Half Blood Pod - A Harry Potter Podcast

How does money actually work in Harry Potter? And does the Wizarding World's economy make any sense?

This week on Half Blood Pod, Scott and William are diving into the prices, salaries, and spending habits of the Wizarding World. And after breaking down everything from magical creatures to Hogwarts textbooks, we came to a surprising conclusion.

The Wizarding Economy actually makes a lot more sense than we expected.

Think about it. In a world where you can duplicate everyday objects, magically repair things, and travel almost instantly, what are people actually spending their money on?

That's where things get interesting.

We're looking at the prices of Acromantula venom, unicorn hair, goblin-made armor, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes products, and some of Harry's questionable Quidditch World Cup purchases.

And then there's the wand problem. How does the most important object a wizard owns cost just 7 Galleons when a single unicorn hair can sell for more than that?

We also get into the Weasley family's finances, how much wizards might actually earn, whether Fred and George could have started their joke shop without Harry, and why the Ministry of Magic is offering a staggering 200,000-Galleon bounty for Harry Potter.

Plus, we debate the cost of magical transportation, Hogwarts textbooks, food, and the Firebolt, which somehow never gets an official price in the books.

By the end, we're asking a completely different question: If you lived in the Wizarding World, would you even need much money at all?

And of course, we've got Arthur Weasley discovering flying Teslas, William attempting to recite the Gringotts poem from memory, and another round of Fred vs. George!

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 Welcome to the Wizarding Economy!
00:36 Arthur Weasley and flying Teslas
03:04 Can William recite the Gringotts poem?
08:12 Breaking down the Wizarding Economy
10:40 The price of magical creatures
13:12 Can wizards duplicate money?
20:20 The most expensive magical objects
25:53 What Ron Weasley actually wants to buy
28:59 Why do wands only cost 7 Galleons?
35:31 Harry Potter's expensive Quidditch purchases
37:13 Wizard salaries and the Weasleys' finances
43:17 Wizarding transportation and gambling
52:08 Harry Potter's 200,000-Galleon bounty
54:27 How does the Ministry of Magic make money?
56:34 The price of food in Harry Potter
59:03 Hogwarts textbooks and the Daily Prophet
1:05:55 How much does a Firebolt cost?
1:11:24 Does the Wizarding Economy actually make sense?
1:14:02 Fred vs. George

What do YOU think? Does the Wizarding Economy actually work? Are wands ridiculously underpriced? And how much would you pay for a Firebolt?

Let us know in the comments!

⚡ Subscribe to Half Blood Pod for Harry Potter deep dives, trivia, debates, and our upcoming coverage of HBO's Harry Potter series.

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We finally saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway, and we have some things to say. 😂

If you've listened to Half Blood Pod for a while, you probably know we're not exactly the biggest fans of The Cursed Child's story. The time travel, the character decisions, the trolley witch (seriously, WHY?)... we've had plenty of complaints.

But after seeing it live in New York City, we have to admit something.

The Cursed Child on Broadway is INCREDIBLE.

We're breaking down our entire experience, from walking into the theater to seeing some of our favorite Harry Potter characters brought to life in ways we genuinely weren't expecting.

And the MAGIC. Oh my goodness, the magic.

We're talking about Dementors flying over the audience, Polyjuice Potion transformations, time travel effects, wand duels, and the moment Voldemort walked right past us and made us forget we were watching a play.

Plus, we got to see Tom Felton return as Draco Malfoy, which made the entire experience even better.

Of course, this wouldn't be Half Blood Pod if we didn't have some complaints. We still have major issues with Albus Severus Potter, we think Scorpius absolutely steals the show, and we're not convinced the story makes any more sense after seeing it performed.

But can you dislike the story and still give the production an A+?

Apparently, YES.

We also discuss the characters we loved, the performances that surprised us, what Broadway does better than the original screenplay, and why we would happily see this show again.

Plus, we revisit some Harry Potter trivia from 17 years ago, introduce a new segment called Harry Potter in the Wild, and finish with another round of Fred vs. George.

⚠️ SPOILER WARNING: We discuss major plot points and stage effects from The Cursed Child. If you're planning to see it and want to experience the surprises yourself, skip from 14:00 to 1:22:17.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 We finally saw The Cursed Child!
01:40 Ultimate Unofficial Harry Potter Trivia updates
03:00 Harry Potter trivia from 17 years ago
08:20 Harry Potter in the Wild
13:45 Our Cursed Child Broadway review begins
17:25 Our overall verdict: A+?!
21:45 The incredible on-stage magic
27:00 Dementors flying over the audience
32:05 Voldemort comes to life
35:20 Wand duels and magical effects
47:45 Albus, Scorpius, and the characters
56:30 Tom Felton returns as Draco Malfoy
1:08:55 Moaning Myrtle and other performances
1:12:35 The trolley witch and our remaining complaints
1:22:17 Final thoughts (spoilers end)
1:23:45 Fred vs. George

Have YOU seen Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway or in London? Did seeing it live change your opinion of the story? And if you've only read the screenplay, would you ever consider seeing the stage production?

Let us know in the comments!

⚡ Subscribe to Half Blood Pod for Harry Potter book discussions, trivia, debates, and our upcoming coverage of HBO's Harry Potter series.

And next week, we're tackling something completely different: the Wizarding World's economy. How does money actually work in Harry Potter?! 🪙

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We've made it to the FINALE of our completely hypothetical HBO Harry Potter Season 1. 😂

For the final episode of our HBO Harry Potter prediction series, we're tackling The Man with Two Faces and breaking down exactly how we think HBO should end its first season.

We're starting with Quirrell and Voldemort, the Sorcerer's Stone, some VERY questionable wandless magic, and one of Scott's least favorite decisions in the entire original movie: Harry Potter discovering that he apparently has murder hands.

Seriously. Why does Quirrell just crumble into dust?!

But the bigger conversation is everything HBO has the opportunity to do differently here.

Should we finally get more of the relationship between Voldemort and Quirrell? Will HBO show us what Dumbledore was doing while Harry was going after the Stone? And PLEASE can we finally get Harry asking the question that sets up basically the entire rest of the series: Why did Voldemort try to kill him?

Then we get into something we really hope HBO restores from the books: actually bringing Harry HOME.

The books begin with the Dursleys and end with the Dursleys, and there's something important about leaving the Wizarding World alongside Harry. We have some thoughts about exactly how HBO should handle those final moments.

Plus, we get distracted debating whether Harry Potter is really a "children's book," discuss some of the strangest characters to ever willingly say Voldemort's name, play Fred vs. George, and head to Parent Corner for a surprisingly good question from a nine-year-old: WHERE IS EVERYONE AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC?!

And with that, we officially finish our eight-episode prediction for HBO's first season of Harry Potter. ⚡

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 Welcome to the finale!
01:25 Your comments + "Mars is bright tonight"
04:00 New HBO Harry Potter clues
05:15 What should HBO show from Godric's Hollow?
09:25 The great Hogwarts wand debate
12:00 Can you use Legilimency on the Sorting Hat?
16:15 Predicting the Harry Potter Season 1 finale
18:30 Quirrell + Voldemort
22:30 Wandless magic in Harry Potter
24:30 The Voldemort trivia debate
27:30 Is Harry Potter really a children's book?
35:00 What HBO should show us about Quirrell
38:15 Harry Potter's murder hands 😂
43:20 What HBO needs to get right about Dumbledore
49:30 The question HBO CANNOT skip
53:00 How Harry Potter Season 1 should end
56:00 Fred vs. George + Parent Corner

How do YOU think HBO should end Season 1? Do we return to the Dursleys? Should we see more of Quirrell and Voldemort throughout the season? And what absolutely HAS to make it into the finale?

⚡ Follow Half Blood Pod for more Harry Potter deep dives, debates, trivia, questionable theories, and our coverage of HBO's new Harry Potter series.

Our HBO Season 1 prediction series may be over, but we're definitely not done. Next up: we're seeing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child IN PERSON and coming back to review it. 👀⚡

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The Harry Potter movies gave us some iconic moments, but the Forbidden Forest and the challenges protecting the Sorcerer's Stone have SO much more potential. And HBO has the opportunity to make this part of Harry Potter genuinely TERRIFYING.

We're getting dangerously close to the end of our HBO Harry Potter prediction series! For our predicted Episode 7, we're tackling The Forbidden Forest and Through the Trapdoor, and we have A LOT to discuss.

First, we're heading into the Forbidden Forest, where the original movie skipped some pretty important details. We're talking about Harry and Neville losing 150 house points, why Neville's storyline deserves so much more attention, Hagrid's questionable promises about Fang, the terrifying unicorn scene, and why HBO needs to give us MUCH better centaurs.

And seriously, can we PLEASE hear "Mars is bright tonight"?

Then we're heading through the trapdoor, where things get interesting.

Should HBO restore every single challenge protecting the Sorcerer's Stone? Does Snape's missing potion puzzle deserve its moment? How impressive is Ron's chess performance, and why didn't he just make Harry the king?!

We also debate whether HBO should actually show Quirrell going through the challenges, how much time the final two episodes should spend on character development, and the perfect way to end Episode 7.

Plus, we revisit some Harry Potter mysteries thanks to your comments, share an incredible message from a family playing our Ultimate Unofficial Harry Potter Trivia game, and put William's Harry Potter knowledge to the test.

And yes, Scott finds approximately 47 more reasons to complain about the original movie. 😂

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 Intro + your Harry Potter comments
04:30 An incredible trivia game review
07:10 A Harry Potter Christmas mystery
10:50 Predicting HBO's Episode 7
14:00 Justice for Neville Longbottom
18:30 Entering the Forbidden Forest
23:20 The unicorn scene + HBO's centaurs
28:30 "Mars is bright tonight"
30:00 Putting William's Harry Potter knowledge to the test
36:25 Through the Trapdoor
43:00 Snape + Neville's missing moments
47:15 The challenges protecting the Sorcerer's Stone
52:40 How should Episode 7 end?
55:45 Fred vs. George

What do YOU think HBO absolutely needs to bring back from these chapters? Would you rather see every challenge from the books or spend more time developing the characters before the finale?

⚡ Follow Half Blood Pod as we work our way through the Harry Potter books and predict everything HBO should keep, restore, expand, and change in the new series.

Next up: Our predicted SEASON FINALE! The Man with Two Faces, the truth about Quirrell, and the end of Sorcerer's Stone. ⚡🏰

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The Harry Potter movies had less than FIVE MINUTES to cover these two chapters.

So yeah… HBO has a lot to work with. 😂

For our predicted Episode 6 of HBO’s Harry Potter series, we’re diving into Nicolas Flamel and Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback, two chapters where the original movie basically said, “We don’t have time for this” and moved right along.

Which means there is SO much we could finally see on screen.

Neville getting attacked by Malfoy. Harry giving him the “you’re worth twelve of Malfoy” speech. The Chocolate Frog card actually leading Harry to Nicolas Flamel. Another Quidditch match. Ron fighting Malfoy in the stands. Harry secretly following Snape on his broomstick. Hagrid winning a dragon egg from a mysterious stranger. Norbert biting Ron. Charlie Weasley’s friends casually agreeing to traffic an illegal dragon out of Hogwarts.

You know… normal first-year stuff.

But there are also some MUCH bigger opportunities here.

Neville barely exists in this part of the movie, but these chapters start laying the groundwork for one of the best character arcs in the entire Harry Potter series. If HBO gives him the time the books did, moments happening in Season 1 could eventually pay off all the way in Season 7.

We also get into one of our biggest questions about the new series: what exactly does Dumbledore know about Quirrell and Voldemort? Because once you start thinking about it too hard, Dumbledore casually allowing this man to continue teaching eleven-year-olds becomes… questionable.

Plus, we talk about the newest HBO Harry Potter casting news, respond to a little more TikTok hate, debate whether anyone could fool the Sorting Hat, ask some deeply unnecessary questions about Hogwarts broomstick transportation, and somehow introduce both Camel Talk AND Latin Talk.

Just another normal episode of Half Blood Pod.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 New HBO Harry Potter casting + TikTok chaos
09:00 Could you fool the Sorting Hat?
12:10 Predicting HBO’s Episode 6
12:35 The movies skipped almost EVERYTHING
14:05 Quidditch + Snape as referee
19:00 Justice for Neville Longbottom
22:00 Nicolas Flamel + Dumbledore
27:00 Harry Potter book questions
36:40 Harry casually flies around Hogwarts
39:00 What does Dumbledore know about Quirrell?
42:00 Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback
48:30 Charlie Weasley’s dragon smugglers
55:30 The movie completely removes the context
1:00:00 Predicting Episode 7
1:02:25 Fred vs. George + Parent Corner

What are YOU most excited to finally see HBO bring back from these chapters?

⚡ Follow Half Blood Pod as we work our way through the Harry Potter books and break down everything we hope HBO keeps, changes, restores, and expands in the new series.

Next up: The Forbidden Forest, Through the Trapdoor, and the beginning of the end of Sorcerer’s Stone. ⚡️🏰

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The Harry Potter movies gave us some iconic moments… but they also made some VERY questionable choices. 😂

As we continue predicting HBO’s new Harry Potter series, we’ve reached Chapters 11 and 12 of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Quidditch and The Mirror of Erised.

And these chapters are a perfect example of why we’re so excited to see Harry Potter adapted again.

Harry’s first Quidditch match? Incredible in the books. Slightly unhinged in the movie.

We’re talking about the missing line that makes Harry’s entire Snape theory actually make sense, Harry somehow receiving his Nimbus 2000 the DAY of his first match, Lee Jordan being robbed of his hilarious commentary, the complete lack of consequences for attempted murder during Quidditch, and Harry somehow catching the Golden Snitch… in his mouth.

Then we get to Christmas at Hogwarts and one of the most emotional moments of the entire first book.

The movies had to move quickly. HBO doesn’t.

That means more time to actually see Harry become obsessed with the Mirror of Erised, more time with Dumbledore, more book dialogue, more Christmas at Hogwarts, and potentially even storylines happening outside of Harry’s point of view.

This is exactly what has us so excited about the HBO series. It doesn’t need to completely reinvent Harry Potter. It finally has the TIME to explore the characters, relationships, mysteries, and tiny book details the movies simply couldn’t.

Plus, before we even get to Episode 5, we respond to some of the HBO trailer haters, debate whether Harry Potter even needs another adaptation, figure out what happened to Fluffy after Sorcerer’s Stone, share a pretty incredible Ultimate Unofficial Harry Potter Trivia review, and continue our lifelong mission of separating book canon from things the movies have permanently implanted in our brains.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 The Stubby Finger Army grows
01:35 Responding to the HBO Harry Potter haters
05:25 Our favorite movie debate returns
08:50 “The show is going to be terrible”
14:25 Does Harry Potter even need a remake?
19:30 What happened to Fluffy?
21:40 The Hogwarts trapdoor mystery
23:15 Ultimate Harry Potter Trivia
26:40 Predicting HBO’s Episode 5
27:30 Harry’s first Quidditch match
29:00 The movie’s Snape mystery makes NO sense
34:00 Please let Lee Jordan be hilarious
36:25 Quidditch rules make absolutely no sense
42:00 What HBO’s Quidditch could fix
50:50 Harry catches the Snitch IN HIS MOUTH
56:50 Christmas + the Mirror of Erised
1:03:00 What does Dumbledore REALLY see?
1:07:25 What the movie actually got right
1:09:10 Why HBO has a huge opportunity here
1:13:30 The emotional heart of Sorcerer’s Stone
1:15:10 Fred vs. George
1:19:40 What’s coming next

What do YOU think HBO has the biggest opportunity to do better than the Harry Potter movies?

⚡ Follow Half Blood Pod as we work our way through the Harry Potter books and break down what we hope HBO keeps, changes, restores, and expands in the new series.

Next up: Episode 6… and apparently we’re finally taking the new Harry Potter Sorting Hat quiz. ⚡️

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You guys had A LOT to say about the new Harry Potter HBO trailer… so naturally, we had to talk about it.

After our trailer reaction became our most-watched YouTube video ever, we started reading through your comments and realized there were way too many good theories, corrections, debates, and tiny details to ignore.

So this episode accidentally became Part 2 of our Harry Potter HBO trailer breakdown.

Did John Lithgow’s Dumbledore sound a little too hammy? Is HBO actually sorting the students in book order? Are the new spells just Hogwarts students learning Latin? Why does Draco already look so much older than everyone else? And most importantly… is Hagrid BIG enough?!

We also get into the new mountain troll design, whether the HBO series looks too similar to the movies, those surprisingly janky Hogwarts broomsticks, what the Wizarding World’s broomstick economy looks like, and some genuinely great theories you guys brought to our attention.

Basically, you noticed things we didn’t. You disagreed with us. You changed our minds on a few things. And occasionally… we still think you’re wrong 😂

Keep the comments coming because apparently this is what the podcast is now.

What did YOU notice in the Harry Potter HBO trailer that everyone else missed?

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 Our trailer reaction blew up
02:35 Reacting to your comments
03:00 Dumbledore’s accent
06:00 The Sorting Hat order
07:15 Does HBO look too much like the movies?
08:05 The new Transfiguration spell
10:50 Draco’s age problem
14:10 Snape + McGonagall
16:20 That VERY different mountain troll
20:45 Your trailer theories
24:15 Is Hagrid big enough?
29:15 The new Hogwarts broomsticks
36:05 This became the whole episode 😂
40:00 Fred vs. George
45:00 Final thoughts

⚡ Follow Half Blood Pod for Harry Potter debates, theories, trivia, HBO series reactions, and apparently entire episodes dedicated to arguing with our YouTube comment section.

And seriously, keep commenting. If you guys keep giving us this much to talk about, we’ll keep doing episodes like this. ⚡️

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This is where Harry, Ron, and Hermione finally become Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

For Episode 4 of our HBO Harry Potter series, we’re diving into The Potions Master, The Midnight Duel, and Halloween to break down everything we hope HBO expands, changes, and brings back from the books.

For the first time, Harry is actually going to school at Hogwarts. Potions, Transfiguration, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, flying lessons, and all the little moments with classmates that the original movie simply didn’t have time to explore.

And that extra time could make one of the most important moments in the entire series hit SO much harder.

Because before the mountain troll, Hermione isn’t really Harry and Ron’s friend. She’s the brilliant, socially awkward know-it-all who desperately wants to connect with the other kids and doesn’t quite know how. Ron and Harry find her annoying. Hermione doesn’t have friends.

Then Halloween happens.

We break down how HBO can build that relationship over the first four episodes, why the troll could be the perfect midpoint for Season 1, what we want from Snape and Quirrell, the Midnight Duel the movie completely skipped, flying lessons, a more book-accurate Ron, and the absolutely insane Halloween feast we better get to see.

Plus, we’re still riding high from the latest HBO trailer, revisit the mystery of Voldemort’s wand, tackle an impossibly obscure Harry Potter trivia question, debate the magical properties of bogies, and finish with Fred vs. George.

What are YOU most excited to see from these chapters in the HBO series?

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 Still riding high from the HBO trailer
04:35 Listener shoutouts + Potter debates
06:45 The Voldemort wand mystery continues
09:40 Harry Potter trivia
14:25 Our HBO Episode 4 breakdown
15:10 Harry’s first Hogwarts classes
20:05 Snape + Potions
26:15 The Midnight Duel
28:25 Flying lessons + book Ron
31:30 Hermione before the Golden Trio
36:50 Fluffy + unanswered questions
38:00 Halloween
44:45 What HBO’s Quidditch could look like
45:50 The Halloween feast + mountain troll
46:20 The Golden Trio finally comes together
49:45 How HBO could make the troll terrifying
55:20 Why this is the perfect midseason episode
56:25 Predicting Episode 5
56:55 Fred vs. George

⚡ Follow Half Blood Pod as we work our way through the Harry Potter books and break down everything we hope HBO keeps, changes, restores, and expands in the new series.

Next up: Quidditch, Christmas at Hogwarts, and the Mirror of Erised. ⚡🏰

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Did HBO just drop the best Harry Potter trailer yet?

In this episode of Half Blood Pod, we’re giving our unfiltered, instant reactions to the brand-new HBO Harry Potter teaser trailer! From the magical feast popping up in the Great Hall to Paapa Essiedu’s cold, loathing line delivery as Severus Snape, there is SO much for book lovers to process.

We break down all the tiny details you might have missed: the Hogwarts house hourglasses, McGonagall’s severe book-accurate look, Lavender Brown’s narration, a very Stranger Things-esque mountain troll, that mysterious Transfiguration spell, and a first look at Quirrell (or is it Voldemort?!). Plus, we discuss why having extra runtime to flesh out characters like Neville, Seamus, and the Weasleys is going to change everything.

What was your favorite moment from the new trailer? Let us know in the comments below!

⏱️ Timestamps00:00 Back to Hogwarts announcements & weird trailer timing02:15 Forbidden Forest theme park news & ice sculptures04:00 First impressions: Why this trailer hit different05:15 The feast, the hourglasses, & book-accurate magic07:05 Listening to the cast: Dumbledore, McGonagall, & Snape10:00 Lavender Brown, background kids, & expanded character depth11:35 That CGI Mountain Troll... art or Stranger Things monster?13:30 The Transfiguration spell mystery & video game deep cuts15:15 Head of House meetings: McGonagall giving real guidance17:55 Shrimpy Seamus, tall Malfoy, & authentic kid energy18:50 Breaking down THAT mysterious bridge scene (Alice & Frank?)21:05 Quidditch GoPro cams & Ron’s bloody lip23:05 Character screen time math: Giving the Weasleys their due26:40 Was that Quirrell or Voldemort at Godric’s Hollow?28:45 Final thoughts: Will this be the greatest Potter adaptation ever?

⚡ Follow Half Blood Pod as we work our way through the Harry Potter books and break down everything we hope HBO keeps, changes, restores, and expands in the new series.

BUY ULTIMATE HARRY POTTER TRIVIA ON AMAZON: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/43AlBoT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Harry is finally going to Hogwarts.

For Episode 3 of our HBO Harry Potter series, we’re diving into Platform Nine and Three-Quarters and The Sorting Hat to talk about everything we hope HBO does differently, expands from the books, and maybe even keeps from the original movie.

This is where Harry’s world completely changes. He meets the Weasleys, boards the Hogwarts Express, becomes friends with Ron, encounters Draco, sees Hogwarts for the first time, meets the ghosts, and finally discovers where he belongs.

And while the movie gave us some truly iconic moments, there is SO much more from the books that HBO finally has time to explore.

We’re talking about the emotional importance of Harry watching the Weasley family, why his first conversations with Ron matter so much, Draco’s missing Hogwarts Express moment, Scabbers’ big opportunity, the magic of seeing Hogwarts for the first time, what the Sorting Hat should actually sound like, the Hogwarts song, Peeves, and plenty of tiny book details we desperately want to see.

Plus, we talk about the latest HBO casting news, Harry Potter references in Lanterns, some very questionable movie magic, Weasley family lore, trivia, and Fred vs. George.

What do YOU most want to see when Harry finally arrives at Hogwarts?

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 HBO casting + Harry Potter news
03:35 Harry Potter invades Lanterns
10:00 Fan comments + Potter debates
19:10 Weasley family secrets
28:35 Our HBO Episode 3 breakdown
29:05 Platform 9¾
32:45 Meeting the Weasleys
35:20 The Hogwarts Express
47:15 Draco’s missing train moment
53:35 Seeing Hogwarts for the first time
55:15 The Sorting Hat
1:08:20 Hogwarts ghosts + Peeves
1:19:10 The Gryffindor common room
1:21:45 Predicting Episode 4
1:22:40 Fred vs. George

⚡ Follow Half Blood Pod as we work our way through the Harry Potter books and break down everything we hope HBO keeps, changes, restores, and expands in the new series.

Next up: Snape, the Midnight Duel, Halloween, and possibly one very angry mountain troll. ⚡️🏰

BUY ULTIMATE HARRY POTTER TRIVIA ON AMAZON: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/43AlBoT⁠⁠⁠⁠

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