PotterCast 107: Louisville Transcript

Part 1 (0:00 - 22:40)

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Melissa Anelli (MA): Okay, Louisville.

John Noe (JN): Hi, everybody! (MA: Loo-uh-ville.) How do you say it?

Audience: (shouts) Louisville!

JN: Loo-uh-vul?

MA: Oh, God! They say it so much better! Wait- is this on, really? (JN: Loo-uh-vul?) Can you hear me? (JN: Loo-uh-vul.) Could you (JN: There it is.) Make them louder? Mine's real low. So is John's. I think we're both a little low. (JN: Hello?) Hello? Hello? (JN: Hello?) That's good- well, I don't know. Is this good? Okay? That's good. Everybody can hear? (JN: Cool.) Great.

JN: This is a cozy little room, isn't it?

MA: I like it. It's the kid's section.

JN: We got the walls in around us.

MA: It's the kid's section. .

JN: Nice. It's good. (MA: It's good.) It's a good thing.

MA: Is this where all the books will be on Friday? In this section? Or just have them all up there? Up front? (JN: Yeah.) You have to have them up front? Yeah. (JN: Nice.) I saw some the other day. (laughs)

JN: That's how it was last time. They didn't bother making you go through an aisle. They were all behind the register. You just walked right- yeah, cause you didn't get to one of these (MA: No.) at a bookstore (MA: I was…) last time, did you?

MA: I would have gladly swapped my bookstore experience (JN: Ah, yeah.) from last time. (JN: Yeah.) 'Cause I was interviewing Jo the next day. So, we were at (JN: Jo Rowling.) the castle in Scotland and yeah, no bookstore. (JN: Yeah.) They sorta handed us our books and we ran out of the castle 'cause we had like ten hours to read the book (JN: Yeah.) and be ready. Yeah, yeah. Not this time. This time I'm gonna read it like a real person! I'm psyched! (Audience laughs) (JN: Yeah.) Okay. We've been practicing in the car. Loo-uh-ville. (JN: Yeah. Loo-uh-ville.) (Audience: Louisville!) Loo-uh-vul. (JN: Loo-uh-vul.) Loo-uh-vul. (Audience Member: inaudible) Everybody keeps saying to swallow your tongue. That's like a really- (laughs) (JN: Loo-uh-vul.) stuff down- Loo-uh-vul. Loo-uh-vul. (JN: Loo-uh-vul.) Okay. (JN: Hurray!) Yeah! (Audience cheers)

JN: (high-pitched voice) Loo-uh-vul.

MA: No. That's Fred. (JN: This is Fred.) Did you see?

JN: What? You got a little...

MA: I got a Pygmy Puff.

JN: Oh! Is that what that is?

MA: I got a Pygmy Puff. Our friend- I'm sorry I didn't get your name. Robin. (JN: How fun!) You have one, but you're not allowed during the show. (JN: Aw, why?) Because you have Fred!

JN: Oh, I guess. That would (MA: I don't have...) Make him jealous.

MA: I need to name her, but I didn't- it needs to start with a "P". Anybody got ideas?

Audience Member: Peter!

MA: Peter? (Audience laughs) After the biggest traitor in the books? (laughs) (Audience Member: inaudible) (JN: Aw!) Penelope. (Audience Member: Charlie!) Penelope. It could be Pigwidgeon. (JN: No.) Or it could be Opie? (laughs) Oh, on, Pig! Penny. (JN: Penny the Pygmy Puff.) (Audience Member: Pansy!) No, not Pansy! (Audience laughs) (JN: Ah!) You evil Slytherin! (Audience Member: Patil!) What? (Audience Member: Patil!) Patil. All right. This will be continued on a further- (JN: Yeah.) future- this is gonna get boring for people real quick.

JN: I'm so entertained.

MA: So- sorry, John. (JN laughs) We're all here to entertain John.

JN: That was Fred talking.

MA: Yeah, that was Fred. (Audience laughs) You forgot the voice.

JN: (high-pitched voice) Oh, I'm so entertained. (Audience laughs)

MA: Okay. Well, thank you guys for coming out. This is our third to last show before the big day. (JN: Think so!) Oh, wow. It came fast, huh guys?

JN: We're starting to get more info on our last day, aren't we?

MA: What do you mean?

JN: On our big Chicago day.

MA: Yes, we're starting to get all of the details about where we're going to be in Chicago. So, I know that you guys live out here, but if anybody has the inkling to come to Naperville, Illinois, which is where we'll be with oh, 59,994 other PotterCast- (JN: Yeah, all ours fifty.) not PotterCast- Leaky- ah! Harry Potter fans! (laughs) (JN: Yeah.) Yeah. We're going to be doing two or three podcasts and doing big contests and stuff on the big stage (JN: It'll be awesome.) and it's gonna be great. So, more information on that on PotterCast.com real soon. (JN: Cool.) So, what do we usually do here, John?

JN: This is the part where we start polling our audience for Harry Potter knowledge. We'll see if Loo-uh-ville, right? (Audience talks) Oh, I give up.

MA: Can we all say it at once? One, two, three. (Audience: Loo-uh-vul!) Oh, I like that.

JN: There it is. Okay. See if you guys are the smartest city compared to our other cities.

MA: Nineteen other cities or something. (JN: Yes.) Eighteen.

JN: So, we have five questions. And our first question has to do with- why is this so hard to remember? (MA: He never remembers.) Oh, the veil. The veil. (MA: Okay, great.) Aw. I know, it's so sad. Well, if you think that Harry will go behind the veil at some point during this book- not to die, necessarily, maybe for a little adventure- if you think he will go behind the veil, make some noise here. (Audience cheers) And if you think he's just gonna stay the heck away from that thing, make your noise here. (Audience cheers)

MA: That's the first city in a while that hasn't thought so.

JN: Yeah, probably a wise decision to stay away from the veil. (Audience laughs) That thing's scary.

MA: Number two, which used to be number four (JN: Yep.) but then we switched it up, is: Will Harry go and actually attend school at Hogwarts? Will he attend his seventh year? If you don't- if you do think so, make your noise now. (Audience members cheer) You think Harry is done with his formal education. (Audience cheers) Hm.

JN: Everybody is very excited about that part.

MA: I know, always. They're like,"Yeah!"

JN: I'm not sure what they expect to read about if it's not gonna be in a school. It's how every single other book has been. (MA: Yeah, but this is...) I'm very interested to see what the structure of that book would be.

MA: This- it doesn't matter. All bets are off. This is the end. (JN: Sure. Absolutely.) You know? All right, number three?

JN: Number three has to do with Horcruxes. More specifically, if you think Mr. Harry Potter or his scar is a Horcrux. If you think it is a Horcrux, he is a Horcrux, make noise here. (Audience members cheer)

JN: And if you do not think Harry or his scar is a Horcrux, make your noise here. (Audience cheers)

MA: Sounds like some of the people were unsuccessful in their bid to convince everybody in the world of this. (JN: Yeah.) There've been- people have been really, really hot on this theory for a while, but I'm happy to see Louisville has sense. (Audience laughs) (JN: You're getting there.) Okay. Number two. (JN: Number two!) Number two is our friend, our cloaked friend, who is acutally- Bre, can you hold him up? We have this great little Snape guy, and he holds our buttons. Oh! Is- (JN: Is it Snape?) He's got a button in each hand, one is evil and one is good.

JN: We Petrificus Totalus-ed Snape and we miniaturized him, (MA: Yeah.) and we've been carrying him around ever since.

MA: Yeah, he's great. I like when we put him on the dashboard and he wiggles. (Audience laughs) (JN: Yes.) If you think that he is a very bad man, make your noise now. (Audience member cheers) (Audience laughs)

JN: Well, he is a very bad man, regardless.

MA: He can be a very bad man, (JN: He's a jerk.) but if you think he's an evil man, make your noise now.

JN: Think he's an evil Snape. (Audience member applauds) No one thinks he's evil Snape. (MA: No one in Louisville.) You think he's a good Snape?

MA: She does. But she wanted me to name my Pygmy Puff Peter. (JN: Good Snape!) Do you think he's good? (Audience cheers)

JN: They really trust Snape, I guess. (MA: Yeah.) That's pretty good.

Audience Member: They didn't even make much noise.

JN: It's true. It's a good point.

MA: (laughs) It's a good point. Okay. Number one. Go ahead, John.

JN: The big one, the big one! Will Harry survive Deathly Hallows? If you think that he will die make your noise here. (Audience cheers)

MA: Ooh! A lot of you!

JN: My favorite part is when they smile about it, too. (MA: I know.) "Yes! He's gonna die! (MA: "Yay!") Hooray!" (MA: "Death rocks!") If you think- yeah, I guess (laughs) that all of you think he'll pull through and survive the whole book, make your noise. (Audience cheers)

JN: All right. (MA: Good. Good.) Pretty darn good. (MA: Good.) Sounds like a pretty smart city. (MA: Good.) Pretty good. (MA: Yeah.) Well, now what do we do? (laughs) (Audience laughs) We had a lovely girl last night who came in with a t-shirt that had cue cards on the back of it from all of our previous shows to remind us the order of things. It was hilarious.

MA: Yeah, the questions, 'cause we can never remember the questions, so she had them written on the back of her shirt.

JN: We also had a fully-dressed Snape last night, who helped us out with the Q and A.

MA: Columbus was a little crazy.

JN: Hey, and we had signs. Did the signs make it in?

MA: The signs are here, hold on.

JN: We had somebody come in with big poster board; big "Yes," "No," "Maybe," "Duh," "I don't know," and they were holding them up. It was hilarious. But we probably should have handed those out before the show!

MA: Who wants to be "No?"

Audience: (inaudible)

JN: Yes. And who wants to be "Yes?" So we'll probably come across a few questions around the show that we'll ask you guys.

Audience: (inaudible)

JN: Aw. All right. Use them wisely.

MA: Okay, so, we'll grab them back from you at the end of the show so we can use them for the rest of our time here. Yeah. Use them when you feel like something needs using. It'll be funny. (JN: Yes.) It'll be interesting. Okay.

JN: Let's try, let's try it out. Are we at a Borders store right now? (MA laughs) No?

MA: We got a "Yes", "No" and "Uh, Duh". (Audience laughs) (JN: Okay.) Maybe. Okay, wait. For real. I like the "Uh, Duh," on that, (JN: Yeah.) thank you.

JN: Are we in Kentucky right now?

MA: "Maybe?" (JN: Yeah, maybe.) Why did somebody say...

JN: Are we in "Louie"-ville? (MA and Audience: No.) Okay. They're very good. (MA: Are we in...) Am I hungry right now? (JN and Audience laughs) Very good.

MA: (laughs) I like how "No" stayed firmly down. (JN: Yes.) Got a "Yes," "Maybe," and a "Uh, Duh" but no "No."

JN: All right. Is anybody excited to read Deathly Hallows? (Audience cheers)

MA: Where's "Uh, Duh?"

JN: Come on, "Uh, Duh," that was for you.

MA: "Uh, Duh!" (laughs)

JN: There it is. Okay. Awesome. (MA: Got to be up on it. Got to be up on it.) All right. The signs work. They didn't break .

MA: Okay. The sign's great. Okay. Now it's time for our Canon Conundrum (JN: Ooh.) that we do here.

JN: A little bit of background that we have to do, though. (MA: Yes.) This is very interesting. (MA: Yeah.) It might not sound interesting if I come right and say the title, but if you've all been following the some of the interviews and some of the stories around the movie, Order of the Phoenix, with the actors and other stories about Jo Rowling and things, you'll have heard that within the past year or so we figure, Jo Rowling visited the set for Order of the Phoenix and talked to Dan Radcliffe in his dressing room. And she pointed out a prop that Dan had in his room and said "You better hold onto this for Deathly Hallows, you're going to need it." But when asked, (MA: Yeah.) Dan wouldn't tell us what it was.

MA: Then last night we're watching- now if you turn on the television at any point, at any time right now, we're watching- it's Potter everything, it's just Potter world right now. (JN: Yeah.) So, last night we turn on Larry King, and Dan is sitting there looking un-characteristically nervous and he's answering- I mean for Larry King to be answering, "So, are there going to be seven movies?" (JN: Yeah.) "Are you going to be in all seven movies?" (JN: "How are they going to make a movie about Deathly Hallows?") "How'd you get the part?" Oh, jeez man. Yeah. There's going to be a seventh one. "Is there going to be a seventh movie?" (JN: Dan's like, "I sure hope so. I'm counting on it.") (Audience laughs) So, we think there's nothing interesting (JN: No.) in this interview whatsoever. Then he reveals that he got to keep- somebody asked him what he got to keep from the set. (JN: Yeah.) And he said, "They don't let me keep my wand," and he goes, "but there's a fantastic sword from Number Two that I was allowed to keep." (Audience gasps)

JN: Interesting. (MA: inaudible) Dan gets to keep the Gryffindor sword, (MA: Yeah.) probably leaving it in his dressing room. So, what we are going to talk about today is what we could see, as far as uses for the Gryffindor sword in Deathly Hallows.

MA: Who- first of all, here's for our sign people- is the Gryffindor sword on the cover of the British edition of the books? (Audience Members: Yes.) Look alive, "Yes." (laughs) Not, well, that guy.

JN: But who's holding it?

Audience Member: Kreacher.

MA: Is it Kreacher?

JN: Is Kreacher a true Gryffindor? Where did he pull that sword?

MA: He didn't pull it out of the hat. He could hold it. (JN: Certainly. Yeah.) He could touch it.

JN: Maybe it burns if you're not Gryffindor.

MA: "Ow, it burns." (JN: The pain.) Yeah. The pain. Is it Dobby? (Audience Members talk) She thinks it is. Is it a goblin? Maybe. (JN: Yeah.) The one of you that did the best at this is going to win something at the end of the show, so, look alive.

JN: Okay, but if not the three of those, most of you guys think it's Kreacher. How hilarious is it going to be with this back and forth nonsense with Harry and Kreacher throughout the whole book, if he's going to be on the journey? (MA laughs) Can you imagine that? Ron and Hermione trying to get a little alone time (Audience laughs) and Kreacher comes walking up with the sword and be like, (Audience laughs) "Hey, none of that." I don't know.

MA: What's he R2D2 all of a sudden?

JN: R2D2 beeps.

MA: Not R2D2, the other one, C3PO. I'm not a big Star Wars...

JN: No.

Audience Member: A negative version of Star Wars.

MA: A negative version of- (JN: Yeah.) I think we had Dobby and Jar Jar. Jar Jar Binks and Dobby. (JN: Ugh.) I know. Jar Jar Binks. (JN: But anyway, the Gryffindor sword.) I wish he would have died.

JN: Let's talk about this sword, because this sword...

MA: (imitates Jar Jar Binks) Sorry, Jar Jar Binks, I'm just still on it.

JN: Yeah, I know. It's actually about the Gryffindor sword today. Yesterday was Jar Jar Binks.

MA: Oh, right. Our Cannon Conundrum was Jar Jar Binks. No! (JN: Yes.) (Audience laughs) The Gryffindor sword. What do we know about it? We know that it was pulled out of the hat when Harry desperately needed it. (JN: Mm-hm.) Who thinks that it is always in Dumbledore's office?

JN: Always in the headmaster's office.

MA: Always in Dumbledore's office, in the headmaster's office, and that's why it was able to come out of the hat. You know, maybe. (Audience Members applaud) She's like, "Maybe."

JN: Yeah, okay, was it just in the hat the entire time up until Harry decided to pull it out? Like a Mary Poppins kind of thing? (MA: No!) So, do you think that the other founders had weapons that could possibly be pulled from that hat?

MA: "No" guy says, "No."

JN: "No" guy says, "No."

MA: "Uh, duh," and a "Maybe."

JN: We've got the "Maybe" sign up.

MA: Don't put it up unless you mean it. (JN laughs) Negative points for excessive use. (laughs) Well, I don't know about weapons, but has anybody been following jkrowling.com? Yeah. Well every month since she's opened it's been boy, girl, boy, girl, boy, girl on her things right? (JN: The Wizard of the Month.) The Wizard of the Month. Now we have Slytherin and Gryffindor going back to back when really it should have been Ravenclaw. Well, we don't know what Ravenclaw's object is, Slytherin is holding a locket, Hufflepuff was holding a cup, Gryffindor was holding the sword. Ravenclaw probably will be holding something we'll have a nice big "Uh, Duh" about, (Audience laughs) (JN: Yeah.) on August 1st. (Audience Member: A cup of coffee?) A cup of coffee? (Audience Member: Yeah!) I would love if it was a cup of coffee! (JN: That'd be hilarious.) Ravenclaw inventing coffee, that'd be my dream. I would switch houses immediately. (JN: Aw.) The wand. (JN: The wand on the purple pillow.) Who thinks that the object is the wand- and is a wand not to mention the wand on the purple pillow in Ollivander's? Anybody? Anybody? Anybody? Anybody? No, we've got a big "No." He's like, "What?" Why are you so anti-...

JN: He just wants to make sure he's not...

Audience Member: (inaudible)

MA: Wands. Could be a special wand.

JN: But this particular wand was on display.

MA: Who likes sticks. Everybody's got one.

JN: This particular wand was on a little faded display in his window, and we also don't know where the heck Ollivander went. So, it's possible he may have took that wand and disappeared with it, or took the wand and somebody captures him wondering where it went. Or something along those lines.

MA: Or Ollivander is maybe not such a nice guy.

JN: Ollivander is a vary bad man?

MA: It's possible. (Audience: No.) I just- Harry in Book One says that he's not sure that he likes him. And I think that was a big fat clue. (JN: Yeah.) He might not be evil, but I don't know how...

JN: We had a few people thinking that the cloudy-eyed, pale-eyed Ollivander was an Animagus dragon on the deluxe cover of Deathly Hallows (Audience Members: No.) which would be pretty crazy.

MA: Antipodean Opaleye. (JN: Yeah.) On the front cover. (JN: Yeah.) We made- we got an error pointed out to us in Bridgewater. We've been talking about this Opaleye as if- somebody came up to us and told us that the Chinese Fireball, in the description there was a beard. (JN: Yeah!) MA: I don't know why we believed this guy without reading it. (Audience laughs) (JN: Yeah.) We just did, and somebody said to us, "By the way you've been saying this and you're wrong." But it took like twenty shows for somebody to say something about it. We haven't gotten an email, nothing. (JN: No.) Although it doesn't look like that breed. It's does look like an Antipodean Opaleye. I'm sorry we're off topic. Godric Gryffindor's sword.

JN: The sword, yes!

MA: What do you guys think? What are your theories about what the importance will be?

JN: Why would he even use a sword when he has a wand?

MA: Because it's sharper.

JN: What if the wand couldn't work against his enemy? Yeah. He's a Mug...(laughs)

MA: What if the wand couldn't work against his enemy? Is Harry holding out his hand for the sword on the cover?

JN: Well, think about the purpose of a wand. Is the wand doing the magic or is the wand channeling the magic inside the wizard? (MA: Well, I think that the sword- a magical sword...) Could the sword be used similarly?

MA: Yeah, it would be used similarly. Like, that wand was going to be of no use on the basilisk. Like Harry didn't know enough. But something (JN: Yeah.) so overpowering, you need...

JN: Well, if you played the Chamber of Secrets Video Game (Audience laughs) And you use the sword like it's some kind of lightening bolt conductor against the basilisk, then if that has any accuracy at all, you think then maybe the wand could channel magic too...or the sword could channel magic too.

MA: The sword? (JN: Yeah.) It could be like Hagrid's umbrella. (JN: Yeah.) Well, it seems to have magic in it. (JN: Yes.) It seems to have magical properties.

JN: Sure. (MA: What are you guys thoughts?) We could ask Gryffindor, he could have put whatever he wanted in that thing.

MA: Well, yeah. Gryffindor also might have been- maybe he came from Muggle heritage and that's part of why, you know...

JN: Is there a story, an old children's story, that a sword started talking and it was like a person was the sword, you know?

MA: Yeah, but I forgot which story it was.

JN: What story is that? What if Gryffindor turned himself into a sword? (Audience laughs) And that's Gryffindor he's waving around now? (Audience laughs) It's like, "I'm going to die anyway. I'm going to turn myself into a sword." (Audience laughs) Or like there's a curse on him and Harry can like twist the sword and Godric comes out (Audience laughs) (MA: I just- I don't know, I...) like a genie. (Audience laughs)

MA: Yeah. I don't think that's where we're going, John.

JN: And he grants Gryffindor wishes. That'd be cool! (MA laughs)

MA: I'm sorry. We keep asking for your thoughts and then not getting them. You over there. Say it loud.

MA: (repeating for recording) Thinks Dumbledore inhereited the sword from Godric Gryffindor and he could be his descendant. Dumbledore descended of Godric Gryffindor is basically what you think. It's possible. I mean, I've read something about that Peverell crest. The coat of arms that was on the Horcrux ring. Which never, I mean- Morfin Gaunt implies its proof that he's from the Slytherin line but there's never- The Slytherin item is already the locket, there's no snake on it, there's a Peverell crest. And, I read something somewhere once tying it to Gryffindor. I just can't remember for the life of me where. And why mention the name Peverell out of nowhere in the books? So, maybe. And why did Dumbledore feel the need to wear it at all. (JN: Mm-hm.) You know? Maybe he does have ties there.

JN: Maybe it was just like a trophy. Like "Aha, I did it."

MA: To show Slughorn what was going on. It's just the name. It's just so weird for her to just throw this name out there and have it mean nothing for the rest of the series. Peverell? Why did she need to say that at all, you know? Maybe it is. We'll call her Peverella. (JN: I like her.) I like her too. Peverella. Moofracka and Peverella. They're going to get along real well. (JN: I'm sure of it.) Anyone else have ideas about that sword?

JN: Why would Jo say specifically that he would need it for the book? It's such an important thing to have?

MA: Maybe he needs it to fight a dragon since his magic bounces off of him. They have thick hides, you're right. (JN: Yeah.) They seem to be getting along with the dragon though on the deluxe cover. (Audience laughs) (JN: Yeah.) Hanging out, going for a ride, you know?

Audience Member: I think...(inaudible)

MA: Harry will use it to kill Voldemort so he doesn't have to use an unforgivable.

JN: That's definitely one thing.

MA: I'm not a big fan of the poke Voldemort till he dies (Audience laughs) theory kind of thing. (JN: Off with his head.) maybe because it's magic and I feel like its such that it doesn't come about by a sword. That's just my feeling on it.

JN: I just don't understand why she says that you need the sword for the film adaptation of Deathly Hallows whereas they've gotten away with doing other things, using other things, using other characters to get something done. Why is it so specific that it needs to be the sword?