MuggleCast 238 Transcript
Show Intro
[“Hedwig’s Theme” plays]
Andrew: Because I’m reasonably supple, this is MuggleCast Episode 238 for August 27th, 2011.
[Show music begins]
Andrew: Welcome to MuggleCast Episode 238! Micah, Eric, and I here this week to bring you the latest Harry Potter news, even though, oh, it’s been over a month since the last film was out. But that’s okay, there’s still plenty of news to talk about related to the film actually and also, of course, Pottermore and…
Micah: What’s Pottermore?
Andrew: [laughs] I guess you wouldn’t know, would you?
Micah: [laughs] No, I have no idea. I haven’t gained access to it yet.
Andrew: Mhm.
Eric: Yeah, me neither.
Andrew: And so we’re going to have the news, and then lots of e-mails to catch up on and some fun segments as well, so it’s going to be a fun show. But first the news. Micah, what’s in the news?
Micah: You were talking…
Andrew: Micah.
Micah: What?
Andrew: [laughs] Nothing.
[Micah laughs]
Eric: Do we not intro ourselves anymore?
Micah: Oh yeah.
Andrew: Mmm.
Micah: Oh.
Andrew: I always forget that. I’m Andrew Sims.
Eric: I’m Eric Scull.
Micah: And I’m Micah Tannenbaum.
Andrew: What’s in the news, Micah?
News: Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Box Office Update
Micah: You mentioned before the movie has been out now for a little bit over a month, the last film in the Harry Potter series, but Deathly Hallows: Part 2 still continues to do relatively well at the box office, I mean, it’s been out for over a month, so it’s expected that it’s going to drop off a bit. But it just passed the $900 million mark internationally. It’s the third film ever to do that, following Avatar and Titanic, which it currently sits behind on the worldwide all time grossing list. I don’t think it has any chance of moving past either of those two films, unless somewhere down the line Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is re-released. But what do you guys think about that? I mean, I think we talked a little bit about it on the last show – or maybe we didn’t because it’s been a bit since we did a show. The movie moving to number three all time, all the awards that it’s – sorry, not awards, not yet anyway, but records that it’s broken.
Andrew: Well, it’s not – it hasn’t surprised me really, this whole box office success, and I’m happy for it and it’s a great way to go out. It would have been quite embarrassing if it wasn’t the top film and if it wasn’t breaking…
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: …all these records, so…
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: …I’m happy with how it went.
Micah: Right. And, of course, it’s the top grossing U.S. movie of 2011. I don’t think that’s any surprise. If it’s the number three movie all time, it better be the top movie of 2011.
Andrew: Mhm.
News: Pottermore Beta Update
Micah: Next up, Pottermore. Andrew, I have no idea what this is.
[Andrew laughs]
Micah: I have not received [laughs] access to it yet. Maybe I sound a bit bitter about that, if I do I apologize because I’m sure I’ll get e-mails. But as is stated here, twenty-five thousand students…
Andrew: Yeah, it’s kind of odd. So, I mean, we all went through the Magical Quill process to make sure we’re one of the lucky one million to get into Pottermore, and they opened up Pottermore I guess – I don’t know, about two weeks ago now? Maybe – it was a little – it’s at least a week it’s been open. And so far, they’ve only let in twenty-five thousand of the one million.
Micah: Oh, okay.
Andrew: And the reason I know that is because I was one of those lucky people, and if you go into the Great Hall, it has a tally of the number of students that have been – that are enrolled, so to speak. But I think the other thing to keep in mind is that this is twenty-five thousand people who have been sorted, meaning they’ve made their way to the Sorting Hat Chapter. And another thing to keep in mind is that I guarantee you, out of this million, there are a boat-load of people who have gotten an e-mail so far and just haven’t registered. And I know you must be thinking, “Oh my God, how could they do such a thing?” but some people aren’t as hardcore, they may have just done the Magical Quill process and gotten in by luck. So, that’s why I’m guessing they’ve tried to reach out to maybe closer to forty or fifty thousand at this point, but so far only twenty-five thousand have made it to the Sorting Hat Chapter and been sorted.
Eric: So, once you get sorted, you’re given the common room, right? And that’s your local place to chill?
Andrew: Yeah, yeah.
Eric: So, what happens before you get to that chapter? How – is it just boring looking, or…
Andrew: No…
Eric: Okay.
Andrew: Well, you don’t get your house colors on the top banner part, but you go through all the Moments leading up to the Sorting Hat, and it’s good. I’m not finished with it yet, I want to wait until I’m finished because it is – from everything I’ve read, it takes only about four hours to get though the whole thing because it’s basically just a lot of clicking.
[Andrew and Eric laugh]
Andrew: And…
Micah: Well, you’re experiencing the book all over again, right? You’re getting backstory that otherwise you wouldn’t get if you just opened up Sorcerer’s Stone and read it for fun.
Andrew: Right. The standout here, I think, is absolutely the new content that J.K. Rowling has added to it because there is a lot. And we’ve mentioned a couple of them that J.K. Rowling has teased leading up to this opening of it. McGonagall backstory, there’s a lot there. More on Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. What else?
Micah: I saw some stuff on Quirrell, Professor Quirrell.
Andrew: Yeah, Quirrell. Yeah. Quirrell, ghost plots.
Eric: Ooh.
Andrew: There’s rules on wizards wearing wizarding clothing out in Muggle public, history on that, and why they do and do not do it. Backstory on Ollivander, Hogwarts Express, how that was created. So, a lot of stuff, and it’s very true to the spirit of the books. It’s what you would expect to find in say, a Harry Potter encyclopedia. It’s very Jo, it’s very – it’s just very good, and I’m impressed with it so far. The problem is they’re not opening up the Pottermore Betas quick enough. I would expect at least a hundred thousand people [laugh] would have been in this by now.
Micah: Yeah, that’s what I was going to ask, is they state that you can get in between now and the end of September. And I would think that if you’re somebody who has to wait that long, you’re probably going to get pretty frustrated with this whole process and say, “Well, if I’m not going to get in until the last week of September, I might as well just have waited until October.”
Andrew: Exactly. But I think at the rate it’s going, unless they make some moves quick soon, I don’t think – I don’t know if this is going to open up in time.
Eric: Hmm.
Andrew: I mean, I could see this being – the opening happening October 31st, an hour before the day ends.
Eric: Yeah, they’ve only said October, right?
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: So, I just always imagined it would open up on Halloween.
Micah: Yeah. I mean, that would be a good tie-in to the series, but Andrew, you got the puzzle solved on day one. How have you – is it just that the people who got in on day one? Is that how it’s working? I mean, how are they figuring out – are they staggering it by when you got in, or is it just…
Andrew: No.
Micah: …random?
Andrew: It’s random. Yeah, it is random. I mean, yeah, I did get my account the first day Beta invites were available and no, I did not get it the first day. It took a few days – it took over a week, I think, so – and like I said, it’s only – maybe at this point let’s say forty thousand, fifty thousand e-mails have gone out. That’s not a lot out of the one million.
Micah: Well – I mean, my point was, are there people from day three and day five that have gotten in?
Andrew: Yes, definitely.
Micah: Oh, okay.
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: Yeah, I haven’t heard as many of them have gotten in. I think a lot of people were the first day, but then when I started seeing that other people had gotten in, I think that that was no longer the case. But at first I thought it was just the people who did the first day of the Magical Quill Challenge, but…
Andrew: Mhm.
Eric: …it’s not the case. But yeah, still a ton of people left to go. But I thought what was interesting is that you wrote most of the students are Ravenclaws.
Andrew: [laughs] Yes, it’s an interesting – it’s good that they have these numbers in here because it makes it interesting. So, as everybody knows you do get sorted by a process that J.K. Rowling created herself, and if you do look in the Great Hall you see how many students are in each house and Ravenclaw leads the pack by about two thousand students right now which is interesting. And every other house is kind of neck and neck. Ravenclaw has around seven thousand and the other houses have around five thousand each. And speaking of Ravenclaw, one of the actresses in the Harry Potter films, Evanna Lynch, we all know she’s a big fan of the series, she was on a recent episode of MuggleCast at LeakyCon. She got into Pottermore and was sorted, and she was sorted into Ravenclaw which shocked her. She took to Twitter in a panic…
Eric: Oh, you mean Gryffindor? She was sorted into Gryffindor.
Andrew: Oh right, sorry.
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: Yeah, she wanted Ravenclaw…
Eric: Well, Luna is a Ravenclaw.
Andrew: …but she got into…
Eric: Luna who she plays.
Andrew: Right.
Eric: So…
Andrew: Yeah. So, she went onto Twitter and she kind of went on a rant. She sent out like six or seven tweets…
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: …saying – I’ll quote them.
[poorly imitating Evanna Lynch] “Ahhhh umm errrrrr…. Just got sorted. Slight identity crisis. Need to sit down and process this…
“I’m in Gryffindor. #Pottermore #confusion #shock #pride #happiness #LUNADONTLEAVEME!!!”
[normal voice] So, [laughs] she was very upset that she got into Gryffindor. For a moment at least, I guess because she’s always identified herself as a Ravenclaw, not to mention that she plays a Ravenclaw in the films.
Eric: Yeah. Or just with Luna, the fact that there’s this connection. Many people agree that she plays a really good Luna and I think she’s felt so close to that character, and now to be sorted into Gryffindor [laughs] it’s a little off-putting, but…
Micah: Well, she wears that hat all the time, though.
Eric: Yeah, yeah, the lion hat.
Micah: The lion hat, right? I mean, conflict of interest…
Eric: Nothing wrong with Gryffindor.
Micah: Or identity crisis.
Eric: Identity crisis, yeah. But…
Andrew: One thing I’ll say right now about Pottermore that’s really been bugging me is that when you get friend requests, you don’t know who they are…
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: …because you have – you’re just getting – because it says, “UnicornKnight wants to be friends with you.” And it’s like, well, who’s UnicornKnight?
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: How am I supposed to figure this out?
Eric: And you can hook it up to Facebook, right? But…
Andrew: Yes, that’s the one thing that does help, but an incoming friend request does not give you the name, I don’t think.
Micah: Can they send a message saying, “Hi, this is so-and-so”…
Andrew: No.
Micah: …with their request?
Andrew: No, no.
Micah: Oh, they should fix that. I mean, especially if you’re trying to deal with any sort of problems with children signing up.
Andrew: Right.
Micah: That was the whole basis behind this, right, that…
Andrew: Exactly.
Micah: …they didn’t want children’s names being put out there? They wanted to make the experience for all ages but if children are putting their names out there, it gets into legalities and things like that. But I can’t imagine that they’re not going to implement hopefully something when the site launches where you can send a message because otherwise it’s such a hassle to go and figure out who all these people are. You’ve got to send messages, essentially, to all your friends.
Andrew: Yeah. The one thing that does help, like Eric mentioned, you can connect with Facebook, but that only works when you connect with Facebook, then you can see your friends who are on Pottermore. You get their real name and then what their Pottermore name is. You can’t see that for incoming requests.
Eric: Right, so you don’t know who anybody else is.
Andrew: Yeah. So, that’s an issue. I mean, that’s a serious issue…
Eric: Well…
Andrew: …because – unless you and your real-life friends talk and say, “Hey, I’m…”
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: “…DreamMarauder64. I’m sending you a friend request.” And you go, “Okay.”
Eric: Well – so the Beta – the whole reason they are doing Beta, even to begin with, is to get feedback, right? Figure out how it works?
Andrew: Mhm.
Eric: So, I heard from my friend who is on Pottermore that the feedback form on Pottermore is actually not open ended, that it’s only a drop-down list.
Andrew: Exactly. It’s actually really bad…
Eric: Oh, really?
Andrew: …because – well, what happens is you go onto one page and you click the Beta feedback link, and then it asks you questions specifically about the page, but these are the same questions for every page on the site. So, like you said, you can’t be like, “I don’t like the Potions here, because XYZ.” The questions are, “How much do you like this page?” and then you have the options: “It’s great. I like it a lot,” “It’s good. I like it.” “It’s okay. I don’t like or dislike it,” [laughs] and then, “I don’t like it very much.” And then there are questions: “How much do you agree with the following statements? I like the way the page looks. Strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree.” It’s just all this generic stuff, and it’s like, how is this helpful? [laughs] So, there is still a lot of work to be done here, but overall, it is really – again, like I said before, the great thing here is the content. It really is some interesting new material from J.K. Rowling that is very true to the spirit of the books and really, her old website. I mean, the clicking around and exploring, finding new secrets. I mean, that’s very old-school JKRowling.com.
Micah: One question I would have about Pottermore would be – the people who are experiencing this in the Beta version right now – obviously changes are going to be made when the site officially launches, but is there going to be anything new and unique about the site launching in October that the Beta users aren’t going to get right now?
Andrew: I don’t think so. I mean, I don’t know that for a fact, but I think everything here is pretty complete. I know people have been complaining about the Potions a lot. It’s a very cumbersome process to brew a potion, it has to be very precise, it has to be in the perfect order…
Micah: Damn Snape.
Andrew: …how you do everything…
[Andrew and Eric laugh]
Andrew: Yeah, so there may be some minor changes, but…
Eric: So, if people are getting through this in four hours, does that mean that ñ I mean, it’s going to be three or four months between Book 1 and Book 2, right? Or is it closer to six months? Or ñ what’s going to retain the most viewers?
Andrew: Well, yeah. I mean, that’s an issue, too. It’s like you go through Pottermore, and then what? Honestly, I think once I go through everything – I do all the features, I brew a potion or two, I duel with a friend or two – I’m going to be done until the next book comes out. I don’t know what – in terms of replay value, as video gamers would call it, I don’t think there’s much here to be coming back for in five months, six months.
Eric: We’ll have to see how it grows.
Micah: Can you backtrack? Can you go to things that you’ve already experienced…
Andrew: Yes, absolutely.
Micah: …and re-read backstory, and things like that?
Andrew: Yeah. So, that’s good.
Micah: And where were you sorted?
Andrew: I was sorted into Gryffindor, which was very exciting for me because I’ve always identified myself as a Gryffindor, so I did not have any shock like Evanna Lynch did, or [laughs] countless other people, I’m sure. I was actually very excited. I screamed out loud, “Yes!”
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: But to be honest with you, when I first got into Pottermore, I just wanted to get sorted. I just clicked through everything, I didn’t even read the new material.
Eric: Right, you had to go through seven chapters right? [laughs]
Andrew: Yeah, yeah, and I mean, it’s kind of a lot because you have to go one by one, you can’t just skip to it. You go one by one when you’re first discovering everything, you can jump around as you please later.
Micah: Right.
Andrew: But at least in the beginning, you have to go in order.
Eric: Well, I think – the same as they do sorting, in future books, won’t it be like, “What’s your Patronus?” and “What’s ó ” wouldn’t that be really cool…
Andrew: Yeah…
Eric: …to figure out that kind of stuff?
Andrew: …definitely. Yeah, Patronus, I guess that would be – in Prisoner of Azkaban, they would add that, right?
Eric: Right. But then that’d be really cool because on your homepage or whatever it is, you could have your house colors and your Patronus could be sitting on a book. That’d be really cool.
Andrew: That’s actually a perfect idea, I see no reason why they wouldn’t do that. That’s another – that’s like the next big question after, “What house are you?”
Eric: Right.
Andrew: The next question is always, “What’s your Patronus?” Or – I mean, nobody really asks about your wand.
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: Nobody decides what your wand is. [laughs]
Eric: Oh, speaking of – how’s the wand process? Because I remember at that Pottermore intro at LeakyCon, they said that there were thirty-three thousand combinations of wands.
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: And you get Ollivander’s backstory, which is great. Do you learn any more – a bit more about the wands?
Andrew: Yes, there’s a lot on the wands, specifically the wand woods. There’s a description – there’s at least a paragraph for every one of them and there are a ton of wands. So, people will be happy with that. I’ll tell you what my wand is, I only remember this because I took a picture of it.
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: I’m looking at it right now. I am fir with dragon core, twelve and a half inches, reasonably supple.
Eric: “Supple” means bendy?
Andrew: Yes, I think. And it will cost me seven Galleons.
Eric: Oh.
Andrew: So…
Eric: Same as Harry’s.
Andrew: Yeah. So, it’s a cool experience. Now I’m looking forward to the Patronus.
Eric: Yeah. What’s going to be Book 2?
Micah: Well, what are you looking forward to in Chamber of Secrets then? You can’t just jump ahead one book.
[Andrew and Eric laugh]
Andrew: Well, I don’t know. What features…
Eric: Ahhh, geez.
Andrew: What cool features could be in Chamber of Secrets? Riding the car? But this is a website, not a video game.
Eric: Well, maybe the potion is – you’re going to have to eventually brew Polyjuice, that’s why it’s so complicated now, right?
Andrew: Mhm.
Eric: Because isn’t that supposed to be this complicated, month-long endeavor?
Andrew: Yeah, could be. The latest house numbers for Pottermore: there are 27,747 students, 6,500 Gryffindors, 8,100 Ravenclaws, 6,500 Hufflepuffs, and 6,500 Slytherins. I rounded.
Micah: So, it seems it’s getting closer…
Andrew: Yeah, yeah, I mean…
Micah: …to evening itself out.
Andrew: Ravenclaw has a lead of about 1,500-ish.
Micah: I was going to ask though – obviously, Andrew, you already – you always considered yourself to be in Gryffindor. Eric, what about you? I mean, stating it on the show, I’m sure we’ve done it before. But before you actually get sorted…
Eric: You know, I’m…
Andrew: Yeah, claim it now.
Eric: Claim it now? [laughs] I’m a ó I don’t know because I have those Harry Potter robes that are Gryffindor robes, but I’ve never really thought to really, really think about sorting myself, which is great. It’s a great opportunity to do Pottermore because then I’m like, “Oh okay, I’m this house,” but previously I never really identified with any house. I mean, I guess Gryffindor, right? But I just don’t know. So, I’m actually looking to Pottermore to tell me what house I’m in. I don’t really have an affiliation just yet in the books.
Andrew: Mhm.
Micah: I’ve always thought that I was in Ravenclaw, or I would be if I was sorted.
Eric: Yeah, I can see that.
Micah: So, it’ll be interesting. I wouldn’t mind Slytherin though either, to be honest with you.
[Andrew laughs]
Micah: But I would shoot for Ravenclaw. I would tell the Sorting Hat [laughs] if I was in the book…
Andrew: Not Slytherin, not Slytherin. Not Raven ó or…
Eric: Well, apparently, the other thing about Pottermore is people can be Hatstalls, right?
Andrew: Yeah, that’s another thing she introduces in the book…
Micah: What is this?
Andrew: …where it takes – it’s this phrase called a “Hatstall” where – no, sorry, she introduces this in Pottermore, where a Hatstall is when the Sorting Hat takes more than five minutes to sort you. And I don’t know if this is related to the Hatstall, but some people who have gotten into Pottermore have been able to choose between two houses, so the Sorting Hat says, “I’m not sure which to put you in. Which would you like?”
Eric: Mhm.
Micah: Oh.
Eric: So, it’s possibly – it’s like a tie, essentially, with your sorting process.
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: And I can’t imagine it happens too…
Micah: So, you do have a say then, in that sense?
Andrew: In that case.
Micah: Yeah.
Andrew: But that seems to be rare.
Micah: That’s cheating, isn’t it, kind of?
Eric: Oh, no.
Andrew: It kind of is.
Eric: Well, you’ve essentially gotten to the point where maybe you’re an even candidate, right? I mean, you could be – just like Harry Potter. You could be great in Slytherin, but you’re also kind of brave.
Andrew: Well, we’ll talk a lot more about Pottermore…
Eric: Yeah, once we actually get in. [laughs]
Andrew: Yeah, there’s still a lot more to be said. But we will – probably I guess next episode, hopefully everybody will have been inside Pottermore. We’ll find that out.
Eric: Hope so.
Andrew: What did – oh okay, we talked about that. All right, what else is going on in the news?
News: New Concept Art and Trailer for The Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour
Micah: Well, the other bit of news that we have is about The Making of Harry Potter studio tour, and some new concept art was released for it and you can find that on the website. But the big news was that tickets are going to go on sale October 13th. There was this event, I guess, called Empire Big Screen ñ is this a big event over in London? Is it an annual event?
Andrew: No, I think it’s kind of new, actually. This may have been the first one, I may be wrong but it’s not some epic event.
Micah: But Evanna Lynch was there, actually.
Andrew: Right.
Micah: She was part of this whole ñ was Warwick Davis there, too?
Andrew: Yes. Mhm.
Micah: So – and the guy who plays – what’s the goblin’s name who gets put under the Imperius Curse?
Eric: Oh. I just…
Micah: Bogrod?
Eric: Hmm, maybe.
Andrew: I think that character is played by Warwick’s wife.
Eric: No kidding!
Micah: No, no. It’s definitely a dude. [laughs]
Andrew: Oh. Well, I thought they said ñ I thought at the thing somebody said, “Oh, Warwick’s wife is playing this goblin.”
Micah: Maybe one of the others. But the one who gets the Imperius Curse – that actor was there as well, that was my point. So, there was this big revealing, I guess, or unveiling, that took place and they posted a trailer online as well. Actually, today, there was news that tickets, price-wise, are going to be about forty-six U.S. dollars.
Eric: No kidding!
Micah: To go to this tour which ñ I don’t think it’s that terrible, is it? I mean, I don’t think it prices out a lot of people.
Eric: No, it’s half the price of a sweatshirt that says, “Harry Potter: The Exhibition” at Harry Potter: The Exhibition. So…
Micah: [laughs] Yeah, I heard prices were crazy at the exhibition, by the way.
Eric: Well, so – yeah. I mean, the studio tour – now, you do have to get to London and then have to get out to…
Andrew: [laughs] Right, exactly.
Eric: [laughs] So, there is that, but I think…
Micah: Well, I’m sure there will be packages. I’m sure they’re going to put stuff together for people which includes their fare, hotel, and such.
Eric: Yeah. But the tickets are so, I think, acceptably-priced. It’s very heartwarming.
Andrew: The concept art looks great. It looks nothing like Leavesden is now…
[Andrew and Eric laugh]
Andrew: …which is reassuring. They’re really putting a lot of work and money into this. So, that’s really good, and if you see the concept art – I mean, it’s a huge building. Two big buildings. And so you can just imagine the sets that are going to be put in here. I mean, the Great Hall, which is what they already promised, Gryffindor Common Room, and I’m sure some other big sets. I think there was mention of the Chamber of Secrets set or the Ministry of Magic set.
Eric: Ooh.
Andrew: And they usually tear a lot of these down after they’re done using them just because there was only so much space in Leavesden, so they would often have to tear down a set and then reconstruct it.
Eric: Well, they learned that the hard way…
Micah: I always found that interesting, though.
Andrew: Isn’t it? Yeah, all that work and then…
Micah: The reason why is because they have money.
Andrew: [laughs] Yeah.
Eric: [laughs] Yeah. Well, and space. I mean, the cool thing is that when a movie – when you’re working on something as expensive as this, just in case something goes wrong, they have all the measurements and all the specifications of all the sets, are there. And that’s how they’re able to, years down the line, rebuild Chamber of Secrets or even Ministry of Magic, which they had to completely rebuild because it was destroyed or scratched or ñ I forget what they call it ñ at the end of Order of the Phoenix. So, if they did ever need to come back, they do just rebuild it. But it’s so cool that some of these sets are still there or are going to be there.
Andrew: The exceptions, of course, are the Great Hall, which has been there forever. Dumbledore’s office has been there forever, I’m sure that’s going to be there as well, and the Gryffindor Common Room. And like I mentioned, that also has been there forever. So, when you go onto these sets, when you visit this place, I mean, these are extremely iconic. Just all the time that was spent on these sets filming these scenes.
Eric: And the actors that have physically been there.
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: And the other thing – didn’t Dumbledore’s office change at all, if it’s been there the whole time?
Andrew: I don’t think so.
Eric: I guess it hasn’t really changed.
Andrew: No.
Eric: It looks different to me but maybe that’s just…
Andrew: Well, maybe you’re thinking of when they shoot on the upper level.
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: You know how he has kind of those stairs that go up?
Eric: Mhm.
Andrew: Maybe that’s what you’re thinking.
Eric: Yeah, I think you’re right. Yeah. So cool.
Andrew: But yeah, so it looks good and it’ll be really cool when it opens next year.
Micah: Yeah, absolutely. And last bit of news: Eric, did you want to talk about that?
News: The Woman in Black Teaser Trailer
Eric: Yeah, speaking of trailers, Dan Radcliffe’s upcoming film, The Woman in Black, which is coming out next February, there was a teaser trailer released which is really, really cool. You guys should check that out. They released it, I guess, last week, and I was really happy because I was looking to post more news and this kind of ñ I happen to “Like” The Woman in Black on Facebook and they said, “Oh, in a couple of hours there’s going to be a teaser trailer,” so I was really excited waiting for it. And I waited for it and I posted it, and almost ñ some of the first comments ñ because I always read when I post news, it doesn’t happen too often, so I sit, I wait for some comments to trickle in. And one of the first comments I got was, “This has nothing to do with Harry Potter.” That’s what somebody said. And I felt horrible, but I thought I’d ask you guys because I was thinking about this earlier today. You guys must have ñ I know you guys can relate, but…
[Andrew laughs]
Eric: [laughs] …one of the first people said, “This has nothing to do with Harry Potter,” and I was just ñ I was crestfallen, right? Because one of the visitors of the site who ñ they come expecting Harry Potter news and this is something about Dan Radcliffe, which I guess doesn’t have anything to do with Harry Potter, right? I mean…
Andrew: I think because it is Dan Radcliffe, it deserves to go on the site, but there’s going to come a point where you don’t need to post the fiftieth Dan Radcliffe Woman in Black interview.
Eric: [laughs] Okay.
Andrew: We don’t even post the fiftieth Deathly Hallows interview. It’s just all the same, you know?
Micah: Well, to that point, though – I mean, all the Potter sites posted about when he was ñ or he still is ñ on Broadway in How to Succeed in Business, so it’s the same thing.
Andrew: That’s true.
Micah: You’re covering the actor who has been the main star in the films over the course of their existence, so naturally you’re going to post news about and follow him at least through the next few years of his career.
Eric: I thought so, but I did want to bring that up because I think moving forward when we get these informations on the other actors and their projects, it’s just – I wondered if that kind of reaction was popular.
Micah: Well, I think people have a general interest though in let’s say, what Dan Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint are going to do for the next few years and maybe some even beyond that. And there are sites that are out there that are strictly dedicated to them…
Eric: Right.
Micah: …but they played such a large role in shaping Harry Potter on the movie side that I think it’s only right that there are some stories about what they’re doing in their careers. But normally when I post a news story the first comment that I see is, “First!”
Andrew: First.
Eric: Yeah, first.
Andrew: [laughs] Yeah.
Eric: [laughs] Well, I think that – yeah, and we can go in and remove that, but then somebody else will just say, “First!” So… [laughs]
Micah: Yeah.
Eric: …it’s kind of…
Micah: But it was a really scary trailer…
Eric: Yeah.
Micah: …[laughs] to be honest with you.
Eric: Yeah, it was.
Micah: It kind of creeped me out a bit.
Eric: It was. Well I guess that’s the benefit of having friends and of having podcasts because we can call – you guys can defend me. But [laughs] I thought the trailer was really cool.
Andrew: So, that’s it for the news this week. Now we’re going to get into e-mails – and something I actually forgot to tease at the beginning of the show is, Micah, you did an interview with two more Potter stars!
Micah: Yeah, they’re just…
Andrew: Tell us about it.
Micah: After everybody heard all these other interviews that we’ve been doing, now it’s just non-stop.
Andrew: Everybody wants to talk to Micah.
Micah: Every – no. Well…
[Eric laughs]
Micah: What? No, but we got a chance to sit down and talk with Will Dunn and Arthur Bowen who play James Sirius and Albus Severus respectively in the Potter films – or not in the films, [laughs] in Deathly Hallows: Part 2, in the epilogue. And it was really a lot of fun getting a chance to talk with them, their experience with the Potter series. And kind of coming full circle a bit, playing the kids of the kids that we saw ten years ago.
Eric: Yeah, I’ve heard the interview and I think one of the coolest parts of it was Arthur Bowen, who said that they were filming the epilogue pretty much – or no, he was born about a week or two after filming began on the first Harry Potter film, or after Dan Radcliffe was first cast, I think he said. So, that was really odd in a really cool way.
Micah: Yeah, I think it was Will who was talking about how Ryan Turner, who plays Hugo Weasley, who is the youngest of their group, he was born just about the time that Dan and Emma were both cast in Sorcerer’s Stone.
Eric: [laughs] That’s so cool.
Muggle Mail: Essential Harry Potter Chapters
Andrew: Let’s move on now to e-mails, but first we should mention that we will get back to Chapter-by-Chapter. This episode kind of snuck up on us so…
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: …we didn’t have time to prepare it, but next time! Hopefully. Okay, first e-mail is actually from one of the MuggleNet staff members, Kat. She does the great “Fan of the Week” column on MuggleNet, and if you want to check that out, you can submit your own “Fan of the Week” profile and then it may be – you may be the Fan of the Week one time.
Eric: I’ll tell you, that’s how I got my start at MuggleNet, was being a Fan of the Week.
Andrew: Hmm, interesting.
Eric: So, it’s – good things happen! [laughs]
Andrew: [laughs] So, Kat said:
“I ran into an old co-worker and a friend of mine at the grocery store tonight, and we started talking about ‘Deathly Hallows: Part 2’. He’s not a book reader but is an avid fan of the movies. He had quite a few questions and while filling him in, I told him that he should just read the books! He said there was no way he was reading the books, but he might read a chapter or two just to get to the integral parts. So, I was thinking it might be a good conversation to figure out what chapters everyone would suggest to a friend such as mine. Everyone has favorites, of course, but what’s the most important? Would be…”
I don’t know what she means there. Oh, you guys would have…
“…diverse opinions, I imagine. Just a thought! Looking forward to the show.”
So, thank you, Kat for that suggestion. I think it’s a good idea. So, if you were to suggest a chapter…
Eric: Like the…
Andrew: …for somebody to read…
Eric: …essential Harry Potter chapter for some…
Andrew: I think it would have to be in Sorcerer’s Stone because otherwise you’re going to need some context.
Eric: Well, but this person has seen the movies and hasn’t read the books, so I think Kat’s question – isn’t it about if you’ve only seen the movies and aren’t planning on reading all of the books, what book chapter should you read to kind of get what you missed?
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: Or…
Andrew: Or just to understand why reading it is so great…
Eric: So much better.
Andrew: …maybe.
Eric: Yeah. But…
Andrew: I would suggest one of the chapters from either Order of the Phoenix or Half-Blood Prince where Dumbledore and Harry are kind of having one of those discussions about Harry’s purpose and what Dumbledore needs him to do. I think that would be really interesting for somebody to read.
Eric: Mhm.
Micah: Yeah.
Eric: I…
Micah: I think a lot of it, too, might be from Half-Blood Prince, taking a couple of chapters out of there because – and reading them because I think that so much was lost in the memories and them not doing that many of them in the movie. And I think it provided a lot of context for where they were going and what they were doing in Deathly Hallows, especially Part 2, because you’re having the hunt go on for the Horcruxes so rapidly, going from the vault to Hogwarts, to destroy the diadem, to destroy the snake, and then – I just feel like if there were those memories that were in Half-Blood Prince where you’re talking about the meeting with Hepzibah Smith, that was completely cut out.
Eric: And that was a really good scene in the books, and I love the Gaunt House when they visit the…
Micah: Right.
Eric: I guess he visits the Gaunts maybe more than once even. That is an incredible scene from Half-Blood Prince, the book. So, absolutely…
Micah: Right, it really kind of lays out Harry’s journey more than what the movies do.
Eric: And I mean – yeah, and that actually would help clarify sort of the plot of what’s going on in that way. And when I think of answering this question, I wanted to say “Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs” from Prisoner of Azkaban, that chapter where we learn about Harry’s dad, and Sirius and Remus being old school friends. And Lupin just tells that story of how coming to Hogwarts, Dumbledore made all these arrangements for him and it was really a great story. And then in Order of the Phoenix, there is “Snape’s Worst Memory” which is a fifteen-second clip in the film but it really raised some important questions and things that Harry had to deal with as his character, dealing with whether or not Snape was right about James and what to do about it.
Micah: Yeah, I think – obviously different chapters from different books would provide better insight into how certain things play themselves out.
Andrew: Mhm. All right, good opinions all around.
Micah: But people, send…
Andrew: Micah…
Micah: …stuff in, right? I mean, listeners, tell us! What – give us specific chapters. That’s your homework.
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: Micah, next e-mail.
Muggle Mail: Scenes That Should’ve Been in the Movie
Micah: The next e-mail comes from Sara, 24, of San Diego, California, and she says:
“At the end of Episode 237 you asked what you wished had been in the movie but wasn’t. I agree with whoever said I wish Harry had mended his phoenix wand, but another thing I really wish had been added was a part when Harry and Voldemort are fighting their end battle. In the book, Harry tells Voldemort that Snape was never on his side and that he was on Dumbledore’s side all along. I felt like it was such an amazing slap in the face to Voldemort and I really missed that in the movie. Couldn’t help adding my thoughts on that one. Thanks for the show, I love listening to you guys!”
Eric: That reminds me of – in the film, Voldemort almost apologizes to Snape before he kills him, right? He says, “Only I can live forever. I’m sorry, Severus,” and then kills him, whereas in the book it’s like, “You’re betraying me because the Elder Wand has your allegiance.” So, it’s almost like it’s a different relationship almost in that way. What do you guys think?
Micah: And, “Only I can live forever,” – I mean, Snape was not trying to be immortal [laughs] so I didn’t really understand the context of that line…
Eric: Yeah…
Micah: …saying…
Eric: …what was…
Micah: …Snape…
Eric: Yeah, it was…
Micah: Snape was not trying to…
Eric: It was like sympathy, though. It was sympathy because he was about to die, but it was almost like a mercy kill at the same time. It was like – Voldemort was like, sorry, Severus. You kind of have to go now. [laughs] Time to go! Only I can [laughs] live forever.
Andrew: Next e-mail – or yeah. Go ahead, Eric. Next e-mail.
Muggle Mail: Infamous Scream from Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Trailer
Eric: Danny, 15, from Illinois says:
“I was watching ‘Part 1’ the other day and found the source of the infamous ‘Nyaaaaah!’ scream complained about in the ‘Part 2’ trailer. The scream is actually in ‘Part 1’ after Harry’s and Voldemort’s wands connect in the Seven Harrys chase sequence. You hear the scream after the connection breaks and it’s somewhat drowned out as he fades into the distance.”
Oh. Yeah, I’ve heard that before. I think I actually went and watched Part 1, and it sounded different to me. But I’ve also heard that it’s actually at the end of the Order of the Phoenix when the big ball of fire becomes the big ball of water, but that was just a theory I’ve heard that – people have tried to place this scream because as we all know, it appeared like eleven times in the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 trailer. But…
Micah: But thankfully not in the movie.
Eric: Yeah, thankfully not the movie. It’s not in the movie, so thanks for that.
MuggleCast 238 Transcript (continued)
Muggle Mail: S.P.E.W. – Society of the Pottermore E-mail Waiters
Andrew: Next e-mail is from Jello, 14:
“Hello guys. Urgh, waiting for Pottermore e-mail is starting to feel annoying. I am officially a member of S.P.E.W. – Society of the Pottermore E-mail Waiters. Haha, saw that from Facebook. Can’t wait for the new episode!”
Eric: Oh, I see what she did there. [laughs]
Andrew: I included that because that was funny.
Eric: Yeah. [laughs]
Andrew: You two are in that, too. In S.P.E.W.
Eric: Yes.
Micah: Yeah, still waiting for that e-mail. I thought at least I could get it on my birthday [laughs] last week, but that didn’t work out.
Andrew: Awww, sorry.
Micah: Awww. You want me to take the next e-mail?
Andrew: Well, you get the next e-mail, at least.
Micah: Yeah, what a consolation.
[Andrew laughs]
Muggle Mail: Epilogue Suggestions
Micah: Next e-mail is from Claire, 12, of California. She says:
“Hi MuggleCast! I’m a big fan of your show like everyone else, and this e-mail is in response to Episode 237. You asked if there was anything in the seventh book that we wish was in the movie.”
I keep getting these e-mails.
[Everyone laughs]
Micah: [continues]
“My answer is the very last bit of the epilogue where it says, ‘The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well.’ This was one of the parts of the book that you remember that’s just stuck in your brain forever. And it’s not just because it’s the last line of the books that made the author one of the most famous writers ever. Rowling has the gift of turning something so plain and ordinary as ‘The end’ into something beautiful and enchanting. I think they could have done this effect by having Harry look a bit worried as he watches the train leave the station, Ginny tells him that their kids will be fine, then Harry would tell her that his scar hadn’t hurt for nineteen years. All is well. Thanks for reading, Claire.”
Eric: Hmm. So, turning “all was well” into dialogue as the closing line of the film. What do you guys think?
Andrew: That would have been kind of nice, but it had potential to get really cheesy, I think.
Eric: I think in the epilogue they were so worried about getting the makeup right, too, that they’re just like, “Oh yeah, we’re going to be minimalist with the dialogue here.” But it was…
Micah: Well…
Eric: It was a nice…
Micah: …keep in line – keep in line. [laughs] Yeah, you keep in line!
Eric: [laughs] Oh, geez.
Micah: No, keep in mind that the epilogue was shot twice, so it was shot once in the station and then it was shot at Leavesden Studios. And there are things, as Will and Arthur talk about in the interview, that were changed…
Eric: Yes.
Micah: …because of the location change. So, there was actually more dialogue in the first one. And there was actually another character in the first one that [laughs] didn’t make it into the second one. And so I’m sure that maybe they played around with this idea. I mean, Andrew, was it you who said that they shot something, like four different endings for the Malfoys?
Andrew: Yeah, yeah.
Micah: So, it is possible that they did shoot a number of different endings to the movie.
Andrew: Mhm. Just decided what – I think in this case silence kind of worked best.
Micah: Well, it did because you had that same John Williams song playing as it did when the first movie ended.
Andrew: Yeah. And by the way, you gathered “all was well” without them saying it. I mean, in the scene…
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: …all was well, so any reader probably thought it in their heads. “All was well.” Clearly all was well here. [laughs]
Eric: Interesting.
Andrew: You know?
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: So, it could have been like sort of…
Eric: That’s a good point.
Andrew: …silent acknowledgement.
Eric: That’s a good point.
Andrew: Mhm.
Muggle Mail: Listening to MuggleCast While Hunting Blackberries
Eric: Next e-mail comes from Mandy, 24, from California.
“Hey MuggleCasters, this is Mandy. I’ve been with you guys from the beginning and I love the show! I was at my fiance’s house the other day when he decided it was time for us to pick the last of his blackberry bushes and trim them back. On my way outside, I suddenly remembered Andrew saying, ‘If anyone listens to us while they hunt blackberries, let us know.’ So, I ran to my car and grabbed my iPod so I could listen while hunting blackberries. Just thought you’d want to know! Thanks for reading, and again, I absolutely love and look forward to the show. Mandy.”
Andrew: Excellent. Thank you, Mandy.
Micah: Any other requests this week, Andrew?
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: No, but actually on MuggleCast Twitter, somebody said, “Hey look, we’re in a blackberry field while listening to MuggleCast,” and this person included a picture of blackberries.
[Eric laughs]
Muggle Mail: Pottermore Review
Andrew: So, it’s been a good success, my request. Next e-mail comes from Pablo Ruiz, 18, of Colombia:
“I suppose you guys want reviews from us lucky users that are already inside Pottermore. Here’s mine: Jo never disappoints. The extra material she has provided is extremely interesting, especially all we learn about wandlore and it is a lot. The images on the site are amazing, too. As a companion to the book, I found it extremely useful and it does add to the experience. However, I have some complaints. First of all, brewing potions is really hard. One little mistake and you got it wrong. That’s not too bad, it’s realistic. But after waiting one-hundred minutes and doing everything right, you get five points. If you just enter potion-making and you click your wand right away, they give you one point for trying. It’s ridiculous! And I think they’re so scared for children that they didn’t realize there’s absolutely no way to interact with other people. You can be friends and give gifts to each other, but you can’t comment on other posts, send messages to other people, etc. To summarize, you can’t make friends through Pottermore, and what we all love from being part of the ‘Potter’ fandom is how easy it is to make friends based only in the series. But here you are, the first official Jo/’Potter’ site and no way of making friends.”
Eric: Awww.
Andrew: [continues]
“I know this is long but I hope you can use it. Pickles!”
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: Says Pablo.
Eric: So…
Andrew: It is a valid concern. You can’t really interact with people. You can challenge them to a duel but you can’t talk.
Eric: So, J.K. Rowling hates friendship. That’s what we learned.
Micah: Yeah.
Andrew: Yeah.
Micah: Well, what do you guys think about, as far as what we’re going to do, reviewing content? Are we going to wait until all of us get in? Are we going to wait until the site officially opens up to everyone…
Andrew: Mmm, good question.
Micah: …to start talking a little bit about the content that’s provided?
Eric: Well, it’s too late to start talking about it. Well, I mean, I guess if we’re talking about specific content, like doing a review of the content?
Micah: Right.
Eric: Okay. Yeah, I don’t know.
Micah: Yeah – no, I would think – and listeners can feel free to e-mail us, but I would think that they would want to be in it themselves and utilizing it…
Andrew: True.
Micah: …before we talk about it.
Andrew: Yeah. So, we could still do reviews, but we won’t start discussing the specifics.
Eric: Mhm.
Micah: Right.
Andrew: The specific new information…
Eric: Makes sense to me.
Andrew: …that Jo reveals.
Eric: Mhm.
Andrew: All right, so that’s it for e-mails. Now it’s time for Micah, your interview with Will Dunn, who plays James Sirius Potter, and Arthur Bowen, who plays Albus Severus Potter!
Interview: Will Dunn and Arthur Bowen
Micah: All right, we are now joined by Will Dunn and Arthur Bowen, who play James Sirius and Albus Severus respectively in Deathly Hallows: Part 2. Guys, how are you doing?
Will Dunn: Yeah, we’re good, thanks.
Arthur Bowen: We’re good, thanks. How are you?
Micah: Doing well, doing well. And I know it’s been, I guess, a month now, but you guys were recently down in Orlando for LeakyCon 2011. What was that experience like for you guys, kind of being immersed into the fandom and kind of getting an experience for what it’s all like? I know you were at the premiere in London just before that, but actually walking amongst all the other fans and kind of experiencing that for the first time.
Will: It was awesome. I mean, it was really weird because we’d never really experienced anything like that before, and then we came in and there were all these thousands of screaming fans at the opening of it, and it was just really – it was, I guess, an insight into how crazy the world of Potter can be.
Arthur: Yeah, exactly. What Will said, it just opened up a new world of how the people – the fans of Harry Potter are really mental.
[Everyone laughs]
Micah: But mental in a good way though, right?
Will: Yeah, in a good way, of course.
Arthur: Yeah, in a good way.
Micah: So, was this your first trip, though, over to the United States? Had you been here before?
Arthur: Yeah…
Will: No, I hadn’t.
Arthur: No, I hadn’t, yeah.
Will: We hadn’t, no. It’s our first one, and it was great. [laughs]
Arthur: Yeah, it was fun.
Micah: And you got a chance to go to the theme park, to the Wizarding World. What was it like comparing your time at Leavesden versus actually walking into the theme park for the first time?
Will: Well, of course at Leavesden there’s all the scaffolding, isn’t there?
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: So, it’s kind of – it was more real, but of course it was so hot because we went there at night, and it was so hot so that was a little bit…
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: …[laughs] of a downer, I guess. But yeah, it was amazing because obviously it’s real as they make them, they’re not entirely real, whereas this felt so much more real because it was sort of the full thing, I guess.
Arthur: Yeah, exactly. That’s pretty much what I was going to say.
Micah: What was your favorite part about the park? I mean, I guess ride-wise. Did you go on all the rides, or did you only go on a few? Which one did you like the most?
Arthur: Well, I went on all the Harry Potter world rides, so I guess my favorite was the red Chinese dragon, that was really cool.
Micah: Oh, okay.
Will: Yeah, they were pretty crazy. [laughs]
Arthur: Yeah, it was really quick.
Micah: Yeah. Did you get a chance to go on the Forbidden Journey inside the castle?
Arthur: Yeah, I did, but that made me feel really sick.
Will: Yeah, he’d been on all the rides and…
[Micah laughs]
Will: …those ones are bad enough. And then he went on this one and it’s all motion-y…
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: …instead of being a proper roller coaster, so he came back and he practically collapsed…
Arthur: Yeah, I felt so bad.
Will: …at the Leaky Cauldron, which was a little worrying. [laughs]
Arthur: [laughs] Yeah.
Micah: Yeah, I had a hard time on the Flight of the Hippogriff, actually. I thought that that was a little bit more scarier than the actual Forbidden Journey, but I don’t know. That might just say that I’m not a roller coaster person.
Will: I think the spiders freak you out as well, don’t they?
Arthur: Yeah. Was the Hippogriff one the one which you had like no safety in it? Because in the dragon one you had like…
Micah: Yeah, yeah, exactly. The one by Hagrid’s hut.
Arthur: Oh yeah, that’s it.
Will: Yeah.
Micah: Now did you – you explored around the rest of the Wizarding World, I’m guessing. Did you go into Ollivander’s?
Arthur: Yeah, we did.
Will: Yes, we did.
Arthur: Yeah, and they like did all these effects and ringing bells…
Will: Whooshing and stuff like that! [laughs]
Arthur: Yeah, all that stuff.
Will: Yeah, which was great.
Arthur: Yeah, it was.
Micah: And did you go over and eat in the Three Broomsticks? Did you have Butterbeers? So, you guys got the full experience, then.
Will: Arthur attempted, but of course the only time we went there was…
Arthur: Yeah, was after I was feeling really ill, so I didn’t have a Butterbeer.
Will: Unfortunately. But it was very nice, very nice stuff! [laughs]
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: Very sweet.
Arthur: Yeah.
Micah: You did – I guess you probably saw a lot of the other parks and things like that when you were down there. Is there anything comparable to that, I guess, over in England?
Will: No. Well, there’s Alton Towers and Thorpe Park, I guess.
Arthur: Thorpe Park, I guess, some of the rides are pretty good.
Will: There’s some pretty intense ones there, but…
Arthur: But yeah, altogether, all the theme parks…
Will: Nothing that’s based on something and it’s so realistic, I think.
Arthur: Yeah, yeah.
Will: Like, we don’t have anything like that in England, I don’t think.
Arthur: Yeah, and the rides are probably better.
Will: Yeah. [laughs]
Micah: Overall though, I mean, what was your favorite part of the convention? Or was it just being down there and getting to experience all this for the first time?
Arthur: Well, it was that and also the ball at the end.
Will: Which I couldn’t go to! I had to fly home early. That was horrible. [laughs]
Arthur: Yeah, that was really fun.
Micah: Nice. No, I did as well. I flew home, I think, Saturday evening, so I missed out on that. So, Arthur, you were the only one there. I mean…
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: Yeah.
Arthur: It was good.
Will: He was the only one representing the three of us, but…
[Everyone laughs]
Will: Yeah. But the Q&As for me were awesome, I loved the Q&As.
Arthur: Yeah, the Q&As.
Will: And when we walked out that was really funny, when it’s “young Arthur Bowen,” everyone starts screaming!
[Everyone laughs]
Arthur: And also me and Will’s banter.
Will: Oh yes, the banter. I took the mick out of you a little bit too much then, didn’t I?
Arthur: Yeah, but then I got my revenge.
Will: He did.
Arthur: So…
[Everyone laughs]
Micah: Did you get tough questions? I mean, were they – did the fans really challenge you guys, or was there nothing that you guys couldn’t answer?
Will: There was a question about the shipping, about which – do you ship your characters’ parents?
[Micah laughs]
Arthur: Oh yeah.
Will: Which everybody sort of froze a bit at and I sort of said, “Can we not go into the Draco/Harry thing?” Because I really didn’t want to go into that.
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: But yeah, I think that one for me was pretty…
Arthur: But the thing is…
Will: …odd. [laughs]
Arthur: …for some of the questions, I’m not being rude, but it was sort of the same answer for everyone…
Will: Yes!
Arthur: …so it was a bit awkward.
Will: Yeah, it was a little…
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: Well, it was quite funny by the end…
Arthur: Because you sort of had to say…
Will: …because everyone says…
Arthur: …”Yeah, basically the same.” [laughs]
Will: …”Yes, it was amazing!” [laughs]
Arthur: Yes, it was amazing…
Will: Yeah.
Arthur: …when we did that.
Micah: Yeah. All right. Well, I want to kind of shift it to talk a little bit about the movie, Deathly Hallows: Part 2. The epilogue scene had to be shot twice, right?
Will: It did, yeah.
Arthur: Yeah, it did.
Micah: And – I mean, what was the decision behind that? I mean, do you guys know why they decided to – because once it was in the actual station, and then it was moved to Leavesden, right?
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: Yeah. Well, it was ridiculously busy at King’s Cross…
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: …or something.
Arthur: Yeah, and also I thought…
Will: The makeup.
Arthur: Yeah, the makeup and…
Will: The makeup was…
Arthur: And they looked too – like Dan and Rupert, they looked too old.
Will: Yeah, I think the girls looked okay.
Arthur: Yeah, and they didn’t like the script.
Will: Yeah.
Arthur: I think they didn’t, but I don’t know.
Will: Yeah, I think he wanted to focus more on you, didn’t he?
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: He wanted to focus more on Albus’s story of going to Hogwarts for the first time…
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: … so they changed things around a bit. Yeah, I think that’s – and also the makeup because the makeup was…
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: I mean, it was…
Arthur: It was really cool but it got over the top.
Will: Yeah, exactly.
Micah: Now was it dripping on the floor, or – I mean…
[Arthur and Will laugh]
Will: Well, that’s the funny thing. On the first day, do you remember Dan had a fan?
Arthur: Yeah, yeah.
Will: Just so it wouldn’t melt on his face…
Arthur: Yeah, yeah.
Will: …which was really funny. But yeah, it was realistic but it was too old, really.
Arthur: Yeah, it was too old. They looked like…
Will: Seventy.
Arthur: Yeah, seventy.
[Everyone laughs]
Micah: What was that scene like though, Arthur? I mean, like Will pointed out, the focal point of the epilogue really went to the conversation that you were having with your father. Was that kind of an intense scene to shoot? What was that like?
Arthur: Well, yeah, I guess it was a bit. It was pretty intense and I had quite a lot of pressure to get it right.
Will: You did good though, mate. [laughs]
Arthur: Thanks.
Will: Yeah.
Arthur: Yeah, so it was pretty – yeah.
Will: It was – yeah, it was sort of – I remember a funny thing about that, actually. Was it that Dan didn’t know how to tie a shoelace?
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: And so his double had to step in just to do that little shot, which is very funny. [laughs]
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: Yeah.
Arthur: Also, I had a cold in the scene…
Will: Yeah.
Arthur: …and it looked like I had been crying…
Will: Yeah.
Arthur: …which had quite a good effect. [laughs]
Will: Yeah, we all had terrible colds that week, so…
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: Yeah.
Micah: Oh, so what was it, probably in the middle of the winter some time? Or…
Arthur and
Will:
Yeah, yeah it was.
Arthur: It was like just before Christmas.
Will: It was really snowy at Leavesden, actually. It was ridiculous.
Arthur: Yeah, it was.
Will: Yeah, so it was very snowy, so we easily got colds. [laughs]
Arthur: Yeah.
Micah: I know that many listeners have asked about Teddy Lupin and according to a lot of reports that the websites got, he was cast in the film.
Will: He was, yeah.
Arthur: Yeah.
Micah: Was he in the initial epilogue you shot and then just never made it to the final…
Will: Yeah.
Micah: …cut?
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: He was in the original, wasn’t he? Because I was…
Arthur: Yeah, he was with you…
Will: Yeah.
Arthur: …with owls and stuff.
Will: There’s a scene – I don’t really know if I can give it away, but he basically shares a look with Dan and I’m with him – with Teddy for that bit and I think they’re putting it on the DVD extras.
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: I think Luke mentioned that they’re going to put it on the DVD extras, so…
Arthur: Yeah, he’s a good actor.
Will: He’s great. He did a really good job of that, yeah. A really good job.
Micah: Cool. Now what was your favorite part of the movie aside from the epilogue? Let’s put the epilogue out of it. [laughs] What – I mean, sitting down and seeing the film, which part did you like the most?
Will: That’s a tough one.
Arthur: Ummm…
Will: Go on.
Arthur: Okay, thanks. My part was probably the bit when Voldemort dies and then he crumbles into the sky.
Will: Yeah.
Arthur: I don’t know. I think that’s really cool.
Will: Yeah, that was really good. That was really cool in 3D, wasn’t it?
Arthur: Yeah, it was.
Will: I don’t know.
Arthur: That was a really good bit.
Will: I love the general epicness of the whole movie. There was a bit when they’re all setting up the defenses and that was…
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: And the music. The music was so good. He did a great job, Alexandre Desplat. But yeah, I just think the bit when they’re sort of putting up the defenses because it’s just ridiculously epic, and the fight between Harry and Voldemort. That’s really good.
Arthur: Yeah. Yeah, that was really good.
Will: That’s really good.
Micah: Cool. Well – I mean, who did – I don’t know if that’s – I was going to say, who did you enjoy working with the most? But I don’t know if you’re – you’re probably not allowed to play favorites in that sense, are you?
[Arthur and Will laugh]
Will: Yeah, I don’t know. Well, Dan was a laugh, wasn’t he?
Arthur: Yeah, they were all really nice.
Will: They were. They were really welcoming, all of them.
Arthur: But I probably spent most of my time with Dan…
Will: Yeah, we all did.
Arthur: …because he is my dad in that sense.
Will: Yeah.
Arthur: So, I had most of the scenes with him.
Will: Yeah, we had a lot.
Arthur: But they were all really nice.
Will: They were all great, they were all fantastic.
Arthur: Yeah.
Micah: Now, what did you think about Deathly Hallows passing the one billion dollar mark? I mean, it’s moved passed Star Wars.
Will: Yeah.
Micah: It’s the highest grossing franchise of all time. All these records are being shattered, and it’s pretty impressive. One billion dollars is a lot of money, and it’s still going on. So, what do you guys think of all that?
Will: It’s ridiculous. I mean, I guess it’s sort of to be expected because it is such a huge franchise.
Arthur: Yeah, exactly.
Will: But it was absolutely amazing, the fact that they’ve got – it’s just a ridiculous amount of money, isn’t it? It’s like with football players – or soccer players. It’s like when soccer players get sold or bought they go for ridiculous amounts of money, but this is like…
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: …hundreds of times…
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: …multiplied by that, so it’s just really kind of mind blowing.
Arthur: Yeah, it’s like..
Will: And to be involved in that as well.
Arthur: …amazing. Yeah, exactly, to be involved in that.
Will: Yeah.
Micah: Yeah, so how much of that do you guys get? Like 400, 500 million? I mean…
[Arthur and Will laugh]
Will: Yeah, something like that.
Micah: [laughs] You’re already looking at all the mansions and the cars, and everything that you’re going to…
Will: Absolutely. [laughs]
Arthur: Yeah.
Micah: Now, you guys are both pretty active on Twitter.
Arthur: Yeah.
Micah: What do you like about it? Is it the ability to interact with your fans? The ability to interact with the cast? Is it kind of a combination of all that?
Arthur: Yeah, I would say it’s a combination.
Will: Yeah, it’s a combination because obviously we can keep in touch via other ways, but…
Arthur: Yeah, exactly.
Will: …there’s always loads of people that are really keen to talk, and so it’s cool to chat to all of them and you get the really crazy ones that say, “Reply me! Reply me!”
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: And then you get the ones that ask really good questions and…
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: …we can all join in with some banter and just stuff like that.
Arthur: Yeah, it’s fun.
Will: It’s great.
Arthur: It’s so much fun.
Will: Really enjoy it, yeah.
Micah: And as far as the other cast members, you guys seem to be pretty close with the…
Arthur and
Will:
Yeah.
Micah: It seems like some of the epilogue actors and actresses, you guys stay in pretty close touch with, and then also some of the other actors and actresses that are on Twitter from the series as a whole.
Will: Yeah.
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: It’s really me, you – it’s just all the epilogue kids…
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: …the flashback kids.
Arthur: I would say mostly me and Will stuck together.
Will: Yeah, we’re tight. [laughs]
Arthur: Yeah, we’re tight.
Will: And then you’ve got Evanna and Scarlett – Scarlett Byrne, Chris Rankin…
Arthur: They are all really nice, and then you’ve got Ryan…
Will: Ryan of course, yeah.
Arthur: …and Benedict…
Will: Benedict.
Arthur: …and Bertie.
Will: And Bertie.
Arthur: He’s so funny.
Will: With his fantastic videos. Yeah, so we’re all really – I think we’re all really close, especially – I think Florida, because we were all staying in houses with each other and we all got quite a lot closer.
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: Yeah, it was – yeah, we’re all very good friends now. Yeah.
Micah: Cool! Now, are you guys excited for Pottermore?
Will: Yes.
Arthur: Well, I don’t – to be honest, I don’t really know anything about it, so…
Will: Yeah. [laughs] It’s basically like a fan – sort of an interactive book, fan experience, isn’t it, really?
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: Yeah, I’m really – I’ve got my e-mail, I’m going to be on it, which is fantastic. Yeah, I’m just really looking forward to seeing what it’s like because there’s been so much speculation
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: And there’s been a few people that are on but I haven’t really seen much of that because I want to just sort of take it in when I get it. But yeah, I’m just really looking forward to checking it out and seeing what J.K. Rowling has got up her sleeve next. [laughs]
Arthur: Yeah.
Micah: Yeah, it seems like – they did a panel on it at LeakyCon where they kind of gave a look into it so you could see what you could expect and now it just seems as if everybody is waiting for that letter, that early access to get into Pottermore.
Will: Yeah.
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: Yeah, I think for the people that have got in, it’s just fantastic because they will be ridiculously excited about that.
Arthur: Yeah, they were.
Will: But obviously the people that haven’t are just like, “No!”
Micah: [laughs] It’s frustrating, right?
Will: It is.
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: And also – they got easier, but the clues at the beginning were actually quite hard.
Arthur: Yeah, I don’t what we’re on about it, but okay, yeah.
Will: There were these clues at the beginning that you could get so you could get your username.
Arthur: What? [laughs]
Will: But they got easier, so there was only a couple that were actually tricky. But yeah, I’m still one of the people that haven’t got it. [laughs]
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: Yeah.
MuggleCast 238 Transcript (continued)
Interview: Will Dunn and Arthur Bowen (continued)
Micah: All right. Well, the next set of questions that I have are just really quick, rapid-fire questions. Both of you guys can answer this. What were your favorite books in the series? Or favorite book, sorry.
Arthur: Well, I haven’t read any of the books.
[Will groans]
Arthur: This is because…
Will: This was said at LeakyCon! [laughs]
Arthur: This was said at LeakyCon.
Micah: Do you want me to edit this out? Is that… [laughs]
Will: No, no.
Arthur: It’s fine.
Will: It’s fine. [laughs]
Arthur: It was said at LeakyCon. It was just that I’m not really…
Will: Voldemort scared him, basically.
Arthur: Yeah, basically, Voldemort scared me when I was really young and it just put me off the whole thing.
Will: It put him off the whole series. You saw the first film, didn’t you?
Arthur: Yeah, I saw the first film and then I saw Voldemort creeping into the house…
Will: Back of the head, yeah.
Arthur: Yeah, with his wand, and it just really scared me and…
Will: Yeah.
Arthur: …it gave me nightmares. So…
Will: And so he’s just reluctant now.
Arthur: …that’s why I haven’t really…
Will: So, he is a fan, but he’s a reluctant fan…
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: …kind of thing.
Arthur: I mean, it’s great, it’s a really good book.
Micah: Speaking of that, though, I was going to ask you, is it weird knowing that right about the time you were born was about the time [laughs] that Dan was being cast as Harry?
Will: [laughs] Yes!
Arthur: That’s weird.
Will: Yeah, it’s almost exactly with Ryan because Ryan’s one of the youngest of us…
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: …and it’s almost exactly with him. He was born, I don’t know, a month or two sort of after or before Dan, Rupert, and Emma were first cast.
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: So, I just think that’s ridiculous how long it’s lasted and how it’s come sort of full circle, I guess.
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: It’s awesome, yeah.
Micah: And what about for you, Will? Favorite book?
Will: It would be – that’s tricky because I really like either the first or the seventh, probably, which isn’t a proper answer. [laughs] But honestly, that’s – seventh, just because it’s a great ending. [laughs]
Micah: And what about movie? Putting aside Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
Will: Ummm, Prisoner of Azkaban or the first.
[Micah and Will laugh]
Will: I keep doing two!
Arthur: Yeah, probably the same, Prisoner of Azkaban.
[Phone rings]
Arthur: It’s pretty good. That’s Will’s phone. [laughs]
Will: That’s my phone, sorry.
Micah: No problem, no problem. What about favorite character?
Will: Sirius, for me. I love Sirius.
Arthur: Mine’s probably Snape because he’s such a good… [unintelligible]
Will: Snape? Ben’s going to love that when he listens to this. Yeah, hi Ben!
Arthur: Yeah. [laughs]
Will: You like Snape! Woo! [laughs]
Micah: So – well, speaking of Snape, what did you guys think of how Alan Rickman portrayed him, specifically in that last film?
Will: Oh, he was amazing.
Arthur: Yeah, he was really good.
Will: That’s the best I’ve seen him. He was just…
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: The bit when he saw Lily dead was just like…
Arthur: Yeah, that was really good.
Will: …oh! He was so good. I mean, he deserves nominations at least for that…
Arthur: Yeah, he does.
Will: …because he was just fantastic. Yeah.
Micah: Now you guys were in that IMAX showing, too, right? Down in Orlando. So, you were – having seen the movie before, were you anticipating all of those sobs, all the crying that went on?
Arthur: Well, we didn’t…
Will: Probably. I mean, I think…
Arthur: Probably, yeah.
Will: …you could imagine…
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: …that there are such crazy fans. I think we had already experienced that they were so…
Arthur: Yeah, at the premiere, but then it was like a bit more than we expected.
Will: Yeah. [laughs] Yeah, definitely.
Arthur: Yeah, because they’re…
Will: Very emotional.
Arthur: Yeah, they were.
Will: Yeah, they were.
Micah: And what was the premiere like? I brought it up before, but I don’t think I ever asked you. Getting to Trafalgar Square it was, right? And seeing just the – I think David Yates had said that they found out later there was something like thirty thousand people there.
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: Yeah, it was ridiculous.
Arthur: Yeah, it was.
Will: We’ve got this one story, haven’t we, of where we…
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: There was the three of us, and we were just walking this…
Arthur: Me, Will, and Helena.
Will: Me, Will, and Helena – me, Arthur and Helena. [laughs]
Arthur: [laughs] Yeah.
Will: But yeah, we walked down – there was just this little sort of, I don’t know, side-road or something…
Arthur: Yeah, or like a…
Will: …where there was like a sort of – all the fans had gathered around the edges of that with barriers and all of that, and we – the three of us just walked down – started walking down this road, and everyone saw us and started screaming, [laughs] didn’t they?
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: So, that was just absolutely crazy to experience that.
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: And we’re probably – we’d be very lucky to experience that again because it was just really, really surreal.
Arthur: Yeah, it was.
Will: Yeah.
Micah: And what about your favorite spell?
Will: Oh, there’s so many! I don’t know. Oh, I don’t know, that’s really hard! What do you think?
Arthur: Wingardium Leviosa.
Will: [laughs] Wingardium Leviosa, yeah. I don’t know, Expelliarmus because Harry uses that all the time. [laughs]
Micah: Favorite creature?
Will: Oh, what are they called? The – it’s quite a girly thing to say, but I quite like the Pygmy Puffs. They’re quite groovy little things. We got little baskets, didn’t we?
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: From LeakyCon.
Arthur: Yeah, with the…
Will: With little Pygmy – we had little Pygmy Puffs, [laughs] which was quite cool.
Arthur: Mine is definitely like a troll because they’re the coolest things.
[Micah and Will laugh]
Will: With the whole snot thing.
Arthur: Yeah.
[Will laughs]
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: Yeah.
Arthur: That’s pretty cool.
[Will laughs]
Micah: And if you could have one of the Deathly Hallows, which one would it be?
Arthur: Cloak of Invisibility.
Will: Yeah, I’d go the same. Yeah, I think…
Micah: And what would you guys use that for? A bunch of mischief, I would assume?
Arthur and
Will:
Yes.
[Micah laughs]
Will: Oh, yes.
[Everyone laughs]
Micah: All right. Well, really, the only other question that I had left was, what are your guys’ future plans? Are you still going to look to continue to act? Do you have other hobbies that you’re involved with?
Arthur: Well, yeah. Hopefully I’m going to get an agent so I can do a bit more acting and…
Will: Yeah.
Arthur: Good news for Will.
Will: Yeah, I got one. [laughs]
Micah: Oh!
Will: An agent.
Arthur: Yeah, he’s got an agent.
Micah: Congratulations.
Will: Thank you very much. [laughs]
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: So, hopefully that’s going to give me some new pathways. But yeah, I just want to continue acting, continue just getting experience, I guess.
Arthur: Yeah, because it was…
Will: It was an amazing experience to be on Potter, but yeah, definitely want to keep on acting.
Arthur: Yeah, it probably isn’t going to be the same as that.
Will: No.
Arthur: But it was…
Will: Yeah, Potter was a ridiculous, ridiculous thing. [laughs]
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: Yeah.
Micah: And what have you guys been doing since ñ I guess since Leaky, but also really since the movie came out? Just kind of relaxing? Gearing up for school?
Will: Oh yeah, chilling out.
Arthur: Well, yeah, because I had my Common Entrance before…
Will: Had exams to get into school.
Arthur: Before the movie came out. Well, after the movie, I just started relaxing…
Will: Oh yeah.
Arthur: …and just hanging out with people.
Will: Slobbing out.
Arthur: Yeah…
Will: That’s how we do it. [laughs]
Arthur: …exactly.
Will: Yeah.
Micah: All right. Well, I appreciate you guys coming on the show, and if listeners want to follow you both on Twitter, where can they find you?
Arthur: I’m abowen1998.
Will: And I’m WillDunn_ then you’ve got an underscore after that because somebody else took the whole WillDunn without the underscore.
[Everyone laughs]
Micah: Yeah, you got the little underscore there at the end, people have got to remember that. But what we can do, also, is ó once we release the show, put both of your – both of those Twitter handles out for people and post it in the show notes as well. But really, guys, thanks so much for coming on, and you’re welcome to come back any time.
Will: Yeah. No, thanks. It’s been great.
Arthur: Thanks very much.
Will: Cheers for having us, Micah.
Micah: All right.
Will: All right.
Micah: All right, so we’ll edit that, and ñ I’m not exactly sure when the show will be released, but I can definitely shoot you guys a note and let you know.
Arthur: Okay, cool.
Will: Well, if you just DM me…
Micah: Yeah, yeah. And Arthur, you said you’re on Twitter as well?
Will: Yeah, I’ll let Arthur know.
Arthur: Yeah, just tell Will…
Will: In fact, I’ll give Arthur your account name so he can follow you so you can DM him as well.
Micah: Yeah, yeah, definitely. But, yeah – no, guys, I really appreciate you taking the time. I know you’re busy chilling and relaxing and…
Will: Yeah, we’re chilling, we are.
[Micah and Will laugh]
Will: Yeah. No, cheers for having us in. It was really good to come on.
Arthur: Yeah, it was good.
Will: Finally. [laughs]
Micah: Yeah, yeah. No, like I said, you guys are welcome back any time and…
Will: Yeah.
Micah: …come on when it’s not such a structured interview. We can just have you on and talk about the series, although, Arthur, you haven’t read it, so I don’t know!
[Everyone laughs]
Arthur: I sort of know the storyline.
Will: Yeah, he knows it. He’s seen the films.
Micah: Yeah, there you go. And Pottermore, at least – did you sign up? Did you say you signed up for Pottermore, or you didn’t? Not yet?
Will: I did, but…
Arthur: I haven’t.
Will: Yeah, he hasn’t, but I might give him a sneak peek. [laughs] Give him my account name or something like that.
Micah: You’d be getting backstory on stuff that you haven’t read, so… [laughs]
Will: Yeah, I know. But when is it public release? It’s like October or something, isn’t it?
Micah: Yeah, yeah, in October. But – yeah. No, that’s how you can experience it for the first time! I think you can read through most of the series all over again. So, that would be cool.
Will: It’s going to be awesome. Can’t wait for it! [laughs]
Micah: All right. All right, guys. Well, I know you said you had to catch a train back, so…
Will: Yeah. Got to go back. [laughs]
Micah: Did we get it in the right time frame there?
Will: Yeah, I think we’re fine.
Arthur: Yeah.
Will: Yeah, we’re absolutely fine. Absolutely fine. It was great. Yeah, perfect.
Micah: All right.
Will: All right. Well, great to speak to you.
Micah: All right, man. Take care, guys. Have a good day.
Arthur: Bye.
Will: And you. See you. Bye.
Andrew: All right. Micah, good job with your interview! That’s like practically three in three episodes.
Micah: Yeah. [laughs]
Andrew: You’ve been busy.
[Eric laughs]
Micah: Oh, yeah. Well, we’re going to keep going.
[Andrew laughs]
Micah: Just wait to see who’s on the next episode.
[Andrew and Eric laugh]
Andrew: Don’t say that.
Eric: Micah, you should interview your mom.
Micah: [laughs] What?
Eric: I want to know your mom. You should interview your mom for MuggleCast.
Micah: Okay. Well, I’ll make that happen.
[Eric and Micah laugh]
Eric: Anyway…
Micah: Yeah. But I thought – again, I mean, they’re really excited about the series. They’re really excited about being a part of the films and it was just cool getting a chance to talk with them. I thought it was interesting how Arthur said that he had never read the books, and he still hasn’t read the books…
Eric: He gave us such a good reason though. [laughs]
Micah: …because Voldemort scared him as a child when he was – I guess when he saw the first film.
Andrew: Mmm.
Micah: So…
Andrew: Poor guy.
Micah: Yeah. But there’s no reason not to read the books now.
Eric: Well, I think with Pottermore it’ll be a better experience, right? Because it’ll be…
Micah: Well, that’s what I told him. I said now you have Pottermore, you can experience everything at once.
Favorites
Andrew: All right, a couple of fun segments now. First, Favorites. Eric, favorite place in Hogwarts or on the grounds?
Eric: This is a tough one because there are very easy answers, right? Like Great Hall or Room of Requirement. But I think my favorite place in Hogwarts or on the grounds is probably the staircases. Yeah, the staircases. They’re very – well, I guess it would be like the movies, but the moving staircases are just a really cool touch to the castle.
Andrew: Micah?
Micah: I would say the Forbidden Forest just because it’s forbidden. You’re not supposed to go there.
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: Troublemaker.
Eric: Troublemaker.
Micah: Or on the Quidditch pitch.
Eric: Oh, Quidditch.
Micah: Go out to sporting events…
Eric: Of course.
Micah: …and support your team – I mean, your house.
Andrew: I think mine would be Dumbledore’s office because it’s just filled with so much wisdom and the Pensieve.
Eric: Hmm.
Andrew: All those books and Fawkes is there.
Eric: And past headmasters.
Micah: You would chill with the phoenix.
Andrew: I’d chill with the phoenix, yeah.
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: And now, favorite Horcrux? That’s an interesting question.
Eric: Hmm. I’ll say the diary. Is it sacrilege to not say Harry Potter?
[Andrew laughs]
Eric: [laughs] But yeah…
Andrew: That’s what I was going to say.
Eric: But yeah, the diary, absolutely. I think the coolest thing about the diary is that it was obviously a Horcrux, but that we didn’t know it was a Horcrux until Book 7. But it’s also the Horcrux we’ve heard the most from, I want to say, because it was not only a piece of soul in the context of, oh, it needs to be destroyed, but it was a piece of his soul that could really grow on its own, and that makes it really scary. So, favorite Horcrux is the diary.
Andrew: How about you, Micah?
Micah: Yeah, I would almost go with the ring, just because it also contained the Resurrection Stone and nobody knew that when – or I guess Dumbledore did know that, and that’s why he put it on. But yeah, I just think that the ring is cool. I mean, I think the easy-out is not Harry Potter, it’s the snake, right? Because everybody thinks snakes are cool, but no, I will go with the ring.
Andrew: Mine actually – I think the easy one, or at least mine, is Harry, just because it was a big question leading up to the book. “Is Harry a Horcrux?” We debated it a lot on MuggleCast and with our friends at Leaky on the Leaky Mug. I mean, it’s just…
Micah: Right.
Andrew: It was such a big crucial question and really, it created that whole scene in limbo. So, yeah, I’ll be predictable and say Harry Potter in this case.
Eric: I think it was a good reason.
Dueling Club: Marauders Edition
Andrew: So, now we will play the Dueling Club and this most recently happened on the live MuggleCast, Evanna Lynch took part in it. Eric, this is Marauders…
Micah: I was going to say something though, just – you brought up the one we did on the live show. But Andrew, I know we got stuck with Gandalf.
[Eric laughs]
Micah: Was it you who said Gandalf or was it Ben who said Gandalf?
Andrew: I can’t remember.
Micah: You know what we should have said? Which would have made the absolute most sense to say and I think we’re all – shame on us for not saying it, who we should have picked.
Eric: Oh, Luna!
Andrew: Yeah, who?
Micah: Yeah.
Eric: You should have picked Luna.
Andrew: Oh!
Eric: You should have picked Luna, because then you would have played against Evanna [laughs] who obviously wants Luna to succeed, right?
Andrew: Right.
Eric: I get it now.
Micah: All right. Anyway, sorry. Go ahead.
Eric: Right. So… [laughs]
Andrew: So, Marauders Edition, Eric.
Eric: But yeah, Dueling Club: Marauders Edition. So, we have to pick one of the Marauders to duel against each other. And if we pick the same one we’ve got to go again. So, do you two want to do it first?
Andrew: Sure.
Micah: Why not?
Eric: Andrew and Micah.
Micah: So, are we saying the names at the same time, or…
Eric: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Okay, so on the count of three, you each give your Marauder. One, two, three.
Andrew: James.
Micah: Wormtail.
[Andrew laughs]
Eric: Ooh.
Andrew: All right.
Eric: You’re going to defend Wormtail, Micah?
Micah: Yeah, why not?
Eric: All right. Okay, okay, okay. Go ahead, Andrew. Why would James beat Wormtail?
Andrew: Well – I mean, first of all I think it’s very obvious in terms of skill set. Or no, let’s start with personality. I mean, Pettigrew has always seemed like a very insecure person and I think that to actually fight James would be very nerve-wracking for him. I mean, we’ve seen his insecurities throughout the book, whether he was speaking to Voldemort or he was speaking to Sirius. I just think that he would not be able to fight in a duel against somebody as calm, cool, and collected as James Potter. And then, we could also talk about the skill set. I think that James is a much more experienced wizard. There’s a reason he got the girl: he got the looks, he’s the complete package. Thank you.
Eric: [laughs] You’re welcome. This message has been approved by Andrew Sims. Okay. So, go ahead, Micah. Why would Wormtail win in a duel?
Micah: Well, all Wormtail would have to do would be to turn into a rat and scurry away, so he wouldn’t even stay for the fight. [laughs]
Andrew: Oh, easy. Easy.
[Eric laughs]
Micah: Well, I think Wormtail is a very underestimated character in the series. I mean, his loyalty goes to those who he sees as holding the most power. I mean, at the end of the day, he would have to use more of his intellect, more of his cunning, to defeat somebody like James, which he ended up doing in the end anyway, and he’s the whole reason James and Lily are dead in the first place.
Eric: [laughs] Ohoho!
Micah: But we’re talking about a duel here between the two of them, and if we’re talking about them as Marauders, aside from the ability to turn into a rat and run away… [laughs]
Eric: Oh, you mean, like during their teen years?
Micah: …I don’t think he would stand much of a chance against James, to be honest. I am conceding in a way, but – giving my only reasoning being him being able to turn into an Animagus, and go run and hide.
Eric: Oh, okay.
Micah: Because you can’t take future events into consideration here, can you? I mean…
Eric: Well, so – well, yeah, by “Marauder’s Edition,” I meant like the characters who were the Marauders, not necessarily when they were the Marauders.
Micah: Yeah, but…
Eric: Like young James.
Micah: Right.
Eric: But yeah, I think…
Micah: So, I could say, yeah, he does end up killing him in the end, but that’s years down the line from when they would meet in this case.
Eric: Yeah, I – you know what? I think you both win, honestly. Good job.
Andrew: Oh. Aww, thanks.
[Eric laughs]
Micah: Well, that leaves two others.
Andrew: All right, so we’re going to do one more?
Eric: Yeah, we’ll do one more.
Andrew: All right, on three, both of you state your Marauders. One, two, three.
Eric: Sirius.
Micah: Wormtail.
Eric: [laughs] Oh, Sirius and Wormtail. Hmmm.
Andrew: Okay, Sirius versus Wormtail. Eric, why would Sirius win against Wormtail?
Eric: Sirius has that dark quality to him that allows him to play both the good side and the bad side. And I think that having – being James Potter’s best friend, he’s obviously spent the most time with James, more than Remus and more than Wormtail. And so if James is the best wizard in this hypothetical situation, Sirius would be the one who has learnt the most from him. And yeah, I just think that Sirius would probably be really relentless. He’d put up a good fight, whereas Wormtail might be a little bit more hesitant and cowardly, and not put up as good of a fight, or not be as into sort of winning. Sirius has kind of an obsessive quality to him, as evidenced by when he chases Wormtail for a whole year, that one time at Hogwarts later on. But yeah, whatever.
Andrew: All right. Micah?
Micah: He would pretend that something is wrong and want Sirius to help him, and when Sirius got close, he would just do some curse to him. I don’t know. He would trick him. I mean, I think that’s Pettigrew’s only quality, is just that he can manipulate and he would find a way to manipulate the situation. I mean, [laughs] maybe Remus would have been a better choice for this duel.
Eric: No, I admire you for picking Wormtail twice. That takes balls. But still I think – you’re right. I think Sirius and maybe even James or Remus have sort of a capacity for sympathy for Wormtail, right? Don’t they end up saying that the only reason Wormtail was their friend was because they kind of felt bad for him? So, I think there is that quality where Wormtail obviously, again, did deceive them, so it’s possible it could happen in a duel situation. Interesting.
Micah: Right, right, and I think that part of the argument for Wormtail would be is I think that of the whole Marauder trio that’s left, Remus would be the only one to take Wormtail seriously in a duel. I don’t think that James or Sirius would look on him as being a worthy adversary.
Eric: That’s true, and that would be a flaw.
Micah: Right, because you never underestimate your opponent.
What If
Andrew: Now it’s time for What If, and this was submitted by Mariam of Mississauga. What if Snape was sorted into Gryffindor? Would Snape have had a better chance of being with Lily? That’s the main question. Now, I think it’s an interesting What If, but we would also have to keep in mind that Snape would probably have a different personality or maybe have come from a different background.
Eric: Well, that’s the thing, isn’t it? That Snape really was…
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: …brave, which is why this What If kind of makes a lot of sense, right? Because if the hat would have chosen to – obviously, the hat saw this bravery or this capacity for bravery in eleven-year-old Snape, so if it had used that to sort him as opposed to his greasy nose or whatever, then maybe things would have been different, right? So – but at the same time, you’re right. I think Snape’s upbringing caused him to forever be that little edgy creature. It is said that Snape – or we see Snape crying when his mom and dad are in a verbally-abusive fight, an argument when Snape is very young, and I just think that his home life as a kid really affected how he saw the world. And the fact that he grew up with his parents detesting Mudbloods or whatever, he was able to use those terms a little bit more openly because he was familiar with them. Yeah, I think growing up in the isolation that he did kind of put the nail on the coffin for him being with Lily.
Micah: I think that also, though – let’s not forget that there are redeeming qualities about those who are in Slytherin, too. You can’t just say because he showed courage, he should have been in Gryffindor, right? I mean, who’s to say that somebody from Slytherin can’t do something great and can’t do something positive?
Eric: You mean, besides J.K. Rowling?
Micah: Why, you’re saying she’s in Slytherin? [laughs]
Eric: No, I mean – because you asked, “Who is saying that Slytherins can’t do something great?” and I said, “Besides J.K. Rowling,” because there are very few redemptive Slytherins, right? Snape is the only one.
Micah: Well, is he? I mean, Slughorn is not an evil character. Draco certainly – despite being an ass – is not – shows that he has redemptive qualities as well.
Eric: Speaking of ass, I think you just handed mine to me. So… [laughs]
Micah: Narcissa, I’m assuming was in Slytherin. Clearly, she’s not completely evil. And I’m sure there’s others, and I’m sure Pottermore will provide insight. I’m sure there’s others I’ve left out in the series that listeners can point out, too.
Eric: Okay. So, back to Snape.
Micah: So, Snape. Yeah, I mean, would he have had a better chance of being with Lily? I don’t know. [laughs] Maybe?
Andrew: Maybe. We’ll never know.
Eric: Very interesting.
Andrew: Yeah, he did.
[Eric laughs]
Listener Tweets
Andrew: Yeah. Well, yeah, that was an interesting discussion, and thank you again to Mariam for suggesting that. To wrap up the show, we have two more segments. First of all, we asked on Twitter – those who follow us on Twitter, Twitter.com/MuggleCast, “What do you think of Pottermore?” And we got some responses. Ashdc wrote:
“Pottermore is fun. The graphics are amazing. All the scenes are beautiful. But I got screwed over on the sorting! Wrong house.”
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: She didn’t say what house, though. So – Muttindale wrote:
“Disappointed in the impreciseness of the sorting. It seems to be hit and miss. Apart from that, I’m like a kid in a candy store.”
Charliane wrote:
“I love it, but I’m awful at brewing potions. Hoping for more activities and some of the Moments.”
goldentriox wrote:
“Beautiful pictures and great new content. It lacks music and interactivity throughout the story. Potion-making is awesome. Slytherin for the win.”
That’s another thing I wanted to talk about, the music.
Eric: Is there music?
Andrew: It’s a silent website.
Eric: Oh.
Andrew: Completely, as far as I can tell.
Eric: Well, did Jo draw the art or did somebody else draw the art? Is that Jo’s art because…
Andrew: Jo did not…
Eric: Okay.
Andrew: …draw the art. [laughs]
Eric: Well, because she draws, right? I mean, she…
Andrew: But not that well.
Eric: Okay. [laughs] Well, there are always sketches from Jo, so I wondered if that was part of the intrigue on Pottermore. But if there’s no music – now, I would prefer they didn’t play the film music, actually, on…
Andrew: Yeah, that would be…
Eric: …Pottermore, right?
Andrew: …too predictable.
Eric: But something might be better than nothing.
Andrew: Yeah, and no sound effects either, I don’t think. Maybe I’m missing it. But I haven’t heard any sound effects, so it’s a bit odd but it’s Beta. Maybe they’ll add it. If they do go back and add it later, it’ll be a big pain in the butt because there’s just so much in there. So, we’ll see. Continuing on with a couple of more responses here.
“I think I need to…”
Oh, no. That girl didn’t get in.
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: Sorry, ConceitedKatelin. [laughs]
“I love it! J.K. I don’t have one. Sad face.”
That’s from Emily20. Here’s a negative one. Righto says:
“At first, Pottermore was great and exciting and wonderful and special. Now, it’s annoying and boring.”
Eric: Whoa.
Andrew: Yeah, that’s a bit hurtful. hrk85, Hilary wrote:
“I thought Potions on the Wii ‘Half-Blood Prince’ game was hard. Wii has got nothing on Pottermore. No wonder Seamus blew things up.”
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: And like I said earlier, you have to be very precise with the potion, and in the specific order in doing this and that, and if not, it’s all over.
Eric: Is it mouse-clicking or is it keyboards, or what?
Andrew: Yeah, it’s mouse-clicking.
Eric: Oh, okay.
Spy on Spartz
Andrew: It’s – yeah, but it’s sort of like timing and all these other aspects. So, those are some people who contacted us on Twitter.com/MuggleCast after we asked them what they thought of Pottermore. Feel free to follow us on Twitter and we keep you updated on the show that way. And final segment of the day: a Spy on Spartz.
Eric: No way. Spy on Spartz, such a long time. Emerson Spartz is getting married, actually, in a couple of weeks. I think it’s over Labor Day weekend, and he is tying the knot. He is, of course, MuggleNet’s webmaster who began the site in 1999 when he was just a young itty-bitty homeschooler from Indiana. And now he’s getting married, the next chapter of his life. And Emerson, of course, runs Spartz Inc. which is a series of websites, not just MuggleNet. And he lives in Chicago, Illinois and he is getting married over Labor Day weekend, so that is a Spy on Spartz.
Andrew: Oh. Well, congratulations to Emerson, and we wish him and Gaby well. So, that’s it for MuggleCast Episode 238. A reminder, you can go to MuggleCast.com to get all the information you need about this show. On the right, you’ll find links to our iTunes, our Twitter which is Twitter.com/MuggleCast…
[Show music begins]
Andrew: …our Facebook which is Facebook.com/MuggleCast, and our fan Tumblr which is MuggleCast.Tumblr.com. And also on the MuggleCast website, you can click on “Contact” at the top to get a feedback form where you can contact us. Well, again, that’s all on MuggleCast.com. Thanks everyone for listening! I’m Andrew Sims.
Eric: I’m Eric Scull.
Micah: And I’m Micah Tannenbaum.
Andrew: We’ll see you next time for Episode 239. Buh-bye.
Micah: Bye.
Eric: Bye.
[Show music continues]