These Days are Dark

Courtesy of Mugglenet Screencaps

Grab some tissues before you listen to this episode, dear listeners. Finally, we present the second-to-last podcast of Season 3: The Deathly Hallows revisited, a heavy dose of the Butterbeer Experience, the Hermione Crookshanks Experience, Ministry of Magic and more. A reflection on the books and the first movie, it prepares you (and the DJs!) for the July 15 film release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2.

Season 3 - Episode 12 - Deathly Hallows Part 2

Before anyone starts weeping, let's get to the tracks:

"For Jo" by RiddleTM

"Needlessly Complicated" by the Butterbeer Experience

"These Days are Dark" by Harry and the Potters

"Goodbye Privet Drive" by Ministry of Magic

"So Long and Goodbye" by the Hermione Crookshanks Experience

"The Seven Potters" by the Remus Lupins

"Falling Sidecar" by Ministry of Magic

"The Ministry is Fallen" by Ministry of Magic

"At the Ministry" by the Butterbeer Experience

"Voldemort Controls the Media" by Roonil Wazlib

"Don't Leave" by Ministry of Magic

"So This is It... (Take Off This Locket)" by the Hermione Crookshanks Experience

"Godric's Hollow" by Romilda Vane and the Chocolate Cauldrons

"The Peverell Story" by the Butterbeer Experience

"In Which I am Wrong" by the Hermione Crookshanks Experience

"Potterwatch" by the Basilisk in Your Pasta

"Penelope" by the Hermione Crookshanks Experience

"This Town" by Ministry of Magic

"The Rebel Call" by the Whomping

"Call to Arms" by Ministry of Magic

"The Second War" by Into the Pensieve

"Confessions of the Half-Blood Prince" by Into the Pensieve

"Open at the Close" by Oliver Boyd and the Rememberalls

"Harry Potter is Dead" by Ministry of Magic

"Expelliarmus Kid" by Peeved

"The Phoenix Lament/Epilogue" by Ministry of Magic

Drumroll please....

Yes, it's true: It all ends on July 15, 2011. And it's already less than 100 days until that day rolls around.

Ron.. Ron... Ron WEASLEY (& Dobby too!)

Our utmost apologies for the delays recently! The week before last, Mehera was tragically sick and the show was cancelled. Last week, Sara was traveling. But finally, we're back and happy to present our special show on two of the Potterverse's most lovable characters: Ron Weasley and Dobby the House Elf.

Why these two, you ask? Well, dear readers, just last Wednesday, Ron turned 31 years old! (The math: Harry's parents tombstones say Oct. 31, 1981. Harry was 1 when his parents died, putting his birth at July 31, 1980. Ron, also in Harry's year, had to have been born then on March 1, 1980. School begins in your eleventh year—1991. This confirms outside reports that the books take place in the years 1991-1997. Finally, it's currently 2011… and ta-da! Happy 31st birthday, Ron!)

As for dear little Dobby, estimates by the Lexicon put his death somewhere in March, and so this year, a kind soul created a Facebook event to declare March 1 Dobby Remembrance Day. It caught on, eventually having thousands of event attendees. And so it is.

Now, time for the podcast.

Season 3 - Episode 4 - Ron and Dobby

"Alohomora" by Pogo (last.fm)
"The Weasle" by Harry and the Potters
"Wizard Chess" by Harry and the Potters
"Your Flying Car" by the Whomping Willows
"We Save Ron's Life, Part 8" by Harry and the Potters
"Eulogy for an Acromantula" by the Mudbloods
"Follow the Spiders" Harry and the Potters
"The Weasleys" by the Remus Lupins
"Freckled" by I Speak Tree
"I Heart Weasleys" by Ministry of Magic
"The Weasley Family" by the Holyhead Harpies feat. Catchlove and Oliver Boyd & the Rememberalls
"Why Don't We Do It in the Burrow?" by Tonks and the Aurors
"The Burrow" by RiddleTM feat. the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office
"The Missing Arm of Viktor Krum" by Harry and the Potters
"Hey, Hey Ron" by the Hermione Crookshanks Experience
"Lumos Flies" by ALL CAPS
"Granger Danger" from A Very Potter Musical Soundtrack
"Accio Love" by Ministry of Magic
"So This Is It (Take Off That Locket)" by the Hermione Crookshanks Experience
"Don't Leave" by Ministry of Magic
"Locket" by Creevey Crisis
"Dobby Bang Your Head" by the Blibbering Humdingers
"SPEW" by Harry and the Potters
"House Elves" by Dreary Inferi
"My Wish List" by MC Kreacher
"House Elf Party" by the Blibbering Humdingers
"Evanesco Dobby" by Ministry of Magic


The next podcast, about the Marauders Era, should be out soon! (For realz!)

these are dark times.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

How about that opening? George's toothbrush-in-ear moment? WHY was Harry constantly almost-naked?! What'd'ya think of the revisions to Hedwig's death? And the acting, it didn't totally suck!

This was a very special week for The Witching Hour. First, we played less music than usual, because there's just so much to say about... the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 1, of course!! Second, we had a very special guest, Claire Johnson, future co-host of The Witching Hour (providing KWCW picks us back up again! Season 3, here we come?!). You may have seen the movie three times, but it's never too late to re-live it again!

Season 2 - Episode 12 - Deathly Hallows Reviewed

And of course, the week's tracks:

"Tom Felton's Kinda Hot" by Draco and the Malfoys
"Hedwig's Jam" by the Weasel King
"My Ear is Not Here" by Gred and Forge
"Seventeen Years" by the Butterbeer Experience
"Fast Friends and Infatuations" by Grindelwald's Revenge
"George and Fred" by Ginny and the Heartbreakers
"Part-werewolf for Hire" by Gred and Forge
"Song for the Death Eaters" by Harry and the Potters
"Penelope" by the Hermione Crookshanks Experience
"Harry Got Naked" by Ginny and the Heartbreakers
"Fated" by the Remus Lupins
"The Ballad of Dobby, a Free Elf" by Narcissa Black
"Chez Fleur" by Romilda Vane and the Chocolate Cauldrons

Deathly Hallows, the holidays and more

Dear listeners,

Sorry to report, there'll be no radio show this week as we're both out of town on holiday. (Happy Thanksgiving from The Witching Hour!)

We'll be back on Tuesday, November 30 from 3-4 p.m. PST, surely with lots to chat about!!! We spent last Thursday evening outside Walla Walla Grand Cinemas chatting with Potter fans, dancing to wrock, dueling in the parking lot, and of course, watching what may very well be the best Harry Potter movie out yet.

In the meantime, check out a review, live-blog, and discussion of the film: from the Guardian, Movieline, and of course MuggleNet.

See you next week!

Your hosts as Hedwig, left, and Dobby, right.

Top fans MaryBeth and Trisha!

Photos courtesy of Miss Trisha Way.

Front-page news

The Witching Hour and our Weeks of Wizardry was the featured story this week in Whitman College's student newspaper, the Pioneer. This is the second time this semester that we've been newsworthy, hurrah!

(To read the last one, check out the About the Witching Hour link to the left, which was included as a KWCW show of the week spot in the newspaper.)

The article basically details how we and the Whitman Events Board (WEB) both had the idea to put on some events at Whitman to lead up to the release of Deathly Hallows pt. 1. WHICH IS IN ONE WEEK BY THE WAY! It has two pictures of our Quidditch tournament, hosted last Sunday, and talks about the other upcoming events.

Luna Lovegood ft. TRISHA WAY

Image courtesy of Makani.

Two common themes this week on the Witching Hour: Luna Lovegood is awesome. And Trisha Way is awesome.

Trisha, our #1 fan, guest-starred this week to give listeners the 411 on Luna's quirkiest quirks. A few microphone issues down, we were in business. Tune in to the podcast for a few laughs and a lot of great Luna-inspired wrock.

Episode 8 - Season 2 - Luna Lovegood

Songs this week:

"Lovegood" by Ministry of Magic
"I Believe in Nargles" by The Whomping Willows
"Loony Luna" by The Quaffle Kids
"The Ballad of Neville and Luna" by The Remus Lupins
"Luna Lovegood" by RiddleTM
"We are the DA" by Oliver Boyd & The Rememberalls
"Luna Lovegood is OK" by Harry and the Potters
"Voldemort, Peace Off!" by The Basilisk in Your Pasta ** One of Trisha's favorites.
"Whatever You Like" by DJ Ronald B ** Also a Trisha favorite.
"Luna" by The Weasel King
"Save the Quibbler" by Gred and Forge
"I'll Love You Good" by Mimbulus Mimbletonia

THE END BEGINS

Whitman students: Look out. It's coming.

FIVE WEEKS.

Deathly Hallows, Pt. 1