MuggleNet

UPDATED: Harry Potter and the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

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No doubt many of you have seen the latest videos gone viral featuring the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and wondered, “What are they doing?” From your best friend, to family members, to your favorite celebrities, everyone is getting in on the challenge to help raise funds and awareness for a great cause. For those unfamiliar with the challenge, let us break it down for you.

ALS stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and is more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The disease is progressively degenerative and directly affects the nerve cells, particularly motor neurons, in the brain and spinal cord that send impulses to muscle fibers throughout the body to stimulate and control muscle movement. This includes muscles used to eat, speak, and breathe. When these neurons degenerate or die, the body begins to shut down, leading to paralysis and death in later stages of the disease.

Unfortunately, there is no cure or treatment that exists today that can stop the disease or reverse its effects, but as with any disease, there are people out there searching for a cure and developing therapies that can help manage symptoms. To learn more about ALS, visit the ALS Association website here.

As for the challenge itself, you have three options to participate should you be nominated. You can accept the challenge, you can donate $100  to the ALSA, or you can choose to do both. Once nominated, you have 24 hours to make your choice – and people are, including some MuggleNet staff and some familiar faces in the Harry Potter universe. According to the latest news on the ALSA website, donations from the challenge have raised a whopping  70.2 million dollars! Check out some of the entertaining videos below!

A few MuggleNet staff accepted their challenges, some donating the full $100 in lieu of the bucket, while others proudly posted videos to social media:

Our senior contributing editor, Caleb Graves, performed an indoors challenge, dimples and all:

Erin Meehan on our social media team completed hers with what appears to be a VERY expensive silver cauldron and then had a bit of trouble with the recorder (probably because she was freezing!):

Nominated by his daughter, our managing editor, Keith Hawk, accepts and completes his challenge with perhaps the largest ice bucket we’ve seen so far – glutton for punishment? You be the judge!

Hogwarts Radio host and Senior Data analyst Terrance Pinkston, Jr. completed his challenge and nominated MuggleNet founder Emerson Spartz and senior editor Eric Scull!

Eric then got pumped up before he completed his challenge in some of the craziest shorts we’ve seen:

Post by Eric Scull.

Not only did our creative and marketing director Kat Miller accept her challenge, but she also donated the full $100 to ALSA! According to her video, she was nominated TEN times, providing a great show to boot!

Our international staff members also took on the challenge, including one of our UK journalists, Toni Louise Cooper:

But nothing tops Alexandra Maher on our content team, nominated by Kat earlier, who took the meaning of “bucket” to a whole new level:

Sean Biggerstaff (Oliver Wood) completed his challenge lounging in the sun and then quickly ran for a towel (we assume, based on how fast he exited his soaking seat!):

Despite not having any social media accounts, Rob Pattinson (Cedric Diggory) sent his challenge acceptance video to his friend Zac Efron to publicize for him:


Verne Troyer (Griphook – Philosophers Stone/Sorcerers Stone) also got in on the action, tweeting his creatively improvised challenge due to the drought in California:


Emma Watson‘s (Hermione Granger) Noah co-star Douglas Booth completed his challenge via WhoSay and then took to Twitter to nominate Emma, although we have not seen her acceptance video, yet:


We’ll continue to watch Emma’s account to see if she posts a video or not!

Another cast member who was nominated is Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange), thanks to Tom Hiddleston:

Helena has now accepted said challenge and was doused in iced water by none other than her partner, Tim Burton:

Oliver Phelps (George Weasley) accepted and completed his challenge on Instagram:

ALS #icebucketchallenge accepted #Ruben Suarez. I nominate @lsmite @iantaylor7 & @dannyclayton or donate to www.alsa.org

A video posted by oliver_phelps (@oliver_phelps) on

James Phelps (Fred Weasley) has now completed his challenge, also via Instagram:

With a great amount of style and a lovely pair of lips, Jon Campling (a Death Eater in Deathly Hallows – Part 2) completed his challenge:

Our friend Warwick Davis (Filius Flitwick/Griphook) completed his charity video with another creative modification, then promptly nominated his co-star Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy):

Tom Felton posted his completed challenge today via Instagram in a black and white video and nominated Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley):

@thehodgie @minetree @thecharlesbaker #donated

A video posted by Tom Felton (@t22felton) on

@joshbgordon @minetree @thehodgie @thecharlesbaker

A video posted by Tom Felton (@t22felton) on

Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom), standing inside a rubbish bin, endured a Gatorade bucket full of iced water, then nominated Tom Felton once more for the challenge.


David Tennant (Barty Crouch, Jr. – Goblet of Fire) was nominated by John Barrowman:

Although it wasn’t a video, actor Lee Ingleby (Stan Shunpike – Prisoner of Azkaban) posted a pic on Twitter showing he had also taken the challenge for ALS:


Alfie Enoch (Dean Thomas) completed his challenge with the cast of the upcoming ABC drama How To Get Away With Murder (second from the right, the tallest guy there!):

Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) was nominated by Alex Benepe from US Quidditch (USQ) and accepted the challenge:


Ultimately, Evanna completed her challenge with Robbie Jarvis (teenage James Potter from Order of the Phoenix) in control of the bucket, then nominated Katie Leung (Cho Chang) and Robbie to accept the challenge as well!

Katie Leung just accepted and posted her completed challenged on Instagram!

Natalia Tena (Nymphadora Tonks) has accepted her challenge, but because of being in the middle of nowhere, does it in a slightly different way:

It may be some time before we see Chris Rankin (Percy Weasley) complete his challenge as he’s ill, but he is determined to complete it. Get better soon, Chris!


While not credited for his appearance in Deathly Hallows – Part 1 in photograph form alongside Jamie Campbell Bower (young Gellert Grindelwald), actor Toby Regbo (young Albus Dumbledore) joined his Reign costar Torrance Coombs in completing his challenge, but with their own twist:

And finally, Dan Radcliffe (Harry Potter) joined the comedy show The Last Leg to complete his challenge:

Have you accepted the Ice Bucket Challenge? Make sure to post your videos to social media using #alsicebucketchallenge, #icebucketchallenge, or #strikeoutals, and don’t forget, you can donate directly to ALSA here!

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