On this week's episode, we hope you know the difference between a ghost and an Inferius, lest you want to incur the sass of Severus Snape. Join Andrew, Eric, Micah and Laura as we suffer through Defense Against The Dark Arts while trying very hard to break into the Room of Requirement.

• Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 21: The Unknowable Room
• Main Discussion #1: Distracted by Draco
• Fudge Flashback: We reflect on the Minister's comments in the very first chapter of this book: "The other side can do magic too."
• As Hermione consistently reminds Harry throughout the chapter, he is taking his eyes off the prize. Why is Harry not more focused given how testy Dumbledore was with him during their last lesson?
• We debate whether or not Dumbledore should have offered Harry more guidance
• Snitch Report: Given how Dobby behaves after tailing Draco, should Harry have been more mindful of what he was asking the former Malfoy house-elf to do?
• Why did it take Harry (and Hermione) 452 pages to realize Draco was using the Room of Requirement?
• Main Discussion #2: EMO Slytherins
• Snape is in rare form. Do we attribute his more-than-sassy nature to Draco? Dumbledore? Or did he just not have his coffee?
• Draco is in over his head. Do we have any sympathy for him?
• Lynx Line: What would you say to make the Room of Requirement open for you to reveal what Draco is up to? [Wrong answers only]
• Quizzitch: In Chapter 21, Harry is searching for a phrase that’ll get him into the Room of Requirement… kind of like a password. WHO was the host of the United States television game show called “Password,” from 1961 to 1975?

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As if last week's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone TV Show trailer wasn't enough, HBO Max has released a new documentary giving us a behind the scenes look at the making of the upcoming book to TV adaptation!

We react to this new documentary called Finding Harry and how it leaves us feeling about the new Harry Potter TV show. The thought and detail that is going into this series is nothing short of incredible, and we explain why we're feeling reassured about rebooting this story. From the numerous animatronics to an earthy Hogwarts to making illogical magic logical, we go moment by moment through this documentary.

Your Harry Potter friends at MuggleCast are continuing to cover the TV show now through the December 2026 premiere and beyond. Be sure to follow us in your favorite podcast app and tell a fellow Muggle about our TV show analysis!

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EMERGENCY EARLY POD RELEASE! Our first BIG look at the Harry Potter TV show is here, and it's way earlier AND bigger than expected! The first season of the upcoming TV show is now titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, and Holy Dumbledore do we have thoughts.

Heads up! For one week only: Celebrate the TV show coming out THIS YEAR by using code '2026' from now through April 1 to receive 26% off your first month of our Patreon! Visit Patreon.com/mugglecast and pledge now! Your support helps us cover the TV show.

Before we can even analyze the trailer, we have to talk about that title (RIP "Sorcerer"), and the equally surprising release date: Christmas 2026! How many episodes will they release at the launch, and do we expect more episodes on New Years? I guess we won't be taking a break over the holidays...

After discussing those developments, we go scene-by-scene through the trailer. One of our big takeaways is that this TV adaptation is being more loyal than the movies ever were! From Petunia cutting Harry's hair to Hagrid knocking three times on the entry doors to Hogwarts, no detail seems to be overlooked.

We also discuss the slew of character reveals (Laura thirsts over the new Snape, Eric celebrates the confirmation of Peeves), discuss the familiar-yet-different changes to the look and feel of the Wizarding World,  and point out the little things you may have missed. For example, WTH are Ron and Harry doing running on tables!?

Heads up! For one week only: Celebrate the TV show coming out THIS YEAR by using code '2026' from now through April 1 to receive 26% off your first month of our Patreon! Visit Patreon.com/mugglecast and pledge now! Your support helps us cover the TV show.

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On this week's episode, we take another trip down memory lane. Be sure to hide your valuable family heirlooms because there is a thieving Dark Lord lurking. Join Andrew, Eric, Micah and Laura as they do the Hokey Pokey and they turn themselves around... because that's what it's all about!

• Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 20: Lord Voldemort's Request
• Memory #1: Hepzibah, Hokey & Helga Hufflepuff
• We debate whether or not Tom Riddle should have been given a post at Hogwarts vs. allowing him to dabble in dark artifacts at Borgin and Burkes
• Hokey The Scapegoat: we compare how Tom Riddle used her much like he used Morfin and Hagrid!
• Hepzibah Smith displays some of Hufflepuff's less-than-flattering character traits. Do we agree she is Slughorn "lite" in her behavior?
• What do we make of the “young, attractive man charming the older, wealthy woman” trope?
• Memory #2: Awkward Job Interview
• Given how his appearance has begun to change, does Dumbledore already suspect Horcruxes during Voldemort's trip to Hogwarts?
• Do we agree with Dumbledore that Voldemort didn’t actually come to Hogwarts to get the Defense Against The Dark Arts (DADA) post?
• Doesn’t the Ministry, school governors, and other faculty notice the turnover rate for the DADA position? Why isn’t anything done to break the curse?
• Lynx Line: In an alternate universe where Dumbledore decided to give Tom a second chance, what Hogwarts position should he have offered Tom instead of DADA Professor [wrong answers only]?
• Quizzitch: In Chapter 20, we learn why Hogwarts cannot have a DADA teacher for more than year. In United States history, which two American Presidents served less than one year in office?

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This week, the hosts discuss the ethics of commanding your House-Elf to tail your enemy. Why isn't Kreacher punishing himself for being so rude to Harry, when Dobby couldn't do the same about his masters? And, have any of us ever worried about being replaced like Ron does after missing out on the Quidditch match due to being poisoned? All these discussion points and more on the latest episode of our Chapter-by-Chapter analysis for Half-Blood Prince.

• Welcome to the show Slug Club member Stef!
• Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 19: Elf Tails
• How is it that Kreacher can speak ill of his master, Harry? When Dobby struggled hard to do so?
• Has Kreacher been bending the rules due to technicality?
• Does Peeves operate an underground House-Elf fight club? How is he so tuned in to Dobby and Kreacher's fight?... And how does he follow them?
• Ethically, is Harry asking the elves to follow Draco sound? Should there be limits to what you can ask your House-Elf to do?
• What alternatives might Harry have used to track Draco - how about a magical AirTag?
• Is Draco's plan too convoluted to work?
• Where do we stand on the Dumbledore vs Snape argument that Hagrid overhears?
• This week's Lynx Line: Have we ever felt in danger of becoming replaced? How did we handle it?
• MVP of the week has us creating new Quidditch nicknames for Harry, inspired by Draco's.
• Our weekly Quizzitch segment returns (now with 800% more 14-year-olds.) Which 1950's BBC Radio programme first coined the term, meaning a nonfatal, unspecified illness such as a cold or flu, and called it "The Dreaded Lurgi"?

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On this week's episode, unless you have a bezoar (and a bit of cheek) handy, we highly recommend you brush up on on all of Golpalott’s laws! Join Andrew, Eric, Micah and Laura for a show full of alchemy, apparition and plenty of teenage angst!

• News: Warner Bros. Discovery has a new home in Paramount; plus several dozen young actors have been cast as various Hogwarts students
• Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 18: Birthday Surprises
• We analyze Golpalott’s Third Law: could this Potions class teach Harry something about how to ultimately destroy Voldemort? Does the creation of a Horcrux have an alchemical element to it?
• How does alchemy present in other book series, such as The Secrets of the Immortal Nicolas Flamel?
• Can we expect to learn more about Dumbledore and Flamel's partnership in the new Harry Potter TV Show?
• Apparition: Just put your mind to it! Does this class pass our sniff test?
• Bezoar! Hermione is upset (again) with Harry’s success in Potions.
• Does Harry's cheek make him a bit to overconfident when trying to acquire Slughorn’s unredacted memory?
• When Harry can't locate Malfoy on the Marauder's Map, why does overlook the Room of Requirement?
• MVP: Destination. Determination. Deliberation. Which is the of the Three D’s?
• Lynx Line: Name a time in school where you found yourself totally out of your depth subject-wise. Did you overcome your knowledge gap? If so, was it due to hard work and determination? A good teacher or tutor? Or did you merely squeak by in class and never take up the subject again?
• Quizzitch: In this chapter, a bezoar from the stomach of a goat is used as a cure for poison. In reality, bezoars can appear in humans as ailments. What popular soft drink brand is used to treat bezoars in humans? Answer next week's question via the Quizzitch Form!

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It's time for a very important H-word to be introduced to Harry. No, Fat Lady, it's not the one you experienced over your holiday break! Join the MuggleCasters as we discuss Chapter 17 of Half-Blood Prince, in which Dumbledore introduces Harry to 'A Sluggish Memory'.

• The Fat Lady seems to be telling herself to practice abstinence after the holidays. Sounds like it was a party in the portraits over Christmas!
• How do students end up missing the new Common Room passwords? Is it the school's fault, or is it the students?
• It's time for the students to learn how to apparate! ... For a price. We look at why Hogwarts and the Ministry might be charging for these additional lessons.
• Dismissive Dumby: Albus' ego is on full display as he plays off Harry's questions about Snape and Draco. As expected, Andrew comes in with a #DumbleDefense. 
• Back in the memories, Dumbledore shows Harry more about Tom Riddle's time at Hogwarts.
• Why didn't Dumbledore do more when Tom Riddle was at school and clearing causing trouble?
• We learn the real reason Dumbledore asked Slughorn back to teach, and we hear that certain H-word a first time (No, it's not 'Hufflepuff' or 'Horace')
• Connecting the Threads: There are some big parallels between Chapter 17 of Chamber of Secrets, and this Chapter of Half-Blood Prince!
• MVP: Which memory truly is THE most important memory Dumbledore has collected?
• Lynx Line: You've just learned to Apparate. Where are you going first?
• Quizzitch: While Lord Voldemort commits patricide by killing Tom Riddle Sr., what is the broader term used when someone kills a near-relative of theirs such as a grandparent?

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This week, Andrew, Micah and Laura enter a new era of MuggleCast, as we kick off the first in a series of monthly episodes focused on the new Harry Potter TV Show. The Trio talk about the latest news, lay down some predictions and play some new games!

• Set photos of the TV Show's Hogwarts Courtyard have leaked: will these new House Sigil Hedges come to life?
• Laura and Micah react to Ravenclaw’s sigil finally being an eagle!
• How much are the show's creators taking inspiration from Hogwarts Legacy?
• Beyond The Books: Lox Pratt, the actor playing Young Draco, says we’ll be seeing Draco at Malfoy Manor in the first season!
• Nick Frost manifested getting the role of Hagrid by writing Hagrid 7,000 times while watching the movies. He also took up knitting!
• MAX That: Can we expect to see more Vampires in this version of the Wizarding World?
• The hosts test their Harry Potter knowledge: Was This Line in the Sorcerer’s Stone Book AND Movie?
• Our Lynx Line asked our patrons: Who will be the first character to appear on screen?
• When can we expect our first trailer?
• In Bonus MuggleCast, available exclusively on Patreon: We make our official predictions for the new TV show and even throw down a few knuts to keep things interesting! Will we see Voldemort on screen in Episode 1? Will the Sorting Hat sing the full song? Over the series, will we ever get a full episode without Harry present?

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Bundle up, because it’s about to get really cold inside the Burrow! The MuggleCasters have reached “A Very Frosty Christmas” in their Chapter-by-Chapter reread of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. And they’re not alone. This week the Real Weird Sisters Alice and Martha have joined us! Topics cover the new Minister for Magic’s cunning, Mrs. Weasley’s faults, and the Weasley Brothers’ violent tendencies.

• New Throwback Content: Be sure you’re following us Lon our Twitch where we are currently streaming the Chamber of Secrets PC game as part of our lookback content this year. All videos will eventually be posted also on our YouTube channel.
• Welcome Alice and Martha of the Real Weird Sisters! They have been podcasting for 10+ years and are awesome.
• Chapter by Chapter continues with Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 16: A Very Frosty Christmas
• The MC Pensive segment takes us back to an episode we recorded seven years ago.
• Are we surprised that people still aren't believing Harry about Draco, even Ron?
• What's with all the rough housing going on in the Burrow between Ron and his brothers? Is this a dangerous escalation or par for the course?
• Should Bill be stepping in between Fleur and Mrs. Weasley's feud?
• The hosts analyze Remus Lupin's story and his backstory.
• What is Lavender expecting from Ron, as indicated by her flashy piece of jewelry for him?
• Does anyone buy Scrimgeour's story that he and Percy were "just in the area"?
• Is Scrimgeour any more smooth than Cornelius Fudge was?
• Did Percy give Scrimgeour advice on tips for how to appeal to Harry? It kinda feels like he did, which is why Rufus failed so badly.
• Our MVP segment asks what Harry’s sassiest line in the chapter is.
• Our Lynx Line topic this week for Slug Club patrons: What did Fred and George try to make Ron do with the Unbreakavable Vow?
• Coming up on Bonus MuggleCast for Slug Club patrons, we analyze our personal romantic histories broken down by the Hogwarts houses of our partners. It's a not-to-miss discussion!
• Participate in our weekly trivia segment by answering this week’s Quizzitch question at MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch!

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As Valentine's Day approaches in the Muggle world, romance is also a focus in this area of Half-Blood Prince. Join Andrew, Eric, Micah and Laura as they watch Harry watch Draco, watch Hermione regret her revenge against Ron, and watch Snape learn that Harry is suddenly good at Potions. 

• New Throwback Content: This Saturday, February 14 at 11am ET, MuggleCast will stream the Chamber of Secrets PC Game LIVE on our Twitch! It will later be available on our YouTube channel.
• A listener recently reviewed us being “as cozy as a warm blanket on a cold day.” We’re very touched! If you feel similarly, be sure to tell us by leaving a review.
• Chapter by Chapter continues with Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 15: The Unbreakable Vow
• The MC Pensive segment takes us back to an episode we recorded seven years ago.
• Hermione decides to take Cormac McLaggen to Slughorn's Christmas Party, just as Ron feared she would. Is this revenge satisfying for the readers? Do we feel bad when it doesn't work out for Hermione?
• Should love potions be taken more seriously than they are, by everyone? Harry is (rightly) worried.
• Eric asks, how does Cormac not know how to show someone a good time?
• Harry says that he kinda always thought Filch and Madame Prince were a thing. The hosts pick apart that offhand comment...
• ...and then we speculate. COULD that be a thing? Filch and Madame Prince? What do they have in common? How does Mrs. Norris feel?
• Is Snape's attempt to detect Draco's lying ethical? We know there's more in it at stake for him.
• Should Draco have been suspicious that Snape was working for Dumbledore, based on Snape's emphasis on the importance of DADA for Crabbe and Goyle?
• What If?: Harry overheard that Draco's mission was to kill Dumbledore? What if it was said aloud? What would Harry do?
• Odds and Ends include the Number 12 (our favorite), and vampires.
• Our MVP segment asks who is the best character to take to Slughorn's Christmas party?
• Our Lynx Line topic this week for Slug Club patrons: Who should Snape and Trelawney have invited as their dates to Slughorn's party? And, what would their pick-up lines have been?
• Participate in our weekly trivia segment by answering this week’s Quizzitch question at MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch!

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Who feels lucky? The only thing bottled up and ready to be unleashed in this chapter is a tidal wave of teenage angst! Join Andrew, Eric, Micah and Laura as they navigate the emotions of Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione.

• Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 14: Felix Felicis
• Slug Club invite: was Hermione making a romantic push towards Ron?
• Does Harry have legitimate concerns about becoming The Third Wheel?
• What would happen to the Trio if it all went wrong with Ron and Hermione?
• Ron is looking for fight, but picks the WRONG opponent in Ginny!
• Should Hermione have had more confidence in Ron's Quidditch abilities?
• Did Harry do more harm than help by giving Ron a Felix Felicis placebo?
• Was Ron intentionally trying to make Hermione jealous with Lavender?
• Could Harry's raging chest monster be partially influenced by the Horcrux?
• Our MVP segment asks who is the most chaotic character of the chapter?
• Our Lynx Line topic this week for Slug Club patrons: Have you ever started dating someone that you knew for years first, or were friends with, and if so, how did it turn out?
• Participate in our weekly trivia segment by answering this week’s Quizzitch question at MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch!
• Throwback Content includes a video game playthrough  with Eric, Meg and Martha of the “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone PC Game” over on our MuggleCast YouTube.

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