The Potter Discussion: The Harry Potter TV Show Podcast

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In this episode, we discuss characters we should have known better. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

·      1:34 Luna. We hear something of her backstory, but we don’t have the chance to truly understand who she is and where she came from. We did get to meet her father, but only for a moment.

·      6:31 Lupin. He has only a few moments of venerability, but those give us such a sophisticated perspective of who he is. More of those would go a long way.

·      11:47 Dumbledore. It’s pretty obvious why we need more of Dumbledore. He has such a big impact on the story, and it is too big to overlook his past.

·      14:35 Snape. We do get a good look into Snape’s inner workings, but we don’t understand why he hates James so much. Absolutely, his relationship with Lily is explored, but not his interactions with James. 

·      18:07 James. Our view of James is through other eyes, whether that be memories or some other form. All we need is a few moments of him being himself. That would give us a more neutral view of his character.

·      21:45 Sirius. We know a lot about him, but always it is always helpful to have more context around the Marauders.

·      23:21 McGonagall. She is one big question mark. We don’t know a thing about her past, what she did before Hogwarts, or where she found her rock-solid morals. It might give us an interesting perspective on her interactions to know where they came from.

·      26:10 Voldemort. The line between Tom Riddle and Voldemort is a little too solid for my liking, so a few scenes that could show us more plainly his transformation would go a long way.

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In this episode, we break down Nymphadora Tonks. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

·      1:40 What role does she play? This is a difficult question because we see her in many different settings despite her short time in the story. She begins as a way for Harry to share his grief about Sirius. But in the end, she becomes a representation of all the sacrifices that have been made so Harry can win.

·      10:12 Strengths and weaknesses. For strengths, Tonks is very positive. She always has a good outlook and doesn’t let what others say get her down. However, one of her weaknesses is how she gets in her own head and blames herself for her problem. For example, she blamed herself for Sirius’s death.

·      16:12 How would the story change if she wasn’t in it? We probably wouldn’t have the same perspective for the story. She helps Harry with Sirius in the Half-Blood Prince, and later she is killed in the line of duty. Without her, we wouldn’t understand just how much had to be sacrificed for Harry to beat Voldemort.

·      25:09 What is Tonks’ defining moment? It may have been when she died, because that is when the true value of her sacrifice came into focus. That’s the moment that represents the culmination of her actions. She died fighting for a better world for her child. If she had the chance to take it back, she probably wouldn’t. To rap it all up, Tonks is the representation of what we are all fighting for and the hope that was the difference between victory and defeat.

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In this episode, we discuss how I would take over the world as Voldemort. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

·      1:59 Start with Hogwarts. Voldemort should have focused on Hogwarts more intensely early on, because most of his greatest enemies are there. He has to start planting spies much earlier if he wants to turn it into a more valuable asset of information. 

·      9:50 Take control of Gringotts and Olivander’s.  These two are the most important shops in the wizarding world. If Voldemort could take control of the wand production, he could influence who gets to learn magic at Hogwarts. If he controlled the bank, he could hire an army large enough to defeat Dumbledore ten times over.

·      15:59 Infiltrate the Ministry. Voldemort does this, but it is too late. If I was him, I would start planting spies in the Ministry earlier, and hopefully work up to installing a puppet minister. How hard could it be to get Fudge out of office and support someone else for the position?

·      20:51 Incite more killings and disappearances. The thing that scared the public the most was all the disappearances and killings of civilians. He does some of this, but if he could ramp it up, he might be able to drum up enough fear to influence the war.

·      24:49 Protect the horcruxes. To be fair, he does this well. However, it obviously wasn’t good enough. He should think of a way to better protect his horcruxes, which would guarantee his success. 

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In this episode, we discuss how the story would change if Harry were more like James. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

·      1:56 Why are these episodes are important? Well, it isn’t too early to start discussing possibilities for the show. He probably won’t turn out exactly the same in the TV show than in the book or the film, so we should use the time we have to examine all outcomes and possibilities for the story.

·      6:00 He wouldn’t be as close with Ron and Hermione. The trio is a classic group and they are very tight knit, but it might not be as strong if Harry were more like James. Hermione and Harry balance out Ron’s brashness to some degree, and all is well. However, Hermione might not be able to keep the group together if both Harry and Ron were even a little bit bold.

·      12:11 Harry would be more popular and less respected. If Harry were more like James, he would probably be more of the popular quidditch star which would overshadow what he did with Voldemort. Additionally, he would enjoy the attention instead of shrinking away from it like he does in the written story.

·      20:39 He would have more confrontations. James is more of a hot-head, and can be exited into a fight much easier. If Harry picked up these traits, his relationship with Malfoy would probably be more violent. Further, Voldemort could prey on this weakness and get Harry off his game much more than if Harry had his head on straight.

·      26:11 He would fiercely protect his friends and family. We’ve talking a lot about the bad, but this is something towards the good. James sacrifices himself to give Lily a chance to escape with Harry on the night they died, and that sentiment transferred to Harry would result in a very committed person so protecting those who he cares about.

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In this episode, we discuss the most important side characters from each book. Enjoy!

Listen to episode 267, QuizMaster: Potions here!

Topics/Summary:
·      1:23 Challenge Question

·      2:25 Professor Quirrell. Quirrell drives the story forward with a masterful hand, and we wouldn’t have the same conflict without him. Snape is also a good option for this, but it is the contrast between Quirrell and he that makes the first book so interesting.

·      7:25 Professor Lockhart. He is an absolute idiot, but an important idiot in the second book. Lockhart allows Harry to begin his journey as a hero. He also allows him to realize his connection with Voldemort which evolved later.

·      13:13 Professor Lupin. I was so close to putting down Sirius Black, but in the end, Lupin takes the cake. He somehow finds a way to be everywhere. He is at the center of the conflict surrounding Sirius even though we don’t know it, and he is one of the most important Harry has when it comes to a connection to James.

·      16:42 Barty Crouch Jr. This is one of the easier ones on the list, because if we pick out any one event in the fourth book, Crouch had something to do with it. He was influencing the Tri-Wizard Tournament, the search for Voldemort, and the rise of Voldemort all at the same time.

·      18:34 Professor Umbridge. This is another easy one. What would happen in this book without her? We wouldn’t have the trial, any of the conflicts at Hogwarts, or Dumbledore’s Army without her.

·      21:05 Draco and Dumbledore. I’m going to cheat a little bit here and choose both Draco and Dumbledore because it is the dance of death they do in this book that drives forward the plot. Dumbledore’s death was Dumbledore’s own fault as much as Draco’s.

·      24:37 Snape. Finally, Snape. He is doing everything. He is probably the most powerful person in the wizarding world at this point just because of how many sides he is fighting for. Snape could take down anyone he chooses and influence the entirety of the war. One of the most impactful scenes of the book is when Snape is dying in the Shrieking Shack. These reasons are more than enough.

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

Topics/Summary:
·      1:55 Warm Up Round

·      4:22 Question #1

·      9:07 Question #2

·      14:21 Question #3  

·      18:25 Question #4

·      22:19 Question #5

·      25:26 Question #6

·      27:50 Question #7

·      29:36 Challenge Question

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In this episode, we discuss what the story would be like if we swapped some character's roles. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:
·      2:07 Harry and Dumbledore. With this dynamic, it is possible that Voldemort would win. Dumbledore is naturally a smart and all-knowing kind of guy. Harry certainly has enough experience to make good judgment calls, but Dumbledore just has that perspective that gives him the skills to plot Voldemort’s downfall.

·      9:00 Draco and Hagrid. These two are polar opposite and enemies throughout the story. All Draco wants is to get Hagrid fired, but his mind might change if he himself was thrown out of Hogwarts are the hands of Tom Riddle. Hagrid would have a hard life considering the fact that he would he a Dumbledore fan in the Malfoy house.

·      15:30 Petunia and Lily. Harry’s childhood is famous for being horrible, with a family that hates him. But that might change if he had someone on his side at number 4. He might actually enjoy his time in the muggle world if he had someone like his mother who actually took care of him and acted at the Dursleys should have. 

·      22:08 Draco and Ron. What an interesting story it would be if Harry spent his summers in the house of his worst enemy at Hogwarts, and he had to sleep in the same dormitory as him as well. On top of that, some of the core people to Voldemort’s plan are the parents of his best friend in the whole wide world. 

·      25:20 Harry and Voldemort. These two are more similar than we think at the beginning of the story. Their stories start out pretty much the same, with their parents dying and being cast out. The difference is Voldemort didn’t find a home and Harry did, even if it was an unhappy one. Harry wouldn’t be a very good dark wizard because he has too many morals, even if he had the troubled childhood Voldemort did. Tom Riddle will always be evil, even if he had Harry’s life.

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Thanks for a fantastic year! I hope it has been a good one for you, and that there are many great things to look forward to in the coming months. We'll certainly be busy over here in the studio as the TV show releases more info. Happy holidays and new year!

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In this episode, we discuss the perfect Harry Potter Christmas. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:
·      1:22 Opening presents. The rest of the day would feel off if the day didn’t begin with a mountain of magical goodies at the foot of Harry’s best. Seeing all the things he gets is flooring, considering how few friends he has made.

·      7:50 Christmas breakfast. After waking up and opening presents, a good Christmas breakfast is a great way to kick off the festivities. Without a good first meal, the tone for the rest of the day wouldn’t be as merry.

·      11:49 Winter walk. The grounds of Hogwarts are absolutely huge, so exploring it is always a treat. To add to that, the wintertime makes it so much more magical, especially on Christmas. It would be just a blast to walk around the snow and ice of the grounds, maybe stopping by Hogsmeade and getting a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks.

·      17:27 Lunch and a snowball fight. We have seen our fair share of snowball fights at Hogwarts, but now we are making it official. It would be even more fun to use magic. Snowballs would be flying and there might be some injuries, but it is all worth it for some winter fun.

·      23:32 Sitting by the fire. As the sun sets, the perfect way to end the afternoon is by the fire with something like a book or a boardgame. The common room is likely very well decorated and it is the perfect place to spend some time. Additionally, it would be fun to explore the castle a bit. There is more than meets the eye, that is for sure.

27:05 Christmas Dinner. It goes without saying that this is the climax of the day. Maybe it is still snowing and some more torches have been added to the hallways, and the vibes are set for the most important meal of the holiday season. Christmas at Hogwarts is truly magical, and a dinner is the right way to cap it off.

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In this episode, we flip the script and discuss what would happen if Harry grew up with Sirius. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:
·      1:22 The story wouldn’t be as good. It sounds strange to say, but it is true. The magic of the story comes from Harry’s ignorance for the first 11 years of his life, then the spark that comes from his realization that there is so much more to his life and an explanation why strange things happen around him.

·      7:29 He would be more powerful. It took just a few years at Hogwarts for Harry (or more accurately the piece of Voldemort inside him) to grow into a powerful wizard. But if Harry knew he was magical years earlier, he might have been able to land on his feet at Hogwarts and learn magic faster.

·      11:55 He would be more like James. That might also mean that he might be more of a bully. Dudley didn’t do much for Harry, but he did teach Harry humility. Harry wasn’t about to become a bully at Hogwarts after being tortured for years at home. But if he didn’t have that and he had a much bolder and James-like father figure at home, he might be a little different.

·      18:33 The Mirror of Erised might not show his parents. In the end, it probably will. Harry isn’t a completely different person after all. But, when he is with Sirius, he has the person who was the closest person to his father. Petunia was Lily’s sister, but they were far from close. Harry might miss his parents just a bit less with Sirius around.

·      23:00 The story wouldn’t happen. This is true of every Flip the Script. The differences would be smaller than others, but they would bump the story in such a way that would send it into a totally different direction.

·      25:40 Harry would have less character. He would still be famous, but nothing about him other than that would be different. He would just be another student from another wizarding household coming to Hogwarts.

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