0
The set has about 943 pieces, including 9 minifigures. It was released in 2007. I bought the set for 89.99 euro, which is a fair price to me, I couldn't get it anywere else at a lower price. The box is rather big, just like with every LEGO box, but it's filled about 7/8 so that's good. I think it's very stylish, I like the green logo with the head of the phoenix cut out in it. The logo also appears in the nice designed manual. The back of the box shows the castle unfolded and the various play elements. There are two manuals and the process goes a little bit slowly with only a few steps on each page. You also get a sticker sheet, but only half of the stickers are used, more on that later.
The minifigures in this set are awesome. The set includes 9 figures, but also two mandrake heads, two thestrals and the half of a knight.
First we have the gang of three: Harry Potter, Ron Weasly and Hermoine Granger.
Hagrid joins the party, with flesh hands that can move. He even has fingers, nice details. He also carries a crossbow.
Dumbledore has a nice outfit, also featured in a set of the 4th movie. Also included is a new Severus Snape figure! He has a new torso and one of the most nicest LEGO heads in my collection. I just love his expression.
Next we have a figure of Dolores Umbridge. She has a nice, pink, outfit with a cool print. The hairpiece is only included in this set and the Green Grocer set. Her face is very movie accurate, I love how they did the pink make-up elements. However, it isn't like described in the book, she looked to nice in the movie, not as described in the book. In the book her face is described as a toad, so I'll make a new one soon. Also included is Draco Malfoy, he also has a nice expression on his face.
Probably the best figure in this set is this one: a Death Eather. They are the villains in Harry Potter, the followers of Voldemort. The headpiece is awesome, it's so well designed and detailed, and very movie accurate. It's also a bit scary. I would love to get my hands on a few more of these figures!
This part is a bit random for me: a box with Quidditch accesoires. The chest includes two black bowls and a red one.
Next subject in this set is the greenhouse. A bit a weird choice, but I can't complain. For me this is a very nice building, with great parts and a great look. The LEGO designers did their best on this little greenhouse and its architecture, it's my favorite building in this set. It is almost completely seald, something we don't expect from LEGO.
When it's folded open, it reveals very nice parts. The first section has a little bench table covered with plants and a pot with a mandrake in it. Randomly placed there are a few mushrooms. The second part also has a mandrake, with a magnifieng glass and a blackboard. I don't mind the sticker, it looks very nice with a rather funny and simple drawing. The mandrakes are an exclusive, it's the only set in which these heads are included and they look awesome!
Next we have a little shooting range thingie. It's a bit weird, I think, but it adds to the sets' playability. When you turn Harry the piece falls down. The target is a sticker, but a nice sticker. A shame it isn't printed.
The shooting range is an addition to this castle segment. It represents the Room of Requirement. The segment has a wall that can open up.
Like all the buildings in this set, the segment folds open to reveal its interior. Nothing much to say about this because the two halfs are almost identical to each other. It looks a bit empty to me. One half has a nice piece with four wands attached to it, clever built I have to say. The walls are decorated with nice Hogwarts curtains. Unfortenately, they fall out a bit dark, luckely there are two of them spare. Also included in this segment are two owls and a dark gray rat.
Let's move on to the biggest and central part of the set: the Hogwarts castle.
I must say, it looks great, doesn't it? You can also fold it up. It looks like a nice castle, indeed with a few gaps, but it does what has to do. I really like the outside of the ground floor. The lion heads look good, and the details are also well done. Right above the door there is a Hogwarts shield, it's a shame this is a sticker. It says: "DRACO DORMIEN NUNQUAM TITILLANDUS", which means 'never tickle a sleeping dragon'. This is the upper part with towers and so.
The interior:
On the ground floor we found three chambers. On the right we have a fireplace with Sirius' face on a sticker putted on a tile. When you push away the wall with flames on it, you can see it better.
The left part has a few nice parts, like an electric looking piece and a trans blue cup. It also has a mailbox and a skeleton head under a globe.
The center part looks a bit empty though. Above the wall there are two crossed axes, on the left there is a knight statue which you can pull out to reveal a rune stone. This stone is, again, an exclusive part to this set. I think this tile is great, I'm glad I now own it.
The upper part is also full of accesoires and details.
On the right we have a green bed with under it a red book. Not so special if you ask me.
On the left we have Umbridge her office. Her desk has a parfume bottle, flowers, a trans pink cup and a inkt bottle. Behind the chair there is standing lamp, nice detail. The wall behind the office has two stickers on it, with kittens. How lovely. When you put down the scroll you can open it up to reveal Harry's locked up Fire Bolt, his broom. This set includes two black brooms.
The upper center part is the trophy room. Included are some nice golden bottles, a trans blue gemstone, a golden plate, a trans green cup and two ribbons.
And at the top of the castle there is an astronomy room. A nice tablet, a sticker, with stars on it and a telescope are standing there. The telescope is very well designed.
An overview of everything:
These are the spare parts.
Gallery when moderated: http://www.brickshel...ry.cgi?f=373699
I must say this is a great set. 5378 Hogwarts Castle is well designed with cool accesoires and pieces. I don't like the fact that there are much open spaces in the castle, but that's with every LEGO building. But the castle has a nice overall look, so it isn't a big issue. The greenhouse, on the other hand, is perfect. There aren't big gaps in it, just beneath the trans clear windows (to let the air in, very accurate) and the architecture is pretty good. The highlights in this set are the figures: new and exclusive designs are always welcomed. I also like the two thestrals and the mandrakes.
This was a good set for ending the LEGO Harry Potter theme. I think it's such a shame to stop the theme so sudden, and the fifth movie could use more sets because it had nice scenes (like the ministery and Sirius' house, ...). A good set, higly recommended for the LEGO Harry Potter fan and the Castle fan.
I hope you enjoyed my review of the 5378 Hogwarts Castle. Please let me know if I have forgotten something.
?
