Join hosts Irvin, Sierra, Sophia, and guest Margarete as they discuss chapter 20 from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Dementor’s Kiss.
In this episode:
- A lengthy discussion of chapter length
- Human Balloon Parade
- Sophia learns how moons work!
- Let’s play the blame game!
- Crookshanks is the real protagonist
- Why does Hermione struggle so much with the Patronus Charm
- Dementors compare soul status
- Chilling lines and descriptions – Happy spooky season!
Recommended reading:
- The Hunt for Happiness: What Harry Gives Up to Cast a Patronus by Sophia
- The Patronus Charm: An Effective Counter to Depression? by Sophia
The pub’s jukebox:
The moon is only technically “full” at a single moment of astronomical alignment (which would make being a werewolf like a really wierd monthly sneeze).
It appears full for around three days, but Lupin isn’t constantly fuzzy, so the effect can be blocked by the ground. It’s just a question of amount. If there’s a mountain in the way, that would be enough. Being inside doesn’t seem to count. So unless the passage under the willow is very deep underground, there’s probably not enough dirt in the way.
(Has anyone tried employing werewolves as miners?)
Next episode, we learn about tides!
Actually, is there evidence one way or the other for whether Lupin is constantly fuzzy during the full moon? My impression was always that he is a wolf for three days straight, but I concede there doesn’t seem to be clarity one way or the other.
Nope, only at night. The trio are discharged the next day, and Hagrid tells them about Buckbeak “escaping” and Lupin being outed and resigning. Bit hard to tender your resignation and pack your things as a wolf.
Maybe the werewolf curse was accidental – some early mage was trying to make themselves grow fur at night (because it was cold and dark and they wanted to be cosy).
Hmm. You make a good point. His entire transformation does seem to last about 12 hours that night, so I guess it’s not a full furry week.
It can be, but that’s his business.
(“Fuzzy” was chosen deliberately to reduce ambiguity)
Another benefit of having short, punchy chapters is that when things get all time-wimey the reader will find it easier to flip back and check what’s happening when.
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Not everyone’s cycle is well-behaved and predictable. It’s probably also wise to be wary of tracking apps in certain jurisdictions.
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In terms of blame, I’m inclined to give everyone a pass for Lupin not getting his potion that night (though Snape is debatable). But Snape at least reminded everyone, even if he didn’t bring the potion, so Lupin should have stayed in the shack.
Lupin says of the wolfsbane potion “As long as I take it in the week preceding the full moon, I keep my mind when I transform”
I’d assumed this meant a dose every night for the week, but if so why would missing one night’s dose make it completely ineffective. When Harry sees Lupin first take the potion he remarks “I should probably take some again tomorrow”, which suggests that it’s more that it’s a single dose taken sometime during the week.
Maybe it’s more effective taken closer to the full moon? So the example above was taken early, hence he should have another dose, whereas at the finale he was busy and forgot to take it until the day of?
Maybe it’s because there are several days of the full moon, and it’s hard to know when exactly a waxing gibbous becomes “full” enough to activate the lycanthropy. So best practice is to take it every night for a couple days before the actual full moon, just in case. But it’s only effective for 24 hours at a time.
Also, my takeaway is that we REALLY need an episode on how lycanthropy works in the wizarding world, we’ve clearly only begun to scratch the surface!
That does make sense.
Agreed! Is it
turtleswolves all the way down?Describing dementors as a swarm, or hive-mind just makes me imagine one returning to Azkaban and doing a little butt-wiggle dance to let the others know where the good souls are at.
But I do not like the reminder of dementors being able to communicate. I’m somehow happier thinking of them as mere beasts/monsters, as opposed to beings with self-awareness. Wants. Plans.