Mugglecast: The Harry Potter Podcast

Welcome Slug Club member Stephanie! She recently became a mother, so we challenge her to sort little Eleanor into a Hogwarts House. Don't forget we'll be in Indy this weekend for Wizards Unite and at LeakyCon Boston this October! Use code MUGGLE when registering for $10 off! If you've waited in line at Universal Orlando for Hagrid's and missed the pre-show video, watch it here! In anticipation of our Order of the Phoenix chapter-by-chapter analysis we take a time turner back to the early 2000s to discuss the years before the fifth Harry Potter book. The wait between Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix was three years (the longest gap!), and it was a critical period for the fandom. How did the Harry Potter fan community soar during this time? When did we all start discovering Harry Potter fansites? What were the biggest questions heading into Order of the Phoenix? Who was going to die in the fifth book? What did Priori Incantatem truly mean? What was next for Harry, Ron and Hermione? To help us ou

Pottermore announces a new app - what can we expect? Micah and Andrew recap their time at Podcast Movement Andrew will be at Wizards Unite Fan Festival in Indianapolis on August 31. If you see him, say hi! Micah and Eric will be at LeakyCon 2019 from October 11-13 in Boston - register today using code MUGGLE for $10 off! It's a mailbag episode full of exciting voicemails and listener emails! When the Weasley twins tossed snowballs at the back of Quirrell's head, was this foreshadowing on the part of J.K. Rowling? A Crackpot Theory blows us away: Did Dumbledore attempt to recreate Ariana and accidentally create Credence? Was hiding the Sorcerer's Stone an attempt by Dumbledore to see Harry's true heart? Given how fast the phoenix evolves at the end of Crimes of Grindelwald, could it be an illusion? One listener tells us that she originally had no idea that Harry Potter was a British book series! Emails cover Lily's protection, James' sacrifice, theme park expansion and more! And... Could the Deathly

We're live from Orlando at Podcast Movement 2019! We're staying at the wrong hotel, but it's cool because there are a ton of inns and Unfoundables! Eric and Micah ride and review Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure The twists, the turns, the creatures and more! Why you should ride Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure even if you're not a roller coaster person We debate the motorbike vs. the sidecar -- Andrew has evolved on the debate How does this ride compare to Forbidden Journey and Escape from Gringotts? We rank the four Potter rides at Wizarding World Orlando! There's some new merch at the Wizarding World that Eric and Andrew want to get their hands on, like shirts that read "Hogwarts Alumni"! Universal announces a fourth theme park, Epic Worlds, and rumors surface about a Fantastic Beasts land. What would we like to see? Micah and Eric will be at LeakyCon 2019 from October 11-13 in Boston - register today using code MUGGLE for $10 off! Become a member of our community toda

Join Andrew in Indy for a special Wizards Unite gathering over Labor Day Weekend! On a related note, we discuss our latest thoughts on the game. MuggleCasTBT takes us back to a dark Cursed Child prediction  Chapter-by-Chapter returns with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Chapter 17: The Man With Two Faces The last time we analyzed a chapter from Sorcerer's Stone was 2006! A lot has changed since then 7-Word Summary: Quirrell surprises Harry with Voldemort’s head attacheSurprise! It wasn't Snape!  We analyze Professor Quirrell as a character pre-Voldemort, with help from Pottermore What does it mean to have a "special gift" with trolls? Snape the Savior: should the debate about his loyalties have ended here?  How Harry's reliance on his intuition allowed him to defeat Quirrell Was there a confrontation between Dumbledore and Voldemort in the chamber? Should Dumbledore have confided the prophecy in a 11-year-old? Connecting the Threads with Deathly Hallows: Harry awakens to Dumbledore, death as

We're going to be in Orlando this August - if you're in the neighborhood, come say hi! Visit our site to fill out our brief survey. There's never been a better time to support the show! Become a Patron by July 31 and get this year's TWO physical gifts - signed album art and a MuggleCast tote bag! Our main discussion is The Secrets of Sorcerer's Stone: We expose the little things in the first book that ended up playing a larger role later in the series -- especially within Deathly Hallows. Does Dumbledore govern Harry's existence from the very beginning of the series? What protected Harry overnight on the Privet Drive stoop? #SecurityNightmare Did Rowling know the role Sirius would play in later books? Why are wizards so willing to risk exposing themselves following Voldemort's downfall? Why does Dumbledore think Harry's scar will come in handy? Does Dumbledore suspect a Horcrux connection exists this early on? We connect the MANY threads between Sorcerer's Stone and Deathly Hallows The importance of

Do the people behind Wizards Unite listen to MuggleCast? Some new game features would suggest so! Eric announces the MuggleNet Caption Contest is back! #MuggleCasTBT takes us back to a bold prediction made about Nicolas Flamel and his "safe house" in Crimes of Grindelwald We take listener feedback on last week's Dark Mark tattoo debate Our Main Discussion focuses on The Beginning of Harry Potter Did Sorcerer's Stone launch a generation of readers? Harry Potter's biggest ally may have been the Internet! How did all of the hosts get started on the Potter series? We discuss J.K. Rowling's struggles behind getting published, including being a woman Did you know Rowling didn't even have a middle name until Sorcerer's Stone was published? We revisit our Episode 200 interview with Harry Potter producer David Heyman, who talks about how he found Harry Was it really necessary to change Book 1's name to Sorcerer's Stone in the United States? We read interesting comments from Scholastic's Editor at the time,

Fire at Leavesden Studios! Did it impact the Studio Tour at all?  Almost all of the hosts have been leveling up in Wizards Unite! We'll be in Orlando this August for Podcast Movement and want to meet up with YOU at CityWalk! MuggleCasTBT takes us all the way back to 2006 for a final battle prediction! We tie up loose ends with our Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince book-in-review episode! 14-Word Summary: Harry Potter and Dumbledore discover the secret about Lord Voldemort’s Horcruxes from the memories The hosts Rename the Book with some interesting titles and hand out their MVP of the Book awards Was Half-Blood Prince anyone's favorite book? Least favorite book? Patrons weigh in with their thoughts! From The Cave to the fake horcrux discovery, the hosts give their favorite and least favorite moments of Half-Blood Prince Horace Slughorn and Rufus Scrimgeour headline our most notable new characters What were the Top 7 Moments of Half-Blood Prince? We discuss several book-to-movie comparisons as

On this special November 02nd, 2005 edition of MuggleCast… Ben and Andrew sit down with Matt Vines from Veritaserum.com and gather some wonderful insight to Goblet of Fire. Matt was able to see the movie at screenings twice when he was in London the weekend of the junket. Beware, spoilers are abound! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fakes News! There is no Potter television series is in the works...for now... Puffs is coming to Chicago! MuggleCasTBT takes us back to the ultimate Cursed Child prediction! Chapter-by-Chapter concludes with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 30 - The White Tomb Our final Half-Blood Prince 7-Word Summary: Harry feels really bad about breaking Dumbledore The Wizarding World pays tribute to Dumbledore Despite everything that has happened, why can't Ginny make amends with Fleur? Told ya so, Harry! Hermione's found out the truth about Eileen Prince! Harry likens Snape to Voldemort. Is this a fair comparison? How bad is Harry's guilt in having trusted the Half-Blood Prince all year long? Harry pities Malfoy - will this play into future Deathly Hallows scenes? Who is the man giving Dumbledore's eulogy? Why don't we get more context to Dumbledore's earlier years? Was this being saved for Deathly Hallows? Fantastic Beasts? WHY is Umbridge there? Are there others in attendance who are not men

Introducing MuggleCasTBT! Each week on the show and on social media, we'll be sharing a clip from an old episode in which we make a prediction about Harry Potter or Fantastic Beasts. In our first clip, Micah correctly predicts that Dumbledore will be a crucial part of the Fantastic Beasts film series when we still had no idea that he would even be in it. The MuggleCasters review Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, the highly-anticipated game from the creators of Pokemon GO! What are our overall impressions of the game? Is it living up to expectations? What are we liking and hating most about Wizards Unite? Elements like graphics, mechanics, spell points, and desolate areas are discussed. Does Laura enjoy playing it in the bathroom, or is she just going to the bathroom while recording? Has it inspired us to get up and move around more? Why is it not as popular as Pokemon GO? The first official Wizards Unite event is happening in Indianapolis, and Andrew's thinking about going. In Bonus MuggleCast, available

Welcome Slug Club member Chloe! Wizards Unite is out and we discuss what we like about the game so far! Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is dealing with some launch pains Chapter-by-Chapter returns with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 29 The Phoenix Lament 7-Word Summary: After Dumbledore's death, Harry regroups with friends Harry breaks the news of Dumbledore's death and reveals the truth about Snape and Draco Lupin's loses control when learning of Dumbledore's death in a way Harry has never seen. Is this because of everything Dumbledore has done for Lupin? We discuss the healing impact of Fawkes' phoenix song on the Order Why did Lupin or Sirius never tell Harry about Snape and Lily? Given Harry had been right about Draco all year, if you were Ron and Hermione, how would you feel? The Vanishing Cabinet and Hand of Glory have strong threads connecting them back to Chamber of Secrets When Flitwick comes to get Snape and is mysteriously unconscious, why aren't Hermione

Universal Orlando's Wizarding World of Harry Potter has just opened its latest coaster, Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, and we review it! We're joined by The Insider's Kirsten Acuna, who rode the Motorbike Adventure with Andrew. Check out Kirsten's review of the ride and her report on the queue's easter eggs! And here's Andrew's review on Hypable. The ride's queue is intriguing: It's the ruins of Hogwarts, with inscriptions and art from students over the decades. It's here where Hagrid also birthed a Blast-Ended Skrewt. Soooo about this Blast-Ended Skrewt: What large hole is spraying us while we're on the Motorbike Adventure???  Andrew and Kirsten review the ride, which is a thrilling technological marvel. And riding it at night is a whole different experience!  The fandom has a new debate on their hands: Is the Motorbike or Sidecar the better vehicle to ride in? We take questions from Patreon supporters: How does this ride compare to the others? How intense is it? In this week's Bonu

Unplug your Alexa's: Our Slug Club guest this week had her name stolen from Amazon! Vans' new line of Harry Potter shoes is causing some ripples amongst fans -- how'd Hufflepuff gets the short end of the stick? Andrew is in Orlando for the opening of Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. Follow us on Instagram to get looks at the new ride! MuggleMail: What would've happened if the Death Eaters weren't waiting for Dumbledore back at Hogwarts? And the best DVD/Blu-ray collection question gets answered. Chapter by Chapter: Half-Blood Prince Chapter 28, Flight of the Prince. Have we ever felt like Harry did in the opening of this scene, as if we're hurling through space because of a life-changing event? Hogwarts Is A Security Nightmare Example #9134891: Kids running around while hearing ruckus. Where's the lock-down? Warning: Never light Laura's house is on fire while her dog is inside. She will be enraged. Harry has to remind Hagrid to put out his burning home. He ALSO has to remind him how to

We're joined by Slug Club member Alicia, who wants to know: How does Ollivander's stay in business? Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is coming to Canada -- it's the sixth production! MuggleMail: Horcruxes probably can't be made via assisted suicide; what's the best DVD/Blu-ray set available?; thank goodness the Trio didn't have to go into The Cave; in defense of Harry Potter. We've passed 1,000 Patrons, an amazing milestone! Thank you to everyone for their support. Chapter by Chapter: Half-Blood Prince Chapter 27, The Lightning Struck Tower. Harry has to face one of the worst situations for a child to be in. Dumbledore once again experiences The Surge: He's damn good on a broom. Dumbledore speaks to Draco in a way that's reminiscent of how he'd speak to Tom. Harry needs a cloak that deflects spells -- he's been frozen under the cloak twice in one book. Why is Draco incapable of killing Dumbledore? Would this have been a different situation if Draco were a few years older? Severus... Please: This l

We're live from Andrew's living room in Chicago! The new WizardingWorld.com website (sort of) goes live and we get our official passports! Question is… what do we do with them? Wizarding World Gold: what is it and how much is it going to cost fans? Following Crimes of Grindelwald and a Fantastic Beasts 3 delay, is this news breaking at the wrong time? What benefits would we like to see from a premium Wizarding World service? Muggle Mail covers where people listen, politics, The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore, security at Hogwarts and "good" Horcruxes Why did Voldemort put so little protection around his other Horcruxes? Did Dumbledore experience a "surge" before his inevitable fate on the Lightening-Struck Tower? Why didn't we talk more about the fact that Draco was crying when Harry found him in the bathroom? Did Snape create Sectumsempra for James Potter and Sirius Black? Quizzitch: Where do Harry and Dumbledore apparate to upon their return from The Cave? We're off ne

Welcome Slug Club member Natalie! News: we get our first look at animatronic Hagrid and discuss the changes coming to Pottermore! Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Chapter 26, The Cave 7-Word Summary: Together they enter the mysterious boat ride The perfect breaststroke: what do we make of Dumbledore's new-found agility? Is it pure adrenaline? His eagerness to find the Horcrux? Next level magic: it leaves traces and can be felt! Might J.K. Rowling explain this further in the Fantastic Beasts series? Why does this Horcrux have the highest level of protection? Is it because it once belonged to Voldemort's mother?   Has Voldemort visited the cave since he placed the Horcrux here?  Why is Harry's blood more valuable upon entering the cave but not for exiting? The simple approach: even in the most dangerous of situations, Dumbledore is still teaching Harry Is it possible that because part of Voldemort resides within Harry, that the magic within t

For the first time in five years, J.K. Rowling stays quiet on the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts Fantastic Beasts 3 filming is delayed until 2021! How will this impact the fandom? Will people lose interest in the series? This Week in MuggleCast History returns! Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Chapter 25 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Seer Overheard 7-Word Summary: Harry discovers who listened to the prophecy Harry and Ginny: why did Rowling gloss over some of the happiest moments of Harry's life? Hermione begins to unravel the identity of the Half-Blood Prince... and Harry "just knows" it isn't a woman! Is he being sexist? Why is Harry still so defensive of the Half-Blood Prince? Truth is, we've seen him behave this way before! The Room of Requirement: easier to access than previously thought - you just need to be drunk! Why has Dumbledore been so reluctant to see Trelawney lately? Harry learns Snape was the one who overheard the prophecy! Would Dumbledor

Which character, if any, will JKR pay tribute to on May 2? MuggleMail covers the power of love, Felix Felicis and interesting listening locations Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Chapter 24 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Sectumsempra 7-Word Summary: Harry almost gets discovered by Snape bathroom Breakup Central: Ron and Lavender and Dean and Ginny are splitsville! Charms Class and Quidditch: we reflect on how Harry's time at Hogwarts is coming to an end Katie Bell has finally returned and Harry remains convinced Draco was behind her attack Harry is hung up on Felix Felicis and Hermione draws an interesting conclusion about the effects on the potion Ravenclaws and Gryffindors: how Quidditch championship matches bring out their wild side! Let's go to the bathroom… because it's where all the important shi*t happens in the Potter series Sectumsempra: Why would Harry use a spell on Draco when he has no clue of its effect? Why doesn't Harry argue that he was defending h

Universal reveals the beasts we can expect to see on Hagrid's motorbike adventure including one never seen in the films! We take voicemails in defense of Slughorn, on the Room of Requirement, Harry's daydreaming and Hufflepuffs ability to find things Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Chapter 23 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Horcruxes 7-Word Summary: Secrets are discovered inside the Slughorn office Compromised security: what's up with the Fat Lady denying Harry entrance to Gryffindor Tower? Could Felix have still been at work? Dumbledore is initially shocked that Harry has acquired the memory. Did he really think Harry could do it? Do we actually know where Tom first learned about Horcruxes? We contrast Tom and Harry's approach to extracting information from Slughorn Wizards of a certain caliber have always been drawn to Horcruxes... really?!?! Like who? We learn Dumbledore is particularly fierce about Horcruxes. Why is that? Could Grindelwald have made one? Horcrux

Slug Club member Sara joins the show! Muggle Mail covers Bunty The Spy, Snape The Protector and Snape The Bully Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Chapter 22 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, After The Burial 7-Word Summary: Aragog causes Harry no issues with Slughorn Despite its dark undertones, is this one of the funniest chapters of the series? Eric tells us why Hagrid's letter defined his Potter reading experience Aragog is one of our biggest (literally) connecting threads between Half-Blood Prince and Chamber of Secrets Will we see Aragog make an appearance in the Fantastic Beasts series? Thanks to Ron... it's time for Harry to GET LUCKY! Thoughts of Ginny... are they romantic or a bit disgusting? If the placebo Felix Felicis effect worked on Ron, do we think it could have done the same for Harry? Is Slughorn so elusive because he considered Harry would eventually use Felix Felicis? Venomous tentacula, acromantula venom, unicorn hair... Slughorn has a side-huss