Episode #80: Patterns in Potter, Book 6 – Black, White and Gray
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.
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Tags: Draco Malfoy, dumbledore, Half Blood Prince, Harry Potter, moral ambiguity, morality, Patterns in Potter, snape
June 1st, 2008 at 4:34 pm
It’s not working on iTunes and the mp3 won’t download. Is there another way? Sorry to be a negative-ish first comment
June 1st, 2008 at 6:06 pm
she is right:(
June 1st, 2008 at 7:14 pm
Hmmm. it seems to be working on this page and on the direct download here. iTunes *is* giving me a problem with it though as well. Hmmm, don’t know if that is on the iTunes end or our end.
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:38 am
i tried to download it directly from the site and it won’t. is there a ‘report concern’ thing for podcasters?
June 2nd, 2008 at 2:42 pm
I downloaded on iTunes no problem.
Great episode guys!
June 2nd, 2008 at 4:45 pm
yeah it works now
June 3rd, 2008 at 10:59 am
I don’t really have anything to add in terms of discussion, but you asked if anyone is still listening who was around back when you were still theorizing about Book 7. I joined a little late (sometime last summer before Book 7), but I started at the beginning and have listened to every Podcast since. I rarely comment on here (this may be only my 2nd time) and I don’t really have any theories of my own, but I still like to hear other people’s thoughts, such as yours. I’m actually thinking of going back and listening to some of the old ones now that we know how it all ends to see how it sounds in hindsight. Just wanted to let you know that there’s at least one loyal listener left out here!
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:02 pm
I started listening a year ago. I started with the first episode, and just kept going. I have listened to every single episode, but I only started commenting around episode sixty.
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Yes, I am the same as Amy, I rarely comment, as I like hearing other people’s opinions. I started listening to you at around episode 15. Which was around the January 2007 time, when I first became a Harry Potter fan.
June 3rd, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Guess I’m chopped liver…… Hello I’m new here but find it facinating to listen to Greg eating animal crackers. Mostly because it annoyed Penny and I am all for husbands annoying wifes. ( It’s a pay back thing) Moral ambiguity? Me thinks you have had too many energy drinks.
June 3rd, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Thanks all who have (and will continue to) delurked. We appreciate you saying “Hi” and it is nice to know you’re all out there. Aaron- you weren’t here from the VERY beginning, I don’t think? Close to it, I know.
June 3rd, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Not back when Greg was blogging about on the web but I listened from like all of them. The other pocast were just way to lupy for my sensative side. just didn’t yell at you until you dismissed Hagrid’s greatness. Sob,
June 3rd, 2008 at 6:04 pm
I think it was episode 2 because you didn’t have the 1st one on Itunes . Somewhere around Sept 22nd? I don’t remember just ignore me I was forced to go see Sex in the City and the only other man there was in a pink shirt.( Not that there is anything wrong with that? ) I may never be the same again,,,,
June 3rd, 2008 at 6:58 pm
Oh, well let us formally apologize, Aaron. I didn’t realize you’d been here for so long. Thanks:)
Don’t complain to me about seeing Sex in the City. I refuse to see that movie. It does nothing for me.
June 3rd, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Oh no apology needed. I’m certain you just mean’t someone who has been around that actually knows something. My only real concern was that Greg has not seen the new Indiana Jones movie. I would have thought he would have squeezed it in for the big 10 celebtration.
June 3rd, 2008 at 10:30 pm
I have listened since almost if not the very beginning of podcast. Love listening to you guys just haven’t commented much. But I did rate you guys on iTunes and every month on podcast alley.
June 4th, 2008 at 4:56 am
I have been listening since pretty much the beginning as well. (I am a bit of a podcast,,, uhhh – enthusiast.) Keep on PodNosticating!
June 4th, 2008 at 9:56 am
they never explicitly say that draco has a dark mark, but in the sixth book they cast that spell to prevent people from going up the stairs to the tower where dumbledore and harry are, and the only way to get through it is if you’re branded with the mark.
plus what would draco have been showing borgin if it wasn’t the dark mark?
and once you said that the theme was moral ambiguity, i totally got it. i was trying to guess what it is before you podcasted about it and couldn’t figure it out since it was too, well, ambiguous. thanks for clearing it up..or not clearing it up?
June 4th, 2008 at 11:22 am
I just wanted to say that I have really enjoyed everyone of your podcasts. I really look forward to them each week! I listen to you guys on my handy Ipod while I work at a factory. I am extremely bored most of the time but I love to think harry potter and the deeper meanings of the books. The other big named podcasts out there are okay but I prefer Progs. Keep up the good work and I want to start commenting more on here and get connected with the HP community!
June 4th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Do you know what’s really weird? I have enjoyed H P Progs a lot more since I started commenting. You get a real sense of community, because everyone loves the same thing: Harry Potter.
June 4th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Jackie- thanks for the clarification- although still Draco was the one who set the wards on the stairs. I don’t know. I think this all goes back to me wanting Draco to have a redemption, I guess because it was never outwardly said “DRACO HAS A DARK MARK” I want to assume that he doesn’t. But I *do* think you might be right.
I feel bad, we honestly weren’t looking for all these compliments when we were talking about old versus new listeners, but I have to say I am sooooo happy people decided to come out of their dark corners to say Hi. You will all see that Rosie is correct, things here are a lot more fun if you take an active role and join in on the conversation. We all have fun!!
June 4th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
lets go mets/boston!!!! boo yankees
June 5th, 2008 at 4:40 am
while it may be clear that the Yankees qualify as the Evil Empire and would certainly be the first choice of Lucius Malfoy we must not forget the lesson of book six and moral ambiguity…
and while I don’t hate the Red Sox I just have two word for all you fans:
Bucky **** Dent
June 5th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Things are usually better when I stay quiet.
June 6th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
I have listened to every episode since ep. 1, though I started listening shortly before the last book was released. I listened to some of the other podcasts and yours and Travis’ are the only ones I like. Though I don’t comment much on either.
Speaking of not commenting, I wanted to say, that I don’t thing Slughorn, actually gave Voldemort any information on Horcruxes, Albus Dumbledore tells Harry he thinks Voldemort already had the information, he just wanted an opinion on how many he should make.
June 6th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Penny,
Never apologize for considering the away a character “thinks” no matter what Greg says. There are a couple of reasons: one, it is a compliment to the author that her creation is so human; two, your are considering motivation which is key to understanding the character/story.
I’ve also been a listener from near the beginning. I have all podcasts on my ipod. It is funny to listen to the earlier ones. You should have a flashback podcast. I tried to listen to the other HP podcasts and they were silly. It sounded like they were children having a sleepover and someone recorded it ~ in my opinion. I’m so glad I found yours. Please don’t stop.
Go Cubbies!! (oh, and Red Socks, too!)
Julie Gotaas
June 8th, 2008 at 8:09 am
I tried to squeeze Indiana Jones into the anniversary weekend, but it didn’t work. It’is ok, though, I did end up seeing it, and I was really unimpressed. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t really live up to the expectation, you know?
Thanks to everyone who commented here, and for sticking with us!
June 8th, 2008 at 9:06 am
Greg: It wasn’t that good, was it? I found it a bit to light hearted.
June 8th, 2008 at 11:13 am
I think i’ve been with you on Patterns and Potter up until this point, and don’t take this the wrong way, buuuuuut, come on… moral ambiguity? That’s (in my opinion) the biggest cop out theme of them all. I mean it’s a good stand by when you can’t come up with anything to write your Fiction 101 paper about because it more or less is present in just about every piece of literature ever written–particularly every Harry Potter book. Book 1: Quirrel, breaking the rules vs doing the right thing, etc. Book 2: Tom Riddle’s Diary, Dobby, Hagrid, etc. Book 3: Lupin/ Werewolves, going to Hogsmede illegally, Sirius, etc. Book 4: Moody/Crouch, House-Elf rights, Tri-Wizard Tournament, etc. Book 5: Umbridge/Ministry, Dumbledore’s attitude, Harry’s views on his parents, etc. Book 6: I think you guys covered it. Book 7: Snape, cont., Dumbledore, cont., the use of the Deathly Hallows, etc.
I think you can come up with a much more original theme than that! I was thinking something about relationships between students and teachers is pretty interesting in this book. Just look at Draco/Snape, Harry/Half-Blood Price/Snape, Harry/Dumbledore, Everyone/Slughorn, Draco/Dumbledore… I think the power shifts, etc. is very interesting.
June 8th, 2008 at 11:14 am
whoops i forgot to put my name on that last one!
June 8th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Speaking of Indiana Jones, I kind of enjoyed it. I’m really not a Jones junkie, though, so I don’t know what bigger fans might have thought. I liked the humor, and the Marion bits the best; to me it felt like a nice homage to the earlier installments.
And, y’know… Shia LeBouf is cute, so… plus?
June 8th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Hey guys I am still lurking around, I just haven’t had a chance to listen to the latest podcasts so I don’t feel I can comment as I have no idea what you have been talking about. Must have a HP Marathon to catch up, I wonder whether hubby wants the kids for a week while I put my feet up and listen to my ipod.
June 8th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Michal: I’m not a big fan, but I like the darker movies better. I just like the drepressingness of them.
July 7th, 2008 at 3:56 am
Well, I have back to ep 4 on itunes so I guess that’s when I started listening. Why? because of your self proclaimed shorter podcast compared to other HP podcast options. Whatever happened to that? They just started getting longer. I find it funny that at the beginning you were worried about making them too long, now you sometimes worry about “only being at the 20 minute mark.” But hey, I enjoy them so why not.
I enjoy your brand of comedy as well as your philosophy/meanings stuff. I just miss the theories part of the podcast as I found listening to your theories to be the most fun parts. It got me involved in a whole new thing as I’d never looked so closely at stories before.
Keep up the good work! Oh and I’m still waiting for you to start a Lost podcast, although Lost has gotten a little….weird lately.