This is the last thing I’ll write before Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. (Since it’s been a picture day, which has been my way of keeping sane today amidst all the spoiler nonsense, I’ll give you two more in this post - again, click on them to see a larger image.)
It’s been fun, these [...]

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One question I’ve never explored here is simply this: Will Voldemort Die? Some have argued that if Harry kills Voldemort, it will go against everything Rowling has written about Love’s victory, the evil of murder, and the importance of self-sacrifice.
I disagree. I think Harry will kill Voldemort, and that it will be the right thing [...]

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Rapid-fire predictions. Thanks to commenter Reyhan for providing the list, which you will find below.  It’s called “SybillCast” because this is your opportunity to be better at predictions than Trelawney (I know…shouldn’t be too difficult).
Please forgive the abysmal state of this podcast. I was hurrying to get it done, as I’ve been in [...]

 

 Hog's Head PubCast #31: SybillCast [19:22m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1566)

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Dumbledore as Fabius Maximus; M. Scott Peck; How should we prepare our kids to read Harry Potter?
This is (most likely) the second to last episode before the release of Deathly Hallows! Remember that you can subscribe through iTunes.
Pub Menu:

The Fabian Society
Fabius Maximus
HogPro: Will Harry Go Through the Veil?
SoG post on Fabian Society
SoG Review: [...]

 

 Hog's Head PubCast #30 [29:55m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1467)

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The whole of fandom has been round and round about whether or not Snape has ever been in love, and usually Lily and Narcissa are given as possibilities.  I’m not going to venture any more guesses about that.  But tonight, listening to some interviews with Rowling, I came across a few quotes that have been [...]

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Snape, Wormtail, and Draco; Lily as Christ figure; “Close to the Dead” - what does it mean?; E-Owls
Some sound issues with this one, mainly my voice getting louder and softer, depending on where/when I was recording. Next podcast, I’ll be trying a new mic set-up, and if it works, sound should be crystal clear [...]

 

 Hog's Head PubCast #29 [32:20m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1480)

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Ever since the discovery of the 2000 Rowling quote about getting “close to the dead,” two primary trajectories of speculation have been on the table: (1) that she was referring to the veil (2) that it’s a reference to Cathy Liesner’s “Stoppered Death” theory.
What if it’s both?
Let’s revisit the quote again:
“That’s a given. Without [...]

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Those who have envisioned a scenario in which Harry passes through the veil and returns in Deathly Hallows (and I post this because I know we’ve got a few commenters here who have proposed that), as well as believers in the “Stoppered Death” theory, need to check out John Granger’s recent post, in which he [...]

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Social Justice a peripheral theme; Dumbledore’s mistakes; the Dursleys and 12 Grimmauld Place; E-Owl: Will Voldemort be redeemed?
Hog’s Head PubCast is available through iTunes.
Pub Menu

Eroej Kab on Dumbledore and house-elves
Hog’s Head PubCast #25: House-elves
Mrs. Lovegood on 12 Grimmauld place part 1 and 2
Garuda: Hindu Phoenix
J.S. Batchler: What Will Harry Do?

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 Hog's Head PubCast #27 [26:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1569)

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Deathly Hallows Deluxe Edition Cover Art; Harry as Uniter; Be Nice
Remember that you can subscribe through iTunes, and that all podcasts are archived here.
Pub Menu

HPANA: Deluxe Edition Cover Art
HP Progs: Draco’s the Dragon?
Rules for Commenting
Loving Lupin

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 Hog's Head Pubcast #26: Deathly Hallows Deluxe Edition Cover Art [26:57m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1497)

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Wow.  Cover art for the Deluxe Edition of Deathly Hallows has been released.  What do you think?  Norbert?  Did anyone predict the trio would be riding a dragon at some point in Book 7?  (HT to commenter Michael).
I’ll chat a bit about this on this weekend’s PubCast.

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Orson Scott Card’s Essay, “Who is Snape…?”; Snape and Lily; Snape vs. Slughorn - better teacher?; Snape’s “loyalty” to Dumbledore; revisiting racism (briefly)
I’ll post the pub menu tomorrow. If anyone would like to do me the favor of counting how many times I used the word “fascinating” or any of its derivatives in this [...]

 

 Hog's Head Pubcast #24: Snape (again) [33:34m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1677)

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Be sure to read Part 1 for my overall introduction to the book.
“The Case for Snape’s Innocence” is the far better half of the book, in my opinion. Made up of 5 essays that parallel the five from “The Case for Snape’s Guilt,” it presents a fairly thorough examination of the evidence for Good [...]

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The current poll, “Will Harry die (literally) in Book 7?” currently stands at 62% no, 38% yes.  That’s actually closer than I thought it would be (I expected “no” to be a landslide).  Use the comments section below to explain why you voted the way you did.

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Revision: This book review has been revised.
This is the first of a two-part review of the Borders special release, The Great Snape Debate (available in Borders and Waldenbooks stores), by Amy Berner, Orson Scott Card, and Joyce Millman. The book is divided into two sections, each arguing the opposite point of view about Snape.

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