Harry Potter Prognostications Podcast

One of the over-arching meta-themes of the Harry Potter books is, without a doubt, choice. From early on the books the theme of choice is empasised, when the Sorting Hat defers to Harry s wish to be in Gryffindor, or when Dumbledore makes it clear to Harry that it is his choices, far more than abilities that make him the wizard that he is. It s clear that J.K. Rowling is a proponent of the idea that we make ourselves who we are and are ultimately responsible for who we become. Putting aside a scientific discussion of free will and determinism, a greater question, from within the stories themselves, comes to light. With the conclusion of Book 7, and the revelation of Dumbledore s less than altruistic motives, does J.K. Rowling s position on free will and choice change? Did Harry, in fact, make all those choices of his own free will, or, perhaps, was he influenced by forces beyond his control? Despite Dumbledore s protestations to the contrary, could Harry ever have avoided the final showdown with the Dark Lord, had he simply chosen to walk away? In this week s episode, we examine the nature of free will and choice as presented in the books after Book 7, and what J.K. Rowling might be saying about what it means to be free. This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at audiblepodcast.com/hp. Check out some of the books we talked about on this week s episode. Make sure to check out Penny s post Deathly Hallows: One Year Later for a rundown on all that s happened since Book 7 was released. You can listen to this episode using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

As you may have read, we just got back from Portus 2008, a Harry Potter convention that took place July 10-13 in Dallas, Texas.  And, guess what?  We had a blast!  From Jim Dale giving a live performance, to meeting lots of fun and interesting people, it was a great time.  We sat right down as soon as we could after we got home to record some of our thoughts on what the Harry Potter fan-world is like one year after the release of Deathly Hallows, along with details on the all the great sessions we went to, movies watched, conversations had, etc.  It really was a great time, and special thanks to the HPEF for going all out and putting together an amazing weekend. If you were there, leave a comment or send us an email.  And make sure to check out www.hp2009.org for Azkatraz, in San Francisco!  Hope to see you there! This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at audiblepodcast.com/hp. Don t forget to check out Harry Potter Prognostications on the new Odeo.  Subscribe, why dontcha? You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download directly as an mp3.

We re back for another action-packed episode of Patterns in Potter.  This time, we take on the latest contender in the Harry Potter series, The Deathly Hallows.  We begin with an analysis of the prologue, of both The Libation Bearers by Aeschylus, and William Penn s More Fruits of Solitude .  From there, we discuss the apparent connection to Chapters 2 and 3, and how they relate to what might be the theme of the book: trust, faith or death.  We haven t quite decided yet.  Have any thoughts?  We d love to hear from you. You can leave comments or call our voicemail at 206-337-0357 in the US or 07092899490 in the UK. Please make sure to keep the message as close to one minute as possible and try to speak loudly and clearly. Make sure to check out our channel on the new Odeo.  Subscribe, rate, review, it s all good, check it out. In the news:  Harry Potter makes it to Entertainment Weekly s 1000 New Classics . Greg has big time issues with this. Thirty new international release dates for the Half Blood Prince movie.  My guess is that the movie will be released internationally before we see the teaser trailer. You can now buy the Deluxe Edition of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for $13.00!!!  Wow. Good deal. JK Rowling gets an Edinburgh Award. Greg imitates Sean Connery. You can listen to this episode with the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

Wow, feels like old times. Because of the release of JK Rowling s new 800 word Harry Potter Prequel , we were able to return to the pre-DH revelry of prognosticating Harry Potter. We took a break from Patterns in Potter and dedicated the entire Episode #82 to the prequel. This prequel wasn t just a nice little vignette about James and Sirius. We reviewed, analyzed, and delved into what *might* have been going through Jo s mind when she was writing the prequel. We can t wait to hear your thoughts on the prequel so please share them with us. You can leave comments or call our voicemail at 206-337-0357 in the US or 07092899490 in the UK. Please make sure to keep the message as close to one minute as possible and try to speak loudly and clearly. This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at http://audiblepodcast.com/hp. You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download directly as an mp3

This week, we discuss J.K. Rowling s commencement address to Harvard University s graduating class of 2008 (with audio snippets!) and conclude our Patterns in Potter discussion for the theme of Book 6. JK Rowling s Speech at the Harvard Commencement We look forward to hearing from you. You can leave comments here on the blog or send in your voicemails to 206-337-0357 in the US or 07092899490 in the UK. Please make sure to keep the message as close to one minute as possible and try to speak loudly and clearly. As always, please vote for us on Podcast Alley and as always rate and review us on iTunes and Odeo (search for Harry Potter Prognostications). You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download directly as an mp3.

This week, we begin our Patterns in Potter coverage for Book 6, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The theme of this book is quite ambiguous; in fact, it is ambiguous. Sorry if I m not being too clear here, but you ll have to listen to the podcast to figure the rest out. In the news: In honor of the 10th anniversary of the US release of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer s Stone, Scholastic will be releasing a new edition of that book with new art. Winner of the Amazon Beedle the Bard contest was announced. Congratulations Rhiannon D. of Australia! Sadly, the actor who portrayed Marcus Belby in the HBP movie was killed last week. Our sympathies go out to the family of Rober Knox. Will the Half Blood Prince trailer come before Get Smart? Your guess is as good as our s. JK Rowling has written an 800 word portion of a Harry Potter prequel. Don t get your hopes up, she has no intention of writing the rest. We look forward to hearing from you. You can leave comments here on the blog or send in your voicemails to 206-337-0357 in the US or 07092899490 in the UK. Please make sure to keep the message as close to one minute as possible and try to speak loudly and clearly. Today is a new month (June, for those of you who have been hiding under a rock), so please vote for us on Podcast Alley and as always rate and review us on iTunes and Odeo. You can listen to the podcast with the player below, or download an mp3 directly.

This week, we finish up our Patterns in Potter discussion for Book 5, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.  This time, we focus on Harry s visions (courtesy of Lord Voldemort) and his driving urge to understand the truth of these visions, and what knowledge they can bring in aiding in the fight against evil.  It s quite an interesting discussion, and we end up talking about Gödel s Theorem, for those of you who know what that is (for those of you who don t, that s why there is Wikipedia), and discuss rationalism, existenialism and religion. Send us your thoughts, we look forward to hearing from you! You can leave comments here on the blog or send in your voicemails to 206-337-0357 in the US or 07092899490 in the UK. Please make sure to keep the message as close to one minute as possible and try to speak loudly and clearly. This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at http://audiblepodcast.com/hp. In the news: Vote for the Beedle The Bard winner. JK Rowling received Auther Of The Year Award. Again. Emma Watson made Maxim s Hot 100 List.  Penny came in right before her though. No Moaning Myrtle in Half Blood Prince. The actress who plays her is busy checking out nursing homes (oh snap, that was mean.  I know.  I apologize to Shirley Henderson, but come on- she is old.) JK Rowling to write a Story Card with other notable authors. You can listen to the podcast with the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

In the week s episode, we continue our discussion of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and the central theme of truth and knowledge, specifically how the book presents the theme in context of Hogwarts, education, careers and experiential vs. learned/taught knowledge.  It s even more exciting that I can describe. We look forward to hearing from you. You can leave comments here on the blog or send in your voicemails to 206-337-0357 in the US or 07092899490 in the UK. Please make sure to keep the message as close to one minute as possible and try to speak loudly and clearly. This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at http://audiblepodcast.com/hp. And, the news: Radcliffe, Leung nominated for Best Kiss.  BORING. Lavender Brown interviewed.  Not the real Lavender Brown, mind you. Aerial footage of the Potter movie set at Leavesden Studios.  This is very cool. J.K. Rowling won a trial.  Not the trial we re all interested in, but a trial nonetheless. Also, check out Pensieve Memories, a new Harry Potter forum. You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download directly as an mp3.

In what will go down in history as being HPProgs finest hour *or* our worst episode yet, we bring to you Episode #77. We decided to go a slightly different route for part of this episode and after our very short news discussion we re-enacted part of the J.K. Rowling vs. Steve Vander Ark/RDR Books trial. All we can say is that those of you who called Greg s accent rubbish are going to wish you had saved your insults. On a side note, when I was editing the episode I realized that we botched the name of SVA s lawyer. It is David Hammer, not Barry. Apologies to Mr. Hammer. Speaking of accents, we played a voicemail from Potter s Number One Fan in which he picked up Greg s gauntlet and gave us a multi-character Harry Potter narration. Excellent job, in my opinion. We finished off the episode with the introduction to Patterns In Potter for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix . You ll have to trust that we are telling the truth when we say that Book 5 has a good theme. As promised the links to the court transcripts are here. Thanks to Cris for the tip: Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 It is a new month so please vote for us on Podcast Alley and as always rate and review us on iTunes and Odeo. Finally, HPProgs has a Twitter account so please join in the fun and start following us so you can get all of our updates! We look forward to hearing from you. You can leave comments here on the blog or send in your voicemails to 206-337-0357 in the US or 07092899490 in the UK. Please make sure to keep the message as close to one minute as possible and try to speak loudly and clearly. You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

This week, we take a break from the Patterns in Potter series to disucss the court case currently underway in New York between J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. on one side, and RDR Books and Steve VanderArk on the other.  There s been excellent coverage of the trial (and interesting comments) over on the WSJ Law Blog, make sure to check that out.  In the mean time, if you have a thought or opinion about the case, leave a comment or a message and we ll play it our next podcast.  We look forward to hearing from you. You can leave comments here on the blog or send in your voicemails to 206-337-0357 in the US or 07092899490 in the UK. Please make sure to keep the message as close to one minute as possible and try to speak loudly and clearly. No news this week, other than, you know, that court thingee.  We will continue the Patterns in Potter series next week, beginning Book 5, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.  

Last week, we introduced pride as the theme of Book 4, with a focus on both personal and communal pride, and how nationalism, racism and other -isms can flow from pride. This week, we continue our discussion of Goblet of Fire and the theme of pride, listen to a few comments, and have an all-around good time. We look forward to hearing from you. You can leave comments here on the blog or send in your voicemails to 206-337-0357 in the US or 07092899490 in the UK. Please make sure to keep the message as close to one minute as possible and try to speak loudly and clearly. Shoutout to our listener, Robert Kingett,  and his podcast: www.freewebs.com/4yoinformation. As always, feel free to rate and review us on iTunes and vote for us on Podcast Alley (It is a new month!). This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at http://audiblepodcast.com/hp. In the news: Nick Kids chose Potter again. Bloomsbury has a lot to thank Potter for. College kids love muggle Quidditch. JK Rowling s work will be in a Birthday Book for Prince Charles. Transcript of JKR s talk when she received the James Joyce Award. You can listen to the podcast with the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

This week, we continue our Patterns in Potter series, beginning our examination of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. In this episode, we discuss the main theme for Book 4, pride, and how Harry s experiences in the beginning of Book 4 relate to this theme. Pride, both personal and external, comes before a fall, and there s no bigger fall for the wizarding world than what happens at the end of Book 4. So, humble yourself, pull up a chair, and listen in. As always we look forward to hearing from you.  You can leave comments here on the blog or send in your voicemails to 206-337-0357 in the US or 07092899490 in the UK.  Please make sure to keep the message as close to one minute as possible and try to speak loudly and clearly. As always, feel free to rate and review us on iTunes and vote for us on Podcast Alley (new month next week!!)- remember, WE ARE THE NUMBER 3 HARRY POTTER PODCAST!!! In the news: JK Rowling will be in New York next month to appear as a witness in the lawsuit against RDR Publishers. Reacting to some of Steve Vander Ark s comments concerning the RDR/JKR lawsuit, The Leaky Cauldron has decided to sever ties with Vander Ark. In a related announcement, HPProgs is offering an open invitation to Steve Vander Ark to talk to us (we are shameless, we know). JK Rowling has gone into more detail about the depression she suffered in her younger years. Nickelodeon Magazine is offering a chance for one lucky kid (ours, sorry everyone) to win a trip to the LA Premiere of HBP. You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

In this week s episode, we finished our discussion on the theme of emotion in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. We talked about the Dementors and their effect on the soul, as well as their antidote: the Patronus, and the necessary requirements to conjure one.  This was actually an off the cuff, un-planned discussion and we really like what we came up with (not to toot our own horns).  We had some voicemails and we urge you to keep sending them, as well as your comments, in! We also discussed the news about the Deathly Hallows Movie being split into two.   Finally, Greg made an exciting work-related (yet not completely HPProgs unrelated) announcement (hint, check out http://beta.odeo.com/) that we look forward to sharing with all of you! If you want to send in voicemails you can call 206-337-0357 in the US or 07092899490 in the UK. As always, we look forward to hearing your comments, thoughts, and suggestions. Be in touch!  You can listen to the podcast with the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

Firstly, we apologize for the lateness of this episode. If you have been paying attention to the goings on at this blog, you ll know that I have been ready to be committed to St. Mungos Psych ward because of all the problems editing this episode. It has taken 3 days and it is finally ready to go. Thanks for your patience. In this week s episode, we interviewed Dr. Jeffrey Rudski from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. Dr. Rudski just completed a study that is being submitted to the Journal of General Psychology examining signs of addiction to the Harry Potter series and the fandom that surrounds it. Dr. Rudski was very interesting to talk to and he has some great insights into the Harry Potter fandom and the emotional connections that have come with the series and the fandom. Thanks to Dr. Rudski for taking the time to speak with us. Once again, we apologize for the audio quality of this interview. The rest of the episode was dedicated to various voicemails we have received over the past week or so. Some of the voicemails were Patterns in Potter related, some were general Potter observations, and some were either guilt inducers or ego strokers for Greg. Enjoy them! We promised to link to our listener, Katrina s new podcast, Kat Got Your Tongue . Check it out and enjoy!! As always, we look forward to hearing from everyone. Please be in touch with your comments, thoughts, and suggestions! Please vote for us on Podcast Alley and rate and review us on iTunes. In the news: The Wyrd Sisters Band not happy with WB. Daniel Radcliffe bought a nice place in NYC. JKR is REALLY rich. In other news, the sky is blue. Jim Dale is coming to Portus!!!!!!!!!!!! Really interesting new interview with JKR. She discusses religion and HP, her history of depression and Dumbledore s sexuality. Filming for Half Blood Prince took place at Millenium Bridge in London this week. David Yates took home and Empire Award. Stated that he is tempted to direct Deathly Hallows movie. JK Rowling still suing over paparazzi photos of her son. LATE BREAKING: Since we recorded it was announced that Deathly Hallows will be split into two movies, to be directed by David Yates!! You can listen to the episode with the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

In this week s episode we started our discussion on the prevailing theme in Prisoner of Azkaban: Emotions. Between the Aunt Marge debacle, the werewolf in his midst, the various animals and animaguses (I never learned how to pluralize that) in the book, and time travel, Harry was forced to learn the importance of keeping his emotions in check. We plan on interviewing Dr. Jeffrey Rudski this week to talk about Harry Potter Addiction and we hope to have that on the next episode. We got some great listener comments from Rosie and Victoria. We now have a number for you to call in the US if you want to send us voicemails. You can call 206-337-0357and in the UK, please call 07092 899490. As always, please leave your comments as close to one minute as possible. It is a new month so don t forget to vote for us on Podcast Alley(the link makes it *really* easy for you)! Finally, if you downloaded this episode before Monday morning March 3- 9am EST, you downloaded the unedited version which we put up on iTunes by mistake. There aren t any good bloopers in it or anything, just a bunch of ums, you knows and throat clears. Also, the mp3 comments are not inserted. So go ahead and re-download the episode. We apologize for the inconvenience. In the news: Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson made EW s 30 under 30 list. In a related story, we made EW s Over 30 and Overweight list. It turns out that JK Rowling doesn t *really* use Myspace. Shoot, now I have to figure out who I have been trying to get to read my fanfiction. Update on JKR/WB lawsuit against SVA/RDR. ROFL. Not really but I wanted to feel part of the whole *initials* thing. You can listen to the episode using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

In this week s episode we continued our discussion on the theme of identity in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. We did a brilliant (in Greg s opinion) deconstruction of some of the characters in the book: specifically the individuals who were attacked by the basilisk and the so to speak cosmic justice of why they were attacked and the karma involved in that. It was a really interesting discussion and we can t wait to get your thoughts on it.We also had some AMAZING listener comments from Michelle and Michal. They were both very well thought out and very well presented. Here are some links we promised you during the show: Potter s Army Podcast Real life invisibility cloak HPProgs listener forums UK call-in number We really want to hear from you so please be in touch!! In the news: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix nominated for a boatload of Saturn Awards. A scene that wasn t in the book will be added to the Half Blood Prince Movie. It is looking like David Yates might direct Deathly Hallows. Dan Radcliffe won an award for taking it all off. Harry Potter, addictive? You tell me. You can listen to the podcast with the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

In this week s episode we started to discuss the theme of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Identity.   As usual, the theme is present from the beginning of the book at the Dursley s  and continues to make its appearance throughout the book. We talked about Harry s struggle with identity and how it relates to other characters like Dobby, Gilderoy Lockhart, and Colin Creevey.  We also talked about how Harry struggles to create  his own identity while trying to deal with the famous name that was thrust upon him in his infancy. We started the episode with two excellent audio comments from Travis and Nathalie.  Both comments really set the stage for the discussion and we look forward to receiving more of these comments.  Please send in your audio comments to harrypotterprogs at yahoo dot com and remember, please keep them as close to one minute as possible. On the announcement front, I (Penny) made an exciting announcement about Portus 2008- so make sure to listen for that. Also, this episode was monumental because I did a great job (in my humble opinion) diverting the conversation as much if not more than Greg ever does (with the exception of the news of course when Greg was in his finest tangential form).  We ll blame it on the head cold which is also more than obvious throughout the episode. In the news: Jim Dale won a Grammy Award for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:  Oh Hareeeeeee (Sorry, I couldn t resist)! BAFTA Awards were last week.  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix didn t win anything.  But we got some interesting sound bytes from Daniel Radcliffe and Jason Isaacs. Fleur Delacour won t be making an appearance in the Half-Blood Prince movie.  I am only sad about this because I liked the scene in the end of HBP when Fleur and Molly hug. Oh well. Harry Potter producers Davids Heyman and Barron remain non-comittal about splitting the 7th book into two movies. JK Rowling has picked up the James Joyce Award.  She said some interesting new things. Actors have been cast in the roles of Fenrir Greyback and Amycus Carrow. You can listen to the podcast with the player below, or download directly as an mp3.

In this week s episode we continued our discussion on Power as the prevaling theme in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer s Stone. We specifically addressed the invisibility cloak and Mirror of Erised and their roles in bringing the theme to life. We also had some great listener comments in MP3 form from: Shimon, Aaron, David d love to hear what ya ll have to say. Please keep the comments to around 1 minute in length. You can listen to the podcast with the player below, or download directly as an mp3.

In our first episode of Patterns in Potter for Book 1, we take a look at the circumstances of Harry s childhood and how that shaped him into the young man we meet right before being plunged into the wizarding world.  The rush of power, along with a less-than-clear message on the nature of right and wrong make up Harry s first year at Hogwarts.  It is a new month, so please help us out by voting for us on Podcast Alley. Much appreciated. In the news: JK Rowling to be the guest speaker at Harvard commencement ceremonies. If you are in Harvard, we would love to be part of your extended family at this special time. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie won a Golden Tomato Award. Alan Rickman does not talk about the character of Severus Snape. Filming for HBP has started in Gloucester. Ace of Cakes premeired last week with a cake that was used at the LA Premiere of OoTP. Duff Goldman, if you googled your name and are reading this- we want you to come on our show. We are in Baltimore. You rawk!!!!!!!!!!!! It doesn t look like Del Toro will be directing Deathly Hallows. JK Rowling has received a South Bank Award. She spoke of her split from Harry being more painful than any relationship ending. Lord Richard Attenborough feels left out of all the Potter-hoopla. You can listen to the podcast with the player below, or download an mp3 directly.

It s finally time.  It s been several months since Deathly Hallows came out, we ve discussed most of what there is to discuss relating to the characters, the themes, the news that came out after the book was released.  It s time to move on.  But don t worry, by move on, we don t mean stop talking about Harry Potter!  No, it s time to go back, back to the beginning where it all began.  It s time to start talking about, what I humbly have dubbed (and have been hinting at for a while): Patterns in Potter (can you hear the echo of ominousness?).  In this episode, we introduce the Patterns in Potter theory, and give some examples.  For the next few weeks we re going to be discussing the books, in order, using the Patterns in Potter pattern.  So make sure to listen, because this stuff will be on the final exam.  If you want to cheat (or can t listen to the show), check out the original blog post. And: we want your help!  For each episode, we want your thoughts, comments and ideas.  Either email them to us (harrypotterprogs AT yahoo DOT com) or record your thoughts on an mp3 and email them to us.  We ll incorporate them into the show. In the News: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix nominated for 2 BAFTA awards. Will Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows movie be split into 2? JK Rowling and WB have filed a full injunction against RDR Publishers and Steve Vander Ark to stop the HP-Lexicon from being published. First set of all seven signed Harry Potter books was auctioned off in Scotland to support a rugby club. The Vatican is stirring up the anti-Potter waters again. You can listen to the podcast with the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

What makes a leader?  For centuries, philosophers have debated the essential qualities of a leader (the differences in what a culture values in it s leaders is often a good indication of the values of said culture).  When looking at Harry Potter, what are the qualities that J.K. Rowling seems to show as making a good leader?  How do the characters in leadership roles respond to the power and authority they are given?  In this podcast, we discuss all these issues.  Many thanks to Greg from Toronto for joining us for this discussion. Referenced in our discussion is the book Forty Ways to Look at Winston Chuchhill: A Breif Account of a Long Life. In the News: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix has been nominated for four awards from the Visual Effects Socity. Guillermo Del Toro hopes to direct Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix won the People s Choice Award for Favorite Movie Drama Raincoast Books is shutting down its publishing division. You can listen to the podcast with the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

 From the beginning, Ron has played second fiddle to Harry Potter or has he?  Perhaps Ron s perception that he was simply there as Harry s backup was just that: perception.  Ron was, in fact, more of an individual and a complement to Harry than just a sidekick.  Finally, in Book 7, Ron comes to realize this.  In this week s episode, we look back at Ron s past and his coming-of-age/growing up in Book 7 and the Epilogue. In the News: USA Today names Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows the Book of the Year for 2007. Richard Griffiths and Julie Walters will receive distinguished awards. OoTP on long lists for the BAFTAS in six categories. Daniel Radcliffe has donated his glasses to a Holocaust exhibit. You can listen to the episode with the player below, or a href= http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3?http://www.archive.org/download/HPProgsHPProgsEpisode_64_RonaldWeasley/HPProgsEpisode64.mp3 download it directly as an mp3 /a .

There comes a time in a person s life when they realize, for the first time, that the world is not actually the way they thought it was.  That the picture they had in their mind about how the world works, the rules of the game, are suddenly gone.  It is the end of innocence.  When does this end of innocence occur for Harry, and for the series?  In this week s show, we discuss when Harry Potter first comes face to face with a picture of the wizarding world that is not what he thought he knew. In the news: Amazon.com bought The Tales of Beedle the Bard . Awesome reviews on their website . As mentioned before on HP Progs, JK Rowling came in 3rd for Time s Person of the Year. Better luck next time you finish writing the world s most popular book series that turned a generation back on to reading and inspired millions of people, Jo. JK Rowling gave her Fan Site Award to the Harry Potter Alliance. Next year, HP Progs (assuming that Greg ever writes his thank-you letter). New actors announced for minor roles in HBP movie.  Phew. I haven t been sleeping at night wondering about who would play Marcus Belby. Stephen Colbert bested JK Rowling in the AP s Celebrity of the Year .  As a member of Colbert Nation , I am happy for Stephen but think this is ridiculous. JK Rowling types REALLY fast.  You can see a video of her finishing Deathly Hallows. Thanks, ITV. We are happy to announce that we will be attending Portus 2008, the Harry Potter symposium which will be held in Dallas, TX from July 10-13, 2008.  We will also be taking part in the Portus Podcast Palooza while we are there.  You may remember what a fantastic time we had at Prophecy 2007-  we hope you can join us this year!! You can listen to the podcast with the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

Late last night, via BlogTalkRadio, we had the first ever HPProgs live call-in show.  We were really nervous on a number of accounts: that no one would be listening, that no one would call in, and that it would be difficult.  But, in the end, thanks to all you guys, it went really well!  There was some great discussion, great ideas and we really hope to do it again soon.  Thank you so much to everyone who called in, listened or joined us in the chat room (except for those two guys at the end whatever). You can listen to the call-in show with the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

So we preordered a copy of the Order of the Phoenix DVD, but it didn t arrive yet so, we borrowed a copy so that we could watch the extra features and review them for the podcast but there were no extras on the copy we borrowed .so instead we just watch a few scenes and offer our comments.  Hope you like it. Mark you calendars: the first ever HPProgs call-in show is set to kick off at 11PM EST this Saturday, December 15.  Call in and talk to us about whatever you like!  It s going to be awesome.  In case you re too shy (or chicken) to verbally engage us, we re pretty sure you can listen live.  The call in number is 646.595.4635, check out the call-in page for more details. Looking for the perfect holiday present for a Harry Potter fan?  Why stuff their stockings with a Harry Potter t-shirt from the HPProgs T-shirt store.  It ll guaruntee a Happy Christmas. In the news: Jim Dale was nominated for a Grammy.  Oh Hareeeeeeee! JK Rowling is Barbara Walter s Most Fascinating Person of 2007.  Let s hope she wins the Triple Crown. The trio actors will be featured on Biography s Potter Kids documentary.  Not to be confused with the Cosby Kids . Several HP actors have been nominated for Theatregoer s Choice Awards.  Well done.  Well done. Tim Roth as Snape?  Say it aint so!!!! Dan says HBP movie is set to be the funniest of the Potter series.  Yeah, I always found the scene where Dumbledore  died funny.  Didn t you? Happy Birthday Charlie Weasley.  Did you have a party for Charlie?  I did.  In my mind (quote from HP Progs listener David E.). JK Rowling has updated her site with some good new info. You can listen to the podcast with the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

J.K. Rowling s Harry Potter series has reinvigorated a generation and turned them on to reading. But what to read when the battle against Lord Voldemort is at an end? One of the more popular answers is Phillip Pullman s His Dark Materials trilogy ; the first installment, The Golden Compass , has been adapted to film and hits theaters this month. In this week s episode, we take a closer look at Pullman s series, and how it compares to Rowling s novels, as well as other novels geared towards youths and placed in a fantastic setting. Joining us on this week s episode is Travis Prinzi, proprietor of SwordOfGryffindor.com. Travis background in philosophy and literature were especially enlightening in this discussion. In the news: JK Rowling talked about Multiple Sclerosis on Your Total Health . The Potter actors (not Chris Rankin) are on ANOTHER Forbes list. You can listen to this podcast with the player below, or download an mp3 directly.

Was it just us, or was Draco s finale just a bit disappointing?  By the end of Book 6, it looked like Draco was prime for some kind of glorious and game-changing redemption.  His failure to off Dumbledore left him in a bad place, but it was clear that there was still some good left in him.  Along with the hints that, in order to prevail, Hogwarts would have to unite against a common threat, we had all the signs that Draco was going to turn coats at a crucial moment, a la Darth Vader, and help Harry save the day.  But alas, all we get is a mopey blond kid, more scared than anything else.  What happened?  How did Draco lose his mojo? For fun, take a look back at an old, old Draco prognostication, circa Goblet of Fire. Make sure to tune in next week for what looks to be a really great show.  Travis Prinzi from Sword of Gryffindor will be our guest on the show. In the news: JK Rowling is Entertainment Weekly s Entertainer of The Year. Good Morning America previewed The Tales of Beedle the Bard . Harry Potter, the character, makes it onto Details Magazines 50 Most Influential Men Under 45 . JK Rowling received a 2007 Writers Guild Award. You can listen to the podcast with the player below, or download an mp3 directly.

The more interviews J.K. Rowling gives, the more show topics we get. This time, J.K. Rowling spoke with the Dutch newspaper Volksrant (not to be confused with Volkswagon or Voltron) and discussed many topics. Amongst them were the issues of life after death in the Harry Potter books, as well as more details on Nazi parallels and her religious background. In this week s episode, we explore and plumb the depths opened by these recent comments. Happy Thanksgiving! Instead of going shopping with everyone else in the world, why not order yourself (or a loved one) a copy of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on DVD? Or get them one of our original Harry Potter t-shirts? In the news: Vote for JK Rowling to win Time s Person of the year. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is up for a People s Choice award. Casting complete for HBP. Lavender not being kept brown. JK Rowling has updated the Rubbish Bin on her website as well as offered more information on the Lexicon Lawsuit. WB giving fans the opportunity to win a trip to the HBP set. News on James Potter and the Elder s Crossing. Spanish translations of DH coming out in February. JK Rowling is one rich lady. Beetle the Bard will be on display at Sotheby s. You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

Last week we discussed love, and focused on the distinctly maternal focus taken by J.K. Rowling.  This week, we examine the father figures in Harry s life.  From his actual, albeit ephermeral father James, to surrogates in Lupin, Sirius and even, to some extent Snape, we take a look at Harry s bevy or male role models, how they shaped his character and how they contributed to his being what appears to be, for all that we can tell, a good father to his children as well. Make sure to vote for HPProgs for Best Podcast in the 2007 Weblog Awards!  We re hanging tough in 4th place!  Thanks to everyone who s voted! There s news this week, but we re on the road, so we can t provide links.  Suffice it to say, Penny, at least, will be traveling to New York when Equus comes to town. You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

Although in English we have one basic term for love, there s really all different kinds of love: brotherly love, selfless love, erotic love, and all make some kind of appearance in the Harry Potter novels. In this week s show, we take a look at love in Harry Potter and how the various relationships are expressed, and what the nature of those loves might be. Are all loves good? Can love in fact be bad? Plus: the Top 5 tear-jerker moments from Deathly Hallows. Vote for yours below. Also: HPProgs is a finalist in the category of Best Podcast in the 2007 Weblog Awards! Thanks for all your nomination votes! Voting for the final winner begins next week, you can vote once a day. We ll post a link when the voting begins, we appreciate your help! UPDATE: Voting is up, you can vote for us once a day! In the news: JK Rowling clarified the timing of her announcement of Dumbledore s sexuality and stated that she always knew that he was gay. David Thewlis thought HIS character was gay. Filming as started for HBP and pictures are online.Check out Michael Gambon s beard sock. Rare first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher s Stone sold at Christie s for £19,700. Guillermo Del Toro would be willing to direct HP and the Deathly Hallows: on his own terms. The Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix DVD has been released in some Latin American countries. JK Rowling on Living Geniuses list. If you look closely enough, you will see where Greg penciled his name on the list. The French and German versions of HP and the Deathly Hallows were released last week with record sales. JK Rowling has updated her website. JK Rowling and Warner Brothers are suing Stever Vander Ark over a Harry Potter companion book set to be released at the end of the month. This week s poll: What is most tear-jerking moment in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows? You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.