That Hogwarts Legacy establish a deep bond with Harry Potter it was clear right away, but we didn’t think this extended to the characters as well. After all, the spectacular video game developed by Avalanche Software is set in the narrative universe created by J.K.Rowling and, in addition to being a beautiful action RPG, the title is a true declaration of love to magic.
In addition to the countless easter eggs and more or less subtle quotes, Hogwarts Legacy literally establishes kinship ties between the characters with the seven Harry Potter books (and eight films). Of course you won’t find Ron, Hermione or Sirius Black in the game, as Hogwarts Legacy is set about a century before the books, but it will surprise you to know that you will have to deal with their ancestors. You will even make friends with a relative of Lord Voldemort himself (yes, these will be provided with a regular nose).
All the links between the characters of Hogwarts Legacy and Harry Potter
The Weasleys, Ron’s ancestors
The most obvious and obvious kinship of all is that of the Weasley family, the historic pure-blood family that we know very well in Harry Potter. In Hogwarts Legacy we will have to deal with the vice principal Matilda Weasley and his nephew Garreth, a reckless Gryffindor student. They are all obviously ancestors of Ron and his very large red-headed family.
Constance Dagworth, Hermione’s ancestor
A decidedly less immediate kinship is instead the one that binds Constance Dagworthbrilliant student of Ravenclaw that we will face in the Crossed Wands Club of the game, a Hermione Granger. Constance is in fact related to Hector Dagworth-Granger, a character who does not appear in the films but who is mentioned in the sixth book (The Half-Blood Prince) as an ancestor of Hermione, with whom he shares part of the surname. In fact, we recall that Granger is a Muggle family, but in his past he had blood ties with the magical lineage.
Phineas Nigel Black, headmaster of Hogwarts from Sirius Black’s parentage
Not only is the headmaster of Hogwarts in Hogwarts Legacy related to the godfather in Harry Potter, but he is also mentioned in almost every book in portrait form. Not only that: he also appears in the film version of The Order of the Phoenix, always in the form of a portrait, while conversing with White Silently. Consistent with Black’s thoroughbred and supremacist ideology, Phineas Nigel is portrayed in a vaguely negative way in the video game.
Hector Jenkins, Unrelated to Joey Jenkins
Also in the Wands Crossed Club we will face a Gryffindor student named Hector Jenkins. These is presumably related to Joey Jenkins, who does not appear in the films but is mentioned as a great past Quidditch player in the fourth book (Goblet of Fire). Specifically his name appears when Harry reads a book called The Magnificent Seven, dedicated to the best Quidditch players ever. Not too significant a link, but a nice tribute from the game developers.
Victor Rookwood, ancestor of Death Eater Augustus Rookwood
Among the main antagonistic characters of Hogwarts Legacy is the wizard Victor Rookwoodancestor of Augustus Rookwood. Augustus is a Death Eater first mentioned in Goblet of Fire (also in film) when in Dumbledore’s Pensieve Harry reviews the trial of Igor Karkaroff. The latter, in delivering his former Death Eater friends to the Ministry of Magic, mentions the name of Augustus Rookwood. The character appears in all subsequent books of the saga (but not in the films), as he will escape from Azkaban and reunite with Lord Voldemort.
The unfortunate Gaunt, the godfather of Lord Voldemort in person
The most interesting relationship, also because it plays a role in the introspective path of the character, is that between the Slytherins The unfortunate Gaunt (the Hogwarts Legacy) e Voldemort. Infaustus is a key character in the game and in the main subplot of the video game. He is from the Gaunt family, a direct descendant of Salzar Slytherin. His family is despicable and addicted to the dark arts, but Infaustus seeks his redemption.
What perhaps not everyone knows is that Gaunt is a very important family in the Harry Potter books, as it is the family of Merope Gaunt, mother of Tom Marvolo Riddle a.k.a. Lord Voldemort. Merope married the muggle Tom Riddle Sr., who didn’t love her, tricking him with a love potion and died giving birth to Tom of hers. Precisely because conceived by a non-real love, Tom will be born unable to experience human feelings, becoming the most powerful dark wizard of all time. The rest is history.
Eldritch Diggory, former Minister of Magic and ancestor of Cedric Diggory
This is a character you will only meet in Hogwarts Legacy if you choose to play as Hufflepuff. In fact, in the common room of the house there is a painting by Eldritch Diggory, who will assign you a task in a mission that will take you to Azkaban. Eldritch is the ancestor of another Hufflepuff: Cedric (interpreted by Robert Pattinson in Goblet of Fire). Cedric is a key character in the fourth book. The boy turns out to be a great friend of Harry despite the two being rivals in the Triwizard Tournament. His death at the hands of Wormtail (on Voldemort’s orders) will cause great trauma in Harry.
Professor Sharp, related to Scarlet Witch and Kitty Sharp
The Potions Professor in Hogwarts Legacy is former Auror Aesop Sharp. The game developers probably wanted to pay homage to Scarlet and Kitty Sharp, the pair of wizards who are kidnapped and killed by Death Eaters in the seventh book (The Deathly Hallows). The pair neither appear nor are named in the final two films.
Perry Pippin e Gerbold Olivander
In the video game we will be able to visit Perry Pippin’s potion shop and Gerbold Ollivander’s wand shop. The two surnames are known to Harry Potter fans, because in the books and films Harry buys his first wand from Garrick Ollivander and visit the potion shop of J. Pippin. Ollivander, in particular, plays an important role in the later books.
Gladwin Moon, ancestor of Lily Moon
Again this is a minor link, but it symbolizes how attentive the developers have been to detail. The video game’s keeper of Hogwarts is Mr. Gladwin Moon. In the first book of the saga (The Philosopher’s Stone) Harry witnesses the sorting of a girl of his age: Lily Moon.
Harry Potter characters appearing as themselves in Hogwarts Legacy
In addition to these characters in human form, Hogwarts Legacy paid homage to the wizarding universe of Harry Potter by introducing some physically (not quite) characters present in the books and films. It is the case of Portrait of the Fat Ladyguardian of Gryffindor tower, or of the ghost Nearly Headless Nick. The mischievous poltergeist is also featured in the game Pix, very present in almost all the books but totally absent in the films. It is also worth mentioning the Prof. Cuthbert Binnslecturer/ghost of the History of Magic at Hogwarts who holds his chair both in the video game and in JK Rowling’s literary works.
Finally we wanted to point out a small tribute, this time video game. In Hogwarts Legacy we will have to help the schoolgirl Poppy Sweeting to save animals from poachers. The choice of the surname is not accidental: in the video games of La Pietra Filosofale and La Camera dei Segreti it is possible to collect the stickers of famous magicians through the chocolate frogs. Among the collectible stickers there is also Havelock Sweetingdescribed in the two games as a magozoologist who loved animals.