The Harry Potter Movie Stars Who Almost Were

Help MuggleCast grow! You have until September 18 to become a member at the Slug Club level to receive this year's incredible physical gift: The MuggleCast 20th Anniversary Yearbook! Pledge now at Patreon.com/mugglecast, and receive a slew of other great benefits instantly! Listeners can browse our official merch at MuggleCastMerch.com and pick up overstock items from years past at MuggleMillennial.Etsy.com! Another book, gone! This week we're wrapping up our Chapter by Chapter re-read of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. It's a feel-good chapter that ties up a lot of loose ends and teases what's to come in the final two Harry Potter books! To celebrate the end of this re-read, we'll be hosting a Quizzitch LIVE themed around Order of the Phoenix this Thursday, September 18 at 7:30 PM ET! Don't miss it! A link will be available on social media. Welcome Slug Club guest Ivana! In the news: Harry Potter production designer Stuart Craig has passed away, so we look at the legacy he left on the franchise. Meanwhile, the upcoming Harry Potter audiobooks have announced several more big name starts joining its ranks. Game of Thrones fans will be pleased! Chapter by Chapter continues with Order of the Phoenix Chapter 38: The Second War Begins. Tying up loose ends: Fudge immediately fumbles how the Ministry is handling the return of Voldemort. What could they have done differently? We're impressed by how Dumbledore got Umbridge out of the forest, but how exactly did he do it? And should Ron have responded to Umbridge's attack in the way that he did? Harry is looking for some Sirius comfort, and finds some in Hagrid and Luna. There's also one line from Harry that is extremely relatable, especially as we age: “Whenever he was in company he wanted to get away, and whenever he was alone he wanted company.” Nearly-Headless Nick offers Harry some disappointing information, but it has us wondering why wizards choose not to return as a ghost after they pass. The Order decides to greet Harry at King's Cross... but why haven't they been there for Harry's previous journeys to and from Hogwarts? MVP of the Week: Who had the most meaningful moment with Harry in this chapter? Lynx Line: What would happen if the Order had to pay a visit the Dursleys because Vernon and Petunia were mistreating Harry? Participate in our weekly trivia segment by answering this week's Quizzitch question at MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch!  On Bonus MuggleCast, we celebrate Back to Hogwarts season by creating our OWN Hogwarts Houses! Let us know which of these new five are your favorite! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Help MuggleCast grow! Our 2025 physical gift is here! The MuggleCast Yearbook includes writing by each of the four hosts, telling the story of the podcast across the last 20 years, and featuring tons of colorful images and jam-packed with enough nostalgia to make your eyes water. So visit Patreon.com/MuggleCast and pledge at the Slug Club level by September 15 to get yours! Listeners can browse our official merch at MuggleCastMerch.com and pick up overstock items from years past at MuggleMillennial.Etsy.com! Grab the nearest expensive-looking trinket and hurl it at Dumbledore because  Andrew, Eric, Laura and Micah are treating the headmaster's office like a modern-day rage room! On this week's episode, all the feelings are bubbling up to the surface as Albus finally comes clean with Harry! Casting news abounds for the new Harry Potter TV Show, including one character never cast before and the return of Warwick Davis as Filius Flitwick! Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 37: The Lost Prophecy. Our Time Turner segment takes us back to Episode 473 - There's Something About Harry. Should Harry feel guilty about what's happened to Sirius? The hosts grade Dumbledore's handling of Harry using the O.W.L. system Does the loss of his sister Ariana inform Dumbledore's overall treatment of Harry? “Old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young” hits home! Dumbledore is exhausted and frankly, we don't blame him! YOU LIAR! Dumbledore claims he is going to tell Harry "everything"! Connecting The Threads between Trelawney's prophecies MVP: What was the most damning Dumbledore quote from this chapter? Over on our Lynx Line, our patrons answer this week's question: At what moment in the series should Dumbledore actually have told Harry everything? Participate in our weekly trivia segment by answering this week's Quizzitch question at MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch!  On Bonus MuggleCast, we discuss the possibility of a Harry Potter Hotel. Does Disney’s recent Star Wars flop have Universal rethinking the idea? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Cera? Tilda Swinton!? In this Bonus MuggleCast that we're sharing from our Patreon vault, Laura takes us through several high profile actors who were once considered for the Harry Potter movies. It's a fascinating look at names who had a real chance of appearing in the series! Visit Patreon.com/mugglecast for two new Bonus MuggleCast episodes every month, plus boat loads more benefits like a new physical gift each year! Pledge now at the Slug Club level to receive this year's 20th Anniversary Yearbook! Chapter by Chapter will continue next week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Help MuggleCast grow during our birthday month! Our 2025 physical gift is here! The MuggleCast Yearbook includes writing by each of the four hosts, telling the story of the podcast across the last 20 years, and featuring tons of colorful images and jam-packed with enough nostalgia to make your eyes water. It’s got personal reflections, anecdotes, never-before-seen photos and even a full compendium of British Jokes as told only on MuggleCast. So visit Patreon.com/MuggleCast and pledge today! To celebrate MuggleCast turning 20 this month, listeners can get 20% off an annual subscription to our Patreon with promo code 20YEARS. We’ve never offered this large a discount before, but this large of an anniversary calls for a very special deal. So visit Patreon.com/MuggleCast and pledge today! Patrons can also get a 20% discount on official merch at MuggleCastMerch.com! Pick up overstock merch from years past, including our 19th Anniversary Shirt! MuggleMillennial.Etsy.com On this week's episode, we’re lifting Bellatrix off her feet both romantically and murderously! Is Voldemort revealing more about his affectionate side? Is Dumbledore again letting Harry put himself in danger and doing nothing to prevent serious injury? Does the M.O.M. have accessibility features or is Harry super powerful? All that and more. Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 36: The Only One He Ever Feared. Our Time Turner segment takes us back to Episode 473 of MuggleCast, lazily titled “Dumbledore v Voldemort” Harry asks the rotunda a question and it answers him. Could anyone have done this the whole time? A moment of consideration for Lupin’s loss and how well he handles it by protecting Harry. Would Harry be forgiven and not prosecuted for using an Unforgivable Curse successfully under these circumstances? Just HOW does Harry get up to the atrium before Dumbledore? Did Voldemort tutor Bellatrix “personally” like her statement would seem to indicate? Why does Voldy call Bellatrix “Bella,” and is it a term of endearment? Noting that the only reason Voldemort is seen by the Minister is because he shows up to rescue Bellatrix at the end and take her with him. AN ACT OF LOVE?!?!?! Laura takes us through some symbolism with the fountain of magical brethren, and what happens to its members. Do the statues have a bit of Dumbledore’s personality in them? They certainly approve of Dumbledore. Apologies to Pokemon enthusiasts for our criticism, it turns out the fight scene in the book is just like in the movie after all. I choose you, Blastoise! We praise Dumbledore for mastering Fudge. MVP: Who is the most valuable player during the Dumbledore/Voldemort fight in the atrium? Over on our Lynx Line, our patrons answer this week's question: What is the most MAX THAT moment in the chapter? Ie, which scene do you most want to see adapted for TV that wasn’t done justice in the movie? Quizzitch: In this chapter, the statues of the Fountain of Magical Brethren spring to life to help save the day. But in the summer of 1985, widespread panic occurred when statues in County Cork, Ireland began to seemingly move on their own. What were they statues of? Send us your answers at MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Help MuggleCast grow during our birthday month! Our 2025 physical gift is here! The MuggleCast Yearbook includes writing by each of the four hosts, telling the story of the podcast across the last 20 years, and featuring tons of colorful images and jam-packed with enough nostalgia to make your eyes water. It’s got personal reflections, anecdotes, never-before-seen photos and even a full compendium of British Jokes as told only on MuggleCast. So visit Patreon.com/MuggleCast and pledge today! To celebrate MuggleCast turning 20 this month, listeners can get 20% off an annual subscription to our Patreon with promo code 20YEARS. We’ve never offered this large a discount before, but this large of an anniversary calls for a very special deal. So visit Patreon.com/MuggleCast and pledge today! Patrons can also get a 20% discount on official merch at MuggleCastMerch.com! Pick up overstock merch from years past, including our 19th Anniversary Shirt! MuggleMillennial.Etsy.com On this week's episode, draw your wand and get ready to battle some Death Eaters, because it's ON inside the Department of Mysteries. Just be sure to mind the brains, the baby-headed Death Eater and don't drop that proph...e...cy. Oh no! Welcome Slug Club Member, Shelby! Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 35: Beyond The Veil. Our Time Turner segment takes us back to Episode 472 of MuggleCast, titled “DUBBLEDORE!” Harry has been duped! He incessantly asks Lucius Malfoy about Sirius, only to come to the stark realization that he’s nowhere to be found. Could this whole situation have been avoided if Dumbledore just let Harry in on the prophecy? Despite his major misstep, Harry remains calm and is able to match wit-for-wit with the Death Eaters. Ex: Voldemort is a half-blood, didn’t ya know? The fact that Dumbledore's Army can work their way through the Department of Mysteries battle with spells like Stupefy is hard for some of us to swallow. Why do the Death Eaters hold back? Were they not anticipating Harry & company fighting back? The members of Dumbledore's Army are thrown into a real battle for the first time. How do we think their performances reflect their strengths and weaknesses that we’ve seen throughout the year? The Evolution of Neville Longbottom The Order is here! How does the shift in battle highlight the gap between student-level dueling and experienced adult combat? Do we think if Sirius didn’t taunt his cousin Bellatrix, the outcome would have been different? We try our best to decipher the "Summer Solstice" and "None will come after" prophecies! MVP: What’s Dumbledore’s entrance music to the Department of Mysteries? Over on our Lynx Line, our patrons answer this week's question: Which Death Eater would you most like to team up with for this battle and why? Quizzitch: In this chapter, Ron gets up close and personal with a human brain when he catches one in his hands. How much does the human brain weigh, on average, in pounds? Is it a) seven pounds, b) five pounds, c) three pounds, d) one pound? Send us your answers at MuggleCast.com/Quizzitch!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Help MuggleCast grow during our birthday month! To celebrate MuggleCast turning 20 years old (!!!) listeners can get 20% off an annual subscription to our Patreon with promo code 20YEARS. We’ve never offered this large a discount before, but this large of an anniversary calls for a very special deal. So visit Patreon.com/MuggleCast and pledge today! Patrons can also get a 20% discount on official merch at MuggleCastMerch.com! Pick up overstock merch from years past, including our 19th Anniversary Shirt! MuggleMillennial.Etsy.com On this special edition of MuggleCast, we look back at twenty years of Harry Potter podcasting, revisit some of our earliest book predictions, and look ahead to the next two decades in the Wizarding World! Happy 20th Birthday, MuggleCast! Let’s settle once and for all the pressing question on everyone’s mind: what do we talk about after all this time?! Audible’s Harry Potter audiobooks with a full cast have revealed their seven release dates and some casting! The hosts weigh in. Arabella Stanton (Hermione Granger) is pulling double duty between this and the upcoming HBO series. There is another Dumbledore, and he’s the old pal of UK audiobook narrator Stephen Fry. Listen as we break down Hugh Laurie’s statement on accepting the role. To celebrate our 20th anniversary, we look back over the earliest episodes at predictions made by the hosts which later came true! Thanks to listener Kim for compiling. Are there things we would change about MuggleCast’s earliest days or in general? The hosts reflect. This week's Lynx Line: “What long-dormant MuggleCast topics would you like to see revisited?” Predicting the future: what will MuggleCast be talking about 20 years from NOW? It’s a triple serving of Chicken Soup for the MuggleCast Soul! We are always moved by hearing from listeners on the topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Help MuggleCast grow during our birthday month! To celebrate MuggleCast turning 20 this month, listeners can get 20% off an annual subscription to our Patreon with promo code 20YEARS. We’ve never offered this large a discount before, but this large of an anniversary calls for a very special deal. So visit Patreon.com/MuggleCast and pledge today! Patrons can also get a 20% discount on official merch at MuggleCastMerch.com! Pick up overstock merch from years past, including our 19th Anniversary Shirt! MuggleMillennial.Etsy.com On this week’s episode, we're headed to the Ministry to save Sirius! Join Andrew, Eric, Micah and Meg as we cram into a telephone booth, descend below the streets of London and explore our way through the Department of Mysteries! Happy Birthday, Harry! Don't miss our birthday wishes to our favorite Boy Wizard. Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 34: The Department of Mysteries. Our Time Turner segment takes us back to Episode 471 of MuggleCast, titled “Punk’d.” Should Harry have considered alternative transportation to the Ministry of Magic given half the traveling party can't see their ride? Could they have doubled up? So cold! Do thestrals have seat warmers? Did anybody bother to ask them? Where do thestrals rank among the modes of magical transportation? Why didn't Harry notice his Voldemort meter was on low? Inside the Ministry of Magic - another security nightmare! The Brain Room: what exactly is being studied here? And why do these brains seemingly have minds of their own? The Love Room aka The Break Room! Apparently, it's an Amortentia rager! The Death Room: was the Ministry of Magic built around The Veil? Meg offers a theory that will blow your mind! And we analyze why each of the characters present react so differently. Our Lynx Line patrons answer the question, “What other rooms should be represented at the Ministry of Magic / Department of Mysteries?” Quizzitch: When entering the Dept. of Mysteries, Harry and friends first encounter a room with many unmarked doors. Similarly, the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, CA (USA) has over 2,000 doors in its mansion, which contains 160 rooms. How many windows are present in the Winchester Mystery House? a) 2,001 b) 10,000, c) 665, or d) 4,000? Join in on the fun! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Help MuggleCast grow! Become a MuggleCast Member and get great benefits like Bonus MuggleCast! Patreon.com/MuggleCast  Grab official merch! MuggleCastMerch.com Pick up overstock merch from years past, including our 19th Anniversary Shirt! MuggleMillennial.Etsy.com On this week’s episode, we discuss the events of Chapter 33 of Order of the Phoenix, “Fight “and Flight Join Andrew, Eric, Micah, and Laura as they cover the removal of Professor Umbridge from the equation of the greater Sirius rescue mission. Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 33: Fight and Flight. Our Time Turner segment takes us back to Episode 471 of MuggleCast, titled “Punk’d.” Does the Ministry really value Umbridge’s life over Harry’s, as she claims? Could Hermione have reasonably predicted to run into the Centaurs, and what was her plan exactly? Overall how brilliant is Hermione’s attempt to be free of Umbridge? It works, doesn’t it? Does Hermione’s talk with Bane show us that she’s prejudiced, when compared to her earlier comment on Firenze to Lavender and Parvati? Do we feel bad for Grawp? A number of threads can be connected between this moment in Book 5 and the end of Book 3. Micah and Laura find a few. Is it right for Harry to allow Ginny, Neville and Luna to tag along to London? Could he have stopped them? Who SHOULD Harry have taken with him to London instead? The hosts discuss. Our Lynx Line patrons answer the question, “Hermione obviously chose the wrong thing to say to the Centaurs explaining why they led Umbridge into the Forest. What should she have said instead? [Wrong answers only]” Quizzitch: Psychologically, human beings respond to threats in one of four ways, all starting with the letter F. TWO of them are “fight” and “flight,” what are the other two? Join in on the fun!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Help MuggleCast grow! Become a MuggleCast Member and get great benefits like Bonus MuggleCast! Patreon.com/MuggleCast  Grab official merch! MuggleCastMerch.com Pick up overstock merch from years past, including our 19th Anniversary Shirt! MuggleMillennial.Etsy.com On this week’s episode, news continues to roll in on the new Harry Potter TV Show. Join Andrew, Eric, Micah and Laura as they talk the latest casting news and first looks before busting open the MuggleMail bag to take your feedback on the last few chapters of Order of the Phoenix! News: Our first look at Dominic McLaughlin as The Boy Who Lived and Nick Frost as Hagrid! Plus, four new casting announcements: Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley, Louise Brealey as Madam Rolanda Hooch, and Anton Lesser as Garrick Ollivander. And those Dursleys are looking mighty 90s in these behind-the-scenes photos! Voicemails cover Snape's Worst Memory, Harry's Career Aspirations, Grawp and how the Pensieve could have altered the end of Order of the Phoenix! Why is Harry so obsessed with Dumbledore? He barely knows the guy! How exactly did Tom Riddle's curse on the Defense Against The Darks Arts position work? Old habits die hard! Did Rita Skeeter actually turn over a new leaf? One listener questions if there really was a binding magical contract with the Goblet of Fire or if it was all secretly part of Dumbledore's larger plan! Put your memories away! Did Snape bait Harry to look in the Pensieve? Were Hermione's comments about Firenze really a commentary on Lavender and Parvati's fawning over their new Divination teacher? Comparing the Marauder's treatment of Snape to the Death Eaters treatment of the Roberts family Reducto! Why couldn't Voldemort just shrink himself to gain access to the Ministry and get the prophecy himself? Chicken Soup For The MuggleCast Soul Chapter-by-Chapter returns next week with Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 33: Fight and Flight Quizzitch: In this chapter Umbridge placed Stealth Sensor Spells around her office door. Founded by Edward Calahan over 150 years ago, the company which currently holds at least 15% of the market share for home security systems, is called ADT. What does ADT stand for? Join in on the fun! In this week's Bonus MuggleCast, we look back at the Summer of Potter - 2007 saw the release of both Deathly Hallows and the Order of the Phoenix movie! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Help MuggleCast grow! Become a MuggleCast Member and get great benefits like Bonus MuggleCast! Patreon.com/MuggleCast  Grab official merch! MuggleCastMerch.com Pick up overstock merch from years past, including our 19th Anniversary Shirt! MuggleMillennial.Etsy.com On this week’s episode, we discuss the events of Chapter 32 of Order of the Phoenix, "Out of the Fire." Join Andrew, Eric, Micah, and Pam as they cover the second attempted break-in to Professor Umbridge's office, and the fallout. Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 32: Out of the Fire Our Time Turner segment takes us back to Episode 470 of MuggleCast, titled “Silky Smooth Snape.” Should Harry have known that his vision was a ruse? The hosts go all-in on listing several signs, and whether they alone reveal the truth. Micah connects the threads between Sirius and Harry in books 3 and 5. What is Hermione getting at by mentioning Harry's 'saving people thing'? Often times, Harry has legitimately been left to fix the Hogwarts problem and save people. Can we blame him? We discuss the power lust present in both Umbridge and Draco, and how they need each other at this time. Umbridge's treatment of Snape is interesting, since she does trust he's as horrible as she is. What Hermione does works perfectly on Umbridge. Why? Why aren't the two other heads of House, Flitwick and Sprout, also members of the Order? Is Dumbledore skeptical of their loyalty, or is he just giving them a break?? The hosts have differing ideas about what being a 'bad mofo' means, when rating who the baddest was in this chapter. Our Lynx Line patrons answer the question, when was a time that you successfully thought on your feet the way Hermione does with Umbridge? Quizzitch: In this chapter Umbridge placed Stealth Sensor Spells around her office door. Founded by Edward Calahan over 150 years ago, the company which currently holds at least 15% of the market share for home security systems, is called ADT. What does ADT stand for? Join in on the fun! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices