Podtrificus Totalus

It's Monday and we're back at it again at Podtrificus Totalus, the only Harry Potter podcast that spends roughly half the runtime debating the pedagogical methods at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!

This chapter takes Prisoner of Azkaban into Hogwarts and keeps Harry out of the Halloween trip to Hogsmeade. As he mopes about the castle, he ends up in Professor Lupin's office for tea and a conversation about fear. While Lupin believes Harry wise for fearing the Dementors most of all, the end of the chapter should perhaps heighten Harry's fear about Sirius Black, who attacks the portrait of the Fat Lady that guards Gryffindor Common Room...

We make a number of references to outside sources and popular culture, which are listed below:

Final Fantasy VII (1997)

Mulan (1998)

Red Caps on the Harry Potter Lexicon

Kappas on the Harry Potter Lexicon

Binky Barnes from the children's television show Arthur

Ambrosius Flume on the Harry Potter Lexicon

Ranking of sweets in the Wizarding World on Wizarding World

Grindylow on the Harry Potter Lexicon

Our Spell of the Week (or Creature of the Week) is the Grindylow, one of which sits with Lupin's office, ready for some finger-breakin' practical learning in the next Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson.

Another Monday, another episode of Podtrificus Totalus, the best Harry Potter podcast in the known galaxy!

This week, we cover chapter seven of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which puzzles us with Shrinking Solutions and Boggarts. We face each of our worst fears to give you plenty of background knowledge, analysis, and discussion of the chapter.

We make a number of references to outside sources and popular culture, which are listed below:

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Ultimate Unofficial Guide to the Mysteries of Harry Potter by Galadriel Waters (Ed. Astre Mithrandir; Published by Wizarding World Press in 2003)

Shrinking Solution on the Harry Potter Lexicon

GadgetGirlKylie's Wonderbook: Book of Potions Let's Play on YouTube

Tiny Hermione on Hark! A Vagrant

Love Actually (2003)

Waddiwasi on the Harry Potter Wiki

Waddiwasi on the Harry Potter Lexicon

Boggart on the Harry Potter Lexicon

S01E03 of The X-Files, "Squeeze"

Scholastic Interview with J.K. Rowling (16 October 2000)

The Boggart-Banishing Spell on the Harry Potter Wiki

Our Spell of the Week for this episode is Riddikulus, which the third-year students use to banish the titular Boggart in the wardrobe.

of Azkaban, "Talons and Tea Leaves," in which Harry, Ron, and Hermione start their third year at Hogwarts. They begin new courses (some more than others), and Hermione must decide where she draws the line between magic and card tricks.

We make a number of references to outside sources and popular culture, which are listed below:

Pansy Parkinson on the Harry Potter Lexicon

ugly: in defense of pansy parkinson by dirgewithoutmusic on AO3

"Dirge Without Music" by Edna St. Vincent Millay

That Girl is a Goddamn Problem: Girl Hate and Beyond in Harry Potter

Sir Cadogan on the Harry Potter Lexicon

"Meeting Sir Cadogan," a deleted scene from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Ultimate Unofficial Guide to the Mysteries of Harry Potter by Galadriel Waters (Ed. Astre Mithrandir; Published by Wizarding World Press in 2003)

Cadogan on the Harry Potter Wiki

Sir Cadogan on Wizarding World

Sybill Trelawney on Wizarding World

Sibyls on Mythology Encyclopedia

Sense and Sensibility (1995)

Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994)

Thor (2011)

Sybil Leek, notorious psychic

Hippogriff on the Harry Potter Lexicon

"Hippogriffs Deserve to Die" by Draco and the Malfoys

Divination on Wikipedia

Our Spell of the Week for this episode is Divination, which is the new course the trio begins together this year, taught by Professor Trelawney.

It's Monday -- you know us, you love us, it's time for Podtrificus Totalus, a Harry Potter podcast done book by book, chapter by chapter.

This week we cover chapter five of Harry Potter and Prisoner of Azkaban, in which Harry encounters a clumsy metaphor for depression -- I mean, a new and foreboding creature in the magical world! -- meets his new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and eats some chocolate.

We make a number of references to outside sources and popular culture, which are listed below:

Friends at the Table and The Adventure Zone

Brooklyn 99 (TV Series)

The Lord of the Rings series

The scary Beowulf movie from 2007

Romeo + Juliet (1996)

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Finding Nemo (2003)

Lupin's personality type is ENFJ, per J.K. Rowling's Twitter (transphobia warning if you visit her account)

JKR's "Idle Jottings," preserved by the Harry Potter Lexicon, which reference that the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in Prisoner of Azkaban may have been a woman at some point in the writing process

Q&A with J.K. Rowling at the Edinburgh Book Festival (15 August 2004) on Accio Quote

Ann Treneman interview with J.K. Rowling for The Times (30 June 2000) on Accio Quote

Dementor on the Harry Potter Wiki

Dementors and Chocolate on Wizarding World

Our Spell of the Week for this episode is chocolate, which seems to have some magical properties in the Harry Potter universe.

You can hear more from our guests, Kevin Rizza and Lauren Kelley, on the Why Can't We Be Wizards podcast. Check out the show on Twitter (@WhyNotWizards) and Instagram (@WhyNotWizards). You can also find Kevin on Twitter as @RizzaKevin.

It's Monday, and that's the day that the Wizarding World's favorite Harry Potter podcast releases. It's time for a brand new episode of Podtrificus Totalus!

This week, we cover the fourth chapter in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, "The Leaky Cauldron!" This finds Harry with new freedoms as he temporarily lives in and explores Diagon Alley. He eventually meets up with the Weasleys and Hermione, and he learns a dark secret about Sirius Black...

We make a number of references to outside sources and popular culture, which are linked below:

Professor McGonagall on Wizarding World

Gobstones on Wizarding World (spoilers for Half-Blood Prince)

Firebolt on Wizarding World

Firebolt on the Harry Potter Lexicon

Florean Fortescue on the Harry Potter Wiki

Cassandra Vblatsky on the Harry Potter Wiki

Some fanart of Hermione by tumblr user beastlyworlds

Wandlore on the Harry Potter Lexicon

Wand Woods on Wizarding World

Crookshanks on the Harry Potter Lexicon

Crookshanks on the Harry Potter Wiki

The Great Gatsby, an overrated book by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Jim Halpert and Dwight Shrute, two characters on The Office (US)

Rat tonic on the Harry Potter Wiki

It's Monday, and you know what that means... a new episode of Podtrificus Totalus, a Harry Potter podcast made for your listening pleasure!

This week's episode covers chapter three of Prisoner of Azkaban, "The Knight Bus," which finds Harry on the run after blowing up his Aunt Marge. Harry prepares to live his life as an outlaw as he rides the Knight Bus to London, where he encounters an unexpected face...

We make a number of references to outside sources and popular culture, which are listed below:

30 Minutes or Less (2011)

The Knight Bus on Wizarding World

Downton Abbey (TV Series 2010-2015)

PA3: The Knight Bus on the Harry Potter Lexicon

Stanley Shunpike on the Harry Potter Wiki

Knight Bus on the Harry Potter Lexicon

Ernest Prang on the Harry Potter Wiki

Spaceballs (1987)

Map of Little Whinging on the Harry Potter Lexicon

Sirius Black on the Harry Potter Lexicon

The Imperturbable Charm on the Harry Potter Wiki

It's Monday, and that means it's time for another episode of Podtrificus Totalus, a Harry Potter podcast done chapter by chapter, book by book.

In this chapter, Harry continues to spend a painful summer with the Dursleys, with the notable inclusion of Vernon's sister Marge. Harry struggles to maintain his cool as Marge berates him, with explosive results.

We make a number of references to outside sources and popular culture, which are listed below:

The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl and the sequel, Goth Girl Rising, by Barry Lyga

Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Yon & Mu by Junji Ito

"Death penalty in the UK suspended 50 years ago" from The Guardian

Marge Dursley on Wizarding World

"Harry Potter and the source of inspiration" from The Daily Telegraph (Danielle Demetriou; July 2000)

Matilda by Roald Dahl and the 1996 film adaptation

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

The Inflatus Jinx on the Harry Potter Wiki

You can hear more from our guest, Angel, on the Mysteries and Urban Legends Podcast. Follow the podcast on Twitter (@MaulPodcast) and Instagram (@maulpodcast), and check out Angel on Instagram as acute.angel.jpeg.

It's Monday, and Podtrificus Totalus is back! This chapter begins our coverage of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third book in the series. We begin by covering the release of Prisoner of Azkaban and the writing process behind it, then launch into the full chapter discussion.

We make a number of references to outside sources and popular culture, which are listed below:

Prisoner of Azkaban was delayed from The Remembrall, archived by the Wayback Machine

New 'Potter' movie sneaks in spoilers for upcoming books (Claudia Puig for USA Today; 27 May 2004)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on the Harry Potter Lexicon

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (movie)

Ultimate Unofficial Guide to the Mysteries of Harry Potter by Galadriel Waters (Ed. Astre Mithrandir; Published by Wizarding World Press in 2003)

Bathilda Bagshot on the Harry Potter Wiki

The Lord of the Rings (series) by J.R.R. Tolkien

Wendelin the Weird on the Harry Potter Wiki

Property Brothers, a home improvement show on HGTV

The Wizarding World Currency Exchange on the Harry Potter Lexicon

Fleetwood Mac, Cassie's mom's favorite band

Mistakes in the Harry Potter books on the Harry Potter Wiki

The Flame-Freezing Charm on the Harry Potter Wiki

We also answer a listener email from Marlin, who clarifies some details on poltergeists in the Harry Potter universe.

It's Monday, which is the perfect day for Podtrificus Totalus to finish off Chamber of Secrets! This episode is a family affair, too; we are joined by Cassie's sister Becca as a guest and we answer an email from their other sibling, Den.

In this chapter, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Gilderoy, and Fawkes leave the Chamber and head to Dumbledore's office. There, Harry reveals all the weird goings-ons at Hogwarts this year and how he was able to defeat Tom Riddle. Dumbledore and Harry discuss how our choices define us and why Harry is a true Gryffindor. Harry frees Dobby from Lucius Malfoy with his slimy sock and all the Petrified students are given the Mandrake draught.

We make a number of references to outside sources and popular culture, which are listed below:

Ultimate Unofficial Guide to the Mysteries of Harry Potter by Galadriel Waters (Ed. Astre Mithrandir; Published by Wizarding World Press in 2003)

Albania on the Harry Potter Wiki

The Mandrake Draught on the Harry Potter Lexicon

Penelope Clearwater on the Harry Potter Lexicon

The Sorting Hat on the Harry Potter Wiki

Our Spell of the Week for this chapter is actually a Hat of the Week. Joe tells us about the origins of the Sorting Hat and all its unique powers.

Lastly, we answer an email from Den about the queer-coding of Lockhart and how Rowling repeatedly others the Defense Against the Dark Arts professors.