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PODCAST

Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter Podcast

Prof. Julian Wamble

Instead of seeing criticism as an indication of not liking something, Professor Julian Wamble invites listeners of Critical Magic Theory to explore the things about the characters, plot points, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter broadly that have always given them pause or made them smile without knowing why. It is in this navigation of the positive and the negative aspects of a world that we find true magic.

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All Episodes

53:02

Beyond the "Smart House": The Spectrum of Ravenclaw

Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter... ·

2025/08/13

In this Prof Response episode on Ravenclaw House, Professor Julian Wamble dives deep into the themes and tensions raised in the post-episode chat, centering on a surprising consensus: curiosity—though not canonically attributed to Ravenclaw—emerged as a defining trait in the community’s discussion. Listeners debate whether curiosity without moral grounding can become dangerous, examine its role in shaping intellectual pursuits, and compare characters like Hermione, Luna, Lockhart, and Barty Crouch

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68:31

Can curiosity k*** the Ravenclaw

Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter... ·

2025/08/06

Is curiosity always noble? In this episode of Critical Magic Theory, Professor Julian Wamble dives into Ravenclaw House and the complicated legacy of curiosity. With survey responses pouring in—especially from Ravenclaws themselves—we explore how this house is defined less by traditional academic achievement and more by a hunger to know.We look at characters like Luna Lovegood, Arthur Weasley, and Helena Ravenclaw to explore how curiosity can be creative, condescending, or even corrosive—shaped by

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55:12

Hufflepuffs & The Politics of Conditional Morality

Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter... ·

2025/07/30

In this Professor’s Response episode of Critical Magic Theory, Professor Julian Wamble returns to Hufflepuff House with one central question in mind: What happens when goodness depends on context? After a passionate post-episode discussion (and a collective reckoning over the Tonks-sized omission), we dive deeper into what Hufflepuff traits like loyalty, fairness, patience, and hard work really mean when filtered through fear, power, and tradition.This episode unpacks the underbelly of moral

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74:21

Don't Pet the Badgers: Unpacking Hufflepuff House

Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter... ·

2025/07/23

Welcome back to Critical Magic Theory! In this house series premiere, Professor Julian Wamble kicks things off with a deep dive into one of the most beloved—and most misunderstood—Hogwarts houses: Hufflepuff. Why is Hufflepuff both the house most admired and most maligned? Why do so many love it in theory but reject it in practice? With wit, vulnerability, and a touch of statistical spice, Julian explores how fandom has filled in the gaps left by canon—sometimes in empowering ways, and sometimes

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48:38

Prof Responds: The Shawls, Sherry, and Shenanigans of...

Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter... ·

2025/07/16

If Sybill Trelawney was wrong all the time, how is it that she keeps being right? From crystal balls to crystal-clear prophecies, shawls to sherry, this episode asks: what happens when a woman tells the truth, but no one wants to hear it?In this spirited and sharp Prof Responds episode of Critical Magic Theory, Prof. Wamble dives deep into the post-episode reflections on Sybill Trelawney, inviting listeners to reconsider everything they think they know about Hogwarts’ most theatrical professor. From

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66:49

Sybill Trelawney: Seeing, but Not Believed

Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter... ·

2025/07/10

What happens to a seer in a world that refuses to see her?In this episode of Critical Magic Theory, Professor Julian Wamble opens the third eye and dives deep into the divisive, eccentric, and often-dismissed figure of Professor Sybill Trelawney. With guest insights from "Chronic Overthinker" Emma, this episode interrogates the nature of belief, legitimacy, pedagogy, and perception in the wizarding world.What does it mean to possess a gift no one respects? Can a teacher still be good if the subject

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49:41

Prof Response- Bigger than the Box: the Rubeus Hagrid...

Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter... ·

2025/07/02

In this Prof Responds episode of Critical Magic Theory, Professor Julian Wamble returns to the larger-than-life figure of Rubeus Hagrid, unpacking the rich, complicated responses listeners shared in the post-episode chat.This episode explores the paradoxes that make Hagrid both beloved and deeply flawed—his tenderness and his trauma, his loyalty and his lack of boundaries, his fierce love for magical creatures and his failure to respect the sovereignty of others.

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81:40

Caretaker, Friend, Scapegoat: The Rubeus Hagrid Story

Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter... ·

2025/06/25

This is not just a story about a lovable half-giant. It is a story about the monsters society teaches us to see—and the people we discard because they fit that image.In this episode of Critical Magic Theory, Professor Julian Wamble unpacks the complicated legacy of Rubeus Hagrid, part giant, full heart, and perhaps the most beloved yet overlooked character in the series. We follow Hagrid through the lens of his contradictions: too old to be their friend, too kind to be safe, too visible to ever

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42:39

Prof Responds- The Umbridge Trap

Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter... ·

2025/06/18

On this Prof Responds episode of Critical Magic Theory, Professor Julian Wamble returns to the woman in pink—Dolores Jane Umbridge—to unpack the powerful and sometimes uncomfortable insights raised in the post-episode chat. Why do we hate her so much? Why do we enjoy hating her? And more importantly, what does our hatred reveal about how we understand femininity, power, and punishment? From the now-infamous “Umbridge vs. Voldemort” debate to the cultural thrill of watching a woman fall, this episode

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67:05

The Devil Wears Pink: The Violence, Villainy, and...

Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter... ·

2025/06/11

On this episode of Critical Magic Theory, Professor Julian Wamble dives into the soft-voiced, hard-hearted horror that is Dolores Jane Umbridge. She may wear kitten brooches and speak in syrupy tones, but beneath the pink cardigan lies one of the most insidious villains in the Wizarding World. We unpack the bureaucratic brutality behind her blood quill, the weaponization of femininity, and why her brand of evil—quiet, sanctioned, and system-approved-hits closer to home than Voldemort’s chaos ever

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46:17

Prof Responds- Gilderoy Lockhart: Ravenclaw or...

Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter... ·

2025/06/04

In this Prof Responds episode of Critical Magic Theory, Professor Julian Wamble dives into the dazzling disaster that is Gilderoy Lockhart—our favorite fame-chasing fraud.From his misuse of memory charms to his obsession with applause over competence, this episode unpacks your brilliant post-episode chat insights and tackles the deeper themes of image, power, and performance. Is Lockhart just a punchline, or is he something more sinister? What does his pretty privilege reveal about the Wizarding

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64:09

Fame Is a Fickle Fraud: Here Lies Gilderoy Lockhart

Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter... ·

2025/05/28

What would you do to be remembered?This week on Critical Magic Theory, Professor Julian Wamble dives deep into the shimmering shallows of Gilderoy Lockhart—a man so desperate for legacy, he obliterated others’ lives just to make space for his own myth. From vanity and fraudulence to memory charms and moral delusion, we interrogate what happens when someone builds their identity entirely on lies—and worse, starts believing them.Is Lockhart a villain? A bad Ravenclaw? Just a glorified PR stunt with

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50:37

Prof Responds- Mom or Mess, Petty or Possessed:...

Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter... ·

2025/05/21

What do maternal tropes, mediocre men, and magical possession all have in common? In this "Prof Responses" episode, Professor Julian Wamble returns to unpack the post-episode chats on two very different figures: Minerva McGonagall and Quirinus Quirrell. Was McGonagall really written as a maternal figure—or have we reimagined her to reflect a world Rowling couldn’t envision? And what do we do with Quirrell, a Ravenclaw who might’ve been smart enough to find Voldemort but foolish enough to wear him

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66:38

Ambition and Audacity: The Two Faces of Quirinus...

Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter... ·

2025/05/14

What if the villain wasn’t overtaken—but offered himself up? In this episode of Critical Magic Theory, Professor Julian Wamble dives into the sweaty, stammering chaos of Professor Quirrell—and the dangerous audacity that lies beneath it. Often remembered as little more than a jittery man in a turban, Quirrell is actually one of the clearest cautionary tales in the Wizarding World: a man who gave Voldemort room on the back of his head in exchange for the illusion of power. From Ravenclaw ego to

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75:07

The Silent Suffering of Minerva McGonagall

Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter... ·

2025/04/30

“She was watching the Dursleys all day while everyone else celebrated—and somehow, we still expect more from her.” In this episode of Critical Magic Theory, we take a long-overdue deep dive into the one and only Minerva McGonagall. Often admired for her strength, fairness, and dry wit, McGonagall is seen by many as the model of a good teacher, a good Gryffindor, and a good person. But what happens when we start asking whether those expectations are fair—or even possible?We unpack how patriarchy and

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38:55

Prof Responds- Remus Lupin & the Struggle to Stay Human

Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter... ·

2025/04/23

Welcome to Critical Magic Theory, where we deconstruct the Wizarding World of Harry Potter—because loving something doesn’t mean we can’t be critical of it. This week’s Prof Response tackles one of our most emotional episodes to date: Remus Lupin. But before diving in, we confront a real-world reality—J.K. Rowling’s continued advocacy for trans-exclusionary laws and the heartbreak of deciding whether we can still use her text for good. Spoiler: we think we can. And we explain why. From there, we

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85:23

3.3%=100%: The Remus Lupin Story

Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter... ·

2025/04/16

Why didn’t Lupin ever write to Harry? Why did he run from Tonks? And how does someone who survives so much still feel like they deserve so little?In this soul-stirring episode of Critical Magic Theory, Professor Julian Wamble peels back the layers of Remus Lupin—the beloved professor, the loyal Marauder, and the walking embodiment of internalized shame. Drawing from 700+ listener survey responses, Prof. Wamble explores how Lupin’s trauma, marginalization, and deep-rooted self-doubt shape not just

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43:05

Prof Responds: Has anyone seen Peter Pettigrew?

Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter... ·

2025/04/09

What if the biggest betrayal in the Wizarding World wasn’t just about evil—it was about never being seen in the first place?In this episode chat of Critical Magic Theory, Professor Julian Wamble deep-dives into the fallout from “The Radacity of Peter Pettigrew” episode, reflecting on listener reactions and further complicating our understanding of one of Harry Potter’s most reviled characters. Was Peter a coward or a child soldier shaped by war? Did Sirius and James ever truly see him—or did their

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75:15

The "Ratdacity" of Peter Pettigrew

Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter... ·

2025/04/02

Thirteen years hiding in plain sight. A friendship shattered beyond repair. A betrayal so bold it rewrote the entire course of the wizarding war. The question isn’t whether Peter Pettigrew had audacity—it’s where he found the ratdacity.In this episode of Critical Magic Theory, we’re scurrying deep into the shadows of the Marauders’ messiest member. Was Peter just a coward—or was he a master strategist in rodent’s clothing? We’re talking betrayal, survival, fear-fueled loyalty, and what happens when

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39:56

Prof Responds- Death Eaters, Country Clubs, and the...

Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter... ·

2025/03/26

Can a villain be a good leader? Not if he’s noseless and narcissistic.Welcome back to Critical Magic Theory, where we deconstruct the Wizarding World of Harry Potter—because loving something doesn’t mean we can’t be critical of it. In today’s Prof Responds episode, I’m diving deep into your post-episode thoughts on none other than the noseless wonder himself: Voldemort. Or, as some of us have started calling him… Voldiva. We’re unpacking whether Voldemort was actually a good leader (spoiler: no),

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