Transcript for MuggleCast Episode #729, Agent Harry (HBP Chapter 7, The Slug Club)
Cold Open
Andrew: The premise is so silly, because it’s like, “Guys, Voldemort is a terrible person, but he would never ask a 16-year-old to become a Death Eater.” What? This guy murders people! He tried to murder a child!
Show Intro
[Show music plays]
Andrew Sims: Welcome to MuggleCast, your weekly ride into the world of Harry Potter. I’m Andrew.
Eric Scull: I’m Eric.
Micah Tannenbaum: And I’m Micah.
Andrew: Laura is gone this week, but she’ll be back next week, and we are your Harry Potter friends talking about the books and the movies and the upcoming TV show, so make sure you press that follow button in your favorite podcast app and you’ll never miss a week with your Harry Potter friends. And this week, don’t even bother trying to convince your best friends that your arch nemesis is up to no good. Our highly-acclaimed Chapter by Chapter continues with Chapter 7 of Half-Blood Prince, “The Slug Club.” And before we continue, if you love the show and want to help keep this show tasting better than a mouthful of cold pheasant, we invite you to become a member of our community at Patreon.com/MuggleCast. By joining, you’ll receive two bonus episodes of the show every month, plus ad-free episodes, access to our livestreams, a personal video “Thank you” message from one of the four MuggleCasters, a gift delivered by owl each year, and much more. We couldn’t do it without you, so thank you so much. And if you’re looking for other ways to support us, you can leave us a review in your favorite podcast app, you can tell a fellow Muggle about our show, or you can visit MuggleCastMerch.com to buy official show gear. And like I said, this week we’re discussing “The Slug Club” chapter of Half-Blood Prince, and we have a Slug Club alumni here from our Slug Club on Patreon. Welcome back to the show, Nicole!
Nicole: Thank you! I’m so excited to be here.
Andrew: You and I actually ran into each other at Epic Universe last week. Coincidentally, you were going to be in the park the same day that I was, so a very happy coincidence. And I’m going to be talking about the new Ministry of Magic land at Epic Universe this week, so I thought, “Well, let’s have you on to help me talk about it!” So we’re thrilled to have you back. You were actually last on the show in October 2018; this is old hat for you.
Nicole: Right.
[Andrew and Nicole laugh]
Eric: Yeah, hopefully you still remember how to do this from seven years ago.
[Andrew laughs]
Nicole: I might. I will try. [laughs]
Micah: We don’t even remember how to do it and we did it last week, so don’t worry.
Eric: [laughs] Honestly, we have a document we follow every week. But Nicole, I also wanted to say that you’ve been a patron of ours since day one, and so we know that you’re… we’re very grateful to you for your support of the show throughout all of these years, and it’s very exciting to get to talk to you again on here.
Nicole: Thank you.
Wizarding World Epic Universe
Andrew: We’re going to start today’s episode by talking about the new Harry Potter Wizarding World land at Epic Universe. It opened earlier this year, and Universal’s Epic Universe features four themed lands. They have Dark Universe, which is a monsters-themed land; they have Super Nintendo World, which I was also very excited to see; they have Isle of Berk, which is a How to Train Your Dragon-themed land; and then, of course, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Ministry of Magic. This land is the most beautiful Wizarding World land of the three. Even though the land is called Ministry of Magic, the land is primarily set in 1920s Paris; it’s just the ride itself that is Ministry of Magic-themed. Micah, Eric, when I stepped into this land, I was not expecting this; my jaw was on the floor. I was blown away. Whereas Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley… with all due respect to the England Wizarding World lands, they have a rugged feel; they have a worn-down feel. The Ministry of Magic land set in France, beautiful from top to bottom. I was just in awe!
Eric: What’s the main view, then? Because there’s a very iconic view when you’re in Hogsmeade; it’s the shops, and in the background you see Hogwarts. When it’s Diagon Alley, you go around the brick and you see Gringotts with the dragon. What’s the view of Ministry of Magic in Paris?
Andrew: Paris!
Eric: Are there gardens? Is it like Versailles? What is it?
Andrew: Just… it’s Wizarding World Paris, so there’s just all this art everywhere. It’s so clean. It feels modern, even though it’s 1920s Paris. In the distance, you do also see – when you first walk in – you see a circus tent where a show is that Nicole will speak to later. Nicole, were you equally surprised by how beautiful this land was?
Nicole: Yeah, especially… you don’t get the same nostalgic feeling that you do walking into Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade, but it still is beautiful. And I was surprised how much I enjoyed it as well, with it not being probably our favorite movie, or that sentimental like the other lands. It almost feels like I wish they had waited longer for the other ones, you know? It’s almost like it’s kind of… I don’t want to say it’s wasted on Fantastic Beasts, but to have all of that effort and money put into this… it is beautiful. It’s like, “Oh, if they had put that much into the other parks, that would have been nice to have that Harry Potter feel.” But I mean, it is still beautiful.
Andrew: Yeah. So I got food right away; I went to Cafe L’air de la Sirène. Again, left my jaw on the floor. It was just beautiful in there. I got the egg quiche, which was very good. They also had a turkey sandwich, which I was very tempted to try, but I didn’t. And just the food is served on this really nice plate. You use real silverware, which was also the case in the How to Train Your Dragon land, Isle of Berk. Epic Universe just feels like a step above every other theme park I’ve been to, honestly, and I had spent four days at Disney World, and I was like, “Disney World has some catching up to do. This is just way better.” [laughs] Jumping to the Battle of the Ministry ride… so this is a dark ride. It’s the big ride at the land. You’re witnessing the trial of Dolores Umbridge, but she does break free and causes chaos, and that’s, of course, the crux of the ride.
Eric: Ahh.
Andrew: I would say it’s got the best animatronics yet that I’ve seen across the Wizarding World lands. They’re very fluid. You see Death Eater animatronics, Umbridge, Harry and Ron…
Eric: So wait, animatronic, but people animatronic? Is this like Pirates of the Caribbean?
Andrew: Yeah, right.
Eric: Okay, interesting.
Andrew: But much more fluid than some of the stuff I’ve seen at Disney.
Micah: Did Imelda Staunton actually film parts for this ride?
Andrew: Yes, that is what we have heard.
Micah: That’s cool.
Andrew: The trio does appear, too, but I think you could tell they were more CGI; they recreated them. But they looked good, and they sounded good too. We’ve talked on the show about how Hermione on the Hogwarts Express train doesn’t sound like Hermione. This time, maybe because technology has gotten better, the trio really sounded like themselves.
Eric: Oh.
Andrew: Were you going to say something, Nicole?
Nicole: I was just going to say the Death Eaters in particular, because they had a mask on… Umbridge and Harry and Ron, because you could see their faces, if you look at them, like, “Okay, those aren’t real people.” But the Death Eaters, it looked like they put a real actor in the ride, because you couldn’t see their face. That’s how fluid and good they looked. You could really believe that was a real person in there.
Andrew: Yeah, definitely. There’s also… a lot of the rides, like the other two rides at the other Wizarding World lands, rely a lot on screens, but the screens in this ride… I don’t know if they were… we’ve all heard about 4K TVs. These were, like, 8K screens, it seemed to me.
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: The resolution was insane, and it just offered a very realistic experience, like what you were witnessing was truly right in front of you. So I was very impressed by that as well.
Eric: Well, that’s something that the technology has come so far, even since Battle of Hogwarts ride, or sorry, the original Hogsmeade ride that was in the castle. Because I remember… I think, Andrew, we went to Avatar land together ten years ago, or a few years later.
Andrew: I think so, yeah.
Eric: And that was the only time I rode the Avatar ride, where you’re riding the flying creatures and their screens are kind of a curved screen above and below you, and I thought that was the next evolution step up. The wind is blowing; it’s the most amazing thing I had ever seen. Couple years later, Gringotts comes out. A couple years later, we got this. That is something that is always improving. I’m very excited.
Andrew: Definitely. And no 3-D, thank goodness.
Eric: Oh.
Andrew: I’m not a fan of 3-D rides. So Nicole, where would you rank Battle of the Ministry, the ride, compared to the other Harry Potter rides?
Nicole: I would say it’s number two. You can’t top Hagrid’s; I think that is the best ride in Orlando. Not even just Universal; like, across all the theme parks.
Eric: Oooh.
Andrew: Wow.
Nicole: But I feel like this is a solid second. I mean, I really lucked out, too, because I got front and center on this ride. And the animatronics, I think, are just insane. So even though it’s not as thrilling or as advanced as Hagrid’s is, I think that really, really did it for me. And it’s not as nauseating, like Forbidden Journey.
Andrew: Agreed. Forbidden Journey really throws you around, whereas this one… you’re kind of still sitting in the same type of position you are for Forbidden Journey, but this one, yeah, it just doesn’t bring you backwards and stuff like that. The ride vehicle looks like the Tower of Terror ride vehicle, but it doesn’t do the dropping up and down like Tower of Terror would.
Eric: Yeah, I think they learned their lesson. Now, Nicole, just as a sidebar, when you ride the Hagrid ride at Orlando, do you choose the sidecar or the motorbike?
Nicole: Oh, I choose the sidecar now, because I did the motorbike the first time, and that was too much for me.
[Andrew and Micah laugh]
Nicole: I’m kind of a baby.
Eric: Understood, understood.
Micah: See, the only time I’ve ridden Hagrid’s was with Eric, who was nice enough to gift me the motorbike. But now I’m having second thoughts based on what Nicole just said.
Andrew: Oh.
Micah: I feel like I need to try the sidecar.
Nicole: No, you have to try the motorbike. You have to try. But being exposed, it feels a lot more intense than it does in the sidecar.
Micah: Ahh. Well, yeah, and I can probably drop the photo in the Discord, but you can see me literally… I’m hanging on for dear life.
[Andrew and Micah laugh]
Andrew: Yeah. So I agree, Nicole. I don’t know Orlando theme parks good enough to say that Hagrid’s Motorbike… [takes a deep breath] Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is the best ride in Orlando, but definitely amongst the Wizarding World lands, definitely number one for me. So I would put Battle of the Ministry at number two or three. I really like the Diagon Alley ride, the one set in Gringotts, because there is a bit of a coaster element to that one. But this one, I think you nailed it. Forbidden Journey makes me too nauseous, whereas this one did not.
Eric: So how about the actual walking through of the Ministry atrium? Is that part of the queue for the ride?
Andrew: So cool, yes.
Eric: Is that big? Is it a long walk?
Andrew: It’s stunning. The Ministry of Magic atrium is very impressive. They have this little Floo Powder effect; you go through a fireplace and green smoke shoots up, and then you get into the Ministry of Magic. And that was a jaw-on-the-floor moment, for sure. What I also really appreciated is that when you exit the ride, you go back through the atrium. Normally, when you’re going through these queues, you don’t revisit the cool spots.
Eric: Right.
Andrew: But with this, you did, and it was a perfect opportunity… I parked myself right by the Fountain of Magical Brethren and I posed for a picture there after the ride. So I thought that was a really nice, thoughtful touch.
Eric: That’s cool.
Andrew: Also, Micah promised me a butterbeer. Thank you for the butterbeer, Micah.
Micah: Oh, you’re welcome.
Andrew: I got a nice French butterbeer mug. I also went to another bar in the Ministry of Magic land, and it came with a special cup. It came in a special glass; I didn’t have to upgrade or anything, and I took it home as a souvenir. What was the name of that bar? Bar Moonshine, I went to, and it came in almost a souvenir mug.
Eric: Those aren’t French words! [laughs]
Andrew: The other bar there is Le Goblet Noir. That’s also a place where you can grab some food. Bar Moonshine was like an American-themed bar, sports bar, because they had all these pennants for American states, but set in the 1920s, so that was interesting.
Eric: Ahh.
Andrew: One thing at the new Wizarding World land that I didn’t get to experience because the timing wasn’t working out for me was Le Cirque Arcanus, and this is a circus show within the new land. Nicole, you did go and check it out. How was it?
Nicole: Yes, it was incredible. I feel like if I didn’t make it on the ride for whatever reason, but I got to experience this, I would have still had a pretty good day.
Andrew: Wow.
Nicole: It was that good. Like the ride, the animatronics are incredible. And I am someone who I watched so many videos, ride points of view of Epic Universe, but I was completely unspoiled on this, and that was so worth it. So if you’re planning a trip in the next year – or ever, maybe – I would not look it up, because I really appreciated it, especially not knowing what was going to happen other than that we were going to see some beasts.
Andrew: That’s really cool. I did end up peeking at it on YouTube because I wanted to talk about it on the show, but I’m glad you actually saw it. There’s real circus acts happening within this! [laughs]
Nicole: Yeah!
Andrew: I’m impressed. So really cool, yeah, next time I definitely want to witness this myself.
Nicole: Yes, and you do have to get in line pretty early too. We got in line maybe 30 minutes before the show. You do have to set aside a good amount of time for it.
Andrew: That was the problem for me, and I spent a half hour waiting for food. I was trying to knock out as much as possible in one day. [laughs] But I’m glad you got to see it. And I will say, there’s one… let’s call it maybe an unexpected cameo; I was not expecting it myself until I saw it in the YouTube video, so I think people will be very pleasantly surprised by the show. Even though I was really impressed by Epic Universe and this new Wizarding World land, I have to say that nearly every ride I went on at Epic Universe that day had some sort of issue, and I think they still need some time to work out the kinks with the rides. So my suggestion for people would be to wait probably another year, unless you already have tickets to the park, and maybe in that case, you might want to upgrade to get the express passes, which is their equivalent of the fast passes, because it is just not… they’re still working out a lot of issues. But again, the park is so beautiful. They’re ahead of Disney World, and I can’t wait to go back. There’s more I need to explore.
Eric: What’s your take size-wise? Because we’ve all walked around both of the other Orlando Harry Potter parks. How big is this comparatively, would you say?
Andrew: I’d say it’s similar to the other two Wizarding World lands, yeah. I’m not a huge theme park nerd, but my understanding is that Epic Universe actually has fewer rides than the other parks at Universal, so they need to also add some more rides so they can handle more people within Epic Universe.
Eric: Oh, I see. Yeah, they started counting theme parks by attractions, which can include live performances and all sorts of stuff, so that’s something that we’ve been kind of loosely tracking over the last 15 years, is like, “Oh, they opened up a whole new land and it’s got one ride!” And it’s like, “But five attractions!” It’s like, “Mm, okay. Light show on the castle?”
Andrew: Right. And speaking of issues, it took a really long time to get my quiche in the morning, which sucked because I’m trying to get moving, going to different rides and stuff. We had to wait a good half hour. My brother and his girlfriend ordered some food, too, and that took… it was way too long for something that you sit down at the table of your choice, you mobile order, and then you have to wait a half hour with no updates? That was not good.
Nicole: I did have one other Epic Universe tip from a local, because this is not in the app, and Universal doesn’t advertise it anywhere. This isn’t in Harry Potter; it’s in Celestial Park in The Plastered Owl. It’s the bar that’s in The Oak & Star Tavern restaurant, and they have a live music, dueling guitar type of show where they’ll sing regular songs, too, but they do some improv and will kind of make songs up and take suggestions from the audience, so you could kind of curate a Harry Potter type of show if you’re in the audience and making those suggestions.
Andrew: Oh, very cool.
Nicole: So I thought that…
Eric: That’s awesome.
Andrew: I love the name “The Plastered Owl.” That’s actually what I call Micah most nights of the week.
[Andrew and Nicole laugh]
Eric: It’s true.
Andrew: I also went to the tiki bar near Celestial Park in Epic Universe. That was a great time too. Very delicious drinks. And again, the drinks are served in these unique… they’re plastic, but they’re tiki glasses! For no extra charge. I thought that was so cool. All right, so that is our review for now of Epic Universe and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Ministry of Magic. Again, really impressive. They raised the bar for the Harry Potter lands, and Universal is just raising the bar with theme parks in general. I was very, very impressed.
Chapter by Chapter: Pensieve
Andrew: All right, time for Chapter by Chapter, and this week we’re discussing Half-Blood Prince Chapter 7, “The Slug Club.”
Eric: Yes, and our Pensieve segment takes us back to the last time we talked about Chapter 7, on MuggleCast 387, titled “Evil Pickett,” for October 1, 2018. This clip references another exclusive club.
Dumbledore: What you are looking at are memories. This is the most important memory I’ve collected. It is from MuggleCast Episode 387.
[Sound of memory uncorking]
[Sound of plunging into Pensieve]
Eric: … an invitation to lunch, and the invitation comes from an H.E.F. Slughorn, which is weird. I don’t think we ever find out what Slughorn’s full name is.
Micah: That’s a good question, but I just thought about, well, maybe he’s like the wizarding world’s version of the Hef. Of Hugh Hefner, right? He throws these extravagant parties, he dresses up in these extravagant clothes, and everybody knows who Hugh Hefner is, right?
Andrew and Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: Playboy.
Eric: Well, that imagery of him being in a robe, like a silk robe, kind of fits me for…
Micah: Smoking a cigar?
Eric: Yeah, picturing Slughorn. Absolutely.
Micah: I doubt that there’s any correlation whatsoever, [laughs] but it’s just funny that his initials are H.E.F.
[Sound of exiting Pensieve]
Dumbledore: This memory is everything.
Eric: So interesting connection there, and we did find out eventually through one of the released books from Pottermore Presents Number 2 – it’s not how it sounds; it’s just the second of the Pottermore presents booklet – that Slughorn’s full name is Horace Eugene Flaccus Slughorn.
Micah: Flaccus actually means floppy-eared.
Andrew: Oh.
Eric: Like a bunny.
Micah: Like a bunny, yeah.
Andrew: Or an elephant.
Micah: Yeah, elephant’s probably more appropriate for Slughorn. He’s not really the bunny type.
Andrew: No.
Eric: But Playboy bunny.
Micah: Oh, true.
Andrew: There you go.
Eric: Is what we were talking about. We were just talking about Playboy.
Chapter by Chapter: Main Discussion
Micah: All right, so let’s jump into Chapter 7, “The Slug Club.” How appropriate that it’s also Chapter 7.
Andrew: Very lucky to be invited to join the Slug Club.
Micah: Very lucky. So this chapter begins with poor Harry trying his best to convince his friends that something is up with Draco. There’s something about Draco. Nobody wants to listen to what Harry has to say, and instead of being excited about going back to Hogwarts, Harry is laser focused on Draco Malfoy. And I wanted to ask, do we think that Ron and Hermione specifically not believing him – despite some pretty reliable evidence – does this all stem from what happened at the end of Order of the Phoenix, where he was so convinced that Voldemort had taken Sirius and he leads his friends on this wild goose chase that likely could have gotten all of them killed?
Eric: I don’t know. They all saw the same thing! That’s what’s wild to me, is that they all were there, listening to Malfoy, seeing Malfoy do what he did. And it’s just throughout the beginning of this chapter, Harry is like, “I think he’s a Death Eater; I think he’s doing this,” and they’re just not having it. They can’t be convinced either way.
Andrew: Yeah. It’s tricky for me because I do think that it does have to do with the end of Order of the Phoenix, with Harry just sort of… well, at the end of Order of the Phoenix, he made a huge mistake, and now Harry is possibly, in the eyes of Ron and Hermione, jumping to conclusions, and they’re going to tackle Harry’s concerns differently this time. They’re not just going to follow his lead, because of what happened in the last book. I also think that Hermione and Ron wouldn’t want to bring up what’s going on in their minds; like, “Oh, we don’t trust you because of Order of the Phoenix, because of what happened last year.”
Eric: Right, like, “Your track record is no longer perfect, Harry. Sorry.”
Andrew: Yeah. He knows he screwed up; he doesn’t need to be reminded of it.
Eric: I wonder if it isn’t also something of like Ron and Hermione really just can’t internalize that times have changed? I feel like so much of reading this, I’m like, they’re still in their end of year four mindset where, “Voldemort is back; it’s horrible for everyone, but Dumbledore is on it, the Order exists, and they’re coming to save the day. Voldemort’s only followers are the ones he had last time.” And even just the events of the Ministry; they may even be relieved that Lucius Malfoy has been arrested, discredited, fallen from grace. They feel comfort in that, whereas Harry realizes that this isn’t over. The fat lady portrait of Gryffindor tower has not sung yet, and Voldemort is going to need to recruit more people. And this is where I think Ron and Hermione are still stuck in the end of year four stuff. Harry, talking about maybe Draco becoming a Death Eater, is realizing that although the pieces may change, the game is still very much afoot. And we know from the beginning of this book that giants are in the picture now, and Voldemort is more dangerous now than he ever has been, but I think that Ron and Hermione need to update their internal systems to be able to realize that this reality is how things are, but Harry is 100% on it. The rules of last year – like, “Dumbledore’s got this; it’s fine” – they no longer apply, and somebody like Draco could be a Death Eater. He is a Death Eater.
Andrew: Yeah. Well, and I would like to know what Ron and Hermione actually think Draco is up to, because they don’t exactly present any alternative ideas.
Eric: Right!
Andrew: They’re just like, “I don’t know, Harry, but it is awfully suspicious what he seems to be up to.”
Micah: That’s a fair point. I’m actually a little bit disappointed in both Ron and Hermione in this scene, and not only that, but it perpetuates throughout the course of Half-Blood Prince, where they’re actively choosing not to believe Harry, even though he’s presenting with some relatively solid evidence. This all could have been solved, right? By pulling up Draco’s sleeve.
Eric: Just get in there!
[Andrew laughs]
Micah: It would have ended all the speculation.
Andrew: Right. When you’re hiding in the train car, just drop down and pull the sleeve on your way down! The only other thing I’d add is I guess Ron and Hermione’s forcefulness in how convinced they are that Harry is wrong is meant to misdirect the reader, because in that case, it becomes an even bigger surprise as we go on through the book that Draco actually is up to no good.
Eric: Yeah, it’s super believable that everything Harry is saying about him is true, but their unwillingness to jump on board is kind of interference, the part of, “Oh, okay, what else could it be?”
Andrew: And then again, we do get the earlier chapter where we see Snape making the Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa, so we as the reader know that Draco is up to something. It doesn’t make sense. It is frustrating. I’m disappointed too, Micah, in Ron and Hermione.
Micah: Well, a past experience that Ron and Hermione could draw upon in this moment – putting Order of the Phoenix aside – is Chamber of Secrets, because for a good portion of that book, Harry believed that Draco was the Heir of Slytherin, and that proved to be false. And so I’m wondering, are Ron and Hermione thinking back to year two? And it’s one of those situations where “You always think it’s Draco; you always think he’s up to no good.”
Eric: Right, because they’ve said the same about Snape. “You’re always suspecting Snape! It’s never Snape!”
[Andrew laughs]
Eric: And they put that in his face a couple of times, and it’s never great when they do.
Andrew: “You watch too much true crime, Harry. You’re suspicious of everybody.”
[Eric laughs]
Micah: So as we move through Half-Blood Prince, we’ll definitely be keeping an eye on certain themes, certain things that we can connect back to Chamber of Secrets, and this is definitely one of them.
Eric: But I mean, Micah, you pointed out the evidence is really compelling. Harry points out that it’s actually Malfoy’s left arm that he showed him, and Harry, in piecing the clues together… like, “He talked of a pair of things and the other’s in the shop.” Harry has been in the cabinet in Borgin and Burkes before; we know all of the pieces are here. And yeah, Ron and Hermione’s unwillingness to believe Harry, or to get on board, or say, “Okay, something is afoot here,” other than, “Yeah, that’s suspicious; let’s ignore it,” is disappointing. But my question is – or my next question regarding this – is there a sixth sense that Harry has strictly due to the Horcrux connection with Voldemort? Now, there’s no way that Harry knows; Harry hasn’t seen Voldemort interacting with Draco, but we also heard, I think from Dumbledore, that Voldemort is actively practicing Occlumency on Harry. So Harry is not going to get these visions, but because Voldemort knows that Draco is a Death Eater, Harry knows. He doesn’t know how he knows, but he knows-knows. He knows, knows, knows, knows, knows, because of this connection. So I think that when it comes to Harry, he’s like, “Oh my God, it was the Dark Mark. He’s a Death Eater.” The reason why he’s so hooked on it is because, again, that connection, that sixth sense tells him that he’s 100% right; he’s just having so much trouble convincing Ron and Hermione because they don’t have that same connection, that same knowledge.
Andrew: Yeah, it’s a really interesting question. I do think there is something there, Eric, that Harry does have this sixth sense, but he can’t put his finger on it. It’s just like… it’s in the Force. Use the Force, Harry. It’s just out there. [laughs]
Eric: Yes! You know it to be true. Search your feelings.
[Andrew and Eric laugh]
Andrew: But the tricky part for Harry is he has to show evidence. He can’t just be like, “Well, I got a feeling.” And Hermione and Ron are going to be like, “Uh, no.” Hermione is booksmart. You’ve got to go with evidence.
Eric: Even the evidence that they just all saw! Again, they don’t have an alternate theory here. Like, “That was suspicious,” but that’s the end of it. They just don’t care. They don’t… and it’s not that they’re bad friends; it’s almost out of character, actually, that they don’t care. Ron was supposed to be this great strategist, after all; remember his chess game at the end of year one? And I think if that character trait had stayed true throughout the whole series, Ron would be pretty invested in figuring out where the pieces were currently set on Voldemort’s side right now. He would be right there alongside Harry, going, “You’re right, this is awful, and Malfoy very much could be this. Let’s keep talking about it.” Instead, he’s the biggest voice of dissent, going, “A 16-year-old can’t be a Death Eater, Harry.”
Andrew: That is so frustrating to me.
Micah: [laughs] So let’s talk about that, then, because this is one of the pieces of evidence that are given against Draco being a Death Eater. We hear it from Ron and Hermione; we also hear it from Arthur Weasley, and so is there a cutoff? Can you not become a Death Eater until you’re 18 years old? 21?
Eric: Is there an age limit?
Andrew: [laughs] Well, the premise is so silly, because it’s like, “Guys, Voldemort is a terrible person, but he would never ask a 16-year-old to become a Death Eater.” What? This guy murders people! He tried to murder a child! He does not care what age Draco is.
Micah: It’s actually brilliant, if you think about it, to recruit younger Death Eaters, to put them inside of Hogwarts to be operating on his behalf unbeknownst, presumably, to Dumbledore. It’s actually a really smart move, so the fact that… let’s put Ron and Hermione aside for a second; the fact that somebody who’s in the Order like Arthur believes this almost to be preposterous, is…
Andrew: You’re saying it’s brilliant because nobody would suspect Draco or any other 16-year-old?
Micah: Yeah, well, I’m saying the whole idea of recruiting youth is a brilliant idea, in this case, for Voldemort, because he would be tapping into a whole different group than he did previously. And if you think about it, he would want people inside of Hogwarts to inform him on what’s going on. He assumes he has Snape, right? Okay, fine. But the students know a lot more about what’s going on in the school than the professors do. That much has been proven over the first five books. [laughs]
Eric: Yeah, no, and what we learn about Voldemort in this book is that, I mean, he started killing when he was 15 or 16. He killed his parents – or his dad, anyway, his Muggle father and his whole family – when he was about that same age. And Crabbe and Goyle’s dads are both Death Eaters, too, like Malfoy’s dad is a Death Eater. Hermione and Ron really should be asking themselves what Draco is going to be when he grows up, because this entire time… they’ve known Draco for five plus years, and this 100% tracks with what Draco was always going to be. He was always going to grow into a Death Eater like his dad. He’s just as prejudiced, he’s just as horrid, he’s just as awful. Why is it so unbelievable that if Lucius were to step aside or be thwarted, that Draco wouldn’t immediately put the mask on that was dropped by his dad departing? Malfoy has no other career prospects than this, so why is it so unbelievable that this could be the case?
Micah: It’s just a frustration point for Harry. There’s no question. And I don’t even know who the first person is to actually believe him in this moment; we may not be getting it for several hundred pages at this point. But I did want to bring up Mr. Weasley again, because it’s almost like in the scene between the two of them, before he gets onto the Hogwarts Express, that he’s placating him, he’s not taking him seriously, and honestly, I expect more. I know we were talking earlier, expecting more about from Ron and Hermione; I expect more from Mr. Weasley. Now, credit to him, he does go and raid the manor again, but he doesn’t seem like he believes Harry in this moment, or that he’s going to be taking him seriously.
Andrew: Yeah, I mean, especially after Harry just lost a father figure in Sirius, especially after Dumbledore was largely out of the picture in Order of the Phoenix, Arthur knows he needs some father figures who are going to take him seriously, and yeah, Arthur just isn’t there for him. So I agree with you.
Eric: I appreciate, too, this little correspondence that they have. Really, Arthur is Harry’s inside man in the Ministry, [laughs] which I appreciate, but I get the sense, especially here, that Arthur is not… and we see this from government officials; they’re not there to meet the moment. They’re not able to meet the moment as it’s needing to be met. So Harry delivers this information, even to somebody who’s vaguely the right person, and certainly an Order member can relay that to other Ministry officials who are Order members. But it’s either so unbelievable or it just hits it at the exact wrong way, where Arthur really isn’t able to do anything about it. If he raids the manor… that’s all he can do. He keeps doing that; that’s not going to uncover anything that it’s not supposed to.
Andrew: By the way, concerning young wizards becoming Death Eaters, there’s a couple people in the Discord bringing up good points. Kamilah said, “Lucius and Snape and all of them were super young when they joined the Death Eaters.”
Eric: Uh-huh.
Andrew: And Carlee is bringing up that Barty Crouch, Jr. was around 19; Regulus was a teenager too… so thank you to our patrons listening live on Discord tonight, bringing up these great points. And Arthur should know this! Okay, maybe Ron and Hermione don’t, but Arthur should.
Eric: Yeah, yeah, troubled youths are at risk for becoming radicalized, and if your dad’s a Death Eater… I’m just saying, if Draco was always on that path, why is it so shocking to Ron and Hermione that Harry thinks it’s the case now? When there’s actually… for 15 years, there wasn’t a Voldemort to defend or rally alongside; now there is. If Malfoy was ever going to do it, it’s going to be this year and the next.
Andrew: And what good will has Draco ever earned in the eyes of Ron and Hermione? There is no reason to not believe Harry. [laughs]
Eric and Micah: Yeah.
Eric: At least Mr. Weasley is trying to give the benefit of the doubt, I think? But historically, especially with all these other proofs like Barty Crouch, Jr. and all these other real world examples of this happening – real world being the fictional wizarding world – but I think it’s completely reasonable what Harry is suggesting, and I think everyone should believe him.
Andrew: Hashtag #BelieveHarry.
Micah: We were talking about how this conversation between Harry and Mr. Weasley happens on the platform, but Harry boards the Hogwarts Express, and he ends up in a compartment with Neville and with Luna, so a little bit of a reunion there of Dumbledore’s Army.
Eric: Aw.
Micah: And there’s this moment where Harry is looking at Neville, and what I really liked about it is – and I had totally forgot about this scene – he’s able to imagine Neville as the Chosen One. And to see this through Harry’s perspective, through his eyes, knowing what he knows about the prophecy, and taking a long, hard look at Neville acting the way that Neville does, saying, “This kid just has no idea that it could have been him.”
Andrew: Yeah. Do you think he’s almost looking at Neville with envy? I say that because he’s like, “Oh, what if there was this alternative universe where Voldemort did decide the other person was Neville, and I could have been free of all this, and my parents could have still been alive?” There’s so many different scenarios that could play out in his head. And I’m sure Harry wouldn’t want it to be Neville, but maybe the thought crossed his mind, “What if it was someone else?”
Eric: Yeah, I mean, this is the first time Harry is in Neville’s presence since finding that information, and so it’s fitting that he has this sort of aside where it hits him. But it’s really intense, really in deep detail; it talks about whether Alice would have sacrificed herself, whether he would have been protected the same way that Harry was. And we know that Lily was spared because of the specific arrangement between Voldemort and Snape, and unless Snape was also very much into Alice, I think things would have had to have played out very differently in that eventual confrontation if he had chosen Neville. So it’s impossible to say, but interesting to see Harry reflecting on this, I think, and the only problem I have with it is that Neville is under the impression that Harry is listening to him talk, and Harry is very much not. [laughs] He’s tuning Neville out to his face and going, “Oh, man, this kid could have been the Chosen One, and instead I am.” And it’s like Neville is having a whole conversation with him the whole time. Just thinking more about Neville real quick, we do find out what his wand is, and it’s interesting; it’s written in such a way as to be sort of throwaway, but given the focus that Book 7 has on wandlore, I thought it was interesting that during a moment when Harry is bemusedly thinking about the Chosen One and how Neville could have been it, we also get this little detail about what his wand is. I was like, “That could have played some kind of a role.” The stage might be being set, is all it is. It doesn’t, as far as I know, amount to anything, but really interesting that it gets mentioned.
Andrew: Well, and another reason to suspect that Draco is up to no good, honestly. I mean, Draco is in Diagon Alley at Borgin and Burkes, the same area where… oh, no, Ollivanders is in Hogsmeade, so that wouldn’t make sense.
Eric: Oh, but the… or no, Ollivanders is in Diagon Alley.
Andrew: Oh, yeah, okay.
Micah: You’re messing it up with the theme park.
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: That’s exactly what’s happening. [laughs]
Eric: It’s that darn Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park putting an Ollivanders right next to the joke shop Zonko’s!
Andrew: No, literally. That’s so true. Yeah, so that’s just more reason to be like, “Okay, Draco is up to no good.” Ollivander has gone missing? Like, come on.
Eric: Well, yeah, and Ollivander was disappeared the day after Neville… so Ollivander’s last act as a wand provider could have been to give Neville Longbottom, the alternate Chosen One, his wand. How suspicious is…? How potentially poignant is it?
Micah: His true wand, because remember, he was using his father’s wand for the first five books…
Eric: Right.
Micah: … so now he should be able to do his own magic without having any kind of limitations, let’s say, because he’s using another wizard’s wand.
Eric: I mean, I could easily have seen this – it’s mentioned that it’s, I think, unicorn hair – but I could easily see this being the third tail feather of the phoenix, something that he got from Ollivander before Ollivander went.
Micah: Just to wrap us up, one thing I wanted to mention that got brought up in the Discord by James: He said that, “I think it’s because Neville’s comment that his grandmother said she’d love to have Harry as a grandson triggered this simultaneous sensation in Harry where he feels envy but also sadness that his and Neville’s lives are mirrors, and everything could have been different because of one decision made by Voldemort.”
Andrew: Yeah. I really think that has to be brewing in Harry’s head. This is just a really wild alternative reality to consider.
Eric: Yeah, it’s hard not to get hung up on the “What if?” That’s why we have such a great segment of “What if?” on our show. It’s so important. But Harry rarely does it; Harry rarely has this deep level of retrospection and thought of what might have been. It’s such a unique experience reading it in this chapter.
Micah: Well, I’m just checking, did everybody get their invitation?
Andrew and Eric: To the Slug Club?
Micah: Yes.
Andrew: [emotionally] No…
Eric: Mine was hand-delivered by a young kid that just looked very… stared at me. They wouldn’t stop staring at me.
Andrew: It’s fine. I don’t even want to be in the Slug Club. I don’t need that.
[Eric laughs]
Micah: Well, some of us will be going off to Professor Slughorn’s compartment. Others will be just hanging back and, I don’t know, finding something to do with their day.
Andrew: Podcasting.
Micah: So the infamous Slug Club. First off, the name is trash, okay? [laughs]
Andrew: Oh, Micah is jealous he didn’t get an invite.
Eric: Well, hang on. We named a whole section of our Patreon “Slug Club,” so how much can we really rag on it?
Andrew: It’s a brilliant name.
Micah: Eh… all right, I’ll have to concede a little bit there. But it does carry with it a certain amount of symbolism. And I was doing a little bit of digging on slugs, and the Slug Club presents this glamorous exterior – you think about the fine food that’s served, the elite company that all of these students are around, that Slughorn surrounds himself with – but yet it hides something that’s just a little bit unpleasant beneath the surface. And this whole idea of a slug hints that the club’s surface charm masks something morally slippery, and borrowing…
Andrew: Oooh.
Eric: [laughs] Is it because slugs are slippery?
Micah: Well, we’re going to get into some slug analogy here, because Slughorn himself oozes charm to get close to fame, he slides away from discomfort, like hiding the Horcrux memory, and he leaves a trail, as slugs often do, of influence behind.
Eric: Ahh.
Micah: Some beneficial, some questionable. So a little name origin-ish segment there.
[Name origin sound effect plays]
Micah: But yeah, what are our general thoughts on the Slug Club?
Andrew: Nicole, do you want to start?
Nicole: Yeah!
Micah: As a Slug Club member yourself.
[Andrew and Nicole laugh]
Nicole: Right, exactly.
Andrew: So Nicole’s computer was having some issues, but she’s back now. Welcome back, Nicole. Sorry for the Nargles.
[Micah laughs]
Eric: I love it. It’s Wrackspurts. They get mentioned in this chapter.
Andrew: Oh, yes. Yes, this week it’s Wrackspurts.
Micah: They’re all causing chaos together.
Andrew: [imitating Luna] “Was it Wrackspurts?”
Micah: General thoughts on the Slug Club?
Nicole: Yeah, I mean, at the root of it, it seems just kind of selfish, that these are people he wants to spend time with for his own gain, whether he gains anything from it or not.
Andrew: I am not a fan of it. I think – and we were kind of debating this a couple of weeks ago – but I think it’s too clique-y for an active professor to have this “elite” – air quotes – group of people who he exclusively meets with, and they dine well, and they get to mingle with one another. I don’t think this type of organization should be running at the school. Do you want to do it maybe over the summer breaks? That might make sense. Or outside of Hogwarts; do it at Hogsmeade. But the fact that this is happening in school, run by one of the professors, and he decides who gets to join, it rubs me the wrong way.
Eric: Well, and what’s the urgency? Why does the first ever meeting of the Slug Club for this school year need to happen on the train there?!
Andrew: That part was weird too.
Eric: And that’s really where…
Micah: Because you’ve got to catch ’em all, Eric.
[Andrew laughs]
Eric: You’ve got to catch ’em all, so you’ve got to start early. Yeah, right. Just north of Pallet Town, there’s that grass; I’ve got to catch my first several Pokémon, everyone that’s in there.
Micah: [laughs] That’s right.
Eric: No, it just… here’s the biggest takeaway from this encounter: Nobody has a good time. Everyone looks… it goes through… Slughorn questions everybody about their connections, about their validity. Harry is analyzing. He’s like, “Oh, he seems to have reserved judgment on some of these people; whether they’ll be permanent members or not is up to Slughorn.” That just feels gross. But yeah, it turns out that whatever Slughorn heard about Belby’s uncle or McLaggen’s closeness with the Minister, that all turns out not to be exactly what he thought it was, and half of the meal is spent just informing him of that? He could have either done his research beforehand, before handing out these exclusive invitations that have his secret initials on them to people that may or may not be connected in the way that he thinks he does. And the pheasant is probably delicious, but I can’t see anybody walking away from this going, “Good time.”
Micah: It’s cold, though. At least what we heard. Yeah, it’s definitely off-putting to see this kind of thing. And the question, too, is how long has it been since Horace has convened a Slug Club? Because times change, people change, and perhaps the students that he’s trying to draw in here, as you were saying… because I think it’s important that really, none of these students care at all that they are being recruited to the Slug Club, and maybe part of that, too, is a legacy factor, right? That he hasn’t been around for a while, so nobody even knows what the Slug Club is.
Eric: Ahh.
Micah: Perhaps it used to carry with it a certain level of gravitas or importance, but now it’s like, nobody even knows who Slughorn is.
Eric: No, the students in this year are millennials. They just want to be on their cell phones the whole time.
[Everyone laughs]
Eric: They don’t care about this prestige.
Andrew: And I don’t think any of the students really enjoy being in it much, as was just being raised, because Slughorn is just like the annoying uncle who talks too much. You just want to get out of there. And yeah, that is a great question, too; when was the last meeting? Because none of these kids know this guy until now, but maybe they’re like, “Oh, well, it does feel exclusive, so that’s exciting.” We all like the feeling of being part of an exclusive group. You get limited time access to something; that’s always a good marketing tactic.
Micah: A free physical gift.
Andrew: Yeah! Livestream access…
Eric: Well, I’m so glad you mentioned that, Micah. I will say, Gryffindors are overrepresented. There’s four Gryffindors and one Slytherin and one Ravenclaw. Now, Nicole, as a Gryffindor – one of the rare Gryffindors we speak to on our show – how do you feel about the percentage of Gryffindors that are represented here? Do you feel like that adequately says something about Gryffindors as a people?
Nicole: No, I’m with you; there needs to be more representation. Especially if you’re going to have a club, I feel like you would want… that’s your chance to hang out with people in different Houses.
Andrew: Right.
Micah: Well, you buried the lead. There are no Hufflepuffs.
Eric: Well, that’s just our personality trait. Hufflepuffs don’t seek glory, so if Slughorn is just half-assedly looking down the corridors for anyone he thinks is interesting, you’re going to find people hexing others – like Ginny; that’s how she gets there – and not find the harder-to-find Hufflepuffs who are probably tending Mooncalves or something in the back compartment.
Andrew: Well, I used to think that it was just fans and the fandom who created all the Hufflepuff hate, but it’s actually really canon how there’s a lot of Hufflepuff hate and a lot of Hufflepuff erasure. It starts in Book 1 with Draco’s “I hope I don’t get Sorted into Hufflepuff.”
Eric: “I think I’d leave! I think I’d leave, wouldn’t you?”
[Andrew laughs]
Micah: I’m supporting the Hufflepuffs today with the sweatshirt I have on.
Andrew: You are, you are.
Eric: I appreciate that.
Micah: But Eric, as you mentioned, the breakdown of the different Houses. So in terms of characters, though, we have Harry, Neville, Ginny, Blaise Zabini, Cormac McLaggen, and Marcus Belby. So this is the initial group that we are introduced to; it will grow as we move on in this book. But let’s talk about Ginny. Eric, you brought her up. Why Ginny? What does it say that Slughorn evaluates her based on talent versus her last name – which is a pure-blood last name – or just legacy? Where clearly, that’s how most of these other people were invited to the table.
Andrew: So I actually have a crackpot theory about this: I actually don’t think it’s about her talent at all. My crackpot theory is that Slughorn was… he says he’s impressed by a hex that she did, but what if Slughorn knows that Tom Riddle/the diary were talking to her and influencing her back in Chamber of Secrets, and he wants to get closer to Ginny to learn more about that dynamic? This has nothing to do about Ginny’s talent at all.
Eric: I’m blown away.
Andrew: Are you? [sheepishly] Oh, just a thought I had.
Nicole: Well, I love a good crackpot theory, but I feel like the text shows us that he really didn’t even know her name. He just calls her “Miss” when they’re leaving, and he makes sure to say, “Harry,” “Blaise,” and with her, he does not say her name once, so I feel like that is telling us she’s really here and is the only one because of her actual accomplishments, not just because of her name or because he knows who she is. Not that I’d want to hate on your theory, because it is really cool. [laughs]
Andrew: No, that’s fair. But I guess my counterpoint would just be he’s maybe just being polite, using “Miss.”
Eric: Well, Ginny has such a – like you said – connection to a particular Horcrux, and Slughorn is the reason why there are Horcruxes in this world right now that we’re dealing with. [laughs] Slughorn is responsible for the fact that Ginny ever had to contend with a Horcrux! Loosely. So it’s an interesting connection, to say the least. But the other aspect of this, too, is that the Weasleys are a huge pure-blood family. The author wrote this thing called the Sacred 28, and both Slughorn and Weasleys are two of the 28 pure-blood families in the whole world. So if he doesn’t know Ginny, he at least knows the Weasleys.
Andrew: True.
Eric: And in fact, here’s something interesting, though: I’m reminded that in a previous chapter, Molly said that Slughorn never seemed to have time for Arthur, so I think that what ended up happening is Slughorn’s own little prejudices – maybe Arthur was unremarkable at school or something – but Slughorn had largely written off these pure-bloods, and it was only at the last possible second, when he realized there were two more seats at the table or something, that he started looking down the corridors. “Who can I invite?” Saw her hexing Zacharias Smith, and decided, “Oh, she can come too.” Maybe he was surprised that she’s a Weasley.
Micah: Which is funny, because I don’t really think Ginny even gets a seat at the table, if there even is a table, because it’s a very small compartment, which is noted by Harry, especially with Slughorn being in there…
Eric: Again, why not wait a day?
Micah: … and then Ginny is kind of tucked in the corner, literally.
Andrew: And also, she’s the one girl in this class, if you will, of new inductees, which also lends to the theory that he was just kind of picking somebody at random.
Eric: There’s a bias here.
Andrew: Or like, “Oh, talent. Come on in.”
Eric: Yeah, well, that’s very real, cognitive bias and even unconscious bias, of “What does success and talent look like to me, this old man who’s long ago taught at Hogwarts for decades?” And it represents overwhelmingly male, and kind of… I don’t know, it’s just funny to look at what these people are known for. Blaise’s, I guess, mother is very famous for maybe having killed seven dudes that she was married to. [laughs] So it’s also kind of funny to just look at what it is that piqued Slughorn’s interest about these other people that aren’t Harry.
Micah: And Nicole, you had an interesting point here about why Harry and Neville were chosen.
Nicole: Yeah, they’re really only there because of their trauma. So imagine someone is like, “Hey, I really want to hang out with you and just talk about the worst thing that’s ever happened to you,” and that’s the reason why you’re here. That’s a little weird.
Eric: It’s a little insensitive.
Micah: Absolutely. And I don’t necessarily think that Slughorn is evil, but he’s deeply complicit in systems of favoritism and elitism. And this is a little bit of a different edge to Slytherin than we’ve seen through the first couple books, and I would actually even say that it’s not something that’s unique to Slytherins, because I think that there are some comparisons we can draw to Chamber of Secrets to the… I mean, at this point, we don’t know that Slughorn isn’t going to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, but let’s just say the new professor on the train. I think we can make some comparisons here to Gilderoy Lockhart, who was a Ravenclaw.
Eric: I love this line of thinking here, that there are similarities between those.
Micah: Because, yeah, they are both extremely self-absorbed.
Eric: Yeah, yeah. They’re also… they miss the full picture of what’s right in front of them. I think they tend to make assumptions. It’s when Lockhart is always walking up to Harry, “Oh, famous Harry Potter. He loves being famous as much as I do.” That’s a completely wrong read of somebody who’s right in front of him, and if he were more observant or less, I don’t know, bombastic and assuming, he might get farther.
Micah: But they’re both drawn to Harry’s celebrity.
Andrew: Popularity, yeah. I mean, even Slughorn mentions in this chapter, “Oh, Harry, they call you the Chosen One! Oohoo!”
Eric: Yeah, and they want to capitalize on it, or they want… they think it elevates them. They’re not actually there to help him; they’re both using Harry and they also think that… they have a high opinion of what they themselves can offer to the world. All Lockhart ever did was take credit for smarter and better wizards’ stuff, but he had such a high opinion of himself, and Slughorn really prides himself on boosting the careers of these students, but maybe all he ended up doing was un-evening the playing field for some of the people that would have gotten less overlooked. Who knows?
Micah: Both also like messing with memory.
Eric: That blows my mind.
Andrew: Yep, yep.
Micah: Maybe in Slughorn’s case, he doesn’t like it, but he had no problem doing it in order to achieve his ends.
Andrew: Right. And doesn’t want to admit to it still, really, or talk about it. Both are also about fame, but in different ways. So Lockhart wanted to be famous, but then Slughorn wants to be associated with the famous, or just unique people, and maybe just be famous by association.
Micah: Agreed.
Eric: Yeah, yeah. And maybe that’s the difference between Slytherin and Ravenclaw or something. I don’t know.
Micah: Perhaps. So we wrap up this chapter inside the Slytherin compartment. Harry, once leaving the Slug Club, sees an opportunity to trail Blaise and make his way into the compartment. And I would argue that he makes as ill-advised a move as Hermione does at the end of the previous chapter…
Eric: Augh.
Micah: … because he is just so hell-bent on proving that Draco is a Death Eater. Do we agree or disagree?
Eric: Agree.
Andrew: I agree with you. Jumping back to the earlier discussion, maybe he really wants to convince himself he can be on the right track. He’s still feeling the events of the last book, “Oh, I got played by Voldemort”; now he wants to convince himself he’s still got it – he’s still the Chosen One – so he’s determined to prove his theory true.
Eric: Here’s where it’s so hard to read this for Harry: Malfoy bests him in every possible way, completely annihilates Harry. But for somebody who’s claiming that Draco is a Death Eater, Harry manages to take 0.00 precautions for “What if that’s true?” Seriously, what if that is true? You haven’t just gone into the compartment where your old teenage school rival is; you’ve gone into a compartment where a Death Eater, who could know some serious stuff, is talking about actual secret plans with his closest fellow Slytherins. And Harry makes just a ton of mistakes, just a ton of mistakes, one right after the other. Doesn’t really have a plan for getting in there, so he puts his foot in the door to have it jam, drawing attention to himself, shows his shoe when he climbs up into the rack, isn’t prepared, isn’t watching Crabbe or Goyle when they get their suitcase, so audibly gasps from the rack when he’s hit in the head with it. Just one thing after the other. Harry, if you’re going to be making these accusations, if you want to get to the bottom of this, you need to think more strategically. This flying by the seat of your pants kind of stuff… I’m sick of it. We know he’s only going to keep doing it all the way through all of Book 7, too, but you’ve got to understand, this is dangerous territory now. This is dangerous territory, and Harry is lucky that what happens to him isn’t worse, even though it’s the most horrible thing that ever happens to Harry that we read about in the books.
Andrew: My big gripe is that when him and Draco are alone in the compartment, Harry doesn’t immediately try to be on the offensive. He should have tackled Draco, pulled down that sleeve, revealed that Dark Mark…
[Micah laughs]
Eric: Oh, and run?
Andrew: Just had the first punch, if you will.
Eric: Well, it’s Petrificus Totalus. He’s petrified.
Andrew: Yeah, but he should have attacked Draco before that even happened, I’m saying.
Eric: Oh, yeah, when it was just Draco in the… yeah. I think, yeah, absolutely.
Nicole: Like you were saying, he should have cut his losses once he realized he was seen and acted a little bit quicker. But I absolutely hate this part; it’s so claustrophobic to me.
[Andrew and Nicole laugh]
Eric: Oh, yeah.
Nicole: I want to skip over the beginning of the next chapter.
Andrew: Aww. Don’t worry, Tonks will save the day.
Nicole: Right. [laughs]
Micah: What I found interesting about when Harry enters this compartment is it’s almost like Draco is holding his own version of the Slug Club…
[Andrew and Eric laugh]
Micah: … because he’s sitting there with Crabbe and Goyle and Blaise and Pansy, and he’s talking… I guess the only difference would be the people who are in this compartment, for the most part, are actually interested in what Draco has to say, versus Slughorn, nobody was interested in what he had to say.
Nicole: Yeah, this is what Slughorn wants his Slug Club to be like.
[Andrew laughs]
Micah: Maybe he could take some tips.
Andrew: Maybe it once was.
Micah: Right, and that’s something that actually comes up in conversation with Blaise, who was just in the Slug Club, and there’s this line here that I wanted to call attention to. I think we actually talked about it when we last did this Chapter by Chapter, because… was it Nott who comes up? There’s one of the Death Eaters – or one of the sons of Death Eaters – who comes up, and Zabini makes the point when Draco then goes on to talk about himself, “I don’t think Slughorn’s interested in Death Eaters.” And I think that’s a clear message to us as readers. It’s a little bit of an indirect way of letting us know that Draco is a Death Eater.
Eric: Could be, yeah. And it speaks to… I mean, I think that probably some of Slughorn’s top students 40 years ago or 25 years ago were the ones that became the Death Eaters, like Lucius Malfoy, and he probably fostered a lot of their connections at the Ministry too. But after having seen what became of that, after having seen what became of Tom Riddle and some of his students, Slughorn has now distanced himself, or is smart enough about it in front of Dumbledore – where Dumbledore can find out – to not invite a bunch of Death Eater kids to his inaugural Slug Club of this school year.
Andrew and Micah: Yeah.
Andrew: Ooh, Micah, you’re pulling out Book 6. What are you looking up?
Micah: Yeah, I just want to make sure I get this line right.
Andrew: I love when a host pulls out the book. It’s so authentic.
Odds & Ends
Andrew: Nicole, before we get to MVP of the Week, you did have one odd and end for us concerning Neville’s new wand, right?
Nicole: Yeah, because I noticed that it was cherry and unicorn. The unicorn isn’t that special, but the cherry wood is apparently extremely rare, according to what once was… Pottermore is now just HarryPotter.com, which sounds like it’s… that sounds like a fake source.
[Andrew and Nicole laugh]
Nicole: But yeah, so not only was it Ollivander’s last wand that he sold before disappearing, it was a pretty special and rare one, which I thought was kind of cool.
Andrew: That’s interesting.
Nicole: And Neville deserves to feel special.
Micah: So just to go back to that quote, it’s Zabini who says, “I wouldn’t bank on an invitation. He asked me about Nott’s father when I first arrived. They used to be old friends, apparently, but when he heard he’d been caught at the Ministry he didn’t look happy, and Nott didn’t get an invitation, did he? I don’t think Slughorn’s interested in Death Eaters.” Now, that is Blaise presuming that Draco is the same as Nott, which would be a Death Eater.
Eric: Or at least somebody whose dad is.
Micah: Yeah, but I think we can read more into that, knowing what we know.
Eric: Yeah, no, I agree.
Andrew: Well, that’s going to kill my MVP of the Week suggestion. Dang it.
Eric: Oooh, darn.
Andrew: I’ll stick with it anyway. Thanks, Nicole, for sharing that about the wand too.
Nicole: Yeah!
Superlative of the Week
Micah: All right, moving on to MVP, we want to know who’s one character in Harry’s year who deserves to be inducted into the Slug Club? So not members that we already know of.
[MVP of the Week music plays]
Andrew: So I’m going to stick with my pick, even though this was a great call-out just a minute ago. I’m going to say Draco Malfoy! Slughorn wants to know what’s been going on with Lucius, and he would want to spend a lot of time talking to Draco about that, and then maybe he probably wants to know what Draco was going through as well.
Eric: Since we’re talking about making the Slug Club a better, more inclusive space…
[Andrew laughs]
Eric: … I think the Patil twins should be – yeah, we were talking about that, right? – the Patil twins would actually be a great addition to the Slug Club, because they’re twins, but one of them is in Gryffindor, and the other is in Ravenclaw. That’s fascinating! How does that happen? Let’s ask them a hundred questions. So I think…
Micah: No Hufflepuff?
Eric: Still no Hufflepuff. No, we don’t seek glory. We don’t care. We’re over it.
Micah: Oh, all right.
Eric: We just can’t wait to get our hands in some dirt and some chocolate in our faces. I’m speaking on behalf of all Hufflepuffs right now.
[Micah and Nicole laugh]
Micah: All right. Adding another Ravenclaw to the mix, Anthony Goldstein, distant relative of Tina Goldstein and Queenie Goldstein.
Eric: Oh, yeah!
Micah: And they were pretty badass, so…
Eric: They were badass.
Micah: And being inclusive, as you mentioned. I think the only Jewish student at Hogwarts. [laughs] That we know of.
Eric: Pretty much. Yeah, the one that gets pointed to.
Nicole: Well, I’ll give you some Hufflepuff representation, Eric. Susan Bones. Since her aunt Madam Bones is the Head of Magical Law Enforcement, I feel like that’s someone Slughorn is going to want in his corner maybe later in the book, when he accidentally poisons a minor. That might come in handy.
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: Smart.
Eric: Yeah, appreciate that. When Slughorn has more than 30 minutes to dedicate to figuring out what roster looks like, I think he’d do it a little differently. Yeah, I don’t know why this had to happen on the train, now that we think about it.
[Andrew laughs]
Lynx Line
Micah: All right, and then over on our Lynx Line, we asked our patrons the question of the week, and since they are our Slug Club, if they were to create their own version of it, what criteria would they value most? And what name would they give to the club? They could rename it; doesn’t have to be the Slug Club.
Andrew: Oh, and people did rename it. Betty B. said the club name is Positively Kind Peeps.
“Values: to lift other people up and put a smile on their face. Go around passing out stickers and pins that have kind, happy, uplifting and life-affirming messages on them. Be Kind, You Rock! Don’t let the Muggles get you down!”
Eric: I love that idea for a club. Rachel says for a club name, Bibbidi Boppity Books, and “It’s a book club. All avid readers welcome! Each month we’d read a book and have a discussion over a shared meal.” Love that.
Micah: Zachary says Brewsers, and the values and mission:
“To offer a safe space to enjoy your favorite drinks, let off some steam, and to talk in a safe environment. Everyone needs a place away from the everyday life where they can help and appreciate and lift others up. Talking about sports, books, movies, shows is highly encouraged! Members: Anyone with open minds and ears!”
Eric: Years six and up, I hope.
Andrew: Yes.
Nicole: Cassandra said,
“Sports Club! It’s always bugged me that Quidditch involves so few students. Our Sports Club will set up games of soccer, football, volleyball, track, etc. Members: Muggle-borns who miss the sports they play at home will be the first to join, but all are welcome to come out and have fun!”
I feel like that would be funny, to think about the Muggle-borns showing non-wizard sports to the wizard-borns.
Andrew: “And this is football!” Michael said,
“Savage Students. Tagline: Only for Fred and George and people alike them. Values: Literally none, basically. We break rules, not make them. Members: Fred, George, all of the young Marauders, and Peeves. This club is for Umbridge haters only.”
Eric: Okay! I appreciate that. Very mischievous. Carly – whose surname, by the way, we’re saying it because it comes up here, Carly Poore – says the group name is Poore Intentions, and the values:
“Unlike the name, we have nothing but good intentions; we value kindness and generosity! We’d regularly do charity work for fellow witches and wizards in need, and do fundraisers for fellow students who need help paying for their school supplies!”
Micah: Kyle says,
“The Squib Club. Squibs deserve a place at Hogwarts, so I would find a way to invite them to Hogwarts and then start to get them a place at the school. There’s no way they shouldn’t be allowed to take classes like Muggle Studies, History of Magic, or many others.”
Andrew: That’s very nice of you, Kyle.
Eric: Astronomy, Care of Magical Creatures… yeah.
Nicole: And Julie Ann said, “Magical Cookery Club. Tagline: ‘Helping House-Elves Take a Holiday since 1802.'”
[Eric laughs]
Nicole: “Since I’m really into Wizards of Baking right now, each person would have to bring a magical recipe. One person would do a cooking demonstration per session. At key holiday points in the year, they would host an open house and share tasty treats (not just desserts).”
Andrew: Mmm.
Nicole: Love that.
Andrew: And finally, Kayla said,
“The Chosen Ones. Value: To make those who are not often picked first feel included and valued. Every meeting we would learn a new thing, anything, from the members. Members would include Ron, Neville, Luna, some others I can’t think of right now… and Hagrid. The members’ only eligibility factor is not being chosen for many other clubs. If they’re on one or two extra curricular clubs, that’s okay, but this is for the people who don’t often get chosen for clubs.”
Good, Kayla! I would join that when I was in elementary or middle school. We had more great submissions; check them all out on our Patreon. Thanks, everybody, for writing in. It’s great reading your suggestions, and the Lynx Line is a great way to have your voice heard on the show, whether or not you’re listening live. We ask a new question every week. Become a member of our community today by going to Patreon.com/MuggleCast, and receiving this and many more benefits, like bonus MuggleCast. If you have feedback about today’s episode, you can contact us by emailing or sending a voice memo that you record on your phone to MuggleCast@gmail.com, or leave a comment on Spotify, YouTube, DM us, whatever is easiest for you. Next week, Chapter by Chapter continues with Half-Blood Prince Chapter 8, “Snape Victorious.” Visit MuggleCast.com for links to our social media, Patreon, transcripts, our favorite episodes, and lots more. And if you’re looking for more podcasting from the four of us, listen to our other shows, Millennial and What the Hype?!, for more pop culture and real world talk.
Quizzitch
Andrew: And now it’s time for Quizzitch.
[Quizzitch music plays]
Eric: This week’s question – we were talking about ice cream going out of business – the factory grounds of which famous ice cream company features a “flavor graveyard” with headstones commemorating each of its retired ice cream flavors that didn’t sell well enough? The correct answer was Ben & Jerry’s in Waterbury, Vermont, and 83% of people with the correct answer did not look it up, so that’s actually a fairly well known thing. The flavor graveyard is a delight; everyone should check it out. I have been more than one occasion, and it’s good ice cream. This week’s winners were A Healthy Breeze; Adeline’s Magical Ice Cream Cart; Alas, Poor Florean! We knew him, Hermione; Ben & Jerry give the vibe that they went to Ilvermorny; Ben & Jerry Tooth-Rotter and the Waffler’s Cone; Elizabeth K.; Geminio Those Audiobooks!; Gwen Weasley; I Play Fluffy’s Harp; Insert Witty Name Here; Mint-istry of Magic; Narcissa’s Loser Husband; PB S’more; QuidWitch; Rebrand, Ben and Jamie’s Harry Garcia; Rock Lobster & Shrimp Ice Cream; The Teaspoon That Is Ron’s Emotional Range; and our friend Tofu Tom. And here is next week’s Quizzitch question: Speaking of the Slug Club and networking, name the author of the wildly successful book How to Win Friends and Influence People, which was initially published in 1936. Fun fact: In 2013, that book was rated number seven most influential book in American history by the Library of Congress.
Andrew: Dang. Wow.
Eric: Have you read it? Anybody here read it?
Andrew: Started it, but never finished it. I just joined the Bumble BFF app instead to find friends. [laughs]
Eric: Oh. Yeah, and you’ve got plenty of friends through the podcast, so you don’t really need that.
Andrew: Yeah, yeah.
Eric: So submit your answer to us on the MuggleCast website. The Quizzitch form can be found on there; it’s located at MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch, and click on “Quizzitch” on our website on the main nav bar.
Andrew: Speaking of friends, thank you to friend of the pod, Nicole, for joining us today. We really appreciate all your insight, and thanks for helping me review the new Wizarding World Ministry of Magic land at Epic Universe. It was great seeing you and having you on again.
Nicole: Thank you, anytime.
Andrew: Thanks, everybody, for listening. I’m Andrew.
Eric: I’m Eric.
Micah: I’m Micah.
Nicole: And I’m Nicole.
Andrew: Bye, everyone!
Micah: Bye.