Canon discussion
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How A Man Treats His Inferiors
• Essay
After the Dark Mark appears in the sky on the night of the Quidditch World Cup, Barty Crouch releases Winky the house-elf from his service, and her unfair treatment draws Hermione’s sympathy and indignation. When she, Harry, and Ron visit Sirius in the cave above Hogsmeade to… Read More
🎙️ Who Enforces the Statute of Secrecy to the Muggles?
• Podcast Episode
Did you know that muggles are not held to the statute of secrecy? A muggle that knows about the wizarding world can share that information with other muggles. We find this out by the fact that Petunia at some point tells Vernon about her sister being… Read More
🎙️ Choosing the Deathly Hallows
• Podcast Episode
I’d like to discuss a passage in the Deathly Hallows that has always interested me. It’s after Harry, Ron and Hermione, hear the Tale of the Three Brothers: “It’s just a morality tale, it’s obvious which gift is the best, which one you’d choose–” The three of them… Read More
Improper Use of Magic Office: Not the only office for improper use of magic?
• Essay
As any fan of the franchise worth their salt can tell you if asked, the biggest and most important responsibility of the fictional Ministry of Magic in J. K. Rowling’s universe is to make sure people like you and me (Muggles) remain blissfully ignorant of the continued existence… Read More
🎙️ Evans
• Podcast Episode
In a recent Harry Potter Minute, we discussed instances in the books where two seemingly unrelated characters have the same last name. We’ve already covered two of the three instances, the Smiths and the Gudgeons. But a third set caused quite the fuss back in the day, and is the… Read More
More reasons to be excited about Hogwarts Mystery!
• Article
Come April 25, we’ll all have a chance to play Hogwarts Mystery. Jam City, the developers, recently announced that a number of stars who played Hogwarts professors in the films would be returning to voice the characters in the game, including Dame Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall, Michael Gambon as… Read More
Fears and Naïveté
• Essay
Professor Lupin‘s first class with the third-year Gryffindors covers boggarts, which shapeshift into a form that the person who encounters it will find the most frightening. As humans grow and age, they compile more experiences, which result in unique personalities, a deeper capacity for emotions, and more… Read More
🎙️ Portraits
• Podcast Episode
How does the portrait world with in the Harry Potter books work? Here are some things that I wonder about: Are all of the paintings connected, just one painting blending seamlessly into the next? Or is there blank space, equal to the distance from painting… Read More
🎙️ OP3: Why Not Side-Along Apparition?
• Podcast Episode
In Chapter 3 of Order of the Phoenix, when Harry is being rescued by the Advance Guard, Rowling writes: ‘How’re we getting – wherever we’re going?’ Harry asked. ‘Brooms,’ said Lupin. ‘Only way. You’re too young to Apparate, they’ll be watching the Floo Network and it’s more than our… Read More
It Is Our Choices
• Essay
When Harry has finished recounting the story of his experience in the Chamber of Secrets, and Dumbledore has dismissed everyone else from his office, he asks Harry to have a seat. He thanks Harry for the loyalty that called Fawkes to him in the Chamber, then opens the discussion… Read More
🎙️ Last Names
• Podcast Episode
As careful readers, we’re taught to pay attention to last names – when two characters have the same last name, there is usually a good reason why. But there are three instances within the books of two characters having the same last name, without any reason given explaining it. Read More
🎙️ About Snape and Love
• Podcast Episode
Today I wanted to talk about Snape. The “good or evil” Snape debate has rocked the Harry Potter fandom for years, and I know almost everyone has a strong opinion about him one way or the other (so I’m going to try not to ruffle too… Read More
🎙️ Episode 31: The Crimes of Grindelwald Trailer
• Podcast Episode
Posted
by Steve VanderArk and Nick Moline
in Canon discussion / Fandom News / Lexicon Podcast / The Films
The last week or two has just been chock full of new stuff for members of the fandom. We have a new audiobook version of Quidditch through the Ages which also has a dramatization of the 2014 Quidditch World Cup which is particularly entertaining. We have a new gameplay trailer… Read More
When were Frank and Alice Longbottom attacked?
• Essay
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about Neville and the attack on his parents. I’ve always had trouble with the timing of this event and others surrounding it, and rereading the Pensieve scenes in Goblet of Fire leads me to think that it didn’t occur straight after… Read More
Digging for Gold in the CG Cast List
• Article
Now that the trailer has come out and presented us with wonderful nuggets of canon and plenty of questions to chew over, I think it’s time to dig a little further for canon treasure in the cast list of the film. The complete list is published on IMDb, so… Read More
🎙️ Order of the Phoenix Chapter 2 - Kneazles
• Podcast Episode
Mister Tibbles? Mrs Norris? Why do the animals owned by Squibs seem to have similar names? And particularly human-sounding names at that? In chapter two of Order of the Phoenix, we meet Mrs Figg properly for the first time. She’d turned up in book… Read More
Fear of a Name ...
• Essay
While discussing the fate of the Sorcerer’s Stone with Harry in the Hospital Wing, Dumbledore encourages Harry to use Voldemort’s name: “Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself.” Harry has not encountered that opinion prior to this moment, but he accepts the advice readily. When Hagrid… Read More
🎙️ The Changing Quidditch World Cup Schedule
• Podcast Episode
Following up on the earlier release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in audiobook form, Pottermore and Audible are releasing a Quidditch Through the Ages audiobook tomorrow. In addition to a reading of the book itself, 2 voice actresses will take on the roles of Ginny Potter… Read More
Which is the Most Popular Harry Potter Novel?
• Article
Posted
by Steve VanderArk
in Canon discussion
When people ask me which is my favorite Potter novel, my answer is usually “Whichever one I’m reading at the moment.” But that’s a cop-out. I do have a favorite, and I think most fans do as well. Each book in the series is very unique from the others. Each… Read More
🎙️ Prime Numbers
• Podcast Episode
Despite being a self-confessed math-phobic J.K. Rowling has certainly had some fun with numbers in the Harry Potter universe. In a previous episode we talked about wizard currency being built on prime numbers, with 29 knuts to a sickle and 17 sickles to a galleon. Prime numbers crop up… Read More