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:

• Rowena Ravenclaw is Wizard of the Month at JKRowling.com.
• 16 year-old French boy arrested for posting his translation of Deathly Hallows online.
• J.K. Rowling fights the law, and the law wins.
• Bookie lose over ambigious death of Harry.
• Scholastic printing an additional two million copies of Deathly Hallows.

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

Everyone loves Wormtail! Wait, did I say everyone? I meant no one! Poor old Peter Pettigrew, he had no friends, he didn’t know what to do…what makes the Man Also Known as Scabbers tick? What will be for our forlorn ex-friend? Join us as we delve into what makes Wormtail tick, from his name, to his alter-ego, to his reincarnation abilities.

In the news:

• Warner Bros. launches new Dumbledore’s Army website.
• UK gets OotP movie one day early.
• JK Rowling comes out against spoilers.
• Scholastic asks the question: “Will Hogwarts reopen in Book 7?“
• JK Rowling contributes to aid in search for missing girl.
• Book 8?

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