Voldemort Knocked Unconscious

Matt: Well, this chapter starts off with Harry awakening at the scene where he expected to be killed by Voldemort, though he does not show that he's alive. So he listens and watches and gathers that Voldemort also collapsed and was unconscious just like Harry. So, moving off of this, why didn't we - why hasn't anyone ever really talked about, after Harry got "killed," Voldemort actually got unconscious and knocked back too.

Andrew: Yeah. Well, like - and it's described - someone even e-mailed this into us too, when we were talking so it was like, "Oh, cool. It wasn't just me who thought this." Voldemort also, like, seems to wake up from something.

Laura: Well, weren't they both at King's Cross?

Andrew: Yeah, well, that's the thing. Was that actually Voldemort there?

Matt: I don't think so.

Andrew: When he woke up was he like, "Whoa, I was just a little baby!"

Matt: Well, he probably got knocked back and knocked unconscious because, you know, Voldemort destroyed his own Horcrux.

Laura: And also, you have to...

Matt: And it was a living person.

Laura: ...remember the discussion that we had last week about the area they were in as being in the eye of the beholder. So what Voldemort may have saw could've been completely different from what Harry saw.

Matt: Yeah. I mean, he obviously had no recollection of what Harry saw and Dumbledore.

Andrew: No, I don't think he did, but I just wonder if that was actually Voldemort right there.

Matt: Mhm. Well, a part of him died pretty much. We don't know what part of Voldemort's soul was in Harry too. It may have been a part of a Horcrux that affected him directly, Voldemort. That's probably why he probably passed out or something.

Micah: Yeah.

Andrew: Well, it says here in the book, "The Death Eaters had been huddled around Voldemort who seemed to have fallen to the ground. Something had happened when he had hit Harry with the Killing Curse. Had Voldemort too collapsed? It seemed like it, and both of them had fallen briefly unconscious, and both of them had now returned." So is Jo saying that, "Yeah, that was Voldemort right there"?

Laura: I think so.

How Long Harry was Out

Matt: Well, see, I have a question about the whole - after Harry, you know, died and came back. Do you think this all happened after a certain length of time? When Harry comes back did like a second pass or did it take like five or ten minutes of Harry discussing with Dumbledore? Do you know what I'm saying?

Andrew: Yeah.

Laura: Honestly, the impression that I got was the amount of time - it was a different time span. It's comparable to Narnia, you know, where they go...

Matt: Yeah, that's what I - that's exactly what I was thinking, yeah.

Laura: Right.

Andrew: Oh.

Matt: So do you think like when Harry woke, or when Harry was conscious again, like a second has passed?

Andrew: Yeah, because I think - because Bellatrix says to Voldemort, right there, "My lord," like, what happened? So it seems like he hit Harry, it fired back...

Matt: Mhm.

Andrew: ...and then Bellatrix would just crouch down and say, "My lord," even though it didn't say that there was a crowd of Death Eaters all around him. But...

Matt: Well, it seems like it's a reaction when Bellatrix was saying, "My lord, my lord," it seems like that just happened and she's making a reaction to him fainting.

Andrew: Yeah.

Micah: When they're actually dueling a little bit later on, when Harry tells him, like, I've seen what you'll be otherwise, I've always thought that, you know, that implied to me that they were both out for the same period of time, and so that was in fact Voldemort that he sees in King's Cross. He's trying to get him to be remorseful. You know, I just thought that he was probably down for the same period of time that Harry was; otherwise they probably would have inspected him a lot earlier too.

Laura: Yeah.

Andrew: Mhm.

Laura: Well, I agree because it even mentions a couple of pages later when Voldemort sends Narcissa to check and see if Harry's alive, Harry gets the distinct impression that something has happened to make Voldemort afraid of approaching him.

Matt: Right.

Laura: So clearly, they were both out for the same amount of time, and while Harry was having his discussion with Dumbledore, Voldemort must have seen something that scared the living crap out of him.

Andrew: Sure. Yeah.

Matt: Yeah.

Narcissa Lies to Voldemort

Andrew: So next what happens is Voldemort says, "Okay, somebody check to see if he's alive." Narcissa goes down and asks Harry if Draco is still alive.

Matt: Mhm.

Andrew: And...

Matt: Well, no, right before she asks him that, Harry feels Narcissa holding his heart.

Andrew: Yeah.

Matt: And so he knows right of the bat that she knows he's alive.

Andrew: Yeah, so Narcissa could have easily said to him - said to Voldemort, "Oh my god, he's alive! He's still alive! Voldemort sucks." So - but - and then Harry says that yeah, Draco is alive, and then Narcissa tells Voldemort that Harry is dead. Now, I realize Harry is in quite a crappy situation here. I mean, he has to talk, or otherwise Narcissa's going to be like, "Nope, he's alive." So if you think Narcissa said that, if she did say you were alive, do you think Voldemort would just have shot the curse again? And then what if Harry had actually died?

Matt: No, because Harry couldn't - remember? Well, as we go on in the chapter, when Narcissa says he's dead, he uses the Cruciatus Curse on Harry, and Harry can't feel a thing.

Laura: Yeah, because he's master of the...

Matt: He's protected by the charm.

Laura: ...Elder Wand, also.

Micah: Right. So, basically, he's impermeable to Voldemort, is what I - what I gathered.

Andrew: Hmm. It's just amazing how obsessed Narcissa is about making sure Draco's okay. Like, I understand the whole son thing, but, like, she just seems crazy.

Matt: Yeah.

Laura: Well, I mean, it is her child.

Andrew: Yeah, I know, but...

Matt: It's a typical Malfoy thing, though. You're in it for yourself.

Andrew: Yeah.

Matt: Malfoy/Slytherin trait.

Andrew: Yeah. Yeah, I just thought it was really risky of Harry, even though he had no choice. Did anyone else think this?

Matt: If I was Harry, I would do the same thing he did.

Laura: Mhm. Well, I mean, he did have no choice.

Andrew: But - and then Narcissa basically spared him, so...

Matt: She doesn't care. She does not care about Voldemort or anything.

Andrew: Well, no, that's kind of important, because if - well, no, I guess not. I guess you're right.

Matt: She cares about her son. All she's been thinking about is her son. So has Lucius.

Andrew: Mmm.

Matt: And when she finds out that there is a way to get back to her son, the only way is declaring Harry dead, so they go back into the castle and, you know...

Andrew: Show Harry.

Matt: Yeah.

Harry Not Affected by the Cruciatus Curse

Andrew: Now, like Matt was saying, the Cruciatus Curse does not effect Harry. In the book, it says, "Yet the pain he expected did not come." What actually goes on here? What - why did it not hurt Harry? Is there a simple way to explain this, or is it not?

Laura: Well, I think it was essentially - I mean, at least what I get from it, it's that he's the master of the Elder Wand.

Andrew: And that's why?

Laura: And the wand's not going to act against its master.

Matt: Mhm.

Andrew: Oh!

Matt: But, if - if he was the master of the Elder Wand would he have been able to be killed too? Just like when Voldemort...

Andrew: You're saying if Voldemort was the master or Harry?

Matt: Well, no, if - since Voldemort killed him, and he still - and he still is the master of the Elder Wand, how did he die then? I mean...

Laura: Well, he didn't die.

Matt: Right, but now that he's awake and he's still the master of the Elder Wand, he can be killed by Avada Kedavra but he can't be touched by a Cruciatus Curse?

Laura: Well, wasn't the point that he...

Matt: I think it has to do with the fact that he - he sacrificed himself. That's why no one can die after Harry sacrificed himself.

Laura: Well I - I knew that everyone in the castle was protected by Harry's sacrifice, but then if - if Harry's sacrifice would save himself then wouldn't Lily's sacrifice have saved herself? I'm kind of confused.

Matt: Well, no, no, no. She sacrificed herself and she died. He sacrificed himself and was brought back, but the curse - but the charm still works.

Laura: I see. I'm still confused.

Matt: It is kind of confusing. Well...

Laura: Because the thing is - for instance, they're able to - well, they're not able to perform the Cruciatus Curse on him. They do it and they think it's supposed to be causing pain, and it doesn't have any effect on him, yet at the same time they can lift him and throw him around using their wands.

Matt: Right.

Laura: So...

Andrew: So maybe it just doesn't work again, using curses.

Matt: Or anything that deflects pain to death, because you can die from Cruciatus, can't you?

Laura: Mhm. Well, maybe because at this point he's become the Master of Death.

Micah: Right.

Matt: Yeah, probably.

Laura: Yeah.

Matt: Like, well - like if he wants to withstand death he can? Or it just doesn't affect him maybe? Like if he wants to, you know, deflect anything?

Micah: Isn't - isn't the whole point that, like, the Elder Wand is - is not going to harm its true master? And...

Laura: Yeah, that's what I thought.

Micah: And Harry is its true master and, you know, when Voldemort tries to place a curse on him it's not going to have any effect.

Andrew: Yeah.

Matt: Yeah, I agree with you, Micah, on that.

Andrew: Okay. Well, that - yeah, I just thought it was interesting how it works. It really is interesting.

Matt: Mhm.

Hagrid Carries Harry Out of the Forest

Andrew: So moving along, Hagrid begins carrying Harry out of the forest with the Death Eater procession all around him, and this is really sad because, just imagine what Harry's thinking. It just makes me sick to my stomach. Or sorry, what Hagrid's thinking. It just makes me sick to my stomach to think the feelings that they're going through.

Matt: Mhm.

Andrew: Imagining that Harry's dead and, like, what Voldemort is about to do to the world.

Matt: Well, I just thought it was so sad when - when in the book it says how - how soft and, you know, how shaking Hagrid's hands were when he was cradling Harry.

Andrew: Mhm.

Laura: Yeah.

Matt: Because, I mean, you know, Hagrid brought - I mean, Hagrid had Harry cradling him as a baby, going to the Dursley's.

Laura: Exactly! [laughs]

Matt: And now he's...

Andrew: Oh, yeah, parallel! What's up!

Laura: Aww.

Andrew: Aw, that's so true.

Matt: And Hagrid was crying at both times, too, saying goodbye to Harry in the beginning and saying goodbye to Harry the second time.

Andrew: Oh yeah. I never thought of that.

Laura: Aww! That's so sad!

Andrew: Aww, that is sad! Laura are you crying now?

Laura: Shut up, Andrew.

Andrew: You are?! You are?!

Laura: No! No I'm not. Of course not.

Andrew: Laura's crying, add the tally up!

Matt: Laura, Laura, Laura...

Andrew: I'd like a wall the size of the Great Wall of China and I still can't fit all the tallies.

[Laura laughs]

Matt: Laura, if it makes you feel better, I cried in this chapter too.

Andrew: Aww.

Laura: I cried for like, the last four chapters of the book, so...

Matt: Yeah.

Andrew: Dang, we should have done this live at Portus and then we could see all the cry babies. Who are the cry babies in this group.

Matt: Yeah.

Andrew: I bet Micah's crying right now. Micah, do you have your mic muted or something? You're not even talking.

Micah: No, I'm okay.

Andrew: [mocking Micah] "No, I'm okay, boo hoo hoo hoo!!!"

Matt: [mocking Micah] "No I'm good."

Andrew: [mocking Micah] "No really, I'm fine, boo hoo hoo hoo hoo!!!" Anyway...

Matt: Well, what struck me as kind of - [laughs] - kind of funny, and I don't think it was meant to be, was when Hagrid was carrying Harry and then all of a sudden, Hagrid just bellows out to Bane, [imitating Hagrid] "BAAAANE!"

[Laura laughs]

Matt: [imitating Hagrid] "YOU COWARDLY NAGS."

[Micah laughs]

Voldemort Tells Everyone Harry Ran

Andrew: So Voldemort magnifies his voice so all of Hogwarts can hear that Harry Potter is dead. Now this is another thing that made me sick. I should've thrown up. I was reading this at Panera. I probably should have thrown up my delicious smoke house turkey sandwich.

Matt: You better not, I gave you that for free.

Andrew: It said, "He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself, while you put down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone." It just makes me sick that Voldemort had to say he ran away trying to save himself.

Matt: It's almost fruitless, though, like they would believe that. Like anyone would believe that Harry Potter did that.

Andrew: Yeah, do you think they did believe him?

Laura: No.

Matt: No. Not for a second. The crowd, not for a minute, believed anything, except for the fact that Harry was dead.

Micah: Well, yeah. I mean, if he ran away chances are, you know, he wouldn't have gone through the forest where he knew Voldemort... [laughs] ...was.

Matt: Yeah.

Micah: So...

Reactions to Harry's "Death"

Matt: So moving along, after Voldemort announces that, we hear McGonagall giving a deafening shout, "Noooo!" And this was a side of McGonagall that Harry had never seen or heard before, and then afterwards it's even a more heartbreaking cries of Ron, Hermione, and Ginny just screaming "Harry! No! No!" And this is where I started crying in the chapter. Especially when I heard - when I was reading McGonagall screaming "no," because we all know how McGonagall feels towards Harry. She has, like, a certain kind of motherly affection towards Harry. Not as much as Molly Weasley but, you know, in McGonagall's own certain way. I mean, she had a soft spot for Harry, and when - and when... [laughs] ...she saw him, you know, her world just crashed down. I think it was a more deafening blow - a bigger blow of Harry dying then it even was for Dumbledore's death.

Laura: Well, yeah, I mean, he is the hope for their entire world.

Matt: Yeah.

Laura: I don't - I mean, I'm with you. That whole part where it's talking about Ron, Hermione, and Ginny running down and screaming his name, it was just utterly heartbreaking, even though you know Harry's alive.

Matt: Yeah.

Laura: Just putting yourself in that position and imagining yourself running and seeing your best friend and thinking they're dead.

Matt: Yeah.

Laura: Oh my God.

Matt: Well, just think - thinking of how hard this is for Harry to keep his composure, too, during this entire little, you know, episode.

Laura: Yeah, 'cause he was saying that he wanted so hard to call back to them, but he knew he couldn't.

Matt: Yeah.

Andrew: I think it would be so cool if this book suddenly took the perspective of Ron and Hermione, and we as readers don't know yet that Harry actually was alive. What an experience that would be as a reader to really feel the pain and emotion that his best friends are actually feeling.

Laura: Yeah.

Matt: I actually think it's possible too, if we go from like - is it third person?

Andrew: Hmm?

Matt: Where you see everyone's thoughts.

Andrew: Yeah.

Matt: Yeah. If we just see - if we read the entire chapter from a third person perspective after Harry comes back from, you know, the dead. You know, it's a good transition.

Laura: Yeah.

Matt: If that were to happen.

Andrew: Or it just leaves off at Dumbledore saying, "Well, it's up to you whether you go or come back."

Matt: Yeah, and then we don't know what really happened.

Laura: Oh my god.

Andrew: Right, exactly. And then we as readers experience it. If we were reading this and we saw Harry coming up in Hagrid's arms, we'd be like, what the hell, why hasn't he woken up yet? And then we could see that he saves the day by, you know, coming to life exactly when he needs to.

Matt: You know, all they have to do in the movie is just cut out that part where Narcissa and Harry talk.

Andrew: They should do that. They really should.

Matt: And then, yeah, if they don't - if they cut out that little snippet of Harry saying "yes" and the audience just knows...

[Andrew laughs]

Matt: The audience doesn't know if he's alive or not.

Andrew: Right.

Matt: Because Dumbledore left him a - pretty much an ultimatum. Go this way or that way.

Andrew: They'll probably just like, adjust it in the film, though, so you know which he chooses. It's going to be like a Door A, Door B thing.

Laura: [laughs] Oh my God.

Andrew: Like there will be signs above them. Live. Die.

Matt: And you know what? It's not true to the book, so to speak, but I would be actually for it if they actually do that. I wouldn’t care.

Andrew: And imagine just, like, the part where Hagrid goes “Where’d Harry go?! Where’s Harry?! Where’s Harry?!” You know, where’s his dead body? That’d be so good! Why didn’t we get to experience that?

Laura: I don't know, I think if the book had been like that, I would've been curled up in the fetal position on the floor.

Andrew: You were!

Laura: No, I wasn’t! [laughs]

Matt: You were already in a bad spot.

Andrew: Yes you were! I’m just kidding.

Laura: You are so mean to me.

Andrew: I love digging into Laura about that. I love digging into Laura about that. Sorry, Laura.

Matt: Moving on to - moving on from this. I don’t want to talk about this part anymore.

Neville Kills Nagini

Andrew: So Hagrid lays Harry at Voldemort’s feet and this is an awesome part, another awesome part. Neville comes face-to-face with Voldemort and rebels. Voldemort puts him in the Body-Bind curse and, in what is an amazing scene, Neville breaks free, pulls the sword out of the Sorting Hat, which comes down courtesy - does it come out of nowhere? I forget what happens.

Matt: It comes out of the hat.

Andrew: No, but how does the hat get there?

Laura: Voldemort summons it.

Matt: Yeah, Voldemort...

Andrew: Oh right, right. Okay.

Matt: Because Voldemort was going to make a little example out of him, saying from now on everyone's going to be in Slytherin.

Andrew: Right, so Neville pulls the sword out of the hat and cuts off Nagini’s head, which is awesome.

Matt: I was kind of surprised that Voldemort gave Neville a chance to become a Death Eater right off the bat. I mean he could have just said, "You know what? Just die."

[Laura laughs]

Matt: But no, he says, "Wow, you have really nice blood, we could use a person like you. How would you like to be a Death Eater?"

Andrew: Well, yeah, because Voldemort was like, "Here's an - let’s show everybody an example of what happens when you rebel." And I was like, oh, okay, death. When you go against Voldemort you die!

Matt: But no, he sets him on fire. That's his - yeah, that's a nice little... [unintelligible]

The Battle Begins Again

Andrew: Yeah. So the chaos begins again, and as I described in our notes, the battle of Hogwarts all over again begins because it’s just chaos everywhere.

Matt: Well, the chaos starts because the centaurs come back, or come forward.

Andrew: Right, which is really cool.

Matt: And then we get to see Buckbeak!! And the thestrals right behind him! That’s going to be an awesome scene to see. I love reading that part of the chapter. Buckbeak just coming out of the forest again.

Andrew: Yeah, that’ll be so cool. Seeing all the creatures come to life again.

Matt: Well, this whole chapter’s just full of cameos too.

Andrew: So then the classic line that was recited by Mikey B. throughout our summer tour: “Not my daughter, you bitch!” That of course was Molly Weasley saying that to Bellatrix, and Molly kills Bellatrix!

Matt: Well, God, you just, like, skipped one of the biggest scenes!

Andrew: Go ahead, set it up.

Matt: The fight ends up in the Great Hall. It ends up going to the Great Hall of Hogwarts, and it ultimately comes down to two big battles, and it’s Voldemort against three people, which is Kingsley... [sighs] McGonagall, Kingsley and Slughorn against Voldemort. And then it’s Bellatrix against Hermione, Ginny and Luna. And then Bellatrix shoots a killing curse at Ginny and just barely misses her by an inch, which to me means that if Harry didn’t sacrifice himself Ginny would be dead. The reason is, she’s protected by the protective charm. But after that happens, Mrs. Weasley comes in, takes off her cloak, pulls out her wand and goes, oh no you didn’t. And then they go on the battle. And then it’s pretty much just all the sudden everyone else who’s fighting just stops and then just moves to the walls and watches it. It’s pretty much like in those movie scenes where the two main couple are slowly dancing at prom and just everyone just stops dancing for some reason and just watches them.

Micah: Yeah.

Matt: Because they all know what's going on.

Micah: Well, yeah, and I like the part you brought up too about the protective charms. It wasn’t just Ginny. I mean, you go through like a page of this chapter where all these Death Eaters are just getting the crap kicked out of them. Nothing is having any effect on the sort of - the good side, so to speak. Harry later explains it when he’s dueling Voldemort. He’s like “Don’t you see? My protective charm is doing its job. All your people are falling at the hands of the, you know, the Ministry and the Order of the Phoenix and everybody else that seems to show up. "

Matt: Yeah.

Micah: But what about - you know, we didn’t even talk about the House-Elves and how they entered the picture.

Matt: Have they entered yet, though?

Micah: I thought they did. I thought they come in before...

Matt: Oh yeah, they did.

Micah: ...Molly Weasley thing.

Andrew: Yeah, they did.

Matt: Oh wow.

Andrew: Talk about that, Micah.

Matt: Yeah, that's awesome too.

Micah: I just thought it was awe - this is one of my favorite scenes when you just see Kreacher running in.

Matt: Yeah.

Micah: And, you know, talking about fighting in the name of Harry, fighting in the name of Regulus. You know, I think that's going to be an awesome scene, and I really do hope that they...

Matt: I actually giggled the first time I read this...

Micah: You what?

Matt: ...part of the chapter. I giggled. I mean, I was really giddy during this part because - it's just - you get to see the House-Elves kick butt. And it's - I've always wanted to see the House-Elves in some action, and this is just... [sighs] ...giving us what we want.

Andrew: It's the Battle of Hogwarts.

Matt: And Kreacher just saying, "Fight! Fight for my master, defender of House-Elves! Fight the Dark Lord in the name of the brave Regulus! Fight!"

Micah: Yeah.

Matt: And he also says in that [imitating Kreacher] bubble voice.

[Laura and Micah laugh]

Laura: I kind of see them as making this somewhat cheesy in the movie.

Micah: Yeah, but...

Matt: Even if it's in the movie though. I mean 'cause we know that the House-Elves are really expensive.

Laura: Yeah, that's true; we won't have any House-Elves in the movie.

Micah: Well, not just them. I mean, this whole scene, though, it should be one of just - you know that Voldemort's rein of terror is coming to an end. Matt, you talked before - like the centaurs, and then you have Gwarp and Buckbeak making their appearances. The House-Elves, and they even mention the shopkeepers and home owners of Hogsmeade, you know, join the fight.

Matt: You see, if they were to cut anything from this big scene in the chapter, it would have to be the House-Elves, because we really - in the movies they never really talked about it; they never talked anything about the House-Elves at Hogwarts. So, it would just probably be, like, Buckbeak and the thestrals and pretty much anything we have already seen is making a cameo. I mean, I'm sure we'll see like Kreacher just coming out, you know, just start fighting with a big, you know, butcher knife.

[Everyone laughs]

Matt: Which, I personally don't mind seeing.

Micah: Or a saucepan. But yeah, this should be a really cool scene, and I hope that they just do it justice.

Andrew: Yeah.

Laura: Yeah, I agree.

Andrew: I think they will, and now I feel like they know there's a much bigger expectation to do it right...

Matt: Yes.

Andrew: ...with the split.

Matt: Well, now they said they're going to try and make it as right as possible.

Andrew: [mocking filmmakers] "We want to do it and we want to give it justice." Yeah? Well, prove it too us!

Matt: Yeah!

Andrew: Give us two trailers, two premieres, two everything!

Length of the Battle Scene

Laura: How long do you think this scene is going to be?

Matt: Hmm?

Laura: How long, like - how long screen-wise do you think it's going to be?

Matt: Well, since they're going to be splitting it, I'm pretty sure they're saving a lot of time for this big scene, because this is ultimately the climactic scene in the entire series. This is the death of Voldemort.

Andrew: Yeah. Well, what - are you talking about this specific part, or...

Laura: I mean the whole - the whole climactic...

Matt: This whole chapter.

Laura: ...area I think. I mean, starting essentially with - from when they arrive at the Hog's Head. I just think that that's going to have to take up so much time, so much screen time for it to do complete justice to it, you know?

Matt: Yeah. Honestly though, I don't really mind if they shorten any of these scenes as long as they keep this one in nice, fluid length. You know what I mean?

Laura: Right.

Andrew: Mhm.

Matt: I mean, I can understand if they want to take out some of the information on, like, Ariel, or - wait, what's...?

Laura: Ariana.

Matt: Ariana. Ariana's death and everything. I can understand that, because it's not really relevant to Harry's journey, so to speak. I mean, it kind of is, I mean, but it doesn't directly affect him. So I think they might, you know, sway away from that. [sighs] I'm just - I think every single one of these - I think Warner Bros. knows that every single one of the fans of Harry Potter are really looking forward to this scene more than anything. So, they're going to have to spend a lot of - they're going to be really attentive to every single detail of this, even if it's not even last - doesn't even get on the cutting - loses on the cutting floor. They're going to keep a lot of attention to this.

Laura: They better.

Voldemort's Connection with Bellatrix

Matt: After Mrs. Weasley kills Bellatrix, Voldemort lets out a huge wail and attempts to kill Mrs. Weasley. However, Harry casts a shield charm on her and that's when he reveals himself - when Harry reveals himself to everyone that he's not, in fact, dead, but he's alive...

Micah: Right.

Matt: ...and - right.

Micah: I wanted to ask a question here, because Voldemort lets out this cry. I mean, supposedly Voldemort doesn't feel any sort of compassion for anybody. Or do you think it's just the shock?

Matt: Well, it said in the book that he was - it said in the book that Narcissa - Bellatrix was his, you know, last lieutenant...

Micah: Right.

Matt: ...in command. Like, whether or not he had any feelings for her, she was like second in command. He trusted her and he knows that she will follow him to the end, and now that she's gone, he's pretty much, you know, alone.

Micah: Right.

Matt: Which isn't really a problem for him. But, I mean, it is a blow because it's almost like his partner in crime.

Laura: Yeah. Well, there's really no one left who has that sort of fanatical devotion towards him, anyhow, so...

Matt: Yeah, right. I mean, there's no one who really has his back, like if everyone's ganged up on him, Narcissa would be there, you know, covering his back in that situation. But that's just not the case anymore.

There Are No Accidents

Andrew: So Voldemort emphasizes to the crowd that Harry has made it this far because it's all been a series of accidents. And, you know, Voldemort is really stunned at this point that Harry's even still alive, so I think he's just grasping for straws here. And Harry begins explaining to Voldemort how stupid he was and how he screwed up, the flaw in the plan. Do you guys think it was a series of accidents or do you think that - because I mean, Harry does come back and say, you know, oh, he lists all these things that weren't accidents. Do you think they were? Because he does seem to... [sighs] ...always have something there to help him out, if you know what I'm saying.

Laura: Yeah. Well, it also seems to throw - I don't know if fate is the right word, or even faith, but it seems to kind of throw out the suggestion that he was supposed to, that there was some kind of other guiding influence, whether that be a god or any kind of other power that exists in this Wizarding World that was guiding him towards winning. At least that's the impression that I got, because Harry's just saying, you know, "You think this is an accident? You think it's an accident that this happened and this happened?" So it just seems like there was some other guiding force.

Matt: Yeah. Well, I think it was an accident. I think they're all - I think they're both - I think both Voldemort and Harry's right. I think it was an accident, and I think Voldemort was stupid. Because I think all the accidents are Voldemort's fault.

Laura: That's true. [laughs] That's true.

Matt: Voldemort's the one that's had all the accidents.

[Laura and Matt laugh]

Matt: He's the one who killed him, like, three or four hundred times.

[Everyone laughs]

Matt: And it all backfired.

Micah: Yeah, I agree with that. I think, like, from Harry, it's a very different perspective than you get from him in Order of the Phoenix, where he's standing in the Hog's Head, you know, basically telling these people who want to join the fight that, you know, all this stuff was just basically dumb luck. And now here you are having him talk to Voldemort and saying, "You know what? It wasn't an accident that this happened, that my mother protected me or, you know, any other of the events that took place." So, I mean, it's...

Matt: Yeah. It's not really - I mean, if Voldemort hadn't gone after Lily, he wouldn't have been shut down, so, I mean, every single thing that happens is pretty much Voldemort's fault because Voldemort's always the instigator in these events.

Laura: He just can't leave it alone, can he? It's all his fault.

Matt: [laughs] He just can't can't go home.

[Everyone laughs]

Matt: He just can't go home, take off his robe, and watch Friends.

Laura: [laughs] Well, it's true though, because the prophecy says so long as one of them tries to instigate it, it's going to keep going.

Interaction Between Harry and Voldemort

Andrew: Okay, so while reading the dialogue between Harry and Voldemort...

Matt: Oh yeah.

Andrew: It's very intriguing, and it really makes you sit on the edge of your seat. And I think as a tribute to the books, this final battle scene where Harry keeps addressing Voldemort as Tom, Tom Riddle, Riddle - Warner Bros., I think, should use this script verbatim, because I think it would work really well in the movie.

Matt: Mhm.

Andrew: It moves back and forth a lot. There's a lot of anger and emotion you can put into the actors.

Matt: Mmm...

Andrew: What do you guys - wouldn't that be cool if it where just word for word?

Laura: That would be awesome.

Matt: It would cool, but, like, wouldn't every single big speech be cool if it was verbatim word for word? But it never happens.

Andrew: But this is the biggest of big speeches.

Matt: But I - I don't know. With speeches involved in the films, I don't have any faith in, because I just know I'm just going to get let down.

[Andrew laughs]

Matt: So I'm not really going to go with high hopes for that speech being word for word.

Andrew: It would be pretty long, and pretty detailed, and pretty deep for what they usually do for a movie - these Harry Potter movies, but I just feel like it would be so cool.

Laura: Yeah.

There is Some Tension with the Films

Andrew: Just finish the movies for once with Jo's writing instead of making it into your own.

Micah: Yeah.

Laura: Yeah. What I'm really afraid of is that they're going to try to explain everything about the Elder Wand in two minutes. You know?

Matt: [laughs] Then they're going to explain the - the Marauders too.

Laura: [laughs] Yeah, the - oh, by the way, my dad wrote this map.

Matt: Oh by the way, my dad's a stag, that's why I thought it was my dad in Prisoner of Azkaban in case any of you people didn't really know that.

Laura: Yeah. [laughs]

Andrew: And make Voldemort throw some more water balls at him.

Matt: Yeah.

Laura: Yeah.

Andrew: And all those little sound effects [makes sound of water splashing]. Make the glass fall, all those cool like - not.

[Laura laughs]

Matt: Oh and by the way, Fleur and Bill, they got married.

Andrew: Yeah.

Laura: [laughs] Yeah.

Micah: Yeah.

Matt: We just cut that scene from the movie, that's why...

Laura: Oh, and by the way, I'm trying to liberate House-Elves.

[Everyone laughs]

Micah: And that locket that was supposed to be in Order of the Phoenix? Yeah, we just - we're just going to make that appear somehow in the sixth movie.

Matt: Yeah. Oh, and by the way, Kreacher was actually cleaning the portrait of Sirius's mom, but apparently she screams every time someone comes to the door.

Micah: That's too much money.

[Laura laughs]

Matt: It's not - yeah, it's just not that important.

Laura: Oh, man.

Matt: And Dobby was actually in more than the second movie so, yeah.

Laura: The last five minutes of Book 7 - or of Movie 7... [laughs] ...will be recounting the...

Matt: Oh, by the way, Dobby gave me the...

[Laura laughs]

Matt: Dobby gave me some Gillyweed but we decided to get Neville.

Micah: [laughs] Yeah, that's right.

Laura: [laughs] Oh God.

Andrew: Funny.

Micah: No, keep it all in. That's what I - I agree.

Matt: Keep it all in, yeah. I mean, the more the merrier, but...

Micah: Well, no, because I just think it has a cool progression to it. Like you were - Andrew was saying he refers to him as Tom a lot and, you know, he's...

Matt: Yeah - yeah.

Micah: ...like saying, "You know what? Your plan was completely messed up. Your Horcruxes, they're gone."

Andrew: Right - right, exactly.

Matt: Well, I do agree with you guys, though. This still has...

Micah: Yeah.

Matt: ...a lot of potential, because this is really where Harry actually is more confident talking to Voldemort. We don't really have any Harry/Voldemort, you know, dialogue in the films. It's basically in Goblet of Fire when, you know, Voldemort was just talking, and all Harry just did was...

Laura: Is just flinch. Yeah, that's all he does.

Andrew: Yeah.

Laura: You're right! That's true. Every bit of dialogue that we've had between Harry and Voldemort involves Voldemort moving around like a snake.

Andrew: Yeah.

Laura: And Harry flinching every two seconds. [laughs]

Matt: And crying.

Laura: Yeah.

Matt: And - and yelling stuff.

Andrew: "You're possessing me!"

Micah: But it's just...

Matt: "I feel sorry for you."

[Laura and Micah laugh]

Micah: It's just a complete breakdown. I mean, he's basically just breaking down the mindset of Voldemort. He's like, "You know what?"

Matt: Yeah.

Micah: "Snape? He was on our side." You know? "The Elder Wand?"

Matt: Yeah.

[Laura laughs]

Micah: "You have no idea..."

Matt: "How 'bout that??

Micah: "...it really belonged to Draco Malfoy, so I'm it's true master."

Matt: Yeah. This was really fun to read. He's like shouting - shooting down every single thing that Voldemort says.

Andrew: Mhm.

Matt: Doesn't matter. "Oh, but it really doesn't matter." "But it kind of does. You know what? You're screwed. Give me your wand."

[Everyone laughs]

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