Join hosts Sam, and Sierra and guest Christian Richardson as they discuss chapter 3 of Order of the Phoenix: The Advanced Guard.
Please give a warm welcome to our new host Sierra Obermark!
We’re super happy Sierra has agreed to join us as a permanent member of The Three Broomsticks. You can listen to Sierra’s first appearance on the podcast as a guest on episode 9 here.
In this episode:
- Magic birds and where to find them
- Dumbledore being howler-buddies with Petunia
- We explore the Potterverse with all the Harry Potter versions in the Multiverse
- Aunt Marge and Umbridge as floating balloons
- Is Harry too trustworthy with the Order?
- Which skills make Tonks a good Auror?
- Felons are Gringotts-approved
- Is Petunia the Monica of the Wizarding World?
- Mad-Eye takes his tactics from American Football
- Understanding secret keepers
Aww, thanks Sam!
Yeah, describing it as the “best” option was a poor choice of words (which Irvin also called me out on). I was thinking “least-worst” from the perspective of “how many crimes is Crouch Sr. committing”.
The value of exile as an option depends on how far gone Crouch Jr. was (e.g. how much of his behaviour at the trial was real/feigned). It would work for someone like Draco or Regulas, who were regretting what they’d gotten themselves into.
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“Remember My Last!” always seemed needlessly cryptic; Dumbledore being a drama queen.
It makes sense to me that Harry doesn’t recognise Dumbledore’s handwriting. Out of context, how many people’s would you recognise (beyond “that seems familiar”)?
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I like the headcanon of Petunia secretly saving any old books she can get her hands on, and thus knowing more than she lets on.
But if she sees herself doing magic in the Mirror of Erised, isn’t that kind of doing magic?
Does mirror-legilimency work on muggles, or is it “powered” by the viewer’s magic? Designing magic mirrors to only interact with magical people seems a good safety measure – you don’t want one popping up on Antiques Roadshow and telling the presenter that no-one’s buying their combover.
Re the mirror, I feel like it is powered solo, and doesn’t leech power off magical folk. So I think it would work on Petunia, Filch, etc. And if she saw herself doing magic I think that’s just an observation on what a magical item is showing.
Also! Good for Arthur’s warning: never trust something you can’t see where it’s brain is at. The mirror can be dangerous.
I’ll second that! I think the whole reason Arthur has a job is cuz stuff like magic mirrors does work on muggles, much to the Ministry’s chagrin.
Also, I don’t think “remember my last” is needlessly cryptic. I think it’s purposefully cryptic – Dumbledore doesn’t want Harry to realize anything. So it needs to be enough to let Petunia know what’s up, but give Harry no clues as to the subject or the speaker. (Okay, and it’s dramatic. Dumbledore’s got style!)
This is the aspect of Dumbledore that annoys me: why does he want to obscure this from Harry? Harry already knows Dumbledore insists on him staying there, so why is it a big secret that Dumbledore has communicated with Petunia?
I understand the general principle of operational security (I think Dumbledore was right to keep horcruxes secret), but Harry’s address is a matter of public record by now.
I’m so glad you asked! *puts on Dumbledore hat and clears throat*
Dumbledore, as someone with a lot of secrets of his own, shows a great deference in keeping the secrets of others. Even when it runs contrary to his own interests, or might impede the war effort, Dumbledore treats people’s confidences as sacrosanct. Recall how he would not tell Harry about Snape’s true motivations, despite how helpful it would have been to clear the air between Harry and Snape… or his resignation to “never reveal the best of” Snape.
In the same vein, Dumbledore is attempting to respect Petunia’s secrecy here. It’s quite clear that Petunia does not want to share her past with Harry (or Dudley, for that matter). Dumbledore has already imposed a LOT on Petunia, saddling her with an unwanted child, and now insisting she keep housing this sullen teenager who is placing her family in very real danger. It serves Dumbledore to avoid antagonizing her here, and I think it would not dispose Petunia to be cooperative if Dumbledore started blurting out the details of their history. So I always thought it was wholly sensible for Dumbledore to try to keep this particular secret from Harry.
I should have guessed the resident Dumbledoyen would have a good answer ready! :o)
That explains the motivation, but I don’t think it’s very effective – Petunia still received a howler intimating previous correspondence. If anything, the mystery aspect piqued Harry’s interest more than if he’d been able to go “Oh, it’s from Dumbledore. That tracks.”
😀
I dunno, I don’t think Dumbledore is against piquing Harry’s curiosity, he’s just determined not to reveal the secret. As long as Harry can’t actually figure out Petunia’s secret, and Petunia isn’t mad at Dumbledore for divulging it, I think both are okay with Harry being curious about it.
Petunia passing up a chance to be mad at Harry about something?
*presses X to doubt*
It’s worth remembering that Harry is wearing Dudley’s cast-offs. Even if Dudley wasn’t into the 90’s baggy jeans look, there’s going to be plenty of room for a wand.
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I agree with the idea that “Up!” is not a spell so much as attuning to a broom. Rather than a dog, I think of brooms as a mixture of bicycles and horses. I’m not a horse person, but I’ve heard from those who are that establishing yourself (the rider) as calm and in control is important, lest the horse either ignore you or react to your nerves (see also Longbottom, N.)
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For a moment, that Deluminator discussion gave me Potterless flashbacks…
Good point about the wand! Though I think that would actually make it less secure – if the pants are tighter, then the wand will be secure in the pocket, rather than having freedom of movement (and freedom to fall out) in very baggy pants.
And I think we’re on the same page about brooms!
This scenario provokes yet more questions about how the fidelius charm works. Setting aside the question of whether Voldemort could read the secret through Harry’s eyes, I wonder what would happen if the Order had instead blindfolded Harry and led him into the house? I can think of a few possibilities, ranging from “well, that was a waste of time” to existential horror:
Still listening to the episode, but loved the “Raise a Toast” segment about the Crouches – methinks we may need to put a Crouches episode on the schedule soon! 😉
I’m just here to waggle my eyebrows at the mention of Vernon’s “drilling magazines.” Normally I’d say “I’ve read that fanfic,” but nope, don’t want to read any fanfics about Vernon and drilling.
Also, I commend the hosts for getting through an entire discussion of wands without breaking into laughter or dirty jokes – I would’ve been wholly incapable of that!
Bravo to Sierra’s Seven Ingredient Special – that was excellently done! 😀