Burbage Burgers (DH Chapter 1, 'The Dark Lord Ascending')

Summary

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MuggleCast: “Burbage Burgers” (Deathly Hallows Chapter 1, ‘The Dark Lord Ascending’)

Date: July 15, 2026
Hosts: Andrew (A), Eric (C), Micah (D), Laura (B)
Episode Theme: The start of MuggleCast’s chapter-by-chapter re-read of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, focusing on Chapter 1, “The Dark Lord Ascending”—the ominous, Death Eater-dominated kickoff to the series’ conclusion.

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Episode Overview

This episode marks the launch of the “Deathly Hallows” chapter-by-chapter journey, beginning with a deep dive into Voldemort’s dark opening at Malfoy Manor. The hosts reflect on their history with the book, discuss the unique narrative perspective of the chapter, analyze the tactics, relationships, and humiliations at play among Voldemort’s circle, and unpack the symbolic horror of Charity Burbage’s fate. Along the way, fan interactions and lighthearted games provide a classic MuggleCast touch.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Context and Nostalgia: Deathly Hallows Returns

[03:15–09:36]

• The hosts reminisce about the 2007 release: midnight book parties, copies signed by the original crew, and quirky memorabilia (UK editions, Waterstones stamps).
• “It’s been nearly 20 years since we've gone through this book chapter by chapter.” —Andrew [05:08]
• Reflection on the evolution of the series and their own fandom, marking the book’s enduring community impact and its Guinness records.

2. Seven-Word Summary Mini-Game

[09:36–10:29]

• A signature MuggleCast segment where hosts must collectively assemble a seven-word summary of the chapter with music as a timer.
• This week’s attempt: “Voldemort hosts his people menacingly around table updates.”
• “The bar has been set in the floor, everybody.” —Eric [10:49]

3. Perspective Shift: Opening with the Villains

[10:52–14:27]

• Noted that, as in previous books (Books 1, 4, 6), this chapter breaks from Harry’s POV to immerse the reader with the antagonists.
• The intimacy and discomfort of following Snape and Yaxley into Malfoy Manor positions Snape as a focal figure and renews uncertainty about his loyalties.
• “We’re close enough to smell Snape’s breath. And to me it’s like too close for comfort.” —Eric [12:04]

4. The Security Risks of Magical Portraits

[14:27–17:57]

• Banter on whether portraits in Malfoy Manor could be leaking information (“two-dimensional double agents”).
• “Portraits almost seem beneath Voldemort in terms of paying attention to.” —Micah [15:24]
• “I used to turn the photos around in my bedroom when I was changing because I was afraid they were looking at me.” —Andrew [17:38]
• The consensus is most portraits are “vetted,” but the disregard for such risks is another example of Voldemort’s familiar hubris.

5. Snape vs. Yaxley: Trust, Rivalry, and Voldemort’s Manipulation

[20:35–27:32]

• At the Death Eater meeting, Snape and Yaxley jockey to deliver the best intelligence.
• Analysis of whether Yaxley’s contradiction of Snape is a matter of rivalry, distrust, or self-preservation before their terrifying master.
• “Yaxley must really not trust Snape if he’s willing to put his reputation on the line…Voldemort could potentially kill him for having the wrong info.” —Andrew [23:01]
• Exploration of Voldemort’s tactic of fostering competition and mistrust, and comparison to Dumbledore’s very different version of keeping secrets from his team.

6. Voldemort, Snape, and the Art of Occlumency

[25:46–27:32]

• Breakdown of the scene where Voldemort attempts Legilimency on Snape, failing to penetrate his mind.
• “He’s allowing Voldemort to see…what happens to be the truth. But there’s obviously so much more Snape is hiding…Snape’s ability to compartmentalize is truly impressive.” —Micah [26:24]
• Emphasis on this as a dramatic demonstration of Snape’s mastery of Occlumency and nerve.

7. The Ministry, Subtlety, and Downfall

[27:32–31:37]

• Discussion around the plans to capture Harry and infiltrate the Ministry using Imperiused officials. Yaxley’s delays blunt Voldemort’s strategy.
• The role of subtlety in the Death Eater rise—how the next phase hinges on going undetected.
• “If Scrimgeour gets any word at all…he is going to be able to be on the defensive. So the key is to do this subtly.” —Eric [29:47]
• Parallels between Voldemort’s and Dumbledore’s leadership and use of secrets and manipulation.

8. Voldemort’s Ego and Admitting Failure

[31:51–34:31]

• Notable moment: Voldemort admits to his own mistakes regarding Harry.
• “For someone with such a huge ego…it’s so interesting Voldemort actually admits to his Death Eaters that he’s made some mistakes…” —Andrew [31:51]
• Analysis of this rare “growth” moment, contrasted to his typical overconfidence and self-aggrandizement.

9. The Malfoys’ Humiliation and the Wand as Power

[36:12–45:28]

• The Malfoys’ home is now Voldemort’s base, and their situation is desperate and degrading.
• Voldemort humiliates Lucius by confiscating his wand, a metaphor for both public disempowerment and emasculation.
• “It’s a form of public castration…inside his own home, in front of his family.” —Micah [38:00]
• Discussion about the symbolism of the wand and speculation about wizarding customs (do old families keep “backup” wands?).
• Narcissa’s quiet leadership in the family dynamic is highlighted: “Anytime Draco is feeling panicked…he keeps looking at his mother.” —Laura [54:01]

10. Blood Status, Hypocrisy, and Political Allegory

[45:55–47:29]

• Voldemort’s use of “pruning diseased family trees” is dissected as a chilling fascist metaphor.
• Hosts call out the irony of Voldemort’s own half-blood heritage: “I love Voldemort, conveniently glossing over the fact that he is most likely the only non pure blood in this room.” —Laura [47:15]

11. Charity Burbage: Symbolism and Narrative Weakness

[47:29–53:50]

• The execution of Professor Charity Burbage is discussed as both a powerful symbol (targeting education and Muggle-born advocacy) and as narratively underwhelming, since she is a “throwaway character”.
• “Why Charity Burbage? How about a professor, like, we readers actually know? I’m sorry, that’s really mean.” —Andrew [50:24]
• Comparison to broader themes in authoritarian regimes: targeting schools, erasing dissent.
• “If Snape helps her, he’s a dead man and the cause is too great. Even as somebody on the good side, you have to see Charity Burbage as necessary collateral damage.” —Eric [53:13]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On nostalgia and collectibles:
  “This book belongs to Eric James Skull and was received on July 21, 2007 at 12:01am during the VIP party of the Waterstones book release celebration, London…” —Eric [06:17]

• Comic relief:
  “I hate art.” —Andrew [15:31], tongue-in-cheek jab at Voldemort’s attitude.

• On the power structure:
  “A wand is an extension of yourself in a metaphoric and very physical sense. And it’s your defense in the world.” —Eric [39:09]

• On familial downfall:
  “Careful what you wish for.” —Andrew [45:26]

• Poignant insight on Narcissa:
  “She models this display of staring directly at the wall in front of her, not showing any emotion…Narcissa…has become the head of the Malfoy household.” —Laura [54:01]

• Charity Burbage’s fate:
  “It would be bad enough…if she died because of her position as a Muggle studies teacher. But it was her action of publishing this impassioned defense…that put her on [the Death Eaters’] radar.” —Eric [48:48]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Deathly Hallows nostalgia & book stats: [03:15–08:36]
• Seven-Word Summary Game: [09:36–10:29]
• Snape & Yaxley arrive at Malfoy Manor: [10:52–14:27]
• Magical portraits and security: [14:27–17:57]
• Snape–Yaxley rivalry analysis: [20:35–27:32]
• Legilimency/Occlumency: Snape and Voldemort: [25:46–27:32]
• Subtlety in Ministry infiltration: [27:32–31:37]
• Voldemort admits mistakes: [31:51–34:31]
• Malfoys’ humiliation and wand symbolism: [36:12–45:28]
• Blood status, hypocrisy, and dark family trees: [45:55–47:29]
• Charity Burbage’s demise & symbolism: [47:29–53:50]
• Narcissa’s leadership: [54:01–55:22]

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Listener Interactions & Fun

• Links Line: What magical (or non-magical) creature would you keep on your property? [55:53–59:22]
  Fan answers include unicorns, goats, hippogriffs, kneazles, nifflers, capybaras, and even orca whales.
• Quizzage segment: [60:05–61:14]
  This week’s question: “There are at least two other characters in the Wizarding World universe with the initials C.B. Name them.”

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Tone & Style

The episode maintains the easy banter, Harry Potter trivia, and mix of fan service and critical analysis that defines MuggleCast. There’s plenty of humor—self-deprecation and knowing Potterverse jokes abound—but this is balanced by serious discussion of power, trauma, and the implications of Voldemort’s regime.

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Takeaways

• The opening of “Deathly Hallows” immediately plunges readers into darkness and ambiguity, with the moral and psychological complexity surrounding Snape, the overt misery of the Malfoys, and the horror inflicted on Charity Burbage.
• The hosts draw strong parallels between the Wizarding World and real-world authoritarian tactics, especially around surveillance, censorship, and humiliation.
• Critical attention is given to character motivations, narrative perspective, and the mechanics of magical society.
• Listeners are left with a strong sense of the emotional stakes and narrative ingenuity that make “Deathly Hallows” a unique and powerful finale.

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Next episode: Deathly Hallows, Chapter 2: In Memoriam
For more: Visit mugglecast.com for transcripts, social links, and merch.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

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[C]

Great brands, great prices.

[D]

That's why you rack portraits almost seem beneath Voldemort.

[A]

I hate art.

[B]

Well, actually.

[A]

Welcome to mugglecast, your weekly ride into the world of Harry Potter. I'm Andrew.

[C]

I'm Eric.

[D]

I'm Micah.

[B]

And I'm Laura.

[A]

And this week it's an exciting new chapter on Mugglecast because we're diving into Deathly Hallows chapter by chapter. And we hope you brought your appetite because we're joining Nagini for dinner and discussing chapter one of Deathly the Dark Lord Ascending. But first, this week's Quizzage question.

[C]

In this chapter, we're going to be introduced to Hogwarts. Now, former Muggle studies professor Charity Burbage. There are at least two other characters in the Wizarding World universe with the initials 6. Name them bonus points if you get three of them. All right, we will ask you for that answer again at the end of

[D]

this episode and just want to let our listeners know. For those who are patrons that year, five of the Mugglecast Collectors Club stickers have shipped. So keep an eye on your mailbox. There should be an owl on the way with your stickers. And we're excited about this. This is the final year the set is complete.

[A]

Five years we've been doing this and honestly, this set is the best one yet. Honestly, I know you hear that a lot in like marketing, but really it is the best one yet.

[C]

It's the use of pastel colors. I think we were late to adopt and they really work.

[A]

Those are going out to patrons and patrons make this show possible. So if you love Mugglecast as much as Bellatrix loves Voldemort, head over to patreon.com mugglecast and support us. And to thank you, you'll receive bonus episodes of the show ad free episodes, a monthly zoom hangout with us and your fellow Potter friends once a month, an on air shout out, and lots more. We can't do this without you, so thank you in advance and thanks to our newest patrons, including Drew and Arshilee. We'd also appreciate if you left us a review in your favorite podcast app or told a fellow Muggle about our show. And you can visit mugglecastmerch.com to buy official show gear like a choo choo shirt or a security nightmare hat. So before we jump into Deathly Hallows chapter by chapter, I like to take a moment before the start of each chapter by chapter series to look back at the release of the book that we're about to discuss. So Deathly Hallows was released on July 21, 2007, and all four of us, and surely many of our listeners, attended midnight release parties. It holds the Guinness World Record for most novels sold within 24 hours of release, with 8.3 million sold in the US and 2.65 million sold in the UK. And by June 2008, nearly a year after it was published, worldwide sales were reportedly around 44 million. And the stat that blows my mind, y', all, is that we lasted chapter by chapter for Deathly hallows back in 2007. It's been nearly 20 years since we've gone through this book chapter by chapter.

[B]

Holy cow.

[A]

And my memory of this book shows that. So I very much look forward to going chapter by chapter through this book again.

[C]

Oh yeah, I've been Looking forward to doing Deathly Hallows since we started this most recent chapter by chapter series six books ago. And now I'm like, finally.

[A]

Yeah, after all this time. We also recently did do a bonus Mugglecast episode exclusively available on Patreon, reflecting on the midnight release of Deathly Hallows. So check that [e-mail] mugglecast we were also.

[C]

Was this on a hangout? We were recently talking about the vandalized Harry Potter book Deathly Hallows that we wrote on somebody's front, front cover. And it got around to us via like a secondhand store. So I was reminded of that recent story where somebody posted and was like, who are these people that wrote in this book that I found? Is it just kids being kids or whatever? And it was us. It was us. Well, I opened up for this chapter by chapter series, my original Deathly Hallows UK edition that we got that night. And what should I find? I had totally forgotten that we did this.

[B]

You had us sign it.

[C]

I had all of us sign it.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

And, you know, I. This, it says, this book belongs to Eric James Skull and was received on July 21, 2007 at 12:01am during the VIP party of the Waterstones book release celebration, London. In attendance were also Andrew Sims. Here lions abound. Which is what Jamie wrote. To see this with you and the others has been a dream. Laura Thompson all. Oh, Laura, it has been amazing. Kevin Steck, it's just so lovely, too.

[A]

And then Eric was like, hey, you guys, do you want me to sign your book? And we were like, no, no, no, it's okay.

[C]

This is the only one in existence, therefore, with our signatures. Uh, and it's a collect. You will not find this in a thrift store.

[D]

It's funny that you said that, Eric, because I actually read the same copy. I chose this. And this actually, I believe came back from Waterstones Piccadilly from one of you all, because

[C]

he was the most thoughtful.

[D]

And inside. Do you have these? I didn't even know these were in there. There are stamps. Oh, what, with every book cover.

[A]

That's cool.

[B]

That is for.

[A]

That must have been a giveaway that night. I would think the rest of us left them behind or something. I don't know. I don't remember.

[D]

It's probably worth something, right?

[A]

Yeah, I'd check that.

[C]

Somebody very thoughtful brought you that book back and it wasn't any of us.

[B]

Yeah, it definitely wasn't. I feel like Kevin might have been right for that. Cause wasn't he living in Europe at the time. I don't know. I'm just thinking of, like, who would have been able to go out and buy postage stamps.

[D]

Yeah, those. I don't know.

[B]

You know what I mean? Yeah.

[C]

Oh, cool.

[D]

That's very wild. 1. One other fun fact on the day we're recording this episode yesterday. So June 26th actually marks the 29th anniversary of the release of Sorcerer's Stone.

[A]

Oh, us.

[B]

Wow.

[D]

Us. Actually, I have to check that, but I saw it on social media.

[C]

HP is like almost 30.

[D]

I know.

[B]

Yeah, like us.

[A]

Same.

[C]

Yeah, almost 30 is how I would describe us. Yes, as well.

[A]

So with this Deathly Hallows chapter by chapter reread, we are bringing back the most stressful game in podcasting. Seven word summary. In this mini game, to warm us up for the forthcoming discussion, the hosts will each contribute a word to a seven word sentence in a predetermined order. If the music ends before we've completed the sentence, the sentence ends at that spot. So if we only make it up to five words, that's where it ends. So it might end up being a five or six word summary without a conclusion, and that's sad. So we gotta do better than that. We have about like 30, 40 seconds to complete this. And if we don't complete it, the Mugglecasters will failed and we'll be the laughingstock of the Harry Potter fandom. We did decide during a previous chapter by chapter run where we were doing this that Harry cannot be a starting word for the sentence.

[C]

Too easy.

[A]

Yes, those are the two ground rules. Laura, you're going to kick things off. And here we go.

[B]

Voldemort hosts

[C]

his

[A]

people

[B]

menacingly.

[D]

Around.

[B]

Table

[C]

updates.

[A]

Oh, there we go. I thought. Okay, I. I thought we were going for charity. That would have been like the character.

[C]

Can we redo this?

[A]

No, it's one and done. That's.

[C]

No, I'm taking it back. I'm taking it back.

[B]

No, you were a fun of the song summary.

[A]

We're the laughing sock of the fun.

[C]

That's probably the worst one I've ever contributed to. I feel so bad. You gave me such a place of prominence. All right, we're just.

[B]

Don't worry. I don't know if you remember, Eric. I am famously bad at the seven word summary, so there are going to be like 40 something opportunities for me to show you up, so don't even worry about it. Okay?

[C]

All right. All right. The bar has been set in the floor, everybody.

[B]

We're gonna go ahead and get into this chapter. This is Another chapter in this series where the first chapter of the book does not take place from Harry's point of view. So of course this is something I think we can connect the threads to back to book one, if we're thinking about connecting the threads between 1 and 7, 2 and 6, 3 and 5. But these also aren't the only books where this happens. We know it also happens in Goblet of Fire as well as in the last book, Half Blood Prince. But what is unique about this one is that this chapter begins with a meeting of the dark side. I think we're so used to seeing meetings of the Order at this point that now getting to see the inner going on of Voldemort and his circle sets a very different tone for this book. In particular, we start with Snape and Yaxley arriving at Malfoy Manor to give some updates to Voldemort about a couple of pretty key missions that they've been assigned.

[C]

I'm stunned by how up close and personal we are with Severus Snape here. I mean, this is two books in a row where the books have really opened with what Snape's up to. But especially given the events of Half Blood Prince and what we just saw Snape do. The wound is still fresh for us. And here in this chapter, we like, walk along with him and Yaxley. We're close enough to smell Snape's breath. And to me it's like too close for comfort.

[A]

Yeah, not to mention that hair. But I think it is for the reader, an ominous reminder of where Snape may or may not stand. We were, of course, entering this book wondering if he was good or bad. And so you open with Snape walking with Yaxley and you don't know whose side he's really on. So it's just kind of an ominous start.

[C]

It's a great opportunity watching him play the game though too, because he gives actionable information that ends up being the right information to Voldemort. So it's as if we're watching him openly betray Harry and the Order, as if it's supposed to convince us he's a bad guy.

[A]

That's what you gotta do, Fake it till you make it.

[C]

Yeah, that's right.

[D]

I do like the fact that the author gives it to the reader right off the bat. You're with Snape. There's no separation. You don't have to wait 10 chapters to see what's going on. You're thrown right into it.

[A]

And you see Snape very little for a long time in this book, so.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, well, that's true. A lot of the things he does are behind the scenes. But the other thing is that, you know, this is the Voldemort book where he will eventually die for good or he will kill Harry. So spending this much time with Voldemort as well is huge. Watching how he treats everyone, how he favors certain Death Eaters over others, how cruel he is to sort of how amenable he is to just like torture, how that doesn't bother him at all with the Muggle studies professor, like all these things, it sets up Voldemort in a huge way. It sets up Voldemort's character in a way that's like setting the stage for us to get to know him a little bit better so that we can enjoy watching him fail.

[B]

Yeah, well, we're definitely going to dig a little bit more into the plan. We're also going to chat about Yaxley a little bit too. But before we get there, something I wanted to call out is when Snape and Yaxley walk into the entrance hall, they're clearly the last two to arrive for this dark little gathering. It's noted that multiple portraits take notice of them walking into the hall, but that they watch silently. I'm literally imagining just like the emoji, like side eyes just watching them walk in. And I have to wonder, is this not a security nightmare for the dark side? Because there is potential here for some two dimensional double agents. Especially since we know there are some portraits that can travel.

[D]

Right.

[B]

Not all of.

[D]

That's a great observation.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

Portraits almost seem beneath Voldemort in terms of paying attention to.

[A]

I hate art,

[B]

actually. Oh, man.

[D]

Do you know what I mean?

[A]

No, I don't. Seriously, I don't. Go ahead, go ahead.

[D]

Well, I agree with what Laura's saying. It. It could be a potential security risk for these portraits to be watching what's going on. But I almost feel like, as Voldemort often does with things that he considers beneath him, he would overlook the possibility of portraits being a security risk.

[C]

Hmm. You know, I'm thinking of Phineas Nigellus Black, who we are told that Sirius's family were all very, very much like dark wizards are into Voldemort. They would have supported him. They thought he had the right idea. Phineas Nigellus Black, being a former headmaster of Hogwarts though, really occupies that double agent role where he has a portrait of Hogwarts. He's reported to Dumbledore in multiple times that we've seen throughout the books. And he's helping along with the trio, I think even later in this book. But he could have been present for any of their secrets, Right? He could have kept somebody in the Order of the Phoenix apprised of what the Blacks were doing if they were still alive. But with the Malfoys, I'm tending to think that whatever portraits are there because none of them were, like, hung up this year. Right? They were always there. None of the portraits that were in Malfoy Manor have betrayed the Malfoys that we've seen in the past. They had all these illegal things under their floorboards. They had, you know, really an opportunity prior to this to blow a whistle. But the only thing we got about that for the Malfoys is the house elf who, you know, defected basically and spilled the secrets. So I think these portraits have been vetted is the way I'm saying.

[A]

Yeah. And I was going to say any portraits in any wizard's home, I would think are vetted. And very. You trust these portraits because these people are listening, potentially listening into your conversations 24 7. Honestly, the creepy. Yeah, potentially watching you walk around naked. I don't know if I've ever told you guys before, but as a child, I'm dead serious. I used to turn the photos around in my bedroom when I was changing because I was afraid they were looking at me. I did not trust my Muggle photos, so I can't imagine how. Which is weird.

[C]

What about your stuffed animals? Because Toy Story really did a number on my head, too.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

And now you're just totally fine with it, right? Oh, yeah.

[A]

I dance naked in front of photos all the time.

[C]

Portraits are getting a free show growth.

[A]

Yeah, that sounds weird.

[D]

Yeah, well, you said it.

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[C]

Well, I can see them when they infiltrate the Ministry, taking some photos down because there's going to be plenty of people who, plenty of portraits that aren't inclined to be loyal to Voldemort at all.

[B]

Right.

[C]

You know for sure.

[B]

Well, when they arrive, Snape and Yaxley get into giving their updates to Voldemort. Snape's of course, pertains to Harry, not named in this week's seven word summary. And Snape confirms for Voldemort that Harry's going to be moved to a secure location, probably to a member of the Order's home the following Saturday without using any magical transport means that can be monitored by the Ministry. And this is where I want to talk a little bit about Yaxley. I don't know what Yaxley's doing here. I can't tell if he's trying to one up Snape or if he's trying to size him up a little bit, if he doesn't totally trust him yet. Because on the way in, Snape basically Says, yeah, I have a good update. And Yaxley's like, are you sure? Are you certain about that? And then after Snape delivers this update, Yaxley pipes up and is like, actually, I heard differently. I think he's wrong. So I'm wondering if he's both trying to cover for the fact that he's a little bit behind schedule on his mission of infiltrating the Ministry by not letting Snape overshadow him, or if there's also an element here of Yaxley not 100% trusting Snape yet.

[A]

I think it's the latter. I don't think he trusts Snape yet. And he's trying to prove that he is actually in a better position than Snape is to Voldemort. Um, and it's really delicious watching these two kind of have like a info off with Voldemort.

[C]

Yeah, right.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Well, I have sort of a third angle, which is that the stakes couldn't be higher for each of them. No one wants to be the one to give the wrong info to the Dark Lord. So if Yaxley really did hear differently, now is the time to say it. Right. Because if it covers Yaxley's own ass. So I like the idea too that it's like, maybe it's like a one upmanship game. But I'm wondering if, you know, I think that Yaxley is mostly just doing his duty as a follower to report what he heard. And then the Snape is going to have to convince Voldemort.

[A]

Either way, just quickly, I'll say Yaxley must really not trust Snape if he's willing to put his reputation on the line by sharing this information and disagreeing with Snape. Because Voldemort could potentially kill him for having the wrong info. Clearly, Yaxley, he'll learn later, doesn't have good sources. So why am I keeping this guy around?

[C]

That's a good point.

[B]

Yeah, but also, why not like, why not bring it up when you're walking in to Malfoy Manor? Like, clearly you already know what you've heard. Why not tell Snape in that moment, hey, I know you're working on this thing. This is what I heard. Is that what you heard? But he waits to bring it up until they're in front of Voldemort and the entire Evil Counsel.

[C]

Yeah, they got to get away from all the listening portraits, right? Trying years.

[D]

What I find interesting about Yaxley is that he was Death Eater Number four on the Astronomy Tower. So it's a little bit confusing to me as to why he wouldn't trust Snape after he witnessed Snape kill Dumbledore. But what it says to me though, from Voldemort's perspective is that he doesn't trust anybody. He has multiple people out there trying to source the same information and then having those individuals bring it back to him and ultimately deciding who he trusts more.

[A]

Right, yeah, ultimately. You know, you hear this in business a lot. Competition is good. That's kind of what Voldemort is thinking here. Pit them against one another, see who you know, have them both scrambling to find information and somebody hopefully is going to be correct.

[B]

You know, it's funny, it's kind of like Dumbledore. Dumbledore kind of does the same thing where he like has multiple people chasing down pieces of the same puzzle but he doesn't give everybody the same information.

[D]

But he doesn't do it through fear. That's the.

[B]

No, no, no, he just does it through manipulation.

[C]

Yeah, he's not going to be angry with you. Dumbledore won't be. He'll just be disappointed if you don't do what he asks.

[B]

I think it is a good point to bring up though that it's pretty clear that Voldemort has more trust in some than others. And I think him specifically, one, having saved a seat for Snape right next to him. But two, then when, when he and Yaxley come in the room he's like, Severus, sit by me. Yaxley,

[C]

You ever do this at the lunch table when like two kids were coming over and there's one you clearly to chat with and see, other you're like away from the. Or even my nephew.

[D]

Voldemort likes Snape's musk. That's what it is.

[A]

Yeah, that would surprise me.

[C]

The musk is smelling.

[B]

Well, I guess if we can smell his breath, maybe that's something.

[D]

What I love about this though is that Snape sits at Voldemort's right hand

[C]

side, literal right hand man.

[A]

And Voldemort stares into Snape's eyes with ferocity for a moment when Snape shares the information maybe about when the order is moving. Hairy. And this is obviously Voldemort reading Snape's mind to see if he's being truthful or not. And of course Snape can pull this off, this reading.

[D]

He's. He's seeing what Snape wants him to see. And that's what's so awesome about this moment. Snape is a amazing Aklumans. And you know what? He's allowing Voldemort to see in this moment happens to be the truth. But there's obviously so much more that Snape is hiding from Voldemort. And Snape's ability to compartmentalize is truly impressive, as we'll learn later on in this book. All the things that he's keeping, he's able to isolate in this moment so that Voldemort only sees what Snape wants him to see.

[C]

Yeah, I think on the list of very good Legilimans that we know, like Dumbledore is up there, but Voldemort's the best because Voldemort is cruel enough to really extract any information he wants. And for Aquaman's Snape, there's no better because he. We witness him. It's so impressive to watch Snape pass the test essentially right here in front of everybody, because he would have been fed to the snake immediately next if he failed.

[B]

Right? Well, I don't know that we would classify this as failure. I think Voldemort, he kind of lets it slide a little bit, but it's also clear he's not pleased. Yaxley's mission is to bring the Minister of Magic Scrimgeour down by surrounding him with imperious Ministry officials. And he's just kind of running a little behind schedule. Basically. What comes up in this conversation about, you know, Harry being moved to this undisclosed location, probably a home of the member of the Order, where Snape basically says our only window to get him is in transit. Once he gets there, between the Order and the Ministry, there's just going to be too many protections for us to try to attack him there. And Voldemort turns to Yaxley and is like, well, will we have the Ministry by next Saturday? And Yaxley's basically like, no, probably not. So it's clear to me that Yaxley is. He has something to prove here, at the bare minimum.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

But something I also thought was interesting is that Snape confirms that the Auror's office is no longer playing a role in protecting Harry, as the Order correctly believes that the Ministry has been infiltrated by Death Eaters. And we also get confirmation from the table that this belief is accurate. I think someone pipes up and is like, well, they're right about that, huh?

[D]

Yeah. I, I did want to ask though. Do we feel like any of this is a lie? Do we feel that Snape is. He's being truthful, but he's not sharing all the information? For example, if in fact Voldemort and his Death Eaters wanted to attack the Burrow, they probably could. And I think they probably have way more ability in that moment than they do when they come to attack Hogwarts later on with all the defenses that are put up there. So I almost wonder if Snape is giving Voldemort just enough information, but maybe not all the information.

[C]

Yeah, that's right.

[B]

It's like trickle truth a little bit.

[C]

Trickle Truth, yeah. Good episode title. Something that I really appreciated reading was just how actually precarious it is we. You're meant to think like the, you know, the dark side is clearly winning and being able to imperious, pious thickness is like the first domino. And we're meant to believe the Ministry will fall any day now. But again, kind of what I said before about the stakes not being any higher, Voldemort himself says that if they fail on this mission, if Yaxley fails, not only is he a dead man, but Voldemort is going to be set back months. So if Scrimjour gets any word at all that anything that they're doing is actually going on, he is going to be able to be on the defensive. And so the key is to do this subtly and the key is to do this without arousing Scrimgeour's suspicion. And so there was actually a lot more kind of subtlety than I remembered there being as far as having to. Because I often think negatively of Scrimjour as like, ah, that dude failed. He sucked as like Minister, and probably wasn't even a great head of the Auror office when he was an Aurora because he lost. But really, no, there's just so many people working to bring down the Ministry that eventually even the best Aurora, like Moody or Scrimgeour, just doesn't stand a chance in the end.

[B]

I do like the point that's brought up about subtlety. I think a key part of Voldemort's plan at this point is to lead Ministry officials, the ones that aren't on his side, to think that they still have control and power.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

And to let them operate under that assumption for as long as possible so that he can fly under the radar even though everyone knows he's back at

[C]

this point, it's like, no, that's the clever. I mean, it's like, what's that saying? The greatest trait that ever pulled is convincing the world he didn't exist. And it's like he's just in the background somewhere. He's not really here. He couldn't be here on our doorstep. Wait Whoops.

[A]

So what stuck out to me here is that for someone with such a huge ego and who thinks very highly of himself. In fact, Laura was joking a few weeks ago about how weird it was that Tom Riddle started calling himself a Lord at 15. It's so interesting that Voldemort actually admits to his Death Eaters that he's made some mistakes as it's pertained to Harry Potter. He specifically says some of them. Some of the mistakes have been mine. He owns it. And this is fascinating to me. That is progress. That's growth. It's fascinating to me because he reminds us of some people in the political world who can never admit when they're wrong. At least Voldemort can admit what he's wrong or made a mistake. But he admits he made a mistake here in the first chapter of Deathly Hallows. And then this will come into play again in the last chapter of the book. The flaw in the plan. That's just like beautiful symmetry.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We've seen Voldemort boast like this before. It's right in the graveyard when he has Harry, you know, tied up and he's like, it was the most brilliant thing. I couldn't touch the boy. It's always in the. In the framing of now I know better. So, yeah, I made mistakes. But now watch, I can touch him now. This, that, the other thing. So because Voldemort has now learned about the Master Elder Wand or whatever and the connection between his and Harry's wands he thinks now he's unbeatable. He's like, oh, I was so silly. I didn't look at love or I didn't look at wand lore before. Now that I know better, I'm going to win. Not anymore. Yeah. Yeah. So I think that it's nice to see him kind of admit that he has failed, but at the same time, it's always in view of how much better and more unbeatable he is now. So that, you know, is still something he can work on personally.

[B]

Yeah, well, it's, it's ignoring basic principles of what caused him to lose in the first place. Like he's constantly trying to circumvent, really exploring the power of love. Right. To see how it is that he can overcome it. And instead he's. Because he believes it to not be worth all that much. There must be a way in which he can be smarter and better than something that in this world is like ancient, you know, blood magic. The hubris is definitely still very heavy with this character.

[D]

What I love about it though is that it's almost monologue esque. He has this whole room that's filled with Death Eaters yet he's sitting there having a conversation with himself. And that just adds to the, the sinister nature of, of Voldemort as a character.

[C]

I feel like, yeah, he's not interested in what any of them have to say unless it serves him. He's having a conversation. Everyone else is just there to watch.

[A]

This reminds me of a therapy session

[C]

or the all the Oval Office meetings we've ever seen of this administration. Yeah, they're all there because they are obligated to be there. And the center of attendance thing, at

[B]

least Voldemort's not falling asleep in the middle of it.

[A]

But anyway, I just learned dumb is spelled with a B.

[C]

The Death Eaters would just have to be like, so what did you do last week? Or how. How are the kids? Oh, you know. Crabbe failed his History of Magic essay again.

[D]

We could have a lot of fun with comparisons. But yeah, maybe that's a bonus episode.

[B]

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[C]

I'm looking for a perfume that's not too perfumey. I got you serum.

[D]

Moisturizer or moisturizer? Serum.

[B]

Let's get into layering.

[C]

My concealer is making me look worse.

[B]

Sounds like the wrong shade. Let's get you meshed. There's only one store that really gets what you're going for. Get beauty from people who get beauty. Only at Sephora. Hi, I. Let's get you a basket.

[C]

This is a Bose moment. You've been there.

[B]

Small talks going nowhere. But then the Bose speaker kicks in. Music you can feel fills the room. And no more chat with Jenny from accounts. Your life deserves music, your music deserves Bose. Find your perfect [e-mail]. Moving on. I want to focus some on the Malfoys because obviously this is all taking place in Malfoy Manor. The Malfoys are sort of unwilling prisoners in their own home at this point. And there is a portion of this meeting that seems to have been reserved for just humiliating the Malfoys specifically because of Lucius's failures. And something I wanted to call out is, you know, Voldemort. He clearly still holds Bellatrix in some level of esteem, but it's not even to the point where he's willing to set aside whatever bygones he has with her brother in law to preserve her feelings. He's just over here casually throwing things out like, oh yeah, you know your niece Just married a werewolf. Draco. You gonna babysit the cubs? It's. It's just really embarrassing. There's also, you know, the whole part of Voldemort taking Lucius's wand, leaving him, you know, literally defenseless. I know there's, you know, an allegory that someone points out here in the doc about it being a bit like losing an army. So I thought we could focus on this.

[D]

I would go further than that, honestly. I think it's a form of public castration. And that's what's happening here. I mean, it's removing Lucius manhood, essentially, with what happens with his wand, and it's happening inside of his own home in front of his family. I don't know that we ever talked about this the last time we discussed this chapter, but that's, I think, a fair analogy to make.

[A]

I think so. And instinctively, Lucius tries to go for Voldemort's wand, like they're gonna trade, because you just can't imagine not having a wand. I think that moment speaks to, you know, you have a wand as a wizard, period. And then you also keep in mind that experience we see Harry go through when he gets his wand with Ollivander. It's a huge moment in a wizard's life. So to have your wand stripped from you in this public setting in your own home, like you said, Micah, really significant. I think this would also just really moving forward, emasculate you. It's demoralizing. It's humiliating.

[C]

A wand is an extension of yourself in a metaphoric and very physical sense. And it's your defense in the world. It's very clear how far Lucius has fallen. And his whole family, it's clear, are just the punching bags now. They just exist. Like they're food that Voldemort can't stop chewing. And, you know, like, I was thinking about this for Draco, too, because Draco is clearly nervous and concerned about the body of the professor that's, you know, suspended above the table. Who wouldn't be? And why would you allow somebody so clearly, like, traumatized to could act against you to still be present in these meetings? And with that, I'm like, well, Draco failed Voldemort, too. Like, Lucius failed Voldemort, but Draco failed him, too. But since he never expected Draco to succeed, the fact that Draco didn't die means he just gets to kind of pal around and hang around and become more of this food or fodder for. For Voldemort to make jokes.

[A]

About.

[C]

So I don't know. He doesn't respect any of them. I mean, in general, but also now less than ever.

[B]

Yeah, well, Andreiko is terrified. I think it's important to call out too. His demeanor throughout this entire chapter is that of someone being terrorized at this table. Again, it's another really great example of Draco being confronted with the path that he chose for himself. Although I know we've had a debate before about, like, you know, Draco having been raised in this environment when he finally was confronted with the need to choose a path like, was it really a choice given the way that he was brought up and given the stakes that were at play? Because he was like, he's gonna kill my family if I don't do this right.

[D]

And Draco's suffering for the faults of his father. Really, that's what's happening here. And Lucius's mistakes have been on such a grand scale when you look back at it. He unintentionally destroyed a Horcrux. He muffed up the whole prophecy situa. Like, Lucius is lucky he's not dead. Honestly, I'm surprised that Voldemort didn't exact greater revenge on him given how badly he screwed up.

[A]

Well, what comes to mind here is the line, some things are worse than death. And Voldemort might see this as being worse than death.

[C]

Oh, yeah. Constant humiliation. Constant punching. Agonist. Here's the question, though, and I'm wondering about this because I agree 100% about this being sort of a way of cuckolding Lucius or castrating him in front of people and demeaning his status and everything. But a wizarding family, you know, pure blood, all that, Very, very rich, very, very historied. Wouldn't they have some wands just like in a drawer upstairs? The way that you keep, like, rings, like. I understand no wand is ever the same but wands or something in particular it's gotta be pretty rare to bury them with the wizard. Or at least 50. 50?

[A]

Are they meaningful wands like Voldemort's wand would be meaningful?

[B]

I do wonder about that. Because the only example we get in the books of anyone using a family member's wand, I believe, was Ron right, Getting a hand me down wand.

[C]

It's one of the Weasleys had, like, their uncles. Yeah.

[B]

So I wonder.

[D]

Neville.

[B]

Oh, yeah. Neville too. Thank you for that. I guess I'm wondering, like, for a family like the Malfoys would they view hanging on to wands for an occasion like this as being Something that, you know, only poor people do. I mean, they're twins, but.

[C]

But they're like 24 karat again, going with the ring comparison.

[B]

24 karat? Wands.

[C]

Wands, yeah. There's probably some good wands there. Like, you don't just throw out a wand, you know? I don't know.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

It's obviously humiliating for Lucius, but I think he'd probably have a few wands upstairs.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, I. I think bare minimum for him, it's the first time in his life that he's felt. I mean, we're using, like, the castration imagery here, which I think totally fits. But I think there's also a theme of, like, impotence. Right. In terms of his role as a wizard. Somebody who should be able to do magic, someone who looks down his nose at people who can't do magic. Now is finding himself in a position where he is wandless, presumably.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. So it's gotta make him feel no better than a common Muggle.

[D]

And not having courage enough to stand up for yourself, for your family, to. I mean, we all know what the end result would be if he did that, but.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

But at least show some level of dignity. And that's what's missing here, even. There's this moment where Narcissa puts her hand on his, and I think maybe that was her way of telling him, don't engage here. Like, just do what he's asking you to do.

[C]

Yeah. Because she doesn't want to lose him either. And I love this moment, this quiet moment between Lucius and Narcissa, because they're burying this together. And the part of it, as a reader, that's satisfying, is this is everything they ever wanted. Why aren't they happy? They wanted and fought for even before Voldemort was back. The return of Voldemort. They. They probably. I'm gonna be honest. Lucius, with his wealth, was probably like the equivalent of a lobbyist. Right. Swaying politics into the kind of situation that would favor a return of the Dark Lord. Covertly, of course. But Fudge probably enacted policies that are now working to completely undermine the Ministry because of Lucius. And so why isn't he thrilled that Voldemort's back? Oh, because when you get everything you ever wanted and you have, like, ill will in your heart and malice, turns out it's a shit show. Like, you created the swamp.

[A]

Careful what you wish for.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

Yeah, well. And, I mean, you see, this echoed throughout history as well. Anytime there's, like, any kind of autocracy or Dictatorship. There are always people who were pro that thing until they realized they weren't special and that the goalposts would shift and they would become targets as well. Uh, you always see people like this? Oh, yeah.

[C]

Didn't realize the cougars would eat my face.

[B]

Yeah, exactly. Um, well, I know I mentioned a little earlier that blood status gets brought up here, and I thought it'd be interesting to speak a little bit more about this, you know, once the guffawing, once the guffawing has ended. Over Voldemort's comment about, hey, Draco, you going to babysit those werewolf cubs? Voldemort actually pivots to, I guess, in a very Voldemort esque way, trying to be reasonable and understanding. And he says many of our oldest family trees become a little diseased over time. You must prune yours, must you not? To keep it healthy. Cut away those parts that threaten the health of the rest. And I just wanted to call out a very sad foreshadowing alert here because he is speaking about tonks and lupine and we know where that goes. Yeah, but I also take those words

[C]

out of your mouth. My head of house, Professor Sprout knows all about horticulture and you know nothing about horticulture. So stop talking about pruning.

[A]

You know nothing. Good day, sir.

[C]

Thank you. Good day.

[B]

I also just want to call out, I love Voldemort, conveniently glossing over the fact that he is most likely the only non pure blood in this room. And he's telling them, like, you must prune your family trees.

[C]

Oh, yeah, the filthy hypocrite.

[B]

Let's talk about Charity Burbage. So this is. Honestly, this is one of the things I felt like the film did pretty well. I thought this was sickening in the way that I had imagined it from reading the book and fun. Yeah.

[A]

And just, I want to say, the Harry Potter studio tour, I assume it's still there. They had this whole scene out for you to walk by and it is disturbing.

[B]

Wait, they have her hanging there?

[A]

Yes. Oh, yes.

[D]

I was there January of 2024 and it was still there. So I'm assuming they haven't taken her down.

[A]

Yeah, for Halloween season they should let you, like, hang suspended up over the table for like a photo op. But yeah, that was unsettling to see in real life.

[B]

Yeah, for sure. And I mean, the, you know, the implication we get at the end of the chapter after charity has been AK'd, you know, after pointing out, you know, she is not only the Muggle Studies professor at Hogwarts. But she just wrote an impassioned defense column of Muggle borns in the Daily Prophet just the week prior.

[C]

This is what we do. You silence political dissidents and you like. It would be bad enough she. Nobody would be sad. Nobody here at the table would be sad if she died because of her position as a Muggle studies teacher. But it was her action of publishing this impassioned defense of Muggle born students that put her on their radar and. And put her on the fast track to be brought here and tortured and killed. So what I appreciate about how horrifying this is is that it's very much how these things work in growing sort of fascists and dictatorships and stuff, is you want to silence your enemies and you want to create a example. And that is exactly what Voldemort is doing here, reinforcing all of the sort of core beliefs, no matter how

[D]

hypocritical.

[C]

Hypocritical they are. Thank you. That was an odd stumble. So, yeah, that's par for the course.

[D]

And what's also just appalling about this is she has no way to defend herself, presumably, if she's the Muggle studies professor you're going for. If you were, let's say, attacking Hogwarts, that's the weakest link, right? In terms of somebody who just. I'm assuming she's. I don't know. Is she Muggle born? Like, is she actually a witch? I guess is my question.

[C]

Well, yeah, she's not a Muggle.

[D]

Oh, she is a witch. Okay.

[C]

She's not a Muggle studies professor. You know, a Muggle. Muggle studies professor.

[D]

Muggle. Muggle, yeah.

[C]

Muggle.

[A]

I'm gonna say something. You go ahead, Micah.

[D]

Yeah, no, I. You go ahead, because I was gonna ask a question.

[A]

Oh, well, I'm gonna ask the question, too. Why Charity Burbage? How about a professor like, we readers actually know? I'm sorry, that's really mean. But, like, it's kind of an inconsequential character.

[C]

That is an interesting point. And I do think it's slightly weaker for the fact that she was never once mentioned before. Right, right. So it's. It's not symbolic. Look, Hermione, we know, has taken Muggle studies. Uh, it's. It's not something that, like, in book two, Hermione's like, I just got my latest paper from Professor Burbage as, like, a throwaway character where, like, even that

[A]

would care about her.

[C]

Grounded. The character ever so slightly more so. Yeah. It's kind of an afterthought, weak point

[A]

of that I get the symbolism of killing the Muggle studies teacher, but other than that, from a reader perspective, I'm not loving this choice.

[B]

Yeah, it would have been helpful if she had been introduced from Harry's pov. Or even if we had gotten a POV shift earlier in the series. Like, we get these. I was reminded when listening to the full cast audio book of Philosopher's Stone that we actually get a couple of POV shifts when Harry's playing Quidditch. Like, we get POV shift to Ron and Hermione in the stands, for example. Like, theoretically, we could have had something like that to give us a little bit of a taste of, like, what Charity's significance was to the series. But again, like, I think I know I voiced this on the show before, but, you know, usually any kind of extremist autocratic regime tends to target places of education first because they want to infiltrate and propagandize what students are being exposed to. So this is kind of a. This was kind of killing two birds with one stone. Because, you know, Voldemort gets to have this horrific display at his little Death Eater meeting, but he also gets to remove an entire subject from Hogwarts for the coming year and influence what their curriculum is gonna look like.

[C]

Oh, that's the first thing to go is education, Right.

[A]

Yeah, we're getting a good. We're getting a couple good comments in the Discord people listening live on Patreon right now. Sam said it's probably foreshadowing with the whole Muggle registry later, too. And Rachel Puff adds, it sets up to replace the role later, I guess, with one of the Carrows.

[C]

When you were going.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Where you were going, Laura.

[D]

So, yeah.

[A]

Laura, look at that photo in the discord of the scene at the studio tour.

[B]

That's so creepy.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Her hair hanging down.

[C]

Yeah. Well, if there was any hope that she has of survival, it's Severis Snape, her colleague. Clearly they hung out in the staff room together or something all the time. It's a shame, because we know that even if Snape were a good guy, he couldn't help right here. It would. Like, even if you don't believe murder is okay or no matter what, if Snape helps her, he's a dead man and the cause is too great. Even as somebody on the good side, you have to see Charity Burbage as necessary collateral damage because of what Snape has yet to do.

[D]

Yeah. And the same words are Uttered from her as Dumbledore. Yeah, Severus, please. Oh, for two.

[B]

This has gotta be rough.

[A]

Third time's the charm.

[B]

Yeah. I wanted to wrap this discussion today by just asking us to pay close attention to Narcissa in this scene and how she's navigating it, especially thinking ahead to the end of the book when we think about how she navigates the whole scene in the forest. I know it was called out a bit earlier that she. She was kind of running the show for her husband and her son in terms of like, I think, surreptitiously controlling their reactions. Because anytime Draco is feeling panicked, which is this entire scene, he's not looking to his father for inspiration. He keeps looking at his mother. And she models this display of staring directly at the wall in front of her, not showing any emotion, not making any sudden movements, not saying anything or having any kind of reaction. So I think it's really interesting to see how at this point, point in time, Narcissa, I would argue, has become the head of the Malfoy household. Whereas I think prior to this that would have been a mantle that Lucius would have imagined for himself.

[C]

That's a great point, especially. Cause she hasn't fallen as far as Lucius has in the Dark Lord's favor. Her sisterhood with Bellatrix also elevates her a little bit. Like she's really able to come into her. We're able to see at the start of this that she comes into her own. And it mirrors perfectly that by the end of the book she makes the choice that is the most catastrophic for Voldemort. It's this mother's love that wins the day.

[B]

Well, that wraps up Chapter 1 of Deathly Hallows for us. Now we're going to go ahead and get into this week's Links line. Links line was answered by supporters [e-mail] mugglecast and we're going to get into our answers first as well. Question this week was Lucius has peacocks strutting around his property. What creature would you want to live on? Yours.

[A]

Orca whales? Don't ask, Cal. I just want them there in a comfortable environment for them. Of course. So big to protect you against.

[B]

Protect you against millionaires.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

The millionaires and the billionaires. And now the trillionaire.

[C]

Yeah. Oh, God. I picture them in a large moat. That's kind of cool. I went with like, what's similar to a peacock to me as far as majesty and I always want to see them. More kangaroos would be my answer. But unlike Lucius's peacocks, not albino kangaroos. Because I think that would just look kind of off putting, especially at night.

[D]

Goats.

[B]

I guess that should have been a given.

[C]

Big surprise. Yeah.

[B]

I said capybaras. I just think that would be awesome to have a bunch of capybaras running around my yard.

[A]

Our Australian listeners will appreciate both Laura and Eric's answers. Turning to Patreon answers, Megan said, unicorns. That would be so majestic. That's a good answer for the wizarding world.

[C]

Cassandra says, a hippogriff, so that anyone entering has to be very polite or else. I love this. Yeah, you can put this right next to the mat that says take off your shoes, please.

[D]

Zachary said, realistic answer. I'd love to fence in my front yard high enough to let my boys, my dogs, have full run of the property. As far as magical creatures, I'd love to have a phoenix or two and a hippogriff to ward off any unwanted visitors. Visitors?

[C]

I. I just thought about how people use their. Their dogs as like character witnesses, you know, essentially like character judgments. And a hippogriff would be like the. The ultimate of that. That's crazy.

[B]

Yeah. Glow says, I've always wanted goats so that I wouldn't have to mow my lawn anymore. I would train them to keep the grass chewed down to the exact right height and pull out the weeds completely.

[D]

Nice.

[A]

Betty said, nifflers for sure. They can grab everyone's goods for me. Ha ha.

[D]

Okay.

[A]

Betty's a bit of a klepto.

[C]

Kayla says, fun fact, in the state I live in, there's a known part of the city that peacocks roam. My husband has been chased by one.

[D]

Carly says, I'll stick with Lucius's theme of non magical creatures and say albino raccoons.

[B]

Ooh, that's cool. Michael says, twin blast ended screws. Not only are they tamed, but they can also eat any intruders. No need for guard dogs in the wizarding world.

[A]

Mev has a pretty aggressive one too. A herd of elephants. I love them so much. They are so cool. They are clever, have excellent memory, live in matriarchal herds. What else do you need? I also would love to have any animal that needs a home. That's. That's thoughtful of you, Mev.

[C]

Nicole says, As a proud St. Peter's alumni, I would love some peacocks, although I heard they are messy birds.

[D]

Rachel Puff says, I would have take care of a wild kneazel colony as they are capable of guarding homes and can detect untrustworthy individuals. Also because I love cats.

[B]

And finally, Rachel says I'd love some sea lions.

[A]

Thank you everybody. Okay, so I'm not the only one suggesting a water creature. That makes me feel better. Thanks everybody who submitted [e-mail] MochaCast as part of the as part of the links line benefit listeners. If you have feedback about today's episode, you can contact us by emailing or sending a voice memo that you record on your phone to mugglecastmail.com you can also reach out via Spotify or YouTube or the Social DMs. Whatever is convenient for you. Before we say goodbye, it's time to reveal the answer to this week's quizzage question.

[C]

All right, we were just introduced to the Muggle studies professor, Charity Burbage. There are at least two other characters in the wizarding universe with the name or initials cb. Name them, guys. You don't need to look that far. You don't even need to look past other Hogwarts professors. Cuthbert Bins is another CB Professor Bins. And the other answer I was expecting to receive was Credence Barebone. Congrats to Mev who submitted both of those answers. And here are some others. By the way, Charactus Burke, which Becky has suggested and so has Carly, and also Cassiopeia Black, which is right off that tapestry. There is also a Chastity Barebone from the Fantastic Beasts movies. If we want to go really deep

[A]

next week on Mugglecast, Chapter 2 of Deathly Hallows In Memoriam. Visit funkocast.com for links to our social media, our Patreon, our transcripts, our favorite episodes, all kinds of information about the show. So that does it for this week's episode. Thanks everybody for listening. I'm Andrew.

[C]

I'm Eric.

[D]

I'm Micah.

[B]

And I'm Laura.

[D]

Bye everyone.

[B]

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