Hogwarts Legacy is scheduled to launch in holiday 2022, and fans' anticipation is continuing to build. It's a project that many have wanted to experience for a long time, and the promise of an open world in the Harry Potter universe is enough to provoke theories about where the story will go, which characters will be included, and how it will connect to the license. The magic-infused setting brings plenty of gameplay and narrative possibilities, and the litany of potentially dangerous Harry Potter trinkets are also at the center of curiosity.
Hogwarts Legacy will look to recapture the magic of the beloved school, and while it will not include Harry, Ron, or Hermione, that's not to say their presence couldn't - or shouldn't - be felt. In The Prisoner of Azkaban, Hermione has a small but significant item in her possession that drastically alters the story. The time turner is used to allow a person to be in two places at once, and Hogwarts Legacy could open up by including the curious device.
Turning the Clock Back in Harry Potter
The time turner features heavily in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, with Hermione using it to attend more classes simultaneously. It's given to her by Professor Minerva McGonagall, and it soon comes to the aid of the film's main characters, Sirius Black, and the beloved magical creature Buckbeak. It's a major source of mystery for both the reader and Harry and Ron, but when Hermione reveals its properties, the trio put it to use saving Sirius Black from the Dementors.
It's an item that has been the topic of much scrutiny, proving to be a substantial plot device that make the story of Prisoner of Azkaban flow more effortlessly. In a world as magic-centric as Harry Potter, it's easy for the convenient properties of the time turner to be lost in the madness of the franchise. There are many fascinating pieces of lore in Hogwarts' impressive school grounds, from Rowena Ravenclaw's lost diadem to the ever-elusive golden snitch, so Hermione's time turner is just one item with potential for a video game setting.
The Time Turner's Potential in Hogwarts Legacy
Like Nearly Headless Nick or the famous Triwizard Tournament, Hogwarts Legacy could include familiar elements to elevate its story, presentation, or gameplay. The time turner would fit snugly in the latter category, providing quirks as significant as a rewind feature to undo key decisions as in Life is Strange, or as trivial as using it to afford the game's save feature more immersion. The time turner is one of the most important inclusions in Harry Potter lore, and Avalanche Software would do well to feature it in Hogwarts Legacy.
Hogwarts Legacy is set in the late 1800s, around 100 years before the events of The Philosopher's (or Sorcerer's) Stone. It's a new time period for the franchise, with the Fantastic Beasts films only going back to the early-mid 20th century. The time turner could offer fans the opportunity to peek into the past or future and gather more information about the game's setting, further adding to Hogwarts Legacy's world building. On a smaller scale, allowing players the option to use it to retake tests for a better score, undo critical story decisions, or even as a fast-travel feature could add flavor to the experience.
Hogwarts Legacy launches holiday 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.