The Potter Discussion: Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts and the Wizarding World Fandom

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In this episode, we discuss what would be on a hypothetical Fantastic Beasts TV show. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:
·      1:52 Dumbledore’s past. He is such a deep character, and the struggles of his childhood are a big part of who he is and why he is so committed to defeating Grindelwald. If we could understand just a little bit more about his past, we might be able to appreciate his character more.

·      7:49 Newt’s Childhood. We catch just a sneak peak of this in the Crimes of Grindelwald, and it is gold to see Newt as a child. He is very committed to protecting magical creatures, and doing good wherever he goes. We don’t need as much time as Dumbledore, so seeing him for just a few minutes could give a new edge to his rock solid morals.

·      11:39 Creedence’s backstory. He is a very emotionally damaged character, and we aren’t given the best backstory as to why this is. We can understand him for the most part at the end, but I would rather we have the chance to understand him from the beginning.

·      16:57 Tina and Queenie before Newt. These two are as close as can be, and that bond breaking is one of the core parts of the story. If we could have a clearer window into just how strong these sisters are drawn together, it would mean more when Queenie eventually chooses to join Grindelwald. 

·      21:32 Dumbledore and Grindelwald’s relationship. Without a doubt, their relationship is one of the driving factors that keep the story going. Some of the most compelling scenes are where we see their pain of separation. We need more scenes like the one where Dumbledore pulls the curtain off the Mirror of Erised and sees Grindelwald.

·      25:11 Jacob’s bakery. There are two moments in time that would give us a better perspective on Jacob. The first is right after the events of the first film, and the second is before the third film. One is him feeling great, getting with Queenie and living great. The second is when he is living without Queenie and he is a mess. The contrast between these two moments combined with how tense their relationship is when their paths cross will show us how difficult it was for Queenie to go and how painful is was for Jacob to stay. 

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In this episode, we discuss who would win between Harry and Umbridge. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:
·      1:38 Why them? I made this choice because Harry and Umbridge have been at each other’s throats forever. It isn’t very hard to believe that they might have an altercation that would lead to a duel. They are two different people that support very different things, and a disagreement would lead to something less than civil.

·      6:53 Harry’s strengths and weaknesses. He is a good wizard to start. He can think on his feet and use spells well. He is also very motivated to fight Voldemort, and that motivation will help him. The ministry is standing in his way, and defeating them is more than half the battle. As for weaknesses, Harry is too focused on saving other people, and that distraction might impede his ability to duel.

·      14:17 Umbridge’s strengths and weaknesses. She has very strong beliefs. Umbridge knows what she wants and she is willing to go far to make it happen. She might be willing to do the things Harry isn’t. She also is terrified of chaos and will do anything to protect it. However, she is easily distracted, and it wouldn’t be hard for Harry to get in her head.

·      19:40 Umbridge blasts down the wall of the Room of Requirement. Who wins? If a duel broke out and Harry and Umbridge were to lock wands, Umbridge would win in that moment. She is in her element in defending Fudge and the Ministry, and she would absolutely flatten Harry. 

·      23:12 Harry takes the locket in the Deathly Hallows. Who wins? In this case, Harry would win. Umbridge is in the middle of an interrogation, but Harry has the element of surprise. Umbridge wouldn’t be able to understand what was going on before she lost.

·       26:28 The flat plane. Who wins? If there are no other outside factors, Harry would win. Umbridge won the first duel because she was in her element. If there was nothing on the outside influencing what was going on, Umbridge wouldn’t have the extra punch on her side to win.

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In this episode, we discuss the scariest characters in Harry Potter. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:
·      1:34 Tom Riddle. He is such a terrifying character because we know what his future is. He causes mass panic and killing, and it all starts at an unassuming orphanage. With every glint of red in his eye and every sly trick he plays, we are only reminded that his past present and future (get it?) is Voldemort.

·      7:58 Bellatrix Lestrange. She is literally insane, and that is why she is so terrifying. She is a big part of Voldemort’s plans, and it is early on established that she is willing to go very far to serve Voldemort. Her torture of the Longbottoms only supports this.

·      12:11 Xenophilius Lovegood. What in the world? What is he doing here? Well, clearly he was willing to sell out Harry to the Death Eaters. We learn that Luna’s live was on the line and that is why he did it, but looking back, what else would he have been willing to do? Kill Harry himself?

·      17:37 Umbridge. She is the most easily hated villain in Harry Potter, but she is also quite terrifying. She isn’t particularly scary in Order of the Phoenix, but in the Deathly Hallows, we learn how far she is willing to go. She was giving out Azkaban sentences like candy on Halloween. What else is she doing that we don’t know about?

·      24:21 Dementors. We couldn’t have a Halloween episode without these guys. If their name is said, the very temperature of the room drops. Nothing will ever beat them in terms of scare factor. They are the very embodiment of fear; a rotting hand opening a door, the crackle of freezing water, the wave of the hooded cloak in invisible wind. Boy oh boy, they take the cake.  

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In this episode, we discuss some of my least favorite quotes. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:
·      2:00 “There is no good and evil, only power, and those too weak to seek it.” How Voldemort is this one, huh? I can appreciate this quote as the very least. It is well written and reflects the values that Voldemort has. However, he is wrong. If this quote was instead something like: “In the world, there is more than good and evil. There is power, and those too weak to seek it” it might have rung true. Unfortunately Voldemort disregards the very ideas of good and evil as false.

·      11:32 “If it’s true, what you say, and he has the Elder Wand, you really don’t stand a chance.” This quote is far from false. That is not the reason why it is among my least favorite. In fact, I would go as far as to say that Ollivander is completely right. He just shouldn’t have told Harry that the fight is pointless before it even begins.

·      17:50 “He’s not back!” Fudge is ignorant. He doesn’t want to believe that Voldemort is back, and even if he knows that he is, he insists on continuing to say that Voldemort is far from returned. If Fudge had just accepted it and began action earlier, it may have been much easier to win.

·      21:55 “He’s not James, Sirius.” I didn’t think Mrs. Weasley would get on this list, but here we are. Sirius and Mrs. Weasley are arguing about Harry’s involvement in the Order of the Phoenix, when she drops this on Sirius. She shouldn’t feel the need to go this low.

·      27:03 “I don’t think you’re a waste of space.” Dudley finally makes this realization after 17 years of living with his cousin. This is such a heart-wrenching quote and probably the nicest thing Dudley has ever said in his life, but it comes at the worst time. It is a shame that the very moment they have to say goodbye is the moment they finally reach somewhat good terms. Moments after this quote, the Dursleys leave and they never see Harry again.

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In this episode, we discuss the best superhero moments in Harry Potter. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:
·      1:35 Harry and Hermione Rescuing Sirius. They had just executed Dumbledore’s well thought out plan perfectly. However, they aren’t exactly heroes which is why this moment is number one, but it is still Harry and Hermione coming to the rescue.

·      6:18 Harry returns to the DA in Deathly Hallows. Harry is the founder of the DA and he represents the resistance against Voldemort, so why he returns, the moment means so much because it spells out the beginning of the end, one way or the other.

·      Listen to episode 225 about Dudley and the Dursleys here!

·      12:52 7 Potters. Harry says goodbye to the Dursleys, then heads off the great wide world. We see number 4 empty at last, then are brought back to the real world when the Order arrives and they begin to prepare to leave, beginning the final course of events.

·      17:34 The Hut on the Rock. Hagrid walks up the door, breaks it down, and tells Harry the truth about who he is and where he must take him. This is the very first time Harry has been exposed to this kind of thing, and by proxy, it is the readers first experience with magic.

·      20:48 Dobby at Malfoy Manor. Dobby is so unassuming, he is a hero if that makes sense. He isn’t very strong or magical, but he is loyal. He will stand up for you if you stand up for him. Here, he sacrifices his life for Harry to win against Voldemort.

·      23:45 Fred, George, and Ron rescuing Harry from Privet Drive in The Chamber of Secrets. Harry sees the headlights coming, and they rip the bars off. Harry throws his trunk and Hedwig into the car, jumps through the window, and they zoom off into the night.

·      26:00 Battle of the Order of the Phoenix at the Ministry of Magic. Not only are there two hero moments, but two. The DA is saved by the Order swooping in and dueling the Death Eaters away, then when Harry runs after Bellatrix who just killed Sirius, and is faced by Voldemort. Before he can make a move, Dumbledore emerges and saves the day.

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In this episode, we discuss how Draco should have killed Dumbledore. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:
·      2:04 Don’t think about it. Dumbledore is a whole lot smarter than Draco, yet he still insists on trying to think out some elaborate plan to outsmart Dumbledore. That will never work because Dumbledore is too intelligent for that. Draco has to find a way to make a plan Dumbledore can’t foresee or block.

·      11:08 Accept Snape’s help. Snape is ready to help Draco with his task, but he refused. That may be because when Snape offered, all Draco heard was him saying he wasn’t good enough to do it himself and he needed help. Snape knows Dumbledore well and Draco should have accepted when he had the chance.

·      16:15 Don’t go for the kill. Draco should instead help in giving someone else the chance to kill them. That’s kind of what he tried to do in fixing the vanishing cabinet so the Death Eaters could enter, but he then thought it would still be him to do the kill. All he has to do is lure Dumbledore somewhere or get the assassin in the walls of Hogwarts, not do the deed himself. 

·      20:55 Use Aberforth. Aberforth is just waiting to be taken away and used as leverage against Dumbledore. He is more than happy to put himself in harm’s way, but when others are at risk, Dumbledore doesn’t mess around. 

·      25:29 Just don’t do it. If Draco doesn’t want to kill Dumbledore, he can just not do it. If it were really that easy for Voldemort to kill Draco at Hogwarts if he said no, he would have done that for Voldemort. All Draco has to do is get his family to Hogwarts and hunker down there. 

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In this episode, we discuss the most iconic groups in Harry Potter. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:
·      Listen to episode 252 about McGonagall’s Best Moments here!

·      1:45 Dumbledore’s Army. This is a very well known group, but there are a few things that really make them stand out. The first is when a selection goes to the Ministry to free Sirius. It turns out to be a trap, but the DA stands up to the Death Eaters and actually manage to hold them off for long enough. The second is in the final book when they have kept the DA going even after Harry left, and then in the Battle of Hogwarts when many members could protect themselves again evil.

·      8:54 Newt, Jacob, and Albus. They aren’t in Harry Potter, but they are certainly iconic enough to fit into this episode. The thing that makes them stand out is how noble they are. Newt and Albus are fighting hard against Grindelwald at the risk of losing their own lives. Further, Jacob is doing the same with nothing on the line. The threat of losing freedom in the world is always there, but before Jacob understands that, he is still fighting alongside Newt because he knows it is the right thing to do.

·      14:55 The Gryffindor Quidditch Team. This might be less obvious, but the team is iconic because of the plot that happens around them. Quidditch is also the trademark sport of the wizarding world, and the Gryffindor team is the one that Harry plays on and learns his love of quidditch on. Things like swallowing the snitch and seeing the Grim all happened surrounding the team.

·      20:17 The Order of the Phoenix. They’re iconic because of their legacy. The Order that we know today is the second generation, the first coming into being when Voldemort was first on the rise. This gives it a sense of age and legacy, so when they swoop in for the rescue, it isn’t a bunch of aurors but the famous Order of the Phoenix.

·      25:24 The trio. We would get here eventually. How much is there to say really? I don’t even have to say their names for every person to know exactly about whom I speak. 

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In this episode, we honor the late Maggie Smith by discussing some of Professor McGonagall's best moments. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:
·      Listen to QuizMaster: Hermione here!

·      1:30 “Fifty points…each!”. This first moment shows how fair McGonagall is. She does with a heavy heart, but she takes away 150 points away from her own house. In addition to that, she also takes points away from and gives detention to Malfoy who found them out of bed, McGonagall has the stomach to do what is right even if it hurts herself, and she refuses to shrink from further punishment. 

·      8:30 Giving Harry a Nimbus 2000. It might seem like favoritism, but really, it is giving a deserving student the chance he has earned. McGonagall witnessed Harry’s first victory against Malfoy on the broomstick and knows from that moment that Gryffindor has found a new seeker. 

·      13:35 “I’ve always wanted to use that spell.”. Piertotum Locomotor is quite the spell at that. This moment shows all the good things about McGonagall. She is brave and willing to defend the castle with all powers available to her. Before this, she is unafraid to speak Voldemort’s name, even in the face of her own demise at his hands. Finally, she finishes off this moment with a bit of humor to give us a little bit of everything we love about her.

·      17:29 McGonagall dueling Voldemort. With Flitwick and Kingsley at her side, she battled Voldemort directly. This is after Harry sprung back to life and the end of the war is in sight. Her bravery shines through in this moment. She is battling the most powerful dark wizard of her time!

·      21:24 Yule Ball Snark. She has some great lines when she uses Ron as an example for how to dance in front of the entire class, then later as she informs Harry that he will be the one to open the ball. In addition, she has some pretty great comments about Ron’s choice of dress robes.

·      25:11 Arguing with Umbridge. Their voices are raised, and the students rush out to see it. They are taking steps up with each jab at each other. Umbridge thinks that McGonagall is showing disloyalty, and McGonagall takes a step down to show how offensive she finds this. 

·      28:39 Dueling Snape to protect Harry. Before this, the allusion of working was still there, but after this, there is no question that the battle lines are drawn. McGonagall is firing on her own troops to defend the people she knows to be correct. She is a strict follower of the rules, but when breaking them is the right course of action, she doesn’t hesitate.

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In this episode, we test out knowledge about Hermione Granger. Enjoy!

Topics./Summary:
Episode 251:

·      1:30 Warm Up Round

·      3:48 Question 1: What is Hermione’s patronus?

·      8:36 Question 2: What did Hermione receive from Dumbledore’s will?

·      13:27 Question 3: What did Hermione place at Harry’s parents’ grave at Godric’s Hallow?

·      16:48 Question 4: Did Hermione ever walk out of a class?

·      19:07 Question 5: Did Hermione ever destroy any horcruxes?

·      23:13 Question 6: What was the first spell we saw Hermione cast?

·      26:26 Question 7: When is Hermione’s birthday?

·      28:15 Challenge Question

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In this episode, we discuss what actors could play different characters in the upcoming TV show. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:
·      Listen to episode 245 about the pitfalls of the TV show!

·      3:46 Adam Driver plays Snape. Adam is younger than Alan, and that could be a closer representation of Snape because he isn’t actually that old in the books. Additionally, Adam can portray a character of great emotional depth very well, and that is of course who Snape is.

·      12:08 Ian McKellen plays Dumbledore. As Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings, Ian McKellen was an old, wise, and powerful wizard that had a big role in the fight for victory. He is the perfect choice for a character like this.

·      16:33 Viggo Mortensen plays Sirius Black. Viggo is an honorable actor who plays honorable and brave characters. Sirius Black is a wrongly convicted criminal who spends the first part of his arc on the run and the second in the midst of the battle against Voldemort. That kind of acting is best suited for Viggo.

·      19:58 Penelope Wilton plays Professor McGonagall. What we lose with Maggie Smith is the kinder edge from the books, so if Penelope were to go for a softer version of McGonagall, she might just be able to pull it off.

·      22:03 Andy Serkis plays Peter Pettigrew. Andy often plays small, snively, often somewhat unstable characters. All of these things would make a perfect Peter Pettigrew.

·      25:38 Benedict Cumberbatch plays Remus Lupin. Benedict has the air of carrying a very heavy weight on his shoulders, like a responsibility that he cannot shake. Lupin must keep the secret of his furry friend, and later bear the weight of his marriage and the turmoil of having a son. 

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