In this podcast we’re going to take a look at the incredible magical duels in chapter 36 of the Order of the Phoenix. Before we get to the main duel in the chapter, however, that between Voldemort and Dumbledore, we learn a bit about the Unforgivable Curses when… Read More🎙️ OP36: Of Magic and Duels Part Two• Article
In my last podcast, I talked about the first of two magic duels in chapter 36 of Order of the Phoenix, the one between Harry and Bellatrix. Now it’s time to move on to the main event, the massive duel between Albus Dumbledore and Voldemort. There is no… Read MoreAragog• Character
Aragog was a male Acromantula, acquired as an egg c. 1942 by Hagrid from a traveller. Hagrid hid Aragog in a cupboard in the castle and reared him on table scraps until Aragog’s existence was exposed by Tom Riddle. At that point Hagrid was expelled, but he managed to release… Read MoreOdo the Hero• Character
Odo the Hero is the “dying wizard” about whom was written a drinking song in the Wizarding World. Part of the song goes as follows: And Odo the hero, they bore him back home To the place that he’d known as a lad They laid him to rest with… Read MoreNorbert/Norberta• Character
Norbert is a Norwegian Ridgeback dragon, hatched from an egg by Hagrid and raised for several weeks in the spring of 1992. Norbert outgrew his surroundings rather quickly and had to be sent to a dragon reservation in Romania, where they discovered that Norbert was… Read MoreRubeus Hagrid• Character
Rubeus Hagrid is a half-giant with shaggy hair and a “wild, tangled beard” (PS1) who serves as the Keeper of Keys and Grounds, Gamekeeper, and Care of Magical Creatures professor at Hogwarts (PS4, PA6). He is excessively fond of “interesting creatures” — that anyone else would call… Read MoreMarietta Edgecombe• Character
Marietta Edgecombe was a friend of Cho Chang’s with curly, reddish-blonde hair. Marietta was dragged to D.A. meetings by Cho and signed her name to the parchment that listed members of the group (OP16). However, when she later betrayed the group to Umbridge in order to protect her mother’s… Read MoreUnicorn Hair
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Potion ingredients • Wandmaking
Unicorn hair (usually referring to the strong, magical hairs of a unicorn’s tail) is a potion ingrediant and a wand core frequently used by Garrick Ollivander in his wands (PS5, PS15). Wands with unicorn hair cores are generally the most difficult to turn to the Dark Arts. A… Read MoreAcromantula venom
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Potion ingredients
Acromantula venom is the highly-prized secretion of the acromantula. Almost impossible to collect from a living Acromantula, the venom dries out not long after an Acromantula’s death, so the venom may fetch as much as 100 Galleons a pint. Slughorn attends Aragog’s funeral in order to harvest the venom from… Read MorePensieve Memories
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Communication
Memories can be physically removed from a wizard’s mind with a wand and placed in a container or the Pensieve. Pensieve Memories: Dumbledore’s memory of the Death Eater Trials, including those of Igor Karkaroff, Bellatrix, the Lestrange Brothers, and Barty Crouch Jr. (GF30) Dumbledore’s memory of 16-year-old Bertha Jorkins… Read MorePensieve
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Magical artifacts
A Pensieve is a shallow stone basin with ancient Saxon runes and symbols carved around the edge used to collect and view memories (GF30, Pm). When in use, a silvery light shines from its contents, which are bright, whitish silver, and cloud-like, moving ceaselessly. Harry thought the stuff in… Read MoreDragon Eggs
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Potion ingredients
The eggs of a dragon are used for various purposes including, of course, hatching baby dragons. Dragon eggs are Class A Non-Tradeable Goods (FB) Antipodean Opaleye dragon eggs, which are pale grey, may be mistaken for fossils by unwary Muggles (FB). Chinese Fireball dragon eggs are bright red and speckled… Read MoreFrom Egg to Inferno, A Dragon Keeper's Guide
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Books and Literature
From Egg to Inferno, A Dragon Keeper’s Guide is a guidebook to raising dragons which is included in the Hogwarts school library collection. Hagrid consulted the Hogwarts library’s copy of this book when he first got the dragon egg that eventually hatched into Norbert (PS14). Read MoreDragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit
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Books and Literature
Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit was a guide to raising dragons, a copy of which could be found in the Hogwarts school library collection. Read MorePlaying Strixhaven as Hogwarts• Article
One of the latest books to come out for Dungeons and Dragons is called Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos. The book is designed to provide D&D players with the opportunity to play as students at a magical school. It’s pretty easy to see the connections to the adventures of Harry and… Read MoreNagini as Horcrux• Article
In an interview with The Leaky Cauldron and MuggleNet in July 2005, Rowling said, “Dumbledore’s guesses are never very far wide of the mark. I don’t want to give too much away here, but Dumbledore says, ‘There are four out there, you’ve got to get rid of four, and then… Read MoreIs Harry a Horcrux?• Article
After thinking carefully through the various factors involved, I cannot help but conclude that the most logical scenario, based on all the available evidence, is that Harry is a Horcrux. I will structure this essay in four sections. First, I will discuss the background. Second, I will discuss the evidence indicating that Harryis a Horcrux. Read MoreHarry and the Horcruxes• Article
Since the arrival of Half-Blood Prince on July 16th, 2005, Harry Potter fans have been endlessly searching for Horcruxes. We find ourselves repeating the Horcrux possibilities just like Harry does in Half-Blood Prince: “the cup, the locket, the snake, something of Gryffindor or Ravenclaw’s . . . .” (HBP30). Several Horcrux identity theories have been circulating, with claims ranging from Tom Riddle’s mouth organ to Gryffindor’s old toothbrush. After reading… Read MoreExploring April in the Harry Potter Universe• Article
April, like March, tends to be fairly quiet at Hogwarts. The Fifth and Seventh Years are working harder than ever with the OWL and NEWT exams looming in just a few months. Here are the highlights for March: During Harry’s Time at Hogwarts: 1992 On or about the… Read MoreHagrid's hut
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Houses and addresses
Hagrid’s hut is a small wooden house on the edge of the forbidden forest. There was a crossbow and a pair of galoshes outside the front door the first time Harry and Ron visited. “There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper… Read More