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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:
·      1:58 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.
·      8:55 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.
·      16:38 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. Game on.
·      24:36 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. 
·      30:19 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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In this episode, we discuss Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, and Albus Dumbledore and how they evolved over Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. We also discuss Voldemort's continuing rise to power and how that sets up Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Enjoy!
Topics/Summary:
·      1:16 The goals we set for season two. 1) Explore Hogwarts. If there’s one that we could have done more with, it’s probably this one. However, we still did a ton in this regard. 2) Develop relationships. Check! 3) Begin Voldemort’s journey. We absolutely did this as well, especially with the diary. Tom Riddle as a shadow of the Dark Lord functions very effectively to set up his rise to power.
·      21:20 The power of dark magic. With Sirius Black in our future, the idea of dark magic should evolve in this season. Seeing Ginny floating above the Chamber of Secrets, for example, would be a sight that would really draw the line between dark and light magic.
·      26:41 Harry and Dumbledore. It should be clear that Dumbledore is pulling the strings here. He has a say in the goings on of the wizarding world. Additionally, Harry has a deep dark past, and that past is what influences a lot of Dumbledore’s decisions.
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In this episode, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger come to the end of their second year at Hogwarts. We spend most of the episode in Ancient Greece following the inventor of the horcrux: Herpo the Foul. Enjoy!
Topics/Summary:
·      Listen to Tea Leaves S2 E7 here! Read more about Herpo the Foul here (if you dare)!
·      1:56 Quick Recap and Herpo the Foul. We open in Ancient Greece, thousands of years ago. Herpo the Foul lives in a big, nonmagical family. He feels like he can’t make his voice heard, and that he has no power. This leads to the formation of an obscurus and his magical journey begins. This part of the episode should be the majority. We explore his life and how he used his powers to gain an edge, eventually breaking out of simple curses and discovering horcruxes. The similarities to Voldemort should be obvious.
·      26:13 Back to Harry. We open in the girls’ bathroom with Fawkes, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Lockhart returning from the Chamber. Harry and Ron go up to Dumbledore’s office where they are scolded, but also rewarded. Harry hands Dumbledore the diary and we should feel the weight of that moment, especially because of how much buildup we had in the previous part of this episode. Lucius and Dobby enter, and Harry gives the diary to Lucius before they leave, who hands it to Dobby. Dobby is free! Finally, we have a final shot of the trio getting on the train and going back home. It is the end of this year, but certainly not the end of the story. Soon, they will learn of the horrible, terrible, escaped Sirius Black…
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In this episode, Harry and Ron follow Hagrid's advice. They follow the spiders into the Forbidden Forest and talk to Aragog. Then, they delve into the Chamber of Secrets with Lockhart in toe and face Tom Riddle for the first time. Enjoy!
Topics/Summary:
·      Listen to Tea Leaves S2 E6 here!
·      1:20 Quick Recap and Follow the Spiders. Harry and Ron make their way into the forest after Hagrid tells them to follow the spiders in the last episode. The spiders lead them to Aragog, who tells them the history of Hagrid’s expulsion. He reveals that Hagrid is (obviously) not the heir, but that he can’t speak of the creature at the castle because it’s too terrible.
·      18:30 The chaos builds in the castle. Harry and Ron rush to the staff room the next day because they figured it out. But there’s a staff meeting at that same time so they hide. McGonagall reveals that Ginny has been taken down to the Chamber, and that Lockhart simply must go down to save her, seeing as he has been talking about he knows everything about the Chamber. Harry and Ron go the Lockhart to help him, but find that he’s a fraud. They pressure him at wand point to go with them.
·       24:14 The Chamber of Secrets. The version in the books and films is actually pretty good, but there are too things in particular I want to point out. The first is the ancient air of magic. We can’t forget that this chamber was made over a thousand years ago by Salazar Slytherin himself. Harry and Ron should realize that, and it should add to the tension. The second thing is adding a moment between Harry and Riddle. Like the fragmented memory we discussed in the last episode. We should see their shared mind.
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In this episode, Harry sees the memories from Tom Riddle's diary and begins to wonder: who's the real heir of Slytherin? Lockhart throws a Valentine's Day party, and Hermione gets petrified. After Harry and Ron's visit to Hagrid to discuss the basilisk ends in Hagrid arrest, they are resolved to "following the spiders" to finally see the end of this saga. Enjoy!
Topics/Summary:
·      Listen to Tea Leaves S2 E5 here!
·      1:33 Quick Recap and Riddle’s first memory. This memory isn’t really coherent. It’s more to show us who Riddle is and how important he will be. Quick shots of Riddle, maybe standing in the Chamber of Secrets, maybe somewhere in the castle.
·      14:17 Polyjuice! This whole saga is going to be fun. The trio takes the potion in the bathroom, and Hermione unfortunately grabbed the wrong kind of hair and becomes a cat. Harry and Ron are still on a timer, however, so they must forge on. They go talk to Malfoy and find that he is not the heir.
·      20:55 Valentine’s Day. This is a great time for Lockhart to be an idiot. The Great Hall is adorned with a million gift shops of decorations. Ginny sends Harry a singing dwarf.
·      23:30 The diary has been stolen. His bed sheets are hanging off the frame and his trunk was rifled through. He finds that the diary has been stolen, and he rushes down to tell Ron, but instead he finds out that Hermione was petrified. 
·      28:50 Harry and Ron go talk to Hagrid to get more information on the basilisk that Hermione found out, but he is taken to Azkaban. He tells Harry and Ron to “follow the spiders.” The episode ends with Riddle’s second memory. He shows Harry how Hagrid was found out as the heir and was expelled. Harry thinks Riddle is a true Hogwarts hero, but still wonders: how in the world could it be Hagrid?
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