lighting, or dim lighting, so they can’t – so they they have a hard time making out…
Eric: What, with each other?
Andrew: Chapter titles and stuff like that.
Laura: Is it hard to make out in the dark?
Kevin: Oh, geez.
Eric: No, it’s really not if you find each other.
Laura: [laughs] I was being stupid.
Eric: Why, Laura? Haven’t you ever made out in the dark before?
Laura: Eric, that is not a question you need to be asking.
[Everyone laughs]
Announcements
Andrew: For the answer, join up the Pickle Pack. Speaking of Pickle Pack, I’ll get to that announcement in a second. National Wear Your MuggleCast T-shirt Day is coming up. Remember last year, June 2nd.
Eric: Thank god you read your e-mail.
Andrew: [Laughs] Yeah. It was a great success. We had tons of people wearing their muggleCast t-shirts on June 2nd. Everyone took pictures and sent them in to MuggleCast, and we posted them on the website. We want you guys to do the same thing again, so on June 2nd everyone get out and wear your muggleCast t-shirt with pride, and then send us a picture of you wearing it somewhere outside besides your house, because your house is boring. Yeah, I said it, and we will post it on MuggleCast.com.
Micah: And we have to wear ours, all the hosts.
Eric: Can we acknowledge?
Andrew: Yeah, well we’ll promise that we’ll do it this year, and once again, not do it, so…
Eric: Yeah, because you guys didn’t do it last year. I did it.
Andrew: Eric did it, Micah did it, Laura did it.
Laura: I did it!
Eric: I hung from a tree upside down with my shirt on.
Andrew: I didn’t. Sorry.
Eric: But you’re going to.
Andrew: Yeah.
Laura: And I will be happy to do it this year, Andrew, I just need you to send me another shirt.
Andrew: Oh, yeah we can do that. I still have got plenty of MuggleCast t-shirts here, and no I’m not selling them to anyone. Every time I say that on the show I get people e-mailing me asking, “Can I have a shirt?” No! Contest only.
Eric: It’s illegal. It’s illegal
Andrew: And co hosts. Ummm, under the table, 50 bucks. Also, this month – June, we are going to start something new. It’s nothing new, just a little thing to help us spread the word about the show. It’s Global Spread MuggleCast Month, and on MuggleCast.com we have a new page where you can use some banners and avatars to put in maybe your forum profiles, or Myspaces or your Livejournals, your blogs, and anything else to help spread the word about MuggleCast. They all have catchy little phrases on them like “I love Harry Potter,I love MuggleCast”, or “I crave Harry Potter, I crave MuggleCast.There’s one more. they’re some cool banners you can put – so if you want to help us spread the word about the show – we cant to get the word out because we’re getting really close to Book 7, and Movie 5. We want to make sure everybody knows about the show, because, don’t you guys think that if a lot of Harry Potter fans that don’t know about the show, if they did find out that they’d be pretty interested in hearing what we have to say? I mean, I’m not trying to sound arrogant, but…
Laura: I think so.
Andrew: But, you know…
Laura: No, I think so.
Micah: Yeah.
Andrew: Well, people like the show.
Micah: People leave feedback as new listeners, and it’s pretty good, so…
Andrew: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, not is a great time to try to get the word out. You couldn’t get any better timing than this, so visit MuggleCast.com for that.
Eric: What about new listeners who haven’t been able to get a shirt because we weren’t allowed to sell them since they started listening. What should they do for MuggleCast shirt day?
Andrew: Well, they could sign up for Pickle Pack, which is the official membership thingy of MuggleCast. Just go to PicklePack.com, create a MuggleNet.com account if you don’t already have one, and you can pay thirty dollars to get access to bonus content, audio, bonus MuggleCast audio content, pictures, secret documents, and also a daily video blog by each one of the hosts. On Sundays I post, Mondays Laura posts, ummm, I can’t remember the rest.
Eric: Tuesday, Eric; Jamie, Wednesday…
Andrew: Jamie’s got Wednesday.
Eric: Micah, Thursday; Kevin, Friday; Ben, Saturday…
Kevin: Sometimes Friday.
[Everyone laughs]
Eric: Mikey B – you know, Kevin, it was just that you owe them, like, four Blickles, but your first one, as I said, I really liked.
Andrew: Yeah, MIkey just joined the crew too he’s going to be posting video blogs when he can. He just posted a new one last night and we have some bonus audio content going up. Plus, you get a free Pickle Pack T-shirt with your order. So visit and PicklePack.com. You only have until June 16 to become a member then we will be closing registration for probably forever so – and I am not just saying that just to make everyone buy now, I am actually serious.
[Andrew and Laura laugh]
Andrew: So go visit PicklePack.com today to for more details and all proceeds from Pickle Pack go to supporting the show to makre sure that – we want to be able to cover all the events going on this summer and the best way to do that is to raise an ample amount of money and Pickle Pack is our solution for it. So thanks everyone who does sign up. Okay also…
Eric: And still developing.
Andrew: …yeah, yes. Also, vote for us on Podcast – oh, sorry one more thing about Pickle Pack this week we added new member profiles. People can have their own mini MySpace right there on Pickle Pack like with their favorite MuggleCast episodes a little picture of themselves and all that. Its optional you don’t have to if you want to remain, you know, if you want to keep your identity private. But you can create your own profile so that other Pickle Pack members can get to know you. Its all part of becoming a little community and people are really enjoying it.
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: So it’s been a lot of fun.
Andrew To Perform at Prophecy
Andrew: All right so moving on Do not forget to vote for us on Podcast Alley and I have a big update that I was teasing about in the beginning of the show. [sighs] I lost my notes, of course, but earlier this week I received an e-mail from Prophecy letting me know that I was accepted to perform at Prophecy. How awesome is that?
Kevin: Oh, geez.
Micah: Wow.
Andrew: I am going to perform as [laughs] part of…
Micah: Are they desperate for music acts?
Andrew: Micah, Micah. Come on.
Micah: I am just kidding, you know I love you.
Andrew: What are you trying to say? I’m not good?
Eric: So wait. Are you going to be intro-ing the show the way Alex from the Remus Lupins did?
Andrew: No, they are having a Wizard Rock Night where it has a – all the Wizard Rockers are going to be performing one night [laughs] and I am a part of this so…
Laura: Is your friend coming to do back-up vocals?
Andrew: No.
Eric: Snare the drums?
Andrew: No.
Eric: Your buddy on the drums.
Andrew: I can’t – do not have the money to fly him out. For more information visit PicklePack.com. But, yeah I am going to be doing that I’m really excited about that I hope you guys are all going to be there.
Kevin: Oh, definitely.
Andrew: Front row, cheering me on?
Laura: Oh, we will.
Kevin: I’ll be passing out earplugs.
Andrew: Hopefully I’ll be getting help for back-up.
Kevin: One pair.
Andrew: Oh, I get it very funny.
Eric: I will be…
Andrew: So, I will be performing my first Wizard Rock single but also coming next week I am going to release my next single, which is a spin on the song “Bye Bye Bye.” Which I sang a little preview on that special…
Kevin: Oh geez.
Andrew: …episode of MuggleCast where we – where the release date was announced and we talked about it and I sang “Bye Bye Bye, don‘t let it be July” I made that into a full song and that single will be premiering here on MuggleCast next week, Episode 93. So, definitely looking forward to that. It is pretty good, dare I say it is better than my last one. So…
MuggleCast 92 Transcript (continued)
Jo Makes Book 7 Plans
Micah: You know the woman who writes these books. Didn’t she update her site?
Andrew: Yeah, J.K. Rowling. She did?
Micah: yeah, she did.
Kevin: Oh yeah. Whoa.
Micah: She released her plans for Deathly Hallows.
Andrew: Oh, man. Oh my god. We didn’t even talk about that.
Laura: Oh my gosh, we suck.
[Laura and Andrew laughs]
Andrew: I completely forgot.
Micah: See.
Andrew: Okay so you Micah, you got a little update again. J.K. Rowling announced her plans for the book release. She will be having her event at the Natural History Museum in London. 1,700 fans will have the opportunity to meet her and have their book signed. The first 500 randomly selected winners will attend the midnight reading and the subsequent signing is expected to last until dawn. So, all night long long she’s going to be signing books. 500 books, at least. Right? Or is she signing them for all 1,700?
Laura: Wow.
Kevin: I think all 1300.
Andrew: 1,700.
Laura: Yeah, all of them get it signed…
Andrew: Oh my god!
Laura: …and then 500 get that reading.
Andrew: Oh my god! Is she serious?
Eric: Wow!
Andrew: What’s she thinking?
Laura: Yeah.
Andrew: I would not be the – want to be…
Laura: What a way…
Andrew: …the last in line. Her handwriting’s going to be done by then.
Laura: Oh my gosh!
Eric: Well, she doesn’t need her hands anymore, you know?
Andrew: That’s true.
Eric: That’s what it’s coming down to. She – they say, “What part of your body can you sacrifice – well, no, what can you sacrifice now that you’re don’t need to write any Harry Potter books,” and she’s like, “I can do signatures.”
Andrew: You know, we’re not going to this, so we really can’t get that excited, you know. It will be a fun event for anyone…
Micah: Oh, I’m going.
Andrew: …who attends. Are you, Micah?
Micah: She asked me to sign the second half of the books.
Eric: I’m totally going, dude.
Micah: I’m just bringing a – I’m just bringing a stamp with her signature on it and I’m just going to stamp all the books…
Kevin: Oh, okay.
Micah: … as they go through. That’s…
Eric: Dude, that’s what those people did to eBay and you saw what she did to them. So, you know.
Andrew: So, apparently Jo really did want to do this. She said on her site that, “I’m delighted that we are launching the book in this way. It’ll be wonderful for me to get the chance to speak to people who have already a few chapters while in the queue.” So…
Kevin: I think that would be pretty stressful, to be one of those people.
Andrew: That – I’d be afraid if something bad happens and they’re reading it and then they go to meet Jo.
Eric: Yeah.
Laura: And someone spoils it.
Micah: Yeah, that’s my biggest concern.
Kevin: Yeah, it’s not only spoiling, it’s the pressure of having to read the book while waiting for a signature from Jo herself. You know?
Andrew: But could you imagine, though – could you imagine…
Eric: From Jo, Yeah.
Andrew: … the reading it while waiting in line. I wouldn’t be able to stay focused on the book.
Kevin: Yeah. No kidding.
Andrew: I’d be like, “Man, I’m meeting her,” and you know, and you’ll actually get to tell her…
Eric: Andrew, you…
Andrew: … what you think of the book so far. Which is amazing in itself.
Eric: We know Jo loves the fans. Jo totally does like doing these things with the fans.
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: It’s not that she’s been in, you know, seclusion since she’s had her kids and writing these books, but she does like doing things for the fans, and that’s always been apparent. So, Jo, we’re really excited that you’re doing this because it will be cool for everyone who’s able to go, because we do know that you try and really do stuff for us fans.
Laura: Yeah.
Micah: Yeah.
Eric: And we thank you.
Micah: Yeah.
Eric: And by the way if you want to be on MuggleCast, you are more than welcome.
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: I don’t know, she’s one of those people. I’m not too sure about having…
Eric: Just to talk about the book.
Andrew: You know, I think she’d give out too many spoilers.
Eric: Guys, what if she came on MuggleCast one week? We would be – we would all be silent. Even I would be silent.
Andrew: No, you wouldn’t. No, you wouldn’t.
[Laura laughs]
Eric: I would be like, bull crap, what could I possibly…?
Laura: Jo, please don’t come on our show.
Eric: For about five seconds, and then I’d think of a question.
Andrew: You would be silent because I would keep you muted.
[Everyone laughs]
Eric: I would not be able to ask her a question?
Andrew: No, no. Just one, just one.
Eric: I would totally be like – I would totally be like, “Jo, do you visit the Caption Contest?”
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: You know, sometimes, I wonder if she does listen to this show. We – I think she does. I think she does.
Laura: I hope so.
Eric: We don’t know. We just don’t know.
Laura: I hope she listens to good episodes.
Andrew: Yeah, well, yeah.
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: It’d be fair to say she doesn’t…
Eric: That’s the second hope, Laura.
Andrew: It’d be fair to say she doesn’t listen to every episode because obviously she has better things to do with her life, but, you know, I wouldn’t be surprised that we did hear that, hint-hint, that she did listen to a few episodes, just to see what the heck we’re doing here. Because this is a, you know, this is…
Eric: Yeah, this is pioneering.
Andrew: This is.
Eric: We’ve got, we’ve got – I mean, there are a large amount of Harry Potter podcasts out there.
Andrew: This is like a book; this is like a free book – a free audiobook.
Eric: This is a free audiobook. It’s literary discussion for a year-and-a-half, two years.
Andrew: Yeah, it is. Yeah. So, I’m sure she’s listened to it, which is pretty cool. But you know any nod would be pretty cool.
Eric: But it could have been a bad episode. She could have said, “That Eric kid talks so freaking much, I just, this show is crap.”
Andrew: Sometimes…
Eric: And I could’ve spoiled it or ruined it for you guys. So I want to apologize in advance if she says that on her site that, “I listened once, but Eric just wouldn’t be…”
Laura: I don’t’ think she would say anything like that.
Eric: “… quiet.” No, no.
Andrew: Sometimes, I think it would be a good idea to start spreading rumors about her here on the show to sort of get her attention, and, you know, have her mention us.
Kevin: I don’t think she would appreciate that.
Eric: Yeah, maybe that’s…
Kevin: Is that…
Andrew: You don’t think that…
Laura: Yeah, for some reason…
Andrew: You don’t think that? Really?
Kevin: No, I think she’d be pretty angry. Yeah.
Andrew: Really? I thought that would be, you know?
Eric: Yeah if – what if we were to get a British woman…
[Micah laughs]
Eric: …to pretend to be JKR, and we bring her on and she’s, you know, “Hi!”
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: And so – what do you think – that would’ve been an added cool thing to have done for April Fool’s. “So why did you kill Harry?” and then have this woman respond.
Andrew: [laughs] Yeah, well…
Eric: But that’s – afterthoughts, you know?
Andrew: It’s – yeah, well, we hope she does listen, and we hope she enjoys the show. So, Jo, e-mail us. Okay, so, moving on, let’s get to some rebuttals now. The first one comes from J.K. Rowling, 42, of Edinburgh. [laughs] No one finds that funny?
[Laura laughs]
Andrew: If you listen to the show: get it, rebuttal. Oh, come on.
[Laura and Andrew laugh]
Listener Rebuttal: Correction on Northern Lights
Kevin: Okay, Shelby:
Actually, in response to the comments made in Episode 91, ‘Northern Lights,’ retitled ‘The Golden Compass,’ was not released in March of this year. It was actually released in 1995, the second (‘Subtle Knife’) was released in 1997, and the third (‘Amber Spyglass’) in 2000. A lot of fans of these books, like ‘Harry Potter,’ were hounding Pullman to release them and a few had midnight parties for release as well. If you haven’t read these books yet, I recommend they make your summer reading list.
I can hardly read today.
I’ve been an avid Harry Potter fan since I was 11, but I only recently discovered these books this past semester when I took the Harry Potter’s Library class at K-State. The class covered many books that Rowling has been influenced by and that she has been compared to, including the ‘His Dark Materials’ trilogy. While second to ‘Harry Potter’ in my opinion, it is excellent, and I recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a great series to read after the last ‘Harry Potter’ book.
Laura: You know, I have a confession to make. I don’t remember who it was who said that that book came out this year…
Andrew: Me.
Laura: …but I knew they were wrong – I knew you were wrong. I just didn’t say anything.
[Everyone laughs]
Micah: Oh, what a likely story.
Laura: I was too lazy.
Kevin: Oh, that’s not nice.
Laura: No, because I have read His Dark Materials…
Kevin: I have, too, yeah.
Laura: …and it’s a very, very good trilogy. I love those books and just, for some reason, it didn’t even occur to me that…
Andrew: The reason I said that is because I looked right there and it said that it was published in 2007, but maybe that was just a revision or a new edition?
Eric: Probably.
Andrew: I don’t know, it said March 2007.
Laura: Maybe.
Eric: Well, wait. Laura and Kevin, if I recall appropriately, around episode twenty-something, you, Laura and Kevin, both of you were going to review these books, weren’t you?
Kevin: Yeah.
Laura: Yeah, we were going to do the book reviews.
Listener Rebuttal: Swot up on Potter
Andrew: Ginger, 18, from Virginia writes in. She says,
Hi, Mugglecast hosts. I was just wasting time on the Internet and I was checking out the Bloomsbury website. I clicked on the section ‘Swot Up on Potter’ and entered the Hogwarts express. Outside the window is the building from the back of the DH cover and when you click on it pops up with the title ‘Hogwarts Staff.’ From that, I guess we can be sure it’s Hogwarts. Thank you for your time and I love the show, Ginger.
So that pretty much confirms it.
Laura: Yeah, I guess that confirms it.
Kevin: Yeah.
Andrew: Which makes sense, because I’m pretty sure I said on the episode that we were discussing this, that the moonlight was casting a glow on Hogwarts. That’s why it was icy; it wasn’t a different school.
Laura: Yeah.
Eric: But it wasn’t made of ice, yeah.
Andrew: So, I was right as usual…
[Kevin laughs]
Andrew: …except for that last rebuttal.
Laura: Yeah, really. [laughs]
Andrew: Laura, you want to do the next one?
Listener Rebuttal: The Symbol
Laura: Yeah, sure. This comes from Shruti? Don’t get mad if I pronounce that wrong.
Andrew: That’s a nice name. I like that. Shruti.
Laura: Yeah. 17, from [laughs] Austria. I think…
Eric: Vienna’s beautiful.
Laura: …I think it’s a she, anyway. She says:
Hey! I love listening to your show and you guys do a great job! Last night, I came up with another theory about the symbol on the spine of the HP7 UK Children’s Edition. And before I say anything else, I’m sorry if somebody has already thought of this. I believe that the symbol represents Voldemort’s soul. Each component of the symbol represents the number of times he split his soul in order to become immortal. If you count the number of geometrical figures, you can see that there are six (the exact number of times Voldemort split his soul, according to HP6). If you look closely, you will see that there are six shapes: the entire circle, the entire triangle, the two halves of the circle, and the 3 parts of the triangle that are ‘outside’ the circle. What do you guys think? I would love to hear back from you about this theory. And I hope you understand what I am getting at.
Andrew: I don’t know what she’s getting at exactly.
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: But that is a pretty interesting take. So she’s saying each one of the Horcruxes could be a part of that symbol.
Laura: Yeah, she’s saying that the symbol could represent the different Horcruxes, basically.
Eric: I think it’s important to think of the Horcruxes as a function of the number seven, as opposed to the symbol being – you know, relating to the Horcruxes. Horcruxes relate to the number seven. The number of Horcruxes Voldemort have relate to the number seven. If this symbol had six or seven pieces to it, sort of, then it would be cool – possible. But I’m not sure.
Andrew: But, I mean, could each of those shapes in the symbol – each of those six shapes represent something?
Eric: America Online? [laughs]
Micah: It’s their new symbol.
Andrew: No, no. Ideas? Micah, any thoughts? Or Kevin?
Eric: This is the fourth podcast I…
Kevin: I think it’s definitely possible. But like I’ve said previously, we really don’t know where the symbol is coming from, like any reference. I mean, it could be a rune, but we don’t know enough about runes to actually make an analysis of it. So, it could be anything, as far as I’m concerned.
Andrew: Right.
Laura: I think it’s safe to say that this symbol could relate to the Horcruxes just because we’ve recently just found out what the Swedish translation of “Deathly Hallows” is. Which is a great transition into our Main Discussion, right, Andrew?
Main Discussion: The Relics of Death
Andrew: Horcruxes!
Micah: What?
Andrew: Earlier this week… [laughs] Oh, Micah, you’re surprised?
Micah: We’ve never discussed that on the show before.
Andrew: The Swedish translation of “Deathly Hallows” is not actually “Deathly Hallows;” it’s actually “Relics of Death.” And it turns out, as reported by the Swedish publisher, that J.K. Rowling released this alternative title because “Deathly Hallows” is too hard to translate without first reading the book. So this basically answers what the deathly hallows are – the relics of death.
Eric: The Horcruxes. The relics of death.
Andrew: Which equal the Horcruxes.
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: So after I made this post on MuggleNet, I sort of did a search on my Gmail for anyone talking about the relics and I came up with this email from Joao, 24, of Anderson, Indiana. It’s kind of a long email, but it’s very well thought-out. She writes:
I read recently on the internet that one meaning of Hallows refers to the relics of gods, kings, etc. But over time the relics themselves are not considered the Hallows but the gods, or person of importance is considered the Hallow, but in fact the relic or possession is what the true definition, but these relics are so associated with a person that the person is considered this.
This brings me to my point. People have made many theories that the Deathly Hallows are the Horcruxes themselves and I believe this to be true and this is why. Voldemort wants to become immortal – we all know this. But what is the main characteristic of a god? Well the top thing that pops into my head is that they are immortal. These relics, or Horcruxes, are the actual Hallows, but also directly refer to Voldemort himself, as a piece of his soul is in each one, which would give meaning to the theory of a ‘god’ actually being the ‘Hallow.’ It would give a literal sense to this definition of the word in its own unique way. Although most of the Horcruxes are probably inanimate objects, they are all in a way Voldemort and alive. Now you bring the word “deathly” into the fray. Just look what the ring did to Dumbledore’s hand.
Throughout ‘Half-Blood Prince,’ it never seemed to get better, perhaps only Gregory House could make a diagnosis on what was eating his hand and turning it blac,k but I think that over time that it could have taken Dumbledore’s life or anyone else’s. Perhaps the only reason Dumbledore survived as long as he did is because he knew enough counter magic to stop the infestation of guarded magic on the ring to keep from killing him, yet he himself couldn’t even cure his hand all the way. We all saw what Dumbledore had to do to get the fake locket Horcrux. He could have
very easily died if Harry had not been there, we don’t know what would have happened, we only know it was a deathly situation. If one thing is for sure the spell on the ring and the way to obtain the locket were of a deathly manner and these inanimate objects could easily be referred to as ‘relics’ Deathly Relics…Deathly Hallows…still following me…I knew you would
be.
[Andrew and Kevin laugh]
Most people believe that to destroy any remaningHorcruxes, Harry’s life will be put in many dangers and either to obtain to destroy the soul itself in each Horcrux, I think explains Deathly Hallows. Perhaps this is all over-simplified and we should expect something bigger or to be surprised what Hallows really means… But if Book 6 and 7 are supposed to be more of a two part series like I’ve heard JKR say… and the word Horcrux officially came into play in the sixth book, it makes more than perfect sense to me that one of these two books actually be referring to Horcruxes as they are the main theme in the last book and presumably in the seventh book, it’s hard for me to believe that the title isn’t directly pointing towards Horcruxes.
Kevin: Yeah, I think… Yeah.
Andrew: I think this is a great email.
Eric: Very well said.
Andrew: I really think [laughs] it makes perfect sense. Deathly Horcruxes – the Horcruxes are deathly.
Eric: That said, they have pretty much taken the discussion for us.
Andrew: Well, it’s a good way to start it off, because…
Eric: This week’s main discussion was brought to you by Joao.
Andrew: [laughs] It basically nails everything. But Laura, there was more that you sort of came up to discuss.
Laura: Yeah. I do have to say that I love the House reference by the way. I’m a big fan of House…
Kevin: Yeah, we’re not talking about your…
Andrew: I didn’t get it, but I pretended to know what was going on.
Relic: Historical or Sentimental Value
Laura: You don’t matter. [laughs] Anyway, so we know that the Swedish title is Harry Potter and the Relics of Death, and I think that we’ve
pretty much established that that confirms that the Deathly Hallows are Voldemort’s Horcruxes. I don’t think that there is any question about that. Whenever I looked at the definition of “relic,” it said that it was an “object surviving from an earlier time, especially one of historical or sentimental interest,” which again makes the theory more concrete, I think, just because of the word “sentimental”…
Andrew: Yeah.
Laura: Because all the objects Voldemort would choose would be items that were sentimental to him, you know?
Andrew: Right.
Kevin: Yep.
Eric: Left in context, yeah. What determines a relic and an antique? If it is an object surviving from an earlier time, how much earlier does it have to be? What’s the difference between a relic and an antique? Well, obviously a relic has religious or sentimental significance, do you reckon, or is there just confusion there with the words?
Laura: Well, what I was interested about is how much we can flex that definition of a relic. When you talk about an earlier time, what exactly is an earlier time in these books? Is it something ancient, like from the time of the founders?
Micah: Yeah.
Laura: Or can an earlier time be the first war for instance?
Eric: But it does have to do with a founder or a deity or an entity of some sort. As Joao said to us, some kind of a god or immortal being the hallow placing one’s self, or the relic actually is considered part of that person, if I read that correctly.
Laura: Yeah but what I’m saying is from this definition, can we kind of determine what time period the relics would come from?
Micah: Yeah. No, I think that is a good idea. I think that the time frame I would pick would probably be from the founders, because that’s what we’re still left to sort of explore. As far as the remaining Horcruxes, we know about the cup. We know something of Ravenclaw’s and possibly something of Gryffindor’s, so that would make perfect sense to me that we’d be talking about a time period where these founders existed and items of their possession is what Harry will probably have to look for.
Eric: And…
Laura: Is it possible though that Dumbledore was maybe a little off, like maybe there are a couple of items from the founders, but not necessarily…
Eric: Well, I was going to say that that’s the direction that Dumbledore was pointing Harry in, so that is why I am accepting it as pretty much on the right track, but that doesn’t mean that all of Voldemort’s Horcruxes are relics. I mean if you say Dumbledore told Harry that Nagini was probably a Horcrux…
Laura: Well, they’re relics to him though…
Kevin: Yeah, I was just going to say that…
Micah: Right.
Laura: Not necessarily something you would consider treasure…
Eric: well, Nagini is not even a relic, necessarily…
Micah: No, no, not true.
Andrew: Well…
Eric: Nagini is a reminder of his – no, no – Nagini’s a reminder of his heritage, but not a relic. And not even a relic to him.
Laura: Well, he had Gaunt’s ring, I mean, clearly that was important to him…
Eric: The diary was just a reminder of what was once… Well, the diary wasn’t a relic. It wasn’t a special diary. He bought it at a second hand store…
Micah: Well no, hold on, no.
Andrew: So, that proves Laura’s point.
Micah: Hold on.
Laura: The diary was special, though, because he poured his soul into it.
Kevin: Yeah, but…
Laura: He made it into a relic.
Micah: It says “of sentimental interest”. The diary was of sentimental interest, so could be Nagini.
Andrew: To him.
Micah: Yeah.
Kevin: And Nagini is definitely…
Eric: Okay, okay so, but that’s obviously a very contemporary relic or a contemporary piece.
Micah: Well, that’s why it says historical or sentimental.
Eric: So, why did he mention about it being – oh, okay. Historical or sentimental.
Micah: So I think then, if you use both of those descriptions you can fit all of the remaining Horcrux possibilities into either of those categories.
Eric: Okay, but I’m saying, you know, when Laura was about to question if all the Horcruxes were relics of the founders, you know, with Nagini and the diary, they’re obviously…
Laura: Well, I mean all the remaining ones.
Eric: …very living, very current – well, okay. If it is, I mean, they don’t have to be.
Laura: Well, I’ve found something somewhat interesting, and it does seem to be kind of a stretch but I was, you know, going through – I was actually at Dictionary.com and I was looking up all of these new wonderful words that we’ve been given recently.
Andrew: [laughs] Relics. And Relics.
MuggleCast 92 Transcript (continued)
Breaking Down The Word Horcrux
Laura: And just… [laughs] I learned a new word today! But anyway, I was thinking about Horcruxes and I was kind of wondering why exactly Jo chose this word and what the meanings were behind it, and so I kind of broke down the word and when I typed in H-O-R, ummm, “Hor” [laughs]…
Eric: What – what word is that? What word?
Andrew: Hor. H-O-R.
Laura: [laughs] When I typed that in, I didn’t get an answer, but it referenced me to a couple of other entries and I [laughs] got horology, which sounds really bad, but…
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: For all you children listening, H-O-R. Go on, “hor”…
Laura: [laughs] It’s the study of interest in time, which interested me because if Voldemort is wanting to be immortal then obviously he’s going to be very interested in time.
Andrew: Right.
Eric: Or surviving time. Lasting throughout all time.
Laura: Do you think that there’s more to that choice of word or choice of wording than just kind of Voldemort’s motivation or do you think that we’re actually gonna find out he’s been messing around with, say, time, or maybe he’s been using a Time Turner, or something along those lines.
Andrew: Well, I think it’s also important to decide what “crux” means in terms of Horcrux.
Laura: Yeah.
Andrew: You sort of have a definition here. It can literally be “a cross.”
Laura: Well…
Andrew: “A vital, basic or pivotal point.” So a point in time? Horcruxes
Eric: Or crossing time.
Andrew: Well, I think…
Laura: Well something else that interested me…
Andrew: Hmmm?
Laura: …was a “crux” was also listed as something that torments by its puzzling nature or a perplexing
difficulty.
Eric: Hehehehe. So like, Sudoku should be called Sucrux. Anyway, I’m out. That was my last stupid line. I have to leave. I’m just leaving the show.
Andrew: Do you think he would call it a Horcrux to imply that they’re confusing?
Kevin: Wait, wait, wait…
Laura: It’s important to remember that Voldemort didn’t name them Horcruxes.
Kevin: That’s what I was going to say, yeah.
Laura: Remember he was asking Slughorn about them in his Defense Against the Dark Arts class.
Andrew: Oh.
Micah: Well, really, I mean, J.K. Rowling came up with the term.
Laura: It was a pre – yeah, it was a pre-established form of magic.
Andrew: Okay. Well, in that case, whoever came up with them – were they trying to imply that it was confusing? Or could it be – I mean, you know, it
could be a few things on purpose.
Kevin: Yeah, but I don’t think it has to do with time, necessarily. Because maybe there’s something involved in time, with the incantation, or whatever spell you have to cast. But it just seems as though it’s a long stretch to say that the person who initially thought of it had the same goal in mind as – maybe, maybe time…
Laura: It’s interesting…
Kevin: …is embedded in the word, just for the fact that it can prolong your time. Or – yeah…
Micah: Right.
Laura: It relates to time? Yeah.
Micah: Could it be the time at which this torment is occurring? Sort of…
Kevin: Yeah, that…
Micah: …a ripping of the soul that takes place.
Laura: Yeah.
Andrew: But we’re talking about being immortal, which relates to time. Timeless. What if a Horcrux – each represents a point in time where his soul is saved? I don’t know – that’s a little bit of a stretch, but… [laughs]
Why a Spell not a Curse that makes a Horcrux?
Laura: Well, we know that time definitely has to play into the meanings somehow. I mean, just because even if he’s not necessarily experimenting with time, he’s trying to, sort of, utilize this very horrible magic to keep him alive throughout all time. So, it’s got to relate, somehow. But, I was interested when Kevin brought up the idea of using a spell to encase the part of – the piece of the soul inside of an inanimate object. Because when you read Half-Blood Prince, Tom Riddle says, “Encase, but how?” And then Slughorn says, “There is a spell. Do not ask me. I don’t know.” What interested me about this was everything related to Horcruxes is negative. I mean, to develop a Horcrux you have to kill somebody, and therefore you split your soul. Slughorn even said that that was against nature. So, why is it that it’s a spell? Because spells aren’t necessarily associated with doing anything bad. That’s usually curses.
Kevin: Yeah, but – but see the thing is, though, that…
Micah: Where’s Jo when we need her?
Kevin: …the way I think of it, it’s…
[Laura laughs]
Kevin: …splitting your soul, but the spell itself doesn’t split your soul. The act of murdering someone does. And it’s – and it’s…
Micah: Right. The curse does.
Kevin: Exactly.
Micah: The actual curse splits your soul…
Kevin: So, it’s casting the fragment that’s already been created…
Laura: Well, then…
Kevin: …in my mind.
Laura: …is the spell – is the spell that’s used to encase the soul inside of the inanimate object. Is it a spell that was specifically created to aid someone in the making of a Horcrux, or is it a common spell that people use everyday?
Micah: You’re going deep. [laughs]
Laura: Because I would think that…
Kevin: I…
Laura: No, because… [laughs]
Kevin: I would think it’s a special spell. I would think it’s a very specific spell…
Laura: Well, then, wouldn’t it be…
Kevin: But…
Laura: …evil? Because it’s being – it’s specifically used to…
Kevin: Yeah, but, at least my view of a curse is something that you cast to do something harmful to another. But, what I’m saying is that the act of killing someone fragments your soul, so that’s a curse. And then you use a spell to take that fragment and put it into an object.
Micah: Right, you’re casting a spell…
Laura: Yeah, I guess, but…
Kevin: Because you’re not harming – you’re not harming someone with the spell. You’re – if anyone, you’re harming yourself.
Laura: Yeah, but it’s also allowing you to take advantage of the fact that you just killed somebody.
Kevin: True, but I think it’s like a fine line, I don’t know.
Andrew: [says in a sing song voice] Lost.
Making a Horcrux 101
Laura: How exactly do you – [laughs] how exactly do you think that the whole encasing process happens? This is something that has always interested me.
Andrew: How it’s made?
Laura: Do you have to have – yeah, how do you do it? Does that actual object have to be in the room? Or does it have to be something that you’re thinking of?
Kevin: I would think that it would have to be in the room, or something that you’re at least in contact with. What – the way I always imagined it happening, at least in my mind, was like a Pensieve, except with the soul. Instead of pulling out part of your thoughts, you’re pulling out a part of your soul. But at least in that, I guess, view of things you would have to be in direct contact with whatever you’re putting it in, in order to actually, you know, physically…
Laura: Yeah…
Kevin: …put it in the object.
Laura: And what happens if you don’t encase it? Because the way that Slughorn was sort of describing it, it sounds like when you kill somebody it automatically rips part of your soul from your body.
Andrew: Yeah.
Laura: What happens to that if you don’t place it inside of anything? Does it go away?
Kevin: I would think it…
Laura: Does it, like, [laughs] fly off somewhere?
Kevin: I would say it’s lost. Because it would make sense, wouldn’t it? If you’re damaging part of yourself by actually committing murder, how are you…
Andrew: Yeah.
Kevin: …damaging yourself? You are ripping a piece of you soul out. And I would think that it just goes away. Literally, it ceases to exist. So, the damage you’ve done…
Andrew: Mhm, but…
Kevin: …is permanent.
Andrew: Well, that makes sense because you have to think about people in the wizarding world who are killing other people. You know? What’s happening to their souls? Their split souls? They’re not turning them into Horcruxes.
Laura: …That’s very interesting, because – I mean, you look at characters like Bellatrix, who are clearly deranged, and, I mean maybe that’s…
Kevin: The more…
Laura: …what happens; you lose your soul. You just become worse and worse, and…
Kevin: Which is sort of true, even…
Laura: Yeah.
Kevin: I mean, even in our real world…
Laura: It’s – and see, what’s…
Kevin: …it seems fitting.
Laura: What’s almost contradictory about that is, yeah, you are paying the price by losing a piece of your soul, but it seems like the more and more these people do horrible things…
Kevin: The worse they’re going to get.
Laura: …the more desensitized they become, and they keep doing it at increased levels. So, it’s not helping anybody that they’re losing their morality – you know, their morals and…
Do All Killings Split The Soul?
Micah: Right, but say one of the members of the Order killed a Death Eater. Would it rip their soul? I mean, what if they were doing it in defense?
Kevin: See, I don’t think so…
Laura: Yeah, that’s hard.
Kevin: Because – because there’s a fine line between murder and just killing. You know what I mean? When you say “murder,” it typically means the spiteful act of actually killing someone that does not need to be done. It’s not in self-defense, it’s not in protection of anyone, you are killing them just for the fun of it. And I think that aspect of it – well, maybe not just for the fun of it – but I think that aspect of it is the part that damages your soul. If you are protecting someone, or you are protecting yourself, and you end up killing someone, I don’t see how that would affect your character, or your soul. Because you’ve done nothing to… It was… There was nothing angry or, you know, there wasn’t – there was purpose behind the killing, you were trying to protect yourself. Where as what Voldemort does, and what Bellatrix does, is without purpose.
Laura: Do you think Snape lost part of his soul when he killed Dumbledore?
Micah: Depends if he was…
Andrew: Why wouldn’t he?
Laura: It’s hard.
Kevin: That depends on the circumstances behind the killing.
Laura: Yeah, but, I mean, how much – I mean the thing is, it’s not like… [sighs] It’s not like the magic that, or, you know, whatever force in the wizarding world that causes that to happen has any sort of sense to know when something like that was pre-planned. Like – do you get where I’m going? Like even if Dumbledore told Snape to do it, he was still doing something that didn’t need to be done.
Kevin: Yeah, but also, do you think – do you think if Dumbledore told him to do it, do you think he enjoyed it?
Laura: No.
Andrew: Snape?
Kevin: But, my point is, do you think there’s maybe some – there’s some connection, there’s…
Laura: Like maybe if you enjoyed the killing?
Kevin: Well, not only enjoy it, but there’s some connection between the purpose of the killing and whether your soul is damaged. Meaning, if he knew that he had to…
Laura: So…
Kevin: …kill Dumbledore, with Dumbledore’s permission, or Harry would die, and, therefore, destroy all hopes of Voldemort ever being defeated, right? Do you think that that purpose would have spared him the damage it might have done? You know?
Laura: Yeah, I mean, I guess it could, but then that brings me to the question, would Draco have been spared that damage? Because by killing Dumbledore, he would have saved himself and his family.
Micah: Yeah, but he’s killing him with malicious intent, which I think…
Laura: I don’t think he was, though, because he faltered.
Micah: Well, he faltered shows his true character.
Laura: You could clearly…
Micah: He never would have killed him. That’s the whole point.
Laura: Yeah, but had he killed him…
Micah: Well, had he killed him…
Laura: Do you think he would have been spared?
Micah: …there would have been malicious intent behind it. You know?
Laura: I don’t think so. I would have seen it as more of a pressured killing.
Micah: He…
Andrew: Yeah.
Micah: I don’t think he ever would have had the ability inside him…
Kevin: Yeah, same here.
Micah: …to cast that curse. I don’t there’s any question about that.
Laura: I don’t think so either, but I’m speaking hypothetically.
Kevin: I think that it would have damaged him. Absolutely. At least in my mind, he would have been doing it for…
Laura: For a malicious reason even it wasn’t his intent?
Kevin: Well, for one, for malicious and selfish reason. I mean, it was saving his own…
Andrew: Yeah.
Kevin: …butt.
Laura: Yeah, that’s true.
Kevin: He – I mean, he was there to save him and his family, but him and his family got themselves into that situation. So, the honorable thing to do would be join the other side and try to salvage it, but the whole reason he was in that situation is he chose not to.
Laura: Yeah, I agree with that.
Do Relics of Death Imply Death to Those That Seek Them?
Kevin: I’m not sure if you guys – I think it was in an e-mail. They were saying that it’s interesting that the title was – what was it? Deathly Relics? Is it?
Laura: Mhm. Relics of Death.
Andrew: Relics of Death.
Kevin: Relics of Death. You – some people have been wondering whether the Relics of Death are not only referring to the Horcruxes, but also to the fact that people die over them. That is, people die in their discovery or in the quest to find them.
Andrew: Oh, that’s true. So it’s – instead of saying, Harry Potter and the Horcruxes, it’s just a fancy way of saying “Horcruxes.”
Laura: It’s a more encompassing title.
Kevin: Exactly. You think of the Horcruxes and how much trouble is going to be, you know, made because of them, and what people are going to do to get them in order to kill Voldemort. And you wonder who those people are and what’s going to happen to them in the quest to find them. The Horcruxes, that is.
Micah: Well, I remember – this was back a few shows. One of the things that I had mentioned is that if you look at the Horcruxes that have been destroyed so far, you know, they’ve cost people their lives. I mean, we’re – that’s under the assumption that R.A.B. destroyed the locket. He’s now dead. And even if you read his letter, he was under the assumption, I think, that he was going to die as a result of what he was doing. You know, Dumbledore died, or at least looked like he was dying, with his whole black hand, which is what you were bringing up earlier, so is it that thing that’s going to happen down the line, where people are going to die in order for these Horcruxes to be destroyed? You know, was Dumbledore doomed from the beginning of Half-Blood Prince? I think, you know, if you look at his hand, he was on his way well before he drank that potion.
Laura: Yeah, I think so too.
Kevin: Oh, yeah, I think that too, and you’ll actually find it as a theme that when the – when a character is mutilated in some form, they tend to die.
Micah: Right.
Kevin: You – you see it even in recent…
Andrew: Sooner, rather than later, you mean.
Kevin: What do you mean? What – what was that? You broke up.
Andrew: Sooner… When, when you see – what did you say?
Kevin: Oh yeah, yeah, when you see a character mutilated. Yeah, sooner rather than later. You’re absolutely correct. Yeah.
Andrew: Yeah.
Kevin: So, they’re going to die before the story is resolved.
Andrew: Oh, okay. All right.
Kevin: So in that sense alone, I think Dumbledore was fated to die, you know?
Laura: Yeah, I think he was doomed from the beginning of that book.
Andrew: Hhm.
Relics of Death: Objects of Those Who Died to Create the Horcruxes?
Micah: Well what if it – on the other side, you’re saying Relics of Death. What if they’re just the items of the people who were killed in order to make them, as opposed to people dying in order to destroy them?
Kevin: Yeah, that’s also a possibility. Yeah.
Andrew: As we can see by discussing this, there’s multiple things it could be. It’s just like Half-Blood Prince. It was like the prince of the half-bloods or the…the…what was the other one?
Micah: The half-blood prince.
Andrew: The literal half-blood prince.
Micah: Yeah.
Andrew: Yeah, so. Well, Hmm, there you go. All right, well, good stuff. As always, if you guys want to e-mail in your rebuttals for that main discussion you can always e-mail…
[Kevin starts laughing]
Andrew: mugglecast at staff dot mugglecast – no, it’s not MuggleCast. It’s MuggleNet, dot MuggleNet dot com. Guys, it’s 12:41 A.M. [laughs] And now we know what’s it like when Jamie complains about recording this late at night.
Kevin: I don’t.
Andrew: Now I can understand.
Chicken Soup for the MuggleCast Soul: Improving Grades
Andrew: Let’s wrap the show up today with a Chicken Soup for the MuggleCast Soul: Finals Edition. First one comes from Jenae, 18, of California. She writes:
Right now, well, not exactly right now, I am studying for a final exam. I am just finishing up my first year of college and in my philosophy class, I have a major paper due tomorrow, and I have my final. I can never find the right way to study in that the TV is too distracting. And with music I end up dancing around and singing. So today, for a change, I decided to listen to MuggleCast and I am really able to focus better and it’s entertaining while I go through all my boring philosophy notes. It worked out, because I had been so busy, there were a few episodes that I had downloaded, but never got to listen to and now I have. Smiles! Well, hopefully I get an “A” with MuggleCast. Wink! Thanks Always, Janae.
Kevin: Hmmm, yeah.
Andrew: So that’s good. Yeah. Like, when you guys study do you use music, or…
Kevin: Yeah.
Laura: Music.
Kevin: I typically listen to music.
Andrew: Do you watch TV?
Kevin: Although I don’t study much. [laughs]
Andrew: Yeah. What kind, though, because that plays a big role too. I’m a – I listen to jazz when I study.
Micah: Yeah. I don’t study anymore.
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: Micah, when you did, at Syracuse – music? I don’t know how you could study with the TV on.
Micah: No, yeah.
Andrew: I think it would be distracting.
Micah: TV is way to distracting. I don’t know, Janae needs to turn that off.
Andrew: Yeah.
Micah: That might help, first of all.
Andrew: And, podcasts,
Laura: I like instrumental music.
Kevin: Oh yeah, classical.
Laura: Like…
Kevin: Yeah. Absolutely.
Laura: Classical…
Andrew: Yeah. Yeah.
Laura: …and movie soundtracks.
Andrew: I listen to jazz. Smooth jazz.
Micah: Well, Andrew, when I was in college, I’m not sure that podcasts were a big thing. So…
Laura: That’s how ancient you are, Micah.
Micah: I know.
[Andrew laughs]
Micah: It’s only two years ago.
Kevin: That’s a long time, Micah.
Andrew: Yeah. I listen to jazz and it’s very helpful. But we’re glad MuggleCast helps her. I could not listen to a podcast and study at the same time. That’s like TV.
Micah: Yeah. Hopefully she did well.
Andrew: Yeah.
Micah: The second one comes from Elizabeth, 15, of Oklahoma. She says:
I was pleased to receive an “A” on an English paper I recently wrote relating Dicken’s ‘Great Expectations’ to the ‘Harry Potter’ series. I thought this was a great time to send in a Chicken Soup. I have been meaning to for a while. I have been listening to MuggleCast for a little over a year, and, besides being amazing and fun to listen to, listening to you all analyzing ‘Harry Potter’ every week has made a significant difference in my skills in English class. I now have a better eye for symbols, clues, and picking up themes when reading novels. I wanted to thank you all for the great job you do on MuggleCast, and wanted to let you know you are helping people in even more ways than you meant. Which is the point of all Chicken Soups I guess, right? Anyways, I am also a Pickle Pack member, and all MuggleCast listeners/non-PiPa members…
Andrew: Pip-uh.
Micah: [laughs] …should know the $30 is so worth it.
Laura: Okay, is it Peep-uh, or Pipe-uh?
Andrew: It’s Pip-uh.
Laura: Or Pip-uh?
Andrew: Pip-uh.
Laura: I like Pipe-uh. Pip-uh is lame.
Micah: All right.
Andrew: You’ve got to abbreviate it how you pronounce the real phrase. So, pi…pickle, pi…pip-uh, Pickle Pack, pip-uh.
Laura: You don’t say, “puck”…[laughs]
Andrew: No, no, no. No, we’re just discussing it.
Laura: …you say, “pack.” [laughs]
Andrew: Pip-uh, pip-ah.
Laura: You don’t say…
Andrew: Pip-ah. Pip-ah. [laughs]
Laura: I like pipe-uh.
Andrew: Well, you can stick the pipe-uh up your pip-uh.
[Micah laughs]
Kevin: Okay.
Andrew: It’s too late. [laughs]
Show Close
Andrew: Hey so, that just about wraps up today’s show. We want to remind everyone about our contact information. Laura, what’s the P.O. Box?
Laura: Our new P.O. Box is:
P.O. Box 3151
Cumming, Georgia
30028.
That’s “Cumming,” spelled C-U-M-M-I-N-G.
[Show music begins]
Andrew: All right. And anyone else could also send in a voicemail question. To do that you can dial any one of our MuggleCast phone numbers. If you are in the United States you can dial 1-218-20-MAGIC. If you’re in the in the United Kingdom you can dial 020-8144-0677. And if you’re in Australia you can dial 02-8003-5668. You can also Skype the username MuggleCast, just remember to leave your message under about a minute long. And you can also use the handy feedback forum on MuggleCast.com to contact any one of us, or you can always use our first name at staff dot mugglenet dot com.
Don’t forget our community outlets. You got the MySpace, you got the
Facebook, you got the
YouTube group, the Frapprmap, Last.FM, the Fanlisting and the Forums. You can also Digg us at Digg.com, vote for us once a month at Podcast Alley, and rate and review us on Yahoo! Podcasts.
I think that’s everything. Every week I’m always like, [in a dumb voice] “I think that’s it. I don’t really know.”
Laura: I had an idea. Really quick.
Andrew: What? What?
Laura: What about the first person to send something to the new P.O. Box gets a shirt. What do you think? First thing we get in the P.O. Box, they get a shirt.
Andrew: Oooh. Okay. Well, I – all right. All right. Sounds good.
Micah: I am sending that right now.
[Andrew and Laura laugh]
Andrew: Micah’s got a head start. Once again, thank you, everyone, for listening. I’m Andrew Sims.
Kevin: I’m Kevin Steck.
Laura: I’m Laura Thompson.
Micah: And I’m Micah Tannenbaum.
Andrew: We have no idea where Eric Scull went.
[Andrew and Laura laugh]
Andrew: We’ll see everyone next week for Episode 93. Bye-bye.
Kevin: Bye.
Laura: Bye.
———————–
Written by: Micah, Briana, Christina, Cindy, Eloise, Haley, Jessalyn, Jessica, Jessie, Karen, Laura, Leah, Luke, Margaret, Marya, Matt, Meredith, Rebeca, Samantha, Sapna, Shannon, Shelly, and Tina