Dobby Lobby (GOF Chapter 21, The House-Elf Liberation Front)

This week, open up your copy of The Daily Prophet and settle in for some hot goss as the hosts break down Rita Skeeter's Scoop on Rebeus Hagrid and his qualifications as a Hogwarts professor! Plus, between Ludo and some goblins and Rita and Hermione, were we moments away from a good ole fashioned pub brawl at The Three Broomsticks? Join us and find out! Welcome Patreon member, Liza! Check out her book club by following her on Twitter and Instagram We discuss the recent news that all seven Harry Potter audiobooks will be transformed into new full-cast ensemble productions! Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Goblet of Fire, Chapter 24: Rita Skeeter's Scoop 7-Word Summary: Rita ignites rumors in The Three Broomsticks Do we think Cedric gave Harry a good clue about the egg? Main Discussion #1: Dumbledore's Giant Mistake Draco Malfoy... the 1950’s cartoon villain?! Why does Hermione fail to grasp certain larger wizarding world dynamics? Micah's Hot Take: While definitely scathing, Rita's article about Hagrid is... TRUE! Should Dumbledore sack Hagrid as Care of Magical Creatures professor? Why didn't Hagrid start as an assistant and receive proper training? How do we feel about the students getting a proper Care of Magical Creatures lesson?  Lupin and Hagrid have drastically different reactions to being outed! Why did Dumbledore accept Lupin’s resignation but not Hagrid’s? Main Discussion #2: A Bagman In The Pub. Why is Ludo really meeting with the goblins? Is he trying to plant a story about his boss with Rita? How concerned should we be about Barty Crouch Sr.'s absence? Should Hermione have been more careful calling out Rita in a crowded pub? Main Discussion #3: Justice for Hagrid. Dumbledore shows up for Hagrid on a whole new level! Do the letters of support Hagrid receives actually support his role as professor? Does Dumbledore's trust in people and belief in second chances stem from his own family situation and relationship with Grindelwald? Odds and Ends cover Krum practicing for The Second Task, Sleakeazy’s Hair Potion, goblin rebellions and Aberforth's lust for goats! Next week: We're busting open the Muggle Mail bag, so send us your feedback! Quizzitch question: The tub in the Prefects’ Bathroom features roughly how many golden taps? Submit your answer at MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch! Visit MuggleCast.com for episode transcripts, social media links, our full episode archive, our favorite episodes, and to contact us! Check out the MuggleCast Overstock Store to grab MuggleCast t-shirts, signed album art, and so much more! Supplies are limited, so act fast and help us support the show! For twice-monthly Bonus MuggleCast, as well as other great benefits, including the chance to co-host the show, a new physical gift every year, and a video message from one of the four of us visit Patreon.com/MuggleCast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can YOU dance like a Hippogriff? Nananananananana! It's Yule Ball season and this week, we’re fraternizing with the enemy, proving our emotional span is greater than a teaspoon and dodging Moody's creepy eye, all while trying our best to keep our dates happy and turn it up on the dance floor! Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Goblet of Fire, Chapter 23: The Yule Ball 7-Word Summary: Hormones fly amok at Hogwarts’ Big Holiday Main Discussion #1: Hermione’s Chapter Would anyone that Hermione took to the ball have been free of Ron’s criticism? The Courting of Hermione Granger What do we think of Viktor Krum's approach... and sheer vulnerability? We react to Hermione's decision to have Madam Pomfrey shrink her teeth Main Discussion #2: Hurricane Ron Animal Magnetism, baby! What makes Ron suddenly so full of himself? Sour face, sour mood: Ron casts a massive black cloud over the entire Yule Ball Could Ron be jealous his two besties are a part of the Elite Champions date club? Low Blow, Ron! Does Hermione truly not have Harry's best interests at heart? We debate if Harry did enough to defuse the tension between Ron and Hermione Odds and Ends cover Sirius' knife, Dobby's Christmas gift, Barty Crouch Jr.'s mysterious absence, Snape and Karkaroff's odd relationship, Beetle Rita and more! Next week: Goblet of Fire, Chapter 24: Rita Skeeter's Scoop Quizzitch question: According to Rita Skeeter, what department at the Ministry would be particularly interested in Hagrid’s Blast-Ended Skrewts? Visit MuggleCast.com for episode transcripts, social media links, our full episode archive, our favorite episodes, and to contact us! Check out the MuggleCast Overstock Store to grab MuggleCast t-shirts, signed album art, and so much more! Supplies are limited, so act fast and help us support the show! For twice-monthly Bonus MuggleCast, as well as other great benefits, including the chance to co-host the show, a new physical gift every year, and a video message from one of the four of us visit Patreon.com/MuggleCast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode, we interrupt your regularly scheduled schoolwork to announce (quite last minute) that there will be a Yule Ball this year! Grab your dress robes and find a dance partner before all the "good ones" are taken! This week's episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/mugglecast! Check out the MuggleCast Overstock Store to grab MuggleCast t-shirts, signed album art, and so much more! Supplies are limited, so act fast and help us support the show! Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Goblet of Fire, Chapter 22: The Unexpected Task 7-Word Summary: Cho regrets not saying ‘yes’ to Greatness Main Discussion #1: McGonagall's announcement Is Professor McGonagall not being sensitive to Harry's youth? How long have the teachers known about the Yule Ball this year, and why would they announce it a week before Christmas? Laura asks what our high school dances were like and the hosts try to remember. Fred Weasley has the Cha(rizz)ma to win The Unexpected Task of Asking Girls Out Would it be so wrong if Harry, a champion, went stag to the ball? Harry turns on Cedric Diggory after learning he's Cho's date Cho lets Harry down easy, and we compare her character here vs Book 5 Ginny wins at playing the long game; Ron and Harry both mess up at romance This chapter represents the last time Harry will forget about bezoars Next week: Goblet of Fire, Chapter 23: The Yule Ball Quizzitch question: What gift does Harry get Ron for Christmas in 1994? Visit MuggleCast.com for episode transcripts, social media links, our full episode archive, our favorite episodes, and to contact us! For twice-monthly Bonus MuggleCast, as well as other great benefits, including the chance to co-host the show, a new physical gift every year, and a video message from one of the four of us visit Patreon.com/MuggleCast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Chapter by Chapter returns as Harry faces off against the CLEARLY most-dangerous dragon. Join Andrew, Eric, Laura and Micah and special Slug Club guest Catherine as they tackle Chapter 20 of Goblet of Fire, “The First Task.” Welcome to the show, Slug Club guest Catherine, who is a college professor of psychology! In the news: Helena Bonham Carter was asked about Miriam Margolyes’ recent, controversial remarks about adult Harry Potter fans! We discuss Helena's response. Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Goblet of Fire, Chapter 20: The First Task 7-Word Summary: Dragons are afoot inside Hogwarts’ grounds AHHHHHHH Harry “does the right thing” with Cedric. What does this tell us about his character? Mad-Eye Fakey’s dark detectors are going off, but not for the reason he says! Professor McGonagall is a mother figure to Harry, and we get an inkling of it in this chapter. Should the Triwizard Tournament feature four of the same dragon? Why does Ludo Bagman keep asking Harry to cheat? Harry and Ron are friends again, and we discuss what was missing in Harry’s life while he was gone. Who do we think had the best solution for the First Task? Karkaroff gives Harry a FOUR. Isn’t there a rubric or a better way to prevent against this absurd favoritism?! Odds and Ends touch on Poor Poppy Pomfrey, pointed caps, Trelawney nonsense, and a cool connection between books 1, 4 and 7. Quizzitch question: What is the pattern of Dobby's tie when Harry first encounters him in the Hogwarts kitchens? Visit MuggleCast.com for episode transcripts, social media links, our full episode archive, our favorite episodes, and to contact us! Coming up in Bonus MuggleCast, we play a quiz where we try to name all the Harry Potter characters mentioned more times than Seamus Finnigan. For twice-monthly Bonus MuggleCast, as well as other great benefits, visit Patreon.com/MuggleCast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The ladies of MuggleCast are back for Part 2 of our Girls Takeover Series! This week we’re diving deeper into the roles of women as mothers, teachers, care givers, and warriors. We’re joined by our social media manager Chloé, transcriber manager Meg, and sister-podcast host Pam.  This week, we dive deeper into the roles of women as mothers we didn’t get to dig as deep into on our last installment.  We spend time ruminating on the show’s current position in Goblet of Fire, and give Hermione props for being the friend Harry needs, even if it’s not necessarily what Harry wants.  Did Merope Gaunt make the ultimate sacrifice out of love for her son?  Is Narcissa a good mother? We examine how being a good mother and being a good person are not mutually exclusive.  No matter the role examined, we continue to find that for the women in Harry Potter, motherhood is a core theme. Even women who don’t have children, they still serve mother-like roles in some capacity.  That’s right, even Umbridge represents a particular flavor of motherhood (ugh).  We also examine the roles of women and fandom, and reflect on our tenure as Potterheads, and what our fandom engagement looks like outside of the podcast these days.  Demographics for leaders in the Harry Potter fandom has evolved in the last 20 years: a fandom where many of the site runners, content creators, and podcasters were men has seen a dramatic shift towards more women and non-binary people leading in the fandom space.  We look to organizations like Fandom Forward, MuggleNet, and LeakyCon as organizations that are heavily woman-led making efforts to create better inclusivity and representation in the wizarding world fan space.  Did you enjoy this installment of Girls Takeover? Keep an eye out for our next installment, where we’ll be taking on an installment of Chapter by Chapter!  This week's episode is sponsored by BetterHelp Get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/mugglecast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices