Om Critical Magic Theory: An Analytical Harry Potter Podcast
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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Fleur Delacour & The Price of Pretty Privilege (01:20:24)
Fleur Delacour is one of the most misunderstood women in the Harry Potter series. She's often blamed for her beauty, scrutinized for her confidence, and held responsible for the reactions of everyone ...
Prof Responds: Hogwarts & the Pedagogy of Wartime Education (01:10:09)
In this Prof Responds episode, Professor Wamble reflects on listener responses to the “Best & Worst Teachers at Hogwarts” discussion and steps back to ask a larger question: What does it mean to teach...
Two Years of Critical Magic: Best & Worst Teachers at Hogwarts (01:19:28)
In this two-year anniversary episode of Critical Magic Theory, Prof. takes a step back from individual character deep dives to ask a bigger question about pedagogy, power, and responsibility in the wi...
Prof Responds: Secrecy, Sacrifice, and the Dumbledores We Never Questioned (00:59:33)
In this Prof Responds episode of Critical Magic Theory, Professor Julian Wamble revisits the Dumbledore family to examine how secrecy, sacrifice, and institutional failure shape Ariana Dumbledore’s li...
Ariana & Aberforth Dumbledore & the Price of Secrecy (01:02:42)
In the first episode of Critical Magic Theory in 2026, Professor Julian Wamble steps away from the six-part Albus Dumbledore arc for a rant/rave on Ariana and Aberforth Dumbledore—two characters whose...
IT IS CHRISTMAS... AT HOGWARTS (00:50:25)
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL (WHO CELEBRATE)!! AND TO ALL.... AN INVISIBILITY CLOAK!! USE IT WELL!In this episode of Critical Magic Theory, Prof. looks at the various Christmas moments throughout the series...
Prof Responds: Dumbledore, Necessity, and the Myth of “No Other Choice” (01:07:46)
In this Prof Responds episode of Critical Magic Theory, Professor Julian Wamble returns to Harry Potter to engage listeners’ reflections on Albus Dumbledore. Rather than asking whether Voldemort had t...
The Fears, Fallacies, and Folly of A.W.P.B. Dumbledore (01:00:21)
In this penultimate episode of our Critical Magic Theory series on Albus Dumbledore, Professor Julian Wamble takes a deep look at one of the most complicated figures in the Harry Potter universe. Is D...
Prof Responds: If Not Him, Then Who? Dumbledore & the Pitfalls of Wartime Necessity (01:08:47)
In this Prof Responds episode of Critical Magic Theory, Professor Julian Wamble takes a critical look at Albus Dumbledore’s most morally complicated choices in the Harry Potter series. Drawing on list...
Dumbledore, the Great & (Reluctantly and Ignorantly) Powerful (01:04:07)
In this episode of Critical Magic Theory, Professor Julian Wamble revisits Albus Dumbledore through a very different lens: not as the wise, whimsical Headmaster we grew up with, but as a leader whose ...
In this Prof Responds episode of Critical Magic Theory, Professor Julian Wamble dives into your discussion about Albus Dumbledore and asks some of the biggest questions in the Harry Potter series: is ...
THIS is a Dumbledore Episode (01:08:37)
In the first installment of our Albus Dumbledore series, Critical Magic Theory host Professor Julian Wamble unpacks the contradictions that define Albus Dumbledore—the most beloved and baffling figure...
Prof Responds: Hogwarts & the Fallacy of Equity (01:05:27)
In this Prof Responds episode, Professor Wamble tackles the fallacy of equity at Hogwarts: the idea that sharing wands and classrooms means sharing opportunity. Building on listener insights, he trace...
WTF is Hogwarts doing??? (00:38:52)
What is Hogwarts actually for? Beyond floating candles and talking portraits lies a school with deeply entrenched ideologies—one that prepares students less for life and more for assimilation into mag...
The Horizontal Arc of Severus Snape: Unpacking His Final Lessons (00:55:52)
After six deep-dive episodes, Professor Julian Wamble closes our exploration of Severus Snape—one of the most complex figures in the Harry Potter series. This final Prof Responds examines the ethics o...
The Ends, the Means, and the Man: The Ethics of Severus Snape (01:15:09)
In this final chapter of The Severus Snape Trilogy, Professor Julian Wamble takes listeners back into the moral heart of the Harry Potter universe to ask: was Severus Snape a hero, a villain, or somet...
Prof Responds- The Tragedy of Severus Snape (01:04:09)
In this Prof Response episode, Professor Wamble revisits Severus Snape to explore the heartbreak and moral ambiguity that define him. Building on listener insights, we wrestle with what it means to be...
In part two of our Severus Snape journey, we dive into the contradictions that define him. Is he truly a good member of the Order of the Phoenix, or simply too useful to ignore? Does being an effectiv...
Prof Responds: The Repentance, Regrets, and Reality of Severus Snape (01:07:11)
In this Prof Responds episode, we dive into nearly 400 listener comments about one of the most polarizing figures in the Wizarding World: Severus Snape. From debates about repentance versus regret, to...
"He's Just Complicated": The Gray Space of Severus Snape (01:07:20)
Severus Snape is one of the most divisive figures in the Wizarding World—part villain, part hero, and wholly complicated. In this episode of Critical Magic Theory, Professor Julian Wamble dives into t...
Prof Responds: Lions, Magic, and Gryffindors’ Gamble for the Greater Good (01:01:42)
In this Prof Responds finale on the Hogwarts houses, we wrestle with the lion’s legacy: is Gryffindor bravery actually just recklessness in disguise? From Harry’s headlong heroics to Neville’s conside...
Rewarded Recklessness: The Making of a Gryffindor (01:12:03)
In this episode of Critical Magic Theory, Professor Julian Wamble turns to the final Hogwarts house: Gryffindor. Often celebrated as the house of heroes, Gryffindor’s signature trait of bravery carrie...
Prof Responds: Snakes, Supremacy, and the Slytherin Stigma (00:56:42)
In this Prof Responds episode on Slytherin House, Professor Wamble takes on the accusations that he went too easy on the snakes. Drawing on listener comments, he dives deep into the complicated ways a...
Shedding Old Skins: Rethinking Slytherin House (01:10:05)
In this episode of Critical Magic Theory, Professor Julian Wamble turns his critical gaze toward his own house—Slytherin. Long framed as the villains of the wizarding world, Slytherins are often reduc...
Beyond the "Smart House": The Spectrum of Ravenclaw (00:53:02)
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...
