PotterCast #103: Eugene, OR Transcript

Part 1 (0:00 - 20:48)

Borders Ad: Today's PotterCast is brought to you by Borders. In May, thousands of Harry Potter fans descended upon New Orleans for the Phoenix Rising conference. Borders and your friendly PotterCast hosts were there to take in the sights and share a lively discussion of the series that bewitched the world. Listen in and watch the action yourself. Check out the Phoenix Rising Borders Book Club discussion at BordersMedia.com/HarryPotter, or click the Borders banner at the top of the PotterCast page.

Dumbledore: Welcome, welcome to another...
Announcer: PotterCast.

Harry and the Potters: Hey, Potter People! Hey, Potter People! We always talking, you're always listening! Hey, Potter People! Hey, Potter People! We always talking! We're PotterCasting! Whaaaaaat?

Melissa Anelli (MA): Well, hi, Eugene! Oh my gosh, please come sit. Don't stand, you'll just get tired.

Sue Upton (SU): Yeah.

MA: Come sit. (SU: Everybody in their robes. You look great!) If you guys want to come in more, you can, just get comfy. We are- this is the second leg of our wild Summer of Seven PotterCast Tour, tomorrow we'll be back in California and next we're going to go way over to New York.

John Noe (JN): Oh, my.

MA: And we're going back over to Chicago, which is where we will be for the release.

SU: The release! It's coming soon!

JN: Woah! The release of what exactly?

SU: Hm. (Audience laughs) Don't know? There's something they call a book. (JN: Oh!) Number Seven? You know, the final thing?

JN: Oh! The Deathly Hallows book! (SU: Yeah! You remember that?) Sure, sure, sure.

MA: Which we hope that you reserved here, at this lovely Borders. Have you? Yeah, yeah. There's going to be another ball! (JN: There's going to be another ball here?) The Grand Hallows Ball. Pretty awesome. Who's going to come in costume?

SU: Come on, come on.

MA: Ah. Nice, nice, nice. (JN: Yeah.) Who's going to come in a ball dress? (SU: Ooh!) It's a ball! Come on, you can do it. (SU laughs) (Audience member replies)

SU: Oh, we've had- you know what, we have a lot going on this week- big news, don't we?

MA: Oh, yeah!

JN: Sue's news?

MA: We're bringing Sue's News back to these live pod- because we forgot, as we go around, if we don't do our little news things, you guys are going to be woefully uninformed. (JN: Yeah!) (laughs) I don't know where you'll get your news (SU: We don't know.) if you don't hear it on PotterCast.

SU: (coughs) Leaky news, Leaky news.

MA: No- well we went to the premiere of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in London and it was a great time, except that it wasn't, because it rained really hard. (JN: Oh, my gosh!) On all of us. Oh, gosh! When we were out there with how many thousand? It was a very expensive video camera (SU: Yeah.) (JN: Mm-hm. Yes.) And the skies, oh my gosh, they just opened up. And when you're Dan Radcliffe you have somebody follow you around with an umbrella the size of your house and you're fine! But when you're us, you've got your microphone like (inaudible) (JN: Yeah.) and you get wet. And it's just...

JN: She put the microphone under her armpit. (Audience laughs) (MA: I put it like this.) We pity that microphone. (Audience laughs) Aw!

SU: Thanks a lot, John.

JN: Oh, what happened? (JN and SU laugh) Expelliarmus!

MA: John.

SU: Expelliarmus.

MA: Okay, so we've seen the movie, what, twice now?

SU: Well, I've only seen it once.

MA: Sue's only seen it once.

JN: I've seen it once.

MA: Minus the first five minutes, because we were running across London. (pants)

JN: There's some Dementors, and Dudley's a jerk and that's it.

SU: Yeah, well, we heard that.

MA: That's all. That's all you've missed, Suze.

SU: Yeah, well, you know. Big D.

JN: You see Mrs. Figg comes in.

MA: Anyway, JK Rowling has been vocal in the past couple of days. (SU: Big time.) Have you guys been reading it? (Audience and SU: Yes.) We just were talking last night in Eureka if we thought the last word of the book was scar anymore, (SU: And then...) and we said, "No!" we didn't think that, we didn't think so. And then sure enough, this morning, the last word of the book is- wait, close your ears if you don't want to know. (SU: If you don't want to know...) It's really not a spoiler, come on. (SU: It's not really a spoiler.) It's not "scar" anymore.

JN: It's "Pigwidgeon." (Audience laughs) It's true!

SU: You ruined it!

JN: I'm sorry! I should have gave the spoiler warning. (SU and JN make warning sound)

MA: (laughs) It is not. It's not "scar" anymore. (JN: No.) (SU: She changed it.) "Scar" is close.

JN: Yeah.

SU: She says it's real close near the end, but it was that for so long and then she just changed it.

MA: It was that way for so long because it was sitting in a vault. (SU: Right.) She wasn't editing it for thirteen years, or seventeen years, or whatever. Once she finally edited it- so what do you think? Do you think that means that the "scar" is way important to the last line still, or just...

JN: No, there's...

SU: There's room for that "And they lived happily ever after." (Audience cheers)

JN: Oh, (SU: So funny!) listen to you.

MA: "He still has a scar and they lived happily ever after." I like it, Suze.

SU: I think so!

JN: Yes.

SU: What do you think there's going to be, John? I don't know.

JN: I don't know. I never thought that was going to be a major detail, to be honest. The whole where the book is going to end.

SU: The ending is not a major detail?

JN: No, the last word. (SU: Oh.) And it could be anything; scar, comma, LOL, (All laugh) you know? That's all.

SU: Jo's going to be writing that? Uh-huh, uh-huh.

JN: Cheryl will totally let that slide.

MA: Cheryl would love that

SU: Yeah. Our friend Hot Cheryl. She would love that, I'll tell you.

MA: No, she would not let that slide. LOL. "JK, LOL." (All laugh) "Love, JK." Okay, so do you have any other news before we get into our series predictions? (JN: This is your Sue's News, Suze.) This is your Sue's News.

SU: No, that's the primary stuff. There's been a plethora of videos, so if you haven't checked out our video gallery, we have 'em. There's so many new interviews.

MA: Oh! And shortly to be posted, JK Rowling on Jonathan Ross Live. (SU: Yes, yes.) We've seen a little bit of it in the car. (SU: Right.) There's- who was that actor's name, that was...

SU: Oh! Bob Hodgkens! Hoskins.

MA: Yeah, he was joking about how much he wanted to be in the film and she said she would write him a part, (SU: Yeah.) so Jonathan Ross- no, she said that there was a part that he could play, (JN: Mm.) and we're all thinking Dung Fletcher, because he's bald, and Jonathan Ross- he's like, not a lot of hair. (JN: Ah.) And Jonathan Ross said, Who is it?" and she said "I can't tell you." Yes, she can! She's Jo! (SU: Yeah.) (Audience laughs) We can't tell! Anyway, every city that we've gone to, and Eugene will be no exception, we are testing to see which city- who knows? You guys know. I can see you with the shirts. (SU: They're all ready.) We aren't going to say it anymore. We just show up and they go, "Here's what I think!" (SU laughs) We're testing- whoa! You guys just keep coming! We're testing to see which city (SU: Everybody come in!) knows the most about their Potter. Meaning, on July 22nd, we're going to go back over these cities' answers for these five questions and see which city got it spot on as we would say.

JN: And find out that there's a seven-way city tie. (Audience laughs) (MA: Probably.) Most likely.

MA: Well, since they started coming out on the feed, these PotterCasts, the answers are getting very similar, city to city. It's interesting, it's like people just heard- you know? They listen to San Francisco's last night, and they're like, "Oh, I agree with San Francisco," and so then the next day...

JN: The thing of it is is that PotterCast fans are smart Harry Potter fans. So they're all getting all the answers right. That's what's happening.

6:57

MA: Okay, okay, test the theory. What's number five, guys?

JN: Number five, big number five is...

MA: Or number one.

SU: I don't know.

JN: Well, number one, number five. We'll go like Letterman, we'll go backwards. Number five is: will Harry return to Hogwarts for school in Deathly Hallows?

MA: That's not number five. Thank you whoever said number four. (SU: Yeah!) (Audience laughs) Thank you. Just sayin'. All right, we're going to go wildly crazy today and make that number five.

JN: Let's pretend that's number five. I want to mix it up a little bit with you guys. (Audience laughs) So, if you think Harry will be returning for school and not just to visit Dumbledore, make your noise here. (Audience members applaud) (SU: Oh!) (SU: Oh!) If you think Harry is all done with his classes at Hogwarts, make your noise here. (Audience applauds) If you think that's a good idea, make your noise here. (Audience laughs) Oh. Oh, gosh.

MA: Yeah. No class at Hogwarts gonna get him ready for (SU: Yeah.) (JN: No.) the Horcrux hunt. The Horcri hunt. Okay, number five, or number four, or number three, whatever number it is, Miss Suze.

JN: What was number five?

SU: Oh, I don't even know! Can I do...

Audience member: Veil!

MA: Thank you! I'm like staring at these two, (JN: Oh, yeah!) and I'm like, "Are you serious?" (SU: Okay, okay.) Sixteenth time we've done it.

SU: Okay. Are we going to go behind the veil. Is that right?

MA: Yes, will we see it.

SU: Will we see the veil?

MA: No no no, will we go on the other side.

SU: Will we go on this side beyond the battle, right?

MA: Beyond the battle, because Harry is not going to die, so- (SU: Just like the chapter title.) That's an answer to another question.

SU: If you think we'll go behind the veil, say, "Yahoo." (Audience applauds)

JN: See I just- I don't agree. (Audience laughs)

SU: See, I think we're going to because- Sirius Black, Sirius Black.

JN: But she said we're done with Sirius, he's gone.

SU: No he's not! (MA: She didn't say we're done with Sirius.) Handy dandy mirror! Handy dandy mirror!

MA: What J.K. Rowling interviews are you reading, anyway? (Audience laughs) (JN: It's our Skype log.) We asked in what way we'd see Sirius in the future and she said "I can not possibly answer that question for fear of incriminating myself," which means- come on guys, which means we're going to see him in some fashion. (SU: Right, right.) (JN: Hm.) Well maybe not him, not him coming out of the veil going "'Ey! Just kidding!". (Audience laughs)

JN: So we have to deal with the whole Gary Oldman nonsense again in Number Seven movie?

SU: What do you mean?

JN: That's going to be a big P in the A. (Audience laughs)

SU: Oh, he'll come back. If Sirius is there, Gary will come back, because he rocks.

JN: Yes, I want to read all the Gary Oldman news again.

MA: Oh! (laughs) The Gary Oldman news! You mean like whether or not he's in the movie and how much money...

JN: (impersonating Gary Oldman's manager) "Yeah, he may or may not, they have not contacted me, I do not understand what's going on."

SU: No, that's his manager, that's not him.

MA: It is his manager, okay.

SU: Okay, if you don't think we're going to go behind the veil, make your noise. (Audience applauds)

MA: I don't know, I don't know what Eugene thinks. I think that was more for a yes. Yeah, (SU: Yeah, it was pretty close.) yeah, yeah, yeah.

JN: I don't know, I think Eugene actually has it right. (Audience laughs)

MA: Okay, number three: If you think that Harry is a Horcrux, make your noise right now. (Audience members applaud)

MA: See? If you think that Harry is not a Horcrux. (Audience cheers) I don't know why I'm doing this. (Audience laughs) It's so stupid because you guys are so loud, it makes no difference. Okay, number two. Big number two. Don't even pretend you don't know what number two is.

JN: Number two, we'd have some props over here for this.

SU: Our friend! (hums) My little friend, there he is! I love a Kung Fu Snape!

MA: Kung Fu Snape!

JN: Kung Fu Severus in the house!

SU: Can we do it, can we do it?

MA: You do it, it's your thing.

JN: If you agree with Severus's left hand...

SU: If you agree with "Evil! Evil!" make your noise. (Audience member talks) Oh, Snape!

MA: If you think Snape is not- is a very bad man.

SU: If you think Snape is a very bad man- which he is, you can say, "E." Or make your noise if you think he's evil. (Audience members applaud)

Audience member: Evil!

MA: Woah! Little girl in the front, "Evil!" (SU: Evil!) (Audience laughs) She's all excited. (SU: Yay!) I'm sorry, you're very cute, it's just that...

SU: And for those of you who think that- who know that "I'm really being good even though I can be very bad," make your noise. (Audience cheers)

MA: Not her.

SU: You're not fooled? You're not fooled by his little...

MA: She's not fooled.

SU: "Evil!" In between?

MA: But I've never seen such a cheerful "Evil! Yay!" (laughs) (SU cheers) It's awesome. And you've got a shirt for a "High School Musical" on, so you totally fooled me. I never expected that out of you. Very nice! (laughs) Okay, and the big question- (SU makes a drum roll) which if you get wrong, I'm just going to leave- so, if you think Harry's going to die. (Audience applauds)

SU: You're cheering for death?

MA: Yeah, see- we've got evil and death. (JN: Yay, dying!) I'm like getting away right here. (Audience laughs) Okay. (SU: Aw.) If you think Harry will live. (Audience applauds) That is what I'm talking about! (SU: There we go.) That is what I'm talking about.

JN: I always thought the word "lived" would be the last line of the book.

MA: Maybe it is. (SU: Yeah, it could be.) We don't know.

JN: The whole "The Boy Who Lived."

MA: "Harry and the scar and look, he lives!" (Audience laughs)

SU: Or "He will always be known as The Boy Who Lived." (JN: Yeah.) That could be it.

MA: "He almost died and saved the world and oh! He's living." (Audience members talking) "The scar still lived"? (JN: There it goes.) "The Boy With the Scar Who Lived"? I wish she had given us the last word. Unless the last word is something stupid like "door". (Audience laughs) She's like, "Well, that's not exciting".

JN: Yeah.

SU: That would be horrible.

MA: "The end!" (laughs) There, "The end." There, "The end."

Audience member: "It was all a dream."

JN: Yes, it's Dudley's dream!

SU: Oh, no!

MA: Not even amusing!

JN: Eleven-year-old Dudley's dream. I'd love that, that's so cool!

SU: No, it's not!

MA: Not cool at all.

SU: Ah. Come on.

Audience member: Somebody hit him.

MA: Thank you for stating my dream.

JN: (laughs) (as Fred the armadillo) "Hey leave him alone!"

SU: Oh, boy.

MA: So, we also have for you guys...

JN: Now what do we do?

MA: What Now what do we do? John- I'm just going to shut up and test John to see if he knows what happens in these PotterCasts. We've only done like a hundred and three of them. (JN: Mm.) So, go ahead John, what's next?

JN: Is it time for a "In The Know"?

MA and SU: No.

MA: An Extendable Ears.

JN: A Fan Interview.

MA: Fan Interview, Mailbag segment, Filk contest...

JN: I don't know, how about some sort of game?

MA: No, we have our Conundrum.

JN: I thought our game before our Conundrum.

MA: No, we do Conundrum and then we do game. John, where have you been?

JN: I don't know, I- (MA: London or something?) I guess.

MA: No, I'm telling you, I'm telling you.

JN: We have a Conundrum today?

SU: Yes, we do.

MA: Yes. we do have a Conundrum today, thanks to our lovely Sue.

JN: Is it going to be about this Antipodean Opaleye hanging on the wall over here- from the ceiling?

MA: Oh! Check it out, what kind of dragon is that?

SU: That's the Dragonology one. I have that one.

MA: Where are my glasses?

SU: They're- did you bring them in? Because I know- I saw them in the car. (MA: Have you seen them?) I know where they are.

JN: Why don't we bring the prop girl over here. The lovely Bre, say hello. (as Fred) "Hi Bre!"

SU: I know where they are in the car, I saw them in the car.

MA: They're in the car? I'm sorry, guys! I'm just looking for my glasses right now. (Audience laughs) They might be in the car. (JN: Who needs glasses?) If anyone goes to the ladies' room and there are a pair of glasses in there, then they're probably mine.

JN: (imitating Melissa) "Oh my gosh where's my (MA: Yeah, this is John's new game.) glasses?"

MA: "Oh my gosh, where's my-" (SU laughs) 'Cause about like every five seconds, (JN: Yes.) I'm like "Oh my gosh, where're the keys? Oh my gosh, where're my glasses?"

JN: "Oh my gosh, where's my wallet?"

MA: "Oh my gosh, where's my wallet?"

JN: "Oh my gosh, where's my phone?"

MA: "Oh my gosh, where's the car?" (Audience laughs) (JN: Exactly.) I'm not even joking, it's happened. Okay.

SU: It's true.

JN: "Where's my coffee?"

MA: So, our Cannon Conundrum is up to Sue to explain.

SU: Oh, okay. In Book Six, we learned a lot about Mr. Lord Voldemort. But we learned about his past, Voldemort. Where was Lord Voldemort today during Half-Blood Prince? Where was he?

MA: Remember that Jo said that Lord Voldemort is gaining- (SU: Gain...) was gaining all the leg room in Seven. (SU: Right.) He was- finally had all the leg room that he was itching for. What legroom? (SU: We never saw active Voldemort.) What was he itching for? What was he doing?

Audience member: An aisle seat on the airplane. (Audience laughs)

MA: An aisle seat on the airplane. (JN: Yes.) (SU: You think, Maybe?) You'd think he'd need one, right? (SU: Yeah. Probably.) So we usually, I mean, we could just discuss the way we do on PotterCast, but we're actually itching to hear your ideas on this. (SU: Yeah. Where was Voldemort?) Everbody's like "Woah! You just gave us a topic. We don't know. Let me think! Jeez, man. Cheese and crackers." We already have a hand.

SU: We've heard all about all the different ages on him, but where was he? What was he doing?

MA: Say it real loud.

Audience member: I think he was in Australia, (inaudible)

MA: Maybe he was in Australia? He was banished.

JN: Recruiting Death Eaters?

SU: He's on a cruise in Australia? Going down, hanging out.

JN: You know what confuses me...(Audience member talking)

MA: Ollivander went down- (laughs) Voldemort was in Australia. I had no idea.

SU: Yup.

JN: You know what always confuses me about Voldemort and his Death Eaters is that Sirius and all those people will say how he had loads of people at his command. And then he comes back in Goblet of Fire and like nine people show up or something. (Audience laughs) (SU: Yeah, yeah.) And if he's only noticing maybe a few of them that are missing, does that mean that the other people who were supporters never had Dark Marks? Or that there's a tiered promotion kind of thing happening for Death Eaters?

MA: Yeah, you get the standard Dark Mark, but only the cool one burns when Voldemort wants you. (Audience laughs) (JN: Apparently, yeah.) You have to go in for an upgrade when you get more important.

JN: Exactly. (MA: Yeah.) It's like how- like you do a certain amount of killing Muggles, and you kill that many, (MA: Right.) and you're on the senior staff of Death Eaters or something. I don't know.

MA: Don't ever say that.

SU: Hang on. Where do you think he...

Audience member: Is it possible that (inaudible)

MA: Was Voldemort doing research on Harry the way Harry was doing research on him? Hm.

SU: He's hanging out in Muggle-land, you mean?

MA: You think he's trying to learn about Harry's life and stuff? I don't think he's that smart.

SU: Yeah.

JN: And I don't think Voldemort, nor any of the Death Eaters, think that Harry is anything extraordinary anyway. And Snape is talking about how he's just some average kid who gets lucky and has friends smarter than him helping him out all the time. (MA: Yeah. But...) I think that that sounds like the general opinion of the Death Eaters.

MA: Yeah. Though they're real stupid. Because again, if this is somebody who has now four times defied Voldemort. Four? (JN: Yeah.) Yeah, four times. I mean, more times than anybody in Voldemort's tenure as Big Dark Lord as far as we know. So, right, pay attention! Oh, not that important? Yeah, he's still kicking your butt every time. Come on! (SU: Pretty much.) You know?

JN: Maybe he's been sneaking the Felix Felicis and we haven't read about it. (Audience laughs) Like Jo hasn't told us.

SU: No, he would not take that. That would be beneath him. (JN: Hm.) He would think that's for wimps.

JN: Except when he used it for the times we know he used it.

SU: Yeah. Well, yeah.

MA: You talking about Harry, or you talking about Voldemort?

SU: I was talking about Vol- (JN: Yeah. I'm talking about Harry.) Oh, I thought you were talking about Voldemort.

JN: I think Harry is Felix Felicis...

MA: You think Harry has been sneaking the Felix Felicis? (SU: What?) Oh, you mean in like- what are you talking about?

JN: I don't know! (Audience laughs)

SU: Wait, I missed something!

MA: I'm not following you.

JN: Like somebody is putting Felix Felicis in his goblet every breakfast and we never knew about it. (MA: No.) And that's how he's getting off every time. (MA: No.) You don't think?

MA: No.

SU: No. Considering he just learned about it in Book Six? No.

JN: I'm not saying he brewed it, but somebody brewed it for him and dropped it in his...

MA: No, they said if prolonged it wouldn't work, it doesn't work for forever. It's just kind of like a little boost.

SU: All right. Save us from this please.

MA: Don't- yeah. Please. Thank you.

Audience member: Could he maybe be in Australia, 'cause, like he said before, it has something to do with the Antipodean Opaleye?

MA: Could he be in Australia having to do with the Anti- Anti- what, I've learned how pronounce this now, (JN: What, Voldemort now?) Antipodean, (Audience member: Antipodean) Antipo- no, Antipodean, that's what it is. (JN: Antipodean.) Jeez, man, what a word. Antipodean Opaleye. Which we've now all assumed is the cover of the book. (JN: Yeah.) Speaking of which, are the books here? (JN: Yeah.) Just curious. (SU: Ooh! Borders!) Any many Borders people around?

JN: Borders has the Harry Potter books?

SU: No. Not yet.

MA: Hey Borders people, have they come yet?

JN: Of course they've not come yet.

MA: Have they come yet? (SU: Probably not.) It's a good plan to say that, 'cause there are a lot more of us than there are of you. (SU: Yeah.) (Audience laughs) Heave, you know? (MA and SU laugh) Get a big battering ram and just- no. When do they come? How close to the...

JN: I, Don't you remember? Half-Blood Prince.

MA: Oh, that's the one with the Half-Blood Prince.

JN: Half-Blood Prince, they came- (SU: They can.) (Audience laughs) it was within a week or something.

MA: Yeah, it was within a week.

SU: They haven't shipped it out. They'll show it, like, they'll make a big production out of it.

MA: We'll get camera photos of, like, employees sneaking a look into the door just to show us big boxes. (SU: Right.) And people taking it with their camera phones or something.

JN: I have an original Half-Blood Prince box.

MA: Ooh.

SU: So do I.

JN: Aren't those cool?

SU: Yeah.

MA: I don't.

JN: I keep things in there, it's fun.

MA: That's what it's for, John. (laughs)

JN: I like boxes. (Audience laughs)

SU: You like like boxes. Oh, you have a theory?

MA: Okay, I'm sorry. Wait, but we totally skipped hers, but okay. (SU: No.) Maybe.

SU: Okay, well go back.

JN: Oh, well.

Audience member: (inaudible)

MA: Wait, come up- why don't you come up here and say it in here, because people listening at home will kill us.

Audience member: (laughs) Well, I think that before we can speculate about what he's doing, I think we should talk about what his goal is, his ultimate goal is, and whether it is to- yeah, in evildom, yeah. Whether it's to just kill everyone, or whether he has a higher evil goal, like to become like a god or something. I don't know. (laughs)

JN: Yeah. You see that's not really such- (MA: You have a good point, Ginny.) that's always a funny tricky thing, because every once in a while I read some fanfic, and they actually go all the way out to the end, and it's like, "Oh, what is Voldemort's goal in all this anyways?" He just want to kill everybody and just leave, you know, (MA: Well...) the blond-haired pure-blood kids running the world? Or- I don't know!

MA: Voldemort blonde-haired?

JN: I don't know. He's got the Malfoys.

MA: Nazis? That's Nazism. That's not...

JN: Well everybody compares him to that though.

SU: Well, just because they- you can make that comparison doesn't mean that's what Voldemort- I don't think he does.

JN: Okay I will say it's- I will- surely fine. (SU: Okay.) He wants purebloods, I'm assuming (MA: Purebloods.) because those are the only people who are able- should be able- allowed to do magic.

MA: He wants a world of incest. Yay. (Audience laughs) (JN: Well...) I mean seriously, think about it, if he achieved his goal, and wiped all the Muggles and the- you know, and the Mudbloods- Mudbloods, I don't use it- seriously. Just to say- because every time I say that people are like "How dare you?" I'm like "Oh my God, it's not real!" (Audience laughs) You know? Oh, wow. But (sighs) if that does come true, you're dealing with a very small pool of the population, which as Eddie Izzard says, it's a bad idea when cousins marry. So, you know, it's not exactly the smartest plan.