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 MoreIt Is Our Choices• Article
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• Article
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• Article
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• Article
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 MoreWhen were Frank and Alice Longbottom attacked?• Article
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 MoreDigging 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• Article
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 MoreFear of a Name ...• Article
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• Article
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 MoreWhich is the Most Popular Harry Potter Novel?• Article
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• Article
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🎙️ Order of the Phoenix Chapter 1• Article
Today we’re spending a little bit of time with chapter one of Order of the Phoenix. From the very beginning, we’re introduced to the theme of drought. Rowling writes: Cars that were usually gleaming stood dusty in their drives and lawns that were… Read More🎙️ Introduction to the Chapter Episodes• Article
Steve VanderArk here to let you know something new that’s coming to the Harry Potter Minute. Every couple of episodes, we’re going to share some thoughts on one particular chapter of one of the books. These chapter episodes will focus on one particular detail or connection that struck… Read More🎙️ Who Can Take Away Points?• Article
The continuity editors of the Potter books surely earned their wages – other than things like math and dates, there are remarkably few inconsistencies in the Potter series. But there is a small one in Order of the Phoenix that proved to be… Read More🎙️ Episode 29: “...and it was all just cabbage”• Article
Everyone is familiar with Ron‘s pet Scabbers, who turns out to be Peter Pettigrew, a traitor who sold out the Potters to Voldemort. What I’ve always wondered though, is how Ron was able to bring him to Hogwarts? In Harry’s Hogwarts letter in The Philosopher’s Stone, it… Read MoreQuotes and Mis-Quotes• Article
We all know the quotes. They’re turned into memes, they’re spouted by cosplayers — they seem to define the characters who said them. Except DID they say them? In many cases, the answer is no. Yes, Quirrell did say “Troll — in the dungeons — thought you ought to know” (PS10)… Read MoreThe Death Eaters: A Guide To Who Was Where• Article
Here’s the thing when it comes to the Dark Lord’s followers: There aren’t that many of them. When I was watching Deathly Hallows Part Two during its midnight premiere, my groan was probably heard by everyone in the theater when, behind Voldemort, appeared (what seemed to be) a… Read More🎙️ Episode 26: Fantastic Beasts and the 2001 thirst for canon• Article
Episode 26 of the Lexicon Podcast focuses on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (the schoolbook released in 2001 and a new edition released this week), and Quidditch Through the Ages (the book that was originally published along with Fantastic Beasts in 2001). We first talked… Read More