A few months ago, I discovered A Very Potter Musical, a student written and produced musical that’s part satire, part homage to the Harry Potter franchise. The music was unbelievably catchy, the jokes were spot on and Ron eating something in every single scene. I was blown away by how great it was. Well, the sequel has come out and there are highs and lows to it.

To start with the not so great, I don’t think the songs are as strong in this one. There were a few moments, but I don’t know if I would listen to the soundtrack the way I have for the original musical. Since it is actually a prequel, there’s also a significant lack of Voldemort, who was one of the funniest parts of the first musical. Joe Walker, who played Voldemort, takes on the role of Dolores Umbridge and while it is funny, it’s also not always easy to watch (the word “butch” gets taken to a whole new level). We don’t get to see very much of Ginny, but Jamie Lyn Beatty is there as Rita Skeeter, who has a 30s style reporter voice for some reason.

The good news is that the story and characters are fantastic. After Harry beat Voldemort, Lucius Malfoy steals a time-turner and brings his evil cohorts back to Harry’s first year to kill him while he’s still vulnerable. We get to see Remus Lupin, who is my favorite addition to the musical. His excuses for being found in his underwear and covered with blood are pretty fantastic. We also get to finally see the Sorting Hat and the Scarf of Sexual Preference. And, of course, we get to see more of Snape. That is always a good thing. We also get to see a flashback to Snape, Lily and James as students. Basically, this is a really, really funny play and a must-watch for any HP fan.

For your viewing pleasure, I’ve added the first three parts of the sequel here. You can go to Starkid’s youtube channel for the rest of the production.