"Boys, keep back! They prefer the woman's touch... Girls to the front…" This is a de facto magical gender test, right? If you're a kid who might not fall neatly into the gender binary, then you have to wonder, “How is this magical creature going to respond to me?” You might be able to pass by human standards or wizard standards. What is a unicorn going to think? For full show notes, transcripts, ways to contact the hosts or support the show, and more, visit hpafter2020.com.

“I know people who've come out within the last few years as trans or non-binary because of the book series. It is the perfect metaphor for being gay, for being trans, and that's the community that makes up the heart of, at least, the Wizard Rock portion of the fandom. Regardless of what she says, her books make a difference to little queer kids every day.”

– Bess Carnan of WZRD Radio

For full show notes, transcripts, ways to contact the hosts or support the show, and more, visit hpafter2020.com.

"Hermione, for once, gets to be the main character." For full show notes, transcripts, ways to contact the hosts or support the show, and more, visit hpafter2020.com.

My friend Lokifan wrote a meta about how Rowling writes friendship as romance and romance as mystery, because we don't know at this point who Hermione is going with. When friends are separated, their misery is how we consider romance difficulties to feel, and when friends are happy together, that's the great fulfillment that you get in a romance from the couple getting together.

For full show notes, transcripts, ways to contact the hosts or support the show, and more, visit hpafter2020.com.

Oh, Winky. She's nothing but pain, but I love her so much. She has, for me, some of the greatest pain of any character in this series, because she has all of the anxiety and burden of being a caretaker but none of the power. She can't stop caring; she's not even with the family anymore, but she genuinely cared and she can't stop. 

For full show notes, transcripts, ways to contact the hosts or support the show, and more, visit hpafter2020.com.

Not all of your strengths have to be in being academic, right? And that's really true for Harry. He's got a lot of things that he's good at, but that idea of playing to your strengths and having someone remind you, "What are you good at? What are you bringing to this that no one else is?" That’s powerful, right? -JC For full show notes, transcripts, ways to contact the hosts or support the show, and more, visit hpafter2020.com.

I've been a fan of the Harry Potter series for a long time, and have been reevaluating my relationship with it as a trans woman over the last few years. I think that despite herself, J.K. Rowling created a world that made me feel like I could be whatever I wanted.

For full show notes, transcripts, ways to contact the hosts or support the show, and more, visit hpafter2020.com.

The Invisibility Cloak felt like such a symbol of escape and safety in this way that Harry was able to put it on and briefly escape from all the awfulness that's coming his way. And it was such a relief for me as a reader, too. You can think of it as being able to go into a safe space or a place where you know that, "Here, I can do whatever I want," and he can just be there and be safe. The only people who can see him are people that he really trusts. -JC For full show notes, transcripts, ways to contact the hosts or support the show, and more, visit hpafter2020.com.

The thing about Voldemort is that he doesn't connect with people, except that there's this wand that makes it possible that somebody else has. All of this about second chances and the Christian symbolic wood and core in Harry's wand… No matter how badly Voldemort has damaged his soul, if he connects with Harry, there is a chance that his soul could be restored. For full show notes, transcripts, ways to contact the hosts or support the show, and more, visit hpafter2020.com.

All right, JC, let's hear it!

JC: "Did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire, Harry?"

Lorrie: "He asked calmly."

For full show notes, transcripts, ways to contact the hosts or support the show, and more, visit hpafter2020.com.