Harry attacks Mr. Weasley, then Snape attacks Harry | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Tea Leaves S5 E5+6)

In this episode, we discuss episodes five and six of season five of Tea Leaves, our version of the Harry Potter TV show. Harry wins a victory on the quidditch pitch, but it's a short lived victory. He has some of his darkest dreams to date and comes face to face with a challenge that will continue to stare him down until the end. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

·      1:44 The first quidditch match of the season! Gryffindor wins, but Harry and George are banned from playing quidditch ever again by Umbridge after they beat up Malfoy. Malfoy was sour over his loss and began throwing insults at Ron.

·      16:45 Hagrid’s back. They see his light on at the edge of the forest after many months. They rush out to speak to him and he tells them about his journey through the mountains and the giants. The next day, Umbridge attends his class and he has to lie about where he was.

·      22:24 Harry has a dream, and it’s not a good one. He sees Mr. Weasley get attacked through Nagini’s eyes, and he then embarks on a journey back to number 12 to visit him. Harry begins to worry if he’s been helping Voldemort without knowing it. Has he been possessed?

·      37:23 Occlumency takes over Harry’s life. This whole episode is defined by the several lessons they have together. Snape is intruding into Harry’s mind and seeing memories and other things he would never share. The last lesson, Harry deflects the spell and goes into Snape’s mind. That’s the end of their lessons, to say the least.

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Intro

Oscar 0:13

The Harry Potter books, the films, TV show, and the wizard fandom. I'm your host, Oscar, and this is episode 349. Thank you everybody for joining me today on this lovely day. Of course, I am so, so glad to be here with you. It is rainy outside where I am right now, and so it is a nice, cozy day to be talking about Harry Potter, and we are continuing our Tea Leaves series today. If you have not joined us before, Tea Leaves is our version of the Harry Potter TV show. We are going through each and every book, scene by scene, uh, and constructing the TV show before it comes out. So we are in season five, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Uh today we are going to be discussing episodes five and six. Some pretty exciting things are going to happen. Some relationships are going to shift a little bit. We are going to learn a little bit about some important characters in this episode. So I do hope you'll stick around to hear that because we have some fun stuff to discuss today. If while you're listening, any questions, comments, topics, anything that all occurs to you and you want to reach out, go ahead and do that too, thepodter discussion at gmail.com. That is the potter discussion at gmail.com. For absolutely anything you want to let me know. It is not too late to get your ideas in for season five. So if you have something you want to hear, um, something you've been thinking about for the end of the season, it is not too late. Reach out. That is again the potter discussion at gmail.com. Alright, that is everything I want to mention. So without further ado, let's get into today's episode.

The first quidditch match of the season!

Oscar 1:45

So we are going to open this episode, episode five, with the first Quidditch match of the season. Now, this is a really cool match, and I really want this game to begin exactly like this. So the episode opens, we have it's very calm, very quiet, and I'm envisioning something like um a player like zooms over the camera and like suddenly we're we're we're in the match. You know, something like that. Uh I basically what I want to happen is it starts quiet, and then we have some, you know, either a player who zooms over, or maybe we see like like the snitch, or we see like a banner uh floating in the wind, and then we kind of pan down and see it's part of a whole crowd, and we then like the cheers fade in. Like that's kind of the the vibe I'm going for in the beginning of this episode. Something quiet, and then we fade into something much louder, and suddenly we are in the match. It is Gryffindor versus Slytherin. So I actually I do want to point out, we got some really cool gameplay uh that uh we so we in the latest trailer there was uh a momentary shot of Harry. It was kind of a POV shot of Harry on his broom. Like we we didn't see his face, we saw his hands uh clutching the broom shaft, and he was flying through the air. So that's the kind of gameplay I would love to see. And if anything, I mean I think that should only get more and more intense as the book goes up goes on. Um I would really love to see something like that in this moment where we have something that's a really intense, clearly, something's going on, you know. It's a very lively scene because a very important part of this scene is Ron. Ron, this is his first game. He is the keeper, he just got the job and he is really nervous. And that morning, when they were at breakfast, he couldn't even talk. He was so nervous, he couldn't even speak. I mean, that's gotta be that's that like that's crazy. He's gotta be really nervous if he can't even like get words out. And now here he's on the on the Quidditch, which of course we know that nerves are a big problem for him, so this is kind of his first big test, and fortunately he knows it. To make matters worse. Uh, last week we also discussed uh Weasley is our king. They begin to uh the Slytherins begin to bring that song, and here we are. We have the song in its full form. There are banners with Weasley is our king written on it, uh, as uh the uh Slytherins are filing in more and more filled the stadium, but of course that doesn't help Ron in the slightest. And we will also later hear the song, the famous song, the Weasley is Our King song, uh, which is not helping him at all. So as the game goes on, he lets a few goals in, and that is not making any matters worse. Of course, the more goals he lets in, the more he gets nervous, and then the more he lets in, and the more he gets nervous. It's Vita, unfortunately, a positive feedback loop that is not very helpful in this moment for Ron. So he's struggling a little bit. He is definitely struggling, um, and Fred and George are kind of trying to help him, you know, but it's it's it's it's just hard. It's really hard. I think uh Wood, Oliver Wood, he was such a good player, and he was such a good keeper that we didn't really think about it. Like we're just so used to having a keeper that is, you know, very adept at making quick movements and uh, you know, changing on a on a moment, and he's uh Ron is just not that good. You know, nothing against Ron, of course, he is good in his own right, but the problems he has, like nerves, Wood probably I mean, you could say like Wood got more nervous than than Ron does, you know. Um the the descriptions of Wood walking out where like he's his jaw was so tight he couldn't even open his mouth, like things like that. I mean, Wood cared a lot, and Ron does care too, but Ron's nerves uh impact his performance, and Wood's nerves do not. So that's an important note here. But it's important that we see Ron struggling because that's kind of part of his arc is that he is someone who does not, you know, instantly get it. You know, he's not this uh cool Quidditch guy, and that's definitely an important part of his arc and how we understand him and his desires and kind of how that influences who he chooses to be. So this is a this is a the reason why I want to spend just like I spent a few moments talking about that is this is kind of a very obvious and pure example of Ron's character. And why do I say that? Well, Ron himself is a uh he is he is you know a resourceful guy. Like he knows what's going on, but very often he just doesn't have the quick wits to get it done. And that's often the difference between Hermione and Ron is Hermione is very quick and she can she can, you know, uh think, you know, on a in like a moment and and get something off. But Ron just isn't isn't that fast. But Ron has this heart in him that I think I mean not to say Hermione doesn't have heart, but Ron is just he's he is very brave and he is willing to stand up for uh his friends, and that is those are the kind of traits that we see uh in his best moments. And this Quidditch match is a good example of how those those things are tested because he all of a sudden, you know, he is the one who has uh the pressure, you know, it is on him to not let down his teammates, and that's what's really making him nervous, because he doesn't want to let them down. If it was just in practice, you know, it wouldn't matter, but because it actually matters, because if he misses, his whole team will suffer, not just him, that's what's making him nervous. So if anything, I think this moment, although Gryffindor is not doing so well uh in the match, I think it shines very well on Ron, and I'm very, very glad to see uh Reno Ron doing these things, engaging in the match in this way. He's clearly very nervous because he cares. He's nervous because he cares. Uh like when I'm nervous, um, you know, I've s for a because you know, I'm I'm a musician. If I go on for like a performance, uh, of course I'm very nervous. It's because I care about the performance, and it took me a long time to realize that that's kind of why I bring that up because that's what Ron is experiencing right here. He cares enough to be nervous for the people who he is uh not trying to let down. So it is a uh it's a tough situation, honestly. I don't feel for Ron. He is in a very tight spot. It's a lot of pressure on him, and again, the Gryffindors are used to Wood, who would not let anything slide. So Ron is definitely an unwelcome change for many, which only adds to the pressure. So the game is intense. The game is very intense, but luckily Gryffindor pulls it out. It is a close match, but Harry catches the snitch and Gryffindor wins. It's such an exciting moment. I'm really looking forward to seeing this kind of the first, you know, first match. It's all very uh joyous, everyone is celebrating. But not everyone is so pleased with this Gryffindor victory. When Malfoy lands, he is not happy. Of course, Harry beat him uh out for the snitch, so Malfoy feels like the loss is on him, but Malfoy is different than Ron in this moment, and that is an important note to make, and that's kind of one of the things that I want to make sure we highlight, is Malfoy is absolutely disappointed that he lost the game. I think that's an important similarity to point out, but the difference here is Malfoy is disappointed for himself. You know, he wanted the glory, he wanted to uh be the one to win the match, and maybe that's even why he's seeker, you know. It's a very uh it can very easily become an egotistical role. And for Malfoy, it absolutely is. You know, there's no secret there. Uh he just wants the glory in in the match, and unfortunately, in this moment, he didn't get it. So that's one of the reasons why he's so disappointed. Ron, if Ron lost because of his, you know, miss missteps, he would have been disappointed for everyone else. You know, he would have been uh ashamed that he let his team down, not that he let uh uh you know so many goals by uh just you know for personal reasons. So Malfoy's not happy in the slightest. And he's making his opinion known. You know, Malfoy is not one to slink away and stew in silence. No, no, no. He goes up to Harry in Iran and he starts a yelling insults. And it is just it it it should be terrible. It should be terrible. Uh you know how we kind of hate Snape. Um, like uh there there are moments where Snape is just being so cruel to Harry or you know, something like just like those those little moments. That's kind of the feeling that I want to get from Malafoy in this moment is that he is just being so cruel. And the way he's doing that is he's insulting Ron's family, you know, talking about the lyrics of the Weasley is our king song, and you know, asking if they're true, and just saying all the things that he knows Ron will absolutely rise to, and he is right. Because Ron uh is beaten to the punch, literally, by by George. So Harry and George leap onto Malfoy and start absolutely destroying him. They beat him up, and luckily McGonagal is there to stop it. She she gets the boys off and she brings them up to her office. She is absolutely livid that they would make such a poor showing after winning the match. And she sits them down and she sits down behind her behind her desk, and she just I mean, she's beyond words, she's beyond, she's shaking with fury. She does not have it in her two to to say how she's feeling. I mean, it is just a it is a very tense moment. But before McGonagal can get out of punishment, before she can put her thoughts together and then give them what they deserve, who else but High Inquisitor Umbridge walks in and gives them a piece of her mind. So Umbridge reveals that she has uh been signed, uh the minister signed into effect a new educational decree that gives her a complete authority over punishment. So what does that mean? Well, unfortunately for Harry and George, it means no more Quidditch. Not for the next match, not even for the rest of the season. Umbridge bans them from playing Quidditch ever again. What? I mean, like, what? Okay, let's let's unpack this a little bit. There are two sides of the coin here. The first one is Harry and George beat Malphi to a pulp. Is that good? No. Based on your perspective, no, we'll say that's not good. And then there's the getting banned from playing Quidditch ever again. Is that a fitting punishment? I don't think so. I really don't think so. I mean, I think a natural fitting punishment is no more Quidditch for the rest of the season. Honestly, I think that is a valid punishment for what they did. Because you know how, you know, if a player does something wrong, they will get a yellow card if they do something, you know, repeatedly or something more serious, they'll get a red card for the game. And it's, you know, I am not a sports guy, so I don't really know the specifics of it, but I am sure that players have been banned from seasons before. You know, they've been uh benched for the season because of something that they did. That happens. That's just how sports works, you know, of course, as an as an expert in the field. And I'm sure uh Harry and George are are not feeling too hot about what they did. But no Kuodic ever again is a little bit sticky there. I think doing, you know, giving them a punishment that will last forever is overkill for whatever. For literally whatever it is, like if they killed someone, having a punishment forever, like okay, well, okay, let's back up here. A life sentence as Azkaban is the worst punishment you can get. Honestly, I feel like that's reserved for the very worst crimes, you know. Uh, and of course, people do get that punishment, and they are put away for life, and that's you know, that's just how it is. But so if we kind of, you know, turn it down a little bit, turn it down a few notches, let's think about what Harry actually did. He did beat Malfoy up, but is there any permanent damage? No. I think it would be more fitting, you know, the punishment would fit the crime if Harry damaged Malfoy, you know, for example, like he couldn't play Quidditch for the like the next season, or he uh was, you know, hospital-ridden in a coma for weeks, like something that's like actually like very serious, that would make sense for banning Harry from Quidditch ever again. But the fact that Malfoy just got a few bruises and cuts and Malfoy um Madame Pompire probably fixed him up in a few minutes, I don't know. Playing never playing Quidditch ever again is kinda crazy, if you ask me. Kinda crazy. So I think Umbridge is not really doling out this punishment in a fair manner, which might very well be the exact reason why she did in this way. So, thanks, Umbridge, but no thanks. So Umbridge takes their brooms, locks them away, and I couldn't I just couldn't imagine walking back to the common room after that. Man, that's a terrible walk. That is a terrible walk, and I I want to be with Harry and George every step of the way, uh, seeing just how disappointed and seeing just how awful they feel about it. I mean, really, it is it is an awful experience. Uh, so I am very much looking forward to that, and I am very much looking forward to seeing how uh their team reacts because they won. That's the important thing to mention here. They won the match. So they're walking into this common room that is exploding with energy. You know, people are uh are are are celebrating and there's like good things happening, but nope. Unfortunately, uh Harry and George are absolutely dejected. Uh Harry sits down in his in a in an armchair and he just is so deflated. I mean, it is the worst feeling ever. Truly, it is. Um, so I am very much hoping that uh we get to see just how disappointed they are. And of course, Ron's reaction is gonna be important because he is so happy, and then he it's like a like a punctured balloon, he uh he he loses that fire. And especially I'm looking forward to Angelina Johnson, the Quidditch captain's reaction, because she is going to be absolutely livid that their starseeker and one of their beaters got banned for the season. I mean, really, that is awful. That's a worst nightmare. That's a nightmare scenario as a Quidditch captain. So suddenly Angelina has to find all new, uh, basically a whole new team. I mean, that because you know the team is so tight, uh tightly

Harry has a dream, and it’s not a good one

Oscar 16:24

intertwined, you know, the the team chemistry is really important. So anyway, it's just it is a headache, it is a tragedy, and Harry is absolutely devastated to have that happen. So it is really an unfortunate situation all around. But there is something that might cheer him up. So, let's move on. Hagrid's back. That's the news. That's what they see. Harry is so sad, he's depressed sitting by the window. But Hermione looks out the window and sees something, and she says, Well, I know what'll cheer you up. Hagrid's back. And sure enough, Harry looks out the window, Ron is there too. They look out the window and see that finally, after months, the little light at the very edge of the forest is finally back on. So immediately they put on the invisibility cloak. It is dark out, but they they are breaking the rules. They put on the invisibility cloak and they book it. They go out of the grounds, they go to the g out of the gates and rush through the grass. It's dark, it's cool, it's you know, the grass is is is a little wet from from the day. And they get to Hagrid's house, they pound on the door, Haggard gets has his crossbow out, he opens the door and says, Who's there? And of course they have to say, Oh, it's us, it's us under the cloak. And then Hagrid lets them in. And boy, does he look terrible. Then he has been beat up. And here's the uh basically what he does is he tells them where he was. He says that he was in the mountains. He was searching for the giants, and he found them. He found them. He tells them the whole saga of there was uh, you know, with the king, and he brought them gifts and wanted to discuss things, and then there was the riot, and the king was killed, and then the new king, and and there were death eaters who were consorting with them. So it's a whole it was a whole thing. I think it's it it worked well in the books. I'm happy to keep it the same, uh, in the in the TV show. And of course Hagrid has a nice big slab of dragon meat over his over his face, all cut up, and then uh by by the end he throws it to Fang, who has been eyeing it hungrily. So it's a tough thing. It's a really tough thing. And in return, um the trio tells Hagrid about Umbridge because they have to warn him not to uh have anything too crazy, too crazy dangerous here or anything. But Hagrid's like, oh no, nothing I have this year is dangerous. And of course, coming from a regular professor, that would that would be alright, but Hagrid uh has a bit of a different standard in terms of what's dangerous and what's not. So uh the trio is a little bit concerned to hear that Hagrid doesn't think anything that he has is dangerous. That probably means it is. And lo and behold, the very next day they have their first Care Magical Creatures lesson with Hagrid. Professor Grubly Plank, unfortunately, is not there. Uh he has taken his post back, and what do they have but thestrels. Now, there is some saving grace in that Umbridge can't see the thestrels, we assume, at least. So, uh, because Umbridge is there. She wants to see Hagrid's first lesson. So, uh, and this is an important lesson, actually, because it's going to set us up for when we actually need the thestrels uh at the end of the book to get to the to get to the ministry. So Hagrid tells him all about you know these thestrels, what they do, you know, what they're all about, and he says that you can only see them if you've seen death. And he asks who can see them, and it is Harry, Neville, and a Slytherin boy. So it's uh it's a tough, it's a very tough uh thing to see these destrels because it we know exactly what it means. And I think everyone kind of looks at Harry and is like, oh gosh, he can see them, like because they all know what happened, so uh it's no secret. So Hagrid has has their lesson. Tells them all about it. And the important part of the lesson is Umbridge pulls Hagrid aside and they have a little chat, they have a little talk because Umbridge wants to know where Hagrid has been for the past few months. And this is where Hagrid's lying. He is, let me tell you. If there's a guy who's smooth, who's slick, who knows what it is all about, it is Hagrid, man. He knows. He knows how to lie, he knows how to slide and in and out of conversation. So Umbridge asks him, So where where have you been? He was like, I there were so I there I was I was hiking, I was I was need I needed some time outdoors for my health. Nice one. Yeah, that was really great, Hagrid. I'm thrilled, honestly. Like, even even I believe that reading it. I had to read it twice to make sure uh he he wasn't telling the truth there. That was pretty crazy. And of course, umber sees right through it immediately, and she says, Oh, of course, getting time outside must be must be difficult for for a man with your position. And of course, Hagrid has nothing to say that. So he is nervous, he is clearly under pressure, he does not know how to talk uh to people, unfortunately, period. Uh so that's a uh uh an unfortunate factor in the situation. And Umbridge, of course, knows that he's lying. And this is all part of the saga that's slowly beginning of uh Umbridge, you know, thinking that Dumbledore is developing a weapon to use against Fudge, and she thinks that Hagrut is kind of doing some RN, you know, R D for this, or maybe um, you know, beginning to to. A closer look at something far away, or whatever it was. So, of course, she's trying to make sure that's that's not the case. But doesn't go so well. So, unfortunately, um Hagrid is definitely under suspicion. So we will be seeing uh Umbridge and many more character magical creatures lessons. So that is absolutely going to come to pass. Alright, let's uh we have one more sequence in this episode, so let's move on. So, to finish out this episode, there is one of my favorite sequences in this book, and it's gonna get a little intense. So I hope you bear with me. We're not gonna be going too finely into this because it's just so much to digest, and a lot of it I like in the book as is. So we're just gonna kind of

Hagrid’s back

Oscar 22:45

run through it, point out certain details, and make sure it's kind of it's tuned right. You know, the goal of this is like someone could listen to this show and then make this into the episode. So we're gonna make it clear exactly what's what's gonna happen. So we begin with the DA. That's very important. We be we we begin with the DA, and the important part of this is it's just going strong. You know, they're they're continuing to have practices, and I want to see I want to see improvement, you know. I want to see people learning new things, and not only learning new things, I want to see Harry learning how to teach. Because that's a very, very important part of this that I think we often look over. Uh, so I am looking forward to seeing how that develops. Uh, you know, how how Harry uh develops into an actual teacher. So we haven't quite gotten to the advanced spells that we're gonna spend more time in uh practice with, but we do have one of the more important DA practices, and that is the one right before Christmas break, right before the holidays. And this is where Harry and Cho are left alone, everyone's filing out, and Cho is just waiting, you know, packing her earbag, and everyone's leaving, everyone's leaving, and then it's just Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Cho left in the room. Hermione is such a wingman, thank you, Hermione. She she is doing her job. She gets Ron. Ron of clearly absolutely no idea what's going on. She takes Ron and drags him out of the room, and uh they they they go off and uh leave Harry and Show and of course uh there's no there's no secret what happens next. But I think the important part of that of this interaction is that Cho is still very conflicted because what they talk about is Cedric. You know, she is so, so missing Cedric, and for good reason, of course, Harry is too, but of course in a different way. So when they eventually do kiss, oh, it's so cute, you know, uh, as Rita Skeeter would say, young love, young love. Um, it's important that we recognize just how difficult a situation this is for Cho because she still feels attached to Cedric, but of course he's gone, so she doesn't know how she has to feel or if she has to feel anything. It's just a whole complicated situation. So that happens, then Harry's feeling pretty good about himself, and he goes back to the common room uh and he talks about it with Ron and Hermione. And I love, I mean, I think the the, you know, one person can't feel all that, they'd explode. Well, you have the emotional range of a teaspoon. That interaction, I mean, it's gotta be in there. I feel like it's it's a it's a it's a crime if we don't see that interaction between uh Hermione and Ron. So Harry's feeling pretty pretty good about himself. But unfortunately, they can't last. So he goes to bed, and this is where it gets interesting. Okay, this is where the sequence really begins because we have a dream. And this is I think it's it's interesting. I was thinking back while writing this, this might be the first, like, serious dream that he has. The only other one I can think of, um, there are some in the previous book, like when he dreams at the very beginning about Frank Bryce, and then where he dreams about him being on the back of the owl flying into the riddle house. So there are things like that. But this is the first time he has a serious dream with serious consequences. So in this dream, he is on the floor, and he's like, What's what's going on here? Well, he sees in the reflection of some tiles that he is a snake, that he is Nagini. And he is slithering along a corridor that looks awfully familiar. He can't quite place it. He's going through, and he slithers along, and eventually he sees a wizard coming up ahead, and Harry, you know, he feels this rush, this this, you know, uh rush of anticipation, because he knows that he is going to attack this this wizard. The the the wizard is, you know, has has his back turned, but still Nagini pounces and bites this this wizard many times, leaves him not doing too well on the floor. Harry doesn't register it, but we see very clearly that it is Mr. Weasley at the Ministry of Magic. So Harry doesn't register this because he is, you know, in the mind of of Nagini at this point. And they uh after after the attack happens, Harry wakes up and it's like he's frozen in terror. Like he was the snake. And he like I I a detail that I really want to include in this is that Harry like like looks at his hands or like like feels his like his like shoulders or something like something to feel to to remind himself that he is human, you know, something like that. Because I want it to be clear that he it feels, you know, he felt very much like he was Nagini in that moment, not like he was looking through her eyes that he was Nagini. That's very important here. So he's in a cold sweat, and Ron is standing over him. Ron's the one who woke him up, Harry didn't even see Ron standing there, and Harry like can't even put words to it, but but he has to say, like, Ron, you're uh b Mr. Weasley, like Mr. Weasley was attacked, and Neville just came in, you know. Apparently Harry was yelling, he doesn't even know it. But Neville walks in with Professor McGonagall and Harry can finally, you know, in the presence of McGonagall, he can get his wits about him and he says, Mr. Weasley was attacked at the ministry and McGonagall grabs Harry and they run to Dumbledore's office. This is intense. And I was trying to think, how do we show the intensity of this scene? And honestly, I haven't quite decided because we have two options. Either there's music or there's no music. And I was trying to kind of think, what is a good kind of what's what's a good, you know, choice here? And I think the play here is music. And that's because in many of the other intense kind of personal moments, but often in a good way, there has been no music. That's that's that's kind of been our choice, that we have not had any music in those scenes, because it it's supposed to feel real, you know, very, very real. But in this moment, it almost doesn't feel real. So I guess I guess that's a that's that's a good way of putting it. When there is no music, it feels just like real life. When there is, it feels like a dream. And that's kind of what Harry's going through. Like he he dreamt that Mr. Wheezy got attacked, and now he knows that he's not dreaming anymore, but it still kind of feels surreal. So he's running through the halls with with Professor McGonigal, and we kind of hear I I don't want the music to be like intense chase music. Like, that's not really the vibe. What I'm imagining is kind of like more of like a soundscape, if that makes sense. You know, something that's like very ethereal, but like not necessarily um, you know, ethereal, you know? Like, I I don't know. That's that's a terrible way of saying it, but it it's heavenly, but almost like it's like distorted, like not quite sure what's going on. Like that's kind of that's that's the best way I can put it. Like it's very high, it's tinny, but it's like not pleasant. It's just like we aren't quite sure what's going on. Like, that's the feeling, like this this crushing panic of uncertainty is kind of what we are what what we're feeling right now. So eventually they get to do to Dumbledore's office, and he is there. You know, somehow he knew, somehow he he he he knew to be there. Maybe McGonagall's sent to head up a Tronus or something. He's there, and this is a really cool scene here because I like uh there are two uh like versions of this, I guess. One in the film, one in the book, and I want to combine them. I absolutely love in the film how Dumbledore doesn't look at Harry. How Dumbledore rushes from portrait to portrait, because this is what's happening in the meantime during this scene is Dumbledore is going around all the portraits, talking to Everard and all these wizards, you know, uh on the wall who have portraits in other locations to begin calling in favors, wake up other members of the order, get Mr. Weasley found into the hospital. Um, and he's just he's going back and forth, going back and forth. He he's asking Harry questions and kind of not looking at him as he responds, and then Harry's trying to get in things, but double sort, you know, interrupting and talking to the portraits again. Like it's a very we feel that like the tension rising. And the I'm going to combine that with the book version, which is similar, but instead Harry feels this like growing sense of like hatred. And that's kind of, we don't know it, but it's Voldemort, you know, it's Voldemort, the piece of Voldemort rising inside of him. Because maybe it's like Voldemort's particularly active uh after that dream, especially. So I kind of want those two things to collide because when Dumbledore finally turns and looks at Harry, Harry in the book describes a intense feeling of hatred, like he wants to attack Dumbledore. That's an incredibly vivid description and a very uh intense moment. But I want to combine that with the um the uh version in the film where Harry, like we hear, we feel, we hear this, like we can basically taste this tension rising, and then he finally says, Look at me, you know, he yells at Dumbledore, and then surprised Dumbledore looks over. I want to combine those. So Dumbledore is flitting around, flitting around, Harry's mad, he yells, look at me, Dumbledore turns and looks straight at him, and like that that that piece of Voldor inside Harry was like flared up, he feels that hatred, that moment of of of you know venom, just like he still in a Gini. And that's like kind of a moment of still, like the first time we've seen Dumbledore, you know, face to face since Voldemort returned, like for real. It's it's a really very scary moment. So, with all that, they get a port key to number 12 Grimold Place. Harry is reeling from this whole experience. He does not know what to think, he doesn't know what to feel. It's it's a really emotionally overwhelming time. When they arrive, they realize that Mr. Weasley has lived. They have a letter from Mrs. Weasley. So the tension kind of diffuses in that moment. They can kind of like collapse, you know. Uh it's just it's a horrifying, it's a really horrifying time. All the Weaslies are are there. And over the next few days, they spend time with him, they go into the hospital wing, uh, we see Lockhart. Uh I won't I'll brush over this, you know, because we don't, we we we know how it goes. They see Lockhart, but the important part, uh, the the the next very, very important part of this whole thing is the I think it's the s no, it's the first time they go to visit him. They uh first it's you know Harry and and the the kids who go visit uh uh Mr. Weasley, and Mr. Weasley is so thankful to to see Harry, because of course Harry saved him. You know, I I I would be too if Harry saved my life. And of course he's overjoyed to see his to see his kids. And then after that, um they uh they they leave the room so Tonks and Moody can go talk to him. And of course, Friend George brought their extendable ears, and this is a very important moment. This is a pivotal moment for Harry's arc in this book. Moody and and and uh Mr. Weasley begin discussing what the heck happened here and what did he see, what did he feel? And Moody brings up the idea of do you think Harry is still, you know, is is still, you know, having these visions? Do you think he's being possessed by Voldemort? And that stops Harry's heart. And this is a very pivotal moment for him because suddenly he feels so bad. When they get back to the number 12 place, he starts to pack up his things. He's not going back because he finally feels like he's the problem, like Voldemort is using him to have an inside line at the Hogwarts or something. But Ginny, of all people, stops him and talks sentence into him. He she says, Harry, if anyone knows what it's like being possessed by Voldemort, it's me. And of course she's right. She says, Have do you have you know long extended periods of where you don't know where you are? Do you wake up and you don't remember what happened? Do you are you wearing string things? Do you you know have dirty clothes, you don't know how they got like and Harry says, No, no, no, no, no. And Ginny says, You're fine. Like, dude, just relax. It's gonna be alright. So that does put Harry at ease, but he still can't shake that idea that Voldemort has this hold in his mind that Harry doesn't know about or can control. And it's almost like uh that's how we planned it, because uh soon after that, maybe even a few hours after that, Snape arrives uh at number 12 remote place, and he wants to talk to Harry, and he says to Harry, listen, Harry, Dumbledore wants me to give you lessons, occlumency lessons. Uh, and that is uh setting up for the next episode where we will begin that. So they enjoy the holidays, and it is it is a pretty festive time because uh Harry is somewhat put at ease about his you know s supposed possession. Mr. Weasley is okay, he can spend time with Sirius, so overall it's a pretty uh happy time. When they go back, Mr. Weasley gives Harry his last thanks, and Sirius gives Harry the mirror. It's it's wrapped up, so Harry doesn't know what it is yet, but it is the mirror that he will use to communicate. Uh a very fun, very fun gift that is. They don't shame they don't really use it. And just like that, they are back to Hogwarts. To end out this episode, we unfortunately are going to witness the sacking of Sybil Trelawney. I was trying to think of a good way to end the episode. Honestly, I feel like that's a as as good as any. So it's uh it's a few days after they uh get back to term, they're eating like breakfast or lunch or whatever, and they hear a wailing, crying from outside. Everyone goes out and sees that Umbridge has uh all of her bags, uh all she has packed Professor Trelawney's bags and uh is kicking her out. And of course, Dumbledore arrives and uh says that Umbridge has the power to dismiss his staff but not to kick them out of the grounds. Dumbledore brings her back up, and uh I like the the detail in the film, how Dumbledore disappears into the crowd, and uh how Harry tries to find him but can't. So it's it's an interesting end. This this sequence is really fun. I am looking forward to seeing the dream and the blurred lines of uh fantasy and reality, I guess you could say here. So it's gonna be a really fun time, but we do have another very exciting episode to discuss, so let's move

Occlumency takes over Harry’s life

Oscar 37:23

on. So this next episode is kind of a little bit of a different episode than previous, and I was trying to kind of wrestle through this in my mind because there are there's I want this to kind of be centered around Harry's occlumency lessons. That's the idea here, and the problem with that is I I don't what I don't want to do is go through each lesson, you know, one by one and blow by blow, say what happens. I'm envisioning something like three lessons that are kind of used as cornerstones for this. So the how I kind of want to outline the episode here is that we are gonna talk about uh kind of what happens, and we're gonna talk about what happens in the lessons. Not all of them, but the the important things that happen in the lessons, because I mean there are due to things that happen around it. So I want the episode to open up on their very first occlamity lesson. Like maybe uh I think a really good cool way to open the episode would be to show Harry walking down the potions corridor uh almost like he's Nagini again, just to give us that that little reminder. Uh, and then he finds Snape in his office and they uh have their first lesson, and it is horrible. Snape shows Harry the the horrible spell, you know, the the Legilimans spell and explains to Harry that Voldemort is a very skilled Legillimans, and he can see into Harry's mind, uh, and he can uh you know maybe even control his thoughts to put ideas in there, to put memories, to put visions, like to to take things away. Like it's a really scary amount of control that Voldemort would have over Harry if he was a uh an unskilled uh oclumen's, which is of course oclumency is keeping people out. Legitimacy is putting yourself in, I guess is a good way of putting it. So Harry and Snape begin to learn, and it is a heart-wrenching experience for Harry because it's almost like he is a book, you know, that Snape is just rifling through. Um Snape is seeing all of his memories with Cho and uh, you know, maybe even memories of his parents, like things that are so personal that Harry would never share. Otherwise, Snape is getting a front row seat, and Harry is just hating it. I mean, and I would too, truthfully. Like it there's there's no shame in Harry for hating this. It is just awful. He's trying to deflect, he's trying to close his mind, as Snape keeps reminding him, but it is just so hard. So that's kind of like their first lesson. In between that, uh, we have uh more DA uh experiences, and that is another important part of this, is that we begin to get into more advanced spells. Because soon we're gonna have to go off to the ministry, and I want to make sure that Luna, Neville, and Jenny know what is going on uh for for when we get there, because there is this this is gonna be intense, you know. They have to really step it up. So we're gonna start learning more and more. I'm envisioning that after uh the after the first occlumity lesson, we get back into the DA, we get some more classes, and basically what I want is just to see Harry uh walking through the halls and just see him thinking. You know, he has so much on his mind. That's what we should really be feeling from him. I'm envisioning like uh he's walking through the halls and he's not even hearing people, like he's just like like looking down, looking around, unfocused, just thinking so hard. He's wondering, you know, who is is he the problem? Is he the reason why uh you know everyone is is uh you know getting hurt and is is is he passing information to Voldemort and he doesn't even know it? Like those are the things that that that he's worried about. Uh and people are trying to talk to him, but he just like doesn't even hear them. Like he is really receded into his own shell, and it is really too bad. Really, really too bad to see that. But alas he is. Uh after that, I think we should have our second lesson. And uh this time it should be it should almost be even more painful because Snape is not, you know, like the first time he was going easy, but Snape is now digging even deeper and you know, finding that Harry didn't even like remember he he went through. Like things like that, like um Sirius, for example, or The Lake. Uh the Lake Prisoner of Askment, and I think a really good one uh that that Snape is gonna see is the graveyard. You know, like Snape is going to see Harry's visions of the graveyard, and maybe that even haunts Snape a little bit to see Voldemort again in his in his full form, which is a little little unsettling to say the least. After the second lesson, which is about halfway through the episode, here's what's going on. So we do have a bit of normalcy in in the episode. So here is uh what happens. And this is kind of the largest chunk of you know, this this is this is the stretch, I'd say about 20 minutes of uh or maybe even 30 minutes of the episode is just regular Hogwarts life. But here's so here's what happens. First of all, Harry and Cho set up a date. It's so cute for uh Valentine's Day. And when they go, it's a disaster. It's an absolute disaster. Because Harry says, sorry Joe, I have to leave early to go see Hermione. Let's just say Harry's a player, alright? Because that is a that's a that's a smooth that's a smooth move from Harry. Sorry, Cho, I gotta go see Hermione, uh, see ya. Like, that's just that's that's terrible. But it's for a good reason, because Hermione has Rita Skeeter uh with her, and she is going to blackmail Rita Skeeter, of course. Uh she knows that she's an unregistered enemagus, and if Rita uh says something or tries to break the deal, Hermione will spill the beans. So Rita agrees to write a fair article about Harry, accounting his experiences and trying to put his name in good light, because of course he has not been uh the best. Uh he is his name has not been in the best of light as of late. So that is a very important moment there. So uh and of course it'll uh it's kind of too to publish in in the quibbler, and uh she will hopefully uh bring some bring some credit back to his name. But the day that the very next day, Umbridge bans reading the quibbler at school. How funny is that? Umbridge really has the uh uh uh her finger on the pulse. And we also have an interesting uh detail here about Bode. Uh Bode is a member of the um gosh, what's it called? He's he he's an unspeakable of uh of the uh Department of Magical Mysteries. And he is uh he was found to have trying to break he break into the ministry and he was killed. So it's uh that's an interesting detail there to know that maybe Bode was under the Imperious Curse. So the reason I bring that up is 'cause I want to make sure we have other details of people being possessed so Harry has something to kind of compare himself to. And then the episode comes to a kind of like a a climax. Oh, so first I should I I should mention um after they learn about Bode, uh well it's it's it's the night before. The night before they hear about Bode, Harry's scar burns. And he doesn't know why, he doesn't he can't put a name to it, and then he sees that after that Bode was killed, and it's kind of this realization of like, oh Dumbledore like not Dumbledore, Voldemort was like, was happy, was celebrating some victory, and that's that's what he felt. So we're we're building this connection, we're building this this bridge that seems to connect Harry and Voldemort in a very unsettling way, and all of that comes to a head at their final occlumacy lesson of the episode, Harry and Snape's final lesson. And this is where Harry has had enough. So they are going at it, you know, Snape is uh, you know, seeing all of his memories, Snape is learning everything about Harry, all the things that Harry would never want Snape to know. And this is actually uh uh a good moment to step back and look forward because this is a really you know personal moment between them. Like Snape is seeing every little thing, you know, and Harry saying, no, stop, that's that's that's private, like, and as he rightly should, you know, Snape is being very intrusive here. But he Snape is also right when he says, Well, I you're lucky it's me, not Voldemort. So Harry does have to learn, though. It is unfortunately a very intrusive way of Harry learning. So the reason I say step back and look forward is because this is just building trust. Um, I it might not seem like it right now, but shared experiences, you know, Harry, um Snape seeing into Harry's mind, seeing all the horrible things that he's gone through is only building uh that rapport between them. However, uh that investment may pay itself back later. So it's a very interesting thing. And that's gonna really solidify because the kind of like the the climax of the episode is Harry finally kind of breaks. Uh Snape casts a spell on him again, but Harry reflects it. And now Harry sees all of Snape's memories. And I it was so short in the film, in the book. I want to see more. So that's why I say this is kind of the climax, because Harry is suddenly in Snape's shoes, and we see young Snape getting bullied by James. And I don't want this to be a, oh my gosh, there's there's my dad. Like, he's so cool. Like, I I think it would be really a very nuanced and fresh take on the scene if Harry himself recognizes just how much of a bully James is. Because that's that's that's the truth. James is such a bully. It's not even funny how much of a bully James is. Laughing, and I I do like actually how he came across in the film. But I think there should be so much more, you know, because in the book we also had uh the moment of like um Lily, you know, Lily and James and how that how that relationship kind of fell apart. Um, and of course, a lot of this is also gonna be in Snape's memory later on, but even that I think could be a whole episode. No spoilers, but that might be a whole episode. So right now we kind of have this like little uh taste of uh what that that experience is going to be like. So we should see, you know, Snape, uh his his worst moments, his most insecure you know, feelings and thoughts and and things like that. I mean, it is gonna be such a heartbreaking scene to watch. Really, it is. And Harry after afterward, Snape uh is is very skilled, so you know, after a few minutes, Snape kind of kind of wrench Harry out and throws him out, and Harry like I I um I like I what I would love to see is Harry like so we we don't see Harry, but when he's thrown out, we like zoom out of Snape's head, and Harry like stumbles back and like like crashes against the shelf and like shatters some some bottles with the force that Snape kicked him out. That just shows how uh much Snape hated having Harry in his own head. And Snape is absolutely livid. But we've had so many people who are so livid this episode. I feel like Snape Snape is different. Snape is different because we we have seen we have seen such an important personal part of him, and he has he he he doesn't even need to say anything. He just he what is she he goes up and Harry shrinks back, he grabs Harry and he drags him to the door and he throws him out and slams the door behind him. And there we go. We end in the corridor where we started. So that's the episode. I am very interested to see that. Now, I this episode was not balanced at all. We had like 35 minutes of episode five and like ten minutes of episode six. It's okay. I think we got both across very well. And you might have noticed uh the order of some events were sure um now mixed up. That's just for the structure. I think worked better this way. But of course, if you disagree, let me know, because we are gonna have many more episodes like this. And it's funny, uh, talking about the uh episode about Snape's memory in the seventh season, I didn't even think about that. But in that I think you um heard me pause there. Uh I was like, yeah, that's a good idea, we're gonna do that. So I'm looking, I'm looking forward to that now. But Snape's memories are a really interesting idea, and I'm really glad we had uh some some uh some meaningful discussion about that today. So anyway, I hope you enjoyed. I I I really do, you know. I enjoy this so much. I I I hope you also do. If if you're listening to this at right now, then I uh hope you heard the whole thing, and uh something out there, uh something in this episode stood out to you as enjoyable. And if it did, I mean, first of all, I'm really glad. Really I am, and if someone else you think would enjoy it, you know, in your life, there's a friend, your neighbor, maybe you are mowing someone's lawn and they come out and ask you how it is, and then you say, Oh, it's good, I sham listening to a podcast, here it is, you know. Whatever it might be, uh, I would really appreciate if you'd share uh share the episode with someone. But anyhow, even if you do not, uh even if you are not listening to this at all, I do hope you enjoyed some degree something I said uh rambling on for these for these few minutes. So again, always such a pleasure to be here. Thank you for joining me, as always. I will see you next week, because we are getting we are we are we're really getting there. You know, we have some exciting things coming up in the next few episodes. Uh again, enjoy your 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.