The Potter Discussion: The Harry Potter TV Show Podcast

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In this episode we discuss the very best quotes in Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts. Enjoy!

Summary/Topics:
·      1:43 “Why is it always me?” What a good one. This not only acts as comic relief, but also this quote points at a great question: why is is always Neville? It could be that he is a magnet for problems because it shows his character arcs. We see his struggles early on in the story, but then at the end he is fighting hundreds of Death Eaters. This quote acts as contrast between the person he was and the person he is.

·      7:37 “Worrying means you suffer twice.” This quote strikes such a chord because it is the truth. One of Newt’s best traits is his honesty, and this quote puts that on display. Newt says this to Jacob when they are prepared to capture the erumpent, and Jacob is freaking so Newt is trying to calm him down. He doesn’t sugar coat it and he doesn’t lie. All he says is the truth. 

·      13:18 “If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.” Sirius is right. Voldemort is a horrible leader and he will kill any one of his followers if they speak too loudly. Dumbledore gives everyone and voice and cares for every person below him. That is the difference between these characters and highlights the victory in the Battle of Hogwarts. 

·      19:05 “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.” Dumbledore says this to Neville when he awards Neville just the right amount of points to win the house cup. Some of the worst conflicts in the story were between friends, like when Harry and Ron fought in the Deathly Hallows. Fighting with one’s friends is much more difficult, but also more valuable when needed.

·      23:02 “There are no strange creatures. Just blinkered people.” This fits Newt’s character. It shows his love of beasts and his distaste of humans, and also shows how he thinks most of the problems in the world come from humans.

·      25:35 “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light.” All Dumbledore is saying is as bad as life seems, just relax and turn on a light. Often times, problems loom far smaller in the light than the dark.

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In this episode, we discuss Tina and Queenie's unbreakable bond and Queenie's descent  into darkness and Grindelwald. Enjoy!

Summary/Topics:
·      2:07 Tina and Queenie’s backstory and bond. They were born in the early 1900s and lost their parents to dragon pox when they were very young. The sisters only had each other to lean on going through life and had to find their own way in New York while trying to navigate the treachery of MACUSA. They have formed a very strong bond and they have grown very close and have gotten to know each other very well. The difficulties they have overcome have only brought them closer together.

·      7:46 What did Queenie join Grindelwald? The big overarching reason is Jacob. In this time, it was forbidden for magical people to be romantically involved with Muggles. Queenie had never had someone like Jacob before, so when they met, they were both enchanted. Queenie knew they couldn’t be together and it tore her apart. She joined Grindelwald because in a moment in inspiration, she thought that he wanted what she wanted and she flipped sides.

·      14:35 Queenie’s torment came from when she tried to return, not from when she left. This is a difficult topic to discuss because there is no one moment when her thoughts flipped to Grindelwald. The moment when she left was painful, but in that moment she believed herself to be correct which helped her along. It really became horrific when she realized that she was wrong in supporting Grindelwald and she had made a huge mistake and burned her bridges for nothing. She was along again.

·      20:06 What did the separation do for her relationships? Her separation with Jacob was probably the worst. They had already gotten to know each other when Queenie left, but they hadn’t had the bond the Tina did with her. They still ended up loving each other, but there was a moment when it was broken. For Tina, it likely wasn’t broken even once. Tina understands Queenie to such a degree that even though they were separated, Tina knew that Queenie was regretting her decision. Tina knows what its like to be alone and she couldn’t bear to do that to Queenie. 

·      24:51 Queenie and Tina’s relationship is unbreakable. They were too close and had been through too much together to break apart just when they needed each other the most. 

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In this episode, we discuss different magical creatures and rank them. Enjoy!

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

·      3:44 #8 Dragons

·      7:35 #7 Kneazle

·      10:24 #6 Niffler

·      15:24 #5 Bowtruckle

·      18:28 #4 Phoenix

·      22:24 #3 Houselves

·      24:35 #2 Centaurs

·      26:05 #1 Hippogriffs

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In this episode, we test our knowledge on Gringotts Bank. Enjoy!

Summary/Topics:
·      1:53 Warm-Up Round

·      3:50 Question 1

·      7:41 Question 2

·      14:12 Question 3

·      17:52 Question 4

·      23:04 Question 5

·      26:00 Question 6

·      30:18 Question 7 and Challenge Question

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In this listener suggested episode, we discuss the funniest characters and moments in Harry Potter. Enjoy!

Summary/Topics:
·      2:26 #7 Kingsley Shacklebolt. The reason why Kingsley is so far up on the list is his famous line: “You may not like it, but Dumbledore’s got style.” It is just perfect. The perfect ending to such an intense scene where Dumbledore is threatened with Azkaban. He is part of the Ministry, but he is also part of the Order.

·      8:03 #6 Ron Weasley. It should come as no surprise that Ron is on this list. I’m sorry to say he gets progressively less funny as the films go on. That’s not because Rupert’s acting took a dive, but because his lines work for a young kid the best, like in the Forbidden Forest when he asks Harry permission to start panicking or when he is freaking out while being strangled by the devil snare down the trap door. 

·      14:20 #5 Filch. Everything about Filch in the films are perfect. Even when he is trying to be menacing and scare the students, Filch has some pretty funny physical comedy. One of my favorites is when Filch runs into the Great Hall in the Deathly Hallows screaming, “Students out of bed! Students in the corridors!” It was the peak of his career, but to no avail because they were supposed to be there.

·      19:55 #4 Dumbledore. This is a deserving spot right here. But what makes Dumbledore so funny? In my opinion, it is his age. He is well past 110 in the story, but he still has such a young soul. He is a glass half full kind of person, and that shows with the cheerful way he takes his defeats. “Alas, ear wax.” He is calm when talking about quite consequential events that makes his every line so funny.

·      24:17 #3 Neville. Neville is such an innocent character who has some very cool lines. When he collapses the bridge in the Deathly Hallows, we think at first that Neville died. But he pulls himself over the edge and says, “That went well.” Similarly in the Goblet of Fire, Harry eats the gillyweed and jumps in the water and Neville starts to panic. “Oh my god! I’ve killed Harry Potter!”

·      29:40 #2 Hagrid. What a funny character. First of all, he is so kind and caring for all of his friends, but that doesn’t stop him from making the occasional funny mistake. When the trio and him are talking about the trap door, Hagrid accidentally tells them how they can get past Fluffy and delivers the famous “I should not have said that.” He also has had some other good ones that make his character pop. 

·      33:12 #1 Professor McGonagall. Without a single doubt, McGonagall is the funniest character in the entire series. Maggie Smith is the perfect actress, she received many of the good lines, and she was funny in the books. This combination makes up the perfect mixture of comedy that creates the funniest character in the entire series. “Boom!”

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In this episode, we discuss more would you rather questions. Enjoy!

Summary/Topics:
·      Listen to Would You Rather Part 1 here!

·      1:40 Would you rather kill Professor McGonagall or Molly Weasley? Let’s weight the pros and cons. McGonagall has a very strict moral compass and values that drive her to do the right thing. She knows the ground of Hogwarts and can defend it if she has to. Molly is such a kind person, acting as a mother figure for Harry. She will defend her loved ones till her very last breath. As wonderful as Molly is, it makes more sense to kill her because without McGonagall, the Battle of Hogwarts would be very different. 

·      9:19 Would you rather Snape or Draco be a friend to Harry from the beginning? Both tortured Harry for his entire time at Hogwarts, and though they both became friends of Harry’s at the end, getting there at the beginning could be a big change. Draco might make more of a difference. Snape perhaps came to like Harry more than Draco at the end, so if Draco was Harry’s friend the story would be changed for the better. 

·      16:33 Would you rather Muggle studies or care of magical creatures be required for students to take? Both subjects are a joke among the students when taking at least one would be hugely beneficial. Muggle studies would give wizards a perspective on Muggles that might reduce prejudices. Care of magical creatures would give a new look at magical nature. However, Muggle studies might help resolve more problems so that is the subject that should be required.  

·      20:23 Would you rather werewolves or house elves get another chance in society? Werewolves are hated and feared, and house elves are seen as nothing, just a way to do the laundry. The reason why house elves is the right choice is werewolves can still lead a normal life. A werewolf can still have friends that support them, but a house elf is all on their own.

·      23:36 Would you rather Umbridge stays or Hagrid goes? We get a taste of both. Umbridge presides over the school in the Order of the Phoenix, and it wasn’t very pleasant. Hagrid wasn’t there in the same book and that also wasn’t very nice. However, Umbridge staying would be the worst. She led with fear and pain, torturing the students to get her way and forcing them to follow the rules. 

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In this episode, we discuss who would in a duel: Harry or Hermione. Enjoy!

Summary/Topics:
·      1:51 Why them? Besides the fact that this episode was a suggestion, Harry and Hermione know each other. They have been friends for years and they know each other’s personalities and habits. In a duel, that connection could be interesting. They know more about each other than the average duel.

·      6:26 Harry’s strengths and weaknesses. His biggest strength is his general ability to duel and read his opponent. He has had a lot of practice and he knows what spells to use when. He is fluent in the language of casting spells. He is also quite smart in a situation like a duel. His major weakness is his emotions. If he is fighting someone like Hermione, he might not to hurt her which would give her an opening to attack.

·      14:48 Hermione’s Strengths and weaknesses. Her biggest strength is her ability to use many kinds of magic. She uses all kinds of spells, not just a certain vein like Harry might. She also knows Harry enough to guess his patterns and spells that he would stick to. Her weakness is she is a jack of all trades. She is skilled in every arena, but not specifically in dueling. That might count against her.

·      20:57 Dumbledore’s Army duel. Harry wants to demonstrate a duel to the other students in the DA, so he asks Hermione to be his dueling partner. Who would win? Either Harry would win or Hermione would find an opening and get the upper hand. However, Harry winning is more likely.

·      24:19 Meeting on the battlefield. If Harry and Hermione are enemies and they meet on the battlefield, who would win then? This one would be Hermione. Harry would see Hermione and focus in on winning and nothing else which would give Hermione the perfect opportunity to find an opening in Harry’s furious attacks and gain the advantage. 

·      27:41 Flat plain. With no outside circumstances, who would win? Without a doubt, it is Harry. The situation is what decided the other victories, but without a situation, there is nothing that stops Harry from using his superior skill to win. Nice job. 

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In this episode, we discuss some very though provoking questions. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:
·      2:00 What does the happiest person in the world see in the Mirror of Erised? Dumbledore claims they would see themselves exactly has as they are, but I don’t agree. Happiest doesn’t mean completely happy first of all, but also, there is a very little chance that there is a person in the world who really doesn’t want anything more. The only time it would be a mirror is when the person looking in it truly wanted to see a mirror image of themselves.

·      9:01 What are the limits of an animagus? The rules themselves have really never been defined, so could someone turn into air? We’ve seen switching spells work with air, so it could be possible. Also, humans are technically animals too, so could a person become an animagus of another person?

·      12:56 Possible ancient alien intervention = magic? There are many theories today about huge structures like the pyramids of Giza, but what if it is really magic in the wizarding world? That would make perfect sense. It is really the kind of canon that seems like it would be upheld by the author. It does make sense after all.

·      17:26 Why are some spells unforgivable and others completely allowed that can kill just the same? I could cast a spell that can explode a building and kill a hundred people and that certainly wouldn’t be allowed, but the casting of the spell wouldn’t be the offense. But with an unforgivable curse, it is the act of casting it that is horrible. Maybe that’s because of what it does to the caster, not the target. It is really personal and you really have to mean the spell when you cast it.

·      22:00 Why weren’t potions used in the Battle of Hogwarts? They were throwing crystal balls at the Death Eaters so the least they could do is throw a few potions as well. Why didn’t they? It could have been the short notice because Harry gave them a heads up just a few hours before the battle started, but shouldn’t they have been preparing weeks or months before Harry arrived?

·      26:40 Is there a magical creature that is considered close enough to human that they can occupy the Room of Requirement? There have certainly been magical creatures in the room at the same time, but what if it was a centaur? Is their intelligence enough to occupy it? But then what about a dragon? They are very intelligent, but would they do it?

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In this episode, we answer some difficult Harry Potter would you rather questions. Enjoy!

Summary/Topics:
·      1:58 Would you rather save Sirius or Dumbledore? Yep, starting off strong. Sirius is the closest thing Harry has to a father and his death was a wrenching situation for Harry. Dumbledore was one of Harry’s closest friends and the person who lead the defense against Voldemort. All in all, I think though Harry would be hurt if Sirius died, the rest of the world would be damaged in Dumbledore died, so Dumbledore is the best choice.

·      10:47 Would you rather save Fred or Dobby? This is a tough one. Dobby was a free elf who didn’t deserve to be killed. He had his whole free life ahead of him. Fred with a close friend of Harry that died in the Battle of Hogwarts. Harry hated seeing everyone dying for him, which pushed him to go to the forest. It is for that reason that we should choose Dobby. Harry seeing Fred and knowing he died for him was why Harry went to the forest. If that happens, Harry wins. We know this. If we asked Fred, “Would you trade your life for a victory?”, he would say yes every time. Plus, Dobby didn’t deserve what he got and choosing him would guarantee victory.

·      17:42 Would you rather McGonagall or Hagrid be a secret spy for Voldemort? Both people are in support of Dumbledore through and through which is why it would be such a huge shock if one if them were to be a spy. The deciding factor is this: Dumbledore always says he would trust Hagrid with his life. Also, McGonagall is sharper and would be a better spy, which is why she is the better choice. 

·      22:16 Would you rather Snape really be on Voldemort’s side or Pettigrew really be on Dumbledore’s side? Which would be the most interesting for the story? One of Snape’s driving characteristics is his willingness to risk his life every day and act as a double agent. We never would think of Pettigrew as a double agent, but maybe that is exactly why he would be the best at being one. So which would be more interesting for the story? Probably Snape. It would be such a good reveal if at the end we realized that Snape was working for Voldemort.

·      27:07 Would you rather have a TV show or an 8th film? This is a real-life question. With a TV show, we could go much farther into depth than the films ever could. We could meet new characters, see things that were overlooked, and really get to know another side of the characters.  An 8th film would be a continuation of the story to see where the characters go and the aftermath of the battle. Without question, a TV film would be so much more valuable. 

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In this episode, we rank every Christmas in Harry Potter. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:
·      2:15 Deathly Hallows. This is the Christmas on which Harry and Hermione met “Bathilda Bagshot” who was really Nagini. Voldemort showed up and tried to kill them, all this being after Harry saw the graves of his parents. His wand broke, many attempts were made on their lives, and they didn’t find the sword or anything else for that matter. Not their best.  

·      7:18 Chamber of Secrets. This might be a bit better than book seven, but it’s not great. This is the holiday season where Hermione turns into a cat and Ron and Harry turn into Crabbe and Goyle to question Malfoy, which was a complete disaster. They had a hilarious exchange around stomach pain and ran out.

·      13:24 Goblet of Fire. The Yule Ball might seem cool at first glance, but it really didn’t end very well. Hermione managed to have a good time, but Ron was man that Krum chose Hermione over him and he had to destroy their nights. On top of that, Harry and Ron weren’t very kind to their own dates (“Do you want to dance?” Harry and Ron: “Naw”). 

·      18:51 Half Blood Prince. This is middle of the road because there are some good and some bad events. The main bad reason is Harry’s spying on Malfoy. He ducks out of Slughorn’s party early just to spy on him! However, he does have a good time and also goes to the Burrow. Not a loss, not a victory.

·      21:13 Order of the Phoenix. In both the book and film, this Christmas is spent very well. In the book, they spend a lovely dinner with Sirius at Grimauld Place, then they head to St. Mungo’s to see Arthur. In the film, Arthur is with them and they have a merry time. No complaints there.

·      23:41 Prisoner of Azkaban. This is a good Christmas because of the Firebolt. Quidditch is one of Harry’s favorite things in the world, and this broom is the key to even more enjoyment out of it. Malfoy tries to catch him out and points out the fact that he has a broom, but he can’t do anything about it because it is completely allowed just like he tried to in the first book.

·      26:14 Sorcerer’s Stone. There is nothing wrong with this one. It is the very first time we see a magical Christmas. There are no evil people to fight or huge problems that need solving. It’s just enjoying a fantastic Christmas with Harry’s best friend. He receives the invisibility cloak which turned into one of the most valuable things he has. There are so many good things happening here and it is hard to fault. 

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