THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN BEGINS!! | Premier of Tea Leaves S3 E1 (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)

In this episode, we discuss the first episode of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third season of Tea Leaves. We meet Sirius Black, and follow Harry through the beginning stages of his story at Privet Drive. He takes the Knight Bus to the Leaky Cauldron and meets Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

·      2:01 Set up some goals for the season. 1) Introduce Death Eaters. 2) Explore the Marauders as a means to Harry’s past. 3) Deepen Snape’s character.

·      10:26 We open this season at night. The leaves are orange and yellow, and Sirius Black walks through the wrecked Potter house. He sees his friends dead and realizes that he must now go on without them. Hagrid arrives and takes Harry away. We then see

·      18:22 Now we see Harry. He’s doing homework in his bed like in the film. We see him living at Privet Drive, following the Dursleys’ orders and just being all around miserable. His Hogwarts letter arrives with his Hogsmeade permission form, and he strikes a deal with Mr. Dursley. Aunt Marge is coming to visit so if he can behave for her, Mr. Dursley will sign his form. It’s game on when Aunt Marge arrives. What a beloved member of their family! Harry cannot believe that he will have to put up with her for so long. The very last night, she pokes and prods about Harry’s parents. She seems to be simply inflating in her rampage, and soon she begins to float above the table. Mr. Dursley tries to hold her down, but it’s no use. 

·      28:30 In a huff, Harry storms out of the house. He goes a few blocks away. He sees the Grim in the bushes and stumbles backward, accidentally calling the Knight Bus. It takes him to the Leaky Cauldron where he meets Fudge, not the expel him but to make sure he’s safe. Harry retires to his room at the Leaky Cauldron and reflects on the crazy day he’s had. He goes to sleep with thoughts of Sirius Black, Azkaban, and great black dogs swirling through his head.

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Intro

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to the potter discussion. Welcome back to the potter discussion discussing the Harry Potter books, films, TV show, and the wizard world fandom. I'm your host, Oscar, and this is episode 334. Thank you everybody for joining me today on this lovely day. I am so excited for this episode because we are officially starting season three. This is season three, episode one of Tea Leaves, our series. We are writing our version of the Harry Potter TV show. We're going episode by episode here, and I am so excited to be beginning season three with you today. We have a lot of fun things to discuss in this episode. We're going to be setting our goals for the season and really diving into the story this episode. So I really do hope you will stick around to hear the whole thing. So unfortunately, uh this is my second shot at this episode. So I do want to mention that uh if you saw an episode that was like 20 seconds long last week, that is why. But we are here, we are back at it, and uh this episode is gonna be better than ever. So I am so, so happy to be here with you. I hope you are too. If anything pops into your head while you're listening to this questions, comments, topics, anything at all you want to hear, now is the time to lock in your feedback for season three because this uh series is is gonna be going fast. You know, we are gonna be uh plowing through the story here, so definitely make sure you reach out to thepotter discussion at gmail.com. That is the potter discussion at gmail.com. Uh for any uh anything you want to let me know, any questions you have, all of that, uh you can go ahead and do that there. Okay, I think that is everything I wanted to mention. So without further ado, let's get into today's episode.

Set up some goals for the season

SPEAKER_00 2:02

Like I said, the first thing I want to do, and as as we do now uh in every season, is I want to set our goals for this season because it's important to have some some pillars to kind of look back to, you know, why are we making these these choices? Goals are gonna definitely help us do that. So, my first goal is I want to introduce the idea of Death Eaters. Uh, this is a great time to do it. I think one of the advantages, one of the biggest advantages now I'm realizing now now that we're actually going through the actual uh content of this TV show, I'm beginning to realize one of the biggest advantages of uh a remake is that we know the entire story uh at every single point. So, for example, when these early books were were uh being or these early films were being made, not you know, the whole the whole story wasn't wasn't complete yet. So we didn't have some of the backstory on things like horcruxes. Like when when we had the diary, uh the idea of horror crux really wasn't fully formed for the public at least. And I think that is definitely it definitely changed the story. But now that we know what horror crux is, we know that the uh diary is like the first one, uh that is gonna be a really important part of that season. So that's why we had so much, we speak so much time there, and why it is the diary is such a huge symbol for that season. So that's it, that's a good example for last season. This season it's Death Eaters. I think that is kind of our uh whore cruxes almost. That is is is kind of the idea that we are going to introduce. And it is really uh important. I mean, we have the whole idea of Sirius and Azkaban, those are I mean, you can't talk about Askaban without talking about Death Eaters, and you you can't talk about Sirius without talking about them either. So there's just the you know these these intrinsic ties that it would be foolish to overlook. So I think I you know, really getting into the idea of what a Death Eater is uh in this book would uh this season would really be beneficial for us, especially considering that we really only get that in the next book. Like in the films, it's really uh the Goblet of Fire where we begin to really see the Death Eaters. That's that's that's the first time that we see them in person when they burn the camp at the Quiddish World Cup. But if we can get that a little earlier, first of all, that whole sequence, you know, where they're burning down the village, that would be a whole more there there would be a whole new layer to that because we have uh heard of them before. But also, there's this extra kind of uh you know eerie factor around Sirius Black's name. Because when when you know the characters talk about him, it's it's almost like he's working alone. Like he's this, you know, soul uh dark wizard and kind of roaming free and and causing causing chaos. And to be fair, that's not too far off. But I think it's it's more kind of jarring to talk about him in the context of the of the greater collective. Like he is a death ear, but he is part of you know the network, the dark network. And so I think that is a really important thing. And then when, you know, uh Harry, so then that heightens, you know, the whole uh relationship between Harry and Sirius, because when Sirius is revealed to be Harry's godfather, then there's the whole like what, but you're part of this dark network. How can I also be now connected to that? Like that's kind of the idea here is that Harry is then by extension connected as well. So that is the drama that I really want to sew with this. And I think Death Theaters are a really interesting idea, and they are a really scary group of people, if you really think about it. Um, I'm also thinking forward to Order of the Phoenix, because that whole scene uh at the very end, the battle of the Order of the Phoenix, where um the uh the the DA is dropped in the Hall of Prophecies, that is a really, really cool scene. And if if these Death Eaters have been built up for a for a few books now, and we slow, like I'm looking for I'm so looking forward to the costumes because in the film they are like really good, like they're super good. So I'm wondering how similar they're gonna be. I I could imagine they would go with like there's a mask element, and there's you know, uh it's it's like black and silver, their colors. That's that that works really well. Uh kind of a side note, uh adding on to this, uh, in some of the behind the scenes content I've seen, a lot of the costumes are based on nature, and that's actually um a very central idea to the story as a whole, is that magic comes from a natural place. I think it was the uh the the like the quick little documentary, the um like short behind the scenes peak uh that we that was just released on on HBO where we saw some costume designers talking about Dumbledore's costume and how they were they had like leaf prints on it. Like it was very much connected to nature, and we see that the logo, the Harry Potter logo, uh, the original for the films is very lightning-like, it's very sharp and thin. But this this new one, you know, uh is it's much more like a tree, much much more like branches. And I think that is a uh an interesting thing theme that they're gonna go with. So circling back to Death Eaters, Death Eaters are kind of the opposite of that. Like they are they represent death and destruction and and the kind of the absence of life. I mean, their death is literally in their name. So I'm wondering how the filmmakers are gonna approach that. You know, are their costumes still gonna be based on nature because they, you know, magic still comes from a natural place, or they're gonna kind of go in a different direction? I can see some really, really cool costume design going into this, and I am so looking forward to seeing those. I hope, I mean, maybe we'll get a sneak peek of a uh Death Eater costume. I don't know, we'll see. We'll see. But that is definitely uh a goal. I am I am really looking forward to that. Uh seeing uh the uh Death Eaters really become a true force in this season. So that that is the first goal. The second goal is I want to expand Harry's past, but most importantly, through the Marauders. That's that's really what I want to uh get uh get at here. We've been talking about the Marauders for so long. We've been talking about how perfect they are for flashbacks, for for moments like that. It is the perfect opportunity to have a a bunch of Marauder flashbacks and link them back to Harry. You know, I want to see James, I want to see the relationship between um, especially, you know, as uh Sirius Black evolves as a character throughout. I want to see the relationship between Sirius and and and James, you know, I want to see how that kind of affects Harry's perception of of his uh father and of Sirius. So there is just I mean, it's a gold mine. It really is a gold mine, the the uh Marauders. They have just so much to offer. And I am so hopeful that we are going to see some solid flashbacks. I mean I mean, at least one. Like, I I would be shocked if we don't get at least one true Marauders flashback. But uh in in in our version in Tea Leaves, we will definitely be writing a ton of those. So I am super excited for that this season. Uh, that is absolutely going to be a very prominent goal that we are going to uh support as this story goes on. So the third goal, the third and final goal that I want to bring our attention to to remember is Snape. And Snape is, I think, goes kind of hand in hand with the Marauders in terms of character development. So that is absolutely another one of my goals. The third and final goal is I want to deepen Snape's character. I want to learn more about him, and I want to see what troubles him. Because at f you know, for the first few few books, he's just kind of, you know, he's a brooding dark character, and he, of course, he has depth, you know. We we we know who he is, and I think that's you know, we're kind of bringing our past knowledge in, and that definitely helps us understand his character better. But this season is the perfect opportunity to really show us what that means. Snape, I mean, we we will get at this later, uh, like when in the Order of Phoenix, when Harry and Snape have occlumacy lessons, we'll we will really see kind of that that relationship. But now is not as not a not a bad time to start, you know. I want to start seeing Snape as maybe a like a young kid, and maybe we even see him like at home, you know, at Spinner's End, and then we see him uh, you know, as he is interacting with uh, you know, James and Sirius and the rest of the Marauders at Hogwarts. So I think Snape is another really good opportunity to see some true character development. But I feel like we've been talking about goals for too long because I want to get into the story. So that are that's that's all I got for you for for the goals here. I hope you we will be revisiting those. I hope you will remember them. But it's time for the story, it's time to start this this season, so let's move on.

We open this season at night

SPEAKER_00 10:27

So we were talking a lot about Sirius Black in our goals, and that's exactly where this episode opens. We are going to begin season three at the wreckage of the Potter's house after Voldemort has been vanquished, or so-called vanquished. And the pr the the prime character who we are gonna be uh seeing here in this scene is serious. So I'm imagining something v something very quiet, you know. The maybe maybe the wreckage is kind of still smoldering, maybe there's still some smoke, maybe there's some small fires. Something like that. You know, there's there's definitely something in the air, and as we learn more, you know, as we start to see clues, like a sign for Godric's hollow, and maybe there we see kids and cost seems like maybe we begin to really understand when what night this is. You know, we we can kind of slowly realize what this uh you know house is. And when when when Sirius appears, we don't maybe maybe we don't know exactly who he is at first, but we begin to really, you know, start to see it. Maybe his his you know, his hair, his his dress, it is very indicative of of his character. So we be we can begin to recognize that. And that's kind of how I want to spend maybe the first minute, maybe the first two minutes of this episode is just looking at the wreckage. Sirius is like Snape did in some flashbacks uh that that we've seen. So maybe Sirius walks through the house and you know sees the walls, you know, some some walls torn apart, some parts of the house just destroyed. And he finds, you know, the bodies of his friends, and he is devastated. And that is a really important part of this of this episode. I want to see just how devastated he is to see that his friends have been killed, uh, and that and that uh the uh their their son Harry has survived. So I am so excited to see this. I I I want to really feel what Sirius is feeling here. I think that is such a good uh way of of really introducing us to his character. So he sh he shouldn't say anything. He there I don't want to hear music, you know, I just want to be in this moment with him. And I think, you know, I am certainly not a filmmaker, that's for sure. But that's something that, you know, this kind of scene is something that I am uh I am trying to include more in this show because there's something very real, you know, something very, you know, relatable about a scene like that where you know there's no like the there's no pounding music, there's no like dramatic sound effects. We're just kind of living in this space with Sirius. We are going through it together. I think that is a really important part of a a show like this. So I am very excited to see how that turns out. But he will not be alone for long because Hagrid is going to arrive shortly thereafter. I was sure Dumbledore sent him. Uh, and of course, Sirius arrived on his motorbike, but Hagrid says I have to get him to uh uh you know to his next relatives, to his his his aunt and uncle uh down in London. I think that is a good place uh for him, and I think that's where uh uh Dumbledore absolutely will have told him to say that to Sirius. But of course, Hagrid maybe got there by port key, maybe he got there by slide-along apparition, you know, however he got there, uh he can't get you know somewhere fast enough. So Sirius says, take my motorbike, you know, this just just do it. Uh and we see I I definitely want to see this interaction because this is where Hagrid will return to later. Uh we will hear Hagrid discussing this scene exactly and and talking about how he saw how gaunt Sirius was, how distressed he was. Uh and Hagrid said, Oh, he like Hagrid just knew that it was because he gave up his friends, which of course is not the case, but that is where we are right now. That's that's that's what we think. Uh so that is that is what happens. Sirius gives Hagrid his motorbike, Hagrid takes Harry, um, and they they are off. They go, and uh Hagrid flies off into the distance. But I don't want to follow Hagrid, I want to follow Sirius because I want to go up to the time that he is captured. So this this whole scene with him walking around the ruins is a a good chunk of this beginning part. I definitely want most of this to be him walking around and him talking to Hagrid and then sending Harry off. And then we just see him, you know, I'm I'm imagining a shot where he's uh turned around, he's facing the wreckage, and we are just, you know, the camera is behind him, so we can't see his face. We're focused on the back of his head, and we sound kind of see like the blurred uh wreckage in uh in in the background. And we just kind of, you know, are there for just like a few moments, just as Sirius takes it all in. But he can't stay there for long. And so maybe standing, standing right there, he disapparates, uh, and we kind of begin this this hunt. Because the whole world believes that he did it. Uh, that that he was the one who who uh uh killed his friends, you know, that he he gave him he gave them the tip because no one knows that that uh he switched. No one no one knows that Peter Pedigree was actually uh the uh secret keeper. So this is a very, very uh delicate scene that he is going through. Uh and I think we should follow him on the run as he is, you know, be he is being chased by half the wizarding world, you know, everyone's trying to find him, and eventually it comes to a head, you know. This, you know, can definitely be more of a montage. I don't really have to see uh the actual him on the run, you know, all that. I I think I think we get it. But I definitely want to see the scene with him and Peter Pettigrew, because this is something that we that that is discussed heavily. So he uh finally finds Peter, and it's in a very crowded place, you know, and um they uh they have their have their battle, and then of course Pettigrew causes the explosion that kills all those muggles, and I think it kills an orar, right? When who's who's who's there? And he uh disapparates and he goes and lives among the rats, and that is it. And Search looks like he is a killer, uh, and he is taken away for good. So that is where also I mean I'm wondering I'm wondering about Dementors for this scene, because I think it's it's a little anticlimactic if Dementors are the ones who take him away, because it's almost like we're not exactly sure where to look if the if the Dementors are there, because then we're like, oh my gosh, because this is the first time they've that we've seen them. So I'm thinking we don't have any any any Dementors here. Uh it's just the aurors who take him in, and he's laughing, and he looks insane, and they take him away to Ascavan. So that is that is this this opening sequence. And I am really, really excited to see uh Sirius early on. You know, Sirius is kind of this this this myth, this urban legend, you know, who uh who has escaped and he is roaming uh the the the wizarding world. I mean it is really scary stuff, uh, but we see his photo, you know, mostly, and I don't want to see his photo, I want to see him. So this is this is a good place for that. And then, you know, once we start to see the famous, you know, photos of him screaming at the camera, you know, and uh all all those posters, we will really understand who he is and and all the things that he has sacrificed to get there. So this is a really, really cool scene. I am really hoping to see this in the in the TV show. It really gives us an insight into Sirius and it shows us just how much is at stake. But we haven't gotten to the titular character yet, so I think it's high time we do that. Let's move

Now we see Harry

SPEAKER_00 18:22

on. So now we see Harry. And I'm thinking as a really good homage to the films, I'd love to see uh when the uh screen kind of goes up. Like you know, you know, in the film how we see, you know, the light is him trying to read his his magical texts under the covers. We see him trying to use his wand, which is kind of a big big plot hole. I don't know how he's allowed to use magic. But anyway, glossing over that, I I want to do that again because it's uh kind of it's such an iconic scene for for the printer of uh of Azkaban. I think this uh season would definitely do well to especially after that, after the whole uh after the intensity of seeing how Sirius came to Azkaban. I think it's a good way to kind of ease back into the uh Harry Potterness of the whole series. So that's how I want to open. Uh, and of course we've got to have, you know, as as it gets brighter and brighter, and uh uh Petunia and Vernon come to come to come, you know, look look at his door, and of course Harry Harry pretends to be asleep. So it's it's a whole, it's a it's a very funny uh whole situation. So that's how we are introduced to Harry in this season. Uh but fortunately it's not it's it's not night forever because he eventually gets up and you know they they enjoy breakfast together, or enjoys maybe not the right word. And Vernon breaks the news to Harry that his Aunt Marge will be coming to stay. Oh, isn't she just the best? Harry is so excited to hear it, and they spend a few a few days kind of, you know, with there's a there's a there's a tension about this for sure, because Harry knows that Marge does not like him and he does not like her. They are uh a they are they are uh enemies for sure. But then something very special arrives in the mouth because Harry gets his Hogwarts letter, and this is kind of, you know, a good escape. This is his this is his reminder there's something else out there, you know, he's not gonna be forced to endure and marge for nothing because Hogwarts is on the way, but he notices it's a little thicker than usual and he pulls out his Hogsmead permission slip. How cool is that? But he's thinking, there's no way Mr. Dursley's gonna sign this for me, so I have to make a deal with him. So, Harry approaches Mr. Dursley and and and he says, Look, I have this Hog Awards permission form, you know, there's there's this village called Hogsmead, and you have to fill this out in order for me to be able to go. I know you don't want to do that, but I know that I also don't want to be be b you know behaving for Aunt Marge. So they strike a deal. Harry uh you know agrees to be this, you know, troubled kid. He's uh a he's a student at uh St. Brutus' Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys. What a title that is. Uh and and and Vernon is sticking to that story, and Harry must stick to it as well. And in exchange, Vernon will sign Harry's permission slip. So it is it is a difficult deal for sure. Uh, and Harry has to remember that this is this is on the line frame. You know, he really has to kind of lock in and make sure this is this is all going smoothly because he really, really wants to go to Hogsmead. Also, his his birthday passes and he gets you know some fun stuff. He gets a Quidditch service kit, so that's a that's a important detail for for him to remember. Uh we don't necessarily have to spend too much time on it, but it's a good uh note to make uh because in the books it's very much a part of his relationship with with Aunt Marge. Whenever she starts talking, he just kind of goes back to his Quidditch kit and starts thinking about all the things that he's he's he's been reading, which is actually a pretty good strategy. Uh Which we won't be able to really experience that in the uh in the TV show too much, but I want to see that that he gets it, just to know that it's all there. So we see this and we are finally prepped for Aunt Marge. We are ready for her to arrive, and lo and behold, here she is. She busts through the door and hands Harry all of her stuff and goes and you know, uh showers Dudley and hugs and kisses, and uh it's a it's a very, you know, exuberant entrance for sure. And we definitely don't don't get a very good impression of her. So I am I am very excited to see how that is uh how how that comes across. And Harry does his, you know, does his thing. He brings her stuff up to to the spare bedroom, and that is, you know, that is that is that. And we start to see how Aunt Marge spends her time. You know, we we see the we see their dinners, and maybe they go on outings, maybe they whatever. We see we see the dog, we see all this. We see, honestly, I think it's important that we uh also have a good vision of Petunia here, because I want to make it clear that it's not just Harry who doesn't like Aunt Marge. Petunia also doesn't really like her because she is loud and she, you know, doesn't really have a respect for keeping things clean, and her dog is just kind of rampaging around the house. Of course, you know, normal things, but Petunia is very particular about that kind of thing. I mean, she has a deep clean of every surface in the house every single day. Like that is that is the level we're talking here. So Petunia and at Marge are kind of the uh kind of the dichotomy of man at this point, and I definitely want that to come across. So I'm super excited to see that uh their their relationship. But you know, Petunia puts up with it, and good for her, you know, she she she doesn't make a fuss. She just lets at Marge, destroyed the place, and she knows she will clean it up after. So good job, Petunia. Unfortunately, it's it is unfortunate that it falls to her. Vernon is uh not exactly the household maintenance type, and he probably he doesn't even see it. I mean they're they're they're they're so similar. He doesn't see the the destruction of the house that Aunt Aunt Marge is is inflicting. So it's a it's a tough time for Harry, that's for sure. But it all comes to a head at Aunt Marge's very last night after her stay. They're having dinner, and Harry is just pr he is his he is so excited to see her see her gone. He finally feels the pull of freedom, the the the days without her. He can finally wake up and go downstairs and and and you know sit and not have to endure her questions or what like whatever. Like she is she is finally gone and he can finally relax. He's so much looking forward to that. But unfortunately, he has one more night to go, and this is this is not the night for him. That is that is for sure. So they're they're talking as usual, and Harry is really fed up at this point. And maybe not for the first time, but definitely for the worst time, Harry's family comes up, and this is where it all goes wrong. Because Aunt Marge uses some very strong and offensive language to describe Harry's Harry's parents. She calls uh his dad like a drunk and he didn't work, and you know, like all that. Like, and Harry, Harry just loses it. You know, he he says he was not. He yells at Aunt Marge. And uh Aunt Marge, I mean, first of all, she loves it. She she she loves this challenge, so she fires right back, and they they they kind of have this heated argument. And this is where Aunt Marge, you know, begins to she she is she is almost she is swelling with rage, she is rising out of her chair, and you know, we we begin to see how literal that is. One thing that I would like to change, I do like how this is done in the uh films because you know, we we see the evidence of magic, you know, the curtains, the lights, so we we see that magic is happening. But first of all, it's a little obvious that. Um, and I also don't like how they you know kind of began Aunt Marge's inflation because it's very uh it's very like she is inflating now. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like the first time we see it is when she's holding up a finger, wagging at Harry, and we begin to see it kind of blow up. Like it's just a little sudden, and it's a little too magical, you know. Going back to the idea in the goals, but how magic is natural, I think that that should be very much how it appears on the screen as well. Because, you know, Aunt Marge is gonna be inflated, and I th I I do like how you know the scene progressed, is that she becomes this bouncing, you know, ball basically and uh floats away, which first of all looks pretty painful, gosh. But anyway, she's I that that's that's how I want her to start. I want to start her like I I I use the words like she's swelling with rage. That's what I want to see. Because I don't want Harry to like blow her up like a balloon. I just want Harry to kind of um almost like actualize what his vision of her is. Like that's the idea here. It's it's not like he's transforming her into something, it's that he is just he is so mad that he like all he sees is this huge just monstrosity yelling about his parents, and that's exactly what appears in front of him. You know, that's uh kind of what what happens. So and uh it's it's a I mean a very dramatic scene, you know. Her but her buttons are flying off, her her clothes are ripping, and Dudley is hiding because all the buttons are flying everywhere, and their clock's going off, and the lights are still flashing because Harry is is is is in a rage. Uh Aunt Marge bounces across the ceiling, bounces through uh uh the uh green room and f floats out. Vernon runs after and tries to hold on, but but uh uh the dog grabs him, the Ripper grabs him and drags him down, and he has to let Aunt Marge go, and Aunt Marge flies away. And I I love the last scene in the film, how Vernon just is yelling, Marge, as she's floating away. Uh very, very funny. So I am I am uh that is a good uh template for for this TV show. I think I do like how the film did it, but with with like like we mentioned those few small details missing. So that is a great place for a cut to black, just as we uh kind of kind of decompress from that scene, because there is more to come, uh more dramatic things to come. So with that, let's move

In a huff, Harry storms out of the house

SPEAKER_00 28:30

on. Harry is furious, he rushes up to his room and he packs all of his stuff in a huff, he throws it into his trunk, he grabs Headwick, he grabs all these things, and he storms out of four privat drive. Vernon gets in his face and says, Where are you going? You can't leave now. And Harry pulls his wand. That's how serious he is. Harry pulls his wand on Vernon and says, Step aside, I will use this. Don't think I won't. Vernon says, Oh, of course, you can't fool me. You can't use magic here. And and Harry says, Well, you think you you think that I'm still, you know, in hog? Where you you think I s still have something to lose? Did you see what I just did? I'll be thrown out for sure. And Vernon is not too sure about that, and I don't blame him at all. So he he he you know, Harry brushes past him and bursts out the door and rushes down uh for uh he he he rushes away from perfect drive and he takes turns and he gets lost and he's cold and it's dark and he eventually loses steam. He sits down on the curb with all of his stuff. He doesn't know where he is, he doesn't know how to get back, and he does not know what to do. He starts the and I mean we aren't again, we we aren't gonna see his thoughts, but this is a good time to start remembering the scenes in the book where he's thinking like he could, you know, I think he his plan is he's gonna enchant his trunk to be feather light, attach it to his broom, uh, put on the invisibility cloak and fly to Gringutz, get all of his money and begin his begin his new life. That's that's what his plan is in in the books. That's ridiculous, of course, and I'm glad that those thoughts are cast out of his mind by a great black dog. The Grim is a super important symbol for this season, and this is the first time we see him. We see first we see the eyes, you know, first we see the eyes, and then Harry isn't like Harry isn't quite sure what he's seeing, he looks a little closer, uh, and we begin to see kind of out of the shadows this great dog emerge, and it is huge. Uh, we definitely I don't like how small the dog is in the films. It's described as this like monster, like a wolf, like practically a wolf, huge dog. Like that's really what I want to see. I don't I don't want to see like a dog, I want to see something like clearly that is supernatural. So Harry sees this and it is really scary. I mean, of course, we know that it's just serious looking after him, but it is not from Harry's eyes, it is an omen of death. So Harry gets up and he starts backing. He is he is really scared. And uh I I also like in the film how we have like we had those things, um, like he was near a playground, we saw like the swing kind of start to move, the uh carousel kind of started to kind of turn. And I mean this is a uh theme, like that in particular, those two things are themes that are gonna continue throughout throughout the book of like of of kind of this this how do I even describe it, like this aura around dark magic. And this is getting at what this is this is getting at our first goal. But dark magic, you know, it is powerful, and it is so powerful you can often sense it before it even reaches you. And I think there is the prime example that that comes to my mind is Dementors. That is, I mean the the classic example, and that's this is this is kind of what I mean here, is like, you know, you don't see a Dementor, you know, you feel it. That's that's the idea. It's cold, and maybe you see the frost forming, and you see maybe it's a little foggy, and it's you just feel you just feel so like isolated, like that's kind of what and then you start to see kind of out of the mist this huge cloaked, you know. Wow. I am looking forward to let's just say I am looking forward to seeing the Dementors. But that is kind of the uh you know idea here is that these, you know, this this uh the playground things that are starting to move, maybe a slight breeze, like and at this point it might be coincidence because I don't think Sirius is causing all these things to move just to scare him. Like he's not doing that, but it just happens to be, you know, and of course this is this is we can we can do whatever we want. This is a TV show, we can do whatever we want. So it's a good I I keep forgetting that we don't have to have a reason, we can just do it. So there we go. Uh and this is just you know showing us, you know, building up the idea that that that the the the grim is also dark, that the the the aura around the grim is very dark. So Harry sees this grim, he's stumbling backwards, he trips, he throws his wand arm out, and he calls the night bus. Crack with a bang, it appears and rushes to a stop right in front of him, and Harry's still looking around the corner. So Stan Shunpike reads him like the welcome to the night bus whole thing, but then he also kind of peeks around the corner. I'm very looking forward to seeing Stan Shunpike. He is uh he is a very funny character. I liked how he was in the films for sure. Uh but Harry kind of shakes off the grim, uh, not for good, of course, but he he he uh kind of gets up, he gets on the bus, he says he's Neville Longbottom, he wants to go to the to the leaky cauldron. And this is on the night bus, this is where he learns about Sirius Black. He sees uh the uh magazine, or you know, it's I think he's I think Stanchon Mike is reading the Daily Prophet, and Harry sees it and asks about him, and of course, that's where we kind of get the uh info dump that you know, all about Azkaban, all about Sirius, the escape, the heightened security, all that, and Harry is a little freaked out. So we see this, you know, crazy ride through through London. Um, you know, the the Unite bus is jumping to and fro. It is really impressive. Good job, Ern. Ern really did take it away. Uh, and then they screech to a halt at the leaky cauldron, and Harry gets, you know, all the stuff together, says thank you, and gets off. And who's waiting for him but Cornelius Fudge? What a gentleman he is. There he is, Cornelius Fudge waiting for him. He says, Oh, Harry, Harry, and says, I knew it. Stan says, I knew it, Ern. I told you this was this was Harry Potter. Uh and uh Fudge is a little confused at them calling him Neville, so he is uh, but but anyway, he steers him inside, takes him into his study, and Harry is thinking, Oh my gosh, it is over. The Minister for Magic himself is sitting me down. I am going to get expelled like no person has ever been expelled before. Like he is preparing for the worst. And he's offered, you know, cakes and tea and stuff and food, and uh, he's he can't. Like his stomach is just he he can't. He is so terrified that he is about to get expelled. And you know, Harry, you know, he says, All right, minister, like, am I I I assume I'm expelled. And Fudge's like, no, no, of course not. That's that's ridiculous. Which is, I mean, I am I am still shocked. I can't believe of course Harry deserves to be expelled for that. Harry says, but I but I blew up my aunt, you know, my aunt is floating around, you know, London right now. And if it's like, oh no, we've uh we fixed it, don't worry, like it's totally fine. I just want to make sure that you're okay, Harry. Because as you know, you know, there's the you know escapekiller. I want to make sure everyone's everyone's staying safe. You know, he makes it he makes it pretty general, of course. We don't you know no one wants to know, no one uh wants Harry to know that he is the target of Sirius Black. So uh Fudge wants to make sure that he's okay. That's that's what he says, and Fudge eventually sends Harry to his room in in the leaky cauldron. So Harry is sitting in his dark room, he's thinking, he is reflecting, he is he has had a crazy day. But most of all, what is floating around his head is Sirius Black, the escaped mass murderer on the loose, on the prowl, vul Voldemort's number two, he could be anywhere. And he goes to bed and he dreams of of wizard prisons and escaped prisoners and great black dogs. And that is where this episode ends. Boy, oh boy, was this a fun opening. Uh the the beginnings to seasons are always great, and I love beginning them with a little flashback, you know, setting up some context and then getting into the main story. I think we did that really well this this episode. I am so thankful that you stuck around to hear the whole thing. I mean, really, this is such a fun journey. If you've got anything, uh anything to say, again, don't reach out. Uh sorry, don't don't be afraid to reach out, is what I meant, to thepodger discussion at genewalk.com. That is thepodger discussion at genewalk.com. And hey, go ahead and share this episode with a friend. If you are thinking, hey, this, you know, I think someone really enjoy it. Uh episode one is the perfect place to start. We are we are beginning a season, uh, so absolutely go ahead and uh share this to your favorite group chat, to to someone who you who you might know, who you think might it might enjoy it. That would really help me out uh if if if you would do that. So make sure you uh go ahead and share this episode. But I am super excited for season three uh because I'm planning a few more episodes and we want to make sure we get to all the episodes before the release of the TV show. We might be doubling up like doing two episodes in one. Uh so that uh just so you know is is on the horizon. But I in in in any case, again, I hope you enjoyed. Thank you for listening. Have a wonderful week, and as always, remember that happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light. I will see you all later.