• 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 week’s episode is sponsored by BetterHelp (visit BetterHelp.com/mugglecast to get 10% off your first month of therapy) and BeachBody On Demand (text ‘mugglecast’ to 30-30-30 for your free trial membership!
• Join our community at Patreon.com/MuggleCast and receive magical benefits, including Bonus MuggleCast!

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• 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 offers hope. Why doesn’t Harry talk to Lupin? And the book ends!
• Our final Umbridge Suck Count segment is Brutal! Listen for the final tally.
• MVP of the Week and Rename The Chapter
• To wrap up this book, we each share our favorite character and a lesson we each learned from Order of the Phoenix.
• Quizzitch: Multiple Choice! How many times does the word “grim” appear in Book 5, including in ‘Grimmauld Place’? A) 50-79 times B) 80-119 times C)120-149 times D)150+ times
  
• This week’s episode is brought to you by Thirdlove. Find your perfect fitting bra by going to Thirdlove.com/mugglecast, and get 15% off your first order!
• Join our community at Patreon.com/MuggleCast and receive magical benefits, including Bonus MuggleCast!

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• 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 Harry save on Privet Drive, and if Dumbledore had to withhold this information for so long.
• We dig into the Prophecy, the part that was overheard, and Laura makes a Bible connection.
• The significance of Dumbledore counting Harry’s escapes from Voldemort.
• MVP of the Week and Rename The Chapter
• Quizzitch: What is the last word of Book 5?
  
• This week’s episode is brought to you by Quip. Get your first refill FREE by visiting GetQuip.com/mugglecast. Support MuggleCast by supporting our sponsors!
• Join our community at Patreon.com/MuggleCast and receive magical benefits, including Bonus MuggleCast!

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• 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 in the Death Chamber and in the Atrium?
• Fudge’s downfall
• The hosts make some fun comparisons between the book and the movie!
• MVP of the Week and Rename The Chapter
• Quizzitch: What does Phineas Nigellus Black call Sirius when Dumbledore tells him he’s dead?
  
• This week’s episode is brought to you by BeachBody On Demand (text ‘mugglecast’ to 30-30-30 for a free trial!), HelloFresh (get $80 off your first box by using code ‘muggle80’) and ThirdLove (get 15% off your first order by using the link!). Support MuggleCast by supporting our sponsors!
• Join our community at Patreon.com/MuggleCast and receive magical benefits, including Bonus MuggleCast! This week we discuss whether or not Fantastic Beasts is the world’s most problematic film franchise!

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• 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 songs to pay tribute to this beloved character.
• We give our MVP of the Week and Rename The Chapter!
• Quizzitch: What planet does not survive the battle in the Department of Mysteries?
• Join our community at Patreon.com/MuggleCast and receive magical benefits, including Bonus MuggleCast! This week we’ll discuss if the Death Eaters do or don’t care that Voldemort is a half-blood.

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• 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 Department of Mysteries
• 7-Word Summary #2: Prophecies are exposed when doors are opened
• For a breakdown of the actual departments, give a listen to Episode 374
• The Ministry of Magic is A SECURITY NIGHTMARE!
• Why is Harry so entranced by The Veil?
• Did The Veil exist before the Ministry of Magic?
• What exactly was Harry’s plan if he discovered Voldemort in the Hall of Prophecy?
• Umbridge Suck Count, MVP of the Week and Rename The Chapter return!
• Quizzitch: What planet does not survive the battle in the Department of Mysteries?
• This week’s episode is sponsored by MeUndies (Underwear that’s so good, Dobby would never take it off his head! Get 15% off your first order and free shipping by going to MeUndies.com/MuggleCast)!
• Join our community at Patreon.com/MuggleCast and receive magical benefits, including Bonus MuggleCast!

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• 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? Voldemort or Umbridge?
• How realistic is Hermione’s plan? What makes Umbridge buy it? And why does she decide to go alone?
• (Spoilers!) Our Umbridge Suck Count passes 100! (Were you really surprised?)
• Quizzitch: What spell does Neville use to escape his captors?
• This week’s episode is sponsored by MeUndies (Underwear that’s so good, Dobby would never take it off his head! Get 15% off your first order and free shipping by going to MeUndies.com/MuggleCast), Truth Vs Hollywood podcast, and Quip dental care (Visit GetQuip.com/muggle to get your first refill free!)
• Join our community at Patreon.com/MuggleCast and receive magical benefits, including Bonus MuggleCast!

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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.

MuggleCast has donated $700 to Trans Lifeline to support transgender people during this difficult time. In addition, MuggleCast will be making the following changes to how we cover J.K. Rowling:

• We will no longer speak about, promote, or review JKR’s projects outside of the Wizarding World.
• We will no longer talk about what JKR is saying on Twitter, unless she’s hurting fans (again).
• We will cover Wizarding World-related announcements and continue to review various elements, but we will avoid discussing JKR’s involvement, if any.
• We will strive to highlight more fan projects to focus on the fandom who’s made this place what it is.

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 Recognition Act, you can head to lgbtyouth.org.uk to find an email template and a list of your Members of Scottish Parliament to contact in support of the Act.

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