krimimimi

Rumour has it that and (at least) one of the stations, yes.

Well that wasn't nearly as bad as I feared. I was even spared the mouldy tongue by searching for 'Voldemort' instead. (Forewarned...) Plenty of memes, and little fanart...

No, I thought dirty!Harry was very early. (Thanks for the Cody explanation, btw.) ETA: ninja'd. How on earth do you people remember when Voldy stuck his tongue out??? Or do you just google 'Voldy' & 'tongue' images and somehow aren't overwhelmed by extremely questionable fan art? (I'll admit to not be willing to try it as yet.)

I know what none of these bold words mean... Ditto @BrickBob Studpants. Someone care to translate?

We could also see them in an anniversary AP released on Sept 1 at some point. That would be cute. And as they can also serve as background characters in other scenes to flesh out the WW, that might not be such a wild guess after last year's random witchards pack. (Although the first and last years have a nice bookend approach lego might not be able to resist.) Agreeing with @BrickMatit on this one. Could just as easily still be DA2 w/out Gringotts off Falconfan's comment. Trust the leaker you know... @Seaber I think PoA is the only one I'd rule out after the last Express set. And considering the 2001 & 2004 HE releases, Hogsmeade Station seems more likely then 9 3/4 this time around. Plus we now have the Thestral carriage for the later years... We shall eventually see, even if it's not this year.

Well I don't have the space or budget (or interest) for a 500 EUR train, but I do love that they're willing to go there. It's great to see that kind of attention and care lavished on the theme. Plus I think if they kept cranking out sets I felt I 'needed' to keep my little Wizarding World up to date, I'd end up bailing sooner. This way it doesn't seem an impossible goal, and I'm more wiling to stretch to keep up. And with that kind of set budget for the Express, I'm confident they'll get around to the locations and sets I want eventually. (More DA, KA, and Hogsmeade, please...) I'm just going to join the ranks of those hoping there aren't too many exclusive figs that aren't appearing elsewhere. I did get Cedric (and the Hufflepuff uniform) and Lucius Malfoy from Ameet and I like that they provide other pathways to the figs. Of course it helps that I have DA now, too...

@evanevanevan The bay window on the top floor extends outwards three studs further than the ground floor, so it's eleven studs deep instead of the usual eight. It's possible the Pensieve is pushed forwards into that bay window. The grey circular plate is 4x4, so it should fit, located at studs 7-10 from the front edge.

@DBlegonerd7 Grimmauld Place description is finished except for the word for the sides of stairs. (Not treads, not risers... Architecture is challenging.) ETA: Stringers!

76408 | $119.99 | 1083 pieces - 12 Grimmauld Place In a theme first, lego has re-created the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, complete with a play feature that hides the Secret Kept building behind its two neighbours. Two identical three story townhouses, eight studs in width, slide apart to reveal a third between them, differentiated by a darker colour scheme and a few subtle changes to suggest it's been more poorly kept. The centre building is ten studs in width, its two extra studs, one on either side, are cleverly hidden behind drain pipes so that all three buildings give the impression of being the same. To either side of this small block of houses are 2 stud wide strips, empty save for street lanterns. When fully opened, it's 30 studs wide, when folded closed, only 20. The Exterior The base is a very chunky two brick high build on a number of 2 by 2 rounded bottom (Boat Studs) to facilitate the vanishing building play feature. It's fronted by a two stair high construction that extends across the entire 20 stud wide closed front. The stairs are broken at regular intervals by jumpers with five small builds that define those stairs, so that the steps that form the entry to the townhouses are three studs wide with the raised stringers to either side. The spacing means even when the set is unfolded, the individual buildings seem to retain a set of stairs. The ground floor of all three buildings has plates running underneath the walls topped by a 1 by 4 by 2 Spindled Fence with 4 Studs to the left of a door, which is recessed by one stud. The two Muggle homes use panels with door stickers to close the openings, only the Order of the Phoenix headquarters has a functioning door. Level with the doors and above the fence pieces are two 2 by 2 windows flanked on either side by four vertically alignged 1 by 1 tiles affixed with spaces between them via a studs-not-on-top arrangement to give the impression of rendered masonry. The top of this is the same six stud height as the door frame, a plate across the top provides stability and a contrasting stripe. A single course of bricks above it suggests the top of the story. On the outer surface there's a 1 by 4 tile affixed horizontally over the windows to continue the impression of a rendered front and a semicircular sticker over the door to represent a transom window. The interior reveals that the story is two bricks higher instead of ending here as one might expect. The extra height disguises part of the building's folding mechanism, the rest of which is housed in the base. The actual internal measure of the ground floor is nine bricks and two plates in height, whereas the other two stories are six bricks and one plate high. From the exterior, the heights seem more even at roughly seven bricks and a plate apiece. The middle floors of all three buildings have juliette balconies suggested by 1 by 4 by 2 Ornamental Fences flanked by matching telescopes topped with 1 by 1 round plates. The balustrade is capped with a matching 1 by 6 tile. Four 1 by 2 masonry profile bricks extend centred above it separating two stacks of 2 by 2 windows leaving room for a single brick on their exterior sides. The windows are topped by two 2 by 4 semicircular sets of tiles. The upper floors have the same four 1 by 2 masonry profile bricks in their centres, again separating two stacks of 2 by 2 windows and a single brick on each of their exterior sides. The windows here are topped by two 1 by 4 horizontal tiles representing the lintels. The two Muggle buildings have a final course of masonry profile bricks before the roofs. The roofs have a ridge one brick in height capped with 1 by 1 plates at the ends and a 1 by 6 tile between them. The design is echoed on the front via another studs-not-on-top detail with 1 by 1 plates at the ends and a 1 by 6 tile between them. The Muggle buildings also have 2 by 2 chimneys made of masonry profile bricks, capped with jumpers and two 1 by 1 round open stud plates each holding inverted 1 by 1 cones. The building on the right has an aerial as well, where visiting owls might perch. (None are included in the set.) Twelve Grimmauld Place has a more varied final course above the windows both in terms of texture and colour, presumably to represent render that hasn't been maintained. The 1 by 8 roof ridge is fronted by a flat tile, making it seem less slightly less ornate than its neighbours, and the top cap is again less even. Presumably for design reasons, it doesn't have a chimney. The Interior After the detail and the care taken with the exterior, the interior seems something of an afterthought. The façade and the play feature were clearly more important to the design process, and unfortunately it doesn't help for the description that the pictures don't show much of its contents. To facilitate the folding function, both of the Muggle buildings to either side use the triangular 8 by 8 Wedge Plates with Cut Corners to make all three floors (those pieces were also employed in the Dumbledore's Office set). This leaves little floor area either for contents or minifigures, totalling only 21 available studs, and there is a large triangular gap in each floor between the outer rooms and the centre build. The centre building attempts to compensate by making full use of its ten stud width, and its side walls only measure four studs. 1 by 4 log profile bricks above and below three rows of coloured bricks with a different colour used for each floor help to define the individual rooms. These short walls are paired with 1 by 3 by 2 arches to give the 6 by 10 floor plates stability. The ground floor is a little deeper and appears to have nine studs of depth available for building. The windows on the ground floor are two bricks and one plate above the floor, in both upper floors they are only raised by a plate off their respective floors. From left to right, bottom to top, the rooms are as follows: A deep door frame and functioning door create a non-functional foyer as its back is a fixed panel. The hinge mechanism holds a small chandelier. The centre build has a 2 by 8 kitchen table with two stools on either side. Two newspapers are included for characters feeling less than social. A mug rack covers one of the small walls. A small 2 by 4 by 2 2/3 stove and oven unit is positioned on the table outside of the build as there's no room for it in the kitchen. The right hand triangle holds a brick built troll's foot umbrella stand and a small table with a bowl and lamp. Here again the hinge mechanism holds a small chandelier in the middle of the space. The middle floor left triangle contains a 3 by 4 armchair. The centre building holds a 6 stud wide baby grand piano and two stools, so Crookshanks can teach Ron to play the piano. There's a lamp on top of the instrument, a small box and at least one portrait in the room. The room on the right is empty, but both of its walls are panel pieces covered with stickers of the Black family tree tapestry and this gives Sirius a little room to explain the blast marks to Harry. The top floor left most likely was Sirius' bedroom as there's a Gryffindor crest. It also contains a bed, a bat mobile, and a jewel hidden above the window. The centre room displays some of the Black family oddities, represented by two skulls under glass domes with a wall mounted candle between them. There's at least one portrait, and jumpers above the windows which could be used to hide other objects. The final room on the upper right was likely Regulus' and holds another 2 by 6 stud minimalistic bed with pillow. The portrait on his wall could be some sort of Slytherin design based on the colours. The jumpers above the windows hold a mug and a round tile, possibly the imitation locket. Minifigs: Nine in total, eight thus far exclusive minifigs are included. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, posh Sirius Black, Metamorphmagus Nymphadora Tonks, Kreacher, Molly Weasley, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Hermione’s cat Crookshanks. (Hermione herself isn't included, so Crooks is forced to stand in.) An Extendable Ear is also included. Colours: The steps are medium grey and the front doors are black. The Muggle buildings are white on the ground floors with medium nougat upper levels. 12 Grimmauld Place is medium grey on the ground floor and dark grey on the upper levels. The roof ridges match the respective ground floor colours. The fence and balustrade pieces are all black. The tile decoration pieces above the windows of the Muggle houses are reddish brown, and black on 12 Grimmauld Place. The ground floor colour in the interior is dark orange, dark red in the middle story and dark blue on the upper level.

I'm still hoping for McGonagall in a sleeping bonnet and bathrobe, just in case there wasn't a mould for that form. (I'm not sure if that's why it wasn't used on showering Santa instead?) And while I frankly can't recall if we ever saw him in his sleepwear, I'd like a knobby-kneed Snape in nightshirt to go with it for parity, pirate hat sleeping cap optional. @Seaber did we ever see Wilkie Twycross in the films, or was he strictly a book character?

Somewhat bizarrely he wears a hat in addition to the thong. And not a shower cap either, it's the cloth wrap / bandana piece generally reserved for pirates. Day 18 of the 2010 City calendar. I'm sure it made perfect sense at the time...

I believe Malfoy is still missing, unless he's in the trunk? (In fact this year has been entirely Malfoy-free thus far as neither of his parents put in an appearance either... ) But with the addition of the inexpensive Polyjuice Potion Mistake set from last year, you'd have a reasonable Slytherin posse. Draco on his own always seems to lack the required oompf anyway. I agree they've done a wonderful job of giving us so many different characters this year. I'd argue Doris and Dedalus were included in the AP but unnamed as relatively obscure. It helps keep people from becoming overly cynical about the inclusion of such rare characters while world building and rewarding the more enthusiastic fans who'd recognise them from the books and films. I think @deskp had included them in their wonderful flickr character / minifig matchup. ETA: link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/47575695@N02/albums/72157688090925760/page1 They don't seem to be there, although I thought they had been at one time?

That was adorable! Thanks for that. The lego FB page redirects to the German page (despite my VPN ) and they hadn't gotten around to uploading it yet when I checked. @DBlegonerd7 you're welcome. Would you prefer the Ministry or Grimmauld next? (I'd try to get around to it tomorrow.)

I've looked and just can't find any videos or trailers from lego. Do you have a link, please?

76402 | $79.99 | 654 pieces - Dumbledore's Office - re-make of 2002's 4729. Another modular castle extension in the 2021 Hogwarts style, where the modules are 8 by 8 studs wide and deep and 8 bricks plus two plates in height. As with this year's Hospital Wing set, more attention has been paid to the exterior of the build in an improvement over the 2021 models. This build is four levels high (including the roof) and pyramidal in shape, the stories are also cantilevered by means of a series of bay windows stepping the levels progressively outwards, so that the upper floor and the roof extend three studs out beyond the base depth of the ground floor. When folded together, the ground floor is three modules wide, the second level centred upon it is two modules wide, and the upper level centred upon that is only one module in width and crowned with a series of increasingly smaller cones like last year's Fluffy Encounter. The primary departure to the shape is the addition of a four spoked piece near the very top to allow owls to perch. Unlike in Fluffy Encounter, the cone is finished on the interior with a series of arch pieces that create a frame for the Sword of Gryffindor to be displayed there. Some of that arch extends slightly beyond the cone shape to provide some additional architectural interest from the exterior. The cones are fronted by a Hogwarts Crest on an upside down shield. The interior sides of that level are enclosed to either side by 1 by 4 by 1 lattice gates and finished with 1 by 1 bricks adorned with oil lamps. Immediately beneath the cone roof is the top level of Dumbledore's office, a largely unspectacular level comprised of open arches on three sides and holding nothing but a Pensieve. There are two stand out features of this level. The first is a bay window with two stacked 2 by 2 windows topped with one 2 by 2 2/3 rounded window in its centre. The windows are all filled with diamond lattices in this set. To either side, curved panel pieces enclose the window and connect it to the main building. The other feature is the inclusion of two of the three small stepped turrets off to the side of the build attached by technic pin. They're solid and purely decorative. (The third turret was presumably skipped due to scale. Although a departure as is, it feels balanced.) Two 4 by 8 plates fronted with 2 by 4 45 degree Slopes capped with a plate and the 1 by 1 pyramid pieces to either side of the module complete the level. The middle level of the build is the eponymous Headmaster's office, open on three sides. It's a slightly improved version of the one included in 2019's 75948 Clock Tower. The desk is similar in size and design save for being raised on a studs-not-on-top, rounded dais comprised of a plate and a second, slightly recessed level of one brick's height. Even the accessories are much the same: quill, parchment, and light source. The chair back is again an inverted shield. The primary additions are two built brick bookshelves in each back corner and stands for the Sorting hat and baby Fawkes towards the front on either side of the desk. The bay window positioned behind Dumbledore's chair has three 2 by 2 windows stacked at its centre and relies on the same curved panels pieces as in the level above it. To either side of the bay window are two narrow slots in the exterior walls topped with 1 by 3 by 1 arches, the taller of these slots - 5 2/3 bricks in height - is towards the centre. The smaller slot is only 3 2/3 high. From the inside the slots are mostly blocked by the bookcases. It's not quite clear from the pictures, but the bookcases are probably angled, and possibly rounded, and are located at both corners to call the round floor plan of the movie set to mind, which an 8 by 16 box otherwise *doesn't* immediately. Two different stoppered bottles seem the extent of the Headmaster's collection of magical oddities, and there are once again no trace of portraits in evidence. As in the level above, this floor is completed and made to fit the larger floor below by the addition of two 4 by 8 plates to either side of the module. Here they're fronted by two 1 by 2 by 2/3 pieces each with 1 by 4 by 2 Ornamental Fence pieces behind them. That suggests the railings of the stairs in the Headmaster's office or the balustrade from the raised platform behind his desk in the films. They're also on top of pieces hinged to swing outwards towards the building's exterior, which again echoes the circular shape of the office, although here in the inverse just as it was in the Hospital Wing set. The ground floor is a little more complicated. When folded together, it's footprint is 8 by 24 studs in size. It's a single module and makes good use of the floor plan by not including redundant interior walls. It has arches on either side, although one is closed by a panel with a print of the Griffin that guards the Headmaster's staircase (stairs and password not included, although 'Jammie Dodgers' and 'Jaffa Cakes' are good starting points for the latter). The opening from the interior is interrupted only by two columns for support. As with this winter's Hospital Wing set, it increases the size of its footprint via hinges in the exterior wall that can extend the room outwards. The centre and stationary part of the build is 20 studs wide, the final two bricks to either side are hinged to swing outwards. When fully opened, the side archways face the front and the base's footprint becomes 36 by 10 studs. These side pieces make use of triangular plates for their floors, and a small study carrel, comprised of a chair and an angled 2 by 4 jumper plate desk, is located in each to make sense of the space. They can be placed at different angles to allow other sets to connect to this one other than just in the usual straight lines. The centre of the ground floor module has two 6 stud wide bay windows to either side of the exterior wall, each with a 2 by 2 window topped with a 2 by 2 2/3 rounded window in their respective centres. Two built in desks with lamps in front of those windows flank a brick built floor to ceiling bookcase, 8 studs in width, in the middle. Halfway up the bookcase, there's a one brick's depth protrusion on the castle's outer wall that transitions to the support for the bay window in the next level. On the lower level, there are a number of brown arches in that protrusion to suggest branches, a root piece, and various bits of greenery that disguise a play feature that allows you to knock a couple of books from the shelves for when Harry makes a midnight recce. Both he and Filch are equipped with lanterns for their game of cat and cat and mouse. Minifigs: Six in total, two thus far exclusive minifigs are included. Madam Pince the librarian comes with a skirt and new pointy hat / hairpiece that includes a feather. There's also a new version of Mr. Filch. Hermione and Harry are in robes we've had before (although rumour has it Dumbledore may have given him a new Invisibility Cloak), and the versions of Professors Dumbledore and Snape are also not new. The Sorting Hat, too, has been in other sets before, but Filch's loyal and somewhat beastly cat Mrs Norris and the baby Fawkes piece are exclusive as of yet, although recolours of existing pieces. Colours: the roofs are sand green like the 2021 Chamber of Secrets and Fluffy Encounter builds, the walls are brick yellow (or tan) with medium nougat masonry profile bricks as accent pieces. The floors and top layer once again are dark tan plates and tiles. One notable change to the Hospital Wing, the window frames are once again the reddish brown used previously instead of tan, and in an odd choice, the lattice diamond window panes are gold in the upper two floors and black on the ground floor instead of white. The furnishings are mostly reddish brown with dark orange accents and occasional touches of pearly gold. The books are colourful, the dais and plate on which the Pensieve stands are light grey, and the technics pieces to connect the modules are dark grey.

So I took another stab at it. So far I've got Dumbledore's Office. If anyone else would like to add to it or try the other two builds, please go for it. Thanks, @williejm Also, I need help describing that piece at the top of the tower on Dumbledore's office where I imagine the (not included ) owls should perch. I ended up going with "four spoked piece" which feels wrong. https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/hogwarts-dumbledore-s-office-76402

76398 | $49.99 | 510 pieces - Hogwarts: Hospital Wing It's a continuation of the 2021 anniversary modular style. The base consists of three eight by eight sections, each of which has six windows in the centres of their outer walls in a two wide, three high arrangement framed by arches that extend outwards from the builds by one brick's depth. The sections are joined by hinges on the exterior castle wall that allow you to angle the sections and make more space on the inside of the build, for example to place the Infirmary screen or the visitor's chair. The roof consists of two lower roof sections on either side of a centre tower. They're smaller versions of the pitched roof from the Fluffy Encounter set. These are only four studs deep. The central clock tower is on another of the eight by eight stud sections, cantilevered out over the front of the castle by three studs supported by two small arches that help make sense of that arrangement. As one of the complaints about the 2021 system was poor access to the little rooms, this offset and the two smaller roof pieces should improve that situation. The clock tower's roof consists of the same plates with cheese pieces that comprise the ones beside it, however it's rotated ninety degrees and has two spires in the middle. The spires are those two by two by three jagged cone drill bit pieces raised on two by two round bricks. Turning one of those spires turns the larger clock's hands. One by one cone pieces and unicorn horns are dotted around for architectural details, as are modified one by one bricks with scrolls. They've kept the two clocks arrangement from the 2019 Clock Tower set, a huge clock with a smaller two by two tile one in the upper right quadrant, except there are gears instead of a wall behind it. Likewise the four side walls of the build (two from the tower and two from the main floor) aren't solid. They've again used the one by six by seven door frames with rounded pillars, top arch and notches that were used repeatedly in the 2021 line. The rest of the side supports are provided by half arches which frees up a much needed brick or two worth of width on the floor grilles. The interior of the Infirmary has three beds, two night tables with lamps, a visitor's chair, a brick-built privacy screen, a medical cart with handle (but somewhat strangely without the suggestion of wheels) filled with a variety of stoppered bright translucent phials, a couple of wall mounted candles, a brick-built bottle of Skele-gro, and one of the new trunks with flat lids in which the Bertie Bott's Beans can be stowed. There's also a new owl in midflight, a lantern and a clipboard with mount for one of the beds. We should be able to perch a Dobby minifig (not included) on that mount. The beds are a generous four studs in width and seven in depth including the bedframes made of the one by four by two bars with studs. The headboard piece is raised by a brick's height. The curved sides of the comforters give the beds a wider format than the three stud wide beds from the 2019 version of the Infirmary in the Clock Tower set for a nice change that still keeps things in proportion. Minifigs: four thus far exclusive minifigs are included. Madam Pomfrey comes with a skirt and new hairpiece that includes her iconic nurse's hat. The students' clothes are dirty. Ron has a broken leg, represented by one white leg piece, and cane. Hermione's hand is bandaged with an extra piece she holds, and the Time Turner is no longer printed on her hoody but is a printed 1x1 round tile.  Colours: the roofs are sand green cheese pieces on sand green plates like the 2021 Chamber of Secrets and Fluffy Encounter builds, the walls are brick yellow (or tan) with medium nougat masonry profile bricks as accent pieces. The floors and top layer once again are dark tan grilles, plates and tiles. One notable change, the window frames are also tan instead of the reddish brown used previously, and the lattice diamond window panes are white instead of black. Overall it gives the Infirmary a lighter look and is more in keeping with the castle windows, but is a break from the 2021 approach to the windows in the two aforementioned sets and the Polyjuice Potion Mistake. The cart, night tables and bedframes are white, the comforters and screens are a medium blue, and the lamps and lantern are gold, and I believe the new owl is sand blue. 

One of our forum regulars pointed out that it can be helpful for folks with visual impairments to have more detailed descriptions of the newly released sets to better decide what to buy, so I thought maybe we could give it a shot, if people felt like it, and there might be more than one person who could benefit from it. I'm starting this with Harry Potter because that's my favourite theme, but anyone is welcome (and encouraged) to add to this as they care to. Colour information can apparently be useful, so I tacked it on at the end. Harry Potter Hogwarts: Hospital Wing Hogwarts: Dumbledore's Office 12 Grimmauld Place Gringotts Wizarding Bank

You say that. but I much prefer acquiring them at CMF prices... Loving the minifigs and creatures this wave, and I appreciate the way they aren't giving us so many boring multiples of the trio like they did last year. Pince is second only to Pomfrey on my list of favourites this year. So well done. It was such a disappoint to have an Infirmary without the Matron the first go round, it would have been sad to see a library without the stern bookmistress. Sensible inclusions like this make me quietly confident we'll see Rita et al eventually, and it helps to populate my Wizarding World in any event. I need more than just a sea of student uniforms. Re Voldemort head leak, GWP or the rumoured minifig AP seem good bets. After all the OotP minifigs and the MoM, it would be nice to see some more of the opposition put in an appearance.

Snape. Poor Snape. Was anyone else left out of the scene? Hell, they even included all of the alternative forms... Quite satisfying all around. I feel like it should have come with a steak instead of an apple... Given the pig nose as her second face print, I'd guess so.

Thank you, I was wondering why Tonks had a different hair colour on the box art, but that will be why. The ear is such a nice detail. I can't tell if there's a sticker for the elf heads though. (Keeping my fingers crossed...) And she has her cat patronus! Yer a hairy wizard...

Kreature! Sassy Tonks and Slick Sirius, your not so basic Black! 12 Grimmauld complete with secret kept play feature... Oh these are nice! So an Advent Calendar to flesh out 12 Grimmauld then? Something a little bit Christmassy this year! Loving the Black Family tree. The artwork is always so spot on...

PINCE!!!! And she's awesome! Really pleased they've included a library. It's like they've finally acknowledged the swots in the fandom.

Oof. I don't imagine that bodes well for the remainder of the films being produced...

Cheers.