Hogwarts Legacy introduces an open world, allowing players to roam and complete main and side quests. Alongside, many secret passageways and Easter eggs are scattered throughout the game. The magical world throws up all sorts of magical creatures, eccentric wizards, and subtle nods to the Harry Potter universe. Keep reading this guide to discover Easter eggs and hidden secrets you might have missed. Warning: This post contains spoilers
Famous Families
The Weasleys are an old and prominent wizarding family. Hogwarts Legacy references them quite a few times. The side quest, “Follow the Butterflies”, is named after Ron Weasley’s line in the Chamber of Secrets “Why can’t it be: follow the butterflies?”. This sidequest is unlocked by completing Jackdaw’s story quest. Following the butterflies leads the player to a hidden cosmetic reward for your Room of Requirement. This side quest is located near the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
The Transfiguration spell’s icon has a cup with a tail. This is, of course, a nod to Ron Weasley’s transfiguration spell gone wrong when his attempt to transfigure his rat into a cup goes awry. There’s a guide page that mentions this incident. Similarly, In Playstation 5 Hogwarts Legacy, there’s a Hogsmeade quest that features the life-sized chessboard depicted in the Philosopher’s stone. A poltergeist even repeats Ron Weasley’s iconic line “Knight to H3”.
If you visit Zonko’s Joke shop in Hogsmeade, you’ll notice two small boys with similar features, red hair, and hand-me-downs. It references Fred and George Weasley, who opened their joke shop called Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley. Professor Mathilda Weasley and Gareth Weasley are characters in Hogwarts Legacy and possibly ancestors of Ron Weasley.
Quidditch
Although Quidditch isn’t a playable sport in Hogwarts Legacy, many references exist. Madame Kogawa’s office, the flying teacher at Hogwarts has a miniature Quidditch match playing on her table. It’s an insane amount of detail and commitment, but it looks very magical when you lay your eyes on it. You’ll notice how spot-on it looks if you explore the Quidditch ground. Similar to the scene in Chamber of Secrets when Harry and Malfoy fight beneath the scaffolding to catch the snitch. It’s nearly identical, and you can explore it by flying on your broomstick.
The learning to ride a broomstick scene in the game is also eerily similar to the first movie, where the camerawork and dialogues are almost the same. Landing on all platforms located throughout the game unlocks Quidditch Captain Robes. After donning these robes and staying on the main menu screen when you log in, your wizard will try and catch a flying snitch. Talk about insane detail and stay true to the lore.
Slytherin Descendents/Chamber of Secrets
If you’re sorted in the Slytherin House, one of the first people you’ll meet is Ominis Gaunt. The Gaunts are a pure-blood wizarding family, direct descendants of Salazar Slytherin. The Gaunts are known for incestuous inbreeding to keep their bloodline pure. Perhaps the main reason why Ominis Gaunt is blind. Marvolo Gaunt is one of Ominis’s descendants and grandfather to Tom Riddle.
Continuing on Sebastian Sallow’s side quest with Ominis, you’ll learn that Ominis can speak parseltongue (the ability to talk to snakes). Ominis uses parseltongue to open Salazar Slytherin’s hidden office, and upon entering the office, there’s a letter by Salazar Slytherin on the desk. The letter mentions a sleeping beast that’ll awaken to rid the school of muggle-born wizards and restore pure-blood supremacy at Hogwarts. It is a direct reference to the Chamber of Secrets.
If you travel to the Lower Ground Staircase using the Floo powder network and proceed through the Slytherin Dungeons, you’ll come across a girls’ bathroom. On the faucets of one of the sinks, you can notice there’s a snake engraved there. It references the opening of the Chamber of Secrets, as shown in the movie.
Polyjuice Potion and Newt Scamander
Fast-travel to Professor’s Fig Classroom on the Floo powder network, and continuing on the right, you’ll come across a girls’ bathroom. You’ll see a green potion brewing and a stack of books in the last stall. This is another reference to The Chamber of Secrets when Hermione, Harry, and Ron take the Polyjuice potion to sneak into the Slytherin common room. Harry and Ron succeed, but Hermione turns into a cat, mistaking a cat’s hair for Milicent Bulsterode.
There are also references to Newt Scamander. If you wander the hill overlooking Hogsmeade, you’ll find his pets, Niffler and Pickett having a mandrake tea picnic. You can’t join them, but you can have a cup of tea while standing. Hats off to the developers for incorporating these little details in an open-world RPG.
One-eyed Witch Passageway
The One-Eyed Witch passageway is a famous passageway that Harry Potter uses after getting the Marauders Map from the Weasley brothers. This passageway is located on the third floor of Hogwarts and leads to Honeydukes in Hogsmeade. In Hogwarts Legacy, you must fast-travel via the Floo network to the Viaduct Courtyard. You’ll meet Gareth Weasley, who gives you a sidequest leading into the passage and the password Dissendium. The sidequest is called “Dissending for Sweets.”
Flying Keys and Frog Choir
After completing your first quest in Hogsmeade, seek Nellie Oggspire in the transfiguration courtyard. She’ll send you on a side quest called the Daedalian key quest. The quest requires you to find these flying keys and slam them into the cabinets so you can pick House tokens. If you acquire 16 House tokens, pop them in your house chest, located in the common room. Then you’ll be able to unlock house-exclusive Relic Robes.
The flying keys are a reference to the sea of flying keys bewitched by Professor Flitwick in The Philosopher’s Stone. Professor Flitwick is also the conductor of the famous Frog choir in the series, and you can also visit this frog choir in-game. Travel on the Floo network to the Transfiguration classroom and go right until stairs appear on the left. Climb all 3 stair levels go right, and you’ll enter the Bell Tower Auditorium. In the front of the auditorium, there’s a choir of frogs ready to be conducted for their daily choir practice.
Dumbledore and Fawkes
There’s no Dumbledore in Hogwarts Legacy, given he was alive during the period (The late 1800s) this game is set in. But if you travel to the Ravenclaw tower and climb the stairs, there’s a portrait of a wizard who looks uncannily like Richard Harris, who plays the original Dumbledore in the Philosopher’s Stone. Richard Harris passed away in 2002, which is a subtle nod to the remembrance of the great actor.
Phoenixes are very rare creatures, immortal, and have vast magical powers. Wizards have successfully domesticated only 2. One is Fawkes, Dumbledore’s Phoenix, and the other is Sparky, New Zealand’s Quidditch team’s Mascot. If you complete the Room of Requirement side quests with Deek, you can be the third wizard to do so.
Sirius Black
Sirius Black is one of the most beloved characters in the Harry Potter series. He acts as a godfather to Harry Potter, and there’s a lot of love between these two. In Hogwarts Legacy, the Headmaster is Phineaus Nigellus Black, an ancestor of Sirius Black. If you travel to the Charms classroom via the Floo powder network, head up the stairs to Professor Ronen’s Office, and pass across the battlements, you’ll come across a holding cell. This holding cell is similar to the one in which Sirius Black is kept in the Prisoner of Azkaban while awaiting the dementor’s kiss.
Sirius Black is killed in the Order of the Phoenix by Bellatrix Lestrange using an Avada Kedavra spell. Learning the Avada Kedavra spell in this game takes considerable time. Developers have made the Avada Kedavra spell route in the shape of a lightning bolt. It referred to the scar visible on Harry’s forehead when Voldemort tried to kill him as an infant.
House Elves and Hufflepuff Common Room
House elves are mysterious; they only come at night to clean the castle. If you come across one, they’ll disappear upon noticing you as they don’t want to be seen by students. If you want to see them at work, use the Floo powder network to head to the Grand Staircase and continue going down the stairs. You’ll come across a portrait of fruit. By tickling the pear, the portrait opens up and continues down the corridor. You’ll find House Elves preparing a feast on similar tables as in the Great Hall above, and the food is magically transported to the tables above.
If you continue down the corridor, you’ll come across the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room. The door will spray vinegar on your face if you’re not a Hufflepuff student. It’s a defence mechanism to ward off intruders. Pretty smart, and kudos to the developers for focusing on these minute details.
Secret Passageways
This game has plenty of secret passageways and tunnels, not used in any main or side quests you can explore. Travel to the Clock Tower Courtyard via the Floo powder system and use the Arresto Momentum spell on the Clocktower, slowing the swinging pendulum. Once the pendulum has halted, a secret room opens up, and you can loot plenty of rewards.
Travelling to the Faculty Tower on the Floo flame network, you should take a right and reach the top of the stairs. There’s a fireplace in one of the rooms, and using the Glacius spell to quench the fire, allows you to travel through another secret passageway to loot more handsome rewards.
Lastly, Fast travel to the Bell Tower Courtyard Floo flame point. Take a right turn and descend a flight of stairs, and you’ll come across a tapestry with a large K. It’s very easy to miss it, but if you run towards the K in the tapestry, it opens up and offers more considerable rewards for you to loot.
That’s all for this guide. There are tons more Easter eggs and secrets lying all over the map. Explore as much as possible and discover more clues about the Harry Potter universe.