New at the Lexicon
Steve and Nick began Episode 27 by talking about the task of moving remaining content over from the old legacy site into the current, modern Lexicon. We also talked about the ongoing work on the Timeline system.
New in the Harry Potter Universe
We talked about the 20th anniversary of Philosopher’s Stone, and about the new Harry Potter Book Club. We also discuss the reason for pottermore’s less interactive design.
We talk about the casting call for Fantastic Beasts 2 where they are looking for teenage versions of Newt, Leta, Gellart, Albus and someone named Sebastian, which means that there is not 1 but 2 flashbacks since Newt and Leta were not teenagers at the same time as Gellart and Albus. We try to determine if we’ll hear about the incident that got Newt expelled. We wonder if Sebastian might be the student whose life was threatened.
We talk about how it seems like this movie in a way is sneaking up on us. “Wait they are filming already?”
Harry Potter British Museum books: Harry Potter: A History of Magic and Harry Potter: A Journey Through a History of Magic. These books sound great, as it will include original drawings and manuscripts from Rowling. There could be new canon from the notebooks we’ve all been desperate to get a look at.
Main Topics
Did Dumbledore set the whole thing up in Philosopher’s Stone?
We talk a bit about all of the “coincidental” events that help Harry on his journey. Why send Hagrid with Harry to pick up the stone in the first place? Why have the mirror out in a place Harry can find it (multiple days in a row)?
What kind of idiot would send their kids to a deathtrap like Hogwarts?
Psychopath as the headmaster (apparently) who purposely puts children in dangerous situations, just to see what happens. Don’t go into that place, or you’ll die. Sure it’s fine if as punishment for being out of bed, you send the person who was guilty of illegal Dragon breeding to take those kids into a forest full of monsters, and then split up.
So let’s believe, ok, the kids go to a year, come home and talk about how there’s a floor with monsters, kids being taken into the forest, and a kid nearly died fighting an evil wizard, should we send the kids back? Ok kids, have a good school year!
Second year: kids get turned into statues, threatening messages written in blood on the walls, and a kid kidnapped and taken into a chamber with a giant snake that can kill you just by looking at you. Hmm, should we send the kids back? Have a nice third year kids!
Third year: you get to the end, kids tell their parents that Dumbledore hired a known Werewolf, it was common knowledge that a known murderer was repeatedly breaking into the castle, and the government purposely surrounded the school with dark creatures that like to suck out the souls of anyone who get in their way.
In general, kids in Quidditch where they fly 60 feet above the ground and are hit in the head with solid iron balls. Kids do things in potions class where they accidentally lose body parts. This is not a safe place.
And on top of this, the education is clearly lopsided. Students are expected to write essays, but aren’t taught English. They have to measure ingredients in potions but don’t take standard math classes.
What’s Struck us in the Wizarding World
Free Harry Potter Walking Tour in London
https://strawberrytours.com/london/tours/free-harry-potter-tour
Sounds like a fun tour, and it is free (though they ask you to donate what you can).
The Cauldron
Nick wrote about this on the Lexicon Blog when it started, but there’s a Kickstarter Campaign to create a pub and inn in London where he’s approaching this as a Tech Startup. He’s doing hackathons where people in tech will compete to create the magic used in the bar. He’s got RFID wands that will control the beer taps, he’s got floating candles using maglev. One of the awards in the kickstarter campaign is to film short videos which will show up in the random picture frames in the restaurant.
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