Dumbeldore’s Big Plan: Prisoner of Azkaban Edition

[@hufflepom]

Anyone else think that the reason that Dumbledore hates the dementors so much is because he is reliving that initial duel between him, Aberforth, and Grindlewald (when Arianna dies)? He is tortured by that moment and is forced to relive it.

[@rachelreed7061]

I think they actually talked about that in their last episode! I think you're absolutely right.

[@thunderflare59]

Definitely a factor.

[@GeroldGarthcia]

Absolutely. Like Harry the worse traumatic memories one has in their past the more they dislike the dementors and the more seriously they take the threat of them. I think it's also a major factor that Dumbledore is just more aware of their dark nature and that they will side with Voldemort in the event of his return.

[@lucyairapetian407]

So, probably that potion that Dumbledore took in book 6 contains something similar to dementor essence. If it forces you to relive your worst memory.

[@sebastianacacia7621]

I don't think that's the REASON why he hates them, I definitely agree that's what he experiences near them, but I think he'd aware of what the kiss does and the fact they are aligned with dark forces that is just everything awful

[@kyriepitcher355]

Off topic but my kids are both autistic. My son loves your intro and music is his thing he keeps starting it just to listen. My daughter has trouble sleeping and finds this podcast soothing. I love the content but it honestly helps my family and I appreciate it.

[@hufflepom]

@@kyriepitcher355 I’m going to make you love them even more. I’m autistic (but an adult). I went to one of their live shows in June. After the show I was super overstimulated (but in the good way) and needed to de-stim and hung out while everyone else was leaving. The guys came out at the end of the show and I explained to them why I was still there. They were super nice and chill about it and we ended up chatting for like 20 mins!

[@Blixthand]

Florian Fortiscue in this book is a set up for something that never paid off. There is an old Pottermore article (that is also in the new From the Wizarding Archive books/audiobook), that clarifies he was set up to be very knowledgable about Wizarding History and that he would have some rare knowledge he would tell Harry later in the series, but that Rowling later dropped that or couldn't fit it in the story as it panned out. The fact that both Florian and Olivander gets captured in Half-Blood is a nod to this as well and might even show that she was still trying to make him part of the conclusion somehow, but ultimately killed off page.

[@NicholasKoeppel]

Florian was always suppose to be “dumbledore's man” in the Alley… However, the story didn’t need another adult non-DarkLord supporter for readers to keep track of, and after the events of book 4, then the eventual opening of Weasley’s; the shop owner angle, was already over-saturated for plot options… In death: he faced an Ice-cream cooler, that he been transfigured into a bear. Gruesome way to go…

[@Black3ight]

One reason that might explain how Dumbledore never found out about what the Marauders were up to doing their years at school, could be that Dumbledore was very frequently abscent during that time, fighting off Voldemort etc and dealings with the order etc.

[@SierraMascara28]

This, and he had no special reason to pay attention to them like he does with Harry.

[@Black3ight]

@@SierraMascara28 well i mean he did probably pay some attention to them cause of Remus' situation.

[@Cailus3542]

Yup. The war was really ramping up at this point, and Dumbledore was the most powerful wizard in the world. He likely tried hunting Voldemort down many times, knowing that with the Elder Wand, he could certainly beat him. Voldemort, of course, was always one step ahead. A team of Aurors was surely hunting for Voldemort too, but to no avail. The war continued and people kept dying. Unlike Grindelwald, who acted in the open, Voldemort acted from the shadows, patiently wearing out his enemies.

[@Alwarin1]

Sirius has not escaped before seeing Weasleys (and Peter) in the Daily Prophet! Dumbledore sending Weasleys to Egypt to thwart Sirius makes ZERO sense to me. But like this is the third video they make this claim… am I missing something here?

[@V1G4M1]

Right? Are they not reading comments?

[@SierraMascara28]

They’ve acknowledged this mistake in the past. If they make it again here they must have just forgotten.

[@V1G4M1]

@@SierraMascara28 it kinda feels like a bigger oversight, tho.

[@nobodyfamousX]

I didn't see the part where they said it was about Sirius. The sending the Weasley's to Egypt thing is to protect him to Dumbledore. He needs Harry to be technically living with the dursleys so that the protection spell keeps working. It's not about Sirius, it's about Voldemort.

[@V1G4M1]

@ but they also said he didn‘t have a problem with harry staying with the dursleys in other years, precisely because the „threat of sirius“ hadn‘t been around then.

[@CPTxMcKnight]

Peter was actually at Hogwarts much longer than 2 years at this point, since he was with Percy before Percy became a prefect. Also do you think Peter being Ron’s rat, is that why Ron had trouble transfiguring him? Now I’m picture what Peter is thinking when being transformed into a goblet!

[@heylolp9]

That transfiguration thing is a movie only detail, it doesn't happen at all in the books and all transfiguration components seem to always be available in the school (as they probably can be detransfigured and reused anyway)

[@failurenotsorry6600]

​@@heylolp9yeah, but that doesn't invalidate the speculation whether it's a movie or book detail. could have been a clever movie thing.

[@heylolp9]

@@failurenotsorry6600 but it calls into question if it even happened ever, the movies are unfaithful adaptations and not primary canon It's like Ron being in the forest year 1

[@failurenotsorry6600]

@@heylolp9 okay? that isn't relevant. the point is the commentor was wondering if it was a clever detail that was hinting at scabber's true nature, hence the speculation.

[@heylolp9]

@failurenotsorry6600 the answer if the 2nd movie adapted a detail that is part of book 3 because maybe "they wanted to include a easter egg" is No The Movie wanted visual jokes The only lesson ever that any Pet is part of the Lesson is the Potions Class where Snape wants to poison Neville's Toad Trevor Beyond that it's only Hedwig turning up during History of Magic, injured in Book 5 The Movies wanted to show how Ron's broken wand doesn't work, not as foreshadowing of Scabbers next Movie but as foreshadowing for the Lockhart wand backfiring, even though Books 1 2 and 3 were released at time of Movie 2's making Because if it was intentional then anything beyond the scene would exist in Canon to back this up Why would everyone in class get a Rat to transform anyway, except for Students that own a Rat (against express school rules) as a pet? That Class of Transfiguration, the same where Hermione asks McGonagall about the Chamber of Secrets, doesn't even exist Hermione asks Professor Binns This entire lesson is a full invention of the movies and doesn't work within the book canon, so by the regular rules of Canon that the Harry Potter community agreed upon (Book canon > Movie canon) that scene did not happen at all

[@mptness4389]

Dumbledore's Big Azkaplan

[@jp_eight3]

or Plansoner of Dumblebig

[@mechelles2592]

I'm in the hospital at the moment and the guys really help me relax . Sometimes they make me sleepy which is so helpful. Thank you so🤕 much Super Carlin Brothers!

[@josiemitchell547]

It's kinda sad that Hermione never invites Harry home with her (the few times she's there, like in the beginning of this book). Like sure, her parents are muggles and she might be hesitant to bring SOME wizards (Ron) into her house, but Harry lives with muggles.

[@Cailus3542]

There is a rather dark aspect to this. Hermione rarely talked about her parents, and we rarely see them in the books. Even during the holidays, she is almost always staying at the Burrow, Grimmauld Place or Hogwarts. She never even mentions her life before she learned what she was. I have no idea if Rowling planted that seed intentionally, but it is there. Hermione even used a very powerful memory charm on them that, if reversed, can cause brain damage. That is a horrific thing to do to anyone, never mind your parents, especially without their consent.

[@tekbox7909]

@@Cailus3542 pretty sure it's more just that Harry Potter is supposed to be kind of escapist fantasy for children and just visiting your friend is not exactly unknown exciting magic stuff, so they are only mentioned when necessary (like the whole what about her parents when she goes on the lets destroy voldemort camping trip)

[@forestgrump4723]

You know what’s funny is even if Harry had died in the forest, his act of sacrifice literally turned every person in the castle into a new chosen one. Because when Voldemort comes back he can’t hurt any of the people in the castle due to the same sacrificial magic Lily used. Harry enacted the same love protection on a massive scale. So Voldemort was GOING to go down even if Harry had died. Someone else would have done it.

[@fumkioyuki8457]

okay if they say Dumbledore arranged the Weasley to go to Egypt cause Sirius black escape. well he escaped cause the Weasley won the lottery and was on the front page which happens before Sirius escapes but he arranged cause he escape? so Dumbledore planned the Weasley to go to Egypt cause Sirius black escaped after the daily prophet publish the Weasley's on their vacation....am i missing something here.

[@Elf0304]

The other thing that I think is wrong is Dumbledore wanting to know Harry's greatest fear - or at least it doesn't go to plan. Lupin doesn't let Harry face the boggart, and I think if he had instructions from Dumbledore he would have.

[@fumkioyuki8457]

@Elf0304 i think dumbledore suggested it it work in a way cause harry knew his boggart would be a dementor. and we see that while he tired learning the patronus charm.

[@RiseeRee]

Florian could make a killing marketing his shop as THE Harry Potter’s favorite ice cream spot 😂

[@demarkesgreen7362]

I really want a video about what if Snape never told Voldemort the bit of the prophecy he overheard? The prophecy is still in effect, but no one but Dumbledore knows.

[@UnfazedPhoenix]

They made that already. It's on the Owlery though

[@Alex_CantDrive55]

Voldy made a "grave mistake" 😂 ... my kind of humor Ben. 😊

[@dawnmcauley6411]

To me, prophecies in the Potterverse have always been determinations of *character* not fate. Trelawney's prophecy has always been a prediction of what Voldemort (and Harry) would do, not what fate would have them do.

[@thunderflare59]

Still running into the problem that Sirius escaped from Azkaban after the Weasley's went to Egypt. Not only could this not have been part of Dumbledore's plan to protect Harry, but being out of the country would have been safer for him. Harry is safe from Voldemort and anyone taking orders from Voldemort at the Dursley's. He's not safe from a rouge death eater acting on his own.

[@jensenpeters6244]

Seriously, I’ve been thinking this every time they say this !! Are they ignoring these comments !

[@sir_theodore23]

Came here to say the same thing! The Weaselys must have wanted it to just be a family trip and/or felt weird about taking Harry abroad. Sirius not breaking out until after he saw Peter in the Egypt picture is an easy detail to mix up/forget though. It’s a smaller reveal amidst a ton of huge reveals

[@russelltoothman3168]

They never said he sends the wesley's were sent to Egypt bc of Sirius's escape.their theory is that he wanted Harry not to have the option of staying at the Weasley's bc of the lack of blood protection.

[@jensenpeters6244]

@@russelltoothman3168 but he’s ok with it year 2 and year 4 ?

[@JustFlemishMe]

​@@jensenpeters6244 And actually promotes it in year 6! (Year 5 was a necessity after the Dementor attack.)

[@jamessmithson-br7rm]

Yes, watched this on Patreon already. Great episode, just about to watch for second time on KZbin! These videos make my weekend

[@alankarst86]

I’m guessing that Dumbledore was planning on simply canceling Hogsmeade for everyone, until he found out that Harry didn’t get his form signed and then just rolled with it because while he believes Sirius is guilty, he’s also only after Harry and thus not a threat to the other students.

[@Cailus3542]

As far as Dumbledore knows, Sirius is a powerful Dark wizard, just like the rest of his family. Just because he's after Harry doesn't stop him from hurting other children. He actually did hurt Ron, breaking his leg, if unintentionally.

[@alankarst86]

@ well, sure, but he’s obviously canonically still not that concerned since he does send all the students to Hogsmeade

[@Black3ight]

What if Sirius had seeked out Dumbledore to try and explain himself. I know Sirius was dead set at his goal to just hunt down Peter, but just what if.. Dumbledore is the type of person that would atleast hear Sirius out instead of just turning him in right away.

[@rittersportfan]

He wouldn't even need to go to Dumbledore in person. After his escape with Buckbeak he was able to send an owl (Pigwidgeon) to Harry, so why couldn't he just send an owl with a letter to Dumbledore and explain the whole story without a great risk for himself?

[@Black3ight]

@@rittersportfan i mean sure he could do that but i would think it more likely for Dumbledore to realise Sirius' innocence if he met with him face to face. Also the fact that Sirius would even try to go to Dumbledore directly would be something Dumbledore would've looked at as a major thing for the story to be true. Cause if Sirius was actually guilty then going right to Dumbledore would've been the dumbest thing ever.

[@tangerinedream999]

I read the Harry Potter series for the first time when I was in my early 30's and I hadn't seen any of the movies. After I read the line about the "glimmer of triumph" I worried it meant Dumbledore was working with Voldemort and I was devastated. 😆

[@PerovNigma]

Someone posted once that they'd accidentally opened Deathly Hallows when they picked it up to buy it, and read "Ginny kissed Albus"

[@tangerinedream999]

@PerovNigma OMG they must have been terrified! 😆😆😆

[@tsugambler]

Yeah, I remember feeling that too! It really stood out to me, and I couldn't fathom what it meant.

[@hufflepom]

Thought on the Marauders Map. What if there is a code that the Marauders use to “unlock” the map. And that is how when Lupin opens it Peter shows up on the map. There are other ways to open it/get it to give information, and the Map determines based on the user what information they get. Snape, not worthy, gets a rude response. The twins, worthy, get the fun map but the Marauders are protected. The odds that they stumble on the correct password seems low, but if they provide a code this the Marauders deem worthy so they get access to the Map.

[@CPTxMcKnight]

Harry would have to been mistaken for James with regards to the map in order to see Peter. This is possible.

[@DuskMoment]

The holiday/Dumbledore things seems off. Sirius didn't escape until after he saw the photo in Fudge's Prophet which was taken when the family was already in Egypt.

[@philw6056]

In book 2 Harry was rescued by the weasleys and Dumbledore probably thought that he was save enough there, as long as he returns to the Dursleys next year. The egypt holiday could be an excuse, why he has to go back to the Dursleys.

[@Alwarin1]

@@philw6056 but that is not what they said. Also to keep the protection alive, he indeed needed to return, but he did not need to stay for a long time. If this was Dumbledore’s plan, he could just make Harry wait-it-out for a week or so and then off he goes.

[@philw6056]

@@Alwarin1 I think it isn't about time, but his feeling. As long as he genuinely calls at the Dursleys "home" he is safe and can go to the Weasleys or whereever as a guest.

[@Alwarin1]

@ in that case the protection would end like 10 years ago, as Harry never felt at home with Dursleys… but OK, he technically did not know about alternative so we can give it a pass, but at very least, at the end of the Philosophers stone Harry claimed that he is not going home when boarding the Express back to London. That magic seems to be working on some kind of technicality, but I think either way it should be fine if he went to visit Ron (or anybody) for majority of summer (he did that in years 4 and 5)

[@philw6056]

@@Alwarin1 He didn't feel positive about his home, but at least until book 3 his worst nightmare is being expelled from hogwarts. Because his "home" were the Dursleys. He never thought, if Ron and I were expelled, we could live together at the Weasleys.

[@hayden_604]

I have a question about Dumbledore's knowledge of Sirius' innocence regarding the death of Lily and James, or lack thereof. I will preface this by saying that I may just not understand how the Fidelius charm works. So if I understand correctly, Dumbledore is the one who performed and placed the Fidelius charm over the Potters. I would assume that the one performing the charm would need to know who the intended secret keeper is in order for the charm to successfully take hold. So in order for Sirius' plan to switch to Peter as the secret keeper to take effect, wouldn't Dumbledore have to have been made privy to the switch PRIOR to the charm being performed? My understanding of the facts: 1. Dumbledore successfully cast a Fidelius charm over the Potters. 2. Sirius was SUPPOSED to be secret keeper. 3. Peter WAS the secret keeper. How could Dumbledore NOT know that Sirius was innocent? Sorry if I'm missing something simple or if this has been covered before. I've already typed all of this out so I'll post it anyways, but after a quick Google search I found that "Dumbledore only suggested the Fidelius charm. Lily and James performed it and chose Peter as secret keeper." This must be what I have been missing this whole time?! 🤣🤦

[@amyhobbs1709]

Hey, brothers! I cannot tell you how much I love listening to this podcast and how much excitement it brings me each week. I am loving listening to each episode again with my husband and diving deeper into each chapter even more. I have a question for you. What if a second safe house had been set up for the Potters? It could be a vacant location and the Potters could be the Secret Keepers. We learn from Harry's memories that they saw him coming and James had time to tell Lily to take Harry and run. We assume she ran upstairs to the bedroom. What would have happened if they had the second location set up and, once they saw Voldemort coming, they Apparated to the second location where nobody else would be able to find them since they are the secret keepers? It would give them time to come up with a new plan and be able to get word to those in the Order that Peter was no longer on their side, and find a new way to keep them safe.

[@VVOPOL]

I’m very excited for the next Monday though!! Goblet of fire [and halfblood prince] are my absolute favourites! And I also thought that it would take you absolutely ages to get there But here we are ! Good stuff!) Keep it up!)

[@gingersnap8543]

So I have a theory about order of the Phoenix and the weird plot. It gives me sorcerers stone vibes, where dumbledore is intentionally putting lots of protections on the prophecy to lure Voldemort into trying to steal it, so that he can expose Voldemort to the ministry. Dumbledore knows that knowing the rest of the prophecy makes no difference for Voldemort, he will continue to hunt Harry, so he doesn’t really mind if Voldemort actually gets it, he just wants to lure Voldemort into doing exactly what he ends up doing (obviously without Harry getting involved)

[@Cailus3542]

Voldemort surely suspects that Dumbledore is trying to draw him out, which is why he never takes the bait. This leads to a stalemate until Voldemort tries another plan.

[@gingersnap8543]

@ except for he DOES take the bait😅 the very night that Harry goes to the ministry he couldn’t help but go himself. Which also ends up doing exactly what I implied would happen anyway Edit: also it was always part of voldemorts plan to go to the ministry that night as well. None of the death eaters call him and, completely unprompted, with no way of even knowing that Harry has actually taken the bait he goes to the ministry anyway, which also completely undermines voldemorts whole plan of luring Harry to the ministry. It appears as tho he attempted to lure Harry to the ministry, but this was his planned night to get the prophecy, regardless of whether he had successfully lured Harry or not. “If Harry isn’t gonna go to get it tonight, then I’ll just go get it myself. Oh wait, he’s here!! It worked!!” Is what seems to have happened, at least when reading it from every angle.

[@makeitgoleft]

The whole time you guys are talking about Nagini as a snake I just want to remind you that she's not a snake, she's a maledictus. So she has some amount of human soul in her...

[@irishroyalty9277]

Another amazing episode from an amazing team! Can't wait for y'all to bring that tour closer to me, so jealous of people who've already gotten to go. Still crazy that we're already on Goblet! Looking forward to chapter 1!

[@ShireLeaf]

Or I guess it could be "on the beach with suntan lotion on his nose" Dumbledore

[@Malendar]

A lot of talk about whether or not the dementors could suck out the soul of a beast, but Nagini isn’t technically a beast, she’s a Maledictus. Her soul should still be human.

[@Prodrummer1603]

One Question: How was Harry protected from Sirius as long as he stayed at the Dursleys ? I thought the protection from Lily's sacrifice only worked against Voldemort himself. Or am I missing something ?

[@satsujin-shathewitchkingof6185]

The protection was also supposed to end at 17 but supposedly Voldemort kept it alive in himself and that's what let Harry to live. Even though the protection should have ended by that point.

[@Prodrummer1603]

@satsujin-shathewitchkingof6185 Extending the duration of the protection is one thing. But Dumbledore could only put the protection on the House of the Dursleys since Petunia and Lily were sisters and Harry was connected to both of them by blood. In no way could Dumbledore extend the protection to other enemies when it's based on Lily's protection which was only targeted at Voldemort himself. But this also creates another plot hole. Why didn't the Death Eaters try to attack the Dursleys house since the protection would not work against them ?

[@theoutsider1020]

Can’t wait for the goblet of fire series! I am re-listening to the audiobook now, getting ready.

[@neekap44]

I think Dumbledore even planted the idea to use Harry’s blood into Voldemorts head by letting Harry go after the Philosophers stone and showing Voldy the protection in his blood. As soon as Voldemort had the opportunity to get his body back the plan is immediately to use Harry.

[@kimgrod]

56:52 wow, what a great question. Agree - Dementors probably couldn’t extract a soul from a horcrux and doubt they would stop after taking one soul from HP.

[@abucket14]

I'm going to be so there if you all get a tour that comes to Indianapolis, Louisville, and/or Cincinnati. All are within an hour away from me so please do come out to the midwest

[@toonman5099]

To add onto the end question, there is also the thought of "would they even attempt to suck the piece of Voldemort's soul out of Harry due to it being specifically Voldemort's, who would go on to command them, so would the piece of soul have some amount of command or resistance to a Dementor's Kiss?"

[@hufflepom]

So in “Chamber” when Dumbledore cancels the exams, did he also have the authority to cancels OWLs and NEWTs? Because that is a Ministry thing. And kids need them to get to advanced classes and eventually jobs…

[@brettjacobsen]

There’s no way he can cancel OWLs and NEWTs. I guess end of year tests are normally a formality

[@richewilson6394]

I think that the items of the founders are different from horcruxes because they were the ones that actually made the objects. They didn't just have the objects and just put themselves into it. People say that when you make something you put a part of yourself into whatever you're creating as a piece of like art and any kind of items that you create so that's different from a horcrux and makes these things as part of their you know legacy more unique.

[@heylolp9]

I think there *is* grounds to believe that the soul radiates emotions, as that would explain how the Horcrux within Harry gives him insight into the strong emotions of Voldemort prime The main issue I see with Dementors destroying Horcuxes however I see in exit points The Mouth is apparently the weak point of the Human body towards Dementors, an Object that was made a Horcrux would be a locked manufactured container, so I think there are measures to be taken to ensure impremnability, that makes Horcruxes have to be destroyed beyond repair to get the soul out of there in the first place And I don't see a way for a Dementor to physically break the container open to feast on the soul So it's to the Dementors in Harry Potter the equivalent to (to borrow from a different fandom) Portal's "The Cake is a lie" Basically Dementors getting to communicate between each other "Horcruxes man? don't even bother, those nuts are impossible to crack!"

[@loopylinguist7716]

Fiendfyre is cursed fire, water wouldn’t put it out, you saw what happened when Crabbe couldn’t control it!

[@jessicamarino7448]

So, the necklace from Borgin & Burke's that Katie accidentally touches (but was meant for Dumbledore), do we think it couldve have been someone else's horcrux? Also meant to be interracted with?

[@evanstensland611]

Didn’t Sirius not break out until after the Weasley’s were already on vacation?

[@leumasecallaw6313]

I feel like there's a lot of horocrux details glossed over in this discussion and that any of the remainders if given the chance to feed on someone could form into a new prime

[@stuartl7761]

If Buckbeak's trial was meant to show Harry that you should save innocent people, was Dumbledore always planning on saving Buckbeak? Even sending Harry back with the time turner might have been part of the plan. That might explain why he seemed to know they were breaking buckbeak free even before any sirius related things went down.

[@DarthBPF]

In my head canon, Dementors are like especial mobile Veils. So when they suck a soul, it stays stuck on limbo until the Dementor vanish. They are unable to move on. This connects with your theory that Death is the final evolution of Dementors. Death makes souls move on but Dementors can't. They feed on too emotions because this maintain there existence and the suffering of the souls they suck in limbo. Big fan of the show. Keep up the good work. It would be awesome to see your take on this. Maybe a suggestion for a video.

[@ShireLeaf]

That's not a Dumbledore that's master roshi!

[@Daddyoh94]

Dumbledore, but with the Charlie from Always Sunny conspiracy board

[@FifthConcerto]

Before finishing the episode, I am pausing to posit that, perhaps if you destroy soul fragments ("prime", or otherwise), what happens is, you can still restore the person from "the next" soul fragment in the queue. So, you destroy Voldemort prime, and now it is the fragment inside Marvolo's ring that can be restored to full Voldy. If you destroy that, the diary is next, etc. Assuming Horcruxes work in FIFO order, not FILO order.

[@hoppingwren]

J and Ben, my issue is this: we say that Dumbledore did not seek Voldemort when he was weakened in Albania because of the prophecy, but Dumbledore also said to Harry that the prophecy is only meaningful because Voldemort puts stock in it. If Dumbledore only thinks the prophecy has power because Voldemort believes it and will act on it, why does that stop Dumbledore from attacking Voldemort while weakened? Just because Voldemort believes he will die at the hands of Harry (or not at all) should not have stopped Dumbledore from seeking to defeat him.

[@satsujin-shathewitchkingof6185]

Dumbledoor was lying,I guess? Trying to make Harry feel better about his predetermined fate?

[@pdfbanana]

​@@satsujin-shathewitchkingof6185 yeah, basically everything he does affirms his faith in the prophecy, so i think he just felt the need to make sure harry wouldn't be inhibited by putting too much faith in it

[@EndlessNight025]

With the Horcruxes still in play, would there have been a point of attacking until they were all destroyed, though? At best, it would have just slowed him down, and his disembodied spirit would have just moved on to someplace else.

[@satsujin-shathewitchkingof6185]

@@pdfbanana That makes sense

[@satsujin-shathewitchkingof6185]

@@EndlessNight025 He didn't know they were in play

[@declanohagan2572]

Maybe dumbledore allowed the trial to continue the way it did to show harry the corruption of the ministry

[@DeviousFink]

McNair is the anti-Hagrid 😂 Also, Neville's grandma is AugustA. AugustUS is the masculine version.

[@baileycharlton2191]

Heres a note that might make you reconsider if dumbeldore knew the entire time if sirus was innocent. So, of course, we get told by hagrid that Sirus asked for Harry that night, claiming to be his godfather. He never tried to forcefully take Harry in fact as soon as he is denied Harry and is told Harry is being brought to dumbeldore. Sirius gives up his flying bike to help hagrid. Then at the end of chapter one hagrid says he is going to return sirius bike. IF DUMBELDORE THOUGHT HE WAS GUILTY WHY WOULD HE LET HAGRID GO!!! I need someone to hear me and get this to SCB i think either dumbeldore had to of always known sirus was innocent as in he knew they switched. This wouldnt mean he would know about them being animagas (sorry about spelling) .Or when hagrid is telling him the story it clicks for dumbeldore the fact sirius didnt try to kill hagrid and harry then and there must of meant he didnt betray them but if he didnt betray them then the only reason voldemort found out is the fact they switched. He would have no clue who they switched it to. Sirus would then get arrested for killing peter pettigrew and 13 muggles. Dumbeldore would assume when sirus kills peter its because sirus knew he was the secret keeper and he knew peter betrayed them. Yet in a rage, sirus did kill peter, and maybe that would be just but its the 13 muggles in which dumbeldore cant defend his crimes which is why he lets him go to azkban. Not knowing james was a stag, sirus a wolf, and peter a rat.

[@keithg460]

At that time, Sirius hadn't gone after Peter yet. It was only after he went after Peter and Peter framed him that Sirius gets pegged as the traitor. Dumbledore may have suspected that someone betrayed the Potters and that it may have been Sirius, but he just as easily could have suspected Peter, Lupin, or maybe even someone else to be the traitor. The explanation could just easily be that he did not think it was Sirius and that after Peter faked his own death and framed Sirius, it takes Dumbledore by surprise.

[@baileycharlton2191]

@keithg460 I know that's when he gets pegged as the traitor this theory is based on the idea dumbeldore I'd able to realize sirus isn't the traitor and dumbeldore knew all along. I think it has some really validity. Would love to here SCB's take on it because to me it's a real possibility dumbeldore is so smart I believe he could've connected the dots and if he didnt and still though sirius was the traitor then he shouldn't of allowed hagrid to seek out sirius without warning him

[@mlove.1376]

Harry Potter is famous in the wizarding world. Many wizards would love to have Harry Potter be at their business. Isnt that how famous people are treated. I believe your theory however. And about Sirius not being good with words....did he not just get out of Azkaban after 11 years with dementors? You wont give the character/ man a break. Jeez! I think Snape killed Dumbledore. Murdered him is a bit harsh for what really happened.

[@ashleywright8347]

In regards to where do the souls consumed by a dementor go, I think the answer to "Where do lost things go?" may hold some insights. "They go into non-being, that is to say everwhere" (Quotes may not be exact this was from memory)

[@FlashKillerX]

I think as far as the bogart goes, it can't have manifested as a dementor if Harry never saw one first. The whole "I believe what you fear most is fear itself" is an interpretation of Harry's bogart from Lupin more than anything else. Harry himself even said he was thinking about Voldemort until he remembered the effect the dementor had on him. I think the bogart would have been Voldemort had he not encountered the dementor, but its much less because Harry fears Voldemort and more he fears what Voldemort represents and what he could do to his loved ones if he isn't stopped. Just my interpretation, I love these episodes that go through how Dumbledore planned the year to go and where things lined up and where they didn't

[@KirstiMilburn]

Hey Brother, I was wondering based on the sword quote from Hermione, would the sword of Gryffindor, impregnated by basilisk venom, could it do damage to anyone's soul? After all, it could kill a horcrux, which is a chunk of soul. Maybe bad guys? or Voldemort? And for that matter, could a tiny scratch from the sword now cause death because of the basilisk venom? Love your podcast. I stay up until 2am on a Sunday night just to watch/listen with no interruptions. Keep up the great analysis and laughs.

[@keithg460]

Horcruxes are protected by magic that makes them nearly invincible. A soul is not destroyed by physical means at all, except if it is a horcrux. A horcrux is completely dependent on the container. Once the container is destroyed, the soul is destroyed. Regular human souls do not work this way. As Hermione says, if I run you through with a sword, your soul would be just fine. So basilisk venom or not, the sword won't destroy your soul. It can kill you, but your soul will move on. This brings up the question of why the venom did not destroy the horcrux inside Harry when he fought the basilisk. That is because the container, Harry, was not destroyed. If Harry had died, then that horcrux would have died. But Harry lived, so that horcrux lived.

[@ricey23]

in an alternate timeline Dumbledore put all his eggs in Harry's basket, but Neville was the chosen, but because he wasn't groomed to succeed he is killed by a triumphant Voldemort

[@laser8389]

Dementors vs. Horcruxes: I agree that there's no positive emotions coming from the bit of soul so the dementor wouldn't be interested in terms of feeding on it in that way, but it feels like the kiss is a separate thing than happiness-feeding. They probably wouldn't seek out horcruxes because of the lack of happy thoughts, but they seem to kiss people on orders rather than/in addition to some feeding instinct. They don't go around kissing everyone in Azkaban, but they seem to do it readily enough when told to, and I imagine there aren't a lot of happy thoughts left by the time they get to that point. My issues (and I'm not saying they're insurmountable) are 1: how tightly the bit of soul is bound to the vessel (like Hermione says, a living person's soul can go on just fine without a body but the bit in a horcrux is entirely dependent on its container, so I don't think it would be easy to separate them) and 2: there may be other protective measures placed on a horcrux to somehow thwart dementors (repel them, hide the soul bit, whatever). Voldemort can't cast a Patronus, which is the only *known* way to repel dementors, but he's certainly aware of dementors and likely cautious of the threat they present to a yummy little flayed piece of soul, I think it's entirely possible he came up with some sort of Dark Arts method of repelling dementors. Maybe it's Fiendfyre! I never considered the parallel until you brought it up in this video, but it does have similarities to the Patronus in terms of who can cast them and what effect it has on the caster (plus it's a bit like a chaotic evil phoenix... can phoenixes repel dementors? Phoenixes and unicorns: potential natural dementor repellent), so maybe Voldemort rigged up a version of Fiendfyre to attack dementors. All that to say I think a dementor could, with proper persuasion and assuming lack of adequate protection/attachment, kiss the soul out of a horcrux, but they wouldn't be interested in it for its own sake.

[@Zeke_O3773]

I don’t know if Dumbledore knew that Harry’s bogart would be a dementor. I think that the test was to see what the dementor would become. Dumbledore’s plan is so brilliant because it’s dynamic-it’s flexible enough to adjust successfully with unexpected changes.

[@PalmelaHanderson]

Re: Horcruxes, I've always believed that Voldemort never intended for the Diary to be able to come to life like it did. Voldemort would never have intentionally created something that could produce a second Voldemort while he was still alive. In other words, it's a bug, not a feature.

[@satsujin-shathewitchkingof6185]

I think all of them could but that wasn't Voldy's intention. Although, then you get into questions regarding sense of self

[@Vi_Vi_1]

"He's so good at magic and so bad at words" 😂😂😂😂😂 REAL

[@Boundwithflame23]

The phrase “Voldemort flavored smoothie” was not on my TTGD bingo card 😅

[@jmace2424]

Dumbledore also hired Lupin to see whether Snape is able to rise above his grudge.

[@NassosNinios]

I love this show so much and I have been looking for a new great Harry Potter experience for years! I have a thought. If Sirius Black had died for the marauders would that put the same ancient magic that Lily put on Harry ?

[@sixsidesoneangle]

Damn, now I’m imagining a deleted paragraph from the book. Dumbledore: Remus my old friend, has Harry requested help with the Dementors yet? Lupin: Not yet professor. Dumbledore: Damn, I really thought he’d care more about Quidditch than this. Lupin: Professor, my I suggest getting the Wood boy to put some pressure on him, maybe suggest kicking him off the team if he doesn’t sort the problem. Dumbledore: My god Remus, you’re a genius, I’ll get on it at once.

[@lilasbrejan3367]

Where did Dumbledore heir queril ??

[@j.a.shawkins7640]

Weird What If idea, because the conversations in this video got me thinking about it: what does a situation where both Harry and Voldemort lose look like? Cause "neither can live while the other survives" is the rule, and one must die at the hands of the other, but death doesn't have to be death. Idk: I'm having trouble trying to articulate what I'm trying to ask today. XD Oh well!

[@kimgrod]

49:15 HP’s is in his jacket when he enters the Forbidden Forest to face Voldy. He is armed. He chooses to surrender, not fight.

[@greaterthanme876]

Lupin threw himself between Harry and the boggart during the boggart lesson because he believed Harry would fear Voldemort most and wanted to prevent scaring the children. If Dumbledore intended to learn about Harry's greatest fear, and he believed it would be a dementor, 1. He didn't communicate that with Lupin, and 2. It was not intended for that specific lesson by Lupin in the classroom that day.

[@Ralph-rr9iv]

Also, Dumbledore by the time of book 2 was aware of the curse on the DADA position. He also thought he could use the curse to deal with Lockhart and bring a certain amount of justice for his actions.

[@Zachfive]

I feel like at this point, you guys have so much documented about the Dumbledore’s Big Plan, it might be worth looking into writing an actual book about it

[@remnant1018]

Each of the horcruxes (Voldemort) lacks happy memories, but they have fragments of soul (which dementors suck out). The dementors might not be able to feed on happy memories, but I think they’d still be able to suck out the fragments of soul.

[@SierraMascara28]

I think the reason Dumbledore didn’t intervene with Buckbeak is the same reason he hired Umbridge. To understand the corrupt system.

[@KudaKeileon]

Umbridge was hired by the Ministry, not Dumbledore.

[@SierraMascara28]

@@KudaKeileontrue, but only because Dumbledore couldn’t find a replacement (we all know he could if he had wanted to)

[@bubblehulk7647]

I’m never not clicking a Dumbledore’s Big Plan- or DBP for short.

[@tjloefflerjaetem]

We need fan art of, "everyone take a slurp"

[@gingersnap8543]

Was just listening to Snape grudge again and wanted to provide my own explanation to the snape insult scene with the map. What if, similarly to the founders, the marauders put their intelligence into the map so that they could defend the map from people like filch and Snape, but ensure future troublemakers would know how to use the map? Similar to the sorting hat, the map looks inside the user to discern the “mischeviousness” of the person in question and will reveal the trick to look at the map.

[@pamchace1]

The ice cream - it made sense to me. I think of how when Harry first arrived on the wizarding scene and how famous he was. It could just be an extension of that popularity, Folks were not only grateful to Harry but also, they would also feel bad for his loss of both parents that day. There is also the clout that any shop keeper could claim having THE Harry Potter in his store each day for long periods of time. I'm surprised that with all the details you explain but also create in the what if scenarios you both create that none of the previous reasons would be enough of a stand-alone but then in combination show plenty of reason to give Harry free ice cream or anything else really with the benefits the store owner stood to gain.

[@AsoaCo]

Would the curse that Dumbledore got when he put on the ring been stopped by the philosopher stones elixir of life?

[@YRUrunning]

They don't seem to get that Harry is not in danger from Sirius until after the Wesley's go to Egypt. Their trip being published in the paper is how Sirius learns that Peter is alive.

[@demarkesgreen7362]

Oh jeez! "Dementor digestive juices!?" Nightmare fuel

[@NicholasKoeppel]

They probably live in gloomy high-sulfide gas swamps!!!

[@SarahLynchDesign]

I think a better interpretation of Harry’s bogart being a dementor is that his greatest fear is losing his soul, rather than his greatest fear is fear itself as Lupin suggests. This would affirm to Dumbledore that Harry would never go down the path Voldemort did, he would never kill, he would never create horcruxes. Harry even fears losing his soul more than death, since he used Expelliarmus against Voldemort knowing it was a battle to the death. Losing your soul is the worst thing Harry can imagine, he wouldn't let Sirius and Lupin kill Peter to save their souls, and conversely sending Peter to the dementors was, to Harry, a fate worse than death and the harshest punishment possible.

[@marcinz.3570]

Maybe with Ron trying to Avada Kedavra Nagini and failing has more to do with the fact that to perform Unforgivable Curse you REALLY have to WANT it. One could argue that Ron doesn’t actually want to kill nagini at that moment - he wants to safe himself and hermione from naginis attack. Killing her is one of the ways to defend, but it’s not the goal itself

[@magdalenaosinska3159]

Dumbledore could not have planned the trip to Egypt as a way to keep Harry from the Burrow, because they won before Sirius escapes (Sirius sees the newspaper story about it and that prompts him to escape).

[@AustynSN]

As far as the theory that death is a dementor, I see it as sort of the opposite. While they look alike, and they both take souls, death takes souls for the purpose of guiding them to the afterlife. My view is that death probably actually cares very much about the souls. Death sees them not as a meal, but is a great and sacred responsibility. Everybody is afraid of death because of what it represents and the lack of knowledge of what's beyond, but there's a reason why the youngest Peverell brother eventually greeted death as an old friend. He came to understand that death was not an adversary or an enemy, but a loving (but creepy) guide.

[@raoulmichels3109]

You're forgetting Hagrid's appointment. It follows the same logic as Lupin's. Dumbledore has to know how people regard half-giants (even if Hagrid's ancestry isn't well-known). When he appointed him, Dumbledore should have known it would cause strive with a certain part of the school, which it did with Malfoy (take a look at the school's reaction upon his announcement. So, in a way, while Dumbledore didn't orchestrate the Buckbeak incident, he did set the scene, testing Harry in this way as well. Too bad it was mainly Hermione (and later Ron) who dealt with the issue though.

[@lidular]

We know the ring was the first horcrux, thanks to paying the math budget that one time. Thus the ring is just defended in a way that just kills you. However, after the dairy he might have realized how useful the resurrection powers could be, so he implemented it in the rest. Except for maybe Nagini

[@UnfazedPhoenix]

Dumbledore wasn't Headmaster when Newt was at Hogwarts. He couldn't have stopped the expulsion.

[@oddmented]

How about you tour Europe for Order of the Phoenix? I'd certainly love to join a live Griffin Door chapter!

[@DanielDyer04]

I heard this mentioned in a message from one of the DBP livestreams but I’ll reiterate it here, it wouldn’t make sense for Dumbledore to make the Weasleys go to Egypt in order to keep Harry safe from Sirius because the reason why Sirius escapes from Azkaban in the first place is due to him seeing a newspaper showing Peter Pettigrew with the Weasleys… while they’re IN Egypt. By the time the Weasleys go on their trip to Egypt, Sirius would still be in Azkaban and thus wouldn’t be a threat to Harry thus Dumbledore wouldn’t have a reason to make the Weasleys go on the trip in the first place.

[@DanielDyer04]

just noticing now that lots of other people are commenting the same thing but I’ll also say to me the reason why the weasleys use their lottery winnings to go on their trip is moreso the fact that they now have lots of money to spend on tours and attractions and souvenirs and stuff and just have a full-out holiday and vacation without the worry of not having enough money leftover. i dont really think they would’ve spent *that* much money on the trip itself but they probably splurged a bit now that they had the freedom to.

[@xdmoonyorange6011]

So I have a theory about what Harry hears when he feels the effects of the dementors. Basically I always struggled with the idea that Harry remembers anything at all from the attack. I get that it’s trauma and the dementors stuff is magical but people don’t generally remember things from when they are one year old. My idea is that the real reason he has any memory of it at all is because of the price of Voldemort inside of him. This price of Voldemort’s soul would be able to remember much more about the scenario than baby Harry. I also think that it makes sense that Voldemort experiences the same memory when he encounters dementors (if he feels much of anything at all) because this would have been the worst moment in his life up to this point.

[@satsujin-shathewitchkingof6185]

Oh crap! I just had a theory,what if the time turner couldn't change the future because of Voldemort's curse on the position? Lupin had to be out by the end of the year so what if that night was predetermined? Edit: It's cute how you guys think Dumbledoor could use facts to fix the situation when Lucious is obviously paying them off. I disagree,they specifically say that Fiend fire can destroy horcruxes so the implication -to me- is that they are specially resistant. I'm also inclined to think that all horcruxes could create a new person. We see one do it and we see another also drain Dumbledoor's life force

[@keithg460]

I think they mean that in general, Dumbledore could fix the situation fairly easily, but yes, Malfoy is paying them off. And yes, Dumbledore doesn't care to fix it. But even with being paid off, Dumbledore probably could have, just less easily. We learned in Book 2 that they wanted Dumbledore as Headmaster despite being threatened by Malfoy. If it came down to siding with Dumbledore or siding with Malfoy, paid off or not, they would side with Dumbledore.

[@satsujin-shathewitchkingof6185]

@keithg460 It's one thing to want him as headmaster,it's another to listen to him on killing an animal or not. I mean,take enough bribes and you could swim in gold like Scrooge McDuck. Worth it to me

[@luigimario6722]

Love the show, here is my question: why couldn't harry stay with any of Lily's other relatives? Like, a cousin or second cousin or something? Is it because the bond of blood only works with Petunia? Or maybe because Petunia already knew about magic?

[@FiggNewton]

Since the Daily Prophet mentioned the Weasley's upcoming trip to Egypt, wouldn't that mean they planned to leave before Sirius escaped? Dumbledore wouldn't have a reason to encourage their trip at that time.

[@lnt.helmuth]

Possibly silly question, but what does the killing curse 'Avada Kedavra' actually do? Well, obviously it kills the target if the spell connects, however it doesn't appear to harm the body of the target what-so-ever, or at least very little. In the goblet of fire it is stated that the muggle police came to the conclusions that the Riddles were in perfect health apart from being dead, meaning that their body is potentially still fully functional. The question that needs to be answered first is what constitutes being 'dead' in the wizarding world. Either it could simply be when the soul parts with the body, or it could be like in the real world where a person is considered dead when the heart stops or if the head is separated from the body. For honesty's sake, I'll add that it's very much possible that I'm wrong about what 'dead' means in the real world.

[@RoboBoomStick]

I think Dumbledore knew everything that was going to happen that year due to knowing about the time turner.

Imagine if Sirius was actually evil: He just sends a letter permitting Harry to go to Hogsemead, everyone considers that totally valid for some reason and then he kills him there. :D

[@justinernest2363]

awesome

[@Maholix]

I think there is such a glaring hole here, specifically because we're used to well polished content from the brothers. There are so many other reasons that the weasleys are in Egypt at that time.. are we forgetting that it was Ginny who was attacked in the prior book? It's extremely likely that this could be a form of well disguised apology. Molly clearly would not have been pleased by past events especially. We even know that Arthur and her are arguing. Then you have all these ties between ministry and other wizarding government who would know about the attack, even if it's true nature is debated. It's extremely obvious that the weasleys actually won not by random draw, but for political reasons. 1.) Dumbledore is both a major part of the wizengamot, acts as consultant to the minister himself and is the head of the school were the attack happened. 2.) This attack btw, happened when one of the school's governors (Lucius) was decrying the horrible acts taken as the chamber is being opened.. he was later removed for making threats, but the issue of the chamber is made very public. Now, the last time that the chamber was opened, it was also a huge political event. The minister is shown to be taking steps to placate public outcry, such as his involvement with Hagrid. So we know that the ministry has it's eye on the issue and can do some things separately from Dumbledore's interest. But by the time everything is concluded in the chamber of secrets, only one victim (outside of Ms. Norris) is truly still affected.. and that's Ginny. Sure there have been others, but they were only petrified, a curable condition. Ginny actually was full stop attacked.. and happens to be the daughter of a ministry employee. One who was specifically targeted by a wizard over policy disagreement. So how does a corrupt government that has other examples of back room dealings handle the situation? With a PR move! Making the weasleys the winner makes the ministry look good. Gives them a defense if someone says they don't care.. and hopefully it keeps Dumbledore in their good graces after mistakes were made. But Molly, ever the home maker and a person who stayed out of the last wizarding war to protect her kids, would not have been pleased. It's totally possible that Arthur was told he was going to win or even was involved in the rigging of the contest. And that maybe going to see family again was a way to placate his wife.. to get his family away from the mess for long enough to calm her down. So why wouldn't Harry, their frankly, adopted son, be allowed to come? This was likely due to the complications of being him. Bringing him on the trip would have come with it's own political complications, seeing as the whole thing was being sponsored by the ministry. In fact, I think this is the very reason they end the trip. Sirius breaks out in the third book and Harry acts rashly. Suddenly he's under threat. Molly and Arthur haven't worked through everything yet, but the family rushed back to be there for Harry as soon as they were allowed. And they continue this trend moving forward. It's actually really cool if you think about it. TLDR: I believe the Weasleys won as a "making nice" move for Ginny's prior attack. Arthur used the trip as a move to calm down his wife, but they come back because Sirius breaks out. Suddenly Harry is in need of his adopted family, which is something Molly and Arthur agree on.

[@kimgrod]

48:45 interesting. Where did you read about the death eaters’ specialities?

[@venipower]

Loved this part. Question: How does the ministry control the dementors? How do they communicate with them? This means, they had been controlling Death itself, or at least, communicating with it (unknowingly, I guess)? i'm a Venezuelan fan living in Florida. I will see you in the tour. Can I go visit you in Virginia?