Is there something in this series that's going to poison people's minds? When we read it, uncritically and with enjoyment before the author revealed what a TERF she is, were we being poisoned without our own awareness? Is it okay to become invested in what a book advises without thoroughly first vetting the author? How can we do that anyway?

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Snape, you have won yourself a second chance to make decisions about 16-year-old Death Eaters and about whether you give in to the Dark Arts or defend against them. Slughorn back… and every second with Dumbledore could be the last. If you mess up… Oh, you'll have yourself to blame. You get one second chance. This is it.

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JC: Coming from a teacher education perspective, we spend so much time talking about building appropriate relationships with students. That just hits all the wrong buttons for me, but for creepy reasons. Why would you be choosing students? Who are you as an adult that you need that to bolster your -- We tell people, "You have your own life. Go have your own life and set up boundaries."

For full show notes, transcripts, ways to contact the hosts or support the show, and more, visit hpafter2020.com.

Lorrie: Because Voldemort cursed the curriculum...

JC: If people can't defend themselves on a very basic level -- people can't do critical thinking or media literacy, or just basically being able to do things without having to turn to AI -- that feels like an intentional long game to do damage to society so that people have to rely on something else.

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Harry and Draco are in that liminal space between being old enough in many ways to be an adult, but still technically young enough so that they're still a bit malleable. There's still a chance to turn back. Is there still time to save Draco? A little bit. This is a moment where, even if it's too late for some things, it's not too late for everything; it's still worth doing.

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The thing that Dumbledore wants to force Slughorn to do against Slughorn's will… Dumbledore actually has Slughorn's best interests at heart. That's the greatness of this character: he will go against your will and he'll be right. After he's done with you and you do what he made you do against your will, will you be thankful? Yeah, kind of.

For full show notes, transcripts, ways to contact the hosts or support the show, and more, visit hpafter2020.com.

JC: Dumbledore taking the Dursleys to task. That's the way that he is throughout this chapter, and I remember thinking this feels like fanfic because it felt like such fantasy fulfillment. I had wanted to see somebody tell the Dursleys how badly they treated Harry for so long, and to have Dumbledore come in and do it, I had to keep thinking, 'Really?! Is this really happening?'

For full show notes, transcripts, ways to contact the hosts or support the show, and more, visit hpafter2020.com.

This is the closest that Snape ever gets in his life to a wedding. It's not that he's going to be loved, but he is going to be needed. He won't be loved, but he'll have to love. Three times, Narcissa asks him to swear an oath; three times, he says, "I will." He's being called upon as a teacher. He's not a father, he's not just a friend. What is he? He's a teacher.

For full show notes, transcripts, ways to contact the hosts or support the show, and more, visit hpafter2020.com.