RODDY

Going further down the Astronomy Tower/One more Hogwarts expansion rabbit hole again, with Knockturn Alley releasing alongside it and a Vanishing Cabinet all but guaranteed due to it being HBP based, could we be getting its sister? Last time we got Borgin & Burkes in 2011, that years Hogwarts system also had a Vanishing Cabinet acknowledging the connection between them. Recently we have had Hogsmeade and the Room of Requirement GWP with the portrait of Arianna, The Burrow and the Borgin & Burkes GWP, so Lego does love giving us ways of connecting the sets. And now we know for certain that Lego doesn’t mind repeating rooms with two DADAs, we might end up getting two versions of RoRs especially since this is the HBP version of that room is the last version that hasn’t been done since the reboot. We have also yet to see a Room of Requirement included in the Most Detailed Hogwarts system for sale when it was included in both the 2018 and 2021 castles.

If they omit the Stone Bridge that connects the Main Tower portion to the Viaduct Entrance, this would be a problem of not being able to fit the Astronomy Tower. However with the exposed doorway of the small tower that clearly leads to somewhere in The Main Tower set, I can’t see them skipping the Stone Bridge. With the Stone Bridge, it should push the East Wing far enough to the right allowing plenty of room for the Astronomy Tower to co exist with the Hospital Wing.

I’m huffing on the copium that it’s the Astronomy Tower and I think it might be just enough pieces to pull it off, even if it maybe a little shorter than the Main Tower. I’ve seen some mocs of it at 800 pieces that look pretty close to the size needed to be in scale with the rest of the castle so another 400 pieces or so should get us there. The tower alone in the 2020 set was 412 pieces, so about triple that to 1182, I think you got it.And Snape does play a pivotal role in the whole sequence of events that transpire there, so he’s a realistic inclusion there. Good catch, didn’t realize that the original was 12 and it now went down to 11. So yea Riddle could still be 12 and we could still get three more students. That makes a lot of sense now.

There’s no way that Tom Riddle isn’t in the East Wing, at least Quirell was in the Great Hall and that set is a companion to the Main Tower. I think this to me would be by far the most egregious exclusion, especially since Tom Marvollo Riddle/I am Lord Voldemort is the main villain of the entire series nevertheless just the Chamber of Secrets where he plays a pivotal role in the climax. I can live without Pince, she’s a blink and you’ll miss her character. I can live without Pomfrey in the Hospital Wing since it’s based on PoA. But excluding Tom Riddle from the Chamber is like excluding Vader from the Final Duel, inexcusable. I think they must have mistaken him as one of the 3 students imo. I’m not too bothered by the lack of staff besides Filch & Ms. Norris I don’t need another Harris Dumbledore in red robes or a random professor, I’d rather have all the petrified victims in one big package since they are more relevant to the reference material and are harder to come by. So if the last two students are Collin and Justin alongside Riddle, I’ll be stoked. Especially since we got Ernie in the Main Tower which was neat. I’m still hoping Ms. Norris finds her way into this set even without Filch alongside the blood writing wall. But not sure if Lego will tackle that for a playset.

Ooohhh I quite like your suggestion, absolutely brilliant so now I can keep my Boggart Snape and Neville firmly in place while not still being DADA. Thanks for the idea! I mean we have a chance to get a more improved take of the architecture of the classroom itself, that imo is the biggest draw. Like a more elaborate staircase and maybe just maybe the dragon skeleton itself. Especially since it’s so tied with the pixies collapsing it, I think it would be a super neat play feature (yes I’m 28 years old but I still love my play features). Normally I wouldn’t count on the skeleton being included but I think there might be enough room this time, especially if it’s on the second floor which I’m guessing DADA will be. Man the more I talk about Lockhart’s DADA the more I get behind it…

Yea many weren’t happy with Lupin’s DADA so it’s def a shot of redemption here (personally thought it was pretty good but the staircase could definitely be executed better). I just wish the designers would have just replaced Lupin’s with a Divinations Classroom since it’s the last classroom we are missing instead of giving us two DADAs. Especially if this the last Hogwarts expansion though I’m delusional and in denial holding out hope on the mystery set. But I can always just headcanon Lupin’s DADA as the office where he shows Harry Expecto Patronum, so it works out and I’ll never say no to more Lockhart and a better DADA.

New info via Unibricks: Knockturn Alley second building is Potages Cauldrons. Minifigs are Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Narcissa, Fenrir, black witch and student East Wing rooms alongside Chamber is Slytherin Common Room, Lockhart’s DADA, Library, Girl’s Bathroom. Hermoine, Ginny, Draco alongside 3 other students. Two DADAs in one system is certainly a choice but I can’t complain too much, more Lockhart content is always welcome.

Yea I was more so talking about the movie/book rather than the Chamber itself. With the Slytherin Common Room and the Girl’s Bathroom which is basically a given with Myrtle included, you can reenact the entire Polyjuice heist. Fingers crossed for the Blood Wall as graphic as it could be. Library too would be great for the trio to investigate what monster lies in the Chamber. Throw in a Lockhart Office too. At this point I’ve come to terms that the 2002 Chamber of Secrets will likely be the definitive version of the set itself just for the sheer footprint it has. I really had hopes that if they were to do it in this system that they would use the entire bottom for it. But that’s not the case anymore as it’s a small Chamber so one of the bigger pullouts is the logical conclusion. I still think it could be good because of the depth that the pullouts have so you can put two snake statues in front of the statue of Salazar Slytherin but it won’t be the best. MicMacPadawan has a nice MOC of what I think it could look like. East Wing for me is a Day 1 buy and initially the only set I was going to buy. I own all the non Hogwarts locations I truly need and this will probably be the last Hogwarts system I buy because it’s going to be the biggest in terms of scope and detail. Don’t think we will get another at this scale so this will be my definitive Hogwarts I keep on display. Buttttt the more I hear about Knockturn Alley, the more I’m tempted by it even if I can’t pair it with my D2C Diagon Alley. Also might be buying whatever the mystery 1182 piece is if it ends up being what I’m thinking it will be.

76478 is now officially confirmed to have 1182 pieces by JediJacPenguin.

Speak for yourself, we are still missing the red robe Lockhart, pink robe Lockhart, blue robe Lockhart, and green robe Lockhart. I NEED THEM ALL!!! I need a CMF line of every iteration of Lockhart. But fr I’m ecstatic that we are getting two ghosts in one set. I’ve been really excited for the East Wing cause it’s probably gonna be the definitive Chamber of Secrets set and this minifig lineup is already looking super promising with a new Lockhart, Bloody Baron (the coolest Hogwarts ghost), Myrtle, and Riddle. Myrtle’s inclusion also confirms the bathroom so that’s sweet even if I knew it was already likely. I’m hoping for Millicent Bulstrode to be the Slytherin student because of her connection to the Polyjuice Mistake but it’ll probably be Draco if Harry and Ron have the Crabbe and Goyle alt faces so you can recreate the Polyjuice scene in the Slytherin Common Room. Hufflepuff will be Justin so you can have all the petrified victims. I hope they skip Ravenclaw (I say this as a Ravenclaw), I would rather have scene related characters rather than having all houses represented. There’s no logical choice here but probably young Luna or Cho. Ginny is a must. Honestly fine if they skip Hermoine though she’ll likely be included especially if the Library is there and she has the Basilisk page crumbled in her hand. I think Dumbledore again I wish they could skip bud he does give Harry his whole spiel of our choices define us so he kinda has to be here. If no Pomfrey is anything to go by, I wouldn’t expect Pince who is even more obscure so I’m my final pick will probably be Filch and Ms. Norris. Ideally in my world I’d take out the Ravenclaw for Pince and Draco for Millicent.

I think even a Hogwarts Icons type set isn’t likely imo because the new successor to that is the Philosopher’s Stone Collector’s Edition set that came out in January. Could see them doing one for every book (Would really love a Chamber of Secrets version) I think the safe pick if you are a betting man is a Diagon Alley revamp even if it may have less shops, unless they doing something really out of left field. They can just have it based on Philosophers Stone and keep some essential shops like Ollivanders & QQS for those who didn’t get the old one while including the Leaky Cauldron, Madame Malkins, and Eeylops Owl Emporium to entice people who have the old ones. Which is already one shop less to combat the inflation and imagine most of those shops wouldn’t need huge real estate except the Cauldron and QQS.Kinda like how the Hogsmeade had Hogs Head and Zonkos to entice old buyers who had the original playset (and it worked on me damnit). I actually don’t think this is a mark against it. The Diagon Alley D2C sold for four years without Gringotts (dark times indeed without a complete street) but did extremely well. Diagon Alley has more than proven it can stand alone without its centerpiece. Or maybe they even include it in a remake, you never know.

Yea you know what that’s a very good point, I kinda forget how macabre Lego Harry Potter can be at times.

The Ministry is actually the one I want to see most and the one I’m rooting for them to make (with an Umbridge’s Office GWP of course, this is my new agenda and it’s the last room that is yet to be remade since the 2018 reboot). I think with the fig lineup alone with Dumbledore’s Army, Death Eaters, and Order Of The Phoenix would be worth it, nevertheless all the cool dueling scenes and fights. But I don’t think Lego will make it for a couple of reasons. First it’s got Sirius Black’s death and it maybe something they tried to avoid, hence why they made the Deathly Hallows version last time even if it’s less iconic. The other would be the layout of the set, making it into a more unified structure rather than a hodge podge of side builds which are rarely well received for big sets like The Shire or Assault on Hoth (I actually don’t mind these sets myself, just what the consensus) for connecting stuff like the Veil or the Room of Prophecies and the front entrance. And lastly I think the sales of the 2022 Ministry of Magic would turn them off, selling a $100 set is one thing but a $400-$500 is a different beast. Sales be damned I hope they do it cause I want it.

12 Grimmauld Place is an interesting pick, it’s a bit niche but the demand is definitely there in the aftermarket pricing. Crazy seeing the pricing one sealed goes for after only a couple years being retired. But I think price wise $300 is excessive especially when it’s a rung below The Burrow which is $260 in terms for being well known. If I’m pricing it maybe $200- $230?I think the one advantage that Grimmauld Place has over The Burrow has is the cross over for Modular fans, it’s way easier to integrate this into a city rather than The Burrow so maybe there’s some appeal there. And while I don’t think there’s much more to add to the playset version besides finally getting Mundungus, I do think the same of the playset version of The Burrow in comparison to its Collector’s Edition counterpart. The Burrow was more than fine without a Collector’s Edition version besides getting the entire Weasley Family which was neat. So while I personally wouldn’t be too thrilled at a prospect of a Collector’s Edition 12 Grimmauld Place, I wasn’t too thrilled of The Burrow Collector’s Edition and we still got it. So viable and likely pick, just not my favorite pick.

I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if they skipped the D2C altogether this year, there’s nothing really left for them to do that is well known enough to the masses that would sell well. Ministry of Magic was constantly on sale at the $100 price tag, Quidditch was shelf warming at $40, Hogwarts Icons got replaced with the movie Collector’s Edition. Even the Hogwarts Express was 5x VIP points within a year of release. I could maybe see a Diagon Alley remake with some new shops like the Leaky Cauldron or Madam Malkin’s but even then idk.