Celebrating 20 Years of MuggleCast, and Predicting the Future

It's a MuggleMail episode! But first: Micah & Eric visit the newly-opened Harry Potter New York flagship store and share some pro tips for fans looking to visit in the near future! What are some of the top items? And more importantly, how is the butterbeer? To celebrate Pride Month in the Wizarding World, listeners send in their favorite LGBTQ+ couples Voicemails cover Draco's "real" dad, the Battle of Hogwarts, Sprout & Snape's relationship and more! Do the they teach sex education at Hogwarts? One listener gives us an epic ending for Trelawney in the Battle of Hogwarts! What are some details left out of the Potter movies that should be in the TV show? How are wizards educated in early academics? Why does Draco criticize students for staying at Hogwarts during the holidays when HE DOES IT HIMSELF? We reminisce about where we all though the final battle of the series would take place and the significance of The Veil! In Chamber of Secrets, did Harry have an immediate connection to the Diary Horcrux that we all overlooked? Selfish Harry! Did Ginny have any say in the naming of her children? Draco would NEVER wear Muggle clothes (sorry movies)! Was it a matter of convenience that most wizarding families were sorted into the same House (ex: Weasleys)? One listener shares a really profound email on fan fiction Quizzitch: June 21st is the 18th Anniversary of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the longest Potter book ever written. How many chapters are contained in Book 5? Visit MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch to submit your answer! This week’s episode is sponsored by UE Fits (Visit UE.com/fits and use promo code 'MuggleCast' for 15% off) and BetterHelp (Get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/mugglecast). Support us on Patreon and receive magical benefits, like access to our recording studio, Bonus MuggleCast, a personalized thank you video from one of the hosts and more! On this month's Bonus MuggleCast, we share our thoughts on a Harry Potter cast reunion! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

22 Jun 20211h 12min

Welcome Swish and Flick's Meg & Katie! Main Discussion: Celebrating Pride Month in the Harry Potter fandom Andrew, Meg & Katie share their personal experiences of coming out and the feeling of safety in the Potter fan community What is it about the Harry Potter fandom that makes it a welcoming place for diversity? What have the hosts noticed about inclusion at Potter events? What’s a “different” thing about the other hosts that the fandom didn’t judge them for? Why was it such a big deal to reveal Dumbledore's sexuality? What other gay characters were in pop culture at the time? How important is it for us to remember the time at which the Harry Potter series was written? Does the lack of an LGBTQ+ character in the Harry Potter series speak to its larger diversity issue? Would J.K. Rowling  have viewed including a gay character as a risk? Would publishers be concerned about how parents might react to a gay character?  We discuss the possible sexualities of several Potter characters, including Nymphadora Tonks, Charlie Weasley, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black and more Quizzitch: A witch named Glenda Chittock hosts this program on the Wizarding Wireless Network, dedicated to interviewing musicians. What is the name of the program? Visit MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch to submit your answer! This week’s episode is sponsored by MasterClass (Get 15% off an annual subscription at MasterClass.com/mugglecast) and MeUndies, makers of the most comfortable underwear (get 15% off your first order at MeUndies.com/mugglecast). Support us on Patreon and receive magical benefits, like access to our recording studio, Bonus MuggleCast, a personalized thank you video from one of the hosts and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

15 Jun 20211h 21min

The Harry Potter Store in New York City is now open. Will Micah be going? In celebration of the character's birthday, today we are discussing all things Draco Malfoy. Malfoy's name implies he will act in bad faith, and his horoscope suggests a duality of character. Do the hosts agree? According to LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, Malfoy's Boggart is Lord Voldemort. Is this canon? Are there any other things his Boggart might be? We all agree Tom Felton was an excellent choice for Draco, and we love how active he is in fandom today. Fun Segment: To kick off our in-depth character analysis, the hosts recap the Top 7 Moments Draco was a Jerk While the first four moments were concerning, the top three moments could have or did result in the loss of life! Can Draco Malfoy be redeemed? How much of his upbringing is to blame for his casual racism? Is there a "sweet spot" age where Draco can be held responsible for all of his actions, and if so, when? Drawing from Cursed Child, all the hosts strangely agree that Draco would be a good father as a result of his actions. Are there actions of Draco's that are truly unforgivable? What behavior would the hosts never forgive in their personal life? Which characters from Harry Potter would never forgive Draco? Which ones would? Finally, the hosts all try to say something nice about Draco! Quizzitch: The constellation Draco was so named for its appearance of being like a dragon.. Who first named the constellation Draco?Visit MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch to submit your answer! This week’s episode is sponsored by ThirdLove (Get 20% off your first purchase) and Quip (Try their new mouthwash today!). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8 Jun 20211h 27min

This week's episode is our fifth-ever Wizarding World movie commentary! Watch Prisoner of Azkaban with the MuggleCasters, and listen as we react in real-time to everything happening. Is this movie as bad as some people say it is? What do we love and hate about it? We discuss it all as we watch! Note: You will need your own copy of Prisoner of Azkaban in order to watch with us. We will help you sync up the movie with us at the start of the commentary track. We strongly recommend listening to this episode with your own copy of the movie. Otherwise, it may be difficult to follow along with what we're discussing. See more of our movie commentaries on our Must-Listens page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

25 Mai 20212h 17min

The Cursed Child will not reopen with other Broadway shows this Fall as it rethinks its length and structure, targeting a 2022 return What's at the heart of this decision? We discuss a few ways The Cursed Child could accomplish a cutdown version of the show. Main Discussion: Revisiting The Best of MuggleNet and other Potter Fan Sites, particularly during the biggest year for Harry Potter The hosts revisit their roles and how they got their start in the Potter fandom The layouts, the countdowns, the breaking news: what were some of our favorite parts of  MuggleNet? The Wall of Shame, Editorials, MuggleSpace and more! Be sure to check out older versions of MuggleNet using The Wayback Machine! What was the rivalry like with other Harry Potter fansites? The hosts read their old staff profiles from 2007 - laughter... and cringing ensue! Our patrons share their favorite parts and memories of MuggleNet Quizzitch: Some of the earliest Harry Potter fan conventions were run by a group called HPEF. What does HPEF stand for? Visit MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch to submit your answer! This week’s episode is sponsored by MasterClass (Get 15% off an annual subscription at MasterClass.com/mugglecast) and BetterHelp (Get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/mugglecast). Next week: We'll be releasing a brand-new movie commentary on Prisoner of Azkaban. The following week we'll be off for the Memorial Day holiday. So, we'll see you on June 7! In the meantime, check out some of our past episodes on the Wall of Fame! Support us on Patreon and receive magical benefits, like access to our recording studio, Bonus MuggleCast, a personalized thank you video from one of the hosts and more! This week, on Bonus MuggleCast, the hosts reflect on what the party scene was like at Potter conferences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

18 Mai 20211h 29min

Welcome Slug Club member, Franzi! Main Discussion: Professor Sprout & Herbology’s Role in the Harry Potter Series To start off, the hosts test their skills in a new game: Potter Plant or... Pokemon? What’s the first word that comes to mind when you think of Professor Sprout? What does Sprout's name origin tell us about her character? Miriam Margoyles shined in her limited screen time in the Potter films The Chronicles of Sprout and McGonagall are canon - should it be a spin-off series? Laura dishes on some good Sprout fan fictions as we revisit the Splitwick publishing controversy! Does Professor Sprout's character suffer from lack of representation? How would we rank her in comparison to other heads of house?  Does the connection between Professor Sprout and Hufflepuff house get lost on the reader? Is she not that memorable for the average reader?  Do Sprout (Hufflepuff) and Flitwick (Ravenclaw) suffer from not being focal points of Harry’s story and attention?  Top Sprout Moments in the Potter series include devil's snare, mandrakes, keeping Hogwarts open and more Sprout, Snape, and Neville:  we discuss Herbology's role in the series and its relationship to Potions Quizzitch: What is the common name of the family of flowering plants, solenacaeae, which include tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, bell and chili peppers? Visit MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch to submit your answer! This week’s episode is sponsored by ThirdLove (Visit ThirdLove.com/MuggleCast for 20% off your perfect fitting bra) and Quip (visit GetQuip.com/muggle to get a free plastic gum dispenser with any refill plan). Support us on Patreon and receive magical benefits, like access to our recording studio, Bonus MuggleCast, a personalized thank you video from one of the hosts and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11 Mai 20211h 12min

Take note! The new-ish Harry Potter Database is keeping track of deleted and never-seen scenes from the movies, with stills and even script excerpts! Including the alternate ending from Goblet of Fire that we mentioned last week. It's the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts! The hosts honor the occasion by looking at what the movie left out from the book. How do the hosts feel about the Harry/Voldemort face-off, now that they've reread it? What role would Andrew, Laura, Micah, and Eric taken in defending the school? Would any particular moment during the Battle of Hogwarts have caused us to retreat or rethink our strategy? What is the one thing that we'd change after all these years about what happened during the Battle of Hogwarts in the book? Listeners weigh in with the top things they would change as well. Which character who died would Andrew, Eric, Laura and Micah save, and who would we kill in their place? We eulogize those who lost their lives on this fateful day in the book series. Quizzitch: What is the final sentence in Deathly Hallows prior to the epilogue?Visit MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch to submit your answer! This week’s episode is sponsored by MeUndies, makers of the most comfortable underwear (get 15% off your first order at MeUndies.com/mugglecast) and HelloFresh (Get 12 free meals plus free shipping, at HelloFresh.com/12muggle, and using code 12muggle) Support us on Patreon and receive magical benefits, like access to our recording studio, Bonus MuggleCast, a personalized thank you video from one of the hosts and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4 Mai 20211h 9min

News: Harry Potter flagship store opening on June 3 in New York City, but not everyone on the panel is into the news. This week’s episode is all MuggleMail! Did Harry's "I am The Chosen One" line miss its mark with some fans? Listeners share lots of feedback on our Fred and George episode! We even hear from several twins! Should you omit "problematic" parts of the books when reading Harry Potter to your children? Seline from South Australia sparks a spirited discussion about teaching basic reading, writing and arithmetic at Hogwarts! Do the hosts enjoy the books more because the movies omit so much? We examine a secret deleted scene from the Goblet of Fire movie Night Crawler: Wasn't Harry old enough to crawl or even walk away from the Dursley's doorstep at the beginning of Sorcerer's Stone? Everyone seems to want a Harry Potter TV show. Well, what if it's really bad? Is Ron the glue that holds the trio together? What was Hermione doing on the train ride to Hogwarts while Harry and Ron were in the flying Ford Anglia? Why weren't students told Voldemort's real name? We answer a vintage email from August 2007! Did Ron use Helga Hufflepuff's Cup to gain entrance to the Chamber of Secrets? Quizzitch: What is the mathematical formula for determining the circumference of a circle? Visit MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch to submit your answer! This week’s episode is sponsored by BetterHelp (Get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/mugglecast) and Usual Wines (get your first glass on us by using code ‘mugglecast’ at checkout)! Support us on Patreon and receive magical benefits, like access to our recording studio, Bonus MuggleCast a personalized thank you video from one of the hosts and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

27 Apr 20211h 7min