Warner Bros and Avalanche Games will release Hogwarts Legacy later this year (or so we’ve been promised), but when exactly does this Harry Potter game fit in with the timeline of books, films and stage shows in the Wizarding World?
Since the seven main Harry Potter books were released (and adapted into eight films), the magical franchise has continued to expand with the Fantastic Beasts movies, the Cursed Child stage show and now the Hogwarts Legacy game.
So, when exactly is Hogwarts Legacy set and what does that mean in terms of Harry Potter connections and familiar characters that could appear? Keep on reading and we’ll break it all down for you.
When is Hogwarts Legacy set?
Hogwarts Legacy is set in the late 1800s, placing it before all the books, films and stage shows you may have already seen. The year 1890 seems to be a likely bet, with that particular year appearing on a newspaper clipping in one of the trailers.
At this point in the timeline, according to the game’s official website, “The Wizarding World is fraught with dangers including creatures corrupted by a magical force, sinister witches and wizards, as well as a possible mounting goblin rebellion.”
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In the books, Harry Potter was born in 1980, meaning that Hogwarts Legacy takes place roughly a century before The Boy Who Lived started living. It’s long before he turned up at Hogwarts, then!
The first Fantastic Beasts movie (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) is set in 1926, with Newt Scamander apparently being born in 1897. He’d probably be a bit too young to appear in Hogwarts Legacy.
Three minutes and 50 seconds into the video below, you can see this point in the timeline being revealed as the setting for Hogwarts Legacy.
Which Harry Potter characters may appear in Hogwarts Legacy?
As the trailer confirms, “It’s the late 1800s, so while the common rooms and classes may be familiar, most of your professors will not be.
“However, you may recognise a few faces,” the trailer teasingly tells us, before cutting to a scene where the player-character converses with Nearly Headless Nick (who is already a ghost at this point).
Which other characters could you expect to see, then? There’s always a chance that other familiar ghosts could appear, but what about living and breathing people?
It’s worth noting that ancient Potter characters such as Nicolas Flamel (he of Philospher’s Stone fame) would very much be alive at this point, which could make for interesting cameos.
Albus Dumbledore is said to have been born in 1881, which could mean he is the right age to be attending Hogwarts himself at the time of the game. His future romantic interest/nemesis Gellert Grindelwald would be alive at this point too.
So far, only Nearly Headless Nick has been confirmed in terms of returning characters, but we’ll be sure to let you know if that changes! It’s certainly an interesting point in the Harry Potter timeline.
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