Step Daddy Snape (HBP Chapter 12, Silver and Opals)

Summary

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MuggleCast, Episode: “Step Daddy Snape”

(Half-Blood Prince Chapter 12: Silver and Opals)

Release Date: January 20, 2026
Hosts: Andrew, Eric, Micah, Laura
Special Guest: Chanel

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Episode Overview

This lively installment of MuggleCast focuses on Chapter 12 (“Silver and Opals”) of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The team, along with Patreon supporter Chanel, dissects the evolving relationships and mentorships in Harry’s sixth year—particularly exploring the theme of surrogate parental figures, most notably “Step Daddy Snape”, and the consequences of magical invention and recklessness.
They also recap the latest Harry Potter TV show news and dive into both the mechanics and morality of spell creation, all in typical MuggleCast fashion—smart, irreverent, and filled with references both deep and hilariously tangential.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

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1. Fandom, Fashion, & Community

[01:24 – 02:17]

• Chanel introduces herself as a proud Hufflepuff, wearing a custom plaid kimono coat she made for her birthday; strong “Hufflepuff-Snape” vibes discussed.
• The hosts riff on Hogwarts house relationships, noting Hufflepuff and Slytherin compatibility using Newt and Leta as an example.

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2. Harry Potter TV Show Update—Hans Zimmer as Composer

[02:59 – 06:44]

• Andrew reveals: Hans Zimmer will score the new Harry Potter TV show.
  • Quote [04:31] (Eric): “Everything he does has this drumbeat: like ‘War’, ‘Dunkirk’, and ‘Inception.’ I don’t know that Harry Potter has a drumbeat to it.”
  • Debate about Zimmer’s percussion-heavy style versus John Williams; hope that Zimmer’s range will serve the series well.
  • Consensus: Zimmer's announcement brings excitement and curiosity about retaining iconic themes like “Hedwig’s Theme”.

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3. Dumbledore’s Absence & Harry’s “Separation Anxiety”

[10:48 – 14:45]

• The panel reflects on Dumbledore’s recurring absences and the impact on Harry.
  • Quote [12:39] (Chanel): “Harry’s an orphan, so he’s kind of attached to Dumbledore … he has some separation anxiety here … Otherwise Daddy’s not home, I guess.”
  • Andrew and Eric discuss Harry’s feeling of abandonment following expectations of closer mentorship, a disappointment that pushes Harry to seek other figures (i.e., the Half-Blood Prince).
  • Dumbledore’s priorities as Headmaster questioned: Is he too busy for Hogwarts? Is he a true leader for students?

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4. The Half-Blood Prince (Snape) as Mentor—“Step Daddy Snape”

[15:27 – 18:14]

• With Dumbledore distant, Snape (unknowingly) becomes Harry’s “stepdaddy” via the annotated potions book.
  • Harry increasingly relies on the Prince’s notes, financial with newfound skill in Potions; the Prince acts as a “silent companion”.
  • Discussion of Harry’s lack of suspicion toward the Prince and parallels with his seeking a paternal figure.
  • Quote [16:26] (Andrew): “The Prince is the Dumbledaddy that Dumbledore is not being for Harry.”
  • Quote [16:37] (Micah): “Step daddy Snape. Yeah, I total snap daddy stepdaddy.”

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5. Inventing Spells—Wizarding “Source Code” and Ethics

[19:08 – 24:28]

• The hosts puzzle over the mechanics of spell invention, using Harry’s first-time use of Levicorpus as a case study.
  • “Invent” vs. “discover”: Is creating spells similar to culinary or scientific trial and error? Chanel likens it to perfecting butterbeer ice cream recipes.
  • Quote [24:05] (Chanel): “So he’s taking words and intonation … and making it nonverbal … he’s so brilliant that he can engineer his own nonverbal spells. … I’m looking at my mini versions of ice cream and I’m like, it’s the same thing.”
  • The morality: is it reckless for Harry to employ unknown spells without care, or is he right to maximize the Prince’s advantage, especially with Slughorn’s favor at stake?
• Meta-diversion: Spell invention will be explored more on their upcoming bonus episode.

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6. Academic Integrity: Cheating vs. Resourcefulness

[32:31 – 35:35]

• Hermione’s frustration mounts as Harry’s reliance on the Prince’s notes gives him an edge.
  • Quote [33:58] (Chanel): “If you ask Harry to recreate that spell or that potion without the book, he has learned nothing. Like, he can’t do it.”
  • Tension exists between using available resources and actually learning—a subtle parallel to real-life academic debates.

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7. Snape’s Teaching Ability & Legacy

[39:12 – 41:23]

• Is Snape a good teacher? Chanel contends:
  • Quote [39:13] (Chanel): “If [Snape] had taught students with the same enthusiasm that he has for his notes, then he would have been a phenomenal teacher.”
  • Andrew: “Brilliant guy, can’t teach students well.”
  • Debate about whether Harry should have recognized Snape’s handwriting in the book; perhaps Harry only notices the handwriting of adults he likes.

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8. Hogsmeade Visit, Mundungus, & Tonks

[43:11 – 44:29]

• The trio’s short visit to Hogsmeade serves mostly to set up the Katie Bell necklace plot.
• Harry discovers Mundungus fencing Sirius’s possessions and feels surprisingly restrained outrage.
• Tonks’ unusual reaction hints at her own grief and possible hidden motivations.

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9. The Cursed Necklace: Plot Clues and Repercussions

[47:10 – 52:44]

• Katie Bell’s attack with the cursed opal necklace is dramatic and mysterious.
  • Subtle hints: Ron looking for Madame Rosmerta, references to imperius domino effect, and Hogwarts’ ongoing security issues.
  • Harry correctly suspects Draco, but no one (including Ron, Hermione, and McGonagall) is willing to believe him—a cause for frustration.

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10. McGonagall & Draco: Privacy and Favoritism

[55:24 – 58:36]

• Debate over McGonagall revealing Draco’s detention details:
  • Quote [55:33] (Chanel): “She violates student privacy … Strike number one is telling them about his detention; even further … for failing to turn in his homework twice. That’s even further …”
  • McGonagall’s approach compared with Snape’s antagonism toward Harry.

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11. MVP & Fun Segment – If Dumbledore Had Got the Necklace…

[60:33 – 61:34]
Hosts provide “wrong answers only” for what would have happened if Dumbledore wore the cursed opal necklace:

• Cocktail dress and jewelry ensemble, gifting to Aberforth as a sibling prank, using school medical staff to recover instantly, and more.

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12. Patron Discussion: How Should Hogsmeade Improve Security?

[62:14 – 65:46]

• Patron suggestions range from “security cameras” (Rachel) and magical wards (Zachary), to “just open a dispensary to chill everyone out a bit” (Security Nightmare 40).
• The team riffs on the impossibility of true security in the wizarding world: “Teenagers break into every secure location!” (Matthew).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [12:39] Chanel: “Harry’s an orphan … he kind of has some separation anxiety here … Otherwise Daddy’s not home, I guess.”
• [16:26] Andrew: “The Prince is the Dumbledaddy that Dumbledore is not being for Harry.”
• [16:37] Micah: “Step daddy Snape. Yeah, I total snap daddy stepdaddy.”
• [24:05] Chanel: “He’s so brilliant that he can engineer his own nonverbal spells. … I’m looking at my mini versions of ice cream and I’m like, it’s the same thing.”
• [33:58] Chanel: “If you ask Harry to recreate that spell or that potion without the book, he has learned nothing. … It’s kind of like learning a foreign language and only learning the bad words first.”
• [39:13] Chanel: “If he had taught students with the same enthusiasm that he has for his notes, then he would have been a phenomenal teacher.”
• [55:33] Chanel: “She violates student privacy … Strike number one is telling them about his detention …”

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The Episode’s Tone

Equal parts analytical and irreverent, the hosts maintain a playful, friendly camaraderie (e.g. “bang, clang, clang” inside jokes; light teasing about costumes; gentle roasting of wizarding world institutions). Chanel’s enthusiastic, detail-oriented presence fits seamlessly with the panel, prompting deeper dives and several “aha” moments.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:24 – Meet Chanel, fashion/fandom chat
• 03:20 – Hans Zimmer TV series news & music debate
• 10:48 – Dumbledore’s neglect and its effect on Harry
• 15:27 – Harry’s growing attachment to the Half-Blood Prince
• 19:08 – Spells: Invention, experimentation, and recklessness
• 32:31 – Academic integrity and Potions class ethics
• 39:13 – Snape as teacher & writing recognition debate
• 43:11 – Hogsmeade, Mundungus, Tonks
• 47:10 – Cursed necklace incident & foreshadowing
• 55:33 – McGonagall, privacy, and Draco
• 60:33 – MVP “wrong answers” segment—Dumbledore and the cursed necklace
• 62:14 – Patron Q&A: Security in Hogsmeade

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This summary should help listeners new and returning alike jump into the current state of the Half-Blood Prince re-read, contextualize character dynamics, and enjoy the signature blend of wizarding world depth and MuggleCast hijinks.

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Transcript

[A]

Bang, clang, clang. Bang.

[B]

Bang, clang, clanging.

[A]

Banging welcome to Mugglecast, your weekly ride into the world of Harry Potter. I'm Andrew.

[B]

I'm Eric.

[C]

I'm Micah.

[D]

I'm Laura.

[A]

And we're your Harry Potter friends, here to talk about the books and the movies and the upcoming TV show. So make sure you press that follow button in your podcast app, and you'll never miss an episode. This week, we do have an update on the TV show. And be careful what you touch, because we will be discussing chapter 12 of Half Blood, Prince, Silver and Opals. And helping us with today's discussion is Mugglecast supporter Chanel. Welcome, Chanel, to the show.

[E]

Hi. Thank you.

[A]

Let's get your fandom id.

[E]

My favorite book is Goblet of Fire. My favorite movie is Chamber of Secrets. My Hogwarts house is Hufflepuff. My Ilvermorny house is Pukwudgy. And my patronus is the St. Bernard. And my favorite spell that Snape invented is the Labira corpus, which is the counter to levy corpus.

[B]

Yes. Free the ankles. Free all of the ankles.

[A]

Free the ankles. And can you please describe what you're wearing today? You're popping today, Chanel.

[D]

Thank you.

[E]

I am wearing my yellow, black and white plaid kimono coat that I made for my birthday last year so I could be all Hufflepuffed out. I'm glad I did it last year so I can wear it to see Tom Felton for my birthday this year.

[A]

Oh, did you already do that, or is that coming up?

[E]

It's coming up.

[A]

Okay, When's your birthday?

[E]

March 1. The same as Ron's.

[A]

Oh, okay.

[D]

I love that. Well, happy early birthday.

[A]

Yeah.

[E]

Thank you.

[A]

And what was the comment you made about your sleeves earlier, before we started recording?

[E]

They're cozy and kimono style.

[A]

Ooh. Yeah, but you were afraid you looked too much like Snape or something like that.

[E]

Oh, this is a very long coat, and I made it flare out at the bottom, so when I walk, it billows like Snape. And I feel very Hufflepuff. Snape. Kind of.

[A]

You look fabulous for a Hufflepuff, I must say.

[D]

Well, isn't it kind of implied that Hufflepuff puffs and Slytherins do get along fairly well? I mean, I'm specifically thinking about Newt and Leda.

[E]

Oh, they are matches.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah, there's. There's some level of understanding between them when one is not shaking the other for lunch money. I've dated Slytherins before.

[A]

Oh, nice. Ooh, we should talk about that sometime. The Infronis Muggle cast. Which Hogwarts houses Would we and would.

[D]

We not date day at Ed?

[B]

Yes, yes, yes.

[A]

Well, welcome, Chanel, and thank you for your support on our Patreon. And before we get to chapter by chapter, we do have a bit of news. It was announced last week that Hans Zimmer is going to be the composer for the Harry Potter TV show. Wow, that's pretty significant if you can't get John Williams. Seems like the next best thing.

[C]

I'm just waiting for Captain Jack Sparrow to jump into Hogwarts at some point.

[A]

Well, to that point, Hans Zimmer can create some really epic scores, so. And of course, Harry Potter has so many epic scenes, so it's going to be fascinating to see what he and his team does.

[D]

Yeah, I just wonder if there's going to be any clanging and banging as we heard one of the prominent critiques of John Williams score indicate.

[B]

So I have to say that, Laura, I'm so glad you mentioned that. But if there's one thing that we can rely on Hans Zimmer for, it is some clanging or at least banging. He loves his percussion. And in fact, this was my actual concern with this news because I love Hans Zimmer. My favorite score of his is for Broken Arrow. It's an early 90s film with John Travolta and Christian Slater. But everything he does has a drumbeat like War, Dunkirk and Inception. And I don't know at this point that the Harry Potter universe has a drumbeat to it.

[A]

I don't know.

[C]

I referenced Captain Jack Sparrow at the beginning of this conversation. That gives me a little bit of hope for some upbeat Pirates of the Caribbean high energy type of music for the Harry Potter series.

[A]

Let me read the statement from Hans. He said the musical legacy of Harry Potter is a touch point for composers everywhere. And we are humbled to join such a remarkable team on a project of this magnitude. The responsibility is something that me and my team do not take lightly. Magic is all around us, often just beyond reach. But as in the world of Harry Potter, you simply must look for it. With this score, we hope to bring audiences that little bit closer to it whilst honoring what has come before. So we will get Hedwig's theme. They have to.

[C]

That was going to be a question.

[A]

That I had 100% if they did.

[B]

It for the Fantastic Beasts series. Yeah.

[C]

His interpretation though, of Hedwig's theme.

[A]

I don't know.

[B]

Hang on, let me get into drums. Right, Eric, Let me figure this out. Okay.

[A]

Actually, it's our theme song.

[B]

Okay. So.

[A]

It's going to be bang, clang, clang.

[B]

Bang, clang, clanging, banging. Wow. You guys get what I'm saying though, right? Because he can do a lot of, like, very big action.

[A]

Composer is to, you know, create scores that reflect the story. So I don't think, you know, music has percussion and it has rhythm, it has beats. So I, I'm not worried about drums.

[D]

I'm pretty optimistic. I mean, we have to remember he has a pretty varied catalog of films that he has composed for, which includes the Dark Knight, Inception, Interstellar, the Lion King, going all the way back to 1994. We have the Dune movies as well. So he has, I think, pretty far reaching range. I think that he'll be able to knock Harry Potter out of the park.

[A]

Well, listeners, we are developing some Harry Potter TV show specific episodes of this podcast and we're going to be releasing them on a recurring basis as we approach the expected launch of the TV show next year. So stay tuned for those Harry Potter TV show specific episodes of mugglecast. Again, follow us in your favorite podcast app and you'll never miss one of those episodes. And if you love Mugglecast and want it to live as long as Dumbledore did, we invite you to become a member of our [e-mail] mugglecast just like Chanel and those listening live tonight, we have exciting plans for the show this year, like I said. So we could really use your support to help make those a reality by pledging you'll instantly receive two bonus episodes every month, plus ad free episodes, access to our live streams, and much more. This week on bonus mugglecast, we're going to dive deeper into what goes into inventing spells in the wizarding world. It is a subject that's never formally addressed in the series. So I have some questions to ask the panel regarding inventing spells. My mind was racing as I was reading this chapter wondering about this. So we'll discuss today and declare a bunch of canon. I also have created a few spells and the panel will have to guess what they do embrace for sound effects, y'. All, I brought some lightning. Get ready for some banging and clanging in bonus Muggle can. And if you're looking for other ways to support us, you can leave us a review in your favorite podcast app or you can tell a fellow Muggle about our show and you can visit mugglecastmerch.com to buy official show gear. Now let's get to chapter by chapter. Half blood prince, chapter 12, silver and opals.

[B]

This is a chapter that we last discussed way back on mugglecast number 392, which was called ProtectTheSecrets for November 15th of 2018. Here's a clip from that episode.

[E]

What you're looking at are memories. This is the most important memory I've collected.

[D]

It is from Mugglekast episode 392.

[A]

Did Voldemort know that Dumbledore was gay? Did he think Dumbledore was gonna want to put on this necklace?

[D]

I'm sorry, do. Do gay men have a penchant for wearing opal necklaces?

[A]

Well, that's what I'm asking here. Maybe Voldemort knows something that we don't about what Dumbledore likes to do. Look, just the theory. I'm trying to examine all angles here, okay?

[C]

He should have clearly sent him a pair of socks that kill.

[E]

This memory is everything.

[A]

Laura, this was a big episode for you. This was your big return. You hadn't been on in five years.

[B]

It was the last guest starring role before her return on episode 400.

[A]

Yeah, but prior to this episode, I just played a clip from. You hadn't been on in five years. So I wonder if I made that D joke on the show and you were like, I'm second guessing coming back to the podcast.

[D]

No, I don't think so. I don't remember that I was second guessing coming back to the podcast when I was apparently locked out of the studio tonight before the recording. This is gonna be weird because I think I'm leading the discussion today, but.

[A]

I walked right into that one.

[C]

Andrew knew that you were gonna challenge him on the opal necklace, and he was like, nope, not again.

[D]

You know what? I'll challenge myself on that. Opals are very lovely. And in retrospect, why wouldn't a gay man want to wear an opal necklace? Why wouldn't anyone want to wear an opal necklace? They're beautiful.

[A]

Amen.

[B]

But I'm with you there, Andrew. On killer socks, that would have gotten straight to Dumbledore.

[C]

I said that?

[B]

Yeah. Nice job, Micah.

[C]

Thank you.

[D]

Well, we had an interesting call out at the beginning of the chapter from Harry that I think is also echoed by certain members of this panel.

[E]

Right?

[A]

Yeah. I mean, I opened this book to read this chapter, and the opening line is, where was Dumbledore and what was he doing? I thought Micah wrote this opening line of this chapter. I feel like Micah says this every day on the podcast.

[C]

You know, great Minds we think alike.

[B]

I feel like it's just possible that Dumbledore might not actually be that good of a headmaster at Hogwarts because what it, what all of these absences say to me is like, he doesn't have a, a real job to do at Hogwarts. It's nothing he can't delegate. Like, it must be great to be the headmaster. But like besides sassing the Minister for magic and hiding things from Harry, what's he do from day to day? Like he should be checking in with everyone in the school and, and at least his staff more regularly than he is. And you know what, is he really even turning up with all of this? Travel. Eventually he finds the cave, but everything else that he's doing remains hidden to us for all time.

[D]

Yeah, I think Dumbledore's been pretty clear about implying that being the headmaster of Hogwarts is not only better for him because he's someone who shouldn't have the kind of power to be sitting in the minister's chair but at the same time sitting in that seat still does give him a good amount of power and he's kind of, he's allowed to operate via a lot of unofficial means that would probably not be as available to him if he were working at the Ministry. So. Yeah, I agree with you. I don't know that his top priority.

[C]

Is being headmaster to the point that's being raised in the discord by the other minister. He is a real administrator.

[A]

Yes.

[D]

Well, what do you think this means for Harry, Chanel?

[E]

That he keeps disappearing? Harry's an orphan, so he's kind of attached to Dumbledore for whatever reason. But he kind of has like some separation anxiety here. And so he's really looking for Dumbledore to give him some attention and make him feel like the Chosen One and safe. Otherwise Daddy's not home, I guess.

[A]

Daddy.

[B]

Oh, it's Dumbledaddy. It's important that you point that out because Chanel, because I think Harry is a little preoccupied with Dumbledore's absence. Certainly after last year when Dumbledore was like actively avoiding him. This year now they do three meals a day in the Great hall and Dumbledore's just not around. I mean, Harry is told why, you know, Dumbledore's looking up more memories and stuff. But everything that we've seen, unless I'm very much mistaken, all of the memories that we get shown throughout the rest of this year, Dumbledore's had. For years Dumbledore had the Bob Ogden one Ages ago. He had the Hepzibah Smith and Hokey one ages ago. Like, what is he actually getting that's new? He had the interview with Mrs. Cole 50 years ago that talked about the cave, which he eventually finds this year. That's one thing he finds this year, but he could have found that 25 years ago. Why does he need to be so absent this year when Harry is looking for that mentor relationship?

[A]

I think it is a great point that Harry's going through separation anxiety. Dumbledore got him very excited about working with him, having these private meetings, history lessons, whatever you want to call them, and then Dumbledore just disappears. Harry thought that Dumbledore and him had forged a new alliance and they were going to take care of business together. And now Harry's basically being left in the dark. It would have been different if Dumbledore said, hey, I'm going to be gone for five days or whatever, and here's why. Or at least even tell him he's going to be absent for X number of days. But Harry is really being shut out again. So I can see why this is bothering Harry so much.

[B]

Yeah, and Harry comes back and, you know, he. I think one of the first things he does when Dumbledore returns is tell him about Draco. And that goes absolutely nowhere. Next chapter. Dumbledore doesn't care. And it just furthers this divide of like or. Well, Dumbledore cares, he seems not to care and he tells Harry to forget about it. So it's like the relationship between them is fractured again. But something that I just thought about here is that because Dumbledore is coming back we find out in this chapter that Dumbledore is coming back Monday for Harry's next lesson. It suggests that the only reason Dumbledore is coming back to the castle is. Is to do his class with Harry. That otherwise he would just keep being off and gone.

[D]

Yeah, that's actually a really great observation and, you know, kind of getting into the meat of the chapter. I think another way in which Dumbledore's absence affects Harry, whether, you know, consciously or unconsciously, is that I think it's part of what drives Harry further into seeing the prince as a mentor.

[B]

Because.

[D]

He is continuing to take his cues from the prince to the extent that he's reading the textbook during his free time, even when he's laying in bed. The chapter starts out with Harry having woken up early and instead of going back to sleep or deciding, I'm just gonna get up and get started with my day, he's laying there reading a textbook. And this Hermione ish habit annoys both of his best friends for different reasons.

[B]

Eric, you guys remember what it's like to wake up early just to read a book? I mean, not a textbook, I hope, I hope.

[A]

Probably just the seven Harry Potter books. Other than that, I don't know if I've ever gotten up early. The Prince is the Dumbledaddy that Dumbledore is not being for Harry, but what.

[B]

A great connection there.

[C]

Step daddy Snape. Yeah, I total snap daddy stepdaddy.

[B]

I love that connection between Harry kind of looking for a mentor and finding it in, you know, the prince.

[C]

Yeah, it's a silent companion of sorts, almost a friend. And this friend is giving Harry a pretty big advantage throughout the school year. And I also think the Prince comes across as a bit of a rule breaker and Harry is a bit of a rule breaker himself. So these two get along pretty well with each other.

[B]

Gonna ask, like, I think also just it's clear that the Prince is a wiz and not just a wizard, but like really good at potions, like to the level that every time Harry gets complimented, that feeds back into Harry's appreciation for how intelligent the Prince is. And Harry is not doing the due diligence of being, I think, adequately suspicious of the Prince. That will eventually come later. But like, to your point, Laura, he's annoying his friends with this. And I think it's just that if we go back to like comparing it to Dumbledore Harry was expecting one of the theories was that Dumbledore would be teaching him advanced magic. And that's not strictly what Dumbledore is doing this year. But instead Harry is getting all of this tutelage, these spells that he's never heard of before and he's getting that from the Prince.

[E]

I feel like this would be a glimpse into all of the fan art that's out there of if Snape had raised Harry.

[B]

Oh yeah. Who's a good little a Potions master.

[A]

It's the dad he doesn't have. I was joking about Dumbledaddy earlier based on what Eric said, but yeah, I mean, he is kind of a father here, actually. Snape is.

[D]

Yeah, well, and he's teaching him throughout the book even though most of the time Harry's not aware of who it is who's teaching him. But speaking of teaching, for the first time we get to see Harry use one of Snape's personal spell inventions. Question mark. There might be some debate over whether invention is the right word. There But Harry accidentally hits Ron with a Levi corpus and it immediately wakes up the entire dorm room. Ron is suspended in the air by his ankles and Harry has to quickly scramble to get Ron down.

[A]

Yeah, so in terms of creating spells, we're going to be discussing this more in bonus this week, but we're going to do a little more in the main show. This isn't addressed in the books ever, and nor was it ever addressed by the author. So there's a lot of room for interpretation here. Harry does say twice he, in the narrator voice, uses the word invent in terms of these spells. So I'm inclined to just say they're spells that were invented by Snape himself. But how do you all think that spells are invented? And Laura, didn't you put together a discussion on like, metaphysics in the wizarding world or something like that? This kind of harkens back to that discussion that we had a while ago.

[D]

Yeah, no, I mean, it's a lot of. It was basically a discussion of like, how does magic work? And how do we explain things like, what was it? Gamp's Laws of transfiguration and how are we getting things from nowhere and where does the poop go when we have an escrow. All of the most important questions were what we were covering in that episode. It's a good one. You should check it out.

[B]

It was episode 576. It's available on our Wall of Fame page and there's a transcript for it.

[A]

Eric, what do you think?

[B]

Yeah, I tend to lean towards. So like, invented is not wrong. Obviously it's what the book uses, but I've always thought of it as being more of a collaboration where you have to figure out the way that it's described. In this chapter, there's all these words crossed out. Like Snape is trying to create a spell. He's creating it that does something, but what it does is based on the wording that he uses. Now, the only reason that or the way that that works is there has to be like a right answer or an invocation or the right incantation, the right Latin word basically, that ultimately will achieve the desired effect. And all these words that Snape is like trying are crossed out. So it is like bargaining with the universe to kind of give you what you. What you want your. Your responsible for creating or maybe popularizing. Somebody at one point tells Harry the spells come and go in popularity, but like, it's kind of. It must be crazy to be the first person that you know that stumbled upon a spell that does something really unique. Like being grabbed by your ankle is really a unique thing.

[C]

To see the reference to spells coming and going is more so just in terms of popularity. Not that the spell actually will just fade into non existence. But the quote that came to mind to me when you asked this question, Andrew, is actually from Dumbledore when he says, words are, in my not so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. And so, and going off of what you were saying, Eric, there's gotta be a source code somewhere, right? There has to be almost like this bank that source code were drawing from to create these spells.

[D]

There's like a spell database.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

You just gotta write the right SQL query and you'll be able to pull them all down.

[A]

Yeah, it kind of reminds me of just like maybe a potions class or a science class. You just gotta get all the ingredients just right for the magic to happen. It's kind of what I guess, Eric, you're describing. You need to find all the right parts of the word, the way to save the spell, all that and you get everything right. And that's where the magic happens.

[B]

The fact that Levicorpus is nonverbal, why, we don't know. But like presuming if you say it out loud, it doesn't work.

[C]

You can use it in Hogwarts Legacy, can't you?

[B]

Maybe.

[C]

And that was well before Snape's time.

[A]

What do you think, Chanel? Where do you fall on this?

[E]

So when I was reading this, it made me think of like when I'm writing or trying to figure out a recipe. So I have been trying for years to make the perfect butterbeer ice cream. So it's a lot of crossing out. And then you have to take all of these different ingredients and put them together. And you know, certain things work well. So he's taking words and intonation and how does that work? And then making it non verbal, which I would think he would have to engineer is like, how does this work if I'm not saying it? So he's so brilliant that he can engineer his own non verbal spells. And then it was just, it was really interesting to think about. He's just scratching it off and I'm looking at my mini versions of ice cream and I'm like, it looks, it's the same thing.

[B]

By the way, where are you at on that and is it ready to ship yet? Because we have a P.O.

[A]

Box or what's your address? We'll come to you and taste test for you.

[E]

Ice cream Party at my house. I have one, I have a new round that I have to do and hopefully, hopefully this is the one. But I say that every time.

[A]

Well, now we and the listeners are invested. So please send us an update when you have one, when you figured it out.

[B]

So I love the comparison of recipes. I think that makes a lot of sense and I think that like there was a person who presumably first invented the cheeseburger, but everybody has the ingredients of cheese like that, that pre existed and but like the exact combination or you have instances throughout history of a dish being invented like around the same time from different parts of the world or whatever that weren't talking to one another. So like there is a source code. But what Snape is doing or that the Prince is doing is using the narrow margins of advanced potion making to basically concoct a recipe for to do something. It also strikes me, given the year, the age at which this was Snape's own potions book, presuming that advanced potion making, the book is a sixth year course, that these spells were possibly developed by Snape with the express purpose of using on James Potter and Sirius Black because that necessity breeds invention. And I, you know, keeping in mind what other spells are in here for enemies, I get the sense that this was something that Snape was actively involved in doing and we know why.

[E]

Thus the nonverbal.

[B]

Yeah, don't give your enemy the keys to the cool spell.

[D]

So all of this, you know, particularly Ron not suffering any ill effects from using Levi Corpus on him. And Harry also uses another of Snape's discovered spells on fellow students to stop them from eavesdropping on what he's talking about. Nothing bad happens. So this increases Harry's confidence in using the Prince's work. Unfortunately, that ends up not always being a great thing. See Sectum Sempera coming a little bit later. But Micah, this is a pretty reckless move, right?

[C]

Yeah. Bad Harry. Bad, Bad Harry. I don't know what he's thinking here in this moment. Maybe he's not and, and that's part of the problem. But just. Well, I will say I'm impressed that he's able to cast this spell with almost no problem whatsoever. I don't know that we even think about that part of it. Like it just works well.

[A]

And maybe that's one reason why he did what he did. He was like, well I'm gonna try it. I know it's not gonna work anyway.

[C]

And then it's like, oh, but it's so dangerous though. I think about it you have no idea what the spell is going to do. And, and it's really the same thing with Sectumsempra, right? He doesn't know. He knows that it's for enemies but he doesn't know what the impact or the outcome is going to be. And so that's just a really reckless, dangerous move on his part. He could have seriously injured Ron.

[A]

Maybe part of it is this book has been going so well for him, the advanced Potion making Book that what could go wrong, he's just gotten a little high on it and it's like, well I'll try everything. Sure, why not? No issue.

[D]

You know, he thought he could trust Tom Riddle's diary at first too and we see how that went, right?

[B]

Yeah. Harry should have a little bit more self awareness. It's easy to throw rocks at him from here. But like still, I think Ginny has already said her piece about it. Ron and Hermione, you know I will say I'm not gonna blame anybody other than Harry for this but Ron's ease of acceptance, the way in which he all of a sudden, like he was obviously very cross and hurt in the moment when he was lifted by his ankle and woken up that way but then by lunch is like laughing at it and is like, ah, I was innocent. Ah Hermione, don't be such a stick in the mud. But like if it were me, I wouldn't be so quick to shake it off. Like honestly, because Harry's reading from a book. Don't do that around people. Like what the heck, Harry?

[A]

Justin, who's listening live is also blaming Snape which yeah, I mean he discovered this spell and then wrote it down and then left this book in a public classroom for some reason. So that's his fault too.

[D]

It feels very unsnape like to have just left something like this laying around like this.

[B]

The sword of Gryffindor. Man, that guy's leaving stuff all the time.

[C]

Laura, you brought up earlier though these other spells that Harry is casting and it' called out that he uses some sort of spell on Crab which makes his toenails grow and Crab is in Snape's house. Like I'm starting to wonder how Snape is not picking up on some of this too. And I know he's very distracted, he's got a lot going on this year as well. But he's somebody who seems very attuned to especially Harry in particular. It just surprises me that this is not picked up on sooner.

[B]

Well again I'm sure I'M sure the very first day of Hogwarts, Slughorn went into the staff room raving about how good Harry was at Potions. And Snape should have shown up in the middle of the night in Harry's dorm and been like, give me the book. Just give me the book. Like, that's how quickly Snape would have solved it if he had half a mind. But the question becomes, is Snape willingly aiding Harry? Is it just something out of the scope of something that he would care about? Or is he bound by the Unbreakable Vow really so much that he doesn't want to interfere at all with anything involving Harry Potter? Because there's a chance he could prevent Draco from completing his mission by interfering with Harry in any way.

[A]

I want to also turn this around and ask, should Harry have used this area of the book as a big hint as to who actually whose book this actually is? Because Harry recalls that this Levicorpus was the same spell that his dad used that he had seen happen in Snape's worst memory. I feel like this should have helped Harry narrow the list down because if he saw his dad use the spell, it's kind of crazy he wouldn't ask himself if it was a half blood marauder like Lupin who actually was writing down all these spells or started putting the pieces together about Snape. He's close. He's very close.

[B]

It is a market how daddy deprived Harry is that he's like, could the Prince be my dad? Wait, no, my dad was pure blood. But like he's hopeful. He's hoping this.

[A]

So who else was in that scene?

[D]

Right, Exactly. And it does raise the question of like, if Snape discovered this, why was James the one using it? Or did he maybe write it down and learn to use it non verbally after what happened to him so that he could try and tag James back.

[A]

I think it is. Exactly.

[D]

Yeah. But I want to ask a question in our continued debate about whether or not it's right for Harry to be using this textbook to benefit academically in Potions class, Because he's continuing to do so. Slughorn is continuing to boast about Harry's Potions prowess and it's pissing Hermione off, understandably. So. So I, I'm posing this statement and I'm not saying that I agree with it, but Harry should use the Prince's work to help curry Slughorn's favor since that's what Dumbledore wants him to do anyway. Harry is just increasing the likelihood of Slughorn giving Him the real memory. Discuss.

[B]

Harry. Don't even know about that yet. You can't retroactively justify this cheating. Blatant cheating.

[A]

No.

[C]

I love this rationale. He can just go up to Hermione and say, Hermione, stop. Dumbledore told me to get close to Slughorn. This is such a good way for me to do it. I am acing potions. He loves me. He's trying to court me and hogs me later on in this chapter. Yeah, use it to your advantage, Harry and her mind. Just shut up already. You're so jealous.

[A]

Slughorn likes talent and I think he would love having exclusive access to these spells. I do just wonder though if Slughorn would tell Snape about Harry's quote unquote work. And, and also, what would Slughorn think of Harry admitting to relying on someone else's notes for his class? That's the part that really seems like a.

[B]

What's interesting is I don't think it would hurt. I don't think it would hurt Slughorn. Like it would hurt Harry's credibility a little bit, but not really with Slughorn because Slughorn likes him for being famous. Harry Potter, that stopped the Dark Lord. You know what I'm saying? Like, Harry being revealed as having used this textbook for these potions recipes wouldn't be a deal breaker in terms of Slughorn still trying to socialize with them or invite him to Slug Club dinners.

[A]

Chanel, I saw you shaking your head.

[E]

I think that Slughorn is a Slytherin for a reason. Using somebody else's notes to get ahead is no different from what he does by collecting people and using his connections. So as long as it gets the job done, I see why Hermione's mad. Because if you ask Harry to recreate that spell or that potion without the book, he has learned nothing. Like, he can't do it. He doesn't understand why you should squeeze or smash one of the ingredients to get more juice. Or like he doesn't understand any of that. So I think that all he's doing is getting the attention and he's enjoying that. But I kind of agree with Hermione that he should, he should stop. Since he's not. The only thing he's learning are the spells. So it's kind of like learning a foreign language and only learning the bad words first.

[D]

Oh, great comparison. I love that. And you know, Hermione voices to your point, Chanel. You know, she voices. Not only is this cheating, but she's starting to question the Prince's motives Which I thought was really interesting because Hermione's normally the one who defends Snape when Harry wants to go to him as suspect number one. Anytime something shady is going on. She doesn't know she's talking about Snape in this moment. But I thought it was a nice little twist from what we normally see from her.

[E]

For Snape, it's so interesting to think that. Think about him as the person behind all of the writing. And I keep trying to think, like, why hasn't Slughorn noticed? Like, why isn't he? I mean, it was such a long time ago. But there has to be a reason why Slughorn doesn't really remember Snape that well. Like, he never tried to collect him. So my thoughts were just like, Snape in school probably didn't like Slughorn very much. So that's why his notes are all in his book. It's like he took a look at this textbook and he just kind of wrote Slughorn off and then showed him up in the book, but never actually showed Slughorn that he could do better. So it's just like you see Harry doing all of these great things with the potions and it's not clicking a Slughorn, probably because Snape never showed him. That's interesting.

[C]

That is interesting because Slughorn would have presumably been the head of Snape's house as well. So perhaps there's more there than we realize. But I think that Slughorn is willing to look past the Snape angle of all of this because he's probably attributing Harry's prowess at Potions to Lily more so than Snape. We know she was really good at Potions as well.

[E]

I wonder why.

[A]

Oh, yeah, right. That's a good question.

[B]

She probably had a book too.

[A]

The Half Blood Princess.

[D]

Right. Well, in terms of how much. How many of Snape's discoveries that we see in the textbook were things that he found on his own versus things. And it's not saying that he was cheating, but things that he. He found together with Lily because they were both gifted at this subject.

[C]

Yeah. In terms of Hermione, though, I still think there's a bit of jealousy on her part as it relates to the Half Blood Prince. Because for the entirety of their time at Hogwarts, Hermione has been the source of academic assistance for both Ron and for Harry. And now, at least for Potions sake, the Prince is helping out Harry as much as he could possibly want and then some. So while I think it's right for her to be cautious of course, there, there is a little bit of jealousy there too.

[B]

I, I don't think it. And I, I disagree with Ron saying, oh, you're just, you're just mad that Harry's getting a better score than you as a way to like, as if that actually in any way discredits what she's saying, which really doesn't. Right. Like it's bad.

[C]

No, she's right to do it past is precedent. Right. Like, look, look at Chamber of Secrets. Like, there's a whole, like, backstory here that could be drawn upon about taking advice from books written by people that you don't know.

[B]

You know, this is a good reason not to read any of my copy textbooks.

[D]

Yeah.

[E]

I think Snape would have been a really great teacher if he actually wanted to, like, be there because of the way he got his job. It wasn't really, it wasn't him interviewing for a job as a professor at Hogwarts. He's basically made a deal with Dumbledore and it's kind of like serving a lifetime prison sentence for him.

[A]

Oh, wow.

[E]

So you have this I'm forced to be here kind of mentality. But if he had taught students with the same enthusiasm that he has for his notes, then he would have been a phenomenal teacher.

[A]

I think there's a line in this chapter from Harry. Harry thinks to himself the prince had been a much more effective teacher than Snape. That says it all. And I think we've discussed this on the show before. Snape is just not meant to be a teacher. Brilliant guy, can't teach students well.

[B]

I love that too, that. Chanel, you just mentioned the interview process because again, like, it's not as if Snape ever had to brew a potion to pass the test and become a professor. I think it's actually just happenstance that the Potions Master of Hogwarts, for all of Harry's years there, is the best person at brewing Potions that we will probably ever hear about or read about. Or meat. You know, it's like, it's funny that he's so skilled and good at Potions because he doesn't have to be to be at Hogwarts. Look at Trelawney.

[D]

Right?

[E]

He doesn't have to be a really good teacher to be there. And that's like one of the other things that I was thinking about is like, why didn't Harry recognize Snape's writing? Because you see him earlier in the chapter where. Or later is it later in the chapter where he recognizes Dumbledore's Handwriting?

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[E]

Like he gets a note from Dumbledore. But then also you see that Snape sends messages to Harry vocally. He doesn't write it down and hand it to a student. He just says, tell Harry this message. So I'm like. I'm wondering, like, does he just not write feedback on these essays? So he had the students turn to page 394 and write about werewolves, but he never wrote feedback.

[D]

Like, you're wrong. Yeah, he definitely writes on the chalkboard. So you would think that. I mean, after five years of Harry taking classes with Snape you would think he'd make the connection.

[A]

Harry paying attention in Snape's class.

[D]

Yeah, probably not. But I think it also goes to show that Harry is not observant. There are so many times throughout the series where the answer is right in front of him and he just doesn't put two and two together. Some of that's age and then some of it's just. He couldn't have predicted it anyway. But I do think this is a case of Harry not paying attention to what's going on around him and only paying attention to the handwriting of the people that he likes. Right. So he's able to recognize Dumbledore's handwriting, but he's not thinking that much about Snape.

[E]

Yeah, I would think Snape's would sear into his brain. Like, you'd have, like, a trauma response to seeing Snape's handwriting.

[D]

You would think. You would think. Well, we're gonna take a. We're gonna take one more quick break here and then we'll be right back for the rest of the discussion. So after Harry's, you know, somewhat tense breakfast conversation with Ron and Hermione about continuing to use the Prince's textbook, the trio do head to Hogsmeade for what turns out to be a really short visit. I had forgotten before I started reading this chapter how this visit to Hogsmeade is like pretty much a nothing burger. And they only do it to set up the plot point that comes at the end of the chapter with the necklace cursing Katie. But I will say, while they are in Hogsmeade, Tonks does stop Harry from assaulting Mundungus Fletcher who they catch selling heirlooms from Grimald Place. Which means he's selling Harry's stuff.

[B]

Probably a locket, too.

[A]

Harry should have been madder in this scene. He's very frustrated, but I wish I saw more from him. And Mundungus does disappear and Tonk says, you know, he's halfway across the country by now. Don't waste your time. But still, this is incredibly frustrating. This is his late uncle's home we're talking about that Dung is stealing from.

[B]

Yeah, it's totally. It doesn't matter that Harry has no interest in this stuff. Like, I think even Harry says that in the book. He's like. He recognizes it as being from serious place where what makes him mad is the violation that that Dung is doing. But something that I thought was surprising is that Tonks, who is supposed to be just totally miserable right now because, like, grieving over Sirius's death has no real reaction when Harry says Dung is taking all serious stuff. Like, if anything, I know she came here to de escalate, but if Tonks were really feeling the way about her that people have suggested that she feels she'd be the one pinning Dung to the wall and attacking him further. But she's just like, yeah, Harry, you know, you gotta let it go sometimes. What are you gonna do? It's like, oh, this shows that there's more to Tonks than has been previously suspected.

[C]

Well, somebody who is doing their job. A Dumbledore who's actually present is Aberforth. Oh, and I'm curious at this point in the story, why would Aberforth be confronting Mundungus? And I'm presuming it's for the same reason that Harry ultimately gets into this altercation with him about. We know Mundungus is not welcome inside the Hogshead. He's earned himself a lifetime ban from the bar. So I'm wondering, maybe Mundungus tried to sell some things inside the Hogshead and got caught.

[B]

And I don't know, maybe he made a pass at the goat.

[C]

Maybe wasn't.

[A]

Well, worse. Don't you dare steal my pigs.

[C]

He was looking for a different kind of. Some different kind of wares.

[D]

I do know that Mundungus has a history of at least once wearing a disguise to get into the Hogshead. So.

[B]

Right.

[D]

Who knows what is. Yeah, they got.

[B]

They have long history. They just have. I think that's all it is, is they just. Who knows what? Maybe it was not paying the bar tab. Maybe it was something more nefarious. Because I think doesn't the hogs had also prided itself on having an unsavory sword being a refuge for. For the unsavory sword. So the idea that Aberforth is cross with Mundungus and would boot him out or tell him, you can't shop here you know you can't drink here. Does hint that there's something big in their past, but I see a scene like this and I'm just like, man, I had high hopes for Dung to, like, literally just once choose redemption. And he never does. He's just. He's just Dung.

[D]

Yeah, well. The trio also briefly run into Slughorn at Honeydukes, who once again reminds them that he's trying to collect Harry. Apparently, Harry's been getting, like, physical invites via these purple envelopes for weeks to go to these Slug Club dinners that he's not been to. Hermione indicates that she has. Do we think that Slughorn is even more interested in Harry since it's been so hard to get him to come to these dinners? What do you think, Chanel?

[E]

I think it's quite the draw for him because Harry is that crown jewel. He's the crown jewel of the century, really, because he is the boy who lived and. But he's also, like, playing hard to get. So he's kind of. Kind of a tease. There is like Dumbledore sat him in front of Slughorn and it's like, come to Hogwarts. We have your next jewel here. And Harry's not getting it. He's not doing it.

[A]

Yes. What's the saying? You always want what you can't have. This is driving Slughorn crazy. His new trophy is out of reach no matter how hard he tries.

[B]

What I love about this is Slughorn even proposes on the spot, hoping to catch Harry off guard. Hey, what about Monday? And Harry's like, oh, actually, it doesn't work. I'm so sorry.

[A]

Can't make that day either. I'll call you.

[D]

Right. It's like. It's kind of like Harry is repeatedly declining, you know, very politely declining, repeat. Asks to go on a date with somebody a little bit. It's like, oh, no, I'm busy that night. What night? We didn't even talk about one night. Oh, no, I just. I know. Well, after this, the trio do have a quick drink at the Three Broomsticks before they decide to head back to Hogwarts before the weather gets worse. Didn't mention that in this discussion. But the weather is horrible, which I think makes the ensuing scene that we're about to talk about even harsher. So, en route back to the castle, the trio's walking behind Katie Bell and her friend Leanne. The girls begin arguing over a package that Katie is carrying, which turns out to be the cursed necklace that is the namesake for this chapter. We're later going to learn that this was intended for Dumbledore. And the package tears when the girls are tugging back and forth on it, causing Katie to come in direct contact with the cursed jewelry. And the results are terrifying. Katie is screaming and suspended in midair. She's soon pulled to the ground where she continues screaming and shaking. And Leanne does detail the sequence of events as best she can. Katie came back from the bathroom with a package that she needed to take up to the castle. But she wasn't able to answer any questions about who was sending that and why it was being sent up to the castle. So it's pretty clear that Katie has been imperious here. Lian comes to that unsettling realization when she's recounting the series of events and realizes that Katie was not acting like herself. And that's probably what happened here.

[C]

More problems in bathrooms, just like in Chamber of Secrets. Students being attacked by things in bathrooms, just like in Chamber of Secrets. It's almost like they're the same plot. The other thing I just wanted to draw attention to, there's these subtle references to Ron looking over at Madame Rosemerta. And we'll learn a little bit later on in the book that she was in fact imperious first and she then imperious Katie. So it's little breadcrumbs that are being dropped there. And I know, Andrew, you had something else that you caught on here as well.

[A]

A, kind of scary that you can imperious someone to imperious someone. That's a dangerous domino effect. Yeah. And then B, it is noted that Madame Rosemerta is not in view of Ron, which sets up what we do learn later about how she was involved with the necklace. But I. I feel like that's a big clue for readers that something is amiss. Ron is looking for her, but she's not there.

[B]

Why?

[D]

Right? Yeah. Because they assume she's just behind the counter getting drinks or something. It seems completely innocuous.

[A]

I think it's even said she's in the back room, which, you know, she's like totally out of where she normally would be, I guess.

[D]

Right. Well, Harry, of course, recognizes the necklace as the one he saw at Borgin and Burke's when he was spying on Draco over the summer in Nocturne Alley. And he later accuses Draco of being the culprit when the trio and LEANNE See Professor McGonagall. But McGonagall says it couldn't have been Draco. He was serving detention with me when this Happened Insert like I emoji here. We'll come back to that later.

[B]

It's. I will say for, for everything Harry's trying to do and say that's the one person giving an alibi that he was not counting on is his own head of house.

[D]

Yep, exactly.

[B]

Kind of a gut punch.

[D]

And the thing is, once again, Harry is a lot closer than he realizes here because he thinks that this necklace is what Borgin was offering to sell Malfoy last summer when Harry was spying in Nocturne Alley. He specifically calls out Malfoy saying, how would I look walking down the street with that?

[B]

He'd look fabulous. More people should wear opal necklaces.

[C]

Well, he would be flying down the street.

[A]

Right.

[C]

Because it would pick him up into the air.

[B]

Oh, yeah, right.

[D]

I don't know how much control he'd have.

[C]

Yeah. I just have so much frustration here with Harry not being believed because in reading the book the evidence is just overwhelming that Draco is up to something. I'm not saying that he's responsible for all these things that are happening, but it's just like nobody's listening to Harry and especially Ron and Hermione and that annoys me.

[B]

Yeah, especially.

[A]

And we were talking about this a few months ago. People should be more willing to believe Harry over the court due to the events of the last couple of years in this series. Like, for him to be not believed again, especially from his trusted friends, is very frustrating to see McGonagall. I can understand her practicing some restraint. She's an adult, she's a teacher. You know, she had Draco with. With her earlier, you know, but. But everybody else should be a little more receptive, I think, to Harry's day.

[B]

I, I agree with that. And I think that it's just like Harry takes it to Dumbledore and it goes nowhere. And it's because it can't go anywhere. Like Dumbledore knows. Dumbledore absolutely believes Harry. He absolutely 100% like, has no problem with anything Harry is saying, unlike everybody else. But he doesn't indicate anything is going on because it would ruin everything if Harry were a lot be like were allowed to know that Dumbledore knows that Draco Malfoy is up to something and so Dumbledore has to play it too cool and basically be like, thanks for telling me. Okay. As if it's unimportant, which only causes Harry to spiral and spin out more and worse. So it's one of those things. And I'm sure we'll talk about this Next week. But I think that the way that Hermione's treating Harry in front of McGonagall and the way that Ron is just kind of like, looking at his feed, looking away like, this is embarrassing. I don't want to be here is a shame. But we. Harry is not going to be allowed to have that payoff for reasons having nothing to do with his delivery here. Like, yeah, he seems kind of like a crazy person. We know he's 100% right. But nobody is allowed to believe Harry right now because of the greater plot implications. Also, Andrew, I'm just noticing your half moon glasses.

[A]

Oh, I'm getting ready for a Dumbledore segment later in today's episode.

[C]

The challenge for Harry is that he has the evidence, but he doesn't have the evidence at the same time. And so as much as he would like to prove that it is Draco, he can't because there's no tangible evidence at this time that would implicate Draco. And I did just want to call out. I thought it was important to note how McGonagall handles this situation with the Slytherin student, like Draco versus how Snape handles situations with Harry. So if, like, were to juxtapose them a little bit, like head of Gryffindor house with Draco, head of Slytherin house with Harry, they're two very different styles and usually totally unfair in Harry's situation.

[D]

Yeah. But Shannel, I think you actually have a good point here where you take a little bit of issue with McGonagall's approach. Right.

[E]

Yeah. I work with a lot of instructors, so I immediately flagged the way McGonagall handled this as, like, providing too much information about Draco to the point where she violates student privacy. So there's. For me, it's like, there's no reason for the trio to even know why Draco was with her. Like, she's the head of their house, she's the deputy headmistress. She says, Draco was with me, so he wasn't there. That should be, like, the end of it. It's a little embarrassing for a student to have that, like, oh, he was in detention. Strike number one with the student privacy and for failing to turn in his homework twice. That's even further into, like, the. Let's embarrass Draco for no reason.

[B]

I love this point. I'm trying to think. Wasn't it also, was it one of Snape's verbal communications to Harry that he told another student about Harry Redoing his detention or something where he's like, oh, you're gonna do it next Saturday. Instead, somebody else relays that to Harry. It might have been Dumbledore.

[C]

Demelza Robbins.

[B]

Demelza Robbins. So there's another example of a teacher telling a student about their detention through another student, or telling a student through. You know what I'm saying? It's exactly what Chanel is saying. And I think as far as the not turning in homework twice thing, that's obviously meant to be a clue for the reader that Draco is distracted. This is supposed to be confirmation that Draco, even more so, is absolutely up to something. So much so that a normally decent student, we've been led to believe, is actually just not straight up not doing his homework. So, like, it's weird because we're having our cake and eating it. This is a further clue to kind of point us in the direction of Draco's up to something. But you're right, it violates something for McGonagall to be that forthcoming with them.

[E]

We hold McGonagall to a higher standard than Snape. Like, Snape's whole purpose is to embarrass and belittle Harry. But McGonagall is very much a standup type of professor, and it also, like Draco not turning in his homework. Yeah, it's a clue for what happens later. But it kind of aligns with his statement on the train where he's like, I don't even know if I'm gonna be here next year. So it could kind of get hidden under, like, I don't care about school.

[B]

I'm just saying.

[A]

Oh, yeah? Yeah.

[C]

Well, you are Draco, and you're gonna hug Voldemort.

[B]

Aw, well, Voldemort's gonna hug you.

[E]

I know Voldemort.

[B]

It's not reciprocal.

[C]

But Chanel, I really like that point, though, because it makes me rethink everything that I just said about McGonagall. Because she does kind of needle Draco in an underhanded way. It's not like Snape, who's very outspoken against Harry. So it is like she is sticking it to him a little bit by giving away all that information to the.

[E]

Trio behind his back, too.

[B]

Well, it's possible that they had transfiguration with the Slytherins. And maybe in front of the whole class, it was like, okay, who did the assignment? Draco, you didn't. That's detention for you. You know, maybe she said that in front of the class and it's A situation where it's not meant to belittle him, but, like, the whole class understands that that's the penalty for not doing homework. And then here she's just reminding them that that's where Draco was. Could have been a thing, but he.

[E]

Seems so clueless about it.

[D]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think there's something to be said for McGonagall hitting back a little bit on the basis of the fact that she knows what Snape does and how he'll put Harry and other students on blast repeatedly in front of other students. And this feels like maybe a bit of a subtle, like, moment for her to get back. But that's our chapter. We are going to talk about one odd and end. Just notice that Harry's starting to get a little jelly when he thinks about Ginny with Dean. He notes that, you know, he doesn't see her at the Three Broomsticks and she and Dean are probably cuddled up somewhere and he feels a little irritated in that moment.

[A]

She got invited to Hogsmeade too, right? And yeah. And she's like, I'm gonna be there with Dean. Maybe I'll see you there. Yes.

[B]

And Harry. Harry has a thought where he's like, they're probably at the tea shop snogging.

[D]

He hasn't had any good memories there. But now we're gonna get into our MVP of the week. So this week's question is, what do we think would have happened if Dumbledore had received the curse necklace? With the caveat that I'm looking for wrong answers only.

[A]

I think he would have started making those weird noises that Voldemort made in the eighth Harry Potter movie.

[B]

Oh, my God. What's with all this jewelry? Dumbledore comes into. First the ring, then the necklace. I think he would break the curse upon it. Then he'd go to dinner in those items in a cocktail dress, looking fabulous.

[C]

Return to sender. Wasn't his color.

[D]

Oh, dang. I. Similarly, I said he was. He would forward it to Mundungus, thinking, like, you know, I'll just. I'll do him a little favor and give him something that he can pawn off, make a little money.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[E]

I think that he would give it to Aberforth in, like, true sibling fashion for a laugh.

[D]

Yeah.

[E]

If I were able to do that to my brother.

[A]

Yeah, you. Wait, you would do that to your brother?

[E]

I mean, Madame Palfrey is, like, right there.

[A]

Oh, that's true. He'll live.

[D]

I really love that call out. It's like, that's not that serious. Healthcare is right there.

[A]

Come on Chanel, don't let your brother listen to this episode.

[E]

Oh, I don't think it would surprise him very much.

[D]

Well, now we're going to move on to our links line patrons who are members of our slug club over at patreon.com mugglecast answered this week's question, which was Given the example we get this chapter of Katie being imperious, how could Hogsmeade do a better job of protecting visitors and residents from security nightmares right now?

[A]

Rachel said something akin to security cameras in and around buildings in Hogsmeade could be very helpful. Items to detect dark objects and enchantments like the thieves downfall in Gringotts would also be a good preventative measure.

[B]

Carly says, I've never understood why the Caterwauling charm wasn't used more often in Hogsmeade. The Death Eaters used it to great success, unbeknownst to them in Deathly Hallows. So why was it never used for catching Death Eaters, Sirius or other wizards that were at large? Side note, could that charm also be used to detect dark objects as well as certain individuals? Like it goes off if a cursed object enters a certain radius around the town could do anything.

[C]

Zachary says a shield or ward bubble around the whole village. Like what they did to protect the castle. It can be keyed to only let in those with pure and honest intentions and no hint of malice. As like the castle has, anyone who has malicious intentions and tries to enter will suddenly forget why they're there, thus giving them a clear mind which would either allow them to enter or turn back.

[D]

It's a good one.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Sarah says, I feel like even just having some teachers or other trusted adults around would help. Like the kids are all just there unsupervised in a village. Not saying they need to be shepherded around, but some teachers being around for support or emergencies would be smart.

[B]

It reminds us. Yeah, we see Flitwick and McGonagall and the Minister for Magic there from time to time. But there's nobody stationed there, right?

[E]

Matthew says from what I've seen with teenagers breaking into every single secure location in the wizarding world, it simply isn't possible to secure anything.

[A]

Starting to sound like a security. Why Try Nightmare Security? Nightmare 40 says open a dispensary to chill everyone out a bit.

[D]

Man, listen, that's the Hogsmeade I want to go to.

[C]

We can edit for Hogwarts Legacy too.

[D]

Oh man.

[C]

Yep, it's Dobby's Dispensary.

[B]

That's a big. That's a big update. That's a big update. Everyone is stoned now. Yes.

[C]

Have you seen the videos of Dobby online? I mean, they are amazing.

[B]

Yes, I have because you've sent me them. Micah, thank you for continuing to send me.

[C]

They're so good. Anyway, we'll share in the discord.

[B]

So Ben says, I believe we saw the Thief's downfall at Gringotts break an imperious curse in Deathly Hallows. They should just put a Thief's downfall at the entrance and exit of every establishment in Hogsmeade. Everyone would be wet but safe. Or is it possible to make a Thief's downfall out of snow instead of a waterfall?

[C]

Good question. And finally, Brock says, given the unfortunate history Hogsmeade has of not knowing who is in the village and being unable to stop violent criminals and some of the wizarding world's most dangerous convicts from entering from Sirius in book four, Draco trafficking Dark mag objects in six, the Golden Trio operating in at the end of seven, and the multiple secret passageways from Hogwarts. I fear there's only one solution. They have to build a wall and bring in ice.

[A]

Okay, so I didn't read that one before pasting it in.

[C]

Hold on. Just kidding. We've all seen how well that works.

[D]

I was going to say, I hope it's not. I hope it's not literally too icy in Hogsmeade because we've seen how ice does when there's ice.

[A]

Well, listeners, if you have any feedback about today's discussion, you can contact us by emailing or sending a voice memo that you record on your phone to Muglacast gmail dot com. You can also DM us on social. You can reply in the Spotify or YouTube comments, whatever's convenient for you. We keep an eye on all of it. And next week we'll continue our Half Blood Prince discussion with Chapter 13, the Secret Riddle. Don't forget to visit mugglecast.com for links to our social media. Our Patreon we're gonna have a new bonus Mugglecast talking more about creating spells. Like do people discover these spells? Do they get compensated? Do these spells get added to some sort of database? Like, all kinds of great questions I can't wait to discuss with the panel today. So you'll find a link to our Patreon on mugglecast.com you'll also find there are transcripts, our favorite episodes and lots more. And if you're looking for more Podcasting from the four of us. Listen to our other shows, Millennial and what the Hype for more pop culture and real world talk. And now it's time for Quizzage.

[B]

This week's question in chapter 11 of book 6, Ron asks Hagrid what his barrel full of grubs will grow into. And Hagrid doesn't say. In real life, grubs are the larval stage of what insect? The correct answer is beetles. 47% of people with the correct answer say they did not look that up this week. Winners with the correct answer gave the following 6, 7 kid, a healthy breeze. Andrew's Pizza, Beatles, the Band Beetle, the Bard, Cheese Shark. Does this mean Rita Skeeter was a grub before adulthood? I love that.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Grubbly Weasel, Pot. Slytherin, Squib, Teacher of Muggles, the Grublet of Fire. Getting a lot of mileage out of this. The nurse that assigned Dudley his diet. The Rean, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Fox and Turtle. And here is next week's Quizzet question in chapter 12 of book 6, the path password to the Gryffindor common room is dilligrout. In real life is dilligrout a bird, B, a stew, C, a medicinal herb herb or D, a cave fungus? What is diligrout? It's multiple choice. Visit the Kwizzitch form located on the Mugglecast website. Go to mugglecast.comquizzic to submit your answer to us.

[A]

Chanel, thanks so much for joining us today.

[E]

Thank you.

[A]

It was a pleasure to have you on. And thanks for all your wonderful wisdom. And you win best dress co hosts ever, I think. And thanks for your support on Patreon.

[E]

Thank you so much.

[A]

Thanks everybody for listening.

[B]

I'm Andrew. I'm Eric.

[C]

I'm Micah.

[D]

I'm Laura.

[E]

And I'm Chanel.

[D]

Bye, everyone. See you next.

[E]

Sam.