krimimimi

@Brick Clicker do we have a price on 40560 yet? 40 EUR maybe? Which would probably be the four Heads of House then...

Thanks so much for going to the effort to put that together, it was very interesting. I'm really surprised DA did so much better than the D2C nanoscale Hogwarts. I guess the scale really just isn't as popular on EB, but I can't imagine the castle did poorly in the shops as it's still available 4 years on. (Oh, and if we were limiting ourselves to 2021 as the outer limit, then I'd have to change my HM: DADA vote to HM: Potions, which meant it would have made one person's list, not that it changes any rankings. It's a very cute little set. )

Wasn't it a plait? I usually picture Will Turner as well, but I think he actually has it braided.

Nailed it. Agreed, Bellatrix' hair was a thing of beauty, so well done, and I really liked Nagini.

If you sort the Brickheadz sets by price, the three most expensive (here at least) were 40548 the Spice Girls Tribute, 40490: Ninjago 10th Anniversary BrickHeadz, and 41597: Go Brick Me, none of which are named after the characters / people they represent (although Go Brick Me is probably close enough). I think they could do either a set like the Spice Girls with Snape, McGonagall, Flitwick and Sprout, and the possible addition of one of the DADA professors like Lupin or Lockhart also seems not unlikely unless the focus is the Houses as with the first round of Moment sets. Or they could do something like Go Brick Me, and let us build the professor of choice, but I can't see as many takers for a 25 EUR random prof. So if it isn't a minifig AP, then I'm thinking the Spice Brickheadz of Hogwarts... (Snape is clearly their Scary Spice. ) Edit: @BrickBob Studpants great minds...

Cheers. Her not being on the map is an interesting detail, but they tended to be pretty good with those. Yes, the "Severus, please," had to have stung. I think that's what Dumbledore says to him too at the end of HBP. I picture Snape flinching thereafter whenever someone asks him to pass the salt cellar. "Severus, please pass the salt..." *whoosh* "Where did he go?"

Like I said, not sure that counts. 2019 when we had the Beauxbatons Carriage, we also got the Knight Bus. 2018 when we had the Fantastic Beasts carriage in Grindelwald's Escape (although: FB, so maybe that's the issue there), we also had the Hogwarts Express and a Ford Anglia.

For me at least the Manor scene was less problematic for Dobby's death, which I associate more with Shell Cottage, than Hermione's torture. (Rough watch that, EW & HBC did such great work.) And the other scene I associate with the location is that time their schoolmarm got murdered and gobbled up by a snake. Were there others less gruesome? That said, I'd still appreciate a set. I'm quite partial to that piece of concept art kicking around here. @Timemaster11, that's presumably a better way to ascertain it, thank you. We're getting the Thestral-drawn carriage. Not sure if that counts, though.

@Salix I assumed your memory was better than mine when you'd ruled it out for the film. (emphasis mine) I had primarily wanted to ascertain Draco's implied befriending of Myrtle was actually canon and not a Pottermore addition. So we know she's definitely present in the books, when you get there in your rewatch, please let me know if she appears in the scene. (But I think you were correct and she doesn't.) I'm so glad we got the very excellent minifig of Myrtle in the CMF. I'm hoping they'll relent and give us Peeves, Binns and the House ghosts at some point. (I know the arguments agains Peeves and Binns, but they appear in the video games, so...) As Binns and the other three House ghosts should be largely monochrome, they'd still probably make a more useful parts pack to mix and match than the rumoured Professors. If they do give us Profs (instead of ghosts, Quidditch players or Death Eaters), I don't need them to keep retreading the same ground unless it builds my pool of characters via uniforms. So here's hoping for Pince (she's one I actively want), Burbage, and Vector at least. Grubbly-Plank would also be nice. They can put the Carrows in a Death Eater pack some other time. That only leaves Professor Babbling, and I don't think they even had an extra for her, did they? Or what are the chances they ever give us a little library module with Harry in his cloak, Pince and the Restricted Section? I'd like that for all the time the characters spent there.

@Salix:For a moment he could not find Malfoy anywhere and assumed he must indeed be inside the Room of Requirement again, but then he saw Malfoy’s tiny, labeled dot standing in a boys’ bathroom on the floor below, accompanied, not by Crabbe or Goyle, but by Moaning Myrtle. Harry only stopped staring at this unlikely coupling when he walked right into a suit of armor. The loud crash brought him out of his reverie; hurrying from the scene lest Filch turn up, he dashed down the marble staircase and along the passageway below. Outside the bathroom, he pressed his ear against the door. He could not hear anything. He very quietly pushed the door open. Draco Malfoy was standing with his back to the door, his hands clutching either side of the sink, his white-blond head bowed. “Don’t,” crooned Moaning Myrtle’s voice from one of the cubicles. “Don’t… tell me what’s wrong… I can help you…” “No one can help me,” said Malfoy. His whole body was shaking. “I can’t do it… I can’t… It won’t work… and unless I do it soon… he says he’ll kill me…” And Harry realized, with a shock so huge it seemed to root him to the spot, that Malfoy was crying—actually crying—tears streaming down his pale face into the grimy basin. Malfoy gasped and gulped and then, with a great shudder, looked up into flu-cracked mirror and saw Harry staring at him over his shoulder. Malfoy wheeled around, drawing his wand. Instinctively, Harry pulled out his own. Malfoy’s hex missed Harry by inches, shattering the lamp on the wall beside him; Harry threw himself sideways, thought Levicorpus! and flicked his wand, but Malfoy blocked the jinx and raised his wand for another— “No! No! Stop it!” squealed Moaning Myrtle, her voice echoing loudly around the tiled room. “Stop! STOP!” There was a loud bang and the bin behind Harry exploded; Harry attempted a Leg-Locker Curse that backfired off the wall behind Malfoy’s ear and smashed the cistern beneath Moaning Myrtle, who screamed loudly; water poured everywhere and Harry slipped as Malfoy, his face contorted, cried, “Cruci—” “SECTUMSEMPRA!” bellowed Harry from the floor, waving his wand wildly. Blood spurted from Malfoy’s face and chest as though he had been slashed with an invisible sword. He staggered backward and collapsed onto the waterlogged floor with a great splash, his wand falling from his limp right hand. “No—” gasped Harry. Slipping and staggering, Harry got to his feet and plunged toward Malfoy, whose face was now shining scarlet, his white hands scrabbling at his blood-soaked chest. “No—I didn’t—” Harry did not know what he was saying; he fell to his knees beside Malfoy, who was shaking uncontrollably in a pool of his own blood. Moaning Myrtle let out a deafening scream: “MURDER! MURDER IN THE BATHROOM! MURDER!” The door banged open behind Harry and he looked up, terrified: Snape had burst into the room, his face livid. Pushing Harry roughly aside, he knelt over Malfoy, drew his wand, and traced it over the deep wounds Harry’s curse had made, muttering an incantation that sounded almost like song. The flow of blood seemed to ease; Snape wiped the residue from Malfoy’s face and repeated his spell. Now the wounds seemed to be knitting. Harry was still watching, horrified by what he had done, barely aware that he too was soaked in blood and water. Moaning Myrtle was still sobbing and wailing overhead. When Snape had performed his countercurse for the third time, he half-lifted Malfoy into a standing position.

Pretty sure Myrtle floats off screaming bloody murder after Harry's attack. She'd apparently befriended Draco during all the time he spent angsting in the lav. (It's possible that last was one of JKR's Pottermore additions, however, and I'm conflating the two.) By the same token we can argue Dobby didn't appear until CoS, and yet as @PotterBlocks said, the letters in the fireplace and on the door stickers mean the set is to represent both films / books. They also included the boats for the Firsties in the Great Hall set and that... basilisk wannabe (PS & CoS). Sets that are primarily locations aren't necessarily firmly one or the other scene, let alone one or the other source.

I'd rather the phone booth (which I doubt is included) as more iconically British, but I would find it funny if after last year's Polyjuice Potion Mistake there were a toilet in this year's sets. Then next two they could do the scene from HBP with Harry, Malfoy, Myrtle and Snape and follow that by returning to PS with the troll in the bathroom scene for a solid tour of the WW lavatories. Have I missed any?

1) The nanoscale Hogwarts Castle. Gorgeous. It's on permanent display on our dining table. If they ever lift the corona recommendations for visitors, I may still forego company in its favour. 2) The 2018 Great Hall. The perfect re-introduction for the theme's return. It's the thing that took me from occasional purchases to very near completionism in a theme. A better basilisk would have helped, or as it hasn't a dungeon, skipping it in favour of better fittings for the tower or perhaps more of a courtyard, but it was a truly great set. 3) Clock Tower. While the Astronomy Tower has a better exterior, the interior really lets it down. The CT had a solid interior, and the Yule Ball play feature was a delight, and the stained glass mermaid window art! The only things missing were something for that one odd corner with the trunk, a better Goblet of Fire (which the AC - another strong set - immediately made up for), and a Madam Pomfrey fig. 4) Hagrid's Hut remains on permanent display on our coffee table. It captures Hagrid's home perfectly, and will be very hard to top. (I really hope we get Fang in a forest set one day instead of an HH.) 5) Diagon Alley. Such a detailed treat, saving the egregious QQS colour selection. If it weren't for that, it would be higher on this list. 6) Whomping Willow. Especially for folks on a budget, this was a wonderfully flexible bit of castle. What a great set. Until the Moments sets appeared, some part of it was always on my desk, usually Snape's office or the potions classroom. 7) The DADA Moment set has managed to replace the HM: Potions Classroom as my favourite in the series for making better sense of the space. I still prefer Potions as a location, but DADA is the better set. I love their artwork so much. Those two sets are always within reach on my desk, and usually some if not all of the other Moments books. 8) Hogsmeade. So cute. I also like that it fits in well with my winter village. I really hope we see more of the Hogsmeade shops in the future. 9) Umbridge's Encounter. Grawp was so well done, and I love the centaurs. 10) Fawkes. I'm generally not a great fan of the sets that take up a lot of space without a lot of playability, but this was just beautifully done. Hedwig, too, and I really love that they made the Icons' crowning piece accessible to those with space and monetary budgets. I feel seen.

But the model shows just how impossible such an official set is, it's not at all likely. Looking at it, right off the bat I see the Great Hall, Clock Tower, Hagrid's Hut, Astronomy Tower, Chamber of Secrets are all present with an RRP of 500 EUR. That's just the big sets. Then there are other sets I see like Whomping Willow, the Quidditch Match, Aragog's Lair, Expecto Patronum, Forbidden Forest: Umbridge's Encounter for another 180 EUR, and I assume from the other side the RoR, Fluffy Encounter, PPM, FFL, Gryffindor Dorm and Hospital Wing would appear as well for yet another 160 + EUR. We're already at 840 EUR, and that's not beginning to account for the MOCs: the rock base (which would be ridiculously expensive), the covered bridge, aqueduct, two courtyards, and the Bell Towers... Basically what we'd get for the amount anyone wants to spend at minifig scale can't begin to match what we already have. It would be a massive step backwards.

I'm not debating 'if'. If the series lasts long enough, I'm certain we'll get it eventually. For me the only question is 'when'. Also: nudge.

I think they've been very good about not making the HP D2Cs 'necessary' for collections. We had a good Great Hall in 2018, and we even had an affordable Hedwig before the Icons set. By contrast, DA isn't strictly necessary - how many scenes took place in those shops, and how much of the books or movies did they comprise? - and if you feel it is, then you'd expect to pay more. For the most part, I see it as a 'nice to have' that provides more scenery for my HP lego collection, but not having it wouldn't leave a gap like not having the Great Hall or 4 Privet Drive would.

If we go with the word "iconic" (not that I'm convinced we have to), as we've had an amazing castle already, I think for me that's the Hogwarts Express, either at King's Crossing or on the viaduct (or perhaps both?), or that image of Gringotts that you always see on the theme park adverts. I still think they wouldn't release Gringotts only at that price point, and I don't think they'd do it before releasing a more affordable variant so as not to upset the kids and their parents, so I imagine it would then have to be the Express. (Here's hoping for DA2 instead... ) Goodness I hope not. We're terribly negative. (I hope they ay that person well...) That said, an unsolicited word of praise on the DADA Moment set: while I'm rubbish at sticker placement (and I wish they were better able to be repositioned), I really like the way they included stickers for the reverse sides of panels to increase the playability of the build. (Also I adore whoever does their sticker design; they're just lovely bits of art. ) Considering the likelihood of DA2, things I was wondering, do we have any insight into the success of releasing high ticket sets while others are available vs waiting with a space of time in between (as in the Ninjago City / Gardens sets)? @Retro Brick Reviews when you say a set was a failure, by what metric? How can we tell how they're selling? Also, is there a site that tracks a set's historic availability at the S@H? Subjectively, I feel like DA has been sold out in the US every time I've looked; I was interested in seeing how often it actually was.

Aren't they a little too rustic though? It should be 'slates' and not shingles. I'd say that has maybe a Hagrid's Hut feel to it, if at all, and it's too steep for Hagrid's. @Retro Brick Reviews which build was that in?

I wonder if it's too early to hope for a DA expansion? The first two Ninjago City sets (City and Docks) weren't available for a good year + before Ninjago City Gardens was released, and DA was released 2020 and is still (theoretically) on the shelves. Both DA and the Ninjago City / Gardens are a fair bit more expensive than the Expert Modulars, so I could see them being in slower rotation, if they're in rotation as a series at all that is. On the other hand, I wondered if they might not have sold more NCs if people knew the series was going to be continued... That's one of the nice things about the Expert Modulars, you know you'll have a street eventually, even if you skip something you're less keen on. I don't follow the other series much, so I was curious, has anyone heard a lego designer's statement about that approach to the release schedule that (if we squint just right) might also apply to HP's DA? Like if on consideration they thought that gap was a good move or not?

Except the AT's worst rooms were 8x8, a largely useless format in a build with support on three sides, and that's precisely what we're seeing repeated in the new modular format. Too many of those non-sensical spaces without the AT's care to the exterior to show for it. Adding on even the slight bulge as in the Ravenclaw dorm made the space more useable and gave the whole build more architectural relevance. Oky had done a really neat build for the lego ideas 20th anniversary celebration. Aside from capturing so many iconic scenes from the HP stories, it's an interesting study in the difference even a single stud can make to such vignettes. (Contrast Divination, Umbridge's office or the scene with Moody (6 stud width) with Myrtle's lavatory or Lupin's Boggart lesson (7 stud width), or 10 for the Gryffindor Common Room.) And here again, in a play set, you'd want to be able to place a minifig in the Boggart Cabinet or the lavatory stall, so even a seven stud interior measure ends up being too small. Our Textorix has put a lot of work into combining the new with the old sets. For the most part I'd say it's about contorting the news sets until they pick up where system 2018+ left off. (We may be biased... )

I am subtlety personified. Yes, Fluffy Encounter had a heretofore ne'er been paralleled interior... (I've never felt sorrier for a designer than when the poor chap explained the original movie set / inspiration is a 'very empty room'...) Speaking of designers, Marcos stepped back as the HP lead in order to design more. Does anyone know who took over in his stead?

So... How about that Harry Potter lego? Something else, ain't it? So pretty... Hmm... I've built the Divination Moment set. (I really love that series. ) I also appreciate the darker and more vibrant colours this year. Last year's were a little humdrum, although maybe it made for better visibility on the printing; it's hard for me to say without seeing a sample. I'd have liked a deep green for the potions room and dark red for transfig at least. (And then I suppose I'd have still been unhappy about the neglected Hufflepuffs and wanted a nice shade of yellow... ) My mobile Hogwarts just keeps growing. I hope they continue the series next year. I'd be pleased to eventually see a Malfoy Manor in that format (like the one micmac made), and they could keep going and give me Shell cottage or any number of other locations. DADA and the Hospital Wing are up next...

We had the word "icons" a little earlier in the year, but beyond Dobby's sock, we didn't really have much idea what it (likely) meant. "Diagon Alley" we didn't know about until August of that year, but it was obviously more revealing. Those are only two data points and I don't know if they're sufficient to draw conclusions from, but that's what we have. Perhaps it's cynical, but I don't expect to learn anything of value until shortly beforehand. The nature of D2Cs allows them to keep things tidily under wraps.

It was. I can't help thinking given how briefly last year's AP was available and how much longer the student AP was on the shelves that they'll want to go with something more generic this year, like mix and match Death Eaters or Quidditch uniforms, something that could sell in multiples. Death Eaters would be nice for the Ministry set, but at this point I think they'd need too many new prints.

That is an excellent idea! Thank you! If all else fails, I will definitely try that. I'm still faffing about with the store's customer service. If I had called even a day later, they apparently wouldn't be responsible at all, which seems bonkers with a product that's supposed to be new. Whinging aside, I actually do like the tape strip seals instead of tearing into the boxes, it makes them so much easier to flatten and store, but I wish they'd use some kind of hologram tape that would be harder to fake / more obvious to spot tampering. Did you not just have the 2x VIP points last week like we did? I thought that was usually global. Does this mean you'll get it when the GWP is active? (not envious in the least... ) (I miss the calendars...) I sort of hope they don't give us an Grimmauld Place AC if we don't get a GP set this year as I think it would try to cover too much of the same ground. For the longer term reusability, they seem to work better as an extension of sets, with the Yule Ball having more useful builds than last year's AC, nano builds aside. If it's a minifig they can use in other sets, does it actually matter in terms of set budget where they appear first? <- serious question and not snark. If they have Death Eaters in a different set, they can simply pick and choose parts and give us different variants in an AP, couldn't they? But as far as very different character versions go, like a new Tonks, that feels like a CMF or AC thing, like how we got Slug Club Ginny or Yule Ball Cho and the Patil twins. I'm still hoping we'll eventually see a Yule Ball Ginny and a Bill and Fleur's wedding Hermione, too...