Dumb Things We Ignore About Hogwarts Legacy
"Hogwarts Legacy" is an undeniable success, despite the controversy that has surrounded its development and release. Fans of all ages have flocked to the game to get a taste of what it would be like to train as a witch or wizard in the world of the "Harry Potter" franchise. But as players dive into the game's many subplots and side quests, they may get the feeling that some things about the game just don't add up.
Of course, it's easy to find holes in the logic of just about any fantasy world. Pretty much all of the rules here are made up, so there will be times when things don't totally make sense. There are plenty of plot holes in the original "Harry Potter" books, so it follows that there might be similar gaps in "Hogwarts Legacy." Even so, there are elements of "Hogwarts Legacy" that are just plain silly when you really stop to think about them.
From confounding syllabi to ignoring attempted murder, here are some of the dumb things players typically choose to ignore in "Hogwarts Legacy."
Who cares about the Sorting Hat?
"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," the first book and film in the franchise, features a memorable scene in which young Harry learns into which of Hogwarts' four houses he'll be sorted. As the Sorting Hat is placed on his head, he begs not to be put into Slytherin by some wicked twist of fate. After all, the Sorting Hat's judgement is a done deal, and every student must go into the house decided for them.
Unless you're playing "Hogwarts Legacy," that is. In that case, you can just tell the Sorting Hat, "thanks, but no thanks," and go against its decision. In the game, the Sorting Hat gives a brief personality quiz to determine the right house for the player, but the player is allowed to pick their own house anyway. Sure, this puts the player in charge of their own destiny (this is an RPG, after all), but it also flies in the face of the series' canon in order to do so. It's somewhat easier to ignore this early into the campaign, but it's one of the first indications that the world's internal logic isn't always going to hold up or be respected.
Why aren't enemies using the killing spell ALL the time?
In the world of the "Harry Potter" novels, there are a few spells that seem tailor-made for the evil wizards of the world to carry out. These are known as Unforgivable Curses, and the name is not an overstatement. The Cruciatus Curse strikes the recipient with the most excruciating pain they've ever felt, the Imperius Curse grants the caster absolute control over a victim's mind and autonomy, and Avada Kedavra, the Killing Curse, does exactly what it says on the tin.
A number of dark wizards use these spells over the course of the books and films, but they never seem to be the go-to for most of the bad guys encountered in "Hogwarts Legacy." You'd think that the villains of the story would be using a one-hit-kill spell constantly, if they're as ruthless as the player is repeatedly told. Instead, most of the dark wizards in the game tend to go for less-deadly options during combat.
Sure, it could be surmised that these characters just haven't learned that particular incantation yet. It's also likely that the devs saw an issue with creating an army of villains who can one-shot players. Still, one has to wonder if these guys should have their evil wizard hats and robes confiscated.
Classes optional
As the title of the game would imply, "Hogwarts Legacy" is focused on the daily goings-on at the titular school. Players take on the role of a new student at the famed wizard academy, learning new spells and skills from the respected faculty — when they feel like it.
See, unlike a regular school, the video game version of Hogwarts doesn't seem to enforce any kind of class schedule or syllabus. Players can treat many of the game's classes like another tick on their to-do list, a side quest to be completed when there's nothing else to do. Sure, Harry and his pals often cut class to infiltrate the Chamber of Secrets or what-have-you, but they still got chewed out by their professors for doing so.
In "Hogwarts Legacy," the professor seemed resigned to their fate of waiting forever in their classrooms, hoping someone remembers that this game was literally made so that people could experience the excitement of attending Hogwarts. But that's not the only way in which Hogwarts' professors are ineffectual...
Why aren't there consequences for Unforgivable Curses?
As mentioned previously, the Unforgivable Curses are kind of a big deal, hence their collective name. There's even a whole prison, Azkaban, which was established to contain wizards who step out of line and commit heinous magical offenses. Harry Potter's godfather, the heroic Sirius Black, spent years behind bars after being wrongfully accused of casting the Killing Curse. That's why it's so weird that nobody really cares when the player character in "Hogwarts Legacy" starts snuffing out fellow wizards with the flick of a wand.
Sure, people notice when you let loose with an Avada Kedavra, but they're not calling the nearest Auror to take you away. It probably helps that the game won't allow you to kill Hogwarts professors or fellow students. Instead, if an Unforgivable Curse is performed in their vicinity, the professors at Hogwarts just display varying degrees of uncertainty and annoyance at the idea of one of their students learning the darkest magic imaginable.
"Hogwarts Legacy" doesn't have any morality system to speak of, but it's still a bit odd to see these molders of bright young minds being kind of chill in the face of a legit murder spell.
Child labor and endangerment
In many of the "Harry Potter" books, Harry, Ron, and Hermione typically find themselves on the receiving end of disciplinary action due to the fact that they cannot mind their own business. Harry literally gets detention multiple times in the books for investigating dangerous mysteries or trespassing in forbidden areas of the school. In "Hogwarts Legacy," however, the player character is regularly being asked by the adults at the school to investigate one deadly mission after another.
Seriously, some of the side quests paint a picture of Hogwarts in the 1800s as somehow being even more dangerous than modern day. The orders from Hogwarts' faculty and staff are almost laughably irresponsible: Someone's been placing mysterious statues all around the school? Better teach a kid how to magically unlock doors and then send him to find out who's doing it! Need snot from a troll for your research on a new spell? Send a student to go fight a murderous troll in the woods!
This kind of leadership would, of course, continue to be an issue during Harry Potter's years at school, even though the professors were occasionally held accountable for their actions. Frankly, it's a miracle anyone has ever lived long enough to graduate from Hogwarts.