The Potter Discussion: Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts and the Wizarding World Fandom

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In this episode of The Potter Discussion I talk about what powers the founders items hold. We know about the Sword of Gryffindor and the Diadem of Ravenclaw, but what about the rest?

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In this episode, we discuss more would you rather questions. Enjoy!
Summary/Topics:
· Listen to Would You Rather Part 1 here!

· 1:40 Would you rather kill Professor McGonagall or Molly Weasley? Let’s weight the pros and cons. McGonagall has a very strict moral compass and values that drive her to do the right thing. She knows the ground of Hogwarts and can defend it if she has to. Molly is such a kind person, acting as a mother figure for Harry. She will defend her loved ones till her very last breath. As wonderful as Molly is, it makes more sense to kill her because without McGonagall, the Battle of Hogwarts would be very different.

· 9:19 Would you rather Snape or Draco be a friend to Harry from the beginning? Both tortured Harry for his entire time at Hogwarts, and though they both became friends of Harry’s at the end, getting there at the beginning could be a big change. Draco might make more of a difference. Snape perhaps came to like Harry more than Draco at the end, so if Draco was Harry’s friend the story would be changed for the better.

· 16:33 Would you rather Muggle studies or care of magical creatures be required for students to take? Both subjects are a joke among the students when taking at least one would be hugely beneficial. Muggle studies would give wizards a perspective on Muggles that might reduce prejudices. Care of magical creatures would give a new look at magical nature. However, Muggle studies might help resolve more problems so that is the subject that should be required.

· 20:23 Would you rather werewolves or house elves get another chance in society? Werewolves are hated and feared, and house elves are seen as nothing, just a way to do the laundry. The reason why house elves is the right choice is werewolves can still lead a normal life. A werewolf can still have friends that support them, but a house elf is all on their own.

· 23:36 Would you rather Umbridge stays or Hagrid goes? We get a taste of both. Umbridge presides over the school in the Order of the Phoenix, and it wasn’t very pleasant. Hagrid wasn’t there in the same book and that also wasn’t very nice. However, Umbridge staying would be the worst. She led with fear and pain, torturing the students to get her way and forcing them to follow the rules.

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In this episode, we discuss if the first book of the Harry Potter was a fitting beginning to the series. Enjoy!
Topics/Summary:
· 1:38 Did Dumbledore make the right choice? This is a big topic and it is difficult to pin down a single answer. This was one of the only options because if he brought Harry to an orphanage, he might have become the new Voldemort. Luckily, he didn’t bring Harry to an orphanage, but the choice then becomes which family does he bring him to. But if McGonagall told him horror stories about the Dursleys, why would Dumbledore send him there? Well, his mother’s protection applies at 4 Privet Drive. And for that reason, we can say that Dumbledore made the right decision.

· 8:01 Do we get properly introduced to the characters? This is a much easier decision. We get a great introduction to all of the characters and though we don’t get to see all that much of each one, but despite that we get a window into each of the people that will become main characters later in the story. Harry is the only characters that we don’t fully meet in my opinion. We don’t see his bravery or any of the other traits that make him the person we later get to know.

· 13:13 It would have been great to see Harry to more magic. I know he did vanish the glass, but its more difficult to make the connection that its Harry. We don’t know Harry’s a wizard and it would be difficult to put two and two together. The vanishing spell is pretty advanced, and we’re basing our entire knowledge of the wizarding world on this one interaction.

· 17:34 It was a good choice to begin the story with Mr. Dursley instead of Harry. He knows the same amount about magic than us, so it is a great contrast between the muggle world and the magical one. He sees owls and wizards in the streets, and we can appreciate how strange it is along with him. Magic stands out much more when looking through Mr. Dursley’s eyes that Harry. Of course, it is a strange thing, but Mr. Dursley finds it even more alien.

· 21:29 Hagrid was a good liaison into the magical world. Hagrid is close enough to a normal person that muggles would look twice, but he is still a bit odd. He also knows how to talk to muggles and there’s nothing terribly magical about him so he can blend in. If Dumbledore apparated into the middle of the cottage and starts pulling out his magical watches and maps and all that stuff, the Dursleys would have a heart attack. Hagrid is also a good person and Dumbledore knew that he would become good friends with the trio.

· 26:58 Was the first book a fitting beginning to Harry Potter? Absolutely! It may not be 100% perfect, but this book is a positively fantastic entry to the story beyond.

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In this episode, we discuss which characters should be highlighted in the coming Harry Potter TV show. Enjoy!
Topics/Summary:
· 2:28 Dumbledore. We’ve seen Dumbledore a bunch in the story, and we have spent a lot of time with him in the story. However, we know very little about his childhood. We’ve heard about it and heard some of the things that happened, but talk is just talk. It would be very valuable to see what really happened in person instead of just being told. Dumbledore is a good person, but he had some dark days. He eventually left Grindelwald, but there was a moment where he could have turned down a dark path. What happened? That would be answered is we could learn more about him.

· 9:24 Snape. We see Snape as a dark and menacing teacher that has it out for Harry. It’s jarring to see Snape as a kid like in the occlumency lesson. Snape was severely bullied as a kid, and we could learn more about him if we were to see what really happened. Understanding more about how James was mean to him can give us a more sympathetic point of view on his treatment of Harry. He has a complicated life that we could benefit from seeing.

· 15:56 James and Lily (and Petunia). This is the other side of the Snape coin. We don’t know why James was such a bully. It may have been his early childhood, or his status in the school. It would be a great choice to include James. And of course, Lily is another part of the puzzle because a lot of the ill feelings between James and Snape comes from her, so seeing how she reacts will be another interesting part of the puzzle. We know Petunia later in the story a lot and seeing her too would be great.

· 20:55 Voldemort. Tom Riddle has an interesting childhood that would do well to have light shed onto it. We already got little Tom in the orphanage, but what about the cave? What about his time at Hogwarts and beyond? We hear about his ascent into evil and turning into Voldemort, but we never get anywhere near there in the story. Spending more time on Voldemort would mean understanding more about the horcruxes and seeing his thinking behind his life as a whole, something we desperately need.

· 25:31 Draco. Draco had a very difficult childhood, and having a front row seat would help us understand more about Draco as a person. Lucius was pretty abusive and it bled over into his student life, so seeing how he throws us defenses and attacks without provocation could tell us a lot about him.

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In this episode we discuss some of the best Fred and George moments. Enjoy!
Summary/Topics:
· 1:58 “He’s not Fred, I am!” This scene takes place in the first book in King’s Cross station. This is a good display of banter between them, and this was one of the first examples we have of their characters. They aren’t afraid of pulling someone’s leg while making a joke. This establishes their place as the jokers of the family and puts them very close. It shows the closeness of the two.

· 8:12 Gred and Forge. This scene takes place in the first Christmas as Hogwarts, showing that the twins like to tease Ron. They also know how make a good joke in passing, and the fleetingness comes across in the text. As we read, the words on the page become an image in our heads, and this scene is a fantastic example of their perfect comedic timing.

· 13:16 Giving Filch a box of chocolate. Umbridge was getting close to the Dumbledore’s Army, so Fred and George had to find a way to get Filch off the scent. They gave him a box of chocolates that turned out to be less than friendly.

· 16:58 Fireworks. This is my favorite Fred and George moment. It is the ultimate spit in the face to Umbridge and timed perfectly. Umbridge gets what she deserves and the school gets a good show. They depart Hogwarts in style and make a mark. Even Flitwick was happy. That was the one moment where the teachers were thrilled to say that Fred and George were some of the worst trouble makers the school had ever seen.

· 23:02 The Age Line. Dumbledore said no one should try and cross the age line that he drew around the Goblet of Fire. Fred and George took that as the perfect opportunity to do just that. The gold represented a leg up for their family and a chance to get back on top. They had a dream to open up a joke shop and begin making money for themselves.

· 27:39 “But if we’re not careful we’ll have another Head Boy in the family. I don’t think I could stand the shame.” This is exactly what we would expect one of them to say. The Head Boy stands for the Administration, everything that Fred and George try and take down.

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