Mugglecast: The Harry Potter Podcast

We take a deep dive into Harry and Neville’s parallel journeys throughout the Harry Potter series Muggle Mail covers how you correct someone who is wrong about Harry Potter, Snape fan fiction and more The Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings and King Arthur: the hosts share some of their favorite stories influenced by cultural artifacts Let's get religious (not really)! We compare Harry to Jesus and Neville to John The Baptist Linked from the start via prophecy, did anyone suspect pre-Order of the Phoenix that Neville would prove to play such a significant role? The hosts share their Favorite Neville Moments from the Harry Potter Series A book-by-book analysis of Harry and Neville's journeys Were Harry and Neville's upbringing really all that dissimilar? We discuss Harry and Neville both being orphaned and having their parents taken from them by Voldemort and the Death Eaters Harry and Neville both kill a giant snake... with the Sword of Gryffindor... pulled from The Sorting Hat! Snape has quite

This week, to celebrate a new term on September 1, we're rating every professor of Hogwarts School! How do the DADA professors measure up with one another on quality and on difficulty? We offer individual grades to help us compare them all. How about Potions? Is Slughorn a higher quality instructor than Snape? We all have high marks for McGonagall, but what about Dumbledore, who we saw teach in Fantastic Beasts? We set a Seer against a Centaur and wrap up with Charms, Herbology, and History of Magic. Finally, a shout-out to the non-professor teachers of Harry, like Arthur Weasley. We confirm our suspicions with MuggleCast's listener poll results Quizzitch: How many Podcast Awards has MuggleCast received? You can join our community at Patreon.com/MuggleCast and receive magical benefits, including Bonus MuggleCast! This week, because two clearly wasn't enough, each hosts covers their third favorite chapter in the Potter series! This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp (visit BetterHelp.com/muggleca

20 Years Ago: Dan, Emma and Rupert were announced to play Harry, Ron and Hermione Sorcerer's Stone surpasses $1 billion at the box office as theaters reopen in China Fantastic Beasts 3 set to resume filming in September -- will the movie's release date be delayed? Main Discussion: The Best Chapters of the ENTIRE Harry Potter series, and why these are our favorites! What makes a good Harry Potter chapter? Pivotal moments? Action? Suspense? World expanding moments? Hindsight? The ability to connect the threads? We discuss. Which book(s) didn't have any chapters make our final cut? It's not you, it's us! Each of the hosts share their two top picks from the Potter series Listeners weigh in with overwhelming support for... Goblet of Fire! Quizzitch: Who wrote the Standard Book of Spells: Grades 1-7? Don't forget! You can join our community at Patreon.com/MuggleCast and receive magical benefits, including Bonus MuggleCast! This week, because two clearly wasn't enough, each hosts covers their third favorite

Welcome to the show Marissa, co-author of MuggleNet's new Character Compendium, available now in bookstores everywhere! MuggleMail has Umbridge fever! An e-mail from Matt suggests actress Olivia Coleman for the future role of Umbridge in a Harry Potter TV series! Here is a highlight reel for your consideration. Should MuggleCast make Umbridge pillows that you can punch? And, finally, a mention of Umbridge from Half-Blood Prince is brought to our attention. In our Main Discussion, we ask Marissa about the creation of The Unofficial Harry Potter Character Compendium: MuggleNet's Ultimate Guide to Who's Who in the Wizarding World. How did this book come about, how did they gather information on over 700 characters, and which characters stood out to her in her research?! Special sections in the Barnes & Noble edition discuss MuggleNet's favorite non-canon characters, and who is the REAL hero of the Harry Potter series? What is the role of a fan site in 2020? We discuss the early days of MuggleNet and where i

News: The Harry Potter film series is moving to Peacock and leaving HBO Max. Muggle Mail covers Potter People The Podcast and an interesting fan fiction about Voldemort's return! It's our Order of the Phoenix Rewind episode! Acceptable. Troll. Exceeds Expectations. Just how good were our 7-Word Summaries during Chapter-by-Chapter? The grades are in! Dumbledore vs. Voldemort. The Lost Prophecy. Harry's trial. What were the Top 7 Most Critical Moments of Order of the Phoenix? We take a Time Turner back to 2003! What were fans theorizing most about between the Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince book releases? From Peter Pettigrew to Dumbledore's mysterious absence, what burning questions did Order of the Phoenix and the final two books leave unanswered? Luna Lovegood. Dolores Umbridge. Bellatrix Lestrange. We discuss Order of the Phoenix's Most Notable New Characters and how they translated on screen! The hosts give their Favorite Moments and Rename The Book Quizzitch: What do Jamie Parker, Jim

SPOILER WARNING: Do not listen if you haven't finished Book 6 yet, but today we're celebrating 15 YEARS OF MUGGLECAST! Welcome back everyone's favorite Brit, Jamie! He has some huge life updates for everyone. Why in the world did we ever decide to start a podcast? Who is this mystery "Sarah" person? We dig deep into the archive to roll clips from Episode 1! Were our predictions any good? Or totally wrong? From Steve Jobs to David Heyman to Pickle Pack and more, Andrew, Eric, Micah, Laura and Jamie share their favorite MuggleCast Moments! The hosts give their best fandom moments and top Potter news items over the last 15 years What will be the state of the Harry Potter fandom 15 years from now? We think the current state of the Star Wars and Marvel fandoms should clue us in. Make The Music Connection returns, with music from 2005! Why we still love doing MuggleCast after all this time...and... British Joke of the Day! After the outro, listeners share their favorite moments from over the years This w

It's our final Chapter-by-Chapter episode! The reading archive is now complete! Congratulations to our recent Quizzitch Live winners Morg97, Molly, Melissa, Kate, and Kiran. Eric has a new podcast, Thank You For Spieling! Find it on your favorite podcast app. MuggleMail includes Occlumency lessons, the Marauders watching Snape and Lily, and whether you can grow out of reading Harry Potter books. Chapter-by-Chapter CONCLUDES with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – Chapter 38: Second War Begins 7-Word Summary: Hogwarts is not the most safe space  Fudge's behavior following Voldemort's return leaves the hosts all bothered. What really happened to Umbridge, and how did Dumbledore leave the Forest unscathed? Malfoy means business, but is his anger misplaced? Snape and McGonagall square off. Why can't Hagrid make Harry feel better? Can anyone? To add insult to injury, Harry discovers Sirius' mirror... ...and Nearly-Headless Nick is roped into a counselor role for his fellow Gryffindor. Luna of

Our next Quizzitch Live is Tuesday, July 21 - The topic is Deathly Hallows! Harry Potter at Home has wrapped up their chapter readings for Book One. In Muggle Mail, the hosts are asked how Harry Potter led them to branch out into being a fan of other things. We debut a brand new listener-inspired segment, Wizard Court! Bellatrix is on trial for killing Sirius. Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – Chapter 37: The Lost (?) Prophecy 7-Word Summary: Dumbledore tells Harry some of the truth  A portrait tells Harry that Dumbledore thinks highly of him. What do we think? Dumbledore says, "I know how you're feeling, Harry." But does he? At multiple times, Dumbledore refers to his own age while seeking forgiveness from Harry. Is this fair? Do we blame Kreacher, or do we blame wizards, including Sirius, for Kreacher's betrayal? Snape has shows his heroic side, but Dumbledore is keeping his secret from Harry still. Why? The hosts discuss the blood magic that keeps Har

Our next Quizzitch Live will be Tuesday, July 21 - An installment themed around the Deathly Hallows book! Muggle Mail covers Kreacher, the Department of Mysteries, The Veil, Lupin and more! Which came first, the Ministry or The Veil? Listeners weigh in with their thoughts! We debut a new game... Guess. That. Book! Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – Chapter 36: The Only One He Ever Feared 7-Word Summary: Voldemort is trying to kill Harry Potter Neville consoles Harry following Sirius' death The Cruciatus Curse: can Harry actually perform it? What factors into one's ability to cast an Unforgivable Curse? Intent? Age? Character? Bella, Bella, Bella! Dumbledore vs. Voldemort... and the entrances fans have always wanted! What does Dumbledore mean by "we both know there are other ways of destroying a man?" Is it a hint towards Horcruxes or his own personal life struggles? The Symbolism of the Fountain of Magical Brethren How does Dumbledore’s magic work both i

News covers the latest chapter of Sorcerer's Stone with Matthew Lewis and Imelda Staunton. Plus, an update on the Harry Potter RPG! Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – Chapter 35: Beyond The Veil 7-Word Summary: Sirius falls through the unknown to death  Our initial impressions of Bellatrix Lestrange Dreams vs. Reality: Where’s Sirius, and how can you tell what's a dream and what's not? What do we make of Harry’s leadership in his first real battle?  Why didn't Voldemort just infiltrate the Ministry himself? Was Dumbledore’s plan to keep Harry out of the loop a good one? "Accio, Prophecy!" - are we being for real now? We reminisce about The Broken Prophecy and the theories that followed The Evolution of Neville Longbottom: Why is this the chapter where he really comes into his own. How talented are the Order? Are they fighting fire with fire against the Death Eaters? DUBBLEDORE! Did we prefer his book or movie entrance? Goodbye, Sirius! We play a couple s

News covers The Blair Partnership controversy and suspended Chapter Readings This week: It's a double dose of Chapter-by-Chapter! First up, Order of the Phoenix – Chapter 33: Fight or Flight 7-Word Summary #1: Centaurs react aggressively to Hermione’s faulty argument Did Umbridge fail to search Hagrid's Hut after she gave him the boot? Leading Umbridge into the Forbidden Forest: was it Hermione's top Gryffindor moment? Listeners weigh in with their thoughts. Umbridge vs. The Centaurs: What happened to Umbridge when she was attacked by the Centaurs? For additional information on Centaurs and what may have happened to Umbridge, check out: GreekMythology.com, Kialo.com, and Pandova University Press Is there any symbolism to the Centaurs breaking Umbridge's wand in half? Did Hermione really think through what would happen to Umbridge? Should she have let Harry do the talking with the Centaurs? Why does Harry look down upon Ginny, Neville and Luna? Next up, Order of the Phoenix – Chapter 34: The Depart

International football star David Beckham joins actor David Tennant to read the Quidditch chapter of Book One. And now viewing this requires a login? The MuggleCast 15th Anniversary T-Shirt is here! Just one week left to become a Patron at the Dumbledore’s Army level or higher to get yours! MuggleMail topics include exams in other countries, the secrecy surrounding the prophecy, and whether Hagrid had a battle assist from Dumbledore (sorry McGonagall!) Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Order of the Phoenix - Chapter 32: Out of the Fire 7-Word Summary: Umbridge catches heroes using losers for hire Hermione's point about Sirius and Voldemort is a good one - why doesn't Harry listen? Why doesn't the trio think of Snape before they're caught? The pitfall of Hermione bringing up Harry's "Saving People Thing" Here *lies* Kreacher, Mwahahahahaha Harry speaks in code as a last resort. Does Snape understand? DEBATE: as Umbridge prepares use an Unforgivable on Harry, the hosts ask. Who is a worse villain? Vo

On this special edition of MuggleCast, the hosts are joined by Dr. Sarah Steelman (Marriage & Family Therapist, Ph.D., LMFT) to discuss J.K. Rowling's recent tweets and open letter regarding trans people. We review her statements and why so many of them are wrong, share responses from around the Harry Potter community, and analyze our own feelings. Given the sensitive nature of this conversation, please be aware that this episode carries a trigger warning. Below is a list of resources referenced in our show, for both those individuals looking to better educate themselves as allies and for those who are personally affected by recent events. If you're a LGBTQ person who needs to speak to someone: The Trevor Project: 866-488-7386 Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860 Other resources: Follow Dr. Sarah Steelman on Twitter, and read her Medium blog post Andrew James Carter's point-by-point breakdown of the various issues with J.K. Rowling's blog post. For Scottish listeners who want to support the Gender Recog

MuggleCast opens with a listener email addressing current events in America. Also, please note we recorded this episode before JKR's latest hurtful tweets. Some suggested recommendations and resources that can help us all learn: Understand racism doesn't "go away" - it mutates. Learn from organizations like The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, The Vera Institute of Justice, The National Civil Rights Museum, The Innocence Project, and The MBK Alliance. Everyone has biases , many of them unconscious - find ways to confront your implicit biases Amplify the voices of people of color, but recognize when to be quiet and listen VOTE for candidates and legislation that will hold authorities accountable Visit Ethel's Club, which provides free grieving and healing sessions to African Americans around the world, led by licensed black therapists. Support black businesses in your area: Official Black Wall Street, EatOkra (iOS and Android). Alison Sudol, Dan Fogler and Whoopi Goldberg read the

There is a new children's story from JKR, and she's releasing fresh chapters every week day! All eight Harry Potter movies have been made available for streaming on HBO MAX. In Bonus MuggleCast, available now on Patreon, the hosts and listeners share their go-to HP films, and Micah tears apart Deathly Hallows, Part 2. The MuggleCast 15th Anniversary T-Shirt is here! Become a Patron by June 30 at the Dumbledore’s Army level or higher to get yours! MuggleMail topics include Sirius' relationship with Harry, bullying at Hogwarts, and Snape's maturation process. Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Order of the Phoenix - Chapter 30: Grawp 7-Word Summary: Hagrid reveals another giant secret mistake, Grawp Hogwarts professors and students are in open rebellion. Who put the Niffler in Umbridge's office? Harry comes clean about the Triwizard Winnings Can Harry be expected to pick up Occlumency after what happened? The hosts share their meditation tips for Harry. Is Hagrid's strategy for grabbing Hermione and Ha

Welcome Slug Club member Ryan! WizardingWorld.com's reread continues with Eddie Redmayne and Stephen Fry The MuggleCast 15th Anniversary T-Shirt is here! Become a Patron by June 30 at the Dumbledore's Army level or higher to get yours!  Muggle Mail covers lots of feedback on Snape's Worst Memory Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Order of the Phoenix – Chapter 29: Career Advice 7-Word Summary: Harry speaks to McGonagall about career opportunities Harry struggles with what he saw in Snape's Worst Memory Why doesn't Harry consult Hagrid or Professor McGonagall about his concerns? Harry wonders how James and Lily Potter could have fallen in love We discuss the importance of Ginny and the chocolate Easter Egg Harry isn't half bad at Potions when Snape isn't breathing down his neck! The Great Potter Debate: McGonagall vs. Umbridge! The hosts reenact the infamous Career Advice scene! BAD IDEA OF THE WEEK: Let's break into Umbridge's office! How flawed is Harry's plan to contact Sirius? Why can't Ha

WizardingWorld.com is hosting a video reread of Sorcerer's Stone and Daniel Radcliffe kicks things off! Don't miss Quizzitch Live: The Goblet of Popcorn next Sunday, May 17 (11 am ET)! The MuggleCast 15th Anniversary T-Shirt is here! Become a Patron by June 30 at the Dumbledore's Army level or higher to get yours!  Muggle Mail covers Ministry toilet access, Hermione's advice to Harry and memory perspective! Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Order of the Phoenix – Chapter 28: Snape's Worst Memory 7-Word Summary: Discoveries are difficult to watch in Pensieve  Why didn't Professor McGonagall take over as Headmistress? We reveal something in Hogwarts that ISN'T a security nightmare! The Inquisitorial Squad The Weasley Twins, their loyalty to Dumbledore and their ability to perform exceptional magic Connecting The Threads between Montague and the Vanishing Cabinet Is it fair that Filch is Caretaker of Hogwarts when he can't perform magic? Drink up! Could Umbridge's attempts be any more obvious? As f

JKR commemorates the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts (and responds to MuggleCast on Twitter!) The MuggleCast 15th Anniversary T-Shirt is here! Become a Patron by June 30 at the Dumbledore's Army level or higher to get yours!  Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Order of the Phoenix – Chapter 27: The Centaur and The Sneak 7-Word Summary: Hogwarts changes direction due to Dumbledore’s departure  WHOA, HORSEY! What's up with Hermione's attitude toward Firenze? Divination with Firenze - the magical class setting we've been waiting for! We analyze Firenze's teaching style and his perspective on humans teaching divination Why does Dobby still punish himself? Inside Dumbledore's Office Fudge's attitude toward Harry in Prisoner of Azkaban vs. Order of the Phoenix Marietta's face! Did Hermione go too far? Debate: Modifying Marietta's Memory Why doesn't Fudge or Umbridge recognize what's been done to Marietta? Is Dumbledore's story truly believable? Does Fudge ever really regret his decision? The Gr

Happy Birthday, Eric! Quizzitch Live: The Prisoner of Knowledge was a huge success! We hope you joined us and had fun! Muggle Mail covers COVID-19 at Hogwarts and more Hagrid/Harry comparisons! Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Order of the Phoenix – Chapter 26: Seen and Unforeseen 7-Word Summary: Dreams enter the mind through Snape’s lessons  How much legitimacy does Rita Skeeter provide to Harry's story? Umbridge's latest Educational Decree: does it violate freedom of speech and freedom of the press? Should Hermione have given Harry advice about Cho BEFORE their date? Does Quidditch create bad blood amongst the Hogwarts Houses? Inside Harry's Dreams: Neville, McGonagall, Voldemort, Rookwood and more! How is Voldemort not aware of proper prophecy protocol? The truth about Broderick Bode and Sturgis Podmore is revealed! Bad Hermione! Should Harry have told someone what he saw in his dream? Does Snape share what he is seeing inside Harry's mind with Dumbledore? The door to the Department of Myst

News covers JKR's childhood home and her recent thoughts on Prisoner of Azkaban and Order of the Phoenix. One of these was her easiest Potter book to write. Muggle Mail includes Voldemort's possession of Ginny and The Knight Bus in Goblet of Fire Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Order of the Phoenix – Chapter 25: The Beetle at Bay 7-Word Summary: Valentine’s Day happens amidst many bad choices Mass Breakout from Azkaban! Why doesn't Ron react at all to hearing Antonin Dolohov's name? Is Fudge wrong to think Sirius Black could be behind the breakout? Neville's shift in mentality: the hosts each submit his "glow up" track! Add yours to this Spotify list! Bye bye, Broderick Bode! We hardly knew ye! Hagrid and Trelawney: were their classes destined for scrutiny and failure since Prisoner of Azkaban? How is Umbridge able to attend every Care of Magical Creatures and Divination class? Doesn't she have classes to teach herself? Educational Decree No. 26 - joke's on you Dolores!  Harry and Cho's first d