Weasley Gossip Hour (HBP Chapter 5, An Excess of Phlegm)

Summary

MuggleCast: The Harry Potter Re-Read Podcast
Episode: Weasley Gossip Hour (HBP Chapter 5, An Excess of Phlegm)
Release Date: November 4, 2025
Host: Harry Potter | Co-hosts: Andrew, Eric, Micah, Laura | Guest: Kathlyn

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Episode Overview

In this episode, the MuggleCast crew dives into Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 5: "An Excess of Phlegm." The discussion covers the chapter’s plot developments, especially the Weasley family’s dynamic with Fleur Delacour and the tensions her presence brings. The team also shares their first impressions of the full cast Harry Potter audiobooks, and explores themes of family, prejudice, and relationships in the wizarding world. Slug Club guest Kathlyn joins to provide insights from a UK perspective.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. First Impressions: Full Cast Audiobooks

[03:33–09:41]

• The hosts share enthusiastic reactions towards the newly released full-cast Harry Potter audiobooks.
  • Micah: Describes the experience as “immersive”—not just narration, but a “movie for your ears” ([03:46]).
  • Andrew: Praises the sound design, music, and subtle background character reactions. Notably, Arabella Stanton voices Hermione and is also cast in the HBO Max TV show ([04:32], [05:12]).
  • Eric & Laura: Discuss casting choices; some find Hugh Laurie’s Dumbledore “too young-sounding.”
    • Andrew: "He just sounds too Hugh Laurie to me. I'm not hearing Dumbledore in his portrayal" ([06:14]).
    • Eric: Points out the challenge of adjusting expectations from previous Dumbledore actors ([06:38]).
  • General agreement that expectations can interfere with enjoying new interpretations, but everyone’s excited for the format.

Memorable Quote:

"It really feels like you’re listening to a movie. You just can’t see it. It blew past my expectations."
— Andrew ([04:32])

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2. At the Burrow: Dumbledore’s Unannounced Visits and Security Concerns

[11:30–18:20]

• The group revisits the recurring motif of Dumbledore dropping by unannounced and the comedic confusion about Harry’s early arrival.
  • Eric: “Dumbledore just drops in on people unannounced. I think this is extremely rude.” ([16:40])
  • Kathlyn raises a plot hole: the family is hyper-alert to security threats, yet they fail to verify Dumbledore and Harry’s identities upon arrival.
  • Eric & Andrew: Note Arthur Weasley is the only one meticulously following Ministry security guidelines, likely due to his promotion and large family ([18:20]).

Memorable Quote:

“Them showing up is literally what the Ministry is warning about. If anybody had read these pamphlets...they would have probed Harry and Dumbledore.”
— Eric ([17:36])

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3. Fleur Delacour and Molly Weasley: In-Law Tension and Prejudice

[21:30–33:36]

• Central to the chapter is the Weasley family’s reaction to Bill’s engagement to Fleur. The hosts analyze the underlying biases and stereotypes at play.
  • Laura: “Molly, Hermione and Ginny are being really unfair towards her. She should just want him to be happy.” ([22:32])
  • Andrew: Defends Molly’s priorities when Harry arrived—stress and security overshadow engagement news ([23:33]).
  • Eric: Explains the real-world parallel—families may not like new in-laws for non-rational reasons.
  • The crew discusses how the war accelerates relationships (“life’s too short, just do it” – Kathlyn [26:11]).
  • The lack of female camaraderie is noted, with Fleur being "set up to fail" due to culture and language barriers:
    • Kathlyn: “She’s not being rude, she’s just being her. If that makes sense.” ([31:56])

Memorable Quote:

“It feels like there can be a lot of women tearing down women in the series…a limitation of the storytelling.”
— Laura ([35:04])

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4. Female Relationships & Representation

[33:36–37:30]

• The lack of meaningful, supportive female friendships in the series is highlighted.
  • Laura & Kathlyn: Bring up the catty, competitive dynamic between female characters, wishing for more depth in their relationships.
  • Listeners on Discord chime in, suggesting Hermione-Ginny and Ginny-Luna as exceptions, but noting Ginny lacks adequate book representation.

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5. Ginny & Fleur: Missed Opportunities for Sisterhood

[37:31–40:05]

• The hosts analyze Ginny’s possible feelings—she’s never competed with another girl for family attention, and Fleur’s arrival is both jarring and an opportunity.
  • Kathlyn: Notes the significant age gap as a likely source of friction.
  • Micah: Suggests that if not for the war, Ginny and Fleur could have bonded over shared strengths.

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6. Fleur as the Outsider: Cultural Clashes

[40:05–42:12]

• Discussion moves to Fleur’s status as a foreigner in both country and family culture.
  • Eric and Kathlyn: Compare Fleur’s experience to real UK/Europe cultural differences and share anecdotes about differing school exam systems.

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7. Harry’s O.W.L. Results: Surprises and Reactions

[43:08–45:28]

• The crew reviews which of Harry’s O.W.L. grades was most surprising:
  • Andrew: "History of Magic. He got a D for dreadful. He should have done better."
  • Micah: “I’m surprised Harry eked out an E in Potions.”
  • Laura: Picks Divination, expecting Harry could have ‘phoned in’ a pass.
  • Kathlyn: Flags Harry’s strong Herbology score as unexpected.

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8. Pet Names & Listener Engagement: The Mollywobbles Segment

[45:55–49:06]

• Listeners share endearing pet names (“Buddy Boy,” “Bean,” “City Mouse”) in response to the chapter’s password scene.
• Lighthearted banter about hosts' nicknames wraps up the section.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Audiobook:
  “Maybe he’ll become more tired... a tired Dumbledore because he’s reading... six and a half Harry Potter books.” — Eric ([08:42])

• On Molly’s Reactions:
  "At the end of the day, Bill's the one who has to live with his chosen spouse." — Laura ([22:32])

• On Fleur Being an Outsider:
  “Harry is the only person that she feels that she knows... It must have been such a relief for her.” — Micah ([27:30])

• On Missed Opportunities for Female Bonds:
  “This could be the first week that they're in each other's company... On paper, Ginny and Fleur should absolutely get along.” — Eric ([40:05])

• On O.W.L. Results:
  “He got a D for dreadful. I know class is really boring, but he should have done better in that.” — Andrew ([44:35])

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Full Cast Audiobook Reactions: [03:33–09:41]
• Dumbledore’s Unannounced Visits: [11:30–18:20]
• Weasley-Fleur Tensions & Family Politics: [21:39–33:36]
• Female Representation & Friendships: [35:04–37:30]
• Ginny & Fleur Dynamic: [37:31–40:05]
• O.W.L. Results Discussion: [43:08–45:28]
• Listener Pet Names (Mollywobbles): [45:55–49:06]

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Tone and Atmosphere

• The episode is lighthearted, familial, and gently teasing, echoing the atmosphere of the Burrow itself.
• The crew mixes earnest analysis with personal anecdotes, humor, and occasional friendly roasting—just like the Weasleys.
• British vs. English cultural distinctions are discussed in good spirits, enhanced by Kathlyn’s guest perspective.

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Final Thoughts

This episode delivers a blend of thoughtful thematic discussion (culture clash, prejudice, gender roles) and classic MuggleCast camaraderie. Essential topics include Fleur’s outsider status, family politics in times of crisis, and the struggles of integrating new identities (both in families and in franchise content, like the audiobooks).

If you missed the episode, you’ll come away understanding not just the plot of “An Excess of Phlegm,” but also its larger relevance to issues of inclusivity, adaptation, and the sometimes awkward process of blending new personalities into tight-knit groups.

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Next Week

Half-Blood Prince Chapter 6: “Draco’s Detour”

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Transcript

[A]

I wonder, does Rufus even know that Dumbledore is about to show up? It's what, one o' clock in the morning at this point?

[B]

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

[C]

I'm Eric.

[A]

I'm Micah.

[D]

I'm Laura.

[B]

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 favorite podcast app so you never miss a week. And this week, put together down that telescope. It looks to be tampered with and nothing good will come of trying to use it. Chapter by chapter continues with chapter five of Half Blood Prince and Excess of Phlegm. And we have our first reactions to the brand new full cast Harry Potter audiobooks. And helping us with our discussion today, Slug Club guest, Cathyn. Welcome, Cathyn, to the show.

[E]

Hello.

[B]

It's a pleasure to have you on. You just celebrated a birthday actually, and you're wearing your Muggle cash shirt. Check, check, check. Can we get your fandom id, please?

[D]

Yeah.

[E]

So my favorite book is Half Blood Prince, believe it or not. And favorite movie is Philosopher's Stone. Or should I say Sorcerer's Stone. And I'm a Hufflepuff. No idea what my Ilvermorny house is. And my Patronus is a wood mouse. And for what would get me into the Stud Club. It's not really a talent, but my dance teacher was Paul Harris, who's the choreographer for Wands in the Harry Potter films. So I guess it's who you know.

[C]

Oh, my God. What dance school did you. What was this for?

[E]

So I studied like my university degree at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London, which is like a drama school. And he came in to be our dance teacher and teach us period dances. But he did make us watch a very long DVD of all his work and there's lots of Harry Potter stuff in there.

[B]

Oh, well, if you got Harry Potter in your credits, I guess I would show that off too.

[D]

So.

[C]

Yeah, I love this as an answer to what would get you in the Slug Club. Because it is who you know sometimes.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

So it makes a lot of sense.

[B]

Eric, you actually worked with this choreographer, right? Paul Harris? No.

[C]

You did.

[B]

I'm looking at pictures. He's training you?

[A]

No, the choreographer worked with Eric.

[C]

I had to post the choreographer. Paul tried, okay. Mr. Harris tried to get me to. The thing is, I posted two images. They're going on our Discord. Heck, maybe they'll go in the show Notes. But it's because I didn't and couldn't post the video of me being awful at learning wand choreography from the Harry potter celebration in 2015. This is 10 years ago. 10 years since I embarrassed myself on a stage in Orlando.

[B]

How are you bad with a wand, though? I don't, I don't. What do you mean? Like, you were just making the wrong moves?

[C]

I, I. Yeah, I turned left and did, like, the, the fifth of the five steps of the wand choreography is where you, like, do a rotate, and I completely dyslexia ed it and went the other way.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

So you see, like a, a stage of people who had never done this before. He was training, you know, groups of people at a time, all moving in sync after, like, three minutes, except I'm completely backwards in reverse. But I have the confidence and the stare of, like, having just done something amazing.

[B]

You do look confident. Yeah.

[C]

Thank you.

[B]

Well, better luck next time.

[C]

By the way, Kathryn, where do you hail from?

[E]

So, I'm from Aberdeen, Scotland, but I live in Essex, England.

[C]

Okay, cool. Love it.

[E]

The uk.

[B]

Well, the uk, yeah. Well, welcome and thank you for staying up late. It's currently quite late there, so we appreciate you staying up late.

[E]

Thank you for having me.

[B]

We do have some news to discuss. We were lucky to get a preview of the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone full cast audiobook. At least a couple of us have listened to it. First impressions.

[A]

I really enjoyed it. I've listened to a couple of chapters so far, and I will say that it's an immersive experience. It's not just like listening to Jim Dale or Stephen Fry, because this audiobook really takes you into the story. I'm still getting accustomed to some of the characters and the voice actors. I know we're going to talk a little bit about Hugh Laurie, but overall, it's a great listening experience. In terms of characters who stood out to me so far. Mark Addy as Hagrid. I think maybe because he sounds so much like Robbie Coltrane, that's what's kind of endeared me to him. I also loved him as Robert Baratheon on Game of Thrones, amongst many other things that he's been in.

[B]

I was blown away. Full cast, full sound, effects, music, the whole nine yards. It really feels like you're listening to a movie. You just can't see it. It blew past my expectations. I've been. I've listened to, like, three hours of Book One. I think the actor playing Draco is an early standout. He's played by Jude Ferrance. Also very cool to hear Arabella Stanton as Hermione. She's also going to be the Hermione in the Harry Potter TV show. So it's almost like getting a sneak peek of her in the Harry Potter TV show. And like I mentioned, music, sound effects, background effects, small reactions from characters that you hear as other characters are talking.

[A]

Just like that.

[B]

Oh yeah, just like what Eric did. A very cool moment to me was when all the kids saw Hogwarts for the first time. There was like this collective woe from everybody. It really builds on the book in wonderful ways. I even was listening. Today the Hogwarts school song gets performed by the kids. It's really cool. I've just really enjoyed it. This is a really special addition to the Wizarding World.

[C]

I haven't been able to listen yet. I got the link late in the week and haven't had a chance. But I'm very excited because I love Hugh Laurie. So Michael, what's your beef here?

[A]

I'll preface it by saying I hope that he grows on me in future books because presumably he's going to be around for quite a while in terms of these audiobooks and they've all been recorded at this point. He just sounds too young to be Dumbledore. That's my issue with it. And Andrew, like, would you second that? Like how do you feel?

[B]

Yes, well he just sounds too Hugh Laurie to me. I, I'm not hearing Dumbledore in his portrayal and I thought initially it was because oh, we're hearing Dumbledore, you know when he drops Harry off on Privet Drive. But then you get to Hogwarts and still the same Dumbledore. So that's the only one I'm just sort of like eh. About so far. But maybe he will grow on us. Yeah, he may sound older.

[C]

That's such an interesting thing because yeah, I mean the portrayals of Dumbledore we've seen before have all been by men above 60 and I'd say even maybe about 70 and or you know, Jim Dale and Stephen Fry doing an impression of a man who in the books is 150.

[B]

Right.

[C]

And so to have a young sounding Dumbledore, even besides the Fantastic Beasts series which has him portrayed by Jude Law would be I assume off putting a little. I can see how that might happen.

[D]

Hugh Laurie is 66 though. I just looked it up.

[A]

He sounds great.

[C]

So doesn't sound a day over 40.

[B]

I wouldn't say he. Right, exactly. Botox for the voice it's keeping him young. But I do think it doesn't impact the experience at all. It's something that kind of catches your ear when you first hear it, I think. But then you stop thinking about it.

[A]

And I'll just add. And Eric, this goes to your point earlier. There's an expectation coming in for Dumbledore with Richard Harris, with Michael Gambon, and I think that's also the case for a lot of these characters. You have an expectation of what you're about to hear and you need to kind of give yourself that space to be able to take in a new interpretation of any number of these characters. So I need to be a little bit more open minded, I think, going into it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But I've been so far something.

[C]

It'll be interesting, Micah, because like you said, it takes some, maybe some getting used to. Is I think that like Gambit and as Dumbledore took several films before I was like truly cozy and with Half Blood in particular, the movie, I was just like, okay, this is Dumbledore for me. So I really am wondering if come book two, book three, fortunately, you only have to wait a couple months to see if he does in fact grow on you or the role. You're like, yeah, this is Dumbledore. It's an interesting take. Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. Maybe he'll become more tired, like a tired Dumbledore because he's reading his as.

[C]

He grows weary of reading six and a half Harry Potter books. Yeah.

[B]

Oh, why'd I commit to seven books?

[C]

Don't do it anymore.

[B]

The first book does come out November 4th. Again, really great experience. I'm very much looking forward to all these. Yeah, it. It's keeping me engaged in the story in a way I wasn't expecting. I. I typically my mind will wander with audiobooks, but with this, like, it's keeping me locked in, so can't recommend it enough. The books are only available on Audible and you can stream them through Amazon Music if you're an unlimited member there. And speaking of previews, by the way, just want to say in two weeks from now, I'll share some thoughts on Universal's new Harry Potter themed land at their latest theme park, Epic Universe. I'll be going there next week and looking forward to finally seeing that. So we'll let you all know how the land is.

[A]

You have fun riding Umbridge.

[B]

Excuse me, Isn't that what it's called? I don't believe the ride is called Umbridge. I think it's Battle of the Ministry or something like that.

[D]

I thought you were implying it was called riding on bridge, and I was going to be like, whoa.

[B]

Oh, that's exactly what he meant. Micah, you can go now. You're excused for the night. Kathryn, I'm so sorry for the lack of professionalism here. And sorry tease you with. It's hard to tease you with the talk of the audiobook. Well, listeners, if you enjoy Mugglecast and want to help keep this show looking better than Ron Weasley's Al results, and hey, maybe you want to help support getting Andrew Butterbeer at the new Epic Universe Land, we invite you to become a member of our [e-mail] mugglecast and by joining, you'll get instant access to two bonus Mugglecast episodes every month, plus ad free episodes, access to our live streams, a personal video thank you message from one of the Mugglecasters, a physical gift delivered by Al each year, and much more.

[A]

And if you buy you a Butterbeer.

[B]

You'Ll buy me a Butterbeer.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

You have my Venmo.

[D]

Okay.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Yes.

[B]

Yes. Perfect. And if you're looking for other ways to support us, you can leave us a review in your favorite podcast app, you can tell a fellow Muggle about our show, and you can visit Mugglecast merch to buy official show gear. Kathleen's wearing her Mugglecast shirt tonight. Eric is. Yeah, we got three all the same, the 19 years later shirts. We still have some of these available, so don't miss out. Mugglecastmerch.com and then click the banner at the top of the page to visit the Overstock store. We're going to take a quick break and then dive into chapter by chapter. We'll be right back. Time for chapter by chapter. And we're discussing Half Blood Prince Chapter five, An Excess of Phlegm.

[C]

We last discussed this chapter of Half Blood Prince on Mugglecast 383 for September 10th of 2018. That episode was titled she Existed. And as always, we make some revelations in this clip.

[B]

What you're looking at on memories.

[C]

This is the most important memory I've collected.

[B]

It is from Mugglekast episode 383. But I think you raise a good question. The very first thing you said, who made the clock? That would help Molly figure out.

[C]

Yeah, send him an owl.

[B]

Why is Mortal Peril?

[C]

Why he's stuck on mortal? Or where's the grandfather clock repair wizard? Like where's Ma'?

[B]

Am? Do I have to state the obvious? Voldemort is back. That's why it says Mortal Peril. I mean, ultimately it kinda ends up being right for at least one of the Weasleys.

[C]

Yeah, nobody's safe. Yeah, especially when Molly doesn't do the password.

[B]

So could the clock actually have known that one of them was going to die? But maybe it didn't know, which I.

[C]

Think that might be a stretch.

[B]

I need a clock for lavender brown to find out what's going on with her. This memory is everything.

[C]

Remember when we didn't know a lot about lavender brown seven years ago and we still don't know about lavender brown?

[B]

Some things never change.

[C]

Let's crack into this lovely chapter In Excess of Phlegm. Something that stands out to me on this most recent reread. You know, Harry is at the Burrow. He's eating a wonderful plate or bowl of onion soup that Molly has cooked for him late at night and between this evening. So he's just like, dumbledore has just left, Tonks has left. And first thing in the morning, several people multiple times remark about how Harry was not expected until way later. Like, maybe the thing with Slughorn was going to take all night and then some. Because Dumbledore originally told them, you know, told Molly, like, hey, we'll be back in the morning. But because we're fresh off our Horace Slughorn chapter discussion, I kind of wanted to tug that thread a little bit more and say, you know, it's honestly shocking how many times it comes up in this chapter, right on page 83 of the US edition, Molly says to Harry, everyone's in bed, of course, we didn't expect you for hours. Then Arthur gets home and he goes, harry, we didn't expect you till morning. And then Harry's woken up the next morning and Ron goes, we didn't know you were here already. It's utterly absurd that so many people were like, he's coming tomorrow, he's coming tomorrow. Wait, he's here now? Let's tell Harry how crazy that is. So I got to ask, I got to ask, what was Dumbledore's B plan? C plan, if they were going to be there another, like, 10 hours? Like, trying to persuade Slughorn was going to tie him up. Like, what was Dumbledore thinking originally? That obviously at the end of the previous chapter, Dumbledore says, harry did his magic and, you know, something only Harry could do. But, like, what if that hadn't worked? What was the plan?

[E]

I mean, I'm convinced he would have taken them down the pub for a nightcap. And being like, here you go just keep plowing him and then intoxicated him all the way back to Hogwarts. That's what I'm pretty convinced he would have just apparated him back. Because he can do that, right, Dumbledore?

[B]

So nothing a butterbeer couldn't have fixed, you're saying? Yeah.

[D]

Did you see Dumbledore do this later to the head of the orphanage?

[C]

Yeah, yeah. To only get Mrs. Cole a little drunker, a little looser around the lips. Well, I was wondering if in this case, as you're saying this, like if his goal is to get Slughorn drunker maybe he would abandon the approach of trying to recruit Slughorn and he would go straight for the Horcrux memory. Like really attempt to pry it out of him. He's like, okay, if you won't. If you. Because that's why he wants Slughorn at Hogwarts, right, is to get to the bottom of this theory he has that Tom Riddle went after Horcrexes. So maybe if Slughorn really is unpersuadable.

[B]

I think Dumbledore was maybe also just sort of banking on Slughorn thinking about it in the preceding hours and changing his mind. I think maybe he got really lucky walking out. And Slughorn immediately was like, okay, yes, I'll do it, but give me a raise. He was hoping that Slughorn overnight would realize that he should go to the school. He'd be safe there. He would have a permanent address where all of his Slug Club alumni could reach him. There are a lot of perks for Slughorn, plus a raise.

[A]

I just think Dumbledore is on a mission. This whole book so far he's about getting things done and getting results. He goes to the Dursleys and he tells them what's up. He goes and recruits Slughorn. He drops Harry off at the Weasleys. And by the way, this is the third consecutive chapter where Dumbledore just drops in on people unannounced. I think this is extremely rude.

[B]

It is.

[A]

And he mentions Rufus Scrimgeor that he has to go and meet with him. I wonder, does Rufus even know that Dumbledore is about to show up? It's what, one o' clock in the morning at this point?

[C]

Yeah, yeah. It keeps getting an hour later. Like, he shows up at The Dursley's at 11. He shows up at Horror at Midnight. You know, 1:00am fortunately, we know Scrimjar wants to talk to Dumbledore because he needs to.

[A]

I don't think he's getting much sleep at this point either as Minister for Magic. Yeah, probably not, but still very rude of Dumbledore. But I also noticed here Catelyn, you have a plot hole related to Dumbledore and Harry.

[E]

Yeah, well they have the whole Mollywobbles thing with Arthur and they want to identify everybody. They don't trust anybody and they're all like oh you're back super early, we didn't expect you to be here like that would be suspicious to me like why haven't they checked who they are?

[C]

That's a good point. They have extra reason to be suspicious like because if you're gonna break in somewhere or pretend to be somebody it's, it's literally somebody that you don't expect or at a time you don't expect. Them showing up is literally what the Ministry is warning about. If anybody had read these pamphlets I'm telling you and taking them seriously they would have probed Harry and Dumbledore. Well at least Arthur Weasley of all people is observing these guidelines because he wants to put on, he wants to be the example, the prime example of ministry fool. No safe person. He actually has been promoted. This is a wonderful thing but he's the only one we see taking this stuff seriously as far as security goes.

[B]

Well he's got a big family that he needs to be looking out for so I think it's just really wise of him to be leading by example and hoping that the example he sets is instilled in the rest of his family not to mention his family members are potential high value targets if you will because of the association to Harry. So it's very important that they're taking these security measures seriously.

[C]

That's a great point.

[E]

Does he also want to really follow the guidelines? Because I mean it's already mentioned in the chapter that his sons, they could have made these things they could have been behind this magic. It's something they could have thought up of and he's like I'm going to be extra good because you know like they're going to think straight away it's my jokester sons.

[C]

That's a heck of a thing. I think that Fred and George's occupation which we'll get even more insight into in the next chapter could be muddying the waters here a little bit because like to your point Cathyn, it does this sort of these fake protective things that are, that are scams essentially that necessitate the creation of this department do sound like something Fred and George might make.

[A]

I do think though it's also really cool that it's mentioned that Arthur misses his old job despite his promotion. He seems to have a strong love of all things Muggles.

[B]

Also, very long job title office for the detection and confiscation of counterfeit defensive spells and protective objects. Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at Universal Orlando's the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Hogsmeade.

[A]

That's one heck of a business card. Can you imagine trying to fit that on your business card? It'd take up the whole thing.

[E]

But there are so many government jobs that have ridiculous titles. Right. And they're super long. So there is in the uk.

[B]

Yeah. No, it's probably a problem here in America as well.

[C]

We are going to continue our discussion of the excess of phlegm that is happening at the borough. But first, here's a word from our sponsors. Let's move on. We get some updates. More updates from Molly and in this case, one from Fleur Delacour, who's here. She brings Harry his breakfast in the morning after Ron has come in, voiced his surprise and apparently hit Harry on the head for being there so early. I don't understand. It's very weird and movie 4ish. But Fleur is surprised to learn that Harry does not yet know that she and Bill Weasley, the Weasley's eldest child, are engaged to be married. And Molly, who's immediately soured after Fleur has looked at her, is saying, we hadn't gotten around to telling him yet. And it's interesting because at the beginning of the chapter, you know, Molly really is info dumping on Harry and she tells him about the promotion and, you know, it's this lovely conversation. Somehow her oldest, the first child of hers to be engaged, is not, you know, top news. It doesn't make the cut the night before. Can we intuit here that there's, I don't know, anything other than a lack of enthusiasm going on from Molly toward Bill and Fleur's nuptials?

[D]

Yeah, I mean, she's clearly not happy about it. It's a stereotype, unfortunately.

[C]

What's that?

[D]

Mothers and their older sons.

[C]

They're super protective.

[B]

Well, I was going to say too. This is just something you see in the Muggle world as well, where sometimes somebody's going to come into the family and family members aren't going to like them. I can point to a couple examples in my own family where it's like, you know, we just got to deal with them being a part of the family now. Maybe they're nice, maybe they mean, but they just. You just don't jive it. It's just a thing that happens because the partner might fall in love. But then it doesn't mean the rest of the family has to like them for the same reasons. Hopefully they do.

[D]

Right? Yeah. I mean, Molly just needs to remember, you know, she can have her own feelings, but at the end of the day, Bill's the one who has to live with his chosen spouse. Right.

[C]

Like, wow.

[B]

Laura's not a fan either, it sounds like.

[D]

No, I'm not saying anything like that. I actually think Molly, Hermione and Ginny are being really unfair towards her. But at the same time, I truly believe, like, as his parent, she should just want him to be happy and understand that, like, she's not the one who has to live with Fleur. So at the end of the day, she needs to get over it. And she will. She will, like a lot of people.

[C]

Do well after a grand gesture.

[B]

But Molly brings up that they've known each other for just a year, which at first seems to be her primary concern. And then this turns into a conversation about people rushing to do things in light of this war that they're in in case they die sooner rather than later. And, you know, it's understandable. That's actually something we see in the real world, too. Some bad news is afoot, the current politics of the world, and it causes people to move up their timelines to lock things in before things change.

[A]

In terms of why maybe it wasn't brought up when Harry first arrived, I think there were probably more things pressing on Molly's mind at that time than the fact that Fleur was in the house. And like, I don't know, she seems very stressed out putting Fleur aside in this chapter. And we see that with when Harry first arrives and Tonks is there and she's trying to console her, and then she has to cook Carrie dinner at 1 o' clock in the morning. She's worried about whether or not Arthur is going to show up on time. So there's a lot of different things that are at play here. And I don't think telling him about an engagement is probably at the top of her mind, in fairness to her.

[C]

I think that's fair. Yeah.

[A]

Now, what happens throughout the rest of the chapter, however.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Is not fair towards Fleur.

[B]

Molly also brings up that she and Arthur got married quickly, but she says they were made for each other, so it's okay that they rushed into it.

[C]

It's funny because Ginny Ginny points this out. So, like, Ginny alternates between complaining about Fleur who apparently talks to her like she's a child and then also getting kind of like the devil's advocate position where she's like, actually, didn't. Didn't you and dad get married really early? And Molly, you know, so the hypocrisy is pointed out. And that's. That's delightful because characters that we love, like, you know, you're. Everyone's allowed a little bit of, like, foolishness or contradictions. I think contradictions make people, you know, sometimes. And Molly's like, well, that's because your father and I were meant for each other so what's the point in waiting? And I gotta say, I actually relate to Mrs. Weasley here because, actually, cards on the table. The reason that I am married right now and got married in January of this year is because of greater political realities and things. And I thought best to do it. Meg and I, you know, were a fit. We knew we were going to do it eventually. Why not, given the weight of the world? And I'll tell you what, the thing about that that I learned was as things were getting real dark and feeling just cold and dark all winter and all that stuff in the beginning of this year I was able to look around and just say, heh, I did a thing. I'm married now. And that little boost of happiness, of euphoria, of, like, ah, we did a thing actually pulled us through some darker times, I think.

[E]

Yeah. I think after, like, COVID lockdowns, you saw a lot of this. A lot of people having babies and, like, getting married and stuff. And I certainly. Me and my partner weren't living together through lockdown and we moved in together and we're now married. And I think, yeah, you just accelerate things because you think, God, like, life's too short. Just do it.

[D]

I was also gonna say, you know, I don't think there's, like, a manual to know exactly when's the right time. Like, I think there are certainly probably, like, very short time frames that most people could agree. Like, that's really quick to get married. But a year, considering, like, one, the time period this takes place we have to remember it's not 20, 25 where people aren't getting married until they're well into their 30s. People were getting married much younger then. And then, two, considering the fact that they are in the middle of a war. I think that kind of colors the circumstances in a way that might help a couple, like, develop the depth of their relationship more quickly than they would if they were living in peacetime. So I don't know. I think it's all relative, and I think Molly is just in a little bit of denial here.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

Micah, you had a great point about Fleur finding comfort in Harry being there.

[A]

Yeah. And I think, in fairness to Fleur, she's still very much a foreigner. We see her as a foreigner in Goblet of Fire, literally. But she's a foreigner in this house. And Harry is the only person that she feels that she knows. And it must have been such a relief for her to hear that he was at the borough, and that's why she made the decision to bring him up his breakfast. And I know she kind of steps on Molly's toes a little bit in doing that, but I think she's genuinely excited to have somebody in the house that she has some kind of relationship with, because she doesn't have a relationship with anybody else outside of Bill.

[C]

Yeah, it's a great point. And it makes me question. I don't say Bill's motive, but Bill's. Bill's actions here because he's at his job, presumably. I think we do see him at the borough at the beginning of the next chapter, which is nice. But Bill has left his fiance, who, you know, English is not her first language. She speaks with an accent everyone hates, clearly. Um, and he's left her here to, like, the wolves, to just kind of figure it out. And maybe he's thinking, I'm a Weasley. The Weasleys are the nicest family in the wizarding world. They're gonna be fine.

[B]

But we also don't really know how much time she spent with Molly & Co. Prior to this scene, do we? I mean, yes, they didn't vacation together, but maybe there have been some dinners together or something. But I agree with you. There probably was a better way to get her more involved with the family and have her staying at the house. I also just think that, you know, Fleur is part Veela. She's this beautiful lady who all the guys oogle over, and she's kind of like this, like, almost larger than life figure because of that. And I think Molly maybe was just hoping that all of her children would meet people who are a little more down to earth.

[D]

Yeah, that's probably part of it, I think. Also, I think you're onto something with talking about Molly imagining someone more down to earth, almost like someone more like the family.

[B]

Exactly.

[D]

Like, she thinks of Harry like a son Right. And that's why she's trying to push Tonks off. Exactly.

[C]

Well, and that is suggested in this chapter that it's that Molly wishes. We don't hear it from Molly, but the, I guess the, the implication is that they think that she wants Tonks to be with Bill instead. Really? I think Molly's just canceling Tonks about Lupin, which we don't find out until much later. But yeah, it's. It's just interesting from a down to earth standpoint, because look at where Charlie is. Like, her next kid may never return from Romania where he's with his dragons. Like, you know, Percy's in the wind somewhere. We don't know what that relationship might be if he's kept up with Penelope, you know, we just don't know. And so it's rich of Mrs. Weasley to be disapproving of somebody who. Bill is at least doing the right thing and bringing her home and letting her meet the family and not springing anything on Mrs. Weasley. She has a whole year to look forward to this. So I know she'll come around on it, though.

[E]

I mean, I think as well, with the whole, like you were saying about the accent and everything, my thoughts are British people are like, overly polite and can be quite like passive aggressive. And mainland Europe can be a bit more to the point. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Like both, there's pros and cons to both ways. And I think just sometimes as a British person, when someone comes in and they can be kind of to the point, you're like, oh, what is this? What is this? And you need to just kind of be like, all right, okay. That's just the cultural ways. And I think there's probably a lot of that kind of clash there as well. Because this is like. Yeah, it is. This is a real, like British family, like wizarding family. But they're very, very British in, like, their ways. And so I think that probably her being. She's not being rude, she's just being her. If that makes sense.

[D]

Yeah, yeah, right. And she's still learning English. She still talks about how she's still practicing her English. So we have to remember that there are some things, like you talk about culture clashing. Like certain linguistic phrases and terms do not translate well from one language to another. So she still has a lot of, like, colloquialisms to learn. And so she's probably not meaning to be rude. It's just like, as you said, Kathlyn, like, she's talking the way she talks.

[E]

Yeah.

[C]

And she's been set up to fail to. You know, the way that like, like with Hermione, even like the way that Ron reacts, which is not an entirely conscious decision on Ron's part whenever she's surprised shows up is a subject of ridicule for both Ginny and Hermione against Ron and, and, and but it another reason for them to dislike Fleur because of the effect that Villa have on the warm blooded English male. So she's set up to fail here.

[A]

I think it's really not fair either the way that Hermione treats Fleur because we think about how she views Krum. This is somebody from the exact same tournament in Goblet of Fire. And I think that Harry's point about Fleur being good enough to get into the Triwizard Tournament is one of the only positive things that we hear about her in this entire chapter.

[D]

I think Hermione's just jealous.

[C]

Could be. If. So it's an unpleasant side of Hermione that we're seeing.

[A]

But I guess maybe I just expect more from Hermione and maybe I shouldn't in this case.

[C]

That's also. Everyone's still what, 16 now.

[D]

Yeah, Hermione really does grow.

[E]

Yeah, exactly.

[D]

Catelyn. Like we have to remember she is 16 and she definitely regresses in this book. Like think about everything we're gonna see later with Cormac and Hermione using him to make Ron jealous because of Lavender.

[C]

Lavender.

[D]

So yeah, she's just jealous.

[B]

Yeah, she has these moments. I've brought this up before across the series where it's really surprising the things that she.

[C]

Yes, she's basically a serial killer. That's an old, old, old reference. But yeah. One thing I wanted to point out though, there was actually a ton of really good discussion about Fleur on. I'm going to give a shout out to the All Girls Mugglecast episode that was done, which was 634. And there's actually a ton of talk about Fleur's role as a woman in the series, how she's viewed by other women. And I just really would encourage anybody who looking for more of this discussion and also in general to check out the All Girls Mugglecast if you haven't already. That was a great episode. There have been two now actually I believe. And that was again episode 634. Yeah. What do you remember about that discussion, Laura?

[D]

You know, the main thing that always sticks out to me about that discussion, but then also about the dynamics that we see represented in these books is that unfortunately, we don't get to see very many, if any, at all, deep relationships between female characters that are built on any kind of, like, mutual respect. It feels like that there can be a lot of women tearing down women in the series. And like, granted, it's a coming of age story and unfortunately, teenagers can just be big jerks to each other, I think, regardless of gender. But there is the stereotype about teenage girls in particular that does exist for a reason, because it is out there. I even think back to when I was a teenager and I could be. I could be a little catty sometimes. I like to think I've grown since then. But the problem is you're not the only one, Laura.

[E]

I was too.

[D]

Yeah. I mean, yeah, I love this. See, like, it's all hug. It's all about growth. Yeah. Group hug. But like, I think the problem is, particularly this chapter shows us that a lot of the examples we see of women interacting with each other are more on that side of the spectrum than they are on the support side of the spectrum. And that's just a limitation of the storytelling that we got here. We definitely talked about some ways that representation of. Of female friendships could have been stronger in the series because there are opportunities for it, for sure.

[A]

I was thinking about Molly and Hermione, but then I thought back to Just Goblet of Fire where she was angry at Hermione for certain things related to Harry. Right.

[D]

Yeah. Well, and actually, James, in our Discord, actually, several people on our Discord are weighing in on this. James is saying the exception is Hermione and Ginny, or maybe Ginny Luna. But even then it feels like Hermione. Ginny is only because Hermione ends up a Weasley. Oh, and to be honest, we also talked a lot about how Ginny doesn't get enough representation in the books. Like she is. She is a really cool character and we don't get as much time with her as I think we should have gotten, given how prominent she ended up being.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

So I wanted to ask about Ginny, though, and I'm sure this was something that you discussed, Laura, on that episode. But I'm wondering if for her, some of her behavior towards Fleur has to deal with the fact that she's never had to compete with another female in her family for FaceTime before.

[D]

Maybe she also doesn't know what it's like to have a big sister. And I think Fleur is doing some of that to her. Maybe Unintent. Maybe it's a little bit of both. Maybe it's intentional and unintentional because, I mean, compared to where Jenny is at this point, she's what, 15? Think about how you looked at 15 year olds when you were, what, 19? Is that how old Fleur is? I mean.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[D]

It's. It really is. Like, you kind of are. There is a chasm between you developmentally wise. At least it feels like there is when you're at that age. So I think the dynamic here is pretty natural. What do you think, Kathleen?

[E]

No, yeah, I totally agree. I think the age gap is actually massive. That four years might not seem very much to us, but I think to that age, it's a huge difference. And she's also used to having a little sister, Fleur, so she's. So she might just be like that with her little sister as well. I know as a big sister to little brothers, I can be quite. Not, like, condescending, I guess, when I know more than them.

[D]

So.

[E]

And I want to teach them that and I want to teach them the right way to be, especially when I was younger. And so I think she's probably just kind of clinging on to that and maybe that's her way of trying to, like, bond with Ginny, with her being like, I'll treat you like I treat my little sister. I teach you this, I teach you that.

[D]

And let's be real, older sisters always know best.

[E]

Absolutely.

[D]

I think that's. We are not gonna even debate that. We won't entertain that.

[C]

Oh, okay. I was ready for old school debate style. No, I think that that's really lovely insight into that process. And again, with Fleurb bringing up Gabrielle, she's obviously thinking about her sister too.

[A]

Is it then almost like Ginny is missing an opportunity here because she's grown up with all brothers. Now there's this opportunity maybe too, if the circumstances were different, if they weren't in the midst of a wizarding war, that it would have played out in a different way.

[C]

Yeah, it's super soon, too. Like, this could be the first week that they're in each other's company, you know, like, maybe. But on paper, like, I'm loving this discussion because on paper, Ginny and Fleur should absolutely get along. They're both kind of jocks. They're both, you know, like, athletic, but they're both smart, they're intelligent. You know, I think that they would actually have a lot in common, frankly. But, you know, there's still so much time ahead. Of them for them to see this. So now I want the fanfic that's like Ginny and Fleur, little sister, big sister and littler sister. Because Gabrielle can come too, you know, just interacting. Post book seven.

[A]

It's called Hocus Pocus.

[C]

Hermione can stay home. Yes, very Hocus Pocus. So yeah, what I noticed too wrapping up kind of our discussion on Fleur is there is a moment where everyone cuts her off and it's because the owls are coming. Harry kind of sets off the alarm because everyone's wondering and he's like, oh yeah. Dumbledore told me they would be showing up. Notice how they didn't come eight hours earlier than Dumbledore said. That's weird. But no, actually Fleur has just a half of a moment to say that the French system at Beauxbaton of doing studies, you know, doing quizzes, doing. What's the word? I'm testing. Academic testing happens at year six instead of after five years of study. Fleur just gets in under the wire that she thinks it's better how they do it at Beaubaton, which is probably one of those situations Cathlene where like that's a rude thing to say but she's not thinking that way that it's a rude thing to say. Like I know how it would sound as a foreigner came in. It was like the way we do things is better. But also I'm inclined to listen. Everybody else just kind of cuts her off and we never find out what Fleur's opinion is on testing, which I'm kind of just sad by that Nobody like gets comes back to her later. And it's like you were saying, it's.

[E]

Funny because that's quite similar to like the Scottish and English differences in the testing system in schools go on. So in Scotland. Well, when I was at school, which is a long time ago, the exams have changed now.

[B]

I think we're the same race when we were. Yeah's the youngest in the group actually.

[C]

Oh man. Okay.

[E]

It was. You would sit your. What we would be. Our GCSEs is like slightly younger than in. In the. In England and the same with the next level up as well. When you're finishing school they have their like A levels in England which they do over two years but in Scotland it's like hires and it's in one year. So I remember moving down here and be like, you only have three and you did it over two years. I have five and I did it in a year. But like that's Just the way the system was. It was just totally different. And I remember people being like, I work so hard for my A level, so I must have been the flair in that situation.

[C]

Oh, man. No, that's, that's, that's really cool. Um, so the OWL results come. We're going to get into some odds and ends here, but one thing we wanted to mention before wrapping up is that Harry does in fact get to tell Ron and Hermione that the prophecy is true. That the Daily Prophet is reporting correctly. He, Harry is the Chosen One.

[B]

But I am the Chosen One.

[C]

I am the Chosen One. It's interesting because Harry, like Harry, has permission from Dumbledore to tell Hermione and Ron this. Dumbledore explicitly says you should tell Hermione and Ron this. And that's why Harry does. I'm trying to imagine a book 6 where Harry doesn't tell them this.

[B]

Harry feels relieved after telling Ron and Hermione about the prophecy. It's a big weight off of his shoulders. And not only did he get it over with, but he sees that they were still there on either side of him, speaking bracing words of comfort, not shrinking from him as though he were contaminated or dangerous. And I think it's a good reminder of not hesitating to be vulnerable in front of your people who you trust and love. You will always feel better after you do that.

[C]

Yeah. Hear, hear.

[B]

Time for MVP of the week.

[C]

I wanted to talk about Harry's OWL results. We have the list here. So, everyone, what is the most surprising grade that Harry got?

[B]

I'm gonna say History of Magic. He got a D for dreadful. I feel. I know class is really boring with bins, but I feel like that's. He should have done better in that he should have put more effort into it.

[A]

And he passed out in the middle of the. The exam. He should have gotten to go and do a retake.

[B]

So.

[C]

Thought you were going to say he should have gotten troll.

[B]

I was going to say he should have gotten troll for that. It's a miracle. It's a surprise. He got dreadful.

[A]

I'm with you, Andrew.

[C]

Well, I'm going to actually say I'm very and most surprised that Harry eked out an E in Potions Exceeds Expectations. I know he said that it's better without Snape breathing down his neck, but we don't see Harry remembering Potions. And in fact, this book is 100% proof that Harry doesn't know about Potions on his own. So I'm surprised.

[D]

I'm gonna say Divination. Like, I know he didn't try, obviously, because he didn't care about it, but I feel like he should have been able to foam this one in for at least an A, not a. Come on.

[E]

Yeah, I was really surprised by her biology. I mean, he didn't know what gillyweed was in Goblet of Fire, and he's done pretty well in herbology now, so either that, like, put a rocket up him to, like, get a move on and study, I don't know. But I was quite surprised.

[C]

It's time now for the Lynx line segment. We asked a question over on Patreon, and our wonderful participants gave us the answers for this one. Because this is the chapter where Arthur observes the password thing and Molly Wobbles is revealed to us. We asked listeners, what is an endearing pet name that you or a loved one use that you're comfortable sharing with us, and what are its origins? This might be one of my favorite links lines we've ever done. People really showed up for it.

[B]

So Darren said, my girlfriend and I call each other Biscuit. I have her listed as Honey Biscuit Bun in my phone. That's cute, but would also make me hungry personally. Oh.

[C]

I was gonna say, doesn't this make you want to melt into, like, a glaze? But now I'm hungry, too. Darn it. Rachel says, one of my high school friends is named Lev, and one day someone asked if it was short for anything. As a joke, I said, it's short for elevator, and the name stuck.

[D]

It's funny.

[A]

Michael says, for some reason, when my brother was really little, I called him the baby of Truth.

[D]

Oh, very prophetic. Christina says, I call my husband Buddy Boy, and he calls me Buddy Girl. Our wi fi name is Buddy People. I really. I really cannot remember where this came from.

[B]

I love that.

[D]

That is delightful.

[C]

Hey, Buddy boy. Hey, Buddy Girl. We're Buddy people.

[E]

Kristen says, I call my husband Bean, and he calls me Sprout. It all started with a joke about Jack and the Giant Beanstalk because he is much taller than me.

[B]

Oh, that's cute. That's cute. We have so many cute listeners.

[C]

I know. This is adorable.

[B]

Jenny said, I grew up in the suburbs of a bigger city, and my husband grew up in a rural area, so he calls me City Mouse and I call him Country Mouse.

[D]

Aw.

[C]

I love that you're both Mouse. Aw. Bailey says we. I'm gonna try not to die laughing. We call my nephew Beef. His real name is Felix, and when he was a baby, his mom would call him Fifi. The other kids couldn't quite get the sound right and started calling him Thief. It then just morphed into Beef. Now he won't respond to anything else. The whole family, the neighbors and the kids at school all call him Beef. It's a little silly, but I love my little Beefy boy. Amazing.

[A]

And Manda says, growing up, my brother called me Pork Chop. This stems from the Red Hot Chili Pepper song, by the way, where they say Pawn Shop. But I thought the lyric was Pork Chop. I stand by my assessment, and the lyric will always be Pork Chop to me. My name for my husband is Baloo, just like Bear. Just like the bear in the Jungle Book. I think I saw him scratching his back on a corner once and the name just stuck.

[B]

Hot.

[A]

And my name for Andrew is Andy Candy.

[B]

Oh, wow.

[C]

I didn't know if you were gonna share that. That's your security question on several platforms I have.

[A]

You're not supposed to say that.

[B]

Wait, now let me log into his Gmail right then.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

Andy Candy. Happy Halloween. The links line is a great way to have your voice heard on the show, whether or not you're listening live. We ask a new question with every episode. Become a member of our community today by going to patreon.com mugglecast and receiving this and many more benefits like Bonus Mugglecast. We have the new one out about with Wizarding World. Would you rather scenarios? It was a lot of fun. So check out that latest bonus mc and 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 Next week we'll discuss Half Blood Prince Chapter 6, Draco's Detour. Visit mugglecast.com for links to our social media Patreon 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 Quiz Edge.

[C]

This week's question There are two basic kinds of stitches in knitting. The first is called a knit. What's the second one called? The correct answer is purl. P U R L is how it's spelled. So knit and purl are the two stitches in knitting. 66% of all people that submitted the answer say they did not look this up. So that's kind of neat. Probably a high percentage there. And correct answers were submitted to us by a healthy breeze. A stitch in time saves slughorns. 9. Ashley, Ashley B. Bagels for Buckbeak Bird. Betty Botts, Every Flavor Beans. Bill Nighy, the Potions Guy. Clanging and banging Crochet is better anyway. Excess of Yarn. Gwen Weasley. I want one of Mrs. Weasley's home knit sweaters. Insert witty name here. Jessely Hallows, Jiggly Jane, Kristen the Slither Claw Lumos Knox Lynn the Allomancer. More live shows not so Muggle Only had to look up how to spell it. Sonya Tangled Yarn. The Selected Learners United for Gifts Club. Gifts for Slughorn. Obviously. The Hungry, Hungry, Hungry. Hufflepuff Tofu Tom and Wally Saurus Woo. People liked this week's quizzage. That's a high turnout and you're all going to really like next week's. All right, next week's Kwizzitch question. According to a 2011 estimate, there are 7 million Flemish people in the world. In what country do Flemish people largely reside? That is, where are they from? I am expecting our European listeners to crush this and show up in droves and overwhelm us. Kathlyn, do you know the answer to this?

[E]

I do. I have a Flemish friend.

[B]

Oh, okay.

[C]

So submit your answer to us on the quizzage form located on the Mugglecast [e-mail] Quizzit or if you're already on the website checking out transcripts or the Musk Listens page or anything else, click on quizit from the main navigation.

[B]

Kathlyn, thanks for joining us today and thank you again for staying up so late. We really appreciate it.

[D]

You're the best.

[E]

I appreciate you having me on. Thank you.

[B]

And Kathlyn, thank you for your English perspective today. We really. That really came in handy today.

[A]

Really valued.

[E]

I was like, this is my episode. Yes.

[B]

And your favorite book, like you said.

[D]

Would it be more appropriate to say British perspective?

[E]

It would be. It would be okay.

[B]

And thank you for your British perspective.

[C]

No, British.

[E]

Probably British.

[B]

I remember one time back in the day, I swear I would always say British. And then people were like, it's an English accent, Andrew, not British. And I've been terrified of saying British ever since.

[E]

Well, yeah, British is like the culture and the place, like, of the two kind, like, well, the four countries. And then English is like. An English accent is like from England, if that makes sense.

[B]

I'm just some dumb Yank, so please excuse me.

[E]

Everyone does it. Don't worry. But people in England say that I'm Brit, like, I'm English.

[A]

So your home country is beautiful. I was there last year.

[E]

We call it God's country for a reason.

[D]

I really want to go.

[B]

Thanks, everyone, for listening. I'm Andrew.

[C]

I'm Eric.

[A]

I'm Micah.

[D]

I'm Laura.

[E]

And I'm Kathlyn.

[B]

Bye, everyone.

[D]

Bye, Ra.