Alohomora!: A Global Reread Of Harry Potter

On episode 304 we discuss... → What was Buckbeak's favorite part of London? → Hermione at her breaking point... crying, slapping, quitting → Hermione's slap = SO GOOD... but, don't do that → Fowl or Foul? Ron helping with Buckbeak's appeal is precious → How does the Quidditch system even work?? → Oliver legit sends his team to bed → "What a man... I love him" → Crookshanks and the "Grim" - blink and you miss it → Lee Jordan's commentary gives us life → "When you want to win, rules don't matter!" → Everyone's reactions when Gryffindor wins = golden → Which memory would guarantee a successful Patronus cast for you?

*Trigger warnings for this episode: suicidal thoughts and death of a loved one On Episode 303 we discuss... → "Azkaban Guards" = magical policemen? Not quite → Why are parents not concerned that their children will be surrounded by Dementors in PoA? → Is Harry already suffering from mental health issues in PoA? → Are wizards behind Muggle society in the field of psychology? YES → Dementor's Kiss = lobotomy → Rex gives us a history lesson on brain science! → Patronuses and spirit animals reveal a spiritual similarity → Are Patronuses alive?? → Dementor vomit = maggots → Did Harry have suicidal thoughts? → Turning Patronuses into magical voicemail is legit! → Patronus battles... um, what??

On Episode 302 we discuss... → Grace’s famous last words, “I don’t think there’s anything controversial in this one!” → Action set-piece + character growth all in one → The trio forms a good plan for once! → Why didn't they ask Bill for advice? → The quest for Bellatrix’s wand → Why was Hermione chosen to play the role of Bellatrix? → Bi-Harry? Why not → Can House Elves penetrate Fidelius Charms?? → "We make society run, kind of" → Death Eaters = Storm Troopers → Gotta get the deetz on the Imperious Curse → Why is there not a taboo on the Unforgivable Curses?? → "Why you gotta be so mean to the dragon?"

On Episode 301 we discuss... → How has Potter shaped your own personal or social environment? → "The Harry Potter series is a massive lesson on the notion of death" → Which character deaths got send-offs and which didn't? → Life following loss → What kind of afterlife would you want in the Potter universe? → "I really do believe that Voldemort was a good leader" → So many daddy issues → A great political leader or a god? → The progression of propaganda → What should the new Ministry of Magic statue look like? → WHO IS SAINT MUNGO?? → Which words/phrases from the series do you use in your everyday conversations?

On Episode Zero we discuss...   → A behind the scenes look at the inception of the show → How will this podcast be different from all others? → Are our interpretations just as valid as JKR's? → Kat doesn't want to be a narrator → In-depth analysis begins! → Crackpot theories → Is Dumbledore's watch anything more than a watch? → Patrick and his Robin Williams impressions → So, Alohomora is Potter on drugs? → The role AudioFictions played in starting and growing the show → "It can't be legit without a Brit!" → The amazing Alohomora community cannot be beat

Our wizard rock song from episode 300!

On Episode 300 we discuss... → Our statement on recent events → A special message from familiar voices → Can we stop talking? It's doubtful... → A prolonged trip down memory lane → Is it alive? WE STILL DON'T KNOW → Bring us your art, your poetry, your voices! → Alohomora turns into a wizard rock band - literally → Can I phone a friend? → Talking to our past selves is fun! → "All aboard the trash train" → There will never be another Harry Potter → Bravery and love conquer all

On Episode 299 we discuss... → "We don't know jack about this boy" → Why did we not get a backstory on this critical character? → The weakest link → How much magical talent did Peter have? → "If there is a way to survive, he will find it" → Adaptable, resourceful, and competent? → Is Peter the best evidence that we sort too soon? → Why did Peter choose Percy to be his human? → The silver hand: a gift and a burden → Forever "Wormtail" after his first betrayal → Peter and Snape - the worst roommates EVER → Mercy is better than revenge

On Episode 298 we discuss... → "Thoughts can leave deeper scarring than almost anything else." → Is Madam Pomfrey a master potioneer? → Is Umbridge's trauma due to loss of control? → Harry is just DONE → Ultimate sassy McGonagall → Harry actually has a moment to grieve! → Ron's emotional teaspoon grows into a dessert spoon → Sirius and his parallels to the Deathly Hallows → Where Nick fails, Luna succeeds → "They always come back in the end" → Dumbledore's Army takes down Slytherin → Ginny, the confident feminist with a plan

On Episode 297 we discuss... → Turtleback storytelling → This is structured writing. Character-driven? Baloney! → We know that C.S. Lewis used this technique because of Rowling! → What do Twilight and Star Wars have in common with Potter? → OOTP = OCD → J.K. Rowling has a tattoo? → Literary alchemy is here to blow your mind → What does Order of the Phoenix have to do with Ewoks? → GoF = the crucial book containing the crucial chapter → While Harry is being torn down, Neville is rising up → Deathly Hallows Structure??

On Episode 296 we discuss... → GoF - the one time we see Sirius as a good father figure → Why does FakeMoody teach students to throw off the Imperius Curse? → What DID Moody do to the witch who shouted, "Boo!" behind him on April Fool's Day? → "Hagrid is the actual worst." → Goblin rebellions sound fascinating! → *cough*Lockhart*cough* → "Fanfiction - the gift that keeps on giving." → House Elves = Brownies or Robots? → Beauxbatons and Durmstrange entrances - #impressed

On Episode 295 we discuss... → How did Ron get away with bringing a rat to school, anyway? → Are magical pets a reflection of their owners? OMG YES → "Errol's going to outlive them all." → Crackpot theories about Crookshanks and Mrs. Norris → Amphibious metamorphosis and how it compares to Neville → How phoenixes are like jellyfish... and hipsters → "In the Harry Potter universe, rabbits exist only to die." → Snakes, spiders, and creepers, oh my! → "I think Voldemort is the best pet owner." → Why do Squibs and cats get along so well? → Fang is a heckin' good boy - 14/10 would cuddle → Pygmy Puffs are THE CUTEST... but, BOGIE EATERS?!?

On Episode 294 we discuss... → Does Golpalott’s Third Law actually make sense? → What if Harry had given a bezoar to Snape? → Slughorn compares Harry to Lily more than James → Why didn't Harry just ask Dumbledore what a Horcrux was? → Alohomora Research Corner: powered by Ctrl-F → A glimpse into classroom seating charts courtesy of the Hogwarts houses → Is Wilkie Twycross yet another bad teacher? → And then, Harry becomes a stalker → Fiery UNDERWEAR? WHAT? → Willow vs. A Midsummer Night's Dream → What if Ron had died? → Hogwarts, social-distancing before it was cool

On Episode 293 we discuss... → The political structure of the wizarding world → Do wizards see the Queen as the Head of State? → Is there magic within the monarchy and Parliament? → Rosie has become the official wizarding world archivist → The hierarchy of departments within the Ministry of Magic → Arthur Weasley - a lovable example of benign corruption? → How does British politics work, anyway? And, do wizards care? → Political influencers - from the Malfoys to Harry Potter → Irvin and Alison agree on something! Fudge sucks! → The corruption of the Daily Prophet is becoming far too real → Potterwatch = pirate radio → Be careful what you're reading, do your research, don't trust headlines

On Episode 292 we discuss… → Was Quirrell a victim of toxic masculinity? → You had me at hello → Lockhart is amazing at alliteration → "There is plenty to be learned even from a bad teacher..." → Lupin is Elsa...conceal, don't feel → Harry's first sane DADA teacher! → Did Barty Crouch Jr. enjoy teaching? → Good teacher, good actor, good plot twist, terrible human being → Parallels between Umbridge and Hermione?? → Gendered hatred or incredible hypocrisy? → Is Snape less vindictive as a DADA teacher? → Screw entitled incel Snape 

On this special bonus episode we discuss… → Getting involved with Harry Potter → The Wizarding Language of Heraldry → Deep dive into imagery, cover by cover → Black Dog and Potter → Artistic style, keeping 20 years new → Crafting the covers → Drawing Hogwarts

On Episode 291 we discuss... → Inbreeding is bad because it causes confusion! → Bellatrix has a dragon heartstring wand, which is a core shared by an odd cadre of characters → Why Bellatrix was killed by Molly Weasley → All of London should be covered in statues of Molly Weasley! → Why does Narcissa protect Harry in the Battle of Hogwarts? → Why did Narcissa only have one child? → How did Andromeda and Ted Tonks meet-cute? → Andromeda and Harry look after each other post-war → Alison makes herself cry a lot → Draco and Andromeda’s hypothetical post-war relationship makes us so happy!

On Episode 290 we discuss... Why is there no mention of Lily’s birthday? Harry is always comparing Bellatrix to Sirius Why is Umbridge terrible at everything, and why does she have it out for Trelawney? Snaps for Lee Jordan! Snape is the WORST at teaching Occlumency Kat’s teenage dating stories! Zoe wants to yell at Eric Scull Irvin has a ship that completely horrifies the other hosts Roger Davies has got game! Irvin should go work for Universal We try to think of the unlikeliest drinking buddies How would Harry’s Quibbler interview have gone with Cho present?

On Episode 289 we discuss… → Red shirt Death Eaters → The slippery slope of the Elder Wand's power → "I look real good in half-moons." → "The shop will choose the apprentice." → Could Boggarts be deadly? → Inter-species education → What happens to Muggleborns who aren't allowed to go to school? → Wizard money and taxes - good luck giving correct change! → Hidden animagi and where to find them → Room of Requirement money-making schemes → Inter-species relations - yep, we went there → The Sorting Hat secret

On Episode 288 we discuss… → How much do broomsticks cost?? → Who would have taken Harry's place as Seeker? → Oliver Wood's best chapter → How did Sirius REALLY buy the Firebolt? → How did Hermione keep Lupin's secret for so long? → Are Boggarts sentient? Remus certainly has an affinity for them! → Why "Expecto"? → Dungeons and Dragons makes its way into Harry Potter → Daniel Radcliffe's most iconic movie spell? → How a Patronus can be a form of therapy for Harry and for us! → Is Azkaban the only prison that employs Dementors? → Perhaps "happy memories" are not truly the best fuel for this spell