At the Hogwarts Gate and The Lost Diadem

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign. [00:00:12] Speaker B: Hello everyone and welcome to the Disappearances of Draco Malfoy. A Pensieve read through the podcast where we explore a story that could have been in the Harry Potter universe. I'm Amy and I'll be your host and your resident fan fiction. Enthusiastic? I've been reading Harry Potter fanfiction for years now and I'm so excited to finally share one of my absolute favorites with someone very special. My sister, Holly. Now Holly is a huge Potterhead. We both grew up with the books. We each reread them once every few years. But unlike me, she has never read a single piece of fanfiction. [00:00:45] Speaker A: Not one. [00:00:46] Speaker B: So each episode we're going to be reading and discussing the Disappearances of Draco Malfoy by speechwriter, a beloved Deathly Hallows rewrite that asks one simple but powerful what if Draco Malfoy made a different choice atop the Astronomy Tower? We'll be going through the story two chapters at a time, breaking down the plot, talking about characters choices, and of course reacting in real time as Holly experiences HP fanfiction. And I cannot stress this enough, she is going in completely blind. No spoilers, no expectations, just vibes confusion and probably a lot of feelings about Draco and Hermione. So whether you've read this fic before, you're a long time fanfiction reader like me, or you're totally new like Holly, you're in the right place. So grab a butterbeer, get cozy and let's dive in. [00:01:43] Speaker A: Welcome to the show everyone. I'm Amy. [00:01:46] Speaker C: And I'm Holly. [00:01:47] Speaker A: And today we are covering the disappearances of Draco Malfoy AKA the dis of Draco, Chapters five and six at the Hogwarts Gates and the lost Diadem. In these chapters we are completely reversing the Horcrux Gathering order, apparently. Yes, you had, yeah. You had thoughts about this the minute when I read the chapter names at the end of the last episode. Because you're like, oh, oh, I did. [00:02:22] Speaker C: I don't remember. Yeah, what I mean, what I will say is like I really hope Draco doesn't become like this, you know, deus ex machina. Like I know who RAB is. I know about the lost diadem. You know, like that kind of thing. I was like, I hope that doesn't keep happening because that would make it less interesting. Right. I assume that doesn't keep happening because like the in the canon they had only some very annoyingly cryptic clues from good old Dumby. Right. So they started with the Only one they knew about which was the locket. Right. Because, you know, that's the one that Harry thought he was getting. And then they realized it was a, like not the right one. Right. So, yeah. And like the Scavengers Guild was mentioned like a couple chapters ago, but I mean, we haven't followed up on that. But I mean, it makes sense, right? Because they were at the wedding and then the funeral was happening like right after the wedding. And so like here they are at Hogwarts. So. Yeah, you know, I think logically it makes sense. [00:03:28] Speaker A: Yeah. Well, I'm with Scavenger Guild, you know, Draco Ex Machina. Draco didn't bring up this. The Scavenge, the Scavengers Guild. That was Ron. [00:03:39] Speaker C: No, but I just mean in terms of like, why didn't they follow up on that first? Yeah, it's because it makes sense because they were at the wedding and then they came here and then they were like, well, maybe we should get the sword. So like, it kind of makes sense that they made this trek into Hogwarts first. I get that's what I was saying. [00:04:01] Speaker A: Oh, okay. So, yeah. So your thoughts about the two chapters as a whole? [00:04:09] Speaker C: So as a whole, I definitely. I really like the chapters. I like both the chapters. I enjoyed them. Yeah. I mean, you know, just in general, every once in a while something will feel a little bit off, you know, because, you know, it's like, oh, I'm reading a Harry Potter book. And then some, some wording or some phrasing or some way the characters behaving maybe just will feel like a little bit off. So it's like, oh, it kind of will take me out of the story for a second. So, you know, I'm trying to just, you know, be at peace with, you know, obviously it's a different author, so it's going to be a little bit different. So, you know, sometimes there's something like that that is a. Not annoying, but it just, you know, I notice it. But yeah, I mean, you know, there wasn't anything to that upset me too much about, you know, Hermione this time. Yeah, I mean, I, I can pinpoint like various points where I thought that I thought were maybe a little problematic. But overall I really liked the, the chapters. Yeah. [00:05:15] Speaker A: Yay. So if I recall correctly, you know, I know in my personal reading, first reading of this story, you know, trekking through the, you know, Hogwarts Forest, you know, I remember that distinctly and I feel like I, I'm not the only one in considering like That a very iconic part of this story because I have seen in people creating fan fiction like book binds, like creating physical books of this story is they've had, they've created. People have designed dust jackets where the COVID is them all for them in the Forbidden Forest together. [00:05:57] Speaker C: Oh, okay, I see what you're saying. So yeah, yeah, that, that part definitely made it more interesting because at first it was just kind of like what are we going to do? Where are we going to go? How are we getting to the castle? And so like it definitely heightens like the suspense and stuff. So yeah, I was definitely really getting into it. Yeah, that was really good. [00:06:20] Speaker A: So let us begin with chapter five at the Hogwarts Gate. So they operate into Hogsmeade where you know, they're, you know, trying to reorient themselves. They're freaking out. Draco was really worried because he realizes that he had just started to return to his. [00:06:46] Speaker C: Yes, his polyjuice is, is wearing off. Yeah. [00:06:50] Speaker A: Yes. And according to Hermione it. They had only just. His hair only just had started to change by the time the, by the time the Death Eaters attacked. [00:07:03] Speaker C: Yeah. And it's, you know, he's worried about his parents. You know, obviously Ron is worried as well. I forget again, I didn't even make super details and detailed notes but someone's like, oh, we have to go back. You know. But I think someone talks him out of like no, we can't go back. Probably Hermione. [00:07:22] Speaker A: So yeah, like. Or is it actually, actually Harry and Draco both want to go back and it's Ron who is the voice of reason. We can't. [00:07:33] Speaker C: Oh, okay, yeah, that's a little odd. That makes sense though. Like Harry wants to go back because he wants, you know, I forget what Ron's reasoning is, but I think it's mainly that like. Yeah, I mean a lot of the order are there. We'd only be causing more like chaos. Yeah, we, we're safer if we stay here. Yeah, I forget exactly. [00:07:58] Speaker A: Yeah. So yes, but yeah, I mean Draco, [00:08:01] Speaker C: Draco definitely is worried about his parents specifically and he's worried like, you know, where was their polygon wearing off? You know. But I think there's a quick sequence where he kind of realizes, no, wait, they might still be protected or something because they had taken more potions. So yeah, they can they convince him or they convince everyone through various reasoning reasons not to try to operate anywhere anywhere else. [00:08:29] Speaker A: Yes. And so yeah, so Draco is temporarily appeased by that and then so their first thinking is What? How can we get into the castle? We can possibly get in by all the people going to Dumbledore's funeral. [00:08:48] Speaker C: Yeah, actually, hang on. I finally, I was just catching up my notes here. There is a part where kind of Hermione goes off on Draco because he's like, yeah, I know you guys don't like, care about my parents because, like, why should you? And she goes off on this long, like, you know, kind of very Hermione esque, like, we don't care. Like, of course, that must, that, that must be why Remus and Tonks, you know, didn't stage your mother's death. And you know why, you know, Daedalus and Hestia refused to break your father out of Azkaban. You know, she's going through all the list of things they actually have done, right? And I remember thinking at the end of that, you know what? I still don't know why the Order is doing all this, is doing all this. Because it is quite a long list of things they have done to help this family at great risk to themselves for a family who, I mean, I know they're like, they've like kind of defected in a sense, but I mean, [00:09:48] Speaker A: they still a liability. [00:09:50] Speaker C: They're a liability. And it's a lot of like, effort and resources to deal with them. Like, I hate to sound like very like, Machiavellan isn't the right word, but like, yeah, you kind of. It's just kind of like tough luck, man. Like, your family was in cahoots and supported the evil side, you know? We can't be spending all this time and energy and putting our own selves at risk, you know, So I still am wondering why they do care. [00:10:20] Speaker A: Yeah. Well, again, I think it's coming from the blind loyalty to Dumbledore. And we can talk about. I think we've already kind of discussed in detail Dumbledore's reasoning for, for not not trusting them directly, but trusting them to serve their own interest, which are no longer with Voldemort, I guess. [00:10:41] Speaker C: But I still don't see how that's like really much of a help. And again, Dumbledore may have gone out of his way to help them, but he's. He's gone, you know? [00:10:51] Speaker A: Yep. But anyway, so, yeah, so, yeah, Draco's [00:10:57] Speaker C: like, please, please, Granger, tell me you're not still thinking about going to Dumbledore's funeral. Yeah, because apparently, apparently there's people everywhere, right? [00:11:09] Speaker A: There's people everywhere. And Draco discloses. Well, I think they put Ron under the invisibility cloak because Harry's still Polyjuice Potioned. [00:11:20] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. There's a. Well, I forget. They decide to go to the castle, I think. Do they actually tell him. Did they explain the Horcruxes in the last chapter? Or is it here. They're basically telling him, oh no, it's in like a few moments. Okay. [00:11:36] Speaker A: It's in a few moments. You know, they know Draco at this point knows the existence of Horcruxes, but only in like in the forest or later on do we get into the actual objects. [00:11:46] Speaker C: Right, right. [00:11:47] Speaker A: So first attempt is going into the gates as if. [00:11:52] Speaker C: Well, they rat. They ration that they need to go get the sword. I think that's why they're. They're even attempting it. Right. Because they're. They're not actually trying to go to Dumbledore's funeral or are they? [00:12:04] Speaker A: No, they're. No, they're not. They all agree like if the Ministry has fallen then. Yeah, like that. No, we can't publicly show our. Our faces will just get in with the crowd. [00:12:15] Speaker C: Right, right. Okay. So yeah, so they're. They're going to try to go get the sword, I think is what they've decided upon. Yeah, okay. That's right. [00:12:25] Speaker A: Yeah. And. But. [00:12:27] Speaker C: Oh yeah, oh yeah. And they're like. So in order to get through Hogsmeade to get to the gates. And again. So I had several thoughts here. So what? Like a couple thoughts were like one, the Shrieking Shock Passage, which is kind of. Which is addressed like a little bit like in a few paragraphs. But there's also the Honeydukes passage. Right. There's the passage that Fred and George use all the time. Like comes up behind Honeydukes. Is there a problem with that one that I couldn't remember. [00:13:01] Speaker A: We'll have to look into if this is addressed as. Well, my initial thought is that is in the same camp as, as Shrieking Shack and that Snape knows of it by now. [00:13:14] Speaker C: Yeah. Okay. Because just like those are the two things that cross my mind like the secret passages. But then only this, only the Shrieking Shack one was mentioned later. So I was just wondering if. Yeah. If I'd forgotten if that one had caved in or something had happened to that one. I don't remember. Again, I, I think I'm pretty good at remembering a decent amount of Harry Potter like plot. But I will say, you know, we're competing now with the seventh book and the seventh book is probably my weakest point, you know, like, I don't in [00:13:49] Speaker A: terms of hardcore memory. [00:13:51] Speaker C: Yeah. Probably because it's the book. I. You know, it's not a typical Harry Potter book. They're not at school, so I have trouble remembering like, exact facts. And then I mean, obviously there's the one, there's Aberforth, but they don't know about that one. Right. [00:14:06] Speaker A: Yeah. There's ever force which you don't know about. Again, I tend to veer on the camp that it is plausible for Snape to know about Honeydukes because number one, in book three, when Harry first tries to use it, Snape. [00:14:21] Speaker C: Yeah, he catches them near the statue or something and he's. [00:14:25] Speaker A: And you know. And as Harry's leaving snow, Snape is kind of looking around the statue of why was Potter here? So I think, I think kind of in that camp that by now Snape knows. Knows something about it via that. And also something that's kind of explored in Harry Potter fanfiction in certain headcanons, is that when you become the headmaster of Hogwarts, the school imbues you with certain knowledge. [00:14:54] Speaker C: Oh, okay. [00:14:55] Speaker A: That's a. That's a concept that's explored in a variety of forms that I've seen in Harry Potter fan fiction. And some of that has included, I think, all the passages. [00:15:08] Speaker C: But is Snape. Is Snape the headmaster or is McGonagall the headmaster at this point? Oh, yeah, because she's the. Like, Dumbledore just died, so she's the acting headmaster or mistress, I guess you would say. Okay, right. So like. And they like obviously trust her, so. And plus, would they even know that if that even were. Anyway, it's, it's not made clear to the reader, which is, you know, the issue. So anyway, I was just wondering about, like, other ways. Like what? Like they're just gonna go right up to the gates. Like, I was a little confused why this was the first option, but yeah, there's tons of people. Draco's got the cloak on. I think some of them are disillusioned, you know, like Ron and Harry, I guess. So it's just Hermione that doesn't look suspicious at all. [00:16:04] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [00:16:05] Speaker C: Anyone who knows them, it's like, yeah. Oh, Hermione, you just wandering around by yourself there. But again, they're, they're avoiding people in the crowd and, and whatnot. [00:16:17] Speaker A: So, yeah, so Harry's. Harry's polyjuiced as the Weasley cousin. [00:16:23] Speaker C: Oh, right. [00:16:24] Speaker A: Draco's disillusioned, Ron has the cloak and Hermione's herself Yes, yes. [00:16:29] Speaker C: Okay. Not suspicious at all. [00:16:32] Speaker A: Yep. And Draco's like, that's a Death Eater. The one to the left. Dirt did worst. [00:16:40] Speaker C: Yeah. At the gates. That's kind of interesting. Like he can spot. Like he knows who they are, you know, the general public doesn't, but he does. [00:16:50] Speaker A: Yeah. No, so. And they're so checking everything. And so they're like, oh well, this ain't gonna work. And so they retreat to a spot halfway between the gates and the village, settling in a dip by a grassy knoll. So they're like, what are we gonna do now? And Draco is like, the forest is the only way in besides the front gates. And how would you know that? How would you know that? Which I like. This element of this makes sense. Weasley, did you Obliviate yourself every morning to remove all the danger of retaining information? I spent last year trying to kill Albus Dumbledore. I know all the castle's weaknesses when they're on high security, and it looks like they are now. [00:17:34] Speaker C: Yeah, let me just go. I'm trying to scroll through my notes here. Yeah, I had a couple other comments, but they're not really that important. Like the original plan. I think someone mentions maybe they could, like, the grounds are open to visitors in the summertime. We can borrow a few brooms and fly into Hogwarts. That was one suggestion earlier, but I was just like, isn't it still protected though? Like, I didn't, I didn't understand. [00:18:01] Speaker A: I again, I, I chalked this up to them. They're still 17 year old teenagers because even when Harry and Dumbledore flew into Hogwarts on brooms to the Astronomy Tower, Dumbledore was like muttering incantations so that they could fly through the air. I'm assuming if he wasn't going to do that, that there's this huge invisible bubble that they just would have crashed into. [00:18:24] Speaker C: Well, yeah, and Hermione of all people would know that. I think she's the one who's like saying the grounds are open to visitors in the summertime. Or I think she's the one who's saying it, but at the same time, like just because the students aren't there, like it's a building with all kinds of magical possessions and monsters, like we're just gonna assume all the protections are dropped in the summer. I don't know. I, I clocked that. So again, I clocked that as odd. Logically, I think the story went the right direction because they don't do that. All right, that isn't really possible or easy to do. But again, it wasn't one of those odd things. Yeah, and I love this too. Like when they're sitting and Harry's like, I'm start. I've started calling Harry Potter because that's how Draco refers to him. You know, he calls him Potter. Right. So Potter Said Darkly. I bet this was Snape's idea. It wasn't enough to just murder Dumbledore. He had to use his funeral and try to sabotage the order. Yeah, I have noticed that most of the snark directed at Draco comes from Ron and Hermione. Harry isn't really taking many pot shots at Draco. Not that he doesn't deserve it, but [00:19:38] Speaker A: not that he doesn't deserve it. I think Harry was the one who saw Draco like, you know, break down and give in to. In this version into Draco, you know, taking the help. And even in the canon version, like there's some. [00:19:55] Speaker C: Yeah, he caught him crying in the bathroom at one point. Remember that? [00:19:59] Speaker A: Yeah, that too. So I think even after Dumbledore's death in like the canon book at the end of Half Blood Prince, like there's some throwaway line where Harry is just like, oh my. Oh, I spent so much time like hating. Not directly saying this. I spent so much time like hating Draco, basically thinking he's just as culpable as his parents, but really he's just a scared little kid. [00:20:21] Speaker C: Sure, sure. Yeah. So it does seem like Harry's ang. Most of his anger has been redirected at Snape specifically. And he doesn't really have much. Not that he trusts Drake or anything, but he doesn't have much enmity. [00:20:37] Speaker A: As much. [00:20:37] Speaker C: Yeah, enmity for him specifically anymore. So Draco knows about this gamekeeper's gate? [00:20:47] Speaker A: Apparently, yes. The fence has a gamekeeper's entrance somewhere in the forest. But touch the fence anywhere else and you'll set off a cart Walling charm. I followed alongside it for ages last year and it runs into the heart of the place. I never actually found the gate though. Come bumping into all the foul stuff that idiot keeps in there. [00:21:07] Speaker C: I love how they all three like protest this besmirching of Hagrid all at once. That's very, you know, on Brand. [00:21:17] Speaker A: Yep. [00:21:18] Speaker C: Yeah. So finally the Shrieking Shack is mentioned. But yeah, again, Harry reasons that Snape definitely knows about that one. Which is. Which is right. I didn't even think about that. [00:21:28] Speaker A: Yeah, so. [00:21:30] Speaker C: So yeah, there is a funny thing here that he, he thinks about. He's watching the trio. Draco watched them with an odd sense. Sense of resentment, suddenly comparing their friendship to his own with Crab and Goyle. And he says a little bit here about like, he was best friends with them, but really Crab and Goyle were best friends, which. With each other. And Draco was something else. And he knew they, like, have some degree of camaraderie that is kind of, you know, that he's outside of. And, you know, they never actually confide in me at all, he thought. Not really. So that's kind of interesting. I mean, also good because, you know, there's lots of things about Draco we don't know. So in a sense we have to. Like he has to reflect on them, otherwise we don't know about them. So, yeah, like, the nature of his relationship with Crabbe and Goyle is mentioned here. So. So that's kind of sad, you know. [00:22:25] Speaker A: Yeah, it's sad. And of all the. Of all those in the group, Ron is terrified of the forest because he has been traumatized by the Acrobantulas and that's all he could think about. [00:22:39] Speaker C: Well, I feel like they've all been traumatized to some degree in one way or another. But. But yeah, Bronn is particularly not looking forward to coming across any giant spiders. Yeah. [00:22:52] Speaker A: Yeah. So, yeah, so they're trekking along the forest and. Yeah, nice description. There was no path alongside the school fence. Clearly had been built to be as inconvenient as possible, probably to deter anyone who might try to trying to do exactly what they were doing. [00:23:09] Speaker C: Yes. And important to note we've switched to Hermione's pov. [00:23:13] Speaker A: Yes. [00:23:14] Speaker C: For this. So, yeah, so she's. She's having some like. Like as they're, you know, trudging through the forest, following this fence with difficulty. You know, she's kind of reflecting on, you know, couldn't help thinking that between this and the identification of Rab Malfoy was proving himself bizarrely useful despite being one of the least last people on earth she would have picked to know about the Horcruxes. So. Yeah, it's a funny old world, isn't it? [00:23:45] Speaker A: Yes, it is. And. Yeah, and I just. Yeah, go ahead. No, just thinking about in terms of both in the canon and this fiction specifically just the notion of writing of Harry as the main character. You know, several of the other characters needed to serve as those to educate. Educate Harry. And in this context, Ron and Draco serve as important deposits not or wells of information because they're both pure bloods who know this world inside, inside and out. And then Hermione is the one who knows all the more academic stuff. [00:24:22] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. Like the, like, the fact that Ron and Malfoy have some similar views, which we'll touch upon later in chapter six, is definitely kind of interesting. But one thing I wanted to also mention here is, you know, as. As they're walking along, she's kind of like, mulling over the fact that, you know, normally she's become like, pretty immune to whenever Malfoy said something nasty, right? Because it's expected of him. But, you know, now she's like, thinking about how it's bothering her again, even though she'd known for years what Malfoy was. But I guess it's just being thrown back in her face a little bit. But there's a. There's important sentence here that was like. In fact, because of the way Harry and Rion reacted to the comments, they served as a reminder of how lucky she was to have kind, loyal friends who would have died rather than subscribe to that sort of prejudice. I just wanted to point that out here because I know this is supposed to be like a Draco Hermione ship, and I'm not against a redemption arc for Draco. In fact, I'm like, really, really fascinated about it. And, like, I want to, like, see how it evolves. So I am really into that. But I do want to say, like, there's another line here that she says. It was disturbing to imagine that someone could come that close to you, see your everyday life at close quarters and still despise you for nothing more than existing. Right? So again, she's commenting on just Malfoy, you know, hanging around and this being around him, and yet he still could, like, hate her just for, like, no reason. And I don't know, I. I was just sort of thinking outside the box on this. Like, there's a lot of. There's a lot of these, like, love, love dynamics that are like a dark and brooding love interest trope, you know what I mean? Like Edward and Bella, Kylo and Rey. You know, like the whole love trope where the guy is a bit of a sociopath who's done abusive or harmful, harmful things like stalking, you know, verbal abuse, manipulation, or literally physically hurting your friends. But like, that, this, there's this idea that he can be rescued from his bad choices by the right girl. And, you know, it's just, I. It's just a little bit of a damaging and unrealistic fantasy, like, trope that is, that pops up now and again that I am not a fan of. [00:27:04] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:27:04] Speaker C: You know what I mean? [00:27:08] Speaker A: That has been explored quite a bit in a variety of fandoms. [00:27:15] Speaker C: Oh, yeah. Endless, probably. So I don't. I don't think that's quite what's happening here. I mean, I. I certainly hope not, but yeah, this. This idea that, like, the right girl can fix, like, a broken and sour and messed up guy is kind of toxic because, like, it shouldn't be on this girl to, like, fit. You know, you should be a good person just to be a good person, like, to everybody. Know what I mean? [00:27:49] Speaker A: I know. Well, I. I watched a whole video essay about this trope, and a lot of it, you know, that one YouTuber was making the argument that it's kind of a derivative of the Beauty and the Beast, and it was a sort. This sort of tale, this sort of trope was a coping mechanism for a lot of women who were put stuck in arranged marriages and really didn't have a lot of say in who they were going to marry. And so having this fantasy of if you're just kind and righteous enough, you can change him. [00:28:21] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah. It's kind of sad when you think of it that way. Like, the historical reasons that maybe the trope evolved. Yep. So that's how it also. It also made me a little sad. Like, does this mean Darcy and Elizabeth are. Is like a bad. Like a bad story? Because I love Jane Austen. Right. [00:28:43] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:28:44] Speaker C: But I think I decided no, because Darcy isn't really like that abusive or like a. Like a sociopath. He's more just like a grump. [00:28:56] Speaker A: Yeah, he's a grump. He's problematic in some ways, but not. But he's a lesser degree than many other examples. [00:29:03] Speaker C: Yeah, he's a bit of a grump. And he told his friend, you know, what he thought was in private, like, yeah, I just don't think she's that attractive. So I. That's. I don't think that's that bad. So I don't think Darcy counts. Dave just shouted at me from downstairs that when I said Pride and Prejudice is a good story, he said, no, it's not. [00:29:26] Speaker A: No, of course. But what does he know? He doesn't read. [00:29:32] Speaker C: Yeah, exactly. [00:29:33] Speaker A: Okay. [00:29:35] Speaker C: Anyway, tangent there on, well, well, going through the forest, but they start hearing this dragging sound. Like, I was starting to worry if this was going to be kind of boring. And then this definitely, like, was suspenseful. [00:29:50] Speaker A: Yes. Yeah. So they hear something dragging and, like, they hear twigs snapping and all the suspenseful things. You don't want to hear when you're in a dark forest. [00:30:02] Speaker C: Forest. Especially the dark forest. [00:30:06] Speaker A: The dark. The dark, forbidden forest. And so they all disillusion themselves. And in this, all this time frame, Harry has reverted to his normal self. Yep. And Draco's like, careful, Weasley, it probably smells fear. [00:30:24] Speaker C: But, I mean, you know, I was terrified. I was like, what is this? Is it groping? [00:30:31] Speaker A: Is it like tours? [00:30:33] Speaker C: Centaurs. But I mean, centaurs just right up in our. They are not bashful about coming up and being like, who the hell are you? You know, it's like something stalking them. So I was like, oh, this has got me, like, freaked out. [00:30:48] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. Were you thinking it would. Were you thinking it would be something we would recognize or something new? [00:30:54] Speaker C: I honestly. I honestly really wasn't thinking about it that much because I read it very quickly. The first thing that came to mind was grob. Which again, if, depending on how you think about it, could have been like a good thing, but could have also been like a danger to them. [00:31:15] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:31:15] Speaker C: Like an inadvertent danger to them. But anyway. But they. They come up to the gate finally. So they find the gate. [00:31:23] Speaker A: Yes. [00:31:23] Speaker C: And I. I love. I loved this so much. [00:31:28] Speaker A: Yes. So they obviously, Aloha, Moria doesn't work. And so Hermione goes to try and reach out and touch the lock and the lock starts talking. [00:31:43] Speaker C: It's like, excuse me, why are you touching my face? Or, you know, something. Something to that. To that effect. And they all, like, jump backwards. [00:31:53] Speaker A: Would you like strange strangers fondling your face while you're trying to get a bit of shut eye? The lock demanded. [00:31:59] Speaker C: This was so great. Like, this made me feel, you know, like I was reading a Harry Potter book. You know what I mean? [00:32:06] Speaker A: Yeah. So the only slight critique is, you know, I think, you know, it's saying, you know, when, you know, when I'm trying. I'm trying to get a bit of shut eye. I think shut eye is a very American euphemism. [00:32:20] Speaker C: Oh, is it? [00:32:21] Speaker A: I think it is. And so, like, I. I guess I. Maybe because I'm a linguistics nerd and I do think, you know, and I. And when I have written fan fiction and Harry Potter specifically, I have been cognizant of British versus American English because I am a linguistics nerd and I'm. So that's the only slight thing because I think that is slightly more American, so. [00:32:44] Speaker C: Oh, yeah, I haven't. I. I haven't been tracking the Britishness of anything, per se, but, yeah, nothing's come up. That struck me as odd, but. Yeah, that's a good point. [00:32:56] Speaker A: But other than that, of course, I actually. I knew about the gate. I forgot that the lock talks. [00:33:03] Speaker C: I love how he's like, well, if you like, I'll ring the bell for the gamekeeper. [00:33:07] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:33:08] Speaker A: And he's like, but Hagrid's not there. And he's like, not my problem, is it? [00:33:11] Speaker C: Well, that's. Yeah, that's not my problem, is it? You know, it's kind of the same vibe as, like, some of the paintings, you know, in the castle. So, Yeah, I love it. [00:33:21] Speaker A: I feel like in personality, this lock is most akin to that gargoyle that's right outside the teacher's lounge. [00:33:27] Speaker C: I'm trying to remember the teacher's lounge. [00:33:30] Speaker A: He's a bit sarcastic and has a bit of caustic wit. [00:33:34] Speaker C: Yeah, I remember vaguely, but I can't remember anything specific that he said, so probably something like, oh, you're in a hurry, you know, or something like that. [00:33:43] Speaker A: Yeah. Oh, it's urgent. Or something of that nature. [00:33:46] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:33:48] Speaker A: And it's funny, but even they say that ain't my problem, is it ain't. [00:33:53] Speaker C: Oh, yeah, I actually. I noticed that, too. I think when he said it. It ain't my problem. Hey, look, maybe this lock. Lock was imported from America. [00:34:04] Speaker A: That is totally possible. [00:34:07] Speaker C: So he's. He's got an American accent, or he speaks American as we say. [00:34:14] Speaker A: Yes. Okay. [00:34:16] Speaker C: There you go. [00:34:17] Speaker A: Okay. [00:34:18] Speaker C: Although, I mean, considering how ancient it probably is, you know, but it. You know, whatever. [00:34:24] Speaker A: Yeah. So. And how. How. What were your thoughts when you realized that the thing making all the scary noises was, in fact, our buddy Hagrid? [00:34:34] Speaker C: I was so relieved because I was like, what is this thing that is, like, 10ft away on top of them that, like, hasn't attacked them yet? Like, I was. My. Like, my heart was actually pounding because I was like, oh, God, it's worse than if it had just, like, done something to them by now. Like, what has creeped up on them? Well, creeped. You know, loud noise. Right. And then when it's like, oh, it's Hagrid. I was like, oh, Hagrid. Yay. And, yeah, so I was confused at first, but, like, his. His keys are ringing because the lock is, like, ringing the. Whatever. The lock said he'd ring the bell. And so there is Hagrid, and it's, like, ringing on. In his jacket. [00:35:21] Speaker A: Yep. [00:35:22] Speaker C: Yeah. And he's apparently dragging unused decorations from the wedding. [00:35:27] Speaker A: Yeah. Apparent. Apparently Tonks had apparated him back home. [00:35:35] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah. So I was so relieved. And he's like, you can't be here. And I assume that doesn't mean like. Well, I actually wasn't sure what he meant by that. Like, probably he means like in the forest because as far as everyone knew, the kids were going back to school. Right. [00:35:54] Speaker A: Or I was interpreting it as, you know, was interpreted more of, you can't be here now with the Ministry collapse. Like, it's not safe for you to show your faces here especially. [00:36:10] Speaker C: Oh yeah, that. That makes sense. [00:36:13] Speaker A: Yep. And they're like, we gotta get into Hogwarts. [00:36:16] Speaker B: It's urgent. [00:36:16] Speaker A: Hagrid. It's something Dumbledore told us to do. [00:36:19] Speaker C: Yeah. So he's like, how can I help? How can I be of service? [00:36:24] Speaker A: Malfoy makes a derisive sound and Hermione kicked him in the ankle. [00:36:29] Speaker C: Yeah. As she should. [00:36:31] Speaker A: Yep. And then we pivot back to Draco's pov. [00:36:36] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah. The. The way he treated Hagrid was a good reminder of what he was. What he clearly still was. That's right, girl. Okay, so, yeah, we're in. We're in. Back to Draco and. Yeah, so they're taking the boats across the lake, I guess. [00:36:54] Speaker A: I guess that's the e. I guess that's a more discreet way than, you know, one of the, like, main entrances. Even though you're past like the gate to Hogsmeade going in the front door. [00:37:07] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, I guess Hagrid doesn't have many ways he can help them because he is like so big and he doesn't fly. Like, I mean, I don't get kind of why they couldn't just go through the forest still. Like, I was a little confused why he couldn't just escort them through the forest. [00:37:27] Speaker A: Well, I think. I think he had. I think Hagrid did. And then from the forest, they. Between the forest. In between the forest and the castle is the lake. [00:37:38] Speaker C: Okay. Yeah, I. I wasn't sure exactly because, I mean, they. I'm not clear on exactly where this gate is. I mean, I assume the forest is massive. [00:37:49] Speaker A: My understanding is that the forest is so huge and so huge and so the gate was at the absolute limit of Hogwarts grounds. And then you. And we just, you know, time, you know, time jumped from a. From a huge trek in the forest to. Now we're at the lake right in front of school. [00:38:09] Speaker C: Sure, sure, sure. Yeah. Okay, that makes sense. Well, but doesn't. Don't the boats leave from Hogsmeade though? [00:38:17] Speaker A: Oh, I don't know. [00:38:19] Speaker C: I thought the boats left not far from where the train station is. I thought that was kind of the point of taking the boat. So, like, I thought that they had backtracked to take the boats. Yeah, I mean, I. Again, I like to say I know Harry Potter canon stuff. I think I know more than the average person, which includes people who've maybe never read it. But out of like, experts, I feel like more and more I'm not like a super expert on every single detail. Yeah, maybe we can check, but it's a little unclear. [00:38:54] Speaker A: Yep. So. So Draco is with Hermione in a boat and Harry and Ron are in a boat together. And Draco is taking some petty satisfaction in. In him noticing that Granger is sort of brushing off Weasley's attempted advances. [00:39:17] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. I mean, he doesn't really. He doesn't dwell on it too long, but he does like, notice it and is like, huh, what was that about? [00:39:27] Speaker A: Yep. And he's also kind of thinking more about even just saying the word mud blood in his head in reference to Hermione is starting to make him feel iffy. [00:39:40] Speaker C: Yeah, Yeah. I have a weird comment here. Like, the brief train of thought about using the word mud blood felt a little clunky. I'm not sure what that means because I can't actually remember the exact. But yeah, I guess he's just musing over various things as they make their way to the castle. I mean, obviously he's also remembering how he did the same thing when he was a first year, you know. Yeah. [00:40:05] Speaker A: And so they get you travel in the boats to the castle and then we kind of segue into immediately going to the headmaster now headmistress's office. Because you're right, Snape has not become headmaster yet. [00:40:21] Speaker C: Yeah. And they are using the map to like, help make sure they don't run into anyone. I guess it seems like they have this plan where Hagrid's going to make sure Snape is distracted or something. Although, again, I don't know why Snape is there specifically. I mean, I. Because it's summer, right? [00:40:44] Speaker A: I mean, I can only presume that when the Ministry fall fell that. That Voldemort would have wanted Snape on the premises to seize the school. [00:40:55] Speaker C: Sure, yeah. And I guess the funeral is going to be the next day, so it makes sense that Snape would maybe be back at the school right now. But anyway, at my point about mentioning the map was Draco is like envying that Harry Potter has both a Map and this cloak. Right. And he makes, you know, like last year would have been so much easier. Easier if I had tools like those, you know. [00:41:21] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:41:21] Speaker A: Oh, speaking of the cloak, you know, I know in like the very first chapter when McGonagall comes to Hagrid's hut to pick up Draco, she pulls out invisibility cloak. And you were, you were, you were not liking. Why does she have the cloak? And I, I sort of justified it by saying Moody has an invisibility cloak. But somewhere in here, you know it. You know, Draco says this is the same cloak that McGonagall used. So therefore they must have told Harry, we're going to go get Draco. Can we use your cloak, please? And Harry gave it to them temporary. [00:41:55] Speaker C: I find that hard that they would even ask him for. Like Death Eaters had just invaded the school. Who's like the number one target maybe other than Dumbledore? Harry. Like, there's no way, like, they would have separated Harry from this cloak, which is his. So, yeah, I still find it. I think it was a bit of a stretch. [00:42:21] Speaker A: So they're looking for Gryffindor sword, but the golden or the glass case is empty. [00:42:27] Speaker C: Yes. They make it to the office that. Luckily the password still works. Very fortunate, I guess. I guess it hasn't been that long because. Yeah, I'm sure. I don't remember the exact time frame, like between Dumbledore getting killed which happened this time during the, you know, the flight of the seven Harrys. Right. [00:42:53] Speaker A: Yep. [00:42:54] Speaker C: But then we had the wedding. You know, it's usually some time before there's a funeral, so. Yeah, I mean, I guess we're assuming it's not been maybe like. It's definitely not been like a month. You know, it's been like less than that. Yeah, maybe a couple weeks or so, you know. Anyway. Yeah, I was like, that's fortuitous that they can still get in this office. But yeah, the sword is gone and, you know, there's some mention here of. Oh, right. Well, they're like, what do we do? Do we like go find McGonagall? And then Malfoy is like, well, let's just ask the portrait of Dumbledore. So, yeah. [00:43:34] Speaker A: And so here it is. Here, rather than Scrimjor himself we learn that the sword was seized by the Ministry with all the will, last will and testament stuff. [00:43:48] Speaker C: Yeah. So the Ministry has it, I guess, to check it out but like, the concern is not just that it's not available to them but that now that the Ministry has fallen. The sword will potentially end up in Voldemort's hands, like, directly. So that's definitely a concern. [00:44:09] Speaker A: And from that, not just him having it, but him at long last completing his ambition. Of the four items. [00:44:18] Speaker C: Right. He could potentially make since the diary has been destroyed, which he knows about. They're like, oh, no, what if he uses this to make like a new Horcrux out of it? Blah, blah. So, yeah, so there's all these concerns about what to do. I mean, they are. They don't have the sword. So, like, they came. They kind of came up there for. For nothing, basically. Harry does briefly ask here about. He asks the portrait about Dumbledore's family, which I thought was, you know, made sense in light of, you know, he had talked to Aunt Muriel and, you know, Alpheus Doge. Is that the right name? Yeah. At the wedding. So, you know, had. And they had talked about Dumbledore's like, family and stuff. So, yeah, I loved this. Actually. Draco makes a comment about, like, do you. Because Harry was asking, did you guys read Rita Skeeter's piece, like, about all the scathing things she said about Dumbledore's family. Right. And his growing up and what he did in his youth. And Draco says something like, do you really believe everything that crazy woman says? Like, I fed her all sorts of stuff about you. And she would just write whatever I told her. It's like he stopped talking. He was trying to insult Potter, but it was coming out sounding more like reassurance, which was annoying. I thought that was fun. [00:45:44] Speaker A: Yeah. So. So, yeah, so it's in here that Draco learns what the objects the Horcruxes are. That it's the locket. [00:45:54] Speaker B: The cup. [00:45:55] Speaker C: Yep. [00:45:55] Speaker A: You know. [00:45:56] Speaker C: Right. The snake ring, which is already destroyed. [00:46:01] Speaker A: The diary, which is also destroyed. [00:46:03] Speaker C: Snake. [00:46:04] Speaker A: And, you know, and. And Granger explaining that we don't know what the last one is, but that it's probably Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, but there isn't any items of Gryffindor's besides the sword. And so they're trying to figure out what to do. And it seems like they have a little time because Hagrid has drawn Snape out into the forest. [00:46:27] Speaker C: Yeah. So again, Drake goes over here, like, thinking to himself, it could be the diadem of Ravenclaw. He thought Shirley Granger had come across that in one of her books. He waited for her to suggest it, you know, until he, like, can't stand anymore. And then finally he's like, oh, it was a Slytherin tradition to look for this thing. Mm. So, yeah, they're all trying to brainstorm like, where could it possibly be? And both Harry and Draco kind of realize at the same time where. Where it is. [00:46:59] Speaker A: Yes. Because both of them have experience with the Room of Hidden Things. [00:47:06] Speaker C: Yeah. So again, I, I was worried, you know, I hope Draco doesn't just happen to know where various objects are. [00:47:14] Speaker A: Yeah, but, but it kind of makes sense why again, this addition of the Slytherins having this sort of tradition. Because my impression is, is that compared to the other houses, like obviously Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, it seems that Ravenclaw is probably the only other Hogwarts house that Slytherins have any respect for. [00:47:35] Speaker C: Sure, sure. Yeah. And like again, if there's any item that would maybe make you clever, you know, it seems like the kind of thing, like someone to try to seek out for cheating on a test, I guess. [00:47:47] Speaker A: Yep. But yeah, so we, they realize, oh, it's the Room of Hidden Things. And then we move on to chapter six, the Lost Diadem. [00:47:58] Speaker C: Yep. So they're all, they're all going through the. I call it the ror. The Room of Requirement. [00:48:06] Speaker A: Oh yeah, the ror. [00:48:07] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:48:08] Speaker A: Room of Requirement. Room of Hidden Things Edition. [00:48:12] Speaker C: Yeah. So, yeah, go on. [00:48:15] Speaker A: Yeah. And again, Ron and Hermione haven't been here before, but Harry and Draco are quite familiar with it. [00:48:22] Speaker C: Oh yeah, Yeah. I was kind of, at first I was like, why are they like so. And then I, you know, kind of in awe at it and I was like, oh yeah. Like, I guess Ron and Hermione haven't. Haven't been here when it's the Room of Hidden Things. They've been here when it's like the other things. Yeah. When it's Dumbledore's armies, like, training facility. Right. [00:48:45] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:48:46] Speaker C: But they haven't been in it like this. So. Yeah. Yeah. And then as they're walking, like, the topic of house elves kind of comes up because, you know, they're sort of speculating on like, why is all this junk here? Yeah. Why is it here? Or how is it even stacked nicely and stuff like that. And this, this was really good because again, if just to like, I don't want to go off too much but just to kind of maybe articulate better what was bothering me before about some of the Hermione stuff, the way it was written. So like here, like, you know, this is a good topic to kind of show us better like some of the Actual contention between Hermione and Ron, you know what I mean? Like, because this is actually something about Ron that bothers her, you know. And before I felt like we were getting. Because, you know, again, I love Hermione and I'd love to learn more about her as a character. And like, some of the sections, the way they're written, I came away, like, not really feeling like I learned much about her as a character. And I think what I realized is it's like piling on all these, like, oh, do I like Ron or do, do I even like Harry, potentially? You know, like, how do I feel about this? And like, oh, I'm dancing with Ron, but I'm not happy. And also Victor's here. But, you know, there's like, there wasn't even any stuff about her talking with Victor at the wedding, which would have been nice. It's just he's mentioned in passing. So I think what's bothering me is, like, it's all a lot of emotion, but it feels like it's coming from nowhere. You know what I mean? Like, it's not really explained. It's not bad that maybe she is like. Like, it's okay to maybe be confused. But I think what was really bothering me is it felt like with no context, it was literally coming from nowhere. Like, we know there's things that annoy her about Ron, but we also know that she's at other times, like, really getting along well with Ron and, like, enjoys his company and stuff. So it just felt like, just like there was no context for it. And that's why I was saying. That's why I was saying, like, it feels like reading something if, like a guy, as if, like how a guy would write maybe a female when he doesn't understand why she feels the way she feels. Like that's why I had that reaction. Because reading it, it's like it feels like I don't know where any of this is coming from. [00:51:17] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:51:18] Speaker C: You know what I mean? And so that, I really think, is what made reading those Hermione sections, like, kind of difficult. And just like, I don't know what's happening or why she feels this way. It kind of is making her seem very two dimensional, you know what I mean? [00:51:34] Speaker A: Yep. [00:51:34] Speaker C: But here, anyway. But here this is like, better because it's like, here's an actual thing that, like, bothers her about Ron that they're talking about. So anyway, I just wanted to mention that real quick. So. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Draco gets exasperated also, as Hermione is trying to defend, like, house elf rights and things. And, you know, which disturbs Ron greatly because it's basically, like, the same opinion. [00:52:05] Speaker A: Yes. And Hermione is annoyed, and Hermione is super annoyed that the only thing that could possibly, you know, penetrate Ron's thick skull about this issue is hearing it from his nemesis. [00:52:19] Speaker C: It's like looking in a mirror, isn't it? Y. Yeah. And. And. But there's also something here that I liked. So Malfoy. Malfoy stood his ground. Oh, yeah. And why do you care, you know, telling Hermione, like, why do you care so much about house elves? Let me guess. It's yet another way to show off how much better than other people you are. I didn't realize your hero complex was even worse than Potter's. Oh, that definitely. I mean, I think he definitely hit a little bit of truth there, because somewhat problematically, as I think was talked about on your, like, Harry Potter podcast, as much as she has vouched for giving house elves a voice, she herself has not really listened to them very well and has had a bit of a savior thing going on. [00:53:14] Speaker A: Yep. [00:53:14] Speaker C: You know, with them. So I was like, that's pretty astute, you know, for Malfoy to point out. Yep. [00:53:22] Speaker A: But he very quickly shuts up because Hermione's like, why do I care? Why do you think I care? Why do you muffle? I think I might give a damn about how people treat others. Thinking, feeling creatures that most wizards think are beneath them. You don't think that might have any personal relevance for me? [00:53:41] Speaker C: Yeah. So I. I honestly, in the moment, didn't realize she was, like, potentially talking about herself. I did not clock that. [00:53:50] Speaker A: Oh, you like? [00:53:51] Speaker C: No. Like, Ron and Harry, stop. And, like, there's some description here. I was like, is Draco about to, like, tear up? Like, what's happening? Like, he's, like, suddenly very upset by what she said. And at first I was like, she's just saying that she cares about people's rights. Like, I don't. I didn't. It didn't occur to me that she was maybe talking about, like, how she herself has been treated. I didn't realize that here. Yeah. [00:54:22] Speaker A: Basically making reference to this very clear hierarchy that the wizarding world has. [00:54:29] Speaker C: Yeah. But anyway, she's. They decide to split up, and Hermione goes with Harry, the one she's least annoyed with. [00:54:38] Speaker A: Yep. And. And given how awkward the situation is, Ron and Draco do not protest and just go off together quietly. [00:54:46] Speaker C: Sure, yeah. [00:54:49] Speaker A: Yep. And then we get the Horcrux Yeah. [00:54:52] Speaker C: So they, they spot it. Hermione stops Harry from just grabbing it. Like, wait, don't just touch it. But yeah, she tries a bunch of things. Nothing seems remarkable about it, so it seems safe. He picks it up and it's like, pulsating. I was trying to remember if this is how it felt in the, in the canon. [00:55:20] Speaker A: I think. [00:55:20] Speaker C: I don't, I don't remember this. I guess, I guess it does because all Horcruxes kind of do, kind of [00:55:27] Speaker A: do this, kind of do this thing. I think the way I think Harry, he feels the effects of the Horcruxes but I feel like he, because he, you know, he himself is one, it doesn't affect him in quite the same way. So it's Ron who first says, when he touches it, I feel something. [00:55:44] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:55:46] Speaker A: And, and Hermione feels the same thing too in a way that her, that Harry did not comment on. [00:55:52] Speaker C: Okay, yeah, okay, that makes sense. Yeah. Because I was trying to remember if there was something special about this item in particular. Yeah, yeah. There's a weird, a weird line here which is like. So, yeah, like, Harry and Hermione find it. But, you know, Ron and Malfoy like, kind of join. Like, come back over and join them. So the group joins up again and there's like a brief note here about. Unlike Ron, Draco seemed to have no trouble speaking up. You know, it's like his, it's like whatever altercation, you know, whatever awkwardness happened before like, he's completely returned to normal, which isn't, which is in of itself a little disturbing. You know, like, Ron feels kind of bad but Malfoy seemingly doesn't. So. But yeah, so they're trying to figure out what to do and I, I didn't know why they didn't want to put it in her bag. Like, they don't want it to get lost inside her bag. But I mean, is anything lost in her bag? I, I. [00:56:58] Speaker A: Because again, this is, this is the first real Horcrux they're holding. I think they're just like, can we treat it like any item? [00:57:05] Speaker C: Yeah, well, yeah. So basically, Hermione, you know, they're thinking, like, what do we do now? Like, how do we take it with us? Like, and Hermione's saying, you know, you said Ravenclaw designed this to enhance intelligence. If one of us puts it on, we might be able to figure out how to steal a sword back from the Ministry before the Debt Eaters, these Dumbledore's quests, we may Even have a brainwave about the locket or the cup. Maybe there's something we're not seeing. It is weird that they're gonna do this now. Like, I guess they're like, we have some time, but [00:57:40] Speaker A: I guess maybe while we're in Hogwarts utilize it if we still need to do anything else in Hogwarts. Maybe. [00:57:46] Speaker C: But yeah, I guess Harry points out that Dumbledore only survived the ring because Snape potentially helped him. So anyway, there's some back and forth here. Who's gonna put it on? Malfoy just flat out is like, I'm not touching. I'm not touching that. So yeah, you know, Hermione kind of. They're trying to stop her, but Hermione puts it on before they kind of get a chance to react and all emotion disappears. She thinks through using something, you know, like, maybe we can use something other than Basilic Basilisk venom. And how do we get it? And honestly, as I was reading this, like her reaction or her, her thought process as she has this thing on, like this seems like bordering on what? Maybe normal Hermione actually like her normal thinking process. Like this is kind of more of what I expected. Now, I mean, I know it's revealed that when she does take it off, it's only been like a few seconds. So the idea is like this happened like lightning fast, I guess. So that, that's obviously different. But like while she was wearing it, I was like, she seems the most Hermione that she's seemed in the whole book so far. Well, no, I mean, obviously the way she gets irritated with people and stuff. You know, there's other things about Hermione that seem very, you know, on brand for Hermione. But in terms of like this kind of thing that she does, like thinking up ideas, reasoning through things she's read, like this seemed very much like, like her. But anyway, she, she laughs out loud when like she goes through this whole process of. And then she like eliminates that as an option. And then she's following this train of thought and then she laughs out loud when remembering they have a fresh supply of Basilic Basilisk things like right here already. Like, the answer is so simple. So yeah, she tells them we can just go get more Basilisk Basilisk things. So yeah, Harry and Ron like love this idea. Brilliant, brilliant. Let's go do it. If I remember during the can, during the canon, they actually do do this, right? Like in the Battle of Hogwarts, they go and get some more Basilisk fangs. I remember that happens, yeah. [01:00:18] Speaker A: So it's only, you know, Ron and Hermione split up from Harry to go get. Get the Fangs themselves. Like, Harry is not a part of that. [01:00:28] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. [01:00:31] Speaker A: You know, and so. And so they're like, oh, great, we have so many Basilisk fangs, let's just go. And then they re. [01:00:38] Speaker C: And then they glance at the map [01:00:42] Speaker A: and Snape is coming back top speed with an entourage of Death Eaters. [01:00:50] Speaker C: Yeah. So they're asking the same question, like, was it the trace? Like, does that work inside Hogwarts Castle even? Because, you know, when students are in the castle, they're supposed to be doing magic. What I thought was happening is they said Voldemort a few times. Right. So my thinking is it's that the. What did they call that? [01:01:13] Speaker A: The taboo. Whatever. [01:01:14] Speaker C: The Taboo, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I'm. That's what I'm thinking it is, right? Mm. Because it went from. It went from like, no one noticed anything to now, like, multiple Death Eaters making a beeline for them. So something that they did. So I'm assuming it was that because. Because someone said the word Voldemort. I think, like, Ron and Draco flinched when it happened. Like, it was. It was made. There was a point where it was noted that, like, someone had said it. Yeah, yeah. [01:01:50] Speaker A: And so they're like. And so they're debating with now significantly less time do we try to go to the chamber? And it's like, we can. They can't get us in there. Only parcel tongues can open it. And it's like. And sit and just stay in there and starve. [01:02:05] Speaker C: Yeah, well, look, I mean, you know, one step at a time is kind of the name of the game, I guess, but there's something weird here. Hermione clutched more tightly to the diadem and as if in response, another pulse of blissful calm seemed to issue up from it, up from her arm into her mind. Surely the instinct said there was no need to rush, there was no real risk. Because if the Death Eaters confronted them, she could put on the diadem and fight them. And she would do so with profound competence. She shook her head, feeling disoriented, and slid the diadem into her beaded bag. Oh, so that's kind of creepy. So it can make you feel, like, overconfident, you know, that's the risk of wearing this thing, I guess. And she. And, like, this was just while she was holding it. So I thought that was really interesting. More to come, I think, on. On this die on this diadem. [01:03:04] Speaker A: And I guess the question is, is that coming from the original diadem's powers or is it coming from its horcruxiness? Or a toxic combo of both? [01:03:15] Speaker C: Yeah, I would say a toxic combo of both because maybe when it's on your head, it does that to you. But then, like, the Horcrux, even when it's not on your head, can, like, egg it on or something. I. I mean, I am not an expert in magical artifacts, so. [01:03:34] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:03:34] Speaker C: So, all right, so they got escape. Malfoy asks for the cloak because he doesn't want to be seen. And, you know, at first they're like, no way. No way, Joseph. But Malfoy makes a case, like, look like I, more than anyone, can't be seen because I'm supposed to be dead. And so Harry thrusts the cloak at Malfoy. Yeah, I didn't get why they couldn't just use disillusionment on him again. But they, but then they also give him the map and, and Ron is like Hermione, you know, like, I. I am also a gas. So Malfoy's got the cloak and the map. Like, he could sneak. [01:04:18] Speaker A: I guess it's the question of the person with the cloak needs the map because they can't disillusion the map, like just a floating piece of parchment. [01:04:25] Speaker C: Yeah, well, what Hermione says is if they hold the map, it'll go invisible too, and they won't be able to see it. Yeah, that's what she said. So. So either way, holding the map is an issue, but, yeah, so they've, they're just handing Malfoy over, like, all their most, like, valuable tools. [01:04:44] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:04:45] Speaker C: No matter how he'd sneered and mocked and played up his reluctance, Malfoy had helped them reach this point. But to trust him with their two greatest tools. Hermione couldn't help thinking of the loathing on Snape's face as he murdered Dumbledore. Were they making the same mistake Dumbledore had? Good point, Good point. [01:05:08] Speaker A: Yep. And finally Harry's like, it's fine. He needs us. [01:05:12] Speaker C: That's true. Yeah. And Draco's like, thanks for the reminder, Potter. [01:05:16] Speaker A: Yep. And then. So, yeah. Are we going back to Draco's pov? [01:05:24] Speaker C: Right. That was all Hermione. Yeah. Now they're back. Yes. So they're running through Hogwarts, Running through [01:05:32] Speaker A: Hogwarts, checking the map. And it's like, where's Snape? In the Great Hall. Not yet. Left the wheel around. And they see Electo caro. That's just constantly. [01:05:47] Speaker C: There's some near misses here. Like there's a near miss and then they like get kind of ambushed again. [01:05:56] Speaker A: Yeah, well they get trapped. They get boxed in by the Caros siblings first. And then somehow Yaxley shows up. [01:06:06] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, they go like down, they're like almost to the bathroom, which is so frustrating. You know, Harry's like, it's right there. But like they can't get to it and they have to like go, they have to backtrack and they're thwarted and Harry basically rebound, you know, rebounds a spell that goes towards them. So they, they, they're not just backtracking. They've like given themselves away so they have to like book it. [01:06:33] Speaker A: Yep. And they're like, where do we go? Where can we go? And they're like, the Slytherin common room. [01:06:40] Speaker C: Yeah, they go, well they, Draco knows some passage to the dungeons. And then. Yeah, they go to the common room, which is, it's funny that like Harry knows the way and Draco's like, excuse me, how do you know where it is? Not, not right now, Draco. Just another time. [01:06:59] Speaker A: Yep. [01:07:00] Speaker C: So. [01:07:00] Speaker A: Yep. And Draco's like, please let the password not have changed. And it hasn't. [01:07:06] Speaker C: Yes. Another unchanged password. I don't know, does that make sense? Getting very lucky here with all these unchanged passwords. I guess at the end of the year they don't change them or they don't, they don't reset them until the next year. Yeah, I guess the students. [01:07:30] Speaker A: Because if the students are there, what is the urgency? [01:07:33] Speaker C: Sure, I guess that makes sense. I mean. Yeah. [01:07:38] Speaker A: Yep. And so we've got a little bit of prose about, you know, Draco reflecting on his time at Hogwarts and all his memories in the Slytherin common room and you know, you know, doing homework with Goyle, crabbing Goyle having his first kiss with Pansy and all sorts of stuff. [01:07:58] Speaker C: Yeah, it's kind of, it's kind of sad. You know, it's this long kind of stream of consciousness where it starts with the good times, you know, sitting around, you know, laughing at teachers. Hahaha, you know, being little snots. I'll say, you know, kissing Pansy, which I didn't need to know about that, but, but sure, it's Draco's memories. So fine. And then. Yeah. Then like thinking about how his parents, like how even communication with his parents changed as, you know, Voldemort came back into power and yeah, it's kind of sad. [01:08:40] Speaker A: Yep. So they're thinking, okay, how do we get out of here? Or like, how much time do we have? If they tell Snape they lost us in the dungeons, he might check here. And it's like, well, if we were in Gryffindor Tower, we could get on brooms, like, take to the sky. But we're underwater in Griff. In the Slytherin common room. But they realize it's not that. That deep. It can't. And it's like 20ft deep underwater. [01:09:08] Speaker C: Yeah. They're like, go ahead. [01:09:11] Speaker A: I had forgotten. I knew they came to the Slytherin common room. I had forgotten that they had. They escaped via, like, the aquatic escape of the lake. [01:09:21] Speaker C: Oh, okay. Yeah. I mean, I. I do remember that this, like, is underwater, this common room. Like, I did remember that. So they're like, yeah. [01:09:33] Speaker A: I honestly didn't remember that from the books themselves. I remembered that because, like, when I would play like, Harry Potter ambiance in the background, if there's like a Slytherin common room asmr. And the picture and the windows, it would be the. The lake underneath. And I'm like, oh, yeah, it is underwater. [01:09:51] Speaker C: Wow. Okay. That's a very random way to remember, I guess. But, yeah. So, you know, what are they gonna do? They're looking for something. Like, how can they possibly escape out the windows? Someone, I think. Yeah. Harry brings up the Bubble Charm. So Hermione starts looking for something in her bag, you know, books, you know, to see if she can find a spell to. To do that again. Finally. I don't think we've seen Hermione read a book. A book yet. So I think this was the first reading of any book that I clocked for Hermione. But yeah, so she's trying to figure something out real quick. [01:10:34] Speaker A: Yeah. And even Draco makes the notion of watching her, like. Like research trying to find the bubble head chime. And it's like, this is like the most Hermione. Ish. He's seen her in, like, weeks. [01:10:48] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah. And he also, like, there's some other thoughts he thinks here, which I was a little hard to follow. Not hard to follow, but was a little awkward. He was just thinking, like, oh, like, if she cared about them so much, wasn't it her responsibility to stay alive? Like, he's. He's reminiscing about, like, her grabbing the diadem and putting it on, I guess. And he's just thinking, like, what an odd thing to do. Like, wouldn't helping your friends, like, mean making sure that you also don't hurt yourself. Which to be honest is a fair point. I think there's a lot of people who are like, you know, oh, I would, I would die for you or whatever but I mean, you know, would you live and make hard choices for that person like every day? You know, I think a lot of people throw around this like I die for you thing kind of lightly. Yeah, but, but anyway. But yeah, like again he, he's not as familiar with the concept of like thinking of other people. [01:11:50] Speaker A: Self sacrifice. [01:11:51] Speaker C: Yeah, self sacrifice is not in his vocabulary. [01:11:56] Speaker A: Yes. Lots of clashing of Gryffindor and Slytherin world views. [01:12:02] Speaker C: Yeah. I love how he calls them the Gryffindors. [01:12:05] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:12:06] Speaker C: Just randomly. [01:12:07] Speaker A: Yep. And so I don't even remember like what magic they use to like make sure it doesn't flood but I just found it interesting of you know, hold on, how are we supposed to stop the place from flooding through? Not that I mind giving the Slytherins a surprise but we're not flooding this room. Draco said through gritted teeth, you are not touching this place. [01:12:27] Speaker C: Yeah, well, I mean, not that I'm sure they could figure something out, you know, the teachers, I mean to clean it up. I mean I'm sure there's magic that would put it straight but yeah, it's just also it would, it would give away where like where they'd gone basically. [01:12:43] Speaker A: Yeah, it would give it away but I just found it interesting that you know we don't really, I don't really consider Draco. We understand obviously why Harry has such a deep connection and love of Hogwarts because his home life sucked and you know, on the surface Draco had everything but clearly. And again in some ways Hogwarts was a form of escape when things started to go downhill with his family when Voldemort came back into power and so he. I think it was just interesting to see that type of Harry esque revenant reverence for Hogwarts and not damaging it. [01:13:21] Speaker C: Yeah, I don't think we fully understand Draco's relationship to his parents which honestly is kind of fine at this point because I don't know if he fully understands his relationship with his parents. You know they were obviously very demanding and expected some degree of excellence from him. Right. Or their, their form of excellence for pure bloods and, and what, you know, accolades they think are appropriate. So in some ways I think he like obviously is supported by them and academically wants to like live up to their standards and whatnot but at the same time I Don't think he's emotionally very close to them. Right. So you know, he has, probably has lots of fond memories of this school because while he's at school he can write to them and be like, hey, like look at all the things I'm actually accomplishing at school. I'm sure he gets lots of praise for that because that's what he's there and meant to be doing is like you know, being one of the top students at the school. But then at the same time he's like not with, you know, he's distanced from them. You know, he's, he's somewhere else but getting his parents praise. So, so that's kind of the perfect arrangement if you're emotionally distant from your parents but they also have all these expectations, you know, that is your only, only way of connecting with them. So yeah, anyway, makes sense. [01:14:49] Speaker A: So yeah, so they, they. Hermione finds the Bubble Head charm, which I didn't think was that hard because they. There's a offhand comment in Order of the Phoenix where some of the older students when Fred and George are wreaking chaos for Umbridge, part of like when there's lots of stink bombs and everything, a lot of the students use the Bubble Head charm to make sure they don't have to smell it. [01:15:16] Speaker C: Oh, see again, that's a very random thing that I would not have remembered offhand. But okay, well I guess Hermione can't know everything. [01:15:26] Speaker A: No, she can't know everything. No. So yep. So they, so they all get Bubble Head, apply Bubble Head charms and well [01:15:37] Speaker C: there, there's an interesting thing here too. Harry tells her to hurry and Draco like this is really interesting kind of clocks that as like that's a dumb move like you telling Granger like that she has a time limit like when she obviously is someone who doesn't perform well under stress. So Draco does this whole show of yawning and let's see, I have it here. Draco made a show of yawning and cast a casual look back at the door. Don't be stupid, Potter. Yaxley doesn't know there's anyone in the castle but you. And why would you be able to get in here? He glanced at Granger. No, I think we've got ages to watch you bungle this Charmed Granger. So you know, Ron leaps to her defense. She says I'm not going to bungle anything, you know. So she does get the charm going on everyone. But that was kind of a weird like, I mean, I Don't like it because it was kind of manipulative of Draco. You know, it's not a good, it's not a good, you know, in terms of like future, future relationship behaviors. It wasn't a great thing, but at the same time it was nagging. Yeah, but at the same time he kind of like gets her is what we're learning from, from this like, brief thing, which I, I thought again that that's a really interesting thing to show with him still being the character he is, but like kind of understanding who Hermione is at the same time. You know what I mean? [01:17:08] Speaker A: Yeah. And as you explain all that, it makes me think of, you know, me thinking about the term emotional intelligence and how I've been using it for probably you know, last few years is when I say, oh, someone has emotional intelligence, I think of that. I think of prescribing a positive moral, a positive moral value to that statement. But the reality is it's like, no, you can, you know, emotional intelligence is more of a neutral term and can use your emotional intelligence to either be empathetic or you can be manipulative. And in this case, Draco is emotionally intelligent enough and is choosing to be getting a. Giving the result. He that is positive for helping them out in this situation, but is a manipulative way. [01:17:57] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. I read, just very briefly that makes me think of. I read a book called the Anatomy of Violence which kind of goes into like the differences within the brains of people who are like violent offenders. Right. And just to like give a very brief synopsis, you know, you have two types of violent offenders kind of. I mean, you have like kind of the fly off the handle. Like they're usually a one time, like one time crime committer. You know, they'll just lose their cool and like kill someone or hurt someone. Right. Like no emotional control. Right. But then you've got like psychopaths, right. Who are very in control of their actions. They're very cool and calculated and they [01:18:47] Speaker A: plan out very methodical and premeditate. [01:18:50] Speaker C: Yeah. So people who are more of the former type, like just kind of violent, just kind of angry, emotionally lack impulse control. Temperamental individuals, I guess is what I'm trying to say. They have like in. They have like issues with their limbic system, like in, in their brain. So the limbic is kind of like where emotion is regulated and like part of the reptilian brain area kind of. Whereas like psychopaths have both some of the limbic system like differences, but then they also have like the, the greater prefrontal cortex st stuff. So they have like, right. [01:19:33] Speaker A: Decision making skills. [01:19:34] Speaker C: It's like they have these wild emotions kind of, but then they also like can control them. And yeah, they're really good at manipulating them in other people. So anyway. [01:19:45] Speaker A: Yep. So anyway, so, yep, they all get Bubble Head charms and they sort of carve, you know, a slight slot, you know, a hole in the glass and then they are swimming through the lake and they put their, put the glass back and. Yep. And then they escape the Slytherin common room. [01:20:10] Speaker C: Yeah. Again, would it have been like, is it really this easy to just cut through glass in like this massively enchanted protective castle? Like you'd think there'd be some maybe protections to prevent students from doing this. Maybe. But I mean, you know, I mean, I guess not. I mean, no one wants to cut through glass that's like underwater. So, you know, maybe no one would have tried this before. But yeah, I did just wonder again, like, would that. [01:20:42] Speaker A: Although this is a high school, kids do stupid things. [01:20:46] Speaker C: Exactly, exactly. So it's like, would they have really been able to have done that? But you know, again, it's fine. [01:20:54] Speaker A: Yep. [01:20:55] Speaker C: So yeah, they do. They do escape and they make it back to, to Hagrid, I think. [01:21:03] Speaker A: Yeah, we just have a huge jump where we're escaping, swimming in the lake. And now they are resting and hiding in a mountain cave outside Hogmeads. I'm presuming this is the same cave that Sirius and Buckbeak were in and Goblet of Fire. [01:21:21] Speaker C: Oh, yeah, potentially. Yeah. I didn't even think about that. But yeah, they're, they're all exhausted. Well, at least Draco knows he's more exhausted than you realized. He's kind of sleeping on the other side of the cave than everybody else. [01:21:36] Speaker A: Yep. And he can hear the conversation of the Gryffindors. [01:21:43] Speaker C: Yeah, they're talking about, they're talking about the cloak. So like he deduces from this, like, that cloak is like not a new cloak. It's like some profoundly better cloak than any other invisibility cloak out there. They're also talking about like the Horcruxes and you know, they can always come back for the Basilisk. The Basilisk fangs if they need to. I think Heron Ron apologize a little bit about not understanding Spew. Yeah. It was at this point that I realized Hermione had been referring to herself, you know, like making up a connection between the treatment of house elves with the treatment of Muggle borns and that Draco had Maybe caught that. But. But she says here, you know, I don't want you to apologize to me. You know, I know you two care about me, so. It's not about that. I didn't start Spew because of how I'm treated or how Muggle Borns are treated. I started it because we should all care about how everyone is treated. So, again, that's kind of how I took it when she said it, you know, I wasn't thinking. She was really thinking about her own case, specifically. Yeah. [01:23:03] Speaker A: Yep. [01:23:04] Speaker C: And. [01:23:05] Speaker A: Yep. And sometimes I wish you would take it a bit more seriously. Even when it's. When it's. Creature Potter said. Exactly. [01:23:12] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:23:13] Speaker A: Yep. [01:23:14] Speaker C: Yeah. And Draco thinks a little bit here about how he treated Dobby as a kid, which. Which is interesting because, you know, when you're a little kid and you're told, you know, you get conditioned by whatever your parents do. So he would order Dobby around, make him play games, but make him, like, sit alone and. And in a dark room, if, you know, as punishment or whatever. So it, you know, it's sort of reflecting on, like, just things he did. And is that normal? You know, he didn't. I mean, obviously when he was a kid, he didn't. He doesn't say this to himself, but I'm just saying objectively, like, he didn't know better when he was a kid, you know, and then he grew up in that environment. Right. Yeah. And he thinks of Katie Bell and, like, the other things he's done. And there's something here. Like what. What would feeling guilty have done exactly? He knew they would get better or die whether or not he felt guilty. I mean, that's a very Taoist way of thinking of it, I guess. I guess. [01:24:21] Speaker A: Well, I'm not gonna lie. I felt that I eventually got to that point where that's where I felt about guilt in relation to my divorce, because I got to, you know, I felt guilty for disrupt. You know, soon to be. And disrupting my ex husband's life in such a big, dramatic way. But at the same time, I realized I can't be this perfect little wifey he wants me to be. So feeling guilty about it is irrelevant because this is gonna. This divorce is gonna happen anyway, so there's no point being feeling guilty anymore. [01:24:58] Speaker C: Yeah, guilt. Guilt is definitely an odd emotion because, like, it can definitely hinder you, especially if you're feeling guilt about certain norms that are themselves, like, not healthy. But at the same time, it can be helpful, like, if you're treating people badly, like you should feel guilty about it, you know. Yep. So yeah, yeah. [01:25:24] Speaker A: Guilt can also be very selfish because guilt gives you an illusion of control. Or I guess more blame gives you an illusion of control that you could have done something different. [01:25:33] Speaker C: But anyway, maybe, maybe. [01:25:36] Speaker A: Anyway. So besides, he had his own death to worry about and so. Yeah. So basically Draco falls asleep and he's [01:25:47] Speaker C: trying to clear his thinking of Bellatrix's wise words. Oh gosh. [01:25:54] Speaker A: Yeah. Of clearing his mind of all. All emotion. Guilt, doubt and shame. [01:26:01] Speaker C: Yeah. I mean, wise words from Bellatrix. [01:26:04] Speaker A: Auntie Bella. [01:26:06] Speaker C: Auntie Bella. Yes. Oh boy. [01:26:10] Speaker A: And thus concludes chapter six. Two really long chapters. [01:26:16] Speaker C: They were long. Yeah. I do like how it ended. Like he couldn't think of anything other than Granger's face as she lowered the diadem onto her head, crowning herself. Which is. There's a. There's some imagery there. [01:26:34] Speaker A: All righty, so let's get into our. What is it? Our first one, Our first exercise, the Draco Redemption ranking. [01:26:47] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:26:47] Speaker A: I still put him at a six in this one because he it. He is being very helpful. But he is again either doing it in a manipulative way. He's still very disparaging of Hagrid and that's one element of Draco's character of. I don't know why, of all things. And I'm not even. Not that I dislike Hagrid, but it's not like Hagrid's my favorite character. But that element of how much Draco disparages Hagrid, that. That really ticks me off about his character. Of all the ways he's shitty to people, I think that's really bad. [01:27:19] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, I'd say a six as well. Because honestly again, he's not on the side of the Death Eaters. He wants to get away from them. He's actively helping them. I was potentially thinking the rake to rank him higher, but it's like eh, he's really still being a bit of a jerk and it is still kind of about getting himself out of the situation. So I'd also say a six as well. [01:27:48] Speaker A: Okay. Alrighty. And then we can move to tarot of the day, which I just pulled up a card at random and I have the seven of pentacles. [01:28:00] Speaker C: Oh, seven of pentacles. That sounds auspicious. [01:28:05] Speaker A: A seven of pentacles. Well again, the pentacles, you know, the precursors of the clubs in our modern day playing cards. And they usually are this, this pentacles are the suit that deals with the physical realm, especially in terms of finances or work. So we've got, you know, the Upright 7 shows a venture or financial investment beginning to bear fruit. However, you may still need to put in more work and be patient. You haven't reached the end yet. As you appraise your crop, you may choose to prune the tree, discarding the lesser quality fruit to improve your harvest. So, yeah, so this is a. This is very much a kind of. Kind of waiting to see. And if you see this specific, you know, deck that you got that you sent to me, like, it's the woman, like, appraising all the berries before she, like, picks them. Yeah, I mean, I'm showing you right now. [01:29:01] Speaker C: Oh, sorry, I don't have my. I have my notes up. Let me go back to the zoom meeting. Oh, that one. Yeah, that's cool. That's a pretty one. [01:29:10] Speaker A: Yeah. So. So, yeah, so it's just kind of. It's kind of good. Things are coming, but you're still, like, kind of appraising the situation. And I think that can be. [01:29:20] Speaker C: Well, that makes sense. [01:29:22] Speaker A: I think that can be applied in, you know, them trying to, especially around the campfire when they're talking, you know, trying to see the bright side of, okay, like, you know, we didn't get the basilisk swings, but we know they're there. Like, they couldn't act upon it, but still, it's. It's something to look forward to that they can, you know, backtrack and, you know, use later. [01:29:45] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. I mean, several points, obviously. No, like, financial parallels, but, like, in terms of bounty or success, you know, there was a lot of changing directions and reappraisement, I guess, a little bit here. So it was like, okay, now we're at Hogwarts. Now we can go get the thing. How do we get in? Well, we can't get in this way or that way or that way. So we found this other way to get in. And then once they're in, you know, like, okay, like, it sounds like I'm just describing basic plot, but I think it kind of makes sense. With the card, you know, they're like, okay, so we didn't get the sword. Like, that didn't work out. But maybe we can go get the diadem. And then they go get the diadem. And with the diadem's help, you know, Hermione's like, okay, we don't have the sword. What else can we get to then, like, destroy this thing? Like, can we use this other type of venom? Or can we go get the fangs. You know, there's a lot of. Yeah. Like you said, assessing what you didn't have available to you and then trying to find what was available to you. Yeah. So I think that that makes sense. Yeah. [01:30:51] Speaker A: So just trying to think. Any other. [01:30:54] Speaker C: And seven. Seven for seven Horcruxes. [01:30:57] Speaker A: This is true. Yeah. Alrighty, then. And then we have a new. A new section that I thought of this last week, which I guess we'll call it Favorite Fan Fiction Editions, where Holly and I will highlight, you know, not abstract plot, because obviously the whole thing is, you know, an addition or a derivative, but more whether it comes to, like, an OC original character or a new item, a new spell, a new place, you know, anything new that expands the Potter universe. That what was our favorite to emerge within the. Within the two chapters of any given episode. So for me, my favorite. And again, as I mentioned, this Chapter five is a very, I think, foundational chapter and very visible in the popularity in terms of fan art and other things. So my. I love the Forbidden Forest gate. [01:32:05] Speaker C: Oh, yes. I loved that gate. Yeah. Like I said, I definitely feel American Gate. Sure. It definitely felt very, like, oh, yeah, this is the Potter verse. You know, I love the Talking lock. I love that. [01:32:20] Speaker A: Yeah. Well, and again, it's an addition that makes total sense why it would be there and not just creating something to sidestep a certain plot, which, again, which, as we discussed, may not necessarily be a plot hole because it seems questionable the validity of how safer known the Honeydukes passage is. [01:32:43] Speaker C: Yeah, sure. Fair enough. Fair enough. Yeah. And actually, I might go back and, like, Google or just see what I can find out about it because I can't remember if it for sure was something we knew was compromised, like, already. Okay. So, I mean, I would have picked the lock also, but I'm gonna try to pick something else, maybe from chapter Chapter six. I mean, there was so much stuff in Chapter six, but a lot of it we've seen before. Right? So, like, Slytherin common Room, you know, for example, Draco's, like, reminiscing about it. So. But I mean, we've seen the Slytherin Common Room. Like, that's a known thing. Trying to think. And then, like, the diadem, obviously, already, I think. I think maybe the portrait of Dumbledore, maybe. But that was in the canon also, I think. [01:33:38] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. Like, even if it's. Even if it's something we haven't seen before but still is, like, canon, like, I'm not really thinking of this activity, like, that really counting one thing that maybe could count is, you know, the way that the. Again, the way the diadem is sort of having an impact. [01:33:59] Speaker C: Yeah, okay. Yeah, that makes sense because. Yeah, like, we know the diadem. Diadem, diadem, but we didn't use it this way. We didn't know it had this sort of feature to it that I even recall. And certainly no one used it. I think as soon as it was recovered, it was destroyed immediately. [01:34:21] Speaker A: Yeah. By being fire in canon. [01:34:24] Speaker C: Which is funny, actually. Yeah. We didn't mention it. Someone brings up Fiend Fire. That's how the whole. The whole room of hidden things gets destroyed. Right. By Fiend Fire. So I thought that was an interesting sort of meta parallel. [01:34:40] Speaker A: Interesting, yeah. Side sidebar. I'm reading one fan fiction, or rather rereading another one of my favorite fan fictions where it's a Book seven rewrite. And one of the things they're doing is Hermione is experimenting on how to use Fiend Fire in a. Contain. In a contained space. [01:35:01] Speaker C: Okay. [01:35:02] Speaker A: Yeah. But anyway. Anyway. But yeah. Anything else of, like, new. Anything new esque. [01:35:09] Speaker C: I mean, other than like, the conversation with maybe the portrait of Dumbledore, you know, like, Harry tries to. I. I mean, again, I think we already knew about this portrait, but yeah, I mean, Harry tries to ask it about Dumbledore's life and we kind of learned that paintings even of, like, people, you know, past real individuals, like, don't have memories of that person's life. Which I was. Maybe that was something we weren't clear on. I'm not sure. I mean, obviously paintings aren't like. Yeah. Which the real people. But I don't know if it was super clear that there were things that paintings literally just didn't know. They only knew about things that had happened in the room. [01:35:54] Speaker A: Yeah, I think that is a specific. Yeah, and I think this is. I think that is specific to this fan fiction. Because my impression of. Across all the fan fictions I've read, most people tend to veer in the direction the interpretation of is that a. A person's portrait knows, has their personality and reacts to the room with their personality as they would if they were alive, but in a dip. But in addition, they do have all the memories of that person until they died. [01:36:28] Speaker C: Yeah, because, like, I recall, you know, like, the painting of Phineas Nigelus who they take with them in Hermione's bag. Like, he makes a lot of comments about, like, you know, oh, my. My family and this and that. So that Kind of makes it seem like he has memories that aren't just. You know, it seems like he has maybe memories of the Black family. You know what I mean? So. Yeah, Yeah. I was a little unclear on that. On that. [01:36:58] Speaker A: But anyway, moving forward, think about that as well in your readings. [01:37:03] Speaker C: Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I didn't really get a chance to brainstorm quite a bit. I don't know if there really was much other than the lock, which I love. [01:37:11] Speaker A: Again, like. And again, the huge one. The huge one of these chapters is the gate and the lock. [01:37:17] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. Next time I will try. I will make a more concerted effort to remember, to think of something. [01:37:25] Speaker A: Yep. Alrighty then. And thus concludes episode three. And so next time we get to do chapters seven and eight, the Minister's Eulogy and the Fidelius Charm. [01:37:41] Speaker C: Okay. The minister's Eulogy. That sounds like we're gonna be at Dumbledore's funeral after all. And who the heck is the minister? It's whatever. Whatever lackey they put in place. I forget. [01:37:57] Speaker A: Yeah. I can't remember if it remains Pious Sickness or whatever that guy's name is. [01:38:02] Speaker C: I was like. It started with a th. It was th. Something I couldn't remember. And then what was the next one? The. [01:38:10] Speaker A: The Fidel Charm. [01:38:12] Speaker C: Interesting. [01:38:14] Speaker A: Yes. Okay. All righty then. Catch you guys later. Bye. [01:38:20] Speaker C: Bye. Sa. [01:39:46] Speaker A: Sa. [01:41:29] Speaker C: Sa.