MuggleCast EP3 Transcript
Intro
Andrew [Show Intro with music in background]: This is MuggleCast – Episode 3 for August 21, 2005. If you haven’t finished reading Half-Blood Prince yet, and you don’t want to be spoiled, stop this podcast…
Ben: Hello everybody! Welcome back to MuggleCast. I’m Ben Schoen.
Andrew: I’m Andrew Sims.
Jamie: I’m Jamie Lawrence.
Eric: And I’m Eric Scull.
Ben: In case you guys didn’t notice, Kevin Steck is missing in action this week. Poor guy sort of has his priorities mixed up. He flew out to Washington to see the DMB concert, but never fear- this week we’re joined by two senior staff members from MuggleNet.com. Both have been here nearly three years: Jamie Lawrence from Great Britain and Eric Scull is joining us from Reading, Pennsylvania. How are you guys doing?
Jamie: I’m good, mate.
Ben: Awesome.
Ben: How about you, Eric?
Eric: Doing great thanks.
Goblet of Fire Trailer Discussion
Ben: This past week we’ve seen quite a few clips from the new movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. We’ve seen an international teaser trailer released and the movie actually looks like it is shaping up to be something good. Andrew Sims, what do you think about it?
Andrew: Well, I think this international trailer really built on the teaser trailer that was released here in the States. And this one really shows that the artistic ability of Alfonso, the director of Prisoner of Azkaban, really rubbed off on to Mike Newell, and we’re seeing a lot more action. It’s very intense as you can see from the trailer, and this is just looking to be one of the best movies.
Ben: Jamie do you have something to say about that?
Jamie: I was going to say it is really clear it has a fantasy feel to it. It’s very reminiscent of Lord of the Rings, and I think they’ve found some inspiration there. It shows the darker aspects to the series. If you fast-forward to thirty-two seconds, it has a very battle-type of feel to it with sides of good and evil. I just hope this is going to be continued into Order of the Phoenix and the Half-Blood Prince because it is clear the books are taking a much darker turn, and I think it’s time for the films to catch up with that.
Ben: Yeah. I completely agree with both of you guys. In Episode One, I brought up the fact that I didn’t like the way that the characters were looking in some of the pictures that we had seen, but from the clips we’ve seen, and actually seeing the characters in action, I think the movie is going to shape up to be the best one yet (in the series of movies that we’ve seen so far). Eric Scull, do you have anything to say?
Eric: Ah, yes. Actually, I definitely agree with what all of you were saying. I know Ben was saying how at the beginning it didn’t…it’s shaping up to be something nice. I think it really has been since the start. I’ve always been positive. Of course, there was some controversy about Fleur looking too young or something. But I think it’s going to be a great movie, and I love what Jamie was saying about it being darker. It’s time for this series to turn like that. I think so too. Also, what Andrew was saying about kind of taking off of Alfonso’s artistic…his creativity with that. I just think it’s great. It’s a culmination of the two different directors that we’ve had so far…a movie in itself…even better special effects: the Hungarian Horntail and the Triwizard Tournament. It’s just going to be a great movie and I’m very pleased with all the media we’re getting, and all the trailers and things.
Jamie: What you were saying first of all Eric, about the series being a lot smoother at the beginning, I think that’s right. Because the book Chamber of Secrets…the basilisk…every single person who saw it got petrified. Nobody died. And I think at that time it sort of gave people a false sense of security. You saw it and you thought, “I don’t think anybody’s going to die in these books”, but obviously in Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, and Half-Blood Prince that all changes, and that sense of security that you’ve had in the first few films is just gone. That’s also changed with a change of director as well. You’ve had Columbus who has put forward a very sort of fantasy/fairy-tale type thing. Which isn’t a bad thing because those three are more children’s films, whereas Alfonso and Mike, they’re trying to darken the movies to tie in with the complete change in the books.
Andrew: You mentioned how Chris Columbus put…he had a fantasy touch on it, but it seemed to me that he did Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets and both of those were very…I hate to say childish, because in a way it was, but the actors were a lot younger then. It wasn’t as dark, but I think with these new directors- they want to put a darker spin onto it.
Ben: But then, what you have to see with the first two movies is that the kids were 11 and 12 years old so the movies didn’t have to be as dark as they’re made out to be because they were rated PG.
Andrew: Yeah. That’s what I mean.
Ben: Yeah.
Andrew: Just the difference between Columbus and then Alfonso, it was just such a huge difference in how the movies were made. For one, Alfonso, he totally dressed them down (the actors). They didn’t wear their cloaks all the time.
Ben: Right.
Andrew: They walked around in your typical clothing, and he made it a lot more serious. I think. Not as magical.
Ben: Jamie, what do you think of the direction the movies have been going with a change from director to director?
Jamie: I think it’s important to get a range of directors. I think Chris Columbus in the first three certainly put his own personal touch onto it. And while Andrew said that he doesn’t want to use the word childish, I agree because they aren’t childish films in the slightest. It did have a much more relaxed feel about it, but it’s also important to remember that these films are totally different from the books, and you cant really have complaints that they don’t follow the books perfectly. It’s a totally different series in effect, but I think that the change of director has been very important in moving the series along as a septology.
Ben: Eric Scull, what are your thoughts?
Eric: Once again anything I’ve wanted to say has pretty much been said very fantastically by Jamie. He’s gone in there and done it for me. I am really getting tired of people…I am glad you chose not to use the word childish because I, for one, I do like the first few movies. And I do love…I don’t think they’re childish at all either. Yeah, in comparison with the third movie, they’re not as adult, but when the movies came out we were just as shocked, just as in suspense. The whole scene in the forest in Chamber of Secrets was perfect for that line, “Why it couldn’t it be follow the butterflies?” It was great. It was dark. It was intense. It was very nice, and it was great. And then Alfonso came out with Prisoner of Azkaban, which was fine in itself, and as Jamie said is a completely new, different series. So, it was a much different movie than what we might have expected, but it gave a darker tone to the movies, which we did need. I still like the original movies, and once again, I think Goblet of Fire will probably be the best movie so far.
Ben: I agree with you.
Jamie: I think the dark direction that has started in Prisoner of Azkaban and has sort of flowed down to Goblet of Fire, that is going to have to continue throughout all the books now. Whereas Chris Columbus could sort of start the films and then try and have them continue how he wants them, now it has reached a point in the series where everything has got to be dark.
Ben: I think we can all agree that each director has pretty much brought their own personality and their own point of view to each movie. I think that each movie has turned out pretty well, and the movies as Jamie said, they’re going to continue to progress and get darker and darker perhaps until the final duel between Lord Voldemort and Harry in the last movie. But we have plenty of other topics to get to today. Users, many fans have sent in some topics for discussion. First thing I would like to discuss is that turning Books 5 and 6 into films is going to be quite difficult. Especially in Book 6- we’ve seen a lot of Harry going back in time and Harry going forward in time, and just the whole concept of time has been very difficult. Jamie, what do you think?
Jamie: I’ve always felt that Books 5 and 6 had a more personal feel to them. I don’t know if everyone else has thought this or it’s just me. Harry’s situation has become where you have to experience what he’s experiencing to be in the situation that he’s been in. You have to…he’s got all this anger towards Voldemort and now Snape of course. It’s going to be very hard to portray those emotions, and his character as a whole in the next film. I’m sure Dan’s up to the task, but it’s going to be very hard.
Ben: Eric, I know you’ve done a lot of plays and things of that sort. You’re into video editing and things like that. So how do you think they’ll be able to turn these 800 page novels into a two and half hour movie?
Eric: [Laughs] Of course there’s many things to address when getting into that. I’d like to talk about all of them briefly here. One of the things is…does it have to be a two-and-a-half hour movie? How long was the Prisoner of Azkaban movie? It was quite short, wasn’t it?
Ben: It was two-and-a-half or so.
Eric: You sure?
Ben: Yeah.
Eric: Okay. Well, Lord of the Rings even was more than three hours I think, and the extended edition was quite a lot more. I don’t exactly understand Warner Bros.’ hesitation. They say why they won’t make it any longer of a movie, but at the same time I think people would still go see it no matter how long it was. I think we’re at a point…I suppose they could have pulled off Goblet of Fire quite well from what we’re getting with fan reviews, and things they scrunched up quite nicely, but as the books progress…
Ben: What I think the issue is, is that with Book 5 they could make it a four-hour movie, but the problems comes in…we have to look at the target audience that Warner Bros. is trying to target. Which are the younger kids. The kids that like to read the books, and things like that. So, they’re going to have a difficult time making a four-hour movie, and have parents bring their little kids to come sit through four hours. Personally, what I think they should do is make a theater version and like with Lord of the Rings make an extended edition for the diehard Harry Potter fans to watch. Andrew, what do you think?
Eric: I agree.
Andrew: Do you mean then release both of them in theaters? Or just put out the shorter one in theaters and make the longer one on DVD?
Ben: The longer one on DVD. After it’s been released it theaters, put it on DVD.
Andrew: Okay, yeah. I think that would be a good idea. I think the issue here is that it might be a time thing. Warner Bros., I don’t think they would realize that say…maybe even four hours is a little extreme. Or even say they made it a three-and-a-half hour movie for Goblet of Fire, not Goblet of Fire, but Order of the Phoenix or Half-Blood Prince. People would sit through it. The fans would. But that’s the issue like you said. The little kids and their parents wouldn’t want to sit through three-and-a-half hours, especially if the parents aren’t all that into Harry Potter.
Ben: It’s always going to be a very debatable topic of whether a parent wants to take their kids to sit through a four-and-a-half hour movie. The kid is most likely going to fall asleep or things of that sort. But Eric, what do you think?
Eric: No, I think NO, Ben! I mean yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, but NO! Parents will take their kids to see a four-hour movie…Even if it’s not a four-hour movie I think they would, because these are the kinds of parents that spend nights and weeks and months reading to their kids before bedtime. My dentist talks to me about how they’re going through a chapter at a time every night with their children. And you know they spend a whole month reading this book to their kids who love it. I think they probably wouldn’t mind spending that much time in the theater with their kids, and if their kids fall asleep…
Really with film in theatres, it doesn’t matter how long the final film is. There can be intermissions, as many intermissions as you want. End of reel, go out and do your stuff and come back. But yes, I think…I have to be realistic… I think there should be a theater version and a film version, and the film version can be as long as they want, and the theater version would be fine. I think that would be a great idea, and it would suit everybody and it would be very fine. As long as Warner Bros. is up to doing it, I would have no complaints.
Ben: I completely agree with you. Andrew, did you have any final thought to that end before we move on?
Andrew: Yeah, well I think that’s the problem. I don’t think Warner Bros. wants to make a four or five-hour movie. Think of the budget. They’re already spending… The movies that are already out have broken records on how much money has been spent.
Ben: Goblet of Fire is the most expensive movie ever. That’s right.
Andrew: Yeah, so does Warner Bros. really want to spend another hundred million dollars just to extend it another two hours? And it wouldn’t increase sales or anything, so I think that’s the problem.
Philippines Release
Ben: We also have a follow-up if any of you have listened to Episode One. We discussed the fourth movie premiering in the Philippines several days before anybody else gets to see it. And we had a visitor from the Philippines who emailed in to clarify this for us. And it’s not because they’re any more special than we are. It’s because movies premiere on Wednesdays in the Philippines. So just to clarify that for anybody that was curious as to why they get the movie before us.
Andrew: And that was from Margarita. She’s 19 and from the Philippines. So, thanks to her.
Dumbledore Discussion
Ben: Now sort of turning the subject away from the movies, turning the books into movies, in the 6th Book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, we saw a death. Dumbledore died and throughout the entire series, like in Order of the Phoenix, we’ve seen Dumbledore’s phoenix, Fawkes, come to Dumbledore’s aid. But towards the end of Half-Blood Prince when Dumbledore perhaps needed Fawkes the most, Fawkes was nowhere to be found. Jamie, what do you think?
Jamie: I think you could take this in two ways. Clearly, it’s just a case of Jo just messing with us. It fuels the whole ÒDid Dumbledore mean to die or did Snape kill himÓ? If Fawkes knew that Dumbledore was going to die and that they planned it all, then he wouldn’t help him. I think Fawkes being as intelligent as he is would be in on the plan, whereas if Snape was going to kill Dumbledore (you know he killed him with the Avada Kedavra curse), and Fawkes knew that he was going to die anyway, so he didn’t help him. So, even though it is a really nice topic to talk about, it proves that Dumbledore has died, and that he won’t be coming back. Also, you can link this to his portrait appearing in the office. I think it’s just one more way of Jo showing us that Dumbledore has died and he won’t be coming back.
Ben: Eric Scull, do you have any thoughts, do you think Dumbledore is really gone and why didn’t Fawkes come to his aid?
Eric: Well, I think he is gone. And I agree with Jamie. Definitely the portrait, and the white tomb, the entire ceremony really for his funeral was a way for Jo getting across that Dumbledore probably is gone, is at least dead. Will he be coming back? Who knows, that’s a whole other thing. Of course, his symbol being the phoenix and the phoenix being reborn and all that stuff, but you can talk to portraits and that kind of thing, so even if Dumbledore is gone, could Harry have perhaps a conversation with his portrait some time in the future? All that kind of thing. She hasn’t quite explained portraits. Whether or not they know everything that their live selves did or anything like that? It’s a whole window of possibilities. Dumbledore definitely is dead, but is he gone? And that was the same thing with Sirius, and of course now with Sirius, she has kind of made the idea that ÒYeah, he’s gone for good.Ó Since he hasn’t done anything in Book 6 or was very little mentioned. But another reason I don’t think Dumbledore wanted Fawkes to be out there…
Fawkes did his duty. Fawkes went out there and cried. Did that song across the grounds for like an hour or hours afterwards. But I think it was for the same reason he froze Harry. He didn’t want them to interfere whether or not he knew what was going to happen or he didn’t. I don’t think he wanted Harry to mess up anything that was going on that night at the North Tower, and he wouldn’t want Fawkes to do that either.
Ben: Back in Episode One, we discussed the portraits and if Harry will be able to communicate with Dumbledore’s portrait, and Andrew, Kevin, and I basically came to the conclusion that it transferred over Dumbledore’s personality, but not actually his knowledge and brain and things. Just like the other portraits. They’re characterized as being mean and funny. Andrew, do you have anything to add about that?
Andrew: Well, yeah. I was going to say the portraits never give any specific information. The most you’ll hear them say is Òbe quiet, I’m trying to sleepÓ or Òhe went that wayÓ or something like that. They never give any real information or can have talks with people.
Eric: But can they? The Fat Lady may be different.
Ben: They may be able to acquire knowledge gained after they actually became a portrait. Jamie, what do you think?
Jamie: I was going to say that if all Headmasters and Headmistresses of Hogwarts end up on the wall, then surely that’s something away from what Dumbledore was planning after his death. Nearly Headless Nick commented that people who want to become ghosts, want to become ghosts, so that’s their choice after they die whereas the process of turning into a portrait on the wall could have just been an extra thing that’s happened to Dumbledore after his death. So, we could still see him could back in some other form, perhaps as a ghost, perhaps in some other way.
Ben: I agree with you. Eric, did you have something to add before we move on?
Eric: That would be very fine if Dumbledore’s portrait has no knowledge or intelligence that he had in his real life. I think that would be fine as well, even fine in itself because Dumbledore’s personality makes Dumbledore Dumbledore. If you can feed a portrait information just to help Harry out any way he would need to, whether or not he remembers or is able to activate a Pensieve with more information or more memories. I don’t think Harry needs that. Even just the personality of Dumbledore to talk to again would be very interesting.
Ben: I completely agree with you. The debate is going to go on and on whether Dumbledore is dead or not, but personally I think alll of you guys agree with me that Dumbledore is gone and Harry is going to have to cope with his death. For more debate, we mentioned this site before. You can go to www.dumbledoreisnotdead.com and this guy presented a very good defense for Dumbledore actually still being alive, but it sort of doesn’t seem very plausible.
Book 7 Release
Ben: We have plenty of other topics to get to like I said, so I think it’s time to move on. Many visitors have sent in a release date for Harry Potter Book 7 being released on July 07, 2007 or 07-07-07 because seven is pretty much been the central magic number throughout the series. Eric, what do you think about this release date?
Eric: Well, 07-07-07 is a Saturday. So that really works out. They could do a Friday night release party on July 6th and it could be released on July 7th, 2007, and it would be a brilliant idea. I guess some people have thought of that. As for if it will actually happen, I don’t think anybody knows. I don’t even think JKR knows because she said that she’s going to begin writing at the end of this year, beginning of next, and generally if it follows the same trend…
Ben: But she said she was shooting for a 2007 release date.
Eric: That could be anytime in 2007. Whether or not it’s December or January or July.
Ben: Right. I agree with you.
Eric: I think it would be very cool if it were July 07, 2007.
Ben: But the books sort of follow this pattern of being released during the summer. Since the books have gotten really popular, they’ve been released in the summer.
Andrew: Harry Potter 4 was released…
Ben: July 08, 2000.
Andrew: Right. Order of the Phoenix was June 21st and then Half-Blood Prince was July 16th. So it makes sense for it to be a summer release date.
Eric: Oh, of course. I was just saying January and December as an exaggeration. If it is going to be anytime during 2007, of course it’s going to be the summer, and if it’s going to be the summer then sure, why not make it July 7th? I think that would be the perfect date. They could have actually made it July 30th this year, which is both Harry and JKR’s birthday. They could have done that. It was just two weeks later. That would have been a more plausible date at the time. I really don’t know. I am willing to wait to see. I would like it to be July 7th.
Ben: Jamie, you haven’t had your say on this, what do you think about the release date theory?
Jamie: This book for me is very different from every other book. Three, Four, Five and Six, it was more part of a book series than Harry’s world for me. Whereas Book 7 – I could wait ten years for this. I wouldn’t mind waiting ten, fifteen, or twenty because it closes up an era and I want Jo to take her time and include absolutely everything that I want to know. I don’t mind waiting for that, but the release date for 2007 is important just to point out that it is speculation at the moment. A 2007 release date would be very nice.
Ben: Andrew, did you have something else to add?
Andrew: While it would be great if it were released on 07-07-07, I really don’t think JKR has that in her mind right now, nor does she really care when it’s released, as long as…forget it…[Laughs]
Eric: She shouldn’t though. Andrew is perfectly right. I completely agree with him. She doesn’t have that in her mind right now, which is what I was trying to say. She simply isn’t thinking about it. She said when asked if Book 7 will be longer or as long as Book 5, she simply said, “I reserve to make it as long as I wish.”
Ben: As it needs to be.
Eric: You reserve that right. You go girl!
[All laugh]
Eric: I would like Book 7 to be as long as it has to be, as long as I don’t have to stop reading it. As Jamie said, he can wait ten, twenty years for this thing to finish because he wants it to answer all of his questions and all of those things, and I’d be perfectly fine with that.
Andrew: But I think people…
Eric: No, people want it sooner rather than later. Sooner rather than later is, of course, better.
Andrew: Right, so if she put it out on 06-06-07…in June of 2007…
Eric: I am proudly graduating on June 6th next year.
Andrew: Oh, congrats!
[All laugh]
Ben: Okay, who cares? Don’t bring up irrelevant crap like that.
[All laugh]
Eric: But that’s terrible. Would you want to graduate on 06-06-06?
Andrew: …
Eric: Andrew, keep this in! All right…next topic.
Andrew: Yeah, let’s move on.
Ben: Well, there have actually been quite a few theories about when the 7th Book is going to be released, but as Jamie said nobody really wants to see the end to the Potter Era, and we really want it to go on forever.
Eric: Oh, can I say something?
[Andrew laughs]
Andrew: Eric…
Ben: Talk…
Eric: I’m sorry. Ben brought up an interesting point. He said we never want it to end. Yes, of course we never want the book series to end, but even after the books series we will have…you know people ask me if MuggleNet is going to close after the 7th Book is released.
Andrew: The answer is, “Yes, yes we are closing”. [Laughs]
Eric: What, we’re closing? I’m not closing!
Andrew: I am.
Eric: I will continue on with my Caption Contest and a stick. I’m not closing down. The point is, after Book 7 we still have all the movies to get through. I think as long as the actors…as long as them and their grandchildren are alive and well, there will still be news to report. I, for one. I will be loyal to MuggleNet and I will stay at MuggleNet until Harry Potter is forgotten. Hurrah!
Ben: Okay Andrew, edit out all of what he just said.
Eric: Hey, that was good!
Andrew: That was good. I’m going to keep it in.
Horcrux Discussion
Ben: Pretty much what’s left in the series, the key to the rest of the series is Harry finding a way to defeat Lord Voldemort, and in order to do so he must find the remainder of the Horcruxes. I believe there’s four Horcruxes to destroy Lord Voldemort and eventually lead to the final battle scene. But Harry clearly cannot do this on his own and there’s been a lot of speculation of who’s going to be doing it. Jamie, what do you think?
Jamie: It’s important to distinguish between two groups in the books. Everyone talks about being good versus evil. But then you’ve also got Harry’s friends, and there’s a difference between those two groups. And I think it’s going to be all his friends who help him search for his Horcruxes, whereas the good people in the book just continue the overall fight against Lord Voldemort, helping the Ministry and everything like that. So as a guess, and I don’t want to commit myself because I’m sure I’ll be wrong, I’d have to go for Ron, Hermione obviously. I think Ginny…I think in her heart she knows she’s going to help Harry, even after what he said at the end of Half-Blood Prince. And I hope that some of his fellow Gryffindors are going to help him as well.
Ben: Perhaps we’ll see a Dumbledore’s Army renaissance, where we’ll see all those people come back to help Harry because they know it’s basically the only shot they have to save the world. Eric, what do you think?
Eric: Well, as Jamie noticed, I don’t think Ginny will be or even was upset with what Harry said at the end of Book 6. He said he can’t be with her and she practically said screw that, we’re going to help you anyway. And one of the points I think JKR has tried to make in the books, and Dumbledore has made it to Harry on and on again, even to the point where in Book 6 he said, “Yeah, I know it’s love”. That’s the thing. Harry is special because he loves, and he’s special and he’s different from Voldemort because he loves. If he decides to take this dark path alone and find all these Horcruxes without anybody’s help, he’s not loving, he’s not any of the things JKR has said he was, and he’s not realizing that if he would just let people in, and help people like he has done to an extent with Ron and Hermione so far. If he just lets them in, they can help him. It’s really just a question of Harry realizing. As soon as he realizes that, he can let people in. And I know Ron and Hermione will be the most likely, and I hope Ginny is too.
Ben: I agree with you Eric. Jamie, you haven’t quite had your say on this, what do you think?
Jamie: We mentioned before. This is turning into a personal battle: Harry versus Snape and Voldemort. I think he feels, especially in Order of the Phoenix, every single thing has happened to him, so it’s his fight, his battle. I completely agree he’s going to have to accept help to find those things. It isn’t plausible he’s going to find every single Horcrux, destroy every single Horcrux on his own. You can see what happened to Dumbledore’s hand, and if it happens to Dumbledore, think about what it would do to Harry. So I think he has to accept help, but of course, in the end it’s going to come down to Harry versus Voldemort. But first of all, he has to realize that there are other people.
Voicemails
Ben: Yeah, I agree with you guys, but we have to move on because we have some user-submitted voicemails to get to. But if anybody has a theory on the Horcruxes and who’s going to help Harry search for them you can go ahead and send in a voicemail or send in an e-mail. With that, Andrew, can you hit the first voicemail buddy?
[Audio] : Hello, MuggleNet! I’m Jared from Illinois. And I have a question regarding Dumbledore’s confrontation with Voldemort. Why wasn’t Dumbledore ever clear about how or why his hand was blackened and looked dead? Was he hiding something? I’d also like to say Kevin; I know you’re not a girl.
[All laugh]
Ben: Jamie, you take this one.
Jamie: This is very interesting, I think. I think this is Jo’s way of kind of proving something about Dumbledore. I think it proves a few things. Proof of his age. He isn’t as fast as he was. It’s proof of his immortality. That he isn’t invincible as perhaps Harry had once believed, and it could be seen as proof of his death, a death clue. Black being a symbol of death and everything like that. It also kind of links back to what we were talking about with Harry being alone. It’s pushing him forward. All his anger and all his revenge and I think that’s going to have to come to a head at some point. Dumbledore’s black hand is sort of preparing the reader for the even darker turn the books are going to take.
Ben: I think, Jamie, you pretty much covered that for us. Eric, I know you’re dying to say something about this.
Eric: As for if Dumbledore was hiding something from Harry by not telling him about the black hand, I don’t think so. Because we all know he was going to tell Harry, or at least he made it very clear that he wanted to. I don’t think the fact the he didn’t get to was anything like…is he hiding something from Harry, because as we’ve realized he really doesn’t hide anything from Harry. Especially now in Book 6 he’s told him everything he knows, more then he did when he told him he was going to tell him everything in Book 5. He just tells him everything and you get the sense that Dumbledore might not have a spouse or anything, but he’s telling Harry everything he knows to defeat Voldemort. So, I don’t think he’s hiding anything from Harry, especially if his black hand has anything to do with it.
Ben: Right, you both raise very interesting points. Like I said, we have to keep the ball rolling.
Andrew: Keep it going.
Ben: So Andrew, play the next voicemail.
Andrew: Okay.
[Audio]: Hi, I’m Sam from California. Nice show. And my question is whether it is a strong possibility that Hermione’s cat Crookshanks is Regulus Black in disguise?
Andrew: Eric, what do you think?
Eric: Well, I’m happy in a way because this was a very good voicemail in the way that it didn’t say, “Do you think Lily Potter is Crookshanks”? Around the time of Book 3, there was a lot of people asking, “Is Lily Potter Crookshanks”? And it was this big thing, but first of all Crookshanks is a guy cat, if nobody’s noticed that. I was very happy to hear this. Regulus as Crookshanks. Sure, I’ll be open to it. I don’t know if this is true. I don’t know it if can be true. We don’t know what happened to Regulus. Nobody really knows. We don’t know if Voldemort had killed him personally after all or if…it all stems down to how many people knew about the Horcrux and if Voldemort had to tell them about the Horcrux to send them after Regulus and all this other stuff. We don’t know the fate of Regulus, basically and I think…sure it’s open, but I don’t think there’s anyway we can determine if that’s true. I’d be very interested to see…
Ben: Actually, if look back to Book 5, Sirius tells Harry, when Harry’s looking at the Black Family Crest, that Regulus Black was killed by Lord Voldemort’s Death Eaters. Because he was a Death Eater, but we never actually heard what went on. I think it’s pretty much set so that Regulus Black is dead because they wouldn’t know if he’s dead or not.
Eric: That’s another thing.
Ben: I think that Regulus is dead, and there really isn’t any substantial proof throughout the entire series since we started to see Crookshanks that it is an Animagus at all.
Eric: I’m pretty sure he’s a Kneazle actually.
Ben: Jamie, what do you think?
Jamie: Trying to think like Voldemort, if I’d split my soul into seven pieces and six into Horcruxes and one of my own people, one of my own friends, my Death Eaters got one and tried to destroy it, I’d want to kill him myself.
Eric: That’s exactly it. Jamie’s got it.
Jamie: And Sirius said in Book 5 that he thought Regulus was killed on Voldemort’s orders, and although you shouldn’t take a character’s word for it, because he could be wrong, I think that…I wouldn’t call it conclusive proof, but it’s something that tells us that R.A.B. on the note isn’t Regulus.
[Audio] : Hey, good show guys! I’d just like to have your opinion with the absence of the Secret-Keeper Dumbledore, do you think the entire Order is in danger of being found out?
Ben: I’ll handle this one. I feel the Order isn’t in danger because as Dumbledore said in the beginning of Book 6 that number twelve Grimmauld Place is no longer the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix because it actually had been already found out. So Dumbledore was only the Secret-Keeper for number twelve Grimmauld Place, and since number twelve Grimmauld Place is no longer the headquarters, it wouldn’t make much sense for the Order to be found out. That’s just my thoughts on it. Eric, what do you think?
Eric: Found out from who? For what?
Ben: The Death Eaters. From the Death Eaters and Voldemort.
Eric: From the Death Eaters? Sure, but I don’t think it’s a terrible threat. As you said, Dumbledore was the Secret-Keeper for number twelve Grimmauld Place. They could easily do the Confundus Charm…whatever the charm was…
Ben: The Fidelius Charm.
Eric: Fidelius Charm. Thank you. They could do that just as easily again, and find another place. Actually, if you realize in the beginning Harry said that the Order could have number twelve Grimmauld Place back, so if they needed it…if they needed a place, they already had a lot of good protection besides the Fidelius Charm on number twelve Grimmauld Place.
Ben: Right, but I think it’s pretty certain once the spell-keeper dies…we notice when Harry was immobilized by Dumbledore, and once he died the spell was taken off.
Eric: Oh yeah.
Ben: Therefore, now number twelve Grimmauld Place is pretty much open to anybody that can see it. Like Eric said, another Fidelius Charm could be performed in order protect number twelve Grimmauld Place from outsiders. Then again, they’d have to redistribute the slips of paper and things of that sort. Jamie, do you have any thoughts?
Jamie: You two have handled talking about the Order’s headquarters being infiltrated. I think you have to consider the possibility of the entire Order being infiltrated…their ranks. Because throughout every single book, the battle between good and evil has been seen as a war, and it doesn’t really change. It’s between wizards, instead of World War II. There were spies in that, so there should be spies in this. So, I think it’s a great big possibility that Voldemort is going to get one person on the side of the Order. Snape…all the theories about Snape prove at least there’s a possibility. I think they’re going to have to close ranks and make sure they can’t be infiltrated because if Voldemort finds out their plans, I think they’re going to be finished before they begin.
Ben: I agree with you. I think it’s time we listen to another voicemail so we can finish up the show here.
[Audio] : Hi. My name is Evon and I’m from Arizona. My question is about Ollivander and my theory on it is that he was taken by Death Eaters to Voldemort so that he can make another wand for Voldemort, so that he can use it against Harry, so there won’t be a problem like they had at the graveyard scene. The other issue is regarding Book 7. I think it should be over 1,000 pages or more because it is the Final Book, and there are so many things that need to be answered, so many things that need to be done. You know…go out with a big bang! Big book! Everything! What do you think?
Andrew: Over a 1,000 pages…WHOA!
Ben: We’ve already talked about the length of Book 7 and JKR has already said it is going to be as long as it needs to be. But back to her first question. I think it is quite an interesting theory, and Eric, what do you think about it?
Eric: I think it’s brilliant. I think it’s definitely in Voldemort’s character that he wouldn’t want the same thing to happen to his wand as it did in the graveyard scene. I think it’s brilliant. It’s a great idea. The question is- Ollivander himself said that another wizard’s wand won’t perform as well as your own, and of course it won’t exactly be another wizard’s wand if Ollivander makes him another one of his own, but then there’s the other stuff about the wand choosing the wizard. I think Voldemort is powerful enough that he doesn’t have to worry about what wand he uses to cast his spells. I think it will all go fine.
But then that’s the question also: if Ollivander has been taken with Voldemort, has he also taken Florean Fortescue? Is that where he got off to? But basically, I think it’s definitely Voldemort’s character to probably not want the same thing to happen, whether or not he’d actually get a new wand made. Sure, I wouldn’t put it past him. We’ll just have to see.
Ben: But we see that when Voldemort tries to fix a past mistake, he usually makes another one.
Eric: Which is great.
Ben: Right.
[All laugh]
Ben: Jamie…
Eric: If he didn’t have…I think he needs the wand that he committed all those deeds from. I think he really does. If he uses another one, it’s just not…it’s not as marked. It’s not as evil.
Andrew: Yeah.
Ben: Right, it doesn’t have the history that his other one has. I think that when it comes down to it that of course there would have to be another way to kill Lord Voldemort, and it’s not going to be using his wand. There would have to find some other way. What I think would be humorous is if Harry put on some earmuffs, pulled out a Mandrake and Voldemort dropped dead.
[All laugh]
Eric: We should really have that at MuggleNet: “101 Ways to Kill Voldemort That Won’t Happen In The Books”.
Ben: Jamie, do you have anything to say about this…Lord Voldemort dying? Ollivander making him a new wand? What do you think?
Jamie: Doesn’t it really reinforce the point that Harry and Voldemort are going to have to face each other? Because Priori Incantatem in Book 4 – the thing it proved is that Harry and Voldemort can’t face each other using the same wands. So I think Ollivander going missing, and this brilliant theory that Voldemort stole him so that he can get the best wand off him, could be just Jo’s way of telling us that Harry and Voldemort are going to end up fighting each other. But he’s stolen Florean Fortescue as well, so perhaps he’s planning to drown Harry in ice cream.
[All laugh]
Andrew: All right, shall we take one more question?
Ben: Yeah, one more question.
[Audio] : Hi, this is Michael from Singapore, and I’d like to congratulate MuggleCast for reaching the No. 1 spot on iTunes. I would like to ask what role do you think that the Ministry of Magic will play in Book 7? Thank you very much.
Ben: What I think is that the Ministry of Magic is sort of being pushed toward the back of the line because we notice how Harry told Rufus Scrimgeour that he’s Dumbledore’s man through and through, and that he’s still Dumbledore’s man even after Dumbledore died. So the only role that I see the Ministry of Magic playing is getting in the way of Harry’s plans, and once again it is a new Minister of Magic. We don’t know how he’s going to react to things. Jamie, what do you think?
Jamie: I think that they’re going to have to play their administrative roles still because they are still a government. Just because there is all this magic involved they still have to put on a brave face to the public and try to sort things out with Voldemort. I completely agree with you when you say that it is going to get in the way of Harry because it’s his job to find all these Horcruxes, his job to beat Voldemort, which was emphasized by Dumbledore. All this anger and this thirst for revenge has come into Harry, and Scrimgeour and the entire Ministry is going to be a hindrance to him.
Andrew: I agree. Look, the Ministry of Magic has done a terrible job of keeping up with everything that has been happening in the past seven years, so they have to stay out of it now and let the smart people take control.
Show Close
Ben: Okay. I think that about wraps up MuggleCast – Episode 3. Andrew, did you want to go through a few things before we finish up?
Andrew: Yeah. Again guys, the response has been overwhelming with e-mails and just suggestions and questions and voicemails. We appreciate everyone’s support once again and guy’s listen…we need to talk. Ben, Jamie, Eric, everyone out there…just take a seat right now. Take a deep breath.
[Ben laughs]
And listen. Guys we really hope nobody’s cheating for us on iTunes. Now, we’ve been No. 1 and that’s AWESOME, but nobody cheat for us. That’s not cool. Right, Ben?
Ben: Right.
Andrew: We will admit we got a little bored being up at No. 1.
[Laughs]
Andrew: We wanted to slide down. At the time of this recording we’re at No. 4 right now. It is possible to move up on that list on iTunes unfairly, but I think we are up there because of how many visitors we have, and again- we do appreciate that. Also, I don’t think I told any of you guys this, but everything you say will be held against you because we now have transcripts thanks to Micah, taking the time to write all these up for us. And these will be up usually a few days after each one airs because it does take a lot of time to transcribe these. Also, a lot of you guys have been asking for some guy named Emerson to show up on the show. I don’t know who this guy is.
Ben: Who’s that? Do you know who that is, guys?
Andrew: I’ve heard a lot of this of this one guy named Emerson who’s…IN COLLEGE! So he can’t exactly do it right now. Somebody can maybe tell me who is this Emerson? Also, keep sending in the voicemails to voice at staff dot mugglenet dot com. Also, if you have any audio contributions like maybe a song or a cool…I don’t know…anything…maybe cool to play on the show. That’s about it.
Ben: So, currently right now, we’re No. 4 on iTunes. Hopefully, by the time you guys hear this we might be back up to No. 1.
Andrew: Have your friends…go on other people’s computers…go into your local Apple store…just hit subscribe on every computer you can find. But we don’t want you to cheat. DON’T CHEAT! Please!
[Laughs]
Ben [Show Close with music in background] : So I think that wraps up this week’s edition of MuggleCast. If you have any questions and/or suggestions please visit www.mugglenet.com/mugglecast
or www.mugglecast.com where you can view all of our contact information. Also, at those two locations, you can see information on how to subscribe to our feed, how to access us through iTunes, and how to see our show notes. Hopefully pretty soon we’ll have a live debate for you about whether Dumbledore really is not dead (and there will be a pro side arguing Dumbledore is gone, and a side saying “No, Dumbledore is not dead”). And also, we’ll probably mix in a Snape good or evil debate in there as well. So, I think that pretty much wraps up the show. I’m Ben Schoen.
Andrew: I’m Andrew Sims.
Jamie: I’m Jamie Lawrence.
Andrew and Ben: And I’m Eric Scull.
[All laugh]
Ben: I think we lost Eric. But thanks to everybody for listening to this week’s edition, and we’ll hopefully see you all next week. Goodbye!
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Posted by: Micah