MuggleCast: The Harry Potter Re-Read Podcast

This week, bring your finest gin (Andrew's is indigo!) to a party at the Muggle orphanage where Mrs. Cole is meets Dumbledore, as our Chapter-by-Chapter series continues discussing Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Our Chapter 13 discussion of "The Secret Riddle" is thought-provoking and focused largely on Dumbledore's actions and his intentions, based on what he might have known about things way back in the early 1940's.


News: We discuss two new castings for the recent Prisoner of Azkaban full cast audiobook release. Stay tuned for a review of these new audiobooks!

Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 13: The Secret Riddle

Is Harry treating Dumbledore differently at the start of the chapter than Young Tom Riddle treats him during the memory?

What changes in Dumbledore's response to Harry if he already knows what Harry is saying about Draco is true?

The Pensieve memory with Burke might seem different - but we've actually seen something like it before!

A listener email asks, could Dumbledore have sent Mundungus to raid Grimmauld Place for Aberforth?

How is what Dumbledore does to Mrs. Cole different than what Young Tom does to his fellow orphans?

What made Merope still honor her father when naming Tom?

We discuss Tom Riddle's mental state and one possibly identifiable diagnosis for his behavior.

How come Harry didn't turn out like Tom Riddle given their similar trajectories?

Was Dumbledore intentionally trying to impress Tom by making fire? Is he therefore playing with fire?

Our MVP segment asks what the creepiest thing Young Tom Riddle does in this chapter?

Our Lynx Line topic this week for Slug Club patrons: Which character would you most like to Confund and get to spill all the tea?

Participate in our weekly trivia segment by answering this week’s Quizzitch question at MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch!

Coming up in Bonus MuggleCast: it's another edition of Harry Potter Hot Takes, NSFW! Pledge to MuggleCast on Patreon to listen to this and all of our bonus episodes.

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This week, be careful what you say, be careful what you touch! From sinister nonverbal spells to cursed jewelry,  Hogwarts is more of a security nightmare than normal! Join Andrew, Eric, Micah, Laura and Channell as they brave the frigid cold of Hogsmeade. 

Welcome, Slug Club member Channell!

Music to our ears! Hans Zimmer will score the new Harry Potter TV Show!

Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 12: Silver and Opals

Where the hell is Dumbledore and what is he doing? Harry is asking, not us!

What is it about the Prince that endears Harry to him?

How are spells created in the Wizarding World? We explore this question in great detail in this week's Bonus MuggleCast and Andrew even challenges the hosts with some creations of his own!

Reckless Harry! Why is he casting spells with no clue what they do?

Should Harry use the Prince's work to help curry Slughorn's favor?

Hot Take: Snape would have been a great teacher if he taught with the same enthusiasm he has when writing his notes!

Do we think Slughorn is even more interested in Harry given it’s been so hard to get him to come to the Slug Club?

Connecting The Threads to Chamber of Secrets: More bathroom problems!

Why doesn't anybody believe Harry? The evidence is starting to pile up against Draco!

Our MVP segment asks what would have happened if Dumbledore had received the cursed necklace?

Our Lynx Line topic this week for Slug Club patrons: how could Hogsmeade do a better job of protecting visitors and residents from security nightmares?

Participate in our weekly trivia segment by answering this week’s Quizzitch question at MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch!

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Happy 2026! No trio member is safe, as Chapter by Chapter covers Chapter 11 of Half-Blood Prince, “Hermione’s Helping Hand.” Does Hermione do the wrong thing for the right reasons? Should Harry do the right thing and expose her actions or, even worse, not choose Ron for the Gryffindor Quidditch team? And, separately, is Hagrid letting his brother join classes? All that and more on this latest episode of MuggleCast.

What did the hosts get from Santa this year? And is Andrew about to reveal more than ever before?

Chapter by Chapter continues with Half-Blood Prince Chapter 11, “Hermione’s Helping Hand.”

Nonverbal spells are now standard in several classes, but does the trio ever learn them?

Should teachers be required to eat meals in the Great Hall? Some appear to be skipping out.

A comment from Hermione makes Harry warm, and may ignite some fires in the shipping community.

Do we pity Ron for his need to show off and overcompensate?

What Hermione does at Quidditch practice is highly risky. Why does she take the chance when she could be exposed?

Should Harry have made another decision once he discovers Hermione’s actions? Despite his friendship with Ron?

An email asks: should Hermione have kept Care of Magical Creatures given her established future career trajectory?

It turns out Hagrid is dealing with more than just the kids not taking his class.

Should the kids have to lie about another teacher just to make Hagrid feel better about himself?

Our MVP segment has us ranking the beasts that Hagrid introduced the trio to.

Our Lynx Line topic this week for Slug Club patrons: “Have you ever stacked the odds in favor of a friend for something that they wanted? And did you cheat to do it?”

Participate in our weekly trivia segment by answering this week’s Quizzitch question at MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch!

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MuggleCast is off from releasing new episodes until 2026, but we wanted to share this Bonus episode recorded for Patreon earlier in the year!

In it, we reminisce over the greatest month in Harry Potter fandom history: July 2007, when the Deathly Hallows book and Order of the Phoenix movie were released. We look at what we were doing while working for MuggleNet / MuggleCast, and share some unforgettable stories.

Get two bonus episodes of MuggleCast every month by becoming a member at Patreon.com/mugglecast today! Your support helps us run this show.
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This week we make a few end-of-year predictions for what 2026 will hold in store for Harry Potter fans, and open up the MuggleMail bag further than ever, as we read recent comments from YouTube and Spotify in addition to Discord, voicemails and e-mail! Join Andrew, Eric, Micah and Laura for our final episode of 2025!

Looking ahead: what news will we get about a Hogwarts Legacy sequel? How about the HBO TV series? Will more series be green lit?

Andrew leads the group in making unhinged predictions including genderbent books and a line of adults-only official merchandise.

Our own 2026 plans for MuggleCast include content that looks ahead as well as back, including more talks on the TV show and classic components of HP fandom history.

Voicemails sent in include a Hermione Granger impression, and ask the question, "how do children learn Voldemort's name?"

Was Arthur Weasley's originally-planned death hinted at in the text of Book 5 and before?

Spotify listeners want to know: is Snape projecting? What is the general skill level of your average every day wizard? And will Micah tell more dad jokes?

Is Severus Snape a good teacher? What about his old Potions book? Why doesn't Dumbledore ever tell Harry exactly how to destroy the Horcruxes? And, does Hermione belong in Ravenclaw?

Additionally, folks tell us their feelings on the Full Cast Harry Potter Audiobooks as well as the Tonks and Lupin romantic subplot.

Our Lynx Line segment asks our most dedicated listeners for recommendations of books they've read this year and enjoyed. See the full list of suggestions here!

Bonus MuggleCast, available over on our Patreon, will have the hosts discussing their behind-the-scenes stories of contributing to MuggleNet.com

MuggleCast will return January 12, 2026!

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