Oh thank God I said “next time” in the last article, and not “next week”.

Anywho – hey there, wizard kids! Welcome back to Snobby Sundays, an occasional series where I, the Wrock Snob, introduce you to a less-famous wizard rock band that I really dig. Today, we’re looking at Seven Potters, a one-myn acoustic-focused wrock band known primarily for their seminal album, How to Destroy a Horcrux, Part 8.

Seven Potters’ debut (and only) album was, until the release of Lumos, my pick for the definitive Deathly Hallows album – and that hasn’t necessarily changed. I mean, it probably has – Lumos is very good, and How to Destroy a Horcrux, Part 8 doesn’t contain the phrase “Devil’s spaghetti” – but what this record lacks in timely political observations, it more than makes up for in earnest grapplings with the text. Track titles like “Ginny’s Song, or Problem #23 with the End of Book 7” make clear that this is the work of a dedicated and thoughtful fan, and is centered on a point of view that loves these books and characters so much. Instead of finding meaning in the text by juxtaposing real world issues, Seven Potters finds meaning in exploring the inherit beauty of the text, taking mythic moments and wrapping them in poetry, letting the natural lyricism of the plot and character relationships shine ever brighter:

And when I walk through the rubble of the ruined school
My heart still pounding and my hands still cool
Death still lingered about me
I pass the dead and the living and the in-between
My family, friends, lovers, and enemies
But in my eyes, it was only us three

While not an album sung exclusively from Harry’s POV, it is always focused upon the character of Harry Potter, and the magic of Hogwarts. If you have been having trouble reconnecting with canon due to all the… everything happening, then I heartily recommend How to Destroy a Horcrux, Part 8. The production is lo-fi and warm, and even missteps – like a rather clunky Doctor Who reference in the title track, or the entirety of “Harry Potter Blues” – have their charms. An album full of “wunnavdabests” – one of the best Neville songs, one of the best meta-wrock songs, one of the best “We less than three the Weasleys” songs, multiple fantastic songs about the Final Battle, and a delightfully singable ode to the Hogwarts lunch menu – and it’s free.

In fact, all of Seven Potters’ music is free, almost aggressively so – it is impossible to pay money for How to Destroy a Horcrux, Part 8, and there’s even a still-working tinyurl to mediafire link that will turn ten years old in October (though it may also show you an ad for Roblox, just so you don’t get too lost in nostalgia). Fortunately, you can pay for the rest of Seven Potters’ oeuvre , and I recommend that you do. Even the when the writing is occasionally a little weak on the demos of Why Fight, there are still some delightful musical flourishes, and vice-versa. The rerecorded single of the album’s title track is a tour-de-force and a must-listen. 

One of the most special things about Seven Potters is that they are still occasionally producing music and checking in on the community, most recently releasing a delightful A-side/B-side single that continues the band’s tradition of songs about the warmth and power of community, but this time with production value! Snazzy.

Please, do yourself a favor and check out Seven Potters if you haven’t already. Here on Snobby Sundays we try to keep things light and tight, so I have a lot of leftover words and feelings about this band to spew onto the internet, but not on this internet. And not anytime too soon – my magicks can only sustain me in this realm for brief moonlit bursts. Until then, keep each other safe, find your faith, hold tight.