Party in the Portraits (Half-Blood Prince Chapter 17, 'A Sluggish Memory')

On this week's episode, unless you have a bezoar (and a bit of cheek) handy, we highly recommend you brush up on on all of Golpalott’s laws! Join Andrew, Eric, Micah and Laura for a show full of alchemy, apparition and plenty of teenage angst! News: Warner Bros. Discovery has a new home in Paramount; plus several dozen young actors have been cast as various Hogwarts students Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 18: Birthday Surprises We analyze Golpalott’s Third Law: could this Potions class teach Harry something about how to ultimately destroy Voldemort? Does the creation of a Horcrux have an alchemical element to it? How does alchemy present in other book series, such as The Secrets of the Immortal Nicolas Flamel? Can we expect to learn more about Dumbledore and Flamel's partnership in the new Harry Potter TV Show? Apparition: Just put your mind to it! Does this class pass our sniff test? Bezoar! Hermione is upset (again) with Harry’s success in Potions. Does Harry's cheek make him a bit to overconfident when trying to acquire Slughorn’s unredacted memory? When Harry can't locate Malfoy on the Marauder's Map, why does overlook the Room of Requirement? MVP: Destination. Determination. Deliberation. Which is the of the Three D’s? Lynx Line: Name a time in school where you found yourself totally out of your depth subject-wise. Did you overcome your knowledge gap? If so, was it due to hard work and determination? A good teacher or tutor? Or did you merely squeak by in class and never take up the subject again? Quizzitch: In this chapter, a bezoar from the stomach of a goat is used as a cure for poison. In reality, bezoars can appear in humans as ailments. What popular soft drink brand is used to treat bezoars in humans? Answer next week's question via the Quizzitch Form! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Andrew, Micah and Laura enter a new era of MuggleCast, as we kick off the first in a series of monthly episodes focused on the new Harry Potter TV Show. The Trio talk about the latest news, lay down some predictions and play some new games! Set photos of the TV Show's Hogwarts Courtyard have leaked: will these new House Sigil Hedges come to life? Laura and Micah react to Ravenclaw’s sigil finally being an eagle! How much are the show's creators taking inspiration from Hogwarts Legacy? Beyond The Books: Lox Pratt, the actor playing Young Draco, says we’ll be seeing Draco at Malfoy Manor in the first season! Nick Frost manifested getting the role of Hagrid by writing Hagrid 7,000 times while watching the movies. He also took up knitting! MAX That: Can we expect to see more Vampires in this version of the Wizarding World? The hosts test their Harry Potter knowledge: Was This Line in the Sorcerer’s Stone Book AND Movie? Our Lynx Line asked our patrons: Who will be the first character to appear on screen? When can we expect our first trailer? In Bonus MuggleCast, available exclusively on Patreon: We make our official predictions for the new TV show and even throw down a few knuts to keep things interesting! Will we see Voldemort on screen in Episode 1? Will the Sorting Hat sing the full song? Over the series, will we ever get a full episode without Harry present? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bundle up, because it’s about to get really cold inside the Burrow! The MuggleCasters have reached “A Very Frosty Christmas” in their Chapter-by-Chapter reread of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. And they’re not alone. This week the Real Weird Sisters Alice and Martha have joined us! Topics cover the new Minister for Magic’s cunning, Mrs. Weasley’s faults, and the Weasley Brothers’ violent tendencies. New Throwback Content: Be sure you’re following us Lon our Twitch where we are currently streaming the Chamber of Secrets PC game as part of our lookback content this year. All videos will eventually be posted also on our YouTube channel. Welcome Alice and Martha of the Real Weird Sisters! They have been podcasting for 10+ years and are awesome. Chapter by Chapter continues with Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 16: A Very Frosty Christmas The MC Pensive segment takes us back to an episode we recorded seven years ago. Are we surprised that people still aren't believing Harry about Draco, even Ron? What's with all the rough housing going on in the Burrow between Ron and his brothers? Is this a dangerous escalation or par for the course? Should Bill be stepping in between Fleur and Mrs. Weasley's feud? The hosts analyze Remus Lupin's story and his backstory. What is Lavender expecting from Ron, as indicated by her flashy piece of jewelry for him? Does anyone buy Scrimgeour's story that he and Percy were "just in the area"? Is Scrimgeour any more smooth than Cornelius Fudge was? Did Percy give Scrimgeour advice on tips for how to appeal to Harry? It kinda feels like he did, which is why Rufus failed so badly. Our MVP segment asks what Harry’s sassiest line in the chapter is. Our Lynx Line topic this week for Slug Club patrons: What did Fred and George try to make Ron do with the Unbreakavable Vow? Coming up on Bonus MuggleCast for Slug Club patrons, we analyze our personal romantic histories broken down by the Hogwarts houses of our partners. It's a not-to-miss discussion! Participate in our weekly trivia segment by answering this week’s Quizzitch question at MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Valentine's Day approaches in the Muggle world, romance is also a focus in this area of Half-Blood Prince. Join Andrew, Eric, Micah and Laura as they watch Harry watch Draco, watch Hermione regret her revenge against Ron, and watch Snape learn that Harry is suddenly good at Potions.  New Throwback Content: This Saturday, February 14 at 11am ET, MuggleCast will stream the Chamber of Secrets PC Game LIVE on our Twitch! It will later be available on our YouTube channel. A listener recently reviewed us being “as cozy as a warm blanket on a cold day.” We’re very touched! If you feel similarly, be sure to tell us by leaving a review. Chapter by Chapter continues with Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 15: The Unbreakable Vow The MC Pensive segment takes us back to an episode we recorded seven years ago. Hermione decides to take Cormac McLaggen to Slughorn's Christmas Party, just as Ron feared she would. Is this revenge satisfying for the readers? Do we feel bad when it doesn't work out for Hermione? Should love potions be taken more seriously than they are, by everyone? Harry is (rightly) worried. Eric asks, how does Cormac not know how to show someone a good time? Harry says that he kinda always thought Filch and Madame Prince were a thing. The hosts pick apart that offhand comment... ...and then we speculate. COULD that be a thing? Filch and Madame Prince? What do they have in common? How does Mrs. Norris feel? Is Snape's attempt to detect Draco's lying ethical? We know there's more in it at stake for him. Should Draco have been suspicious that Snape was working for Dumbledore, based on Snape's emphasis on the importance of DADA for Crabbe and Goyle? What If?: Harry overheard that Draco's mission was to kill Dumbledore? What if it was said aloud? What would Harry do? Odds and Ends include the Number 12 (our favorite), and vampires. Our MVP segment asks who is the best character to take to Slughorn's Christmas party? Our Lynx Line topic this week for Slug Club patrons: Who should Snape and Trelawney have invited as their dates to Slughorn's party? And, what would their pick-up lines have been? Participate in our weekly trivia segment by answering this week’s Quizzitch question at MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who feels lucky? The only thing bottled up and ready to be unleashed in this chapter is a tidal wave of teenage angst! Join Andrew, Eric, Micah and Laura as they navigate the emotions of Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione. Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 14: Felix Felicis Slug Club invite: was Hermione making a romantic push towards Ron? Does Harry have legitimate concerns about becoming The Third Wheel? What would happen to the Trio if it all went wrong with Ron and Hermione? Ron is looking for fight, but picks the WRONG opponent in Ginny! Should Hermione have had more confidence in Ron's Quidditch abilities? Did Harry do more harm than help by giving Ron a Felix Felicis placebo? Was Ron intentionally trying to make Hermione jealous with Lavender? Could Harry's raging chest monster be partially influenced by the Horcrux? Our MVP segment asks who is the most chaotic character of the chapter? Our Lynx Line topic this week for Slug Club patrons: Have you ever started dating someone that you knew for years first, or were friends with, and if so, how did it turn out? Participate in our weekly trivia segment by answering this week’s Quizzitch question at MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch! Throwback Content includes a video game playthrough  with Eric, Meg and Martha of the “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone PC Game” over on our MuggleCast YouTube. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices