We are joined by our editor, Patrick Musilek, to discuss the signature moments of the main seven characters in the Harry Potter series, as defined by J. K. Rowling:
- Harry Potter
- Hermione Granger
- Ron Weasley
- Ginny Weasley
- Neville Longbottom
- Luna Lovegood
- Draco Malfoy
In this episode:
- Harry’s defining moment might be when he falls apart
- Ron shines when he overcomes his insecurities
- Draco goes where a Horcrux won’t!
- Hermione is Harry’s ally through and through
- “Ginny is obviously bae”
- Plot twist: Ginny is possessed the whole time
- ChatGPT is just like Riddle’s diary
- We offer you dramatic readings here at the pub
- We’re in our feelings about Luna
- Draco is defined as a ferret
Podcasts:
- Fandom Shmandom by Aureo, Sam & Sierra
- Hurry Potter by Patrick Musilek
Pub’s Jukebox:
- On the Other Hand by Witherwings
- Hurry Potter original music by Patrick Musilek
Note: Patrick is working hard to finalize everything for Hurry Potter—check back in early January for the completed version!
As a forewarning, this is quite a long comment, but I have a lot to say and it really must be said all together or not at all.
First of all, fantastic episode! Distilling each of these characters down to their essence is a great way to reframe our understanding of them and help us to better interpret their motives when discussing other topics. On that note, I’m frankly astounded that no one chose the Lightning-Struck tower scene for Draco or Neville’s giant Deus ex machina moment from the end of Deathly Hallows.
For me, Harry’s defining moment is twofold. The first part is when, having viewed Snape’s memories in the pensieve, he makes the impossible decision to lay down his life for his friends, proving that his love for them is stronger than Voldemort’s entire army. The second part is when he confronts his enemy for the last time:
Before you try to kill me, I’d advise you to think about what you’ve done. . . . Think, and try for some remorse, Riddle. . . .”
“What is this?”
Of all the things that Harry had said to him, beyond any revelation or taunt, nothing had shocked Voldemort like this. Harry saw his pupils contract to thin slits, saw the skin around his eyes whiten.
“It’s your one last chance,” said Harry, “it’s all you’ve got left. . . . I’ve seen what you’ll be otherwise. . . . Be a man . . . try . . . Try for some remorse. . . .”
[ . . . ] Voldemort’s hand was trembling on the Elder Wand, and Harry gripped Draco’s very tightly. The moment, he knew, was seconds away. [ . . . ]
A red-gold glow burst suddenly across the enchanted sky above them as an edge of dazzling sun appeared over the sill of the nearest window. The light hit both of their faces at the same time, so that Voldemort’s was suddenly a flaming blur. Harry heard the high voice shriek as he too yelled his best hope to the heavens, pointing Draco’s wand:
“Avada Kedavra!”
“Expelliarmus!”
The bang was like a cannon blast, and the golden flames that erupted between them, at the dead center of the circle they had been treading, marked the point where the spells collided. Harry saw Voldemort’s green jet meet his own spell, saw the Elder Wand fly high, dark against the sunrise, spinning across the enchanted ceiling like the head of Nagini, spinning through the air toward the master it would not kill, who had come to take full possession of it at last. And Harry, with the unerring skill of the Seeker, caught the wand in his free hand as Voldemort fell backward, arms splayed, the slit pupils of the scarlet eyes rolling upward. Tom Riddle hit the floor with a mundane finality, his body feeble and shrunken, the white hands empty, the snakelike face vacant and unknowing. Voldemort was dead, killed by his own rebounding curse, and Harry stood with two wands in his hand, staring down at his enemy’s shell.
Even after all Harry’s been through, after Voldemort has ripped from his hands almost everyone he has ever loved, he still offers Tom the opportunity to repair his mutilated soul. He offers him a chance to repent and be forgiven for his actions. And when Tom inevitably declines it, Harry does not seek to kill him or hurt him in any way – he only seeks to prevent him from hurting others, by using the lowly Disarming charm. For all Dumbledore’s shortcomings, he had a constant desire to protect everyone he could. Harry shares this characteristic, sacrificing nearly everything he has ever valued, to protect those he loves.
7 is perhaps the most consistently significant number that appears in the Harry Potter books. The 77th page of each book (using the American paperbacks) usually marks some important moment. Some introduce characters, like Draco or Walburga Black, both times acting as a catalyst for exploring the complicated histories of notable Wizarding families and Harry’s relationships to them. Others have plot-centric elements: Deathly Hallows brings the arrival of the Thestral that will determine Bill Weasley’s fate, and Harry finally accepts that Sirius is lost on the 77th page of Half-Blood Prince. Order of the Phoenix is the only book with at least 777 pages; on that page Harry finally enters the Hall of Prophecy to discover his and Voldemort’s fate – a turning point on which the entire series rests.
Likewise, the seventy-seventh episode of The Three Broomsticks will be marked as the turning point of the podcast. Patrick – congratulations, we are all glad that you are cancer-free, and are looking forward to listening to the sole season of Hurry Potter. Aurelia – I hope that you can learn to look past your differences with J. K. Rowling, and return to the Harry Potter fandom for the books’ objective merit – but if not, that’s understandable, and I know I speak for all of us when I wish you the very best.
The pod’s future may seem a little uncertain at the moment, but it will never be truly gone until none remain here who are loyal to it. Keep the analysis sharp, keep supporting one another, and the fans will endure as well.
Thanks for the lovely bit at the end! I assure you that the pod’s future isn’t as uncertain as it may appear – we just recorded Episode 78, we have the coming year planned, and things at the pub will proceed as they have, just with a slight change of roster.
Very glad you liked the topic for the episode – I agree, it was a great way of diving into these characters.
Re: the moments you bring up for Draco, Neville, and Harry – I would agree that they are epic moments that might be called defining. But we very consciously sought out signature moments – not the best or more impressive one for each, but the one that best distills their character. So, for instance, I don’t think it’d quite fit for Neville’s Nagini moment to be the one when he was not the impressive badass for most of the series.
But the moment you highlight for Harry is actually a fantastic one! I agree that zeroing in on Harry’s tendency to self-sacrifice is the right call, because it’s so important to his character. And his offer of mercy to Voldemort is a remarkable act, one showing his innate goodness and how antithetical he finds violence and murder. So yeah, that’s a great one!
Spectacular, looking forward to a coming year of podcast episodes! My only complaint is that I have to wait two whole weeks for each new episode! Once I run out of old episodes to listen to at 2 AM in the morning while binging Sudoku puzzles and rethinking my life, I don’t know what I’ll do! (I may or may not have inserted that bit at the end because I was looking for an excuse to allude to a Dumbledore quote.)
To clarify, when mentioning those potential moments for Draco and Neville, I wasn’t claiming them myself – I was merely saying that I was surprised no one chose them. I do agree with you on Neville, though I think there’s someone out there who could make a convincing case for Draco’s signature moment being during The Lightning-Struck Tower.
On another note, how much longer do we have with Sam and Sierra? If I’m not misremembering things, they said they were going to leave and focus more on Fandom Shmandom? I’ll miss them as well as Aurelia. . . .
That’s what the Patreon content is for! Our Patrons get new audio content from the team about HP every week 😉
Yes, yes, I knew we were getting to that. . . .
I’ll very likely be signing up soon. I’ve had a Patreon account for a while now, and I recently went to your page to check it out. Since then, whenever you post new things Patreon sends me numerous emails pointedly explaining to me what all I’m missing out on.
They are very effective.
The content looks interesting, and besides, it sounds great to support my new favorite HP podcast! 😉
Through March!
I’m not sure if its a signature moment or not, but I would argue Ginny’s transformation began in Goblet of Fire, when Ron suggested she go to the ball with Harry, and she declined because she had already agreed to go with Neville. No one would have blamed her for dumping Neville to go with her longtime crush, probably not even Neville. I think the integrity and maturity she showed then set her up for later development.
I really like that moment for her, and definitely think it increased my respect for her immensely!
Dr. Freeman, I completely agree! Ginny could have easily told Neville that she changed her mind and Neville would have even been gracious and understanding, but I am glad Ginny kept her promise and they ended the evening on friendly terms!
I really LOVE Ev’s choice of moment for Harry. Sometimes, you need to fall apart and pull yourself together in order to gain inner strength and Harry DEFINITELY needed a reminder from Dumbledore that he is, after all, a young man who lost someone who was very close to him and that the ability to love, grieve, and remember your loved ones is a great strength.
Yeah, it’s such a great moment! I definitely think it’s the signature Harry/Dumbledore moment for sure.