Harry Potter Prognostications Podcast » Books

Richard Dawkins Hates Harry Potter (And Everything Else, Including Small Children)

Greg — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:19:38 +0000

Richard Dawkins, noted zoologist and atheist, is the subject of an article published today in the Telegraph entitled Harry Potter fails to cast spell over Professor Richard Dawkins. The article states:

The prominent atheist is stepping down from his post at Oxford University to write a book aimed at youngsters in which he will warn them against believing in “anti-scientific” fairytales.

Prof Hawkins said: “The book I write next year will be a children’s book on how to think about the world, science thinking contrasted with mythical thinking.

I don’t want to get too involved with this topic right now (we’ll talk about it on our next podcast), but I will say that I’ve read a portion of Dawkins books, and, while I think there is certainly truth to some of his arguments, the guy has a profound misunderstanding of what it means to be a human being.

To be honest, if Dawkins took issue with the Christian content of the Harry Potter books, with the obviously central theme of faith in the series, and J.K. Rowling’s tacit position that faith is the ultimate redeeming quality that Man must strive for in order to combat evil, I’d have no problem with that. But that doesn’t appear to be the case. According to the article, Dawkins just doesn’t like kids using their imagination:

“I think looking back to my own childhood, the fact that so many of the stories I read allowed the possibility of frogs turning into princes, whether that has a sort of insidious affect on rationality, I’m not sure. Perhaps it’s something for research.”

To Dawkins, we are all meant to be purely rational and logical, and anything fanciful, anything stemming from the imagination, is a perversion of our nature (surprising that an evolutionary biologist would take this approach, but that’s another story). There’s no question that indulging in one’s imaginative side too much can be detrimental, to one’s self and others, but to banish imagination from the realm of human experience seems, to me, ridiculous. Would the Wright Brother’s ever have discovered flight, if Icarus had never flown too high? I don’t think so.

Dawkins is no different than those that seek to label Harry Potter as witchcraft: unable to appreciate the deeper meaning that a story holds.

Happy Birthday To Us!!

Greg — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:07:47 +0000

Today is HPProgs’ two year birthday/anniversary. It is hard to believe we have been around for two years and we are still going strong. What started as a complete lark has actually become a source of entertainment, information and plain old good times (and to quote Greg: general tomfoolery and hi jinks).

Feel free to go back and listen to Episode 1 and see how well our prognosticating skills fared, as well as how far we’ve come in our podcasting skills. You might also like to check out Episode 51: The Podcastversary Edition. You’ll remember-that was a fun old episode, we let loose a little and Greg even performed his BlueGrass Wizard Rock song, “My Invisibility Cloak”- complete with guitar playing!

So thanks to everyone who has been part of HPProgs for the past two years. We have loved doing the podcast, and we look forward to good times to come! And remember, we have now entered our “Terrible Twos” so you all better watch out!!

Have We Lost the Harry Potter Lexicon Forever?

Greg — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 11:32:08 +0000

The Harry Potter Lexicon appears to have been taken down. Over the past few weeks when one visited the site, there was a 443 error. However; today, when I tried to access the page I was taken to a Go Daddy website with the message “This website is parked for free courtesy of GoDaddy.com”. So what does this mean? Time and time again, when we discussed the JKR/SVA trial, Greg expressed his confusion about why the website’s copyright status wasn’t called into question. Is it possible that part of the recent trial verdict required the site to be removed? Or perhaps, the amount of traffic the site was receiving was simply too much for the bandwidth SVA had planned for his site (note: I know NOTHING about bandwidth or anything like that now so stop laughing and I’ll just shut up now)? Interestingly enough, when checking out the ownership of the site, we found out that Melissa Anelli owns the domain. Take from that what you will.

In any event, the Harry Potter Lexicon has disapparated from the internet and I’m sad. If it truly is gone, not only does it nullify years and years of hard work on Steve Vander Ark’s part (not to mention his staff and contributors); but the resource that *was* the HP Lexicon is no longer available to the HP fans. As someone who has analyzed these books and has held hours and hours of discussion related to Harry Potter (89 of those recorded for all of you to hear ) I have used the Lexicon as a resource countless times.

It does seem that Steve is moving on though. Well sort of. He isn’t leaving the Harry Potter world but he is focusing on different ventures.

The Grand Rapids Press reports the following:

“I’ve always been a fan of Harry Potter and of Rowling and my hope all along was that we’d find an amicable way to settle this,” Vander Ark said from England this on Tuesday morning. “I’m disappointed, but this is the way it went and I don’t hold any ill will at all.

“It was a question of law over a difference of opinion and, in a way, I’m glad that it’s finally over.”

While the dispute simmered in court for nearly a year, Vander Ark has been focusing on publishing a different Potter-themed book.

This one, a travel memoir, has Vander Ark visiting sites referenced in the series, exploring and taking pictures of them. The 256-page book is set for release in October through Methuen Publishing, Vander Ark said.

“(The) book evokes the myths and magic of Harry Potter,” according to a release on the Methuen Web site. “It will be enjoyed by all fans of the boy wizard and will prove a useful guide for those bent on making discoveries of their own.”

Having heard Steve lecture on this topic, I don’t doubt that this will be a fantastic and entertaining book and I wish him the best of luck.

UPDATE: Steve read my note on facebook and here is what he wrote: “It’s not down. We’re in the process of transferring the domain and so that URL offline for a short time, but the site up as usual at www.hp-lexicon.info.”
PHEW:)

The Most Famous Reaction To the Half Blood Prince Delay

Greg — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 01:22:47 +0000

Digg This!
Many of you have asked us our opinions on the Half Blood Prince delay. We haven’t been able to emotionally pull ourselves together enough to address this issue but we have been scouring the net for some more famous reactions to the news. We were fortunate enough to find this footage in the archives of the German Museum. We think it sums up how many fans feel pretty well:

Please feel free to share and favorite this video.

*The above video was created by us. It should not be misconstrued as mocking the horrific tragedies that befell millions under Hitler’s regime.

Half Blood Prince Movie Poster?

Greg — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 02:01:58 +0000

This appeared in a survey I took from Borders Books. It seems that it might be some kind of Half Blood Prince Promotional poster which will grace the cover of the book once the movie comes out. What are your thoughts?

What do you think? Could this be the new Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince movie poster? (Hat tip to Bill)

Day 3: J.K. Rowling/Steve Vander Ark Trial Continues

Greg — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:23:54 +0000

Ginny, have you seen my Firebolt?

The trial over Steve Vander Ark and his Harry Potter Lexicon continued today in New York, in what appears to be the final day of testimony. According to the WSJ Law Blog (which may be suing HPProgs for copyright, as we’ve been linking to and excerpting from the quite liberally), the defense (i.e. SVA and RDR) seemed to have the upper hand coming out of today’s session. HPProgs legal analysts (read: hacks) think this might indicate that the judge really favors Rowling, but was testing their side more rigourously to see how they stood up to scrutiny. More likely, though, he’s leaning towards RDR/SVA.

The WSJ also posted an interview with an IP lawyer who gave his opinion on the case (long story short: too close to call). Did we mention that Anthony Falzone, one of the attorneys for the defense, used basically the same argument we did in yesterday’s podcast discussing the trial? He must be a listener (we’ll send you a bill).

In the meantime, more information has come to light. Commentor Bill posted a link to a site that contains most of the information that has been submitted for the case (I think lawyers call these things affidavits). Included in Bill’s comment was an excerpt of an email exchange between SVA and JKR’s representatives; what emerges is a very disturbing picture of a case of an obsessed fan taking things too far. This, of course, has no bearing on the legality of the Lexicon as a published work, but certainly adds a nice amount of drama and context to the entire affair.

Check back tomorrow for more updates on the trial. We here at HPProgs are hoping for a settlement; short of that, we’ve got two galleons on RDR/SVA.

Episode #70 – Patterns in Potter: Identity Theft

Greg — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 05:29:44 +0000

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:

We really want to hear from you so please be in touch!! In the news:

You can listen to the podcast with the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

Episode #66: Introducing Patterns in Potter

Greg — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 04:56:56 +0000

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:

You can listen to the podcast with the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

Amazon Wins Auction for The Tales of Beedle the Bard for $4 million

Greg — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 14:55:12 +0000

The top bidder in the auction for the seventh handwritten copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard has been announced. It’s Amazon.com! Amazon has always been one of my favorite companies and web sites (I do all my online shopping there, if I can help it), but this makes them even more awesome. Not only are they going to take the book on tour so that everyone can get a chance to see it, they are posting copious amounts of information on their web site. It’s so amazing that Amazon has chosen to share this with so many Potter fans. Thanks Amazon.

Check out the Amazon page for The Tales of Beedle the Bard, and make sure to check back, as Amazon is promising to post additional information, pictures and more.

Beedle the Bard: Who knew you’d fetch so much?

Greg — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 15:34:56 +0000

This deserves its own news post.

Dec. 13 (Bloomberg) — J.K. Rowling’s handwritten book of fairy tales sold for 1.95 million pounds ($3.98 million) at a London charity sale.

Sotheby’s top estimate for “The Tales of Beedle the Bard,” one of seven copies made after Rowling finished her last Harry Potter book, was 50,000 pounds. The money will go to the Children’s Voice, a charity co-founded by Rowling and Emma Nicholson, a member of the U.K. House of Lords.

The buyer was Hazlitt, Gooden & Fox, an old-master dealership with many collector clients, Sotheby’s said.

Continue Reading Article

Wow. Wow, wow, wow.

Episode #60: Harry Potter and The Golden Compass

Greg — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 03:58:01 +0000

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.

Here is a link to the interview that Travis mentioned on the show: Phillip Pullman and Peter Chataway, an award-winning Christian film critic.
In the news:

You can listen to this podcast with the player below, or download an mp3 directly.

Episode #56: Love in Harry Potter

Greg — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 21:12:06 +0000

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.

Episode #54: J.K. Rowling Speaks

Greg — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 03:12:49 +0000

J.K. Rowling has begin her Open Book Tour, with stops in Los Angeles, New Orleans and New York City. At the press conference at the LA appearance, J.K. Rowling spoke for the first time at length on the religious themes of the Harry Potter books, speaking openly about the Christian themes and references in Book 7. She also spoke about Snape, Dumbledore, the Harry Potter Encyclopedia and how she broke the news of the fate of the trio to the actors who portrayed them.

Details from the Open Book Tour LA press conference – Religion. (MTV News)
More from MTV on Snape and Dumbledore.
J.K. Rowling talks to the movie stars (MTV Movies Blog).
More from the NY Post.

For reference, check out our original post on the religion of Harry Potter.
In other news:

If you have a few minutes, please vote for HPProgs for Best Podcast in the 2007 Weblog Awards!

This week’s Top 5! Vote for your most memorable character from the Harry Potter novels:

Who is the most memorable character in the Harry Potter series?

Survey by Quibblo

You can listen to the podcast with the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

Episode #53: The Making of a Wizard – The Story of Neville Longbottom

Greg — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 19:09:08 +0000

One of our most favorite characters from the Harry Potter series is the one and only Neville Longbottom. From a shy, sheepish kid in the first book, to Snake-Killer, Neville goes through one of the most noticeable transformations of any other character in the book. In this episode, we take a look back at Neville, the significant moments in his life, both before and at Hogwarts, and how he progressed from less than a wizard to a full-fledged Wizard Hero. In particular, we examine how J.K. Rowling uses Neville to show how cultures and societies reinforce images of acceptable traits and tacitly punish or stigmatize those that fail to embody those traits; also, we discuss Neville’s character as a mirror of Harry’s character.

I had to resist the urge to entitle this episode “Neville Longbottom: From Zero to Hero.”

Please check out the new Harry Potter T-Shirt Store on Zazzle, and let us know what you think. If you’ve purchased a t-shirt from us at either of our stores, please send us a picture (we won’t post it unless you say it’s OK).

As always, please rate and review us on iTunes and don’t forget to vote for us on podcast alley! We appreciate it.

In the news:

Daniel Radcliffe is one of Moviefone’s “25 Hot Actors Under 25 List”.
Did you win the JK Rowling book reading sweepstakes? Scholastic and Raincoast have both announced the winners.
National Braille Press has announced a new Harry Potter auction.
Nepotism alive and well in the HP franchise. Ralph Feinnes’ nephew MIGHT be playing a young Tom Riddle in HBP. Take this news as rumor until it is confirmed by WB.
JKR and Emma Watson attended the Pride of Britain awards.
Emma Watson attending Nickolodeon’s Kids Choice UK awards.
The OoTP DVD will include downloadable digital files which will allow users to download to PC or portable devices.
New Harry Potter merchandise available.
Prague publishing house IN TROUBLE.
Harry Potter is the new wizard of the month on JKR’s site.

You can listen to the podcast with the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

Episode #48: Dumbledore and the Greater Good

Greg — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 05:26:16 +0000

Before Deathly Hallows, our view of Dumbledore was nothing less than a saint; although Harry had his questions with his methods, certainly there was nary a doubt as to his motives. In Book 7, quite a different picture of the wizened old wizard is presented. Harry spends much of the book struggling with the Dumbledore he knew and the true person who Dumbledore was. We learn the dark secrets of Dumbledore’s past, and Harry’s role in the greater plan to defeat Voldemort. In this episode, we take a closer look at Dumbledore, his history and philosophy (both past and present).

For some great Owen Wilson sound effects, check out the World-of-Owen audio page.

In the news:

You can listen to the podcast with the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

Episode #47: The Prince’s Tale – The Tao of Snape

Greg — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 05:36:54 +0000

Without question, Severus Snape is one of the most intriguing characters in J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world. In the beginning, he was simply a mean teacher, and obstacle for Harry; but by the end of the series, Snape became a paradigm of sacrifice for love and courage, to the point that Harry names his son after his once-despised teacher. In this episode, we take a closer look at Snape, now that we have the complete picture of his tale.

For an insightful and prescient examination of Snape’s character, check out Orson Scott Card’s essay Who is Snape? (If you haven’t already, read Orson Scott Card’s book Ender’s Game. You’ll thank me later.)

In the news:

Check out our new Harry Potter t-shirt design; we call it “Always.” It looks good on most light colored tees (ignore the white background around the image; that will be removed when the shirt is printed).

Get it in white or in a vast array of colors (we prefer green).

You can listen to the podcast with the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

Episode #46: The Religion of Harry Potter

Greg — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 03:22:01 +0000

There’s no question that there are religious/Christian undertones and themes to the Harry Potter books. In 2000, JK Rowling stated that if she were to divulge her religious beliefs, it would make the ending of the story obvious. Now that we’ve read Book 7, the religious content is clear; not only is Harry’s final battle with Voldemort very much a passion play, there are overarching religious themes to the entire book. What is the character of the religious content of Deathly Hallows in particular, and the Potter series in general? Is JK Rowling preaching or does she have a different intention? In this podcast, we explore the religious themes and try to figure out the religion of Harry Potter.

After you listen to the podast, make sure to read John Granger’s posts on the Christian Content of Deathly Hallows.

Not much news this week, in the mean time, make sure to check out:

Stephen King’s last word on Harry Potter.
Two great videos of The Prince’s Tale: one and two.

Don’t forget to get your entries in for the HPProgs Thank You Book to J.K. Rowling. Thank yous are due by September 1st.
You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

Episode #42: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Reviewed

Greg — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 16:29:03 +0000

We’ve finished Deathly Hallows. We sat down to record our initial thoughts immediately after completing Book 7. I don’t think we’ve covered everything, but it’s a good start with out immediate thoughts on the book. What’s to say? The book was great, a great ending to the saga of Harry Potter.

Please note: this podcast is SPOILER-FULL. If you haven’t yet finished Deathly Hallows, and don’t want to hear spoilers, DO NOT listen to this podcast. Comments on this episode will also be SPOILER-FULL. The rest of the HPProgs.com web site will remain moderated and spoiler-free until Monday, July 23rd.

You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

Deathly Hallows Ships From Amazon

Greg — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:00:29 +0000

In my email this morning:

Greetings from Amazon.com.

We thought you would like to know that we are preparing your items for
shipment.

!!!

A close friend of ours actually got his copy already (he had ordered online from the place that’s in the news that shipped early); he wrote about it on his blog (NO SPOILERS in his post, just a rundown of the legal brouhaha). Apparently, Scholastic is offereing $50 to those who received the books to wait until Saturday to read it.

As a warning, there are major spoilers out there, even the mainstream media, such as the NY Times and Baltimore Sun, are getting in on ruining the book for everyone, which is a shame. HPProgs, of course, will remain spoiler-free.

Episode #41: The End of Harry Potter

Greg — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 04:18:49 +0000

This may very well be our last full episode before the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. In this episode, we discuss how we’re feeling (perhaps the five stages of loss would be appropriate), and take one final crack at a few theories before signing off and preparing for the weekend.

No news this week, but a few links of interest:

Get your HPProgs T-Shirts. You can order through the HPProgs Store, or email us (harrypotterprogs AT yahoo DOT com) to get a limited edition HPProgs red, white or black tee.
Check out Filmspotting.net’s review of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
If you’re in NY, make sure to check out Wizard Rock 2007.
Catch us on the James Madison Show on Friday between 6 and 7 PM, it’s all about Potter, and you can call in!.

That’s it. Enjoy the show, towards the end we discuss our plans for the podcast after the release of the book(in short, we ain’t going no where as long as folks want to hear what we have to say).

You can listen to the podcast with the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

Episode #39: More Unanswered Questions

Greg — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 04:59:55 +0000

More unanswered questions! True to our word, we’re upping the ante with the movie and book coming out in the next few weeks. This episode doesn’t have a major news segment, but more unanswered questions, including a killer question from Sister Judy (our sister, not a nun) regarding the Grand-Potters.

We’ll be back later this week with our review of the OotP movie. Stay tuned!

And check out our new logo!

You can listen to the podcast with the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

Stephen King Prepares for The End

Greg — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 18:23:04 +0000

Stephen King writes a semi-weekly column for Enterntainment Weekly, and has many times in the past expressed his love for the Harry Potter books. In this week’s edition, Uncle Stevie devotes his column to Harry Potter and how he’s feeling approaching the conclusion of the series:

I’m having a day of mixed feelings: happy because I’m reading the manuscript of a novel that’s full of magic, mystery, and monsters; sad because it will be finished tomorrow and on my shelf, with all its secrets told and its surviving characters set free to live their own lives (if characters have lives beyond the end of a novel — I’ve always felt they do).

Read the rest, it’s really great.

Episode #38: Unanswered Questions

Greg — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 03:52:49 +0000

We’re getting pretty close the end game. Zero hour. The End of Potter. And we’ve got plenty of unanswered questions. Earlier, we solicited your thoughts on what questions still need to be answered in Book 7. We had a great response, and, in this podcast, we go through some of the questions and give our best guesses as to how they’ll be resolved. So tune in, and let us know your thoughts in the comments.

The questions we covered are:

Who will end up a teacher at Hogwarts? (from Greg in Toronto)
Why did Bellatrix Lestrange go after the Longbottoms? (Nancy)
What does the symbol mean? (Aaron from HPPC)
How did the Wizarding World find out the Potters were killed? (from Mrs. Lovegood)
What connection does Dumbledore vs. Grindelwald have to Harry vs. Voldemort? (Greg in Toronto)
Why did Snape turn against Voldemort? (Ajit)

Keep sending in your questions, we’ll cover more next week.

In the news:

HBO’s First Look at OotP movie looks pretty cool.
Amazon books 1 million preorders for Deathly Hallows in US. July 17th is deadline for first-day delivery.
Harry Potter virus infecting computers.
Wizard Rock in the Garden. Hear great music and meet HPProgs!

You can listen to the podcast with the player below, or download an mp3 directly.

What questions MUST you have answered in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows?

Penny — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 19:50:31 +0000

Hey everyone- Are there any questions in the Harry Potter series that you feel MUST be answered in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows? If so, please send them to harrypotterprogs at yahoo dot com (e-mail format) ASAP so we can include them in one of our next episodes. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Penny

W.O.M.B.A.T.s now available

Greg — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:22:17 +0000

With the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows so close, the third and last W.O.M.B.A.T. test is now available on JK Rowling’s web site.

According to the site,

The Grade 3 WOMBAT is the final examination, and the most difficult. Not only is the subject matter much more advanced, but the examination is also more stringently marked. Certain answers will LOSE YOU MARKS, so choose carefully…

HPANA has info on how to access the W.O.M.B.A.T.

Greg and I will be taking it and you better believe we will be posting our scores (and expecting my score to surpass his). Let us know how you do.

Penny:)

Scholastic Reveals Cover Art for the Deluxe Edition

Greg — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 20:23:28 +0000

Scholastic has revealed the cover art for the Deluxe Edition of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Of course, the art was done by Mary Grand Pre.

There isn’t too much to prognosticate on but I wanted to offer my one major opinion. It could be bogus or not but here goes. Harry, Ron and Hermione (I think that’s Ron and Hermione) are riding a dragon in the picture. Call me crazy, but I think the dragon is the animagus form of Draco Malfoy (Dragon of Bad Faith). Look at the white blonde hair and the grey eyes on the dragon. I think it says it all.

Opinions?

Penny:)

By the way, if you’re thinking of ordering the Deluxe Edition, why not order it through the HPProgs Bookshelf?

Check out the HPProgs Book Shelf

Greg — Thu, 31 May 2007 17:53:07 +0000

While we’re waiting for Penny to get better, we’ve put together a site with links to the very best Harry Potter books, movies and more; we’re calling it the HPProgs Book Shelf. Browse around and let us know what you think. Shopping through the HPProgs Book Shelf is a great way to support HPProgs. All products are through Amazon, so if you preordered from Book 7 from Amazon, you can cancel your existing order and re-sign up through the bookshelf, and you’ll still get Book 7 on release day!

We’ll be adding products/categories periodically, so make sure to check back often. Our first category page is a collection of great books of commentary on the Harry Potter novels. Check it out!

You can get there any time by visiting:

www.hpprogs.com/bookshelf

Episode #34: The Wizard’s Soul

Greg — Fri, 25 May 2007 13:13:54 +0000

What kind of a soul does a wizard have? JK Rowling has left many hints as to the nature of the soul, as portrayed in the Harry Potter books. In this week’s episode, we tie it all together in an attempt to figure out the true nature of the wizard’s soul.

And in the news:

As promised, here is the link to the HPPC video podcast that featured our Top 10 Deathly Hallows Predictions. Great job, guys!

The HPPC Video Podcast iTunes feed is http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=219982487
and their RSS feed is http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheHppcFanVidCast

You can listen to this week’s podcast with the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

Episode #26: Deathly Hallows Covers!

Greg — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 15:41:11 +0000

Just when you think you’re out of topics to podcast about, along come The Deathly Hallows covers! Scholasitc and Bloomsbury today released images of the covers for Harry Potter Book 7, and we’re on the scene with our first impressions as to what is going on. What is around Harry’s neck? Who’s holding the Sword of Gryffindor? Will Bloomsbury the Dog save the day? Tune in for our gut reactions.

Check out:

Scholastic’s interaction version of the US cover.
Bloomsbury’s UK covers.
Large hi-res versions of the covers, courtesy of HPANA.

In other news:

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We have a book length

Penny — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 15:13:26 +0000

Scholastic Books sent out a press release talking about the recycled paper that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be printed on. In this press release, it was revealed that the US Hard Back Edition of the final Potter book will be 784 pages. Here is the press release:

All 12 million copies of the U.S. edition of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be printed on paper that contains a minimum of 30% post-consumer waste (pcw) fiber. Moreover, 65% of the 16,700 tons of paper used in the U.S. first printing will be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the global standard-setter for responsible forest management. This historic commitment is the largest purchase of FSC certified paper to be used in the printing of a single book title. The vast amount of paper needed to print 12 million copies of the 784-page Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows makes the decision by Scholastic to invest in environmentally preferable paper a significant step in the company’s ongoing commitment to responsible environmental stewardship.

Thoughts?