Alexis Kestler
Uncover Every Painting‘s Secret in Hogwarts Legacy
Hogwarts Legacy is the Harry Potter game fans have been waiting for. As an aspiring young witch or wizard, you finally have the chance to explore Hogwarts Castle and the mysteries of its vast grounds in exquisite detail. One of the most intriguing parts of Hogwarts Legacy is the living paintings that dot the halls and hide tantalizing secrets. In this comprehensive guide, you‘ll learn how to unravel the puzzles concealed within these enchanted artworks and reap the magical rewards. Let‘s discover every painting‘s secret in Hogwarts Legacy together!
The Allure of Hogwarts‘ Magical Paintings
For decades, Harry Potter fans have dreamed of inhabiting the halls of Hogwarts themselves. We‘ve wondered what secrets and stories each classroom, corridor, and courtyard might hold. Hogwarts Legacy delivers on that promise, rendering the iconic castle in stunning fidelity. But it also expands the wizarding world, letting players explore new regions like Hogsmeade Village.
Throughout your journeys, you‘ll encounter magical paintings hanging throughout the environments. Longtime Potter fans will remember that certain paintings in the books and films concealed hidden doors or offered advice. Hogwarts Legacy takes this concept even further. These enchanted artworks have a life of their own – some provide interesting conversations, while others hide treasure maps, clues, and even entire side quests!
According to developer Avalanche Software, the living paintings played a key role in their vision for the game. We really wanted to capture the feeling of Hogwarts as this living, breathing place, said executive producer Scot Amos in an interview. The paintings help achieve that by making every hall feel dynamic. The development team poured immense creativity into bringing the paintings to life in authentic, surprising ways tied to Hogwarts lore.
As the player, observing and engaging with these sentient artworks opens up new storylines and opportunities. Maybe a painting will challenge you to a magical duel! Others might teach you long-lost spells and abilities. The living paintings beg to be inspected and interacted with. Let‘s dive into the secrets concealed within two of Hogwarts Legacy‘s most intriguing painting quests!
Quest 1: "Like a Month to a Frame" with Lenora Everleigh
Early at Hogwarts, you‘ll meet professor Lenora Everleigh, Master of Transfiguration. After some introductions, Lenora will offer you your first painting-related side quest: "Like a Month to a Frame." She needs help deciphering a strange painting recently discovered in the castle.
According to Lenora, the painting once belonged to her old friend Arthur, a gifted Ravenclaw student from decades past. Arthur had a penchant for puzzles and concealing hidden messages in his artworks. He eventually went on to become a renowned magical painter, though most of his early works were lost to time. This recovered painting is one of Arthur‘s earliest known pieces.
Lenora believes it holds a secret but cannot decode it herself. This is where you come in! Follow Lenora back to her office, where the painting hangs on the wall. She suggests illuminating it with the Lumos spell to reveal its mystery.
Use Lumos on the painting as prompted. Suddenly, a lush landscape will materialize across the canvas! Look closely and you‘ll notice a particular castle courtyard glowing with a subtle aura. This courtyard must be the key location somehow.
Now comes the fun part – wandering the real-world halls of Hogwarts Castle while matching them to the painting‘s clues. I recommend starting in the southeast section of the grounds based on the landscape orientation. Search the greenhouses and nearby garden courtyards, studying their structures and decor.
Before long, you‘ll happen upon the correct courtyard! Magic blooms extend across the space, matching the shapes and layout depicted in Arthur‘s painting. Return and tell Lenora you‘ve cracked the code. For solving Arthur‘s puzzle, Lenora will teach you Depulso, a powerful wind charm ideal for combat and exploration. You‘ll also gain experience points toward new talents.
That completes the "Like a Month to a Frame" side quest. It exemplifies how Hogwarts‘ living paintings add enjoyable depth through hidden puzzles. Solving them unlocks new magic abilities that aid your wizard training. Now let‘s examine an even more elaborate painting secret.
Quest 2: Finding Arthur‘s Treasure Map
After many hours progressing Hogwarts Legacy‘s engrossing main storyline, an opportunity will arise to visit Hogsmeade Village. Longtime Potter fans will remember Hogsmeade as the snowy wizarding hamlet near Hogwarts where students enjoyed weekends away from school.
Thanks to Hogwarts Legacy‘s vast scale, you can fully explore Hogsmeade yourself. Within the village, seek out a small house along the western road. Inside sits a conspicuous painting on the wall. Interact with it to begin the treasure hunt.
This painting also originally belonged to Arthur in his youth. Inspecting it closely reveals a clue – a detailed map of the surrounding region with a trail marked! Arthur has hidden secret treasure for you to find.
Your first goal is locating the correct fountain as shown on the map. I recommend traveling north from Hogsmeade into the nearby caves and forests. Use your Accio spell to summon driftwood rafts, allowing you to cross rivers and lakes quickly.
Along the way, closely compare each landmark you discover to the ones depicted on Arthur‘s map. Based on the terrain and mountains, you can narrow down the general area. Soon you‘ll chance upon a fountain matching the one Arthur illustrated.
| Landmark | Painting Depiction | In-Game Location |
|---|---|---|
| Fountain #1 | Intricate stonework with statue of witch | North forest cave near broom flight path |
| Fountain #2 | Simple stone basin with rune carvings | Cliffside clearing overlooking river |
The second fountain is the key you‘ve been searching for. Continue directly north past the cliffs and you‘ll notice a crumbling tower in the distance. Approach and use Accio to open the stubborn locked door.
Climb the spiral steps to the top of the tower. There lies the same enchanted painting from Hogsmeade! Cast Accio upon it to magically extract a rolled-up canvas – Arthur‘s complete treasure map.
Now you possess the full set of clues leading to Arthur‘s secret trove. Open your large map and study the new trail marked across it. Journey through the indicated areas, noting the terrain and landmarks. Soon you‘ll spot the distinctive rocky outcropping where Arthur has buried his long-lost cache of treasure.
Inside the treasure cache, you‘re richly rewarded for completing Arthur‘s elaborate painting puzzle. You‘ll find rare potion ingredients for advanced brews, powerful amulets and rings, crafting materials to improve gear, and much more. The sizable experience payoff doesn‘t hurt either!
Why Painting Puzzles Define the Hogwarts Legacy Experience
These painting quests, while totally optional, encapsulate the magic that makes Hogwarts Legacy so special. Exploring every last corner of the wizarding world to solve challenging riddles captures our imagination just like Harry Potter did decades ago.
We long to walk the halls of Hogwarts ourselves and uncover its many mysteries. These living paintings realise those dreams, offering surprises beyond what any movie or book could contain. Through their creative puzzles woven into the game so naturally, the paintings make Hogwarts Legacy the truly immersive Potter experience fans always imagined.
So keep a close eye on those enchanted artworks during your own Hogwarts Legacy adventures! You never know what fantastical secrets a painting might hold. Who knows – maybe you‘ll even discover clues leading to one of the legendary Deathly Hallows themselves! The only way to find out is to illuminate every last magical painting possible across the halls of Hogwarts.
