MuggleCast 135 Transcript
Show Intro
Andrew: This week’s podcast is also brought to you by Audible.com, the Internet’s leading provider of spoken word entertainment. Get a free audiobook download of your choice when you sign up today. Log onto www.AudiblePodcast.com/MuggleCast today for details.
[Intro music begins]
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[Show music begins]
Andrew: Because audiobooks keep us sane – well, Mikey and Matt sane – this is MuggleCast Episode 135 for March 8th, 2008.
[Show music continues to play]
Andrew: All right, we are back for another week of MuggleCast. No bleeping this week. I think we’re bleeped out for the next about thousand episodes.
Matt: We are?
Laura: Aww, darn.
Andrew: Yeah, sorry. I know, I know. It was a lot of [bleep]-ing fun, but…
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: …we have to stop now.
Eric: Bleeps are so hard to do in the audio editor. I don’t know about you, Andrew, but that always upsets me when I have to put bleeps in.
Andrew: It took a couple of minutes, but it was worth it because everyone loved that episode, that intro. People are thinking it was our best intro ever.
Laura: Yeah, except for one person.
Eric: I haven’t heard it. I need to.
Laura: One person e-mailed and said that she was fed up with us. She would never listen again.
Andrew: Oh, yeah.
Matt: Really?
Andrew: I love the people, yeah, that was funny. [laughs] Yeah, some people like to pretend like they’re unsubscribing to make us feel bad, but really – Hey, if you aren’t going to listen, whatever. Don’t threaten us.
Mikey: Hey. I would feel bad if they, you know…
Andrew: I don’t, because I know they’re lying. They’ll come back next week. They’ll be back. I know they’ll be back. It’s – I don’t know.
Matt: Is it like a tradition now for the show, we gripe about something?
Andrew: No.
Matt: Oh.
Andrew: No, and it’s funny because originally we were – I came up with an idea for that intro early in the week, and then I scraped it last minute, but then I was like, “All right, maybe we should do it,” because I was afraid too many people were going to take it like we were actually complaining, but we don’t complain. I’m dead serious when I say that. We…
Eric: Andrew, when you look on iTunes, and discover that we have half the subscriptions we did last week… [laughs]
Andrew: Yeah, yeah. No, but that’s not the case. Everyone was loving last week’s episode, and I’m confident we have another good episode for everyone today. We got lots to discuss this week. I’m Andrew Sims.
Eric: I’m Eric Scull.
Laura: I’m Laura Thompson.
Matt: Are we going by seniority?
Mikey: Oh no, I usually go last, but…
Andrew: Mikey likes…
Mikey: I can format, that’s fine.
Matt: No, it’s okay. If you want to go last, that’s fine.
Mikey: No! Anyway, anyway! Matt, Matt, Matt!
[Laura laughs]
Mikey: Anyway, I’m Mikey B.
Matt: And I’m Matt Britton.
[Laura and Mikey laugh]
[Show music plays louder]
News
Andrew: MuggleCast news contest winner Edith is standing by in the MuggleCast News Center with the past week’s top Harry Potter news stories. Hey, Edith!
Edith: My name is Edith Lerner and I am very excited to be reading this week’s top Harry Potter news stories.
Jim Dale, narrator of the U.S. Potter books, will be presenting at HPEF’s Portus 2008 this July. Portus representative Aziza Aba Butain talks about how excited they are to be hosting him:
“This will be Jim Dale’s first ‘Harry Potter’ conference. We’re all very excited and honored to have a guest so involved with the series be apart of Portus’ programming. Mr. Dale is quite the dynamic, accomplished speaker, and we can’t wait for Portus to arrive.”
If you’re interested in attending Portus, you must register. Visit Portus2008.org for more information. Don’t forget, MuggleCast will also be hosting a podcast at the conference as part of their Podcast Palooza. This is one conference that you’ll definitely not want to miss.
On March 2 Wizrocklopedia.com announced the 2008 Wizard Rock People’s Choice Awards winners. Fans around the world voted for their favorite bands in several categories, such as Best Male/Female Vocals, Best EP, Band of the Year, Best Holiday Song, and Best Album Art. The Lifetime Achievement Award goes to The Whomping Willows. Congratulations to Matt and all of the winners.
Ralph Fiennes, the actor who plays Lord Voldemort in the Potter films, has revealed in an interview with “Ain’t It Cool News” that he won’t be appearing in the sixth film. When asked whether he is signed for Deathly Hallows he says, “not yet.”
On ITV’s “This Morning,” Damian Lewis, Helen McCrory’s husband, said that Helen is filming her scenes as Narcissa Malfoy this week. Damian said she’s “extremely excited” and is following blogs that are also exciting.
A newspaper in Norway reports on some scenic filming being done in a small village called Bjorli. The crew is filming shots that will be used outside of the Hogwarts Express.
The Telegraphhas a short piece about Jo Rowling continuing to write in cafes:
“I will continue writing for children because that’s what I enjoy,” reveals Jo, who greatly misses the child wizard.
“It’s left me with the biggest emptiness in my life.”
<>She will, however, leave behind the magical world of Hogwarts.
“I believe that it’s good for me and good for my readers that I bring myself to work on something different,” she says.
In a search for inspiration, Jo discloses that she has returned to the Edinburgh cafes where she completed her first novel while unemployed and living on benefits.
“I am very good at finding a suitable cafe. I blend into the crowd and, of course, I don’t sit in the middle of the bar staring all around me. In 90% of cases, it’s the cafe staff who allow me to work without being bothered.”
That’s all the news for this March 8, 2008. Back to the show.
News Discussion: Ralph Fiennes
Andrew: All right, thank you very much, Edith, and great job. Next week we will have the runner up to our MuggleCast news contest, so look forward to that. So we have a couple items of news to discuss this week. Not much going on. One thing, not really worth discussing, but we thought we would mention that Ralph Fiennes in an interview revealed that he will not be in Half-Blood Prince.
Eric: What? [gasps]
Andrew: I have a feeling he’ll be back in flashbacks, if we’re to take what David Yates did in Order of the Phoenix.
Eric: Oh, okay, you mean like stock footage, that sort of thing.
Andrew: Right.
Eric: Like what they did with Cedric Diggory…
Laura: Yeah.
Eric: …without having Robert Pattinson in Order of the Phoenix.
Andrew: Yeah, exactly.
Eric: Cool beans.
Andrew: Not that big of a deal, right?
Mikey: It’s not that big of a deal.
Laura: No. It’s not like he did anything.
Andrew: Yeah.
Laura: He wasn’t there, so…
Mikey: I forgot Voldemort existed in Half-Blood Prince. It was Draco.
Andrew: Yeah. That’s true.
Matt: Well, in all honesty, he’s not really in the whole series that much, physically. He’s mostly just mentioned. So that’s why we think it’s a huge deal, or some of the fans think, when he’s not going to be in the movie.
Eric: Well, still, no, I mean, I thought that if they were going to show the different ages of Voldemort throughout the years and, you know, if we do the Pensieve lessons with Dumbledore, that sort of thing, I thought it would be cool to have actually Ralph Fiennes play a Voldemort from a few years before he underwent the magical transfortation. You know, like when he – you know, recently. Like a younger Voldemort…
Matt: Yeah.
Eric: …before he lost his nose. And that would be cool.
Matt: He would definitely act it out really well. I mean he’s a terrific actor, so that whole dynamic scene with him and Dumbledore in his office.
Eric: But then again, Voldemort left school to change his face, so it was pretty early.
Matt: Yeah.
Eric: Ralph Fiennes isn’t that young.
Matt: He got all that plastic surgery.
Eric: Well, he’s pretty young. He’s younger than Alan Rickman, isn’t he?
Mikey: Yeah.
Eric: Ralph Fiennes?
Mikey: Alan Rickman’s up there in age.
Eric: Sixty-something.
Laura: Yeah, but it would still be a stretch to have him play someone in his early twenties.
Eric: Yeah. No, easily, easily.
Andrew: Well, that’s why they have cast child Tom Riddle, and then also middle aged – or younger Tom Riddle. I mean around the…
Eric: They’re going to have to stretch those, though.
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: I think they’re going to have to stretch those actors to play like a between 6-11 and 12-18, you know, that sort of thing.
Andrew: Right.
Eric: It’d be like Dan Radcliffe all over again.
Andrew: Right.
Eric: Joking.
Andrew: So I mean that’s about it for that. And then also, we got a voicemail that sums up our next news item.
News Discussion: Jim Dale
[Audio]: Hi. My name is Claire and I’m from Illinois, and I was just reading the MuggleNet news, and I thought that it was so exciting that Jim Dale is going to be at Portus. I was just really like, oh my gosh! So just wanted to say how excited I was about that. Anyways, you guys have an awesome show, keep it up. Pickles.
Andrew: Jim Dale at Portus!
Laura: I’m really excited about that, too. It should be pretty cool.
Matt: Mhm.
Andrew: How cool is that?
Eric: Jim Dale at Portus; that’s pretty cool.
Matt: He’s the man.
Andrew: Yeah. And what was cool for us was that MuggleNet – Portus gave us the news to break, and of course we posted it on MuggleNet Wednesday night, and I have to say, this is huge for Harry Potter conferences ’cause this is the first time a Harry Potter conference has had someone so important in the Harry Potter…
Matt: Series.
Andrew: Series, yeah.
Mikey: Yeah, no, I agree, I agree.
Laura: Yeah, yeah.
Matt: Yeah, totally.
Mikey: I actually have all six of the audio books. Or seven. [laughs]
Eric: Very nice.
Mikey: That’s what it is!
Eric: Very nice, Mikey.
Mikey: You know, I forgot. Actually, no, I have one Stephen Fry, so I have six of his and one Stephen Fry one, so…
Andrew: We are – we’ve always raved about Jim Dale in the past. I want to play a little sample for you guys now to get a taste in case you’ve never heard Jim Dale.
Jim Dale Audio: A braver man than Vernon Dursley would have quailed under the furious look Hagrid now gave him; when Hagrid spoke, his every syllable trembled with rage. “You never told him? Never told him what was in the letter Dumbledore left for him? I was there, I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An’ you’ve kept it from him all these years?” “Kept what from me?” said Harry eagerly. “Stop! I forbid you!” yelled Uncle Vernon in panic. Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror. “Ah, go boil your heads, both of yeh,” said Hagrid. “Harry – yer a wizard.”
Andrew: His voice is just so soothing and oh…
Matt: Very British. Magical.
Mikey: Personally, I think Jim Dale does the best part doing all the voices for everyone.
Eric: Yeah.
Mikey: Like my favorite – I think my favorite has to be the Hagrid voice he does. It’s just so like – There’s a point where I listened to all seven, well it was before the seventh book was out, I listened to six audio books, and then I decided to watch the movies, and hearing Hagrid in the movie just wasn’t right because I was so used to the Hagrid in the audio books.
[Eric and Mikey laugh]
Mikey: I was like, that’s not Hagrid! It seriously…
Laura: Yeah.
Mikey: He does some amazing voices.
Eric: Robbie Coltrain, you faker, you wannabe.
Mikey: [laughs] Robbie Coltrane, you’re great as Hagrid, but no. Honestly, like he does amazing voices for all the characters.
Matt: Yeah, he does.
Andrew: Yeah. I remember he said in an interview he does over 120 voices or something?
Mikey: Yeah.
Eric: Yeah.
Mikey: I have the whole thing, it’s great.
Eric: He’s really talented.
Andrew: Yeah, so Jim Dale will be at Portus 2008, the same conference that we are doing a live MuggleCast at.
Mikey: Whoo!
Andrew: And I have to say, most of us are going to be there, it’s looking like. So we’re going to have a nice big panel, we’re going to be doing a nice show, so visit Portus2008.org for more information. If you sign up for the full registration you get to see Jim. He’s going to be doing multiple things at Portus; this isn’t just like one, you know, quick little thing. He’s doing a lot on Saturday, and we’re going to be doing the podcast on Friday.
Eric: Cool.
Andrew: So visit Portus2008.org, register, and get involved. If you haven’t been to a Harry Potter conference before they are so much fun.
Mikey: They’re fun. They’re fun. I’ve been to three.
Andrew: You’re in a Harry Potter fandom world when you go into this hotel. It’s crazy.
Matt: Yeah, ’cause pretty much everybody’s at the lobby.
Andrew: If I was a betting man I would say that this will definitely be the biggest Potter conference ever in terms of awesomeness.
Announcement: Jim Dale Interview
Matt: And speaking of that news, MuggleCast and Portus 2008 are proud to announce that we will be interviewing Jim Dale, the narrator for the U.S. audiobooks for an upcoming episode of MuggleCast and Portus Previews.
Andrew: But we need your help! Please send in your questions or queries for Mr. Dale via the MuggleCast hotline. We will select the top five questions and pose them to Mr. Dale himself. As a reminder, if you’re in the United States dial 1-218-20-MAGIC, if you’re 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.
Matt: Please have your questions sent in by March 13 at 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. We are all very excited to hear what you have to ask Mr. Dale and are looking forward to bringing you this wicked piece of news.
Jim Dale Audio: As if a normal boy cares what’s on the news.
Announcement: Relay for Life
Andrew: We have a few announcements for everyone this week, and we’re going to start with a message from Mason, who we talked about last week. He’s playing an active role in raising money for the American Cancer Society, so this is a little message from him.
Mason: Hey, everyone. This is Mason, the guy who does the GoDaddy ad at the beginning of the show. I got on the show today because I personally wanted to tell you that I appreciate all the donations my Relay for Life Team has received so far, and really, I can’t explain how much this means to us. At the moment we’ve almost raised a thousand dollars towards cancer research. Cancer is a disease that can affect anyone, and with your help we can get one step closer to finding a cure. If you’d like to donate please visit the link in the Show Notes on MuggleCast.com. The minimum donation is just five dollars, and I assure you, your contribution will not go unnoticed. Not only will you help out a great cause, I promise to personally thank each and every listener who has donated on a future episode of MuggleCast. Thank you for taking time to listen to me, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the show.
Eric: Dude, anytime, Mason. We will listen to you anytime.
Mikey: His voice is so soothing.
Andrew: Including at the beginning of every episode.
Mikey: His voice is really soothing.
Eric: He is.
Laura: Yeah, I know.
Mikey: When he’s not going…
Laura: When he’s not doing the GoDaddy ads.
Mikey: When he’s not going, “Listen Up!”
Matt: [imitating Mason’s GoDaddy voice] Oh Yeah.
Mikey: “Yo! Listeners!” It’s really soothing, and it kind of makes me want to go, “Oh, Mason, I’ll give you fifty dollars right now.” And so…
Andrew: I’m sure he would accept that.
Mikey: I know.
Matt: He should do an audiobook.
Mikey: He will, and I’m going to go ahead and donate to that because, you know, it’s a good cause.
Laura: Yeah, it really is. I know I appreciate it, and I’m sure a lot of other people appreciate what he’s doing, too. So, listeners, you should definately donate if you haven’t already.
Mikey: Yes.
Andrew: Visit MuggleCast.com. Donate five dollars. There’s a minimum donation of five dollars. You can donate more. I donated twenty. I think, Matt, you donated twenty.
Mikey: I have.
Matt: Mhm. Yep.
Mikey: I didn’t donate fifty. I donated twenty.
Announcement: Podcast Alley
Andrew: Lastly, this week, MuggleCast has been doing great on Podcast Alley this month, for the month of March. So visit PodcastAlley, and place your vote for us. We’re number two right now behind Keith and the Girl, and we’re sandwiched in between Keith and the Girl, at number one, and Keith and the Girl TV, at number three. So, keep voting for us. Get us up there in the number one spot. This is MuggleCast March, meaning we have to be number one. Or uh…something bad happens. So, visit PodcastAlley and place your votes. Vote for us, it’s really easy. Just put in your e-mail address, confirm your e-mail, and boom! You’re done.
Matt: Just like that.
MuggleCasters Recommend Twilight
Andrew: Before we get to Muggle Mail this week, we have one e-mail from a listener that concerns a little promotion we’re doing this week. Matt, you want to read it?
Matt: Sure. This e-mail comes from Melissa, 16 of Pennsylvania. And she writes:
“Hey, MuggleCast! I heard you guys were reading “Twilight”, and I myself have become a recent fan. I was just wondering what you thought of it so far. What do you guys think of Bella? Edward? Personally, Bella kind of annoys me. Would you recommend it to other Harry Potter readers? I have. Thanks, guys, for your show is lovely. Melissa.”
Andrew: So, a few of us have been reading Twilight. Laura.
Laura: Mhm.
Andrew: Matt.
Matt: Yes.
Andrew: And I.
Matt: I am ahead of everybody.
Andrew: Matt just finished.
Matt: I’m done!
Andrew: You finished the third one?
Matt: I’m done. I finished today.
Andrew: Until the fourth one comes out.
Matt: Well, yeah, but that’s like three months.
Laura: Yeah.
Eric: So it’s a relatively new series though?
Matt: Um, it’s a couple years old. Isn’t it?
Andrew: Yeah.
Matt: It came out in 2005?
Laura: Yeah, that’s right.
Andrew: Yes.
Eric: Oh, so that’s much newer than Harry Potter.
Andrew: But it’s growing quickly in our fandom.
Matt: At a rapid rate, too, I mean…
Laura: It’s actually often times being called the series that’s, you know, quote unquote – and it’s kind of a pun here – “eclipsing Harry Potter” and all that other stuff.
Andrew: Right.
Eric: Ha-ha-ha…
Laura: And there’s a lot of articles written about it just because so many Harry Potter fans are kind of moving onto new series like Twilight.
Matt: Mhm.
Laura: To kind of bridge the gap.
Andrew: Right.
Matt: And this just seems to be the series that a good portion of the fandom is flocking to at the moment.
Andrew: Yeah. I wouldn’t say “moving on,” because then people are going to be like, “Oh, you guys are giving up on Harry Potter.” People are looking for a new series to read, and I have to say Twilight is very refreshing.
Matt: Yeah.
Andrew: It’s very nice to read outside of Harry Potter, because, honestly, I don’t really read anymore except for Harry Potter, and I started reading this and I was like, this is great.
Matt: Mhm. It’s very easy to read as in there is not so much you really have to think of as in contrast with Harry Potter, where, you know, the series goes very deep and interconnects to other things and parallels.
Laura: Yeah.
Matt: And New Moon, it’s kind of a relaxing read, and for a lot of the fans, female fans especially, it’s a romantic novel that has a fantasy in itself in it.
Andrew: What if I told you guys that you could read any of the Twilight series or thirty-five thousand other books for free? One of them, though?
Eric: I would say, “Dude…”
Matt: Wow… that’s… I would say, “HUH!?”
Laura: I would say, “That’s too good to be true, Andrew!” [laughs]
Audiobooks
Andrew: Oh, no it’s not, because today’s podcast is brought to you by Audible.com, the leading provider in spoken word entertainment. Audible has over thirty-five thousand titles to choose from to be downloaded and played back anywhere, just like MuggleCast, just as easily, including the Twilight series. Log onto www.AudiblePodcast.com/MuggleCast to receive your free audio book. You can choose from any of the thirty-five thousand titles, and they have the Twilight series. So if you’re looking for a new book to read, check out Twilight and check out a new way to read it with auidiobooks. And I have to tell you, audiobooks are really handy to read. Matt and Mikey have both used audiobooks too. Mikey, you were just listening to Harry Potter right before the show.
Mikey: Yeah, I actually started listening to the two chapters that we had to read for today’s segment.
Eric: Did you finish those, by any chance?
Mikey: Yeah. I finished them. It’s one of those things where I called Andrew on my way back from work, and I was like, “Hey, Andrew. What books and I supposed to read – what chapters am I supposed to read?” I luckily had Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on my iPhone as an audio book, and I started listening to the chapters while I was driving home, and bingo, I got through it. It’s a great way to just kind of catch up and kind of review stuff.
Eric: Yeah.
Mikey: Obviously I have already read the book. Plus they are great for long drives.
Matt: Yeah.
Mikey: Cross country drives, having the books on tape. I have quite a few different books on tape and the Harry Potter ones are really good.
Matt: Yeah, just along with what Mikey said, I usually – my favorite audio book is actually Jim Dale’s Sorcerer’s Stone. I usually listen to it when I am kind of an insomniac. When I don’t sleep really sleep at night, what I do is I just lay in bed and turn off the lights and listen to it. And it’s just listening to your book on tape makes you feel relaxed and calm, and you just kind of move into your own world.
Andrew: So visit AudiblePodcast.com/MuggleCast and get your free audio book. We would recommend Twilight this week if you want a new series to check out Harry Potter. I tell you what, I am not a big reader, and Twilight just like the Harry Potter series got me hooked on reading a book constantly. I definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a good read.
Mikey: Really? I will have to check that out.
Andrew: Yeah. AudiblePodcast.com/MuggleCast. Get it for free, Mikey.
Mikey: All right.
Andrew: Legally. Legally. Get it for free legally.
Mikey: What is this “legally” thing?
[Laura laughs]
Matt: It means don’t steal it, Mikey.
[Andrew, Laura and Matt laugh]
Mikey: What are you talking about!?
Muggle Mail: Dumbledore’s Views
Andrew: Anyway. Muggle Mail this week…
Mikey: [laughs] I don’t like that! I don’t like what you guys are implying here.
[Andrew laughs]
Mikey: At all.
Andrew: Let’s read that first one from Anya.
Laura: Okay. Our first Muggle Mail comes from Anya, 24 of New Mexico. She writes:
“Just wanted to say I really enjoy listening to you guys. You keep me from going insane in my work cubicle during my night shifts. On to the main event. I just wanted to say that on Episode 134 there was a debate about the fact that Dumbledore’s views being in agreement with Grindelwald’s and how it wasn’t originally good. There was also a statement to the effect that he was succumbing to peer pressure due to his infatuation with Grindelwald. What no one is taking into account, even though it’s mentioned later on, is that Dumbledore’s little sister was attacked by Muggles for being a witch, and his father was subsequently thrown in Azkaban for taking his revenge on said Muggles. This coupled with the fact that the wizarding community is forced to hide themselves from the rest of the world would cause anyone to question their beliefs concerning Muggle rights and other such topics. Especially considering these things, I completely understand Dumbledore’s point of view on the subject and believe that, had Ariana not died that day, Dumbledore may not have ever questioned that Grindelwald’s ideas needed to be put into motion.”
Yeah.
Mikey: No, I agree.
Laura: I mean – yeah – I mean I definitely understand the point you’re making, but at the same time it kind of goes along with that idea of stereotyping an entire group of people based on what a small number of them did.
Eric: And I think that – I think that you have to also know that Dumbledore still didn’t hate Muggles for, you know, no matter what they did to his sister, or whatever. No matter the fact that his father was in jail for that.
Laura: Mhm.
Eric: I think he cared a lot – you know, when he does – when we do find out what happened to Dumbledore’s father, you know, you show that – it’s kind of understood that his dad did a wrong thing, and I think Dumbledore felt that. So even though you can see the pattern about how Dumbledore would begin to qestion Muggles and stuff, he was still pure of heart enough to tell Grindelwald that, you know, it had to be “for the greater good,” that sort of thing, and to keep Grindelwald in check as best he could.
Laura: Yeah.
Eric: He didn’t hate Muggles, despite their attacks.
Matt: Well, also the position that Dumbledore was in – having everyone know what his father did. I mean he – a lot of people in that kind of situation would do almost anything to make the family name right again.
Laura: Well – and actually Dodge, in like the second chapter – or which chapter was it, where it had the letter from Dodge to The Daily Prophet? Like with…
Andrew: Mhm.
Laura: Basically the – it was called “In Mem…” I forget. Well anyway…
Mikey: Memoriam?
Laura: He actually said that a lot of people had heard about what happened and assumed that because his father attacked them, that he must feel the same way about Muggles. And like, from the very beginning of his first year he tried to make that very clear that he didn’t think that was acceptable. However, I seem to recall, and I can’t remember what chapter this happens in – if it’s before this point in the book or if it’s after – where we find Dumbledore actually saying someting along the lines of, “It’s our duty to actually be above the Muggles so that we can protect them.”
Andrew: Yeah, I remember that, too.
Laura: Which I find interesting. It was almost like a superiority complex in terms of thinking that you could actually save them from themselves. But…
Matt: It kind of – it kind of reminds me of The Golden Compass. Of what The Magisterium tried to portray…
Laura: Right. Yeah.
Matt: …for the kids, stealing their daemons.
Eric: Yeah, except they just wanted power, and that’s clearly more like Grindelwald.
Laura: Mhm.
Eric: Dumbledore may have actually wanted to do – I keep reminding, or remembering the thing Hagrid said to Harry, that Muggles would want magical solutions for everything if they knew that wizards existed, so, [imitating Hagrid] “I reckon they’re better off not knowing.” But, like Dumbledore – like I see a society where Dumbledore would’ve, sort of, possibly offered to help Muggles. You know, maybe he felt sorry for them for not having magical ability.
Matt: Mhm. Yeah.
Eric: Or something.
Matt: Mhm. He probably – oh, nevermind. I lost it.
[Eric and Laura laugh]
Andrew: Well said anyway.
Eric: All the same. It’s – it’s – we’re reading a lot into it.
Matt: Yeah. I think we made our point on that subject.
Muggle Mail: Ariana
Eric: Next e-mail comes from Sheyna, age 23, of Norfolk, Virginia, and she’s talking about Ariana.
“Hey guys, I love your show and the different discussions you have about the characters, plots, and subplots during Chapter-By-Chapter.” Yay! “As soon as I heard Laura say that the attack on Ariana may have been a sexual one I had to e-mail you all. I’m a recent graduate with my degree in psychology and I’m now working with children. The thing with children, and especially girls, is that they’re so eager to please everyone because they’re learning a lot of new things themselves and want to share it with everyone. When Ariana learned she could do magic she did not understand that she was supposed to not use it outside of the house, or in front of Muggles. When she showed it to them, they probably teased her or said she was a freak or a monster and possibly beat her up. They could have also been scared. With children this young, and especially girls, this would cause her to try and get rid of the offending trait, but
as magic is something you’re born with she could not get rid of it, and at moments when she was most excited or angry it would burst out of her uncontrollably. It’s like a child who gets told, “You’re never supposed to get angry,” but not told why. When they feel angry they suppress it and keep moving, but when they’re extremely stressed or feel in danger – they do not actually have to be in danger – they go into a complete, seemingly unprovoked rage. This is just my opinion. Keep up the great work.”
I think it’s good that you guys, last week, and this person, Sheyna – sorry, I pronounced it Shana, it’s Sheyna – goes into the psychology behind Ariana. I like that about you guys last week, and I think it’s really interesting stuff to talk about because Jo wasn’t clear in the books exactly what had happened.
Laura: Yeah, I think that’s also a very logical, like, set of reasoning you came up with there. I really like that. The only reason I kind of brought up the whole idea of a sexual assault was because she was so vague about it, I wasn’t sure if she thought it was something that she didn’t really need to tackle in the book, because that’s not really what the book is about. But at the same time the book isn’t about the psychology of children either, so it’s very possible that this could be what happened.
Chapter-by-Chapter: Chapter 20, “Xenophilius Lovegood”
Andrew: All right, well, we are going to take it to Chapter-by-Chapter. And this week we’re discussing chapters 20 and 21. Starting off with Chapter 20, “Xenophilius Lovegood.” It is Xenophilius, right?
Matt: Yeah, I was going to ask you.
Laura: Yeah.
Eric: Yeah, I think so.
Laura: Mhm.
Eric: I think – I always called him Xenophilius. I think that’s cool.
Matt: I just called him Mr. Lovegood.
Andrew: It’s a crazy name. It’s like…
Matt: Yeah. Well, it’s not exactly the most normal family either.
Andrew: Yeah. It must have sucked when he was lining up in elementary school, always being in the back of the line.
Eric: Well, then again, I mean, anything from Lucius, Sirius, Remus, you know, all that stuff. It’s – they’re not common names that J.K.R. uses…
Andrew: Yeah, that’s true.
Eric: But they’re cool. We accept them because we get so familiar with them.
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: I think that someone should write a paper on that. There’s probably an editorial. MuggleNet’s world class editorials about the names in the Harry Potter series. Not the significance, but that they’re really cool and kind of obscure. Like, we don’t have a Bob.
Matt: Yeah…
Laura: Yeah.
Matt: We should invent, like, a Harry Potter baby book or something.
[Andrew laughs]
Eric: Well, we do have a Bob Ogden. Sorry.
Andrew: Harry Potter baby book? [laughs]
Matt: Yeah, a baby book. That’d be awesome.
Eric: Actually, I am fully behind that. Matt, you and I have to co-author it.
Matt: Okay. Half the whole book is going to be with “-us” at the very end of the word – of the name, too. Xenophilius, Remus, Sirius.
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: How many can you name? Keep going, keep going, Matt. Come on, you’re at four.
Matt: Regus, Philius…
Andrew: Regus. [laughs]
Matt: Nigellus.
Eric: [laughs] Nigellus. That’s a last name.
Matt: I know, but it had the “-us” in the end. I had to go with something.
[Everyone laughs]
Eric: I wouldn’t name my baby Nigellus.
Andrew: Tonks. No.
Eric: Tonks isn’t a… [laughs]
Matt: Tonksus.
Andrew: This chapter focuses on Xenophilius and their – the trio’s meeting with him. It’s sort of a classic – the classic situation where a good guy that you trust turns – turns bad…
Eric: Hm. Kind of.
Andrew: When he calls men on the trio.
Eric: You know, I mean, there’s so many gray areas. You find out why.
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: So, Eric, you want to start of with a little quote?
The Trio’s Situation
Eric: Yeah, yeah, sure. Okay, so very early on in the chapter, Ron’s saying, “Someone’s on our side, mate.” He’s really happy because they’ve just got back from the forest where they’ve seen the doe, recovered the sword, that sort of thing, and Ron is really, really feeling good about that. Hermione’s still kind of agitated at Ron, but what I wanted to talk about – what struck me first is that there’s a bit of celebration, whoop whooping, on Ron’s part. But then again, the help that they got from the doe and finding the sword helped them destroy the only Horcrux they knew about. So are they actually – as of the beginning of this chapter, do you guys think they’re actually in a good situation? Because to be perfectly honest, they destroyed – I mean, yeah, it’s good they’re one Horcrux down, but that’s the only one they have any clue about. So I don’t really think that they’re, you know, in that great a situation.
Andrew: I think – I think they had reason to celebrate ’cause progress is progress…
Laura: Mhm.
Andrew: …and at this point…
Matt: They were desperate for some.
Andrew: …they weren’t making that much progress, so I think it was well deserved.
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: And they have to get their motives up somehow, you know? So…
Eric: You’re right.
Matt: They’re used to stuff happening by accident.
Andrew: I do see what you’re saying, though, Eric. It’s kind of…
Matt: Yeah.
Eric: Yeah. Oh, talking about what Matt just said – stuff happening by accident – that is another note later, but…
Andrew: Yeah.
“Voldemort” is a Taboo
Eric: That I have. So the second note here is that “Voldemort” is actually a taboo. What did you guys think when this was explained? Do you not think it’s really one of those brilliant moments in the books where J.K.R. has done something clever?
Andrew: I think it is.
Laura: Yeah. Oh, I agree.
Matt: I think it is. I think – I’m kind of upset that we don’t really find out how they did that.
Andrew: Exactly. That’s what I was going to say.
Laura: Yeah.
Matt: Is it a spell or is it just – like, how does that work, too? Is it like – is it because everyone’s a wizard they’re all connected magically somehow? So when a wizard says a name it like – it takes like a shock or a current through the magical world and they all sense it or something?
Eric: It could be.
Andrew: I like that idea. The current idea.
Eric: It’s got to have a range too. You know, you think, if it’s – like world wide range, that sort of thing, I mean. Then again, the Ministry is backing it, so you could put a taboo.
Matt: Yeah, the Ministry does everything.
Eric: Yeah.
Matt: Well, they probably have like a…
Eric: Like a floo network.
Matt: Yeah, like a little center like with computers or magical things everywhere that just like ring a bell and this little scroll comes out and says, “Ron Weasley just said Voldemort,” or something.
Eric: Yeah. Well, there’s always something about the spoken word too, that has its own sort of magic. That’s why you have to do incantations in a series, you know. I mean, it’s – there’s something about it, and having Voldemort’s name be a taboo where they could be able to trace it makes a person traceable, as Bill told Ron. Brilliant, brilliant stuff. I was very, very happy with this. I mean there’s all these little brilliant moments in Book 7 that I really do like no matter what my opinions may be on the whole, I like it.
Matt: Well, just to add one more thing to this; it probably goes along the line of underage wizardry and how they can track it, probably.
Andrew: I was going to say that too, yeah. I mean I think the Ministry can track anything and even if it comes down to, you know – well, yeah, look at the Floo Network. They were tracking that. The Order of the Phoenix, they had to go through Umbridge’s fireplace. So I think it’s just that.
Eric: They had a lot of tracing stuff. They really want to trace people.
Matt: Yeah.
Andrew: I think it’s necessary, though, because with magic – with, you know – I talked a few weeks ago about how out of control our world would be with magic in the real world, but when you think about it, that’s probably why all the tracing is in place, because you need to have a way to track everyone. Otherwise, can you imagine criminals in today’s society being – you know, we have a hard enough time tracking down with clues. With the Ministry being able to track down anyone, I think it really enforces the law to a point.
Eric: I completely agree with you.
Laura: Yeah.
Mikey: And truthfully, you know, you can tell that the Ministry is the ones that put the tracker on Voldemort’s name, most likely under the guise of only Death Eaters would say his name outright.
Matt: Right.
Mikey: You know what I mean?
Laura: Yeah.
Matt: Well, it definitely would be – it only makes sense, too because…
Mikey: Again, it would be the Ministry being able to control it with the same type of magic that they use for underage wizardry. And, in fact, I’m actually looking at the book right now; the whole thing about the taboo that Ron says, it’s one, two, three – three paragraphs long. It’s very short and it’s kind of a brush over, but, you know, there’s definitely a lot there that you can think about with…
Eric: And it does have real life implications, like Andrew was just saying. But if you guys think about – if somebody Google searches how to build a bomb, they get flagged, or, you know, presumably there’s a way, you know, I mean libraries – have you guys seen the movie Seven? It’s very similar where they mention that people check out flagged books, things like that. It’s just a way of patrolling and making the world a safer place, kind of. But obviously in this case, it’s used incorrectly, you know, to root out Harry Potter.
Andrew: Laura, isn’t there something in D.C. or – I’m thinking about something they have microphones everywhere to track…?
Laura: Not that I am immediately thinking of.
Mikey: I know what you’re talking about. In the actual Washington D.C. area, in the city itself, Washington D.C., there’s microphones throughout the entire place and if there’s any mention of killing the president it’s picked up and flagged instantly because you’re in such a close proximity from it.
Laura: Nice.
Mikey: The only reason I know this – I have never attempted and do not want to…
Eric: [laughs] Because they found you, Mikey.
Mikey: My friend’s band, they have a song called “Kill the President,” and it’s completely made up, because they were playing in Washington D.C. and sure enough the cops came because of that song.
Laura: Wow.
Eric: It’s a bit distasteful, don’t you think?
Mikey: But they made – they said it out loud, “So this song’s called ‘Kill the President.'” It has absolutely nothing to do with killing the president, but they had heard the story about it, and sure enough they said it out loud with the microphone and everything, and sure enough people came to see what was going on with this.
Laura: Yeah.
Eric: Wow. That is amazing.
Mikey: Just so you know.
Laura: So and Eric and Matt, you guys remember when we were there how there were little video cameras on a lot of like the street poles and stuff? Remember we passed a couple…
Andrew: Oh yeah.
Laura: It was just bizarre.
Matt: Well, not only that, when were in Washington D.C. around like – where were we first? Oh, went to the capitol and there was nobody there. It was like quiet, and I was like freaking out like, “Am I saying any taboo words? Are the bushes going to come out and all these…”
Laura: No, but then remember we looked up and there was one little man sitting along the top and we were like “Oh gosh…”
[Everyone laughs]
Eric: Oh, guys, for a moment I thought Chikezie was going home, but they’re just doing the Idol brush up, so we haven’t found out yet. And anyway, guys, it’s just national security, what we were talking about, just other national security things.
Laura: I know.
Matt: It’s definitely the Ministry that’s doing it, because it’s never been done before until after – I mean Voldemort’s name never was taboo until after they took over the Ministry.
Laura: Oh yeah, I think we’re all in agreement on that.
Eric: It’s still believed to be jinxed, and that’s what I thought too, you know? Ron never wanted them to say the name anyway, and you know bad luck for whatever, and now it’s actually – to turn it into a substantial thing, taboo. It’s pretty cool stuff.
MuggleCast 135 Transcript (continued)
Grindelwald
Eric: Okay, I wanted to say, it was brought up a little bit around the mid-section of this chapter, chapter 20 that Hermione isn’t sure if Grindelwald is alive. Now Hermione is very well read, as far as history goes and stuff, so you’d imagine that she would – well, I guess this just must be the public awareness. So as far as the public is aware Grindelwald may or may not still be alive. I guess it’s never really concrete exactly what happened to Grindelwald after Dumbledore defeated him. I guess I wanted to say, do you guys think this is on Dumbledore’s wishes? That Dumbledore just kind of imprisoned Grindelwald, kept him there? We know Grindelwald was kept alive until Voldemort got to him.
Matt: Do you think that’s due to Dumbledore? Do you think the reason why Grindelwald is still alive is because Dumbledore made sure that he was or something?
Andrew: I would think so.
Laura: Yeah, it wouldn’t surprise me.
Eric: I think it might be. Because if you look at what he did with the Shrieking Shack…
Matt: Yeah.
Eric: He made that – you know, he started all those rumours and stuff, so the public would stay away from the Shrieking Shack. I think he would, maybe out of love for Grindelwald, now that we know about his relationship; they’re good friends, you know. I mean, but – it was always a bit – what do I want to say – vague. Because in the Witches and Wizards card in Book 1, it says Dumbledore “defeated” Grindelwald. Defeated him, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he killed him, and he didn’t.
Laura: Yeah, it wouldn’t surprise me if Dumbledore did that just because he’s always been very big on the idea that there are worse things than death.
Andrew: Mhm.
Laura: And I think that imprisoning him in his own prison, furthermore, is just kind of – I don’t know. That would be far worse for me than dying, I think.
Andrew: Yeah, I was going to say I agree with that. It’s torture; it’s a much longer torture knowing that you’re in prison for life.
Laura: Yeah.
Mikey: Well, I personally don’t think that there are things worse than death. I agree with Laura that imprisoning him is definitely, you know? Dumbledore didn’t believe in the suffinity of death, but it’s one of those things where I think it – Dumbledore with the way he was, and what I had imagined him to be throughout the series of the books, is he also – and the same thing with Voldemort – he always kind of wanted redemption for all of them, you know what I mean? And I think by not killing him, by taking part of his own soul by killing Grindelwald, and imprison him, having him think about what he’s done. And I actually think by time that Voldemort kills him, you know, that he does understand the errors of his ways. Just the few lines that he has in the book, you know what I mean? And, you know, when Dumbledore and Voldemort always are fighting he always refers to him as Tom, and tries to, you know, redemption. It’s one of those things where by killing someone off there’s no chance of redmption at all. And by giving him that second little chance, by being there in prison, you know, I think Grindelwald kind of redeemed himself, and since then he realized he was wrong.
Not Another Godric’s Hollow
Andrew: So moving along.
Eric: Yeah, do you want to take the next one?
Andrew: Sure, I’d love to. I’d love to.
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: There’s a quote in here, I guess it’s from Harry saying, “Hermione, we don’t need another Godric’s Hollow.” And I think that’s interesting, and Eric, in our notes here put, “Well, how about that. Maybe they shouldn’t go to Xeno’s place, or Gringotts, or Malfoy Manor, or Hogwarts if they don’t want another G.H.” I think the reason Jo wrote this in here is so that we know they realize what they’re getting into. Does that make sense?
Eric: Well, exactly, because Harry’s saying we don’t need another unplanned, sort of, just break in guns ablazing not knowing what we’re doing. But my point with writing this note was that, well, then they can – you know, it’s one thing to have Harry say this to Hermione, and I was like, “Yeah, go Harry! You understand about this whole thing. The book is going to get a lot more intelligent” – you know, etc., but then they ended up doing the same thing. They had another Godric’s Hollow four or five times later in the book.
Andrew: Right. But this is what happens in the middle of…
Eric: In the middle of chaos. It’s – it’s a complete…
Andrew: I mean I don’t know what Harry would expect…
Eric: It’s a fair arguement.
Andrew: Yeah. I don’t know what he would expect. Like – no – and he realizes it was going to be an extrememly dangerous journey, so at this point…
Matt: Well, with all fairness, they do – they technically, they did need another Godric’s Hollow, because even though…
Andrew: Yeah.
Matt: …they almost died each time they did one of these kind of situations, they got so much more information.
Laura: Mhm. Yeah.
Matt: It wasn’t like the whole trip was done in vain.
Andrew: Yeah. He could’ve just Google his answers. I don’t know…
Matt: Okay, they didn’t have iPhones back then, Andrew.
Andrew: I know. I know. I feel bad for them.
Eric: They’d need iPhones. It’s what they need in the Wizarding World. Harry Potter would be so much better if everyone had an iPhone.
Matt: Yeah.
Andrew: Oh, yes. I don’t know how, though.
Matt: In their wand.
Mikey: Just built into their wand. [laughs]
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: So speaking of a…
Mikey: It’s – it’s the iWand.
Eric: [chuckles] The iWand.
Mikey: Anyway, next note.
Andrew: Next note.
Mikey: Next note.
Eric: Fifth generation iWand. iWand video. iWand touch.
[Mikey laughs]
Andrew and Mikey: iWand nano.
Eric: [laughs] iWand nano. iWand shuffle.
Mikey: Okay, anyway. [laughs]
Matt: Okay.
Andrew: iWand let’s move on.
[Eric laughs]
Mikey: Ron, guys?
The False Trust in Xenophilius
Andrew: Yeah, so moving along to Xenophilius; Ron think’s Xenophilius is on Harry’s side because of The Quibbler. There was a lot of good stuff going on pro-Harry in The Quibbler. And – you know, they trusted him.
Mikey: No, I agree with that, 100%.
Laura: Yeah.
Mikey: Ron does think he’s on the right side.
Matt: Mhm. With all fairness, though, when he said he that he was only doing it really just to make Hermione…
Mikey: Stop being mad at him.
Matt: Well, he was trying to make Hermione more…crap.
Mikey: I think Ron said it best. All’s fair in love and war.
Matt: There. Thank you.
Laura: Yep.
Mikey: It’s a little bit of both.
Eric and Matt: Yeah.
Mikey: It’s a little bit of both. They’re in war and Ron and Hermione are in love, just they don’t know it yet, till, like, the end.
Andrew: Yep.
Eric: Absolutely. So during the series, though, I mean it was always kind of an unwritten rule that Ron is usually wrong unless he’s joking, and I think it just struck me that he said that, and it kind of makes sense. You know, “Xeno’s on our side. He’s a good guy.” But then to have that surprise, that twist that, you know, Xeno isn’t necessarily – you know, I mean he wants his daughter to be safe so he’s kind of turning against Harry this whole time, as they figured that out. It’s a good twist, I thought. It was really an interesting twist at this point in the book because you were looking so forward to having Xenophilius be a good guy, and you do find out all that helpful information.
Laura: Yeah.
Mikey: I hear you.
Laura: It’s just an interesting thing to consider because you have to think about it for a second. What would you do if you had been in his place? Like I know it sounds like the ideal answer to say, “Oh, I would stand behind what I’ve been saying the whole time,” but none of us have children, and none of us can really, I guess, grasp the idea of what the Death Eaters said to him. “Oh, well we’ll just send a piece of your daughter back for you to bury.” Like I honestly think that a lot more people would turn to desperation to get their child back than would like to admit it.
Mikey: Oh no, I totally agree with you.
Andrew: Yeah. Definitely.
Mikey: Even think about, like, you know, someone close to you, like a really close friend or even a parent, like…
Laura: Mhm.
Mikey: Would you really, you know – Xenophilius never met Harry.
Matt: No.
Mikey: He knows who he is, you know, through word of mouth.
Eric: Oh absolutely.
Mikey: It’s like protecting any of these actors that we’ve seen in the movies, like, you know. A perfect example is like Tom Cruise. You know, like, he’s done some outrageous things but are you going to like, honestly, your parents, or protect Tom Cruise from people making fun of him or something?
Laura: Mhm.
Mikey: That’s ridiculous. You’re going to be more of what’s close to you: your daughter. And I totally understand, and I don’t blame Xenophilius for it at all.
Eric: It’s a good theme. It’s definitely a good theme to have in the books: what would parents do for their children? You know, it’s repeated later when Molly Weasley does it, it’s also in other media today, such as Lost. The character of Michael did a lot of bad things to get him and his son safely off the island, and, you know, I mean it was – you know, people view him as a bad character, but he’s just a father trying to raise his son. And, you know, similarly with Xenophilius and Luna. It’s just – it’s a nasty situation.
Matt: Yeah.
Laura: Mhm.
Eric: And everyone’s kind of in it, so…
Andrew’s Trying to Skip Ahead
Andrew: So we learn about the Deathly Hallows.
Eric: Yeah, we learn about the Deathly Hallows, and I thought that was cool.
Laura: Yeah.
Andrew: [with a British accent] The wand, the cloak, and the stone.
Matt: The whole story.
Eric: The wand, the book, and the stone. Is this the next chapter yet, or…?
Matt: Yeah, we’re kind of transitioning into the next chapter.
Eric: Yeah, well I just had two more of these points…
Andrew: Oh, my bad. A read a note about…
Eric: I know there’s like six of them in here, but I’ll just pick out two of them if that’s cool.
Andrew: Yeah, that’ll be sweet.
The Lovegood House
Eric: Yeah, okay, so final two notes, wrapping up. One of them has to do with London, strangely enough. But first I want to talk about the Lovegoods’ house. It kind of reminded me of like a missile silo or something. I mean it’s described as a – you know, everything was curved to fit the walls. It’s a big circular – like a black cylinder with the moon behind it. Like, what do you guys – like, it’s a weird, like – I wouldn’t imagine a house to be like this. What do you guys think it’s all about?
Laura: Well, it’s the Lovegoods’ house. They’re weird.
Andrew: It’s symbolic of something.
Matt: It’s supposed to be a little…off.
Andrew: Well, yeah. But I mean…
Eric: Oh right, because Ron says, “Doesn’t – This looks like a rook, or a castle.”
Andrew: Yeah. And it does if you look at the chapter art for that in the U.S. book, but…
Eric: Right.
Andrew: I mean this is like – like with the Weasleys’ house, there’s no – there’s no 90 degree angles.
Matt: Right.
Andrew: Everything’s on a slant.
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: So – and that – that’s reflected in the movies, so this will be pretty cool to see.
Matt: Mhm.
Eric: I can’t wait to it. And with the spiral staircase – the wrought-iron spiral staircase leading to like all the upper levels and stuff…
Andrew and Matt: Yeah.
Casting Xenophilius
Eric: It’s going to be cool to see. Okay, so final note for Chapter 20, “Xenophilius Lovegood,” do you guys remember – who here was at the London podcast that was…
Andrew: Oh me! Me!
Laura: Me. Meee! Meee!
Eric: Oh, god. Wasn’t that a fun night?
Matt: Uh…
Eric: Do you guys remember? Do you guys remember? We had talked about – and I think I brought this up or something – during the London podcast, I was talking about Bob Hoskins, and how I thought the actor Bob Hoskins should play Slughorn, and we actually had a very awesome audience member state that she had heard in an interview with – maybe even with Bob Hoskins – that he had said that he talked to Jo Rowling about being in a Harry Potter movie, and Jo says that she had a role in Book 7 that would better suit him, or that she – you know, she had him in mind for it. Now we didn’t know at the time but I’m pretty sure – I mean if you guys know – do you guys know Bob Hoskins? He played Smee in Hook.
Andrew: No.
Laura: Yeah.
Eric: And several other more notable roles.
Matt: [sarcastic] Yeah, yeah, he played Smee in the movie Hook.
[Eric laughs]
Mikey: I like that movie. I have it on DVD.
Eric: I love it, too.
Matt: Me too. [laughs]
Eric: It’s a great movie.
Andrew: [sarcastic] Ha…
Eric: But I think that was Xenophilius Lovegood, so, that said I think it’s a great – I mean it’s – I just – you know, we won’t know for sure, but I heard that listener say that there was that interview, and Bob Hoskins said there might be a role in Book 7 for him. I think that be cool if it were Xeno Lovegood.
Matt: Mhm. Well, he’s a relatively short man, though too, isn’t he?
Eric: Yeah, well, short, and I think he’d play the role real – I always thought he’d be a good Slughorn, but I didn’t know Jim Broadbent, so…
Laura: Yeah.
Eric: I didn’t, you know, we’ll have to see.
Matt: Well, it’s definitely a role that a high-profile actor could play. So…
Andrew: Yeah.
Matt: It has to be one of the main characters. Or the main character…
Andrew: I’m looking at his IMDB, he looks okay…
Laura: Yeah, so am I. He looks like he’d be really good.
Andrew: Yeah.
Laura: He was also in Maid in Manhattan.
Andrew: Now, of course he would probably – they would probably want to screen test him with alongside Evanna Lynch.
Matt: [correcting Andrew’s pronunciation] Evanna.
Andrew: I’m trying to picture those two together. It would be probably awkward.
[Andrew and Matt laugh]
Andrew: But yeah sure. Why not? Why not? That was Episode 100, by the way, for anyone – any new listeners who might want to look at the London podcast.
Eric: Yeah, Episode 100 and then immediately followed by 101, which I still maintain was one of our coolest live shows.
Laura: Yeah. Awww, it was so fun.
Andrew: It was our most downloaded live show, and overall people loved that episode because we had it out right after we finished reading. We were – we were the only podcast to have a discussion show out for, I think, even a couple days.
[Matt sighs]
Eric: I’m just so happy we did that for Book 7. That was just like – that was the best time. I mean…
Laura: Mhm.
Eric: …it really was.
Andrew: Yeah.
Matt: Yeah.
Eric: Okay, so moving on! You guys…
Andrew: Moving on. Chapter…
Eric: We’re halfway done already. Wow! This is great! This is – I think that was only like 25 minutes or something. It was great!
Andrew: I can’t believe you skipped your own notes. I’m still in shock.
[Everyone laughs]
Eric: Yeah, I’m perfectly cool with that.
Andrew: I’m in awe.
Eric: Well, maybe it’s – maybe I have other – other motives, but…
[Laura laughs]
Andrew: [laughs] What?
Chapter 21, “The Tale of the Three Brothers”
Eric: Anyway, Chapter 21 is “The Tale of the Three Brothers.”
Mikey: Ahhh…
Story Time
Eric: Hmmm. “Tale of the Three Brothers.” Now this is…[laughs]…this is something that Hermione has probably read about five, six times, going over and over and over the book, and she got nothing out of it until Xeno actually tells her the significance of it. So Hermione sits down and reads it to everyone. It’s a little story time in the Lovegood household. Too bad Luna isn’t around. But basically you go over the story of the three brothers, and it’s implications, and also what happens to them afterwards: the escape from the Lovegood’s house. Anyone want to take the notes?
Mikey: I personally was super excited for this chapter to come.
Matt: I was, too. Yeah.
Mikey: I wanted to know what is this? They’ve been talking about – and then of course as soon as I get to that chapter you see the artwork at the top of the chapter and…
Andrew: Right.
Mikey: …you know, I remember at the times when we were talking about, “What does this mean?”
Eric: What does that symbol mean?
Laura: Mhm.
Mikey: And then, like of course that night we just like – I see it and I’m like, “Oh my Gosh. There it is.”
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: Oh yeah.
Mikey: And like – you know, so now we’re finally going to find out what that symbol means. So I was super excited for this chapter, but do you guys want to move into some of the notes that we have for it?
Eric: Well do you – do you remember how Chapter 20 ended, though? It was – Xeno makes a comment like, “Oh, you’re talking about the story that, you know, sparks the story of the Deathly Hallows.”
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: It was, “Whoa!”
Andrew: Yeah. He says, “Are you referring to the sign of the Deathly Hallows?” That’s like one of these big holy shhh moments.
Mikey: And I was totally like, “Flip the page! Come on!”
Matt: [dramatically] Dun, dun, dun!
Eric: Come on! Oh my god! We’re finally going to find out what this book is about! I always like the book’s namesake, finding what it’s about. So, according to Xenophilius Lovegood, there’s nothing dark about the Hallows. But we hear this story, which is about three brothers who cheat Death, and…
Matt: Well, one does.
Mikey: Well, remember – remember though, the reason that everyone thinks there’s something dark about the Hallows is because the symbol of the Deathly Hallows is from a dark…
Eric: Was misused.
Mikey: Is misused by a dark wizard.
Eric: Yeah.
Mikey: And so it’s definitely – you know, there’s nothing dark about it. It’s the story of, like you were saying. Continue, Eric. Sorry.
Eric: Oh, three brothers cheat Death.
Andrew: It’s like its reputation, sorta speak – so to speak.
Eric: So three brothers cheat Death, but before I get into the second note here, do you – what do you guys want to talk about, like, as far as the story? Like, did you guys like story? Did you think it was really…
Matt: I was extremely impressed with Jo’s storytelling in this one…
Eric: Really?
Mikey: Yeah.
Matt: It was amazing.
Andrew: It’s just clever…
Laura: Yeah.
Andrew: It’s just really clever writing.
Matt: And it seems like it’s one of those fairy tales that you tell your kids, too.
Eric: Yeah.
Matt: It seems like – it’s an old, traditional wizard folk story.
The Invisibility Cloak
Eric: I really want Beedle the Bard. It turns out that the Invisibility Cloak Harry’s had all these years is not, you know, obviously not an ordinary one. It hasn’t worn, hasn’t done anything, and they find this to be very strange. But according to legend, it’s actually Death’s Invisibility Cloak. The cloak that Death wore for, you know, at one point to actually go around and get people. But I just thought this was so interesting that Harry’s Invisibility Cloak is so special and that, you know, the attention’s being brought to it now after how many books writing about, you know, the Invisibility Cloak just being at the bottom of Harry’s trunk, you know, and him getting it out to go on these missions. I thought it was really cool…
Andrew: Well, I think that’s the whole point.
Eric: Yeah.
Laura: Mhm.
Andrew: I mean that’s the whole surprise of it, that it’s just been this cloak that was in his father’s possession, and then, you know, he just inherited it, and then all of a sudden it holds a lot more value. I mean that’s just Jo illustrating how special it is.
Matt: I think it’s funny how the whole story of how he’s – his ancestor is actually the third brother, and the third brother got the Invisibility Cloak from Death so that he could be – so he could escape Death without Death really watching him.
Laura: Yeah.
Matt: But isn’t this whole series about Harry…
Mikey: Escaping Death?
Matt: …being followed by Death? Yeah, well he escapes Death…
Eric: Yeah.
Matt: …but he’s always followed by it, ’cause it’s always looking for him.
Laura: Yeah. And I also found it really interesting that, you know, this was Death’s Invisibility Cloak, and, you know, Ron kind of made that joke about how it got tired of, you know, running at people, screaming and whatever. But it’s just interesting when you consider how much good Harry has done, and how many lives he’s actually saved because of the cloak, like especially in Prisoner of Azkaban, just like…
Eric: You’re saying it really brings sort of a neutrality…
Laura: Yeah.
Eric: …to Death himself – or itself.
Laura: Really, it does, very interesting.
Eric: You know, which is I guess one of the underlying themes of the – yeah, that’s about as interesting as Death running around naked now.
[Laura and Mikey laugh]
Mikey: But, you know, at the same time it’s like – Harry’s done some great with this cloak, but it’s great because by the end of the book, we’ve all read it by now, but it’s one of those things where he becomes the Master of Death because he has all three pieces of the puzzle.
Eric: Which is so cool!
Mikey: It’s just amazing. And it’s like – when you think about like, why didn’t Dumbledore have it? You know, he – we do find out that Dumbledore had all of them in position at one point, and that’s how he hurt his hand, and that’s why he gave the cloak back to Harry, because Harry deserved it; it was his family stuff. And it’s one of those things that Harry was the only person that could handle all three, and this cloak is – it just really brings a lot together.
Eric: It does.
Mikey: Everything all together with the story, his cloak originally – and you’re just waiting for the pieces to fall into place.
Eric: Yeah. What surprised me as well is that this new – I mean the whole Master of Death thing, I mean, that’s Voldemort. That’s his call sign. This Master of Death thing, I mean, it’s been kind of done before. The Sorcerer’s Stone made people invisible, the unicorn blood would keep you alive even if you’re an inch from death, you know? We’ve seen all these things throughout the years, all these degrees and quantities of death that Voldemort is so into that this is just another one of those things. But it’s done a little bit differently, you know, it’s done differently than all the other things that can keep you, you know, invincible. It’s kind of, you know, another cool thing, but again, I mean, it’s still with that recurring theme. It’s completely different but still with that same recurring theme of death and mastering it and, you know, the loss of loved ones and that sort of thing.
The Trio Chooses Their Hallows
Laura: Mhm. I also thought it was interesting when they were talking about which of the Hallows they would have chosen, and they all chose something different even though…
Andrew: Yeah, let’s talk about it.
Laura: Yeah, clearly the moral of the story was you’re supposed to choose the cloak, because it even talked about how the youngest brother was the most humble and really all he wanted to do was just move on with his life, whereas the other two wanted to master something that they really had no place to be dabbling with.
Eric: They wanted to shame death. They wanted to shame death for – because they were arrogant, and, you know, you’re right: it’s a lesson learned, really. I mean it really is. So, yeah, it’s interesting that the trio comes up; they each say something different. They each say something different over which Deathly Hallow they’d choose. Hermione says she – you know, it’s obvious, they all say it’s obvious which one we’d choose, and then they speak at the same time and all say something different. Hermione says the cloak, Ron says the wand, and Harry says the stone. Now, this was another emotional moment when Harry said we could have Sirius back.
Andrew: Yeah.
The Casters Choose Their Hallows
Eric: You know, and all that stuff. But I think it says – which one would you guys choose, to be perfectly honest?
Mikey: Really? You want to know?
Eric: Let’s do this – yeah.
Andrew: Cloak.
Mikey: I’d choose the cloak. That’s not even a question.
Laura: Yeah, I mean, the thing is – I feel like at the time the three of them don’t – well, especially Harry and Ron – don’t really know exactly what the stone and the wand mean, whereas, you know, at the end of the book Harry has the wand but he says, “You know, I really don’t need this. I really shouldn’t have it.” And if I didn’t know what each of them did, and if I didn’t know that the Resurrection Stone actually wasn’t really valid and didn’t really bring people back, I would probably pick that, but in terms of knowing what all three of them are, I’d have to go with Mikey and say the cloak.
Mikey: See, personally, even if the Resurrection Stone did bring people back to life and the wand was just awesome, I would still choose the cloak, because could you just imagine just being able to go around and be invisible under an Invisibility Cloak? Like, just being able to be invisible. That’s just so much fun!
[Eric and Laura laugh]
Eric: For the rest of your life you could amuse yourself.
Mikey: Yeah, honestly. Could you imagine the – I would be just like Harry. I would get into so much, like, trouble. I’d be doing so many dumb pranks on everybody! Like, I can just imagine the hijinks I would get up to. It would be so much fun!
Matt: Yeah. Well, if you were in Harry’s shoes, and you had in possession the Elder Wand, would you keep it?
Andrew: I’d be scared of it.
Laura: Yeah, I’d be afraid to keep it.
Eric: It kind of ensures that you have a shorter life, really. I mean the wand, I mean, it may be an unbeatable wand, but it’s certainly not – I mean look at how many people have owned it. Death Stick, Blood Wand – throughout the centuries, how many people have owned it? I don’t think – I mean it’s obviously something that death did that really – I mean even if you possess the best wand ever, the unbeatable wand, mortality, your own mortality will still get to you. So it’s clearly not the best or wisest of the three Hallows to have. Because you can still die. And if you have the most powerful wand people will be drawn to it to try and take it from you. It’s…
Laura: Yeah.
Eric: …dangerous. It’s just…
Matt: Because it’s always been taken, too. It was never passed down.
Eric: Yeah.
Matt: Because the possessor…
Laura: Yeah, they always kill each other.
Matt: …was always killed. Yeah.
Eric: It’s kind of – Yeah.
Matt: Be like, “No, I do not want this.”
Laura: Yeah, and it really seems to attract people who have this idea that they’re invincible if they have this object.
Eric: Which could not be further.
Laura: Yeah, and you see this guy, the first guy who has it, the oldest Peverell brother. You know, he kills somebody with it, but then later that night he’s passed out drunk and someone comes and slits his throat and takes it. You know, it’s…
Matt: The only person that we know who actually obtained the Elder Wand that didn’t really intend to keep it was Draco.
Laura: Mhm.
Andrew: Yeah.
Laura: And that’s just because he didn’t really know he had it. [laughs]
Matt: Yeah.
Andrew: He royally screwed that up.
[Laura laughs]
Luna
Matt: Bet he’s kicking himself right now thinking about it, too. Let’s talk about while they were discussing the Deathly Hallows and Mr. Lovegood stepped out.
Andrew: Yeah, isn’t this just one of those classic moments where it’s like, you know, like you’ll see this in a movie where someone mysteriously disappears and all of sudden they come back you realize they’re bad.
Eric: Well, it’s a bit suspicious, really.
Laura: Yeah.
Eric: I mean where is Luna? Where is Luna? That sort of thing. When Harry goes up and sees her bedroom’s all dusty, that’s the moment you know.
Matt: Well, let’s talk about Luna’s room a little bit. Weren’t you guys in – Like, thought that Luna was the cutest thing when you saw all of her friends?
Laura: Yes.
Eric: I like…
Matt: They were just entwined with chains.
Laura: That was adorable.
Eric: That mural painted with “Friends,” that was just – that was – some people may think it’s creepy, but I think it’s absolutely adorable.
Matt: Well, yeah, once you know Luna you know what kind of a person she is.
Eric: How innocent she really is. And, you know, it was her and Neville who basically – You know, they got the most out of the DA because it “was like having friends.” You know, to quote. It was just really good.
Matt: They were wanted and accepted.
Eric: Yeah.
Laura: Yeah.
Eric: I like that. They fit. And so – I liked – yeah, you’re right. Her room was very endearing. And I’m glad that she was okay then, you know, eventually.
Matt: I want to know why in the chapter in Luna’s room it said that her clothes were gone.
Eric: Well, you take your clothes with you when you…
Laura: Yeah, she got kidnapped from King’s Cross.
Matt: Oh, that’s right. That’s right, that’s right, that’s right.
Laura: Yeah.
Eric: Oh. I – Yeah, okay, that makes sense.
Matt: I thought, like – okay.
The Trio is Too Trusting
Andrew: I sort of think that at this point, though, the trio should have been a little more concerned every time there’s one thing that seems even a little out of the ordinary.
Laura: Oh, yeah.
Eric: So you’re saying they should be paranoid?
Laura: Yes!
Andrew: They should have been paranoid from the get go when this guy they’ve never met before suddenly tells, you know, is like, “Oh, she’s just down at the pond.”
Matt: Yeah, wouldn’t they be like prone to say, “Oh, can we go see her?” or something?
Eric: Well, then again, I mean, this is…
Laura: Yeah.
Andrew: Right. Or, “Oh, can you call her up?” You know.
Laura: Right.
Matt: Like, I would feel a little more comfortable to have this person, apparently the father of one of our best friends that we have never met before – I would kind of like a little more of a warm welcome by our friend who introduces us…
Laura: Yeah. Well, you know what’s interesting about the way he greeted them, or rather didn’t greet them, was I almost get the impression that he knew he was going to betray them. And so…
Andrew: Yeah.
Laura: He’s was like, “Oh, I don’t think this is a good idea.”
Matt: Yeah.
Laura: Like he was kind of trying to ward them off.
Eric: Yeah.
Laura: And so that was interesting.
Matt: Well, first he was in shock. And he was scared…
Eric: Yeah.
Matt: And then like during the entire time he was just trying to play this out in his head because he was thinking of Luna as soon as he saw Harry.
Eric: Yeah.
Laura: Mhm.
Eric: Exactly. And that just gives him more humanity, I think. The fact that he at first wanted to ward them off and kind of say, you know, “Maybe it’s better if you don’t come in,” that sort of thing. You know, because he knew what he’d end up having to do.
MuggleCast 135 Transcript (continued)
The Stuff Hits the Fan
Matt: So after they look in Luna’s room they notice that – well, they start to wonder why Luna’s not here. And so as soon as Xenophilius…is the name? He walks up with the soup or something, and they ask him where the heck is Luna. And then all of a sudden the stuff hits the fan.
Mikey: What hits the fan?
Andrew: I thought this was a great scene. This was a really – this is a scene you could really visualize. Like I had the whole thing in my head…
Laura: Yes.
Andrew: …thanks to Jo’s great description.
Matt: Like all of a sudden they just all – the trio just all turn all at once with their hands raised up at him and asking, “Where’s Luna?” or something. Or, “What happened?”
Andrew: Yeah.
Matt: And then all of a sudden the Death Eaters come.
Eric: Yeah.
Matt: Do they torture Mr. Lovegood? Or…
Eric: They just say really nasty stuff to him like, “Your daughter…”
Laura: No, they started beating on him too.
Matt: Yeah, because you could hear, like, a clapping sound every time they asked him a question, and he’s just whimpering and pleading with them that Harry is there. “Harry is here. He’s upstairs. He’s upstairs.”
Andrew: Yeah, and I do love – at this point, I assume the trio – well, yeah, the trio does know what the Death Eaters are saying, and then they just make sure that the Death Eaters see Harry for just a split second so they don’t kill Luna.
Laura: Mhm.
Andrew: Like, I thought that was really cool.
Matt: Mhm. And you got to see what Homnius Revealium actually does.
Eric: Yeah, if you’re there it kind of raises you so that you’re visible, or whatever.
Matt: Yeah.
Eric: Or it just signifies…
Matt: You kind of have this aura hovering over you or something. Yeah.
Chapter and Book Titles
Mikey: The chapter ends with the best title of the next chapter is “The Deathly Hallows.”
Andrew: Yeah.
Mikey: You’re just like…
Andrew: And we’ve talked about that in the past…
Matt: And that’s completely original too. I mean to think she would name a chapter “The Deathly Hallows.”
[Laura laughs]
Eric: Are there titled chapters in every book or aren’t there? There’s definitely one in Goblet of Fire.
Mikey: There are.
Eric: There’s, you know…
Mikey: Sorcerer’s Stone.
Laura: Mhm.
Eric: Is there one in every book?
Andrew: Yeah, I think so.
Laura: Yeah, I think so.
Eric: Is there one called “The Prisoner of Azkaban”? Because…
Laura: No.
Matt: I don’t think so.
Eric: Wait, I don’t think so either. So that’s the one that there isn’t. I thought there was one called “Half-Blood Prince” or “Flight of the Prince.” You know, that sort of thing.
Laura: Yeah.
Eric: So – but just like the self titled ones, it’s interesting to know which books had self-titled chapters. But…
Andrew: Yeah and I remember Jo did reveal on her – I think it was on her official website – she said that one of the rejected titles for this book was Harry Potter and the Elder Wand. Which, you know, so she does – and that’s one of the chapter titles. So, you know…
Laura: Yeah.
Andrew: …I think she puts those into consideration.
Matt: I like this one better.
Laura: Yeah, me too. Just because – I mean even though the Elder Wand played a huge role…
Andrew: Yeah.
Laura: …in the book, and maybe I’m biased just because we talked so much about what the Deathly Hallows could be when the title came out, but it just seems like they played more of a role in the book.
Matt: Well, all three of them played…
Laura: Whereas the Elder Wand just – yeah, it just seems like altogether they played a bigger role, whereas the Elder Wand on its own was just a plot device, really.
Matt: The Invisibility Cloak was definitely the most important. I mean she even mentioned that in one of the interviews. Wasn’t it with Emerson and Melissa saying – one of the questions she wished was asked was, “Is there any significance for the Invisibility Cloak?”
Laura: Yeah, I think you’re right.
Andrew: What did she say?
Eric: Cool.
Matt: No, she didn’t say that.
Laura: No, that’s what she said.
Matt: She told them. She said, “You should have asked me this question.”
Andrew: Oh. Oh, okay.
Eric: [laughs] You should be asking me this question. Oh, Jo, you’re such a tease.
Andrew: I just like Elder Wand better. I just think it’s a lot cooler because – it just sounds cooler, and I mean we are thankful for her calling it Deathly Hallows because, you know, it ended up giving us, like, four weeks worth of discussion. [laughs]
Matt: Yeah.
Andrew: So…
Matt: Well, it’s just a more appealing title altogether. The Elder Wand is just more like the Sorcerer’s or Philosopher’s Stone or something. The Deathly….
Andrew: Yeah.
Matt: …Hallows just seems like more of an appealing title.
Laura: Mhm.
Andrew: Yeah, you’re right. Well, I think that does it for Chapter-by-Chapter this week.
Eric: Indeed.
Andrew: We got through this fast.
Eric: So let’s keep going. Full speed ahead.
Andrew: But of course, Chapter-by-Chapter is never complete until we have…
Quote Quiz
[Quote Quiz Intro plays]
Eric: Holy crap, Andrew. Where did you get that?
Matt: Bill Nye the Science Guy.
Andrew: I made it. We…
[Someone laughs]
Eric: Dude. That is awesome. When did you premiere that? Was last week the first week?
Andrew: Last week. Oh, you just wait. I’ve got more. I’ve got more coming up. [laughs] Quote Quiz this week: “A minute ago you told us you never saw the mark on the stone properly.” I love Quote Quiz, it’s the easiest segment to have. Just open the book, look for a long sentence…
[Everyone laughs]
Matt: You should kind of be a little more, you know, into the quote, Andrew. Like Jim Dale, you should have, like, a different…
Laura: Yeah, you should do them in British accents and come up with voices for all the characters.
Andrew: We should play Jim Dale saying it.
Matt: For, like, Harry or Ron or for, like, any guy you should have, like, a low voice, and for, like, a girl you should just have your regular voice.
Laura: [laughs] Matt, you’re so mean.
Matt: [laughs] I’m sorry.
Voicemail: Missing Important Details
Andrew: Okay, so it’s time for voicemails this week. Let’s listen to the first one.
[Audio]: Hi, this is Heath, 45, from Michigan. On Bit-by-Bit you guys seem to be missing some of the salient points. When Harry is watching the Pensive we saw Dumbledore – the portrait of Dumbledore – telling Snape that they had to get the sword in a heroic manner. That’s why it was thrown into the lake. Then the whole bit with Ron ready to stab the locket and the locket sends a little sting to him, we didn’t know for a second there whether Harry, who is crouched down holding the locket, was the one who got stabbed or the locket got stabbed. And you guys just totally blew over that. So, there’s a lot of these little points that I think you’re missing on your Bit-by-Bit. I don’t know if you’re just trying to get through it fast. But I guess all I can say is…read the book again. I do enjoy the show. Keep it up. Bye!
Eric: Dude, it’s not…
Andrew: Dude! First of all, our segment is not called “Bit-by-Bit.” If you want [stumbles over the words “bit-by-bit”] If you want Bit-by-Bit you can tune-in to another Harry Potter podcast that came up with that original name for their segment where they analyze parts of Deathly Hallows. Anyway! [laughs]
Eric: You’re in Chapter-by-Chapter!
Laura: Hm-hm.
Andrew: Yeah, Chapter-by-Chapter!
Matt: I’m still ticked off on Snape though.
Andrew: First of all…
Matt: I’m serious.
Andrew: What?
Matt: I’m still ticked off that Snape threw that sword into the middle of the lake when he could’ve just put…
Andrew: Well, listen, we did talk about that. I said that you had to be a true Gryffindor to hop in there. That includes being…
Matt: …[unintelligible]…in order to to get out of the tent too.
Andrew: Right, okay.
Matt: I don’t care. I’m…
Mikey: You’re just angry. It’s all right.
Matt: Ugh, just don’t, don’t…
Andrew: But in terms of whether we don’t know whether or not Harry was being stabbed, I mean, I didn’t think that was very important…
Laura: No.
Andrew: …to discuss.
Laura: No.
Matt: We really only talk about anything that has real discussion length – important for…
Andrew: Well, yeah, that’s the thing. Yeah, we try to talk about things that will…
Laura: Yeah, because I mean…
Andrew: …fill up the discussion.
Laura: Sometimes we have trouble when we’re picking stuff out of the chapters because some stuff is just so cool and you just want to bring it up and be like, “this is really cool,” or, “this was an amazing bit of writing right here.” But then there’s nothing else you can say about it except for that.
Matt: Very good.
Laura: So then…
Mikey: And a perfect example right now. We’ve been recording for an hour and 40 minutes. So we try to get through it because we have to
keep the shows to a manageable length.
Eric: Basically, dude, our bad.
Matt: No!
Eric: What are we trying to say here? Because there is…
Andrew: No, I just wanted to address his concerns.
Matt: And we do actually read the books.
Mikey: I listen to them again just to make sure I’m on…
Matt: Dude, I know…
Andrew: I mean reading them again wouldn’t have done anything. We just – We pick out things when we read it and we do read it thoroughly. We’re not skimming it or reading Spark Notes.
Eric: Well, to say, that’s the purpose of voicemails. Thank you for contributing those to…
Andrew: Thank you for your concern. Next voicemail.
Voicemail: Visiting Seattle
[Audio]: Hi! This is Sofia, your ten year-old fan from Seattle. I was just wondering, why don’t you consider coming to Seattle for a week for a tour or something? It seems like you never come here. Thanks, pickles! Bye!
Andrew: Aw, she’s cute!
Mikey: She said, “pickles”!
Andrew: That’s why I put that voicemail in. I know Matt’s kind of excited, and I think we’ve discussed it briefly with Mikey. We’re tossing around the idea of possibly doing some sort of West Coast tour with the Remus Lupins at the end of August, or in August.
Mikey: Yeah!
Matt: I think it’s mid-August, yeah.
Mikey: It’s in August.
Andrew: So, I don’t know. Nothing’s officially yet, but Alex is down for something. Alex and the band are down for something, and we’re down
for something. So, we’ll see.
Mikey: You know what? I think if we do like a West Coast tour, we should have them on the panel also.
Andrew: Who?
Mikey: The Remus Lupins.
Andrew: Oh yeah, yeah. If they want to.
Mikey: They’ve all read the books.
Matt: Well, it’s probably going to be like a podcast slash concert like last year.
Mikey: Yeah, but last time it was like the podcast and the concert. We should just do it like all like mixed together because, you know, I think me and Andrew…
Matt: Like a podcast and…
Mikey: Yeah!
Matt: …a concert at the same time?
Mikey: Yeah! Well, not like that completely.
[Everyone laughs]
Mikey: But, you know, I personally think Andrew and me did a great job when we were singing with the Remus Lupins. So, we could maybe a big thing.
Voicemail: Harry Potter on Broadway
[Audio]: Hi, guys! It’s Chelsea from Kampar. Just wanted to say I love the show. What do you think of the rumors that have been going around for a few years now that Harry Potter is going to hit Broadway? Love the show, and, Laura, keep up the good work, I know you don’t really hate Ron like everyone thinks you do. Love you!
Laura: Aw, thank you!
Andrew: Harry Potter musical. Rumors were flying around a while ago but…
Mikey: That would be amazing on so many different levels.
Andrew: …I mean, you know, now that I think about it, anything’s possible.
Laura: Yeah, it’s true. I mean, I’m not going to lie, but I think it would be kind of silly.
Matt: I – I’m kind of…
Andrew: Silly to have one?
Matt: No, I’m with Laura.
Andrew: Silly to have one?
Laura: Yeah.
Matt: Yes.
Laura: I mean, just the whole premise of it, because – the thing – I mean, musicals…
Matt: After the bomb of The Lord of the Rings on Broadway too.
Andrew: Wait, can I – can I give you a sample to like give you an idea of what it could be like?
Laura: Oh, god.
Matt: You play Hairspray, I will kill you.
[“Good Morning Baltimore” starts playing]
Mikey: Okay. Hey! Hey, come on Andrew! Let’s hear it.
Andrew: [singing] Good morning Hogwarts School! Every day’s like an open door! Every night is a fantasy! Every sound’s like a symphony! Good morning Hogwarts School!
Laura: Okay, Andrew. You’re done.
Andrew: [still singing] And someday when I take out my wand the world’s gonna wake up and see…!
Laura: Andrew.
Andrew: [still singing] Ginny Weasley and me!
Matt: Andrew!
Laura: Okay.
Mikey: Oh geez.
[Music ends]
Laura: Let me just say something.
Andrew: I think that’s how it could start.
Mikey: You know what, though? I would go.
Matt: Oh, I would definitely go.
Mikey: I would go to see it regardless.
Matt: I just don’t think it’s going to happen.
Mikey: I just don’t think we should ever let Andrew audition for it.
Laura: No, because if Andrew was on the soundtrack and it got put on iTunes, they would either have to remove or significantly decrease the preview segment on there to keep people’s ears from bleeding.
Matt and Mikey: Oooh….
Andrew: What was wrong about that, though? I mean, it set up the plot. My voice was fine.
[Laura laughs]
Andrew: I hit all the notes.
Mikey: [laughing, and imitating Andrew] “My voice was fine!”
Matt: He’s like one of the contestants on American Idol. “Okay. All right. Okay.”
Andrew: You guys are kind of mean. All right. Next voicemail.
Voicemail: Relating Harry Potter to The Exorcist
[Audio]: Hi, this is Emily from Chicago. I was calling regarding 134, the most recent MuggleCast. There was a comment made on the show about whether or not the R.A.B. locket or Horcrux wanted Ron to stab it, and my opinion is that it’s very much like the movie The Exorcist in regarding the fact that it was torturing Ron and that was its primary goal. And when it used the bubble heads of Ron – or of Harry and Hermione – it was trying to torture him and prevent him from doing so. In other words, it was using things that would torture him and making him afraid to do it. In the film The Exorcist, that’s exactly what the demon did to the girl Regan, as far as it made her feel vulnerable and the people that were trying to get the demon out of her (like the priest) – the demon used the voice of his mother, who he felt he abandoned, and when he heard the mother’s voice coming out of the demon, it made him struggle. So that’s what I feel like the locket did – it was trying to stall Ron, it wasn’t wanting him to stab him. It was wanting him to stall so that it could torture him as long as possible.
Andrew: I think that’s cool.
Matt: Yeah.
Laura: Yeah.
Matt: I love The Exorcist.
Andrew: Well, good thing you made that comparison last week.
Mikey: You would. No, I agree completely. Yeah. Torture.
Andrew: And next voicemail.
Voicemail: Portraits of Hogwarts Founders
[Audio]: Yeah, real quick question. This is Brett from southern Cali. I just wanted to ask: If there was portraits of all the old Headmasters in Hogwarts, why wasn’t there like portraits of the founding fathers? I think that would have been pretty cool to have them there. You’d have, you know, Gryffindor there – you could ask him all kinds of questions and whatnot. So, anyway, I was just curious why – you know, why she wouldn’t do that. All right. Peace.
Andrew: Is that kind of weird that there aren’t pictures? At least I don’t think we’ve seen any.
Matt: Well, maybe, they just didn’t have that kind of knowledge of the paintings at the time, because…
Laura: Yeah. That’s what I was thinking.
Matt: …they just have like – they have like…
Mikey: Yeah. Yeah, magical…
Matt: …statues and stuff. That’s probably what they did back then, was just like statues of all the founding fathers and things.
Andrew: Wasn’t the magic just as old as the wizards?
Laura: Yeah, but I think…
Matt: Well the magic is just as old but doesn’t mean they necessarily…
Laura: Knew. Yeah.
Matt: …had – like they’re given a handbook of all the things you can do with magic. I mean, they had to learn it in time.
Andrew: Yeah, I guess.
Mikey: Yeah, it’s like – well no, a perfect example is there’s constantly experimental spells and stuff like that. They’re constantly learning more and more things that they can do with their magical powers.
Matt: Yeah. And they were probably – they were also reigning during a time where – did they even have portraits back then? Even for Muggles?
Laura: Well, they said it was…
Mikey: It was expensive, it was expensive.
Laura: Yeah.
Matt: Like 300 – the year 300 or something like that.
Mikey: I thought it was 1,000.
Laura: No, it was 1000 years ago, so…
Mikey: 1,000 years ago, so the year 1000.
Matt: Okay, I rounded up a little bit.
Mikey: [laughs] Oh, okay, from 300 to 1000. Yeah, it was a small rounding. You know? It’s about the same. You know, you can have $300, I’ll have $1,000, we’ll have an equal amount of money.
Matt: Yeah, it probably wasn’t even something they really thought of, either. It was – you know, I – like in our culture, you know, way back then, they didn’t really have paintings or things. They made statues, like in Greek times and things.
Mikey: Can you imagine how weird that’d be if you could animate a statue? Like, I know Dumbledore did it, but can you imagine making a statue of yourself or having someone make a statue of you? And then it being coming to life? How awkward would that be? A bunch of Mikey statues.
Laura: That’d freak me out.
Mikey: “I’m Mikey B! I’m Mikey B!”
Laura: Oh my Mhm.
Mikey: Just all talking about – they would just be so much fun.
Andrew: I have a hard enough time listening to myself, so watching and listening…
Matt: Statues are scary enough when they don’t move.
Andrew: Yeah. I attest to that. It’s time for…
Make The Music Conneciton
[Audio plays for “Make the Music Connection” Segment]
Andrew: Matt, we’re going to start with you.
[“New Soul” by Yael Naim begins playing]
Andrew: “New Soul” made popular by Apple and their MacBook Pro ad.
Mikey: MacBook Pro ad.
Andrew: MacBook Air, sorry.
Eric: You mean Air.
Andrew: Matt, I thought you could probably come up with something good. New soul…
Matt: New soul…split souls…oh, I got it. A montage of Voldemort creating his Horcruxes.
Andrew: [laughs] That’s good.
Eric: That’s what all the little Horcruxes…
Mikey: After their created…”I’m a new soul!”
Eric: Dancing around…
Mikey: That’d be amazing.
Eric: That’s awesome, actually. That’s really incredible.
Andrew: All right. Good, good. Good job.
Matt: Oh, th-th-th-th-thanks.
Andrew: Laura, your turn.
Laura: Oh boy.
[“Big Girls Don’t Cry” by Fergie begins playing”]
[Guys laugh]
Laura: What’s this?
Andrew: “Big Girls Don’t Cry” by Fergie.
Laura: Wow.
Andrew: This is a challenge song.
Laura: Yeah, way to pick an artist I don’t listen to. Uhhh…I guess…
Andrew: Well, just come up with an idea based off the title. “Big Girls Don’t Cry.”
Laura: I guess I would have to come up with the idea of Ginny not being all sappy about Harry leaving.
Andrew: Okay, that’s good. I like it.
Eric: Can I be next?
Matt: Sure.
Andrew: Sure, Eric.
Matt: “Sure, Eric,” as we pat his little head.
Andrew: All right. Hmmm. One of you guys is going to get a challenger song, but, Eric, I’ll stick you with this one.
[“Apologize” by Timbaland begins playing]
Andrew: “Apologize” by Timbaland.
Eric: I heard that song playing when the tension was brewing in these past few chapters between Hermione and Ron. When Ron got back.
[Andrew laughs]
Eric: She wants him to apologize.
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: I like that.
Eric: He won’t do it. He’s trying to suck up, trying to be funny, trying to make her laugh and stuff, but all she wants from him is apologize.
Mikey: Wow.
Andrew: I like it. I like it. Lastly, Mikey, this is a challenge song. Chances are you haven’t heard of this. I’ll just give you a clue first. It’s by Ashlee Simpson, so…
Mikey: All right.
Andrew: I thought the title – I thought you could easily make a connection out of this.
[“Out of my Head” by Ashlee Simpson begins playing]
Andrew: [laughs] Oh, geez! “Out of my Head” by Ashlee Simpson.
Mikey: My friend does this music video. Ummm… [laughs]
Andrew: All right, so let’s…
Mikey: Of course, I’ve seen the song. And I’ve heard it way too many times so I’m going to cut it. Um, “Out of my Head.” Wow, now I’m throwing a blank on this one. Oh, who does this remind me of? Crazy. This reminds me of Bellatrix, in general. Just, like, crazy witch – you know, the hair and everything.
Andrew: Yeah.
Mikey: Like, I’m thinking – I’m trying to remember what would specifically make me think of her. But just – Bellatrix – just the stuff she does. She’s like – she’s fanatical. And being out of your head kind of makes me think of being almost fanatical and insane and crazy. Kind of like how we are almost fanatical about the Harry Potter series. But…
Andrew: Mhm. I was going to say when Voldemort’s always getting into his mind.
Laura: Yeah.
Mikey: Yeah.
Andrew: Or when Snape is trying to get into his mind. [laughs]
Matt: When Voldemort is trying to – in Professor Quirrell’s head.
Andrew: [laughs] This song starts playing… [laughs] That’s so freaky.
Mikey: Yeah, I guess. I can see where you’re coming from with that, but just the mood of the song just does not fit that. You know?
Andrew: Well, yeah. I always – I don’t care for the mood – I always just go for what would be the funniest. [laughs]
Mikey: Well, I’m saying, I don’t know if you’ve seen the video – and so right away – and I didn’t really work on this video. I had friends who worked on it. And the video actually shows Ashlee Simpson in a straight coat, doing some crazy, jittery dancing thing. And right away, when I thought of that, I thought of Bellatrix Lestrange. Because…
Andrew: Oh, okay.
Mikey: …she’s being out of it, in general. You know?
Andrew: Mhm.
Mikey: So that’s where it came from. And I apologize. It probably wasn’t that good of a connection.
Laura: No, it was fine.
Eric: It was all right, Mikey.
Andrew: All right. And, Matt, you got one for me?
[“Clocks” by Coldplay begins playing]
Andrew: All right, well, I mean, this could be played in any scene where – all right, how about this? Goblet of Fire.
Matt: Ugh! Okay.
Andrew: Harry’s dueling it up with Voldemort. Their wands meet. And all of a sudden, everything goes into slow motion and this song starts playing. [sings] “Lights go out…”
Laura: Ummm, no.
Andrew: I don’t know if it’s a good connection.
Matt: I guess. Yeah.
Laura: Yeah.
Matt: I was thinking of the Time-Turner in Prisoner of Azkaban.
Mikey: You see, I was thinking that too. And there’s also a scene in the seventh book when Harry sees Dumbledore in the train station. And they talk. That, right there, I can also see it too. Because it’s like – the intro is like – [Hums to the song]. It’s kind of rising back up. I like that.
Andrew: Yeah.
Matt: Well, okay, I’m sorry. I thought I had a good one.
Andrew: No, it was good.
Mikey: It was good. We’re just saying that Andrew wasn’t good at responding to it.
Matt: Oh, okay.
Mikey: Matt, you’re awesome. Andrew, on the other hand…
Andrew: Forget you guys.
[Matt laughs]
Mikey: Andrew disagrees.
Andrew: All right. Lovers. All right, that does it for Make the Music Connection this week.
[Song ends]
Andrew: We’ll start taking some requests. I mean, the people have been e-mailing them in. But if you have an idea for a future Make the Connection songs to use, send it in to mugglecast at staff dot mugglenet dot com with “Make the Music Connection” in the headline.
All right, let’s wrap things up with…[Music begins and stops]… Ugh! Crap! All right, let’s wrap…
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: I clicked the wrong thing. Uhhh…
Eric: I personally think it’s very amusing.
Andrew: All right, let’s wrap things up today.
Mikey: All right! Let’s wrap things up!
Chicken Soup for the MuggleCast Soul
[Audio plays for “Chicken Soup for the MuggleCast Soul” Segment]
Andrew: “Hello, all! I discovered MuggleCast when I was very pregnant with my third child. I’d been a Harry Potter fan for years but didn’t know many others. Of course, I knew plenty of people that have read the books, but most of the people I knew were not true fans that could talk theories and have debates for hours. This is where you all came in! Anyway, a few months after finding your show, I had a beautiful baby boy. I was thrilled, overjoyed, happy beyond all belief. And twenty-five pounds over weight! Now MuggleCast has a new role in my life. Everyday, I would strap my baby into a stroller, put my headphones on, and hit the pavement! I walked for hours, catching up on old episodes. Sometimes, I would walk right past my house just so I could hear the end of whatever you were all debating! As the weather got colder, I’d hit the gym. I got lots of strange looks when I laugh out loud at something one of you said. Listening to you guys talk about the books that I have loved for a long time was a fabulous motivation. I only allowed myself to listen while exercising. Needless to say, the pounds came off in no time at all. I still listen to all of your episodes while working out and I still crack up. So, thank you, MuggleCast. You helped me lose my baby weight while being entertained and educated at the same time. From Amy W, aged 30-something, Boston.”
[Lots of talking at once]
Laura: …Amy Winehouse story.
Andrew: [laughs] Amy Winehouse, no. Far from it. Yeah, thank you, Amy, very much. That’s great.
Everyone: Yeah.
Eric: And, Amy, just another thing. We might be showing up in Boston sometime soon. We’d love to see you and your kids.
[Show music begins]
Andrew: Working on it, working on it. Yeah, we would love to meet you. That would be fun, that would be fun.
Matt: I want to see your kid, too.
Mikey: Kids. [laughs]
Laura: Sounds so creepy.
Eric: We’ll sign their little t-shirts, you know? Their little sneakers?
Mikey: Have you seen little baby sneakers? They’re so tiny! They’re awesome!
Contact Information
Andrew: It is time to wrap up the show today. We want to remind everyone of our contact information. So, Laura, if someone wants to mail some parcel mail, where do they do that?
Laura: It’s:
P.O. Box 3151
Cumming, GA
30028
Andrew: If you want to be featured on the show in the form of a voicemail, you can call in your question or comment. If you’re in the United States you can dial 1-218-20-MAGIC. If you’re in the United Kingdom you can dial 02081440677. If you’re in Australia you can dial 0280035668. You can also Skype the username MuggleCast. No matter how you call us, just remember to keep your message under 60 seconds and eliminate as much background noise as possible, please.
You can also contact us using the handy feedback form on MuggleCast.com. Or you can also just e-mail us using our first name at staff dot mugglenet dot com.
Eric: Andrew, that could really get out of hand.
Andrew: Also visit the MuggleCast website for numerous amounts of community outlets, including the MySpace, the Facebook, the YouTube, the Frappr, the Last.fm, and the ever growing Fanlisting and Forums.
You can also Digg the show at Digg.com, and vote for – please! – at Podcast Alley. It’s MuggleCast March, we have to win.
Mikey: M for MuggleCast, M for March. We got to win, guys, come on.
Matt: It’s fate. There’s only one month – oh no, two.
Mikey: [laughs] “Only one. I mean, two.”
Show Close
Andrew: That does it for this week’s episode of MuggleCast. Apologies to J.K. Rowling, but we are out of time. I’m Andrew Sims.
Eric: I’m Eric Scull.
Laura: I’m Laura Thompson.
Mikey: I’m Mikey B.
Matt: And I’m Matthew Britton.
Andrew: Thank you, everyone, for listening. We’ll see you next week for Episode 136. Bye-bye.
Laura: Bye-bye!
Mikey: Word.
Matt: Buh-byyyye.
[Show music ends]
Blooper 1
Eric: Speaking of that saying, Andrew, “betting man,” I’ve been looking at the titles of the past few MuggleCasts. I think we’re slacking, dude. They don’t seem as upbeat and awesome as they have been in the past. I think we need to work on getting cooler titles for our MuggleCasts.
Andrew: [sighs] Okay.
Mikey: Coolest title ever for MuggleCast!
Eric: I don’t want to insult you, but…
Andrew: Going into announcements now, though…
Eric: Hang on a second, Andrew, we just have one suggestion here. “Magically Delicious.” Do you know what that’s all about?
Laura: Oh, gods.
Matt: No.
[Everyone laughs]
Matt: Don’t fuel the fire.
Laura: Eww.
Matt: What?
Laura: You say one little thing that’s like, “Oh, I don’t mind,” then suddenly it explodes and it’s just…
Eric: It’s just wet and sticky and all over your face.
Andrew: Ew.
Laura: What!?
[Everyone moans]
Laura: Eric!
Eric: You said it, Laura!
Laura: No!
Andrew: On a more serious note…
Laura: You said…[laughs]…ewww…
Blooper 2
Andrew: That was kind of mean. [laughs]
Eric: So, we’re not doing voicemails this week, right?
Andrew: What?
Eric: We’re not doing voicemails, or are we?
Andrew: No, we are!
Laura: How many are there?
Andrew: There’s – oh, come on, they’re good.
Laura: But how…
Matt: We’re only at an hour and nineteen minutes in, guys.
Andrew: It took us four minutes to start this show.
Laura: I know, but how many voicemails are there?
Andrew: There’s seven, but we’ll get through them quickly.
Matt: Well, there’s 12, but…
Eric: There’s seven?
Andrew: There’s six, but they’re not – they’re not huge discussions. A couple of them are just comments.
Eric: Keep going, please, just…
Laura: Okay.
[Andrew laughs]
Matt: Lost is starting in four hours.
Eric: Dude, more like 12 minutes.
Matt: Oh, three, sorry.
———————–