Harry Potter Prognostications Podcast » Lord Voldemort

Portus Video Here. Now.

Greg — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 01:44:59 +0000

After almost four months, I have finally gotten around to uploading the video from my round table discussion at Portus. The reason I chose to do this is three fold. Or would that be tri-fold? I don’t know. In any event….here are the reasons why I am finally posting this video:

1. This round table discussion was standing room only. Not only was I proud of the fact that it was such a well attended session at Portus; but the conversation was great and I wanted everyone in the HPProgs world to be able to watch and hear it.

2. Some of you might be on the fence about attending Azkatraz 2009 and I wanted you all to be able to see an example of *some* (and believe me everything else is MUCH better than anything I could do) of the programming at an HPEF event. Also I truly believe that the HPProgs listeners are some of the most intelligent people in the HP fandom and I wanted you to see that if an idiot like me could do a session, so can you.

3. We got this snazzy video camera, I have a Mac with decent video editing software and I was in the mood to use them both:)

So without further ado, here is the video footage from the discussion, “Voldemort Understands Nothing: Why This Led To His Ultimate Downfall.” I apologize for the four videos- youtube only allows you to upload ten minutes of footage at a time. (The videos are best seen in high quality.)

Episode #79: Harry Potter and Gödel’s Theorem

Greg — Fri, 16 May 2008 22:35:53 +0000

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.

Episode #63: Harry Potter and the End of Innocence

Greg — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 02:48:16 +0000

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.

Episode #58: Harry Potter Potpourri

Greg — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 01:53:04 +0000

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:

UPDATE: We appreciate everyone’s patience with this week’s podcast. Unfortunately the podcast hosting service we were using was a bit messed up so the podcast wasn’t working- but we think it is fixed now. Please let us know if you have any more difficulty with it!

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

Episode #57: Fatherhood in Potter

Greg — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 13:22:41 +0000

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.

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 #49: Voldemort’s Downfall

Greg — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 01:55:00 +0000

Voldermort’s downfall was a long time coming. Despite his efforts to ensure his longevity, Voldemort’s overall approach to life almost guarunteed his defeat. By ignoring the signifcance of some very important “deeper magics,” Voldemort opened up a proverbial chink in his armor that ultimately led to his demise. In Chapter 35, King’s Cross, an etherieal Dumbledore sums it up nicely:

That which Voldemort does not value, he takes no trouble to comprehend. Of house elves and children’s tales, of love, loyalty and innoncence, Voldemort knows and understands nothing. NOTHING. That they all have a power beyond his own, a power beyond the reach of any magic, is a truth he has never grasped.

In this week’s episode, we take a deeper look at the general and specific causes of Voldemort’s downfall, paying particular attention to Dumbledore’s assessment.

In the news:

Daniel Radcliffe’s December Boys jump the gun and premiere on September 14.
Equus may come to Broadway. In other news, the Kentucky Derby has been cancelled.
Dumbledore makes Wizard of the Month on JKRowling.com. It’s about time he was recognized for all his hard work.
Order of the Phoenix second most profitable Potter film. But still the worst book.
Scholastic announces 40 schools of very lucky children. I think I can still pass as a sixth grader if I shave really close.

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 #45: The Dearly Departed

Greg — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 04:13:48 +0000

Ask not for whom the bell tolls, for in Book 7, it tolled for quite a few folks. The body count in the final book gets higher and higher as the book goes on. Some deaths, granted, were quite welcome, such as Bellatrix and Voldemort; others were tragic and shocking. All of them, however, held a special meaning for Harry and for the books. In this episode, we examine the specific meaning of that which gives ultimate meaning, the deaths of Deathly Hallows.

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Hedwig the Owl, Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody, Dobby the Free Elf, Fred Weasley, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Colin Creevy and all those who gave their lives in the Battle of Hogwarts. And, of course, Severus Snape.

In the news:

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

Episode #43: Making Sense of Deathly Hallows

Greg — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 03:56:06 +0000

*Deathly Hallows Spoilers Included*

It’s been less than a week since the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, yet most of us have now read the book more than once; inevitably, bits and pieces need to be re-read to make sense of them. In addition to re-reading, the comments on our last post were extremely amazing, and really helped make sense of the book. This week, we look back through the comments and pull out a few topics to discuss further: a possible relationship between Harry and Voldemort? Examples of Voldemort’s spells not working, references to Nazis, the fittingness of Snape’s death. What was the purpose of the epilogue? And what did we need the Deathly Hallows for anyhow? Of course, there’s more questions that need to be discussed (who discovered magic later in life? Where did Harry’s parents get all that money from?), but they’ll have to wait until next time.

Thanks so much for all the great comments, keep them coming, we couldn’t do the show without them!

In the News:

Make sure to listen to our interview on The James Madison Show from Friday, July 20. The interview can be found a the website if you click the podcast button. Special thanks to James and Frank for having us on.

Don’t forget to order your HPProgs t-shirts! Contact us if you’re interested in a red, white or black limited edition t-shirt.

Join in on the HPProgs Thank-You Book to JK Rowling!

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

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 #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.

Harry Potter and The Office: Team Gryffindor vs. Team Voldemort

Greg — Tue, 15 May 2007 23:48:02 +0000

From last week’s episode of The Office.

Episode #32: How to Destroy a Horcrux

Greg — Fri, 11 May 2007 04:26:26 +0000

So, we know that the big task facing Harry is to find and destroy Voldemort’s Horcuxes, thereby destroying the fragments of his tattered soul and shuffling off his mortal coil. Sounds simple, right? Not quite, there’s one problem that we haven’t addressed: Just how the heck does one destroy a horcrux anyhow?!?! Tune in for our best explanations as to how Harry will help Voldie meet his maker.

This week, we are joined by Andrew as our guest host. Andrew was the winner of our “So You Think Our Accents are Rubbish” contest. Thanks very much to Andrew for coming on the show and putting up with our technical difficulties!

News: Due to technical difficulties, we have an ad hoc version of the news this week. Which means no links. Ugh.

Also, we’ve recently upgraded the Wordpress installation for the site to version 2.1.3, which seems to be much more prone to crashing that the old version we were using, so hopefully we’ll get that straightened out soon.

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

Episode #29: Prophecies

Greg — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 04:07:40 +0000

Quite predictably, ever since we were introduced to The Prophecy in Book 5, it’s been the subject of controversy. Despite almost an entire chapter of Book 6 devoted to setting the record straight, questions still abound about what The Prophecy might mean. Could it be referring to Neville? (No.) Maybe it doesn’t have to come true? (No.) In this week’s podcast, we set the record straight.

A few old posts related to The Prophecy from the old HPProgs blog:

Prophecy Boy: Why Neville is NOT The One.
Prophecy Analysis: What are the logical implications of the language used in The Prophecy? Complete with Truth Table.

And the news:

Make sure to check out the Prophecy 2007 Conference, August 2-5 in Toronto. We’ll be there! If you sign, make sure to tell them HPProgs sent ya’!

Shamless Plug of the Week: Preorder O.A.R.’s new album, Live From Madison Square Garden.

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

Episode #13: The Deathly Hallows Theory Explained

Greg — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 04:28:13 +0000

Since December 21, we’ve all had pretty much one question on our mind: what is the meaning of “Deathly Hallows?” We recorded some of our initial thoughts last time, and followed up with two blog posts with a more fleshed out theory: that the “Deathly Hallows” is the name for the magic that Lily used to protect Harry from Lord Voldemort by dying for him out of love. In this podcast, we go into greater detail on our theory and discuss how all the pieces fit together, incorporating many loosed ends, including horcruxes, occlumency, legilimens and that gleam in Dumbledore’s eye at the end of Book 4. It’s our theory, and we’re sticking to it!

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

How Harry Potter Will End – The Deathly Hallows

Greg — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 19:42:58 +0000

I think I know how Harry Potter will end. I’m almost 100% certain that I’ve figured it out, based on the title of Book 7.

As I said before, I think the “Deathly Hallows” is the name for the magic by which Harry became protected from Lord Voldemort when Lily died for him out of love. Lily’s performed a “deathly hallowing” of Harry, making him immune to Voldemort’s powers. In Book 7, Harry will learn this magic, and devise a way to use it so that he, Harry, is killed by Voldemort. The key: Harry’s deathly hallow will be on behalf of the entire world, rendering the entire world immune to Voldemort’s power.

The beauty of this is that, in Book 4, when Voldemort used Harry’s blood to reincarnate himself, he undid the protection provided to Harry by Lily’s original Deathly Hallow. Voldemort can now kill Harry, allowing Harry the chance to die on behalf of everyone, leaving Voldemort helpless. This is why Dumbledore smiled upon hearing that Voldemort used Harry’s blood: Dumbledore understood that Voldemort, in his wanton determination to destroy Harry (mostly out of vanity), had opened the door for Harry to defeat him with the one weapon he could not wield: Love.

So that’s it. That’s how it’s going to end. It’s the prognostication to end all prognostications (we’ll still podcast, of course).

More thoughts on Deathly Hallows

Greg — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 17:05:30 +0000

After thinking about this a bit more, I think it’s likely that the Deathly Hallows refers to what happened to Harry when Lily died to save him, i.e. Harry became consecrated by Lily’s death for his sake. Keep in mind that this took place in Godric’s Hollow, on All Hallows Eve. So perhaps Harry is going to be finding out more about the nature of how his mother’s death protected him, and how he can use that to defeat Voldemort. Methinks we will finally find out what Dumbledore was smiling about at the end of Book 4.

Episode #12: Vol-de-Mort – The Death Eaters

Greg — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 15:41:15 +0000

Nothing strikes fear into the heart of wizards like a Death Eater. These minions of the Dark Lord do his every bidding, or they suffer the consequences. The worst part is: no one knows for sure the identities of these dark wizards; shrouded in mystery, their chief weapons are fear, surprise, a ruthless efficiency, and an almost fanatical devotion to Lord Voldemort.

Who are these masked men? We now know the identities of most of the Death Eaters. But what lies in store for them? What is their raison d’etre, as it were? What is their task, come Book 7, and by extension, what is the task of their master, the Dark Lord himself? All this and more are discussed in this week’s installment of Harry Potter Prognostications.

And the news:

Potter OK in Georgia; take that, Laura Mallory!
JKRowling.com: Harry and Voldemort will NOT perform a mutual mind meld.
Somewhere on the web, more pictures of Daniel Radcliffe.

Blog post of the week goes to Rob from At the Core, who links to the HD version of the Book 5 movie trailer.

Also, get out and vote!

digg just added pages for podcasts; click here to digg HPProgs.
Stumbleupon allows you to review sites; give HPProgs a thumbs up.
Reivew/Subscribe to HPProgs on iTunes.
Make us your friend on MySpace.
Help Harry Potter podcasts take over Podcast Alley.

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

Episode #6: What Happened at Godric’s Hollow?

Greg — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 03:59:05 +0000

October 31, Halloween, has special significance in the Wizarding World; not only does it mark the anniversary of Nearly Headless Nick’s nearly-beheading, it’s also the date that Lord Voldemort attacked the Potter’s in Godric’s Hollow. In memory, we’ve got a special All Hallow’s Eve edition of HPProgs discussing just what went down on that fateful night. There’s a lot we don’t know, which, of course, calls for some prognosticating.

For some background info on Godric’s Hollow, check out the HP Lexicon’s page on Godric’s Hollow, as well as this timeline of the events leading up to October 31, 1981.

A roundup of the news:

JKRowling.com: New Title for Book 7?
60 Minutes: An old interview with JKR with lots of good info.
The Leaky Cauldron: Movie 5 cut to under 3 hours.

Don’t forget to add HPProgs as your MySpace friend!

Listen to the podcast using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

Episode #4: Voldemort – What makes him so bad?

Greg — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 03:37:48 +0000

As villians go, Harry’s arch-nemesis Voldermort carries a big stick, but does he use it? Although we are admonished as to the unbelievable evilness of He Who Shall Not Be Named, for some of us, the picture painted of Lord Voldemort is not all that horrifying. Certainly he talks big, representing ideals that would seem to lead to mass murder and genocide, but his follow-through, at least so far, has been pretty weak. Is this really the true source of his ultimate evilness, or is there, perhaps, so underlying theme that animates these dark ambitions? What is the secret to understanding the real, utlimate terror that is Lord Voldemort, that will really cause us to fear to speak his very name? Tune in as we discuss and debate what makes Voldie such a baddie, and how this reflects on Harry and the nature of his goodness.A quick wrapup of the news:

Child Magazine: JK Rowling one of 20 most influential people on children.
The Leaky Cauldron: Book 5, The Movie, Teaser Trailer coming on November 17.
MTV.com: No More Dobby.
Harry Potter coming to Disney?
MuggleNet: RAB Revelead? [hat tip: At the Core]

Don’t forget to visit iTunes and leave us a review! You can also use the form to the right to sign up for email alerts of new posts. And let us know if you have suggestions for discussion topics.

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