Episode #82: Prognosticating The Prequel
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.
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Tags: Audible.com, Harry Potter Prequel, Harry Potter Prequel Podcasts, James and Sirius, JK Rowling, Mauraders
June 18th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
I got so excited when I heard my voicemail! yay! I spell my name the same as Rachael Ray (but im not a fan of hers either, Penny) so I laughed when I heard y’all talking about how annoying she was.
I wish my name was really Rachael Malfoy, and I said the word “y’all” about a million times.
Amy’s comment blew mine out of the water. So after listening to hers I have things to add to mine: Y’all make me laugh in every episode, and in the episode when Penny put the “real men of genius” thing in, I was doing my math exam and I could make any noise and I was having the hardest time being quiet during that because it was SO FUNNY!
Anyways, enough about me and voicemail comments.
Something I think is funny is that when the podcast first started the episodes were only like 20 minutes and now they are close to an hour each time.
There are 821 words in the story so she went over the limit. Oh well. I like how the story just talked about James and Sirius. From the moment I saw the first sentence with the motorcycle I knew that the words Sirius Black would be involved and Sirius is my 3rd favorite character so that made me happy. And that this is pre-Azkaban Sirius and pre-Harry James, it shows that they were so playful and carefree of the muggle laws (even though we knew that they were adventuress) while they were young. Also, like Greg said there was way too much information about the police officers. I thought it was funny when the officers thought that the kids pulled out drumsticks. What was the spell they shouted out though?
I didn’t even get the Fred and George similarities. I guess that is because I only read it once.
In the end I would read the prequel if it was published but I wouldn’t fall in love with it like I (and millions of other people) have Harry Potter.
P.S. Good Doc Brown impersonation Greg. I enjoyed that.
June 18th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Hey guys,
Europeans don’t actually need to move to watch recent Lost episodes; we can just watch them online. So please, do a podcast about Lost, I’d love to hear your prognostications!
Unlike Greg, I hate spoilers, that’s why I watch things like Lost online. And when Deathly Hallows came out I didn’t go on the internet until I’d finished it…
Anyway, keep up the great work, whether it’s about HP or something else!
Love, a listener in Amsterdam
June 19th, 2008 at 11:04 am
I just found you guys a few weeks ago and am really happy I did, it’s great!!! I finished all the books this year and I love them. There all I can think about and I have listened to a lot of your guy’s talks. When I first saw the “ The Prequel” I thought it was going to really be a book till I saw the bit about how she is not doing one… Do you think she really will not do one?
I really liked it though because I felt like through out the books I just really want to hear more about Sirius. I wanted to be able to see more of who he really was and how he was when he was young. James seems like he really lived life to the fullest when he was younger and Sirius really seemed to have loved that, although Sirius will always be one of my favorite people in the books. I was really sad when he died although I don’t really understand how he did or what happened to him when he fell in that door? Over all the short store was really great and I think it gave us a little look at who Sirius had wanted Harry to be when he said that maybe he was not like his father after all. (If you guys talked about how he died, when and what date should I look up to listen or read)
love you guys!
June 19th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
Commenting on the t-shirts that james and sirius were wearing. What if they were just gryffindor t-shirts and they were just to show support? I think that they were just having a bit of fun. Maybe it wan’t trying to be serious and was just a bit of fun. Great podcast this week!!
June 19th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Very fun episode indeed.
Travis had an extremely insightful take on the name Wilberforce - http://britishfiction.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_harry_potter_prequel
I think I can make a very strong case for my “Trusing Others” theme for book six. Moral ambiguity plays into this theme very well. At the same time it is only one (crutial) component out of many.
In all seriousness I really think that it would be awesome to distill “Patterns in Potter” into book form.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Hi guys
Great show. I don’t watch Lost so I don’t want you to do a Lost podcast. For purely selfish reasons I think you should do a 24 podcast.
June 19th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Hey guys. So, I haven’t ever commented before, but I have listened from episode one and you are one of my favorite podcasts. I listen to one other HP podcast, but that one always has 3 or 4 on the iPod, but yours I listen to as soon as it pops on there. Never let yours linger. Also, you’re about my only non-NPR podcast. So, yeah … you guys are awesome.
June 20th, 2008 at 9:03 am
Hey y’all,
I finally got high speed internet and a new job where I am at a desk all day. I have spent the last couple of weeks since I found you guys listening to all your episodes so this is my first comment. I would like to see you do a comparison of the books to the movies and highlight the major points that should have been left in the movies to clarify things, or were thankfully left out of the movie such as S.P.E.W., skrewts, etc…
I have read the books 8 or 9 times each in the last two years since I started reading them. When my husband, a friend and I went to see OOTP, I spent most of the movie explaining things that were left out of it. I am wondering how many others have had to explain major points of the plot to other people that watched the movies, but haven’t read the books for one reason or another.
June 20th, 2008 at 11:02 am
ok here is my podcast idea it can be about something new every week say you see a good movie you could talk about that like a couple weeks lord of the rings a couple more for the office some for lost stuff like that
if you don’t like that i’m thinking a the office podcast
June 20th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
what do you think
June 20th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
any one out there
June 20th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
Austin: I’m thinking along the same lines as you. The problem is that other than Harry Potter, Lost and The Office, Penny and I have very different tastes. Right now, I’ve got something to say about The Hulk, which I know she cares nothing for. We’ll figure something out.
June 20th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
Came across something interesting today. Got an email from Borders to take their survey. It asks about books and authors first but then movies and actors, clearly actors from movies about to be made from popular books. Anyhow, about halfway through there is what appears to be a poster from Half Blood Prince. I haven’t seen one yet. It’s pretty nice—-it is in the cave with the glowing potion and across the top says “I am not afraid/ I am with you” have the graphic and the screen capture but no idea how to attach it here. You may be able to take the survey at http://surveys3.whoisq.com/Q_0094_7 (and get 20% off) or if Greg or Penny will tell me how I’ll get the graphic and/or screen capture to them to put up.
Bill
June 21st, 2008 at 1:42 pm
maybe you guys could take turns
deciding the topic i mean
June 21st, 2008 at 1:44 pm
maybe you guys could take turns
deciding the topic i mean.
June 21st, 2008 at 1:49 pm
sorry about the double
June 21st, 2008 at 9:26 pm
I didn’t much care for the prequel, but that’s probably because I don’t like James and Sirius, and I saw nothing here to make me change my mind. I will say that they are very much in-character, acting as arrogant and reckless as we see them in school. I didn’t like that they were mocking the Muggle policemen who were, after all, only doing their jobs.
But what was much worse was that they potentially put the policemen in danger by leading the Death Eaters straight to them. Sirius and James could have flown off in a different direction at any time, but chose to use the policemen as a distraction to escape the Death Eaters. If the distraction had failed, the Death Eaters might well have killed the policemen, although I don’t suppose the notion of failing ever entered James and Sirius’s heads. And what will happen when the Death Eaters regain consciousness? If the cops are still there, the Death Eaters will probably kill them. Hopefully the policemen will have fled by then, but what if their car is too damaged to drive? Or what if they foolishly try to bring the Death Eaters to the station to question them?
And I’m probably reading too much into a quickly scribbled ficlet, but I can’t help feeling sorry for the cops, who will probably be punished by their bosses for damaging the car. Can you imagine them trying to explain how it floated in the air and then three men on broomsticks ran into it? (Assuming that the car suffered serious physical damage, which is likely, considering that the three Death Eaters ran into it, and then it fell to the ground.)
And you know, I find it a little weird that so many people think that James and Sirius scaring the wits out of the hapless policemen is funny. Because after all, *we* are all Muggles–we’re the sort of people that the wizarding world looks down on, makes fun of, or at best, finds quaintly amusing. Muggles in the books tend to be portrayed as buffoonish, like Dudley and the policemen here, or at best, helpless against the wizards, like the prime minister in Book 6, or the family tormented by Death Eaters in Book 4–which is rather odd for a series that preaches against prejudice and for tolerance. But I guess most readers naturally tend to identify with the wizards, since Harry is the protagonist, which then puts them in the ironic position of looking down on the Muggle characters. I’m not saying that all readers think Muggle-baiting is okay, but after browsing through reactions online, the impression I get regarding the prequel is that most fans see it as James and Sirius having a little harmless fun, without really trying to look at it from the policemen’s point of view.
June 21st, 2008 at 10:18 pm
I thought Sirius and James might still be in school. The yellow bird might be a griffin, to a muggle. And maybe they were being chased by an under age magic squad. This explains the lighthearted and prankster attitude. But then again I love the marauders so I definitly cut them too much slack. I just loved. The card fic, but it made me want MORE. Guess I can reread DH, can’t seem to reread it. I cried.
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:14 pm
its just a book its not like they are actual mean people
she is trying to give them personalities
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:17 pm
not mean just:
arrogant, determined rule breakers, attention seeking and impertinent
June 22nd, 2008 at 4:03 pm
I thought both James and Sirius were of age and out of Hogwarts in the Prequel and already in the Order, and that was the reason why they were wearing these t-shirts. Because isn’t it illegal in the UK to drive a motorbike when you’re under 18, and the policemen never mentioned anything about looking too young to be allowed to drive, so I figured they must be out of Hogwarts.
Anyway, what Greg predicted made total sense - once again. And the Phoenix t-shirts even add to that should they still be in Hogwarts. I also think that JKR is working or will start working on something like this Prequel because there are a lot of hints and stuff that could [should?] we explained a little bit more.
And I think you should do a BSG podcast. I never imagined I’d like a sci-fi show but was talked into watching it and was hooked after the Miniseries. Penny should start watching, now that she has enough time to catch up until the second part of S4 starts.
June 22nd, 2008 at 6:40 pm
i wouldn’t listen if you guys started a Lost podcast. I absolutely hate that show. I think you need to find something that’s going to appeal to all the listeners you already have, like discussing different books or movies in the same genre as harry potter, making recommendations, comparing and contrasting different movies/books with harry potter maybe. i love listening to you guys and i would be so disappointed if you guys switched to a Lost podcast. Besides, Lost isn’t going to go on forever either. you need something permanent that you can continue to expand on for as long as you want to.
June 22nd, 2008 at 6:48 pm
and as a sidenote i liked your analysis of book six. the second you said it it all clicked for me. i think there’s a lot of evidence that you didn’t even touch on in the book to support the theme of moral ambiguity.
Even for example when Harry uses sectusempra on Malfoy. Harry and Malfoy hate each other, and we know that they’d both like to cause each other as much misery as possible, yet when Harry uses that spell we can obviously see that Harry did not really want to cause Malfoy any permanent damage. There’s some definite moral ambiguity as to his feelings towards Malfoy and what their relationship is.
Also, Harry is captain of the Quidditch team, and throughout the book there are mentions of him fearing that people will think that he only picked his friends to be on the team, again moral ambiguity.Also, when he chooses a replacement seeker for Ron, he’s supposed to be on their side but Harry continually has problems with him and though they should be working together they really clash and work against each other. So to all those doubters out there I suggest you look a little further cause it’s definitely there if you look hard enough.
June 22nd, 2008 at 7:36 pm
don’t worry Jackie- we definitely aren’t starting a Lost podcast. We are trying to avoid the same pitfalls as Harry Potter (not that this hasn’t been the best thing, but it is sort of hard to come in at the end of something)….
June 23rd, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Sirus and James could still be in school and use magic outside of school. When they come of age at 17, they can use magic without being traced by the Ministry. And a student is 17 in their last year at Hogwarts. However, from the description of the shirts, it sounds like Fawks which is a phoenix. A griffin is front of an eagle and back of a lion.
Hey, what do you get when/if a griffin and a horse mate?
June 23rd, 2008 at 4:47 pm
I think that talking about other books that are similar to Harry Potter is a really amazing idea. I would read the books that are picked to talk about, no second thought in my mind. However there is still a lot of other really phenomenal topics still not talk about in the book…I believe they have not been. I don’t know how much has been discussed about loyalty, but even though love is the most important thing to have, and love concurs all, it does make it hard to stay loyal to yourself at times. Like when Sirius tells Harry he is not anything like his father, so he makes a bad decision remembering that his godfather would be proud if he took more chances, making that the “fun part”. It’s like this again with Neval and his grandmother although her pushing seemed to really help him …just a thought of a topic, tell me if this is way off?
June 24th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
i was recently listening to a past podcast of you guys and you mentioned a wonder pets podcast. now THAT i would listen to, hehe.
June 24th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Hi, guys,
It was good to have some new Prognosticating. I agreed with Penny in that I would have rathered that the prequel took place in the magical world. I also would have like to see something between Lily and James - like why she loved him. I would really have liked to see something about Snape - but the guy could never cut a break so I just would have been depressing. I also would not have minded a Post Hogwarts story but the fans have been so divided on the epilogue that it is hard to imagine she would go near it with a 10 foot pole.
As far as the future, well, I agreed with the caller who said that they would like a reread through the series. I thought when you guys started your Patterns series that you were going to comment in light of the conclusion of the series. Maybe most would think these things are trivial… For instance, in my reread of OotP, I was at the part where Dumbledore was talking to Harry after Sirius’ death. He tells Harry, “I know how you feel.” Well, we know now that he did know how it felt to feel responsible for a loved ones death! I know, these re-reads take a lot of time.
A natural topic, in my opinion, is the fandom. I think fanfic recommendations, fan art, WRock, other podcasts, Videos, conference organizers/attendees, history of the fandom experts, crafters, bloggers, shippers, reccers, etc. You could tie this in the interviews of people within the fandom - an area (interviewing) in which I think the 2 of you excel!
Interviews of people who have things to say about the books - rather like the convention topics - would also be interesting.
Plus, there is still tons in the news - even is some turns out to be false rumors. There is always that search for the elusive HBP teaser trailer.
Don’t give up on HP!!!
June 25th, 2008 at 12:46 am
gotta agree with Delma (on all counts!!!)
I couldn’t have said it any better
June 25th, 2008 at 11:01 am
Yeah interviews would be really cool. I always wondered why James and Lily got together in the first place too!
June 25th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Oh and one more thing, does anyone know if Snape and Lily ever talked after the last memory Harry was shown about Lily saying they were both going different directions? I just really have been waiting to know, So if any one knows please tell!
June 25th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
Bethel,
I don’t remember ever hearing anything about that. My guess is they did not speak - Snape had no “closure,” as they say.
June 26th, 2008 at 8:42 am
That’s what I kind of thought, but I was hoping they had. Thanks though.
June 27th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
P & G,
Once again you guys endlessly crack me up. ;p This is my first official comment on the site. I kinda felt I needed to post after I heard my voicemail on the Prequel discussion show. Glad you appreciated the voicemail, it was just a ramble of things I’d wanted to say forever but hadn’t gotten around to…
I know Comic Con is out for this year, but perhaps next is what I meant. I didn’t think you could swing it so close to Prophecy and all.
Lost podcast… I am not giving up hope on it. ;p
Also, don’t think we all didn’t enjoy the latest Patterns in Potter just because we didn’t comment on the theme/book in particular. I have enjoyed all of them.
Totally enjoyed the Prequel discussion, especially the idea about their shirts possibly being related to the Order. I myself was thinking more along the lines of a band or something, ie The Weird Sisters, but I like your idea much better.
Agree with Greg on the Prequel being a reality sometime down the road as well. Here’s my two cents on it… 1) I’m almost positive that she’s said before “Never say never” when it comes to another Potter book. Yes, she said she’s done with Harry, but I’m pretty sure she also did say that line. 2) Doesn’t she have that notebook full of the story, backstory, etc.? I remember seeing an interview where she talked about it. Something with all her notes and ideas and the main story that she had since the beginning. I’m pretty sure that like George Lucas, she had the backstory all worked out already, even though both claim(ed) they weren’t going to use it for later stories.
Anyways, just my thoughts…
Amy, the final cylon