(111b) Production Notes

A quick personal note – you can now read the text of Red Legacy free from my fiction page, or buy it almost anywhere that sells eBooks.

You’ll notice that Voldemort has a new voice, one that more closely matches the voice described in the text (primarily high/shrieking/cold). It was a hell of a challenge finding a voice that was both high and evil-sounding. For a moment I considered doing something akin to Judge Doom, but I was worried that would grate on the ears after a very short time. In the end I went with a submission sent in by Alexander Jackson, and I think he’s pulled it off quite well!

If you re-download the Humanism chapter with the Voldemort flashback, you’ll notice I replaced Voldemort there with Alexander’s voice as well. And I’ve added an underlying “hiss” sound effect to everywhere in the HPMoR podcast that anyone spoke in Parseltounge. There were also a few touch-ups here and there thanks to proof-listening by Leonard Cohen, and some more will be coming in the next few months.

A number of people were quite affected by Hermione’s death when that first happened. I didn’t take it too badly, I dunno why. But I was really negatively affected by Quirrell actually being really evil and turning on Harry. I was much more emotionally attached to that character. So, regarding Voldemort in his True Form… (this is very similar to something I posted this in the /r/HPMOR subreddit back when the final arc was being published)

I very glad Quirrell has finally been replaced. There were a number of chapters where Quirrell was evil. Chapters I don’t care to reflect on. And then, Voldemort returned in truth. His voice changed, from a sardonic, controlled mentor, to a high, thin sound like nails on a chalkboard. His body became taller, bone-pale, his face disfigured. His eyes glowed red. This is not Quirrell. This is someone else.

And while I know, intellectually, that they are the same person… I do not see Quirrell. I see Voldemort. And my emotional core, seeing a different body there, doesn’t associate the two very strongly. This is a different person. This is evil. Quirrell had been murdered by this monster.

I am grateful, as this makes it easier for me to go forward. The effect is even a bit stronger in the podcast (at least for me), as there’s now a different voice actor and the change is audible with every word. I will miss Quirrell.

Regardless of your verbal deliberations on morality, your nonverbal emotional core sees no dead body and no blood; as far as it is concerned, I am just a talking hat.