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 ...• 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• Essay
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?• Essay
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• Essay
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• Essay
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• Essay
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?• Essay
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”• Essay
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• Essay
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• Essay
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• Essay
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🎙️ Episode 25: The Horcrux Conundrum• Essay
For the majority of Episode 25, Steve and Nick puzzle over the topic of Horcruxes, and more particularly how they are created and when Voldemort created each of his Horcruxes. Listen in as we end up with more questions at the end then we had at the beginning. We are back to audio only this week, but stay tuned, more Video podcasts will be coming soon. Read MoreFamous Wizard Cards: Analysis and Discussion• Essay
Introduction In the book, these cards are collected and traded by students and referred to as Chocolate Frog Cards. However, “real” versions of these cards exist, created by Rowling herself, providing a fascinating look into the vast scope of Wizarding history. After the release of the fourth book, the world… Read MoreHow old is Minerva McGonagall? (and a lesson in humility)• Essay
So a few weeks ago I published a timeline pulling together events involving Dumbledore, Newt Scamander, Grindelwald, and Voldemort. It’s fascinating to see how the struggles and ambitions of each of these characters overlap and connect. While I was at it, I put a few other interesting dates on the… Read More🎙️ Episode 23: Fantastic Beasts and the Wait for the Next Movie• Essay
The week Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them came out, Lexicon Tech Wizard Nick Moline just so happened to be on a business trip. On the way home, he stopped in Texas and together Steve and Nick (along with Steve’s wife Mitzi) watched the movie together. After watching the film,… Read MoreIntegrating the Voldemort, Dumbledore, and Grindelwald timelines• Essay
One very interesting line of speculation coming out of the new film is how the timelines of Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and Newt Scamander integrate with each other. I will be creating a very detailed master timeline with all the information laid out, but in the meantime here is what we know… Read More🎙️ Episode 22: The One About Draco• Essay
Episode 22 of The Harry Potter Lexicon Podcast focuses on the character of Draco Malfoy. Steve and Nick start by talking about the latest news about the upcoming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie franchise, now announced to be five movies instead of three, and theorize on how far… Read More🎙️ Episode 21: Do Seers see alternate realities?• Essay
Steve and Nick continue their discussion of Cursed Child, so here is your spoiler warning (which we didn’t quite get to mentioning until we had already been talking about cursed child quite a bit), don’t listen to this episode if you haven’t read or seen Harry Potter and the Cursed… Read More