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

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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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In this episode, we discuss what would happen if Newt and Jacob never meet. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:
·      1:58 Dumbledore would be introduced in the first film. We need a set number of core characters, and if Jacob isn’t there we need another. It’s a little strange that he is introduced so late in the story anyway, so it would make a lot of sense for him to take Jacob’s place in the beginning.

·      8:57 They wouldn’t break apart. The first loose thread is Queenie when she leaves to join Grindelwald in pursuit of love, but if Jacob isn’t there, she has no love to peruse. That would prompt Tina to stay, therefore keeping them all together.

·      18:11 The Order of the Phoenix would form. It might not be called that and the structure would be different, but this would be the first time we see Dumbledore forming a group of resistance against evil.

·      23:46 Grindelwald would win. It is the growth that they make together that in the end is the reason why they win. Jacob makes the people around him better and pushes them to greater heights. Without him, they don’t have the same motivation that keeps them going and glue that keeps them together.

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In this episode, we discuss what a modern back to Hogwarts would look like. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:
·      2:19 Self-stirring cauldrons. Potions class is a staple of Hogwarts, so why should wizards and witches have to stir their own cauldrons? The value of the class is gaining an understanding of what potions do and which ones to use in different situations. It is that knowledge that gave Harry the best help, not actually how to make them. And if you find yourself in a situation in which you need to make a potion, the cauldron is probably going to be self-stirring anyway. 

·      8:21 A gossip device. The DA uses gold coins to get in touch with all their members, so why wouldn’t such a device exist for the public to talk without having to send an owl? Something like the mirrors that Harry and Sirius used to communicate could be a very useful product for the Hogwarts market. 

·      15:40 Super quills. Even back in Harry’s day, there were self-spelling quills. Now, there are quills that could probably do something similar but much better. I could take my quill and ask it to write an essay or draw an advanced diagram without having to touch it once.

·      21:59 Safety measures. From classes to quidditch, there is no end ot the number of dangers at Hogwarts. Putting a limit to how close the students can get to dangerous creatures and making sure that the professor is the only one to handle dangerous potions or plants are great ways of making this better. Additionally, putting some kind of safety net for quidditch or making sure bludgers don’t kill are also great ways of making it safer. 

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In this episode we break down the character of James Potter. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:
·      1:52 James’s role in the story. First off, who is he? Unfortunately, this entire episode is here to answer that question. We can say that James was Harry’s dad. He was also part of the Order of the Phoenix. Overall his was a major character, but he didn’t have an absolutely huge effect on the story. He also had a positive effect, but he was more negative for the story that one might assume.

·      8:14 Strengths. He is sensible, at the end of the day. This might be hard to see because of his past, but it is there. When they sent Snape down to see the werewolf that was Lupin, James realized what a bad idea it was and stopped Snape from doing it. Additionally, James is quite brave, being a true Gryffindor at heart for how he stood up against Voldemort when he came to kill the three Potters.

·       15:04 Weaknesses. As sensible and brave as a person can be, there are also weaknesses. One of which are his over confidence. He was a quidditch star and had a group of popular friends. He was on top of the world and felt like he owned Hogwarts. This led to another bad trait of him being a bully. When Snape refused to bow down, James practically tortured Snape in front of the entire school.

·      20:24 What would the story be like without him? Let’s say James is actually John Smith, an accountant. Harry is much less of a strong character. It was the love he had for his father and the strength of the symbol of the stag that drove many storylines. Many things from Harry’s hair to playing quidditch come from James. Also, Harry would have a much better and less complicated relationship with Snape. Snape wouldn’t automatically hate Harry for his father and they might get along better from the beginning. However, it took them being enemies to grow even closer at the end, so they wouldn’t have that moment in the Shrieking Shack. 

·      25:23 So who is he really? Still, we can’t put a label on him, but we can get closer. He is a Gryffindor at heart, that much is clear. He is brave, noble, and sensible. He is also a bully, but not because he hates people or he wants to see them suffer, but because he wants to seem strong. He is a protector, and seeming like someone who doesn’t shy away from a fight is a great way to do that.

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In this episode, we discuss a possible wizarding Olympic events. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:
·      2:20 Quidditch. This is a staple sport in the wizarding world, and any magical competition of this scale would be remiss without it. There are team sports in the muggle Olympics, so wizards should follow suit. The Quidditch World Cup is a separate organization that could supply some of the best players to make up several talented sides.

·      9:48 Wizard chess. Chess is recognized as a sport, but not included in the Olympics. However, in the wizarding world, chess is far mor physical and dangerous which could drum up more interest and make it a worthwhile sport to include. 

·      15:38 Individual Quidditch trials. Beyond winning the game, there are individual skills that make up a good team. An event that would test only seekers or only beaters would give us a better idea of the talent of each individual player. The winning team likely has good chemistry in addition to good players. Viktor Krum was a better seeker than the Irish seeker, but they still lost.

·      19:33 Dueling. This is the perfect sport to test someone’s skill with a wand and how quickly they could think on their feet. A challenge would be to set the rules, because spells like the killing curse shouldn’t be allowed. If they set the rules and have an approved list of spells that gain a certain amount of points, it could become something great.

·      23:24 Archery. Muggles also compete in this realm, but it can be used for a wizard Olympics as well. A perfectly reasonable assumption for magical lore would be that muggles gained archery from centaurs, who could also stand as the judges for a magical archery competition.

·      26:35 Synchronized spells. There is synchronized swimming, and spells could be the magical equivalent. How amazing would it be for ten or twelve wizards and witches to get together and cast spells into the sky, creating some absolutely stunning spectacles? It would be pretty awesome.

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In this episode, we discuss the pitfalls of the Harry Potter TV show. Enjoy!

Summary/Topics:
·      1:52 Only following the story. One of the best parts of having a TV show is having more episodes and time to explore the story. That is more than enough to do more than follow Harry. He has an interesting journey, but going deeper and finding out more about some of the things that weren’t in the films would be the benefit of having more time on our hands. 

·      7:32 Actors. They are the core of the series, and the ones that make each scene pop. Choosing the right actors can be the deciding factor in the show. These are the people we are going to be living with for many years, so they should be as accurate as possible.

·      14:10 Sets. This might seem like a secondary detail, but behind every production is a fantastic set. If they don’t use some of the most important sets in the story like Hogwarts and Diagon Alley, the image we have in our heads of the story will be ruined.

·      20:34 Music. Some of the most iconic film themes in history have come from Harry Potter. If the TV show doesn’t use these themes, it will be something other than Harry Potter. I would be thrilled if they consulted the original composers to find the right balance.

·      25:36 There is right and wrong. The films didn’t have any restrictions. They had the books and the sentiment, and all they had to do was bring it to life. The films had a perfect shot lined up, which they smashed out of the park. Now the TV show can get some of the elements straight up incorrect.

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In this episode, we discuss the curse of July 31. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:
·      1:49 1991. Harry realizes he is a wizard, but the very day he buys his very first wand and gets ready for his first year at Hogwarts, Quirrell breaks into Gringotts and tries to take the stone.

·      9:41 1992.  Dobby arrives at 4 Privet Drive and urges Harry to stay away from Hogwarts that year, claiming that great danger is coming to Hogwarts. Harry doesn’t believe him, but later finds out that Dobby was correct.

·      15:06 1993. Aunt Marge arrives, and leaves a few days later in the air. Harry decides to run for it and sees a death omen, the Grim, in the street. The Knight Bus picks him up, but he doesn’t forget.

·      19:11 1994. The best one yet, following the worst year. Harry gets sweets and letters from all of his friends and has a peaceful birthday. This throws the end of the book with Voldemort’s return and Cedric’s death into great contrast.

·      22:02 1995. Order of the Phoenix if similar to the Goblet of Fire, but Harry throws out the sweets. He is angry that he is being kept in the dark, and he regrets this later. Sirius’s death is later in that book, which is mirroring the decision with the sweet. It was rash, and he regretted it greatly.

·      26:05 1996. Harry spends this birthday at the Burrow, but Lupin brings news of a dementor attack, leaving Igor Karkaroff worse than dead in a shack up north. The Burrow is attacked in the film and burned down.

·      28:42 1997. The minister shows up and reads the will of Dumbledore to the trio. Bill and Fleur have their wedding, but it is ambushed by Death Eaters. Harry, Ron, and Hermione narrowly escape them and begin their lives on the run, hunting horcruxes. 

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In this episode, we discuss parallel characters from Harry Potter in Fantastic Beasts. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:
·      1:57 Newt and Dumbledore. But isn’t Dumbledore also in Fantastic Beasts? Yes, but they actually aren’t as similar as Newt is to the Dumbledore in Harry Potter. They both have a simple outlook on life. Dumbledore has had over one hundred years to look back and understand the world. Newt doesn’t care what others think of him which frees him to be his own person, just like Dumbledore.

·      10:07 Snape and Queenie. Both of them are loose with their choice of side. Snape is fighting for both Dumbledore and Voldemort, and Queenie switches sides to Grindelwald. However, the thing that makes them so similar is love. Both of them are fighting for love, and switch sides for the same reason. 

·      15:58 Neville and Jacob. This is one of the strongest parallels. The reason they are so similar is because of their character arcs. Both start out as finding their footing, not really being a great help to their side. Eventually, they find their place in the world and rise above to a position of strength and power.

·      22:29 Leta and Draco. This is perhaps a bit more obscure, but there are certainly similarities. Both are outcasts and have a shaky place in their families. They don’t really have anyone who they can completely trust and confide in, and they are consistently feeling down. The cherry on top is the end of their arcs. Both stand up to their oppressors and fight against evil.

·      26:24 Theseus and Percy. Both are older brothers and have careers which they care for very much. They both feel like they have to set an example and be the responsible older brother. They also both fight with their families and aren’t always on great terms all the time, but in the end, they both set aside their differences and realize that fighting evil is more important than a spat.

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In this episode, we discuss imaging from page to screen. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:
·      1:53 Hogwarts. This is one of the best imaging feats in the series. The style of the castle set the mood for the rest of the story, and it was the first real breath of magic we witnessed in the films. The silhouette is one of the most famous in literature. But apart from the outside, the interior of the castle is also a fantastic translation from page to screen. 

·      9:37 Voldemort. He is the big bad villain of the story. Voldemort’s image is much stricter and more outlined in the books, which gave the filmmakers a more difficult task. However, they still carried it out well. One change they made was keeping his eyes human instead of the book’s red. 

·      15:57 Quidditch. This is the sport of the wizarding world and deserved a good representation, which is absolutely got. The thing that sets it apart is the amount of moving parts. The little things like the shape of the quaffle and the design of the stands make up such an interesting and magical picture that injects the charm of Harry Potter into the sport. 

·      20:48 Ministry of Magic. Apart from the grates in front of the fireplaces and the fountain in the atrium, there are few descriptors. One choice that made the Ministry pop is the dark green stone. There have been few happy occasions when Harry was happy to enter, and that color is reflected in this. 

·      24:21 Death Eaters. They have one of the most interesting costumed in the series. It is everything we read it to be, but it changed dramatically between films. From the graveyard to the Ministry, the Death Eaters had a complete wardrobe change. It was the perfect mix of magic and evil, metal and silk.

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