Pop Culture Conventions Help us Escape Reality (But Please Bring Deodorant)

On this week's episode, don't talk to your Divination professor when she’s had a few too many because she might just SET YOU OFF! Join Andrew, Eric, Micah and Laura as they confront Dumbledore about that night at the Hog's Head. Year 5 of the MuggleCast Collectors Club is here! You can receive SIX exclusive stickers by joining us on Patreon. These stickers can go on the custom Collectors Club Card we released a few years ago, or you can put them wherever else you like! Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Chapter 25 of Half-Blood Prince, The Seer Overheard Harry is contemplating retrieving the Prince’s book from the Room of Requirement. Hasn't Harry learned anything from trusting mysterious books? Hermione discovers an old newspaper clipping featuring Eileen Prince, Captain of the Hogwarts Gobstones Team. But the Prince can't be a woman, right?! Connecting the Threads: much like Hermione discovers the monster in the Chamber of Secrets is a basilisk, she begins to unravel the identity of the Half-Blood Prince. Trelawney seems pretty miffed at Dumbledore these days. Now that's she served her purpose, is Sybill old news? Or is Albus just too busy for anyone not named Horcrux? Could Snape overhearing the prophecy be the biggest secret that Dumbledore has kept from Harry? Does Dumbledore downplay the impact of this revelation? Was he ever planning to tell Harry? The Lightening-Struck Tower: we recall the first time we read this chapter... and not feeling good about Dumbledore’s chances. Hunting Horcruxes: does Dumbledore sacrifice the safety of the school to go on an adventure with Harry? Lynx Line: You’re Harry and you run into Snape on your way to Dumbledore’s office after just learning he overheard the prophecy… What happens? Quizzitch: What is the more common name of the ailment known as pertussis? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode, don’t get on Harry’s bad side! Join Andrew, Eric, Micah, and Laura as they discuss the bathroom duel between Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter. This week we're discussing Half-Blood Prince Chapter 24, “Sectumsempra” What did Harry hope to achieve in barging in on Draco? Would it have been smarter for him to have waited and developed a plan? Given the escalation in severity of the spells cast, was Harry right to use Sectumsempra on Draco? What made Harry’s casting of the spell so successful the very first time he tried? Was it his being in imminent danger? Was Snape tailing Draco and therefore able to get to the bathroom so quickly? Why else might he have been nearby? Snape calls Harry a liar. Does he KNOW from which source Harry learned that particular spell? We notice that the Prince’s diary is hidden right next to a Horcrux, and feel it fits. Is the Room of Requirement more, or less, secure becoming the same room for everyone that wants to hide or dispose of their valuables? Is Harry’s punishment of weekly detentions fitting for the circumstance, or too much? Ginny and Dean split up! She’s single. Harry is free! Andrew asks: would the hosts ever date the sibling of a friend? Lynx Line: What would you hide in the Room of Requirement and why? Quizzitch: In this chapter Gryffindor has to succeed over Ravenclaw by at least 300 points, which they do. In US College Football, a record-holding October 1916 match ended in Georgia Tech scoring 222-0 over their opponent. Who was that match against? In Bonus MuggleCast, we discuss the state of MuggleNet.com, which has removed all of its volunteer-generated content and is the subject of new litigation from its former staff members. Topics such as these arend others relevant to Harry Potter fans can always be found on our Patreon, located at Patreon.com/MuggleCast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode, get ready for the worst scavenger hunt ever! Join Eric, Micah, Laura and special guest Rachel as they take a trip down Horcrux memory lane and learn what near-impossible task lies ahead for Harry and company!  Welcome Slug Club member and host of The Menuscript, Rachel! This week we're discussing Half-Blood Prince Chapter 23, "Horcruxes" The Slughorn Files: UNREDACTED What do we make of Slughorn's interest in Tom becoming Minister of Magic? Did Tom learn some of his less-than-wholesome skills from observing Slughorn? What was the inciting event that made Dumbledore so “fierce” about a no-Horcrux curriculum?  And should Horcruxes be a banned topic at Hogwarts? Why was Voldemort willing to risk part of his soul to reopen the Chamber of Secrets? Hallows Happy Dumbledore: with both the Elder Wand and Resurrection Stone in his possession, why didn't Albus ask Harry for his Invisibility Cloak and just dip? When Dumbledore suggests the possibility of a living Horcrux in Nagini, should this not have been MAJOR confirmation that Harry was a Horcrux as well? Why does Harry’s capacity for love give him power the Dark Lord knows not? Lynx Line: If Horcruxes were a subscription service, what would their tagline be? Quizzitch: On July 7th, 2007, the “New 7 Wonders of the Modern World” were unveiled by the New 7 Wonders Committee in Switzerland, with input from around the world. Of the NEW 7 Wonders of the Modern world, which one is the MOST modern? In Bonus MuggleCast, we're keeping with the Horcrux theme… and giving the Harry Potter TV show license to change one major character death. Find out what the hosts came up with at Patreon.com/MuggleCast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode, it's time for Slughorn Unfiltered. We're going into the true memory that Dumbledore and Harry have been after, opening a significant path forward in the quest to defeat Voldemort! Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 22: After the Burial Is Hagrid being a bad friend by asking the trio to break curfew? This isn't the first time Hagrid has put Harry in danger re: Aragog; we recall moments in Chamber of Secrets which connect. Hermione and Ron's reactions to Harry taking liquid luck still make us giggle. How did Hagrid actually fend off all of Aragog's family to get him to his hut? Is Harry being a bad friend to Hagrid by inviting Slughorn to the funeral, knowing Slughorn wants to turn a profit? Could Harry have gotten Horace's memory without using Felix Felicis? We go through why Harry is successful and what steps are taken which ensure his victory with the memory. Does Horace Slughorn appear again in this book? Does he avoid Harry after this? Odds and Ends discuss the first Potions lesson of the year, which was an important one for both Harry and Draco. Lynx Line: When did you successfully persuade someone to do something they didn’t want to do, and how did you do it? Quizzitch: 1 On which Earth continent would you find the world’s biggest spider, Theraposa blondi aka “The Goliath Birdeater”? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices