Hogwarts Legacy is the upcoming RPG set in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The game will take place long before the events of the books or films, being set all the way back in the late 1800s to allow for a fresh, independent story to be told.
However, Hogwarts Legacy will have to content with some events which took place in the Wizarding World around the late 1800s in the canon. These events might give fans an idea of what they can expect from the game’s story and set-pieces, as well as which iconic figures may appear, and those which will not.
Ministers and Wizarding Politics
Good news for Harry Potter fans who want to begin their journey from Platform 9 and 3/4: King’s Cross station opened in 1852, and JK Rowling has confirmed that Minister for Magic Evangeline Orpington came up with the idea to hide a secret platform leading to the train to Hogwarts only shortly after the station’s completion. She was only in office from 1849 to 1855, which means her plan likely came to fruition in her final year as Minister at the latest, and likely well before the events of Hogwarts Legacy.
During the time period in which Hogwarts Legacy is set, it is almost certain that Faris “Spout-Hole” Spavin will hold the title of Minister for Magic. Spavin held the position from 1865 to 1903, a record 38 years, and introduced some laws which are hugely important in the Wizarding World, such as the 1875 Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery. This law first made it illegal for young wizards to perform magic outside of their schools. Spavin would only step down at the age of 147, when questions about his fitness for the modern world began to arise after he attended Queen Victoria’s funeral dressed in an admiral’s uniform.
The question of the treatment of magical races will likely arise in a game set in the Wizarding World of the late 1800s. House Elves, still poorly treated by the time of Harry Potter, will likely be even worse off. It’s known the Black family used to decapitate the elves who grew too old for service. It’s even possible the game will take place under Hogwart’s least popular headmaster, Phineas Nigellus Black, who was himself a pureblood supremacist, though the exact date of his time as headmaster is unclear.
In 1865, Gringotts was returned to the full ownership of the goblins. The bank had been founded by Gringott, a goblin, in 1475, but was taken over by the Ministry of Magic for some time. If goblins or Gringotts Bank make an appearance in Hogwarts Legacy, they may be aware of their newly reclaimed power in the Wizarding World.
Important Figures and Strange Events
It would not be until the 1880s that Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald would be born, though the latter would not attend Hogwarts. This makes it possible that Dumbledore could appear after 1892, when he would be old enough to attend Hogwarts. By 1899 Dumbledore was graduating as Head Boy, which could well be his role in the upcoming game.
For players who want to avoid the political details of the Wizarding World and focus on casting spells and wearing pointy hats, good news comes in 1865 with the establishment of McHavelock’s Wizarding Headgear in Hogsmeade. Hogsmeade appears in the trailer, making it possible players will be able to visit the shop to customize their appearance.
1877 and 1878 saw a particularly strange event which could appear or be referenced in Hogwarts Legacy. The 393rd Quidditch World Cup took place in Kazakhstan that year, but for some reason nobody in attendance could remember the outcome of any of the matches. Some claimed the Goblin Liberation Front – an extreme group for Goblin rights – was behind it. Either way, the World Cup had to be restaged the following year.
From 1876 the poltergeist Peeves has special privileges in Hogwarts after a failed trap causes him to come into possession of several weapons, leading to a school-wide evacuation. From then, Peeves was allowed to swim in the boys’ toilets once a week, and to choose stale bread from the kitchen to start food fights with.
It’s only in 1883 that scoring hoops replace baskets during Quidditch games. Future trailers for Hogwarts Legacy that show the school’s Quidditch pitch might be able to be used to figure out if Hogwarts Legacy takes place before or after that change, though it’s also possible such a small detail will be overlooked. 1896 is the last year a Wizard is known to have successfully cheated on their OWL exams. This event could take place during the game, or may be referenced in player’s classes if the game is set in the closing years of the 19th century.
In 1899 one of the strangest events in the Wizarding World takes place. Eloise Mintumble was an Unspeakable, a worker who did top secret experiments for the Department of Mysteries. In 1899 a time travel experiment went horribly wrong. Eloise became trapped in the year 1402 for five days, before returning to the present, and aging five centuries instantaneously, killing her. Eloise’s experiment would also cause at least 25 wizards and witches to become “un-born.” After she reappeared, the following Tuesday lasted for 2 and a half days, while the Thursday afterwards lasted just four hours. Since then, her fate has been used as an example of the risks of long-term time travel.
Which events from the Wizarding World timeline players will get to see will depend upon the exact decade that the game is set. Regardless of the exact date the game takes place, there are plenty of exciting goings-on in the Wizarding World of the late 1800s, and players may see the tensions that arise as that world makes its first big steps towards becoming the “modern” Wizarding World seen in Harry Potter.
Hogwarts Legacy is in development for the PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.