Hogwarts Legacy Hidden Lore Reveals One Story From A Underrated Harry Potter Game

Summary A painting in Hogwarts Legacy connects to lore from the older game Wonderbook: Book of Spells.

Hogwarts Legacy draws on various corners of the Harry Potter franchise for worldbuilding, including obscure sources.

The story of Illyuis in the painting has a detailed backstory from Book of Spells, adding depth to the Wizarding World lore.

A hidden secret in Hogwarts Legacy reveals a piece of lore that connects the game to a much older and less remembered Harry Potter game. Hogwarts Legacy is full of Easter eggs that both expand the lore of Harry Potter and connect the game to other aspects of the franchise, some more easily recognized than others. With such an expansive universe to draw on, it can even be surprisingly easy at times to mistake previously established lore for brand-new information.

Considering just how many small details are included in Hogwarts Legacy, it is unsurprising that the game draws on all corners of the franchise for its worldbuilding. From Hogwarts Legacy including figures missing from the movies to introducing ancestors of major characters from the books, the game creates an incredible portrayal of the Wizarding World to explore. At times, such details can even call back to fairly obscure sources, in turn sparking a new interest in these older games. One such detail, in itself fairly easy to overlook, actually has a remarkable story behind it upon close examination.

The Painting Of Illyius References Wonderbook: Book Of Spells

The Field Guide In Hogwarts Legacy Shares Details About Illyius

On the base floor of the Defence Against The Dark Arts Tower is a painting featuring a young man with a mouse Patronus. This is the Painting of Illyius, which is briefly described in its own Field Guide page (obtained by using Revelio). According to the Field Guide, the painting commemorates its titular wizard, who “saved his entire village from an army of Dementors and the Dark wizard Raczidian” with the Patronus charm. But although this may seem like a brief, inconsequential piece of trivia at first glance, this story actually comes from the game Wonderbook: Book of Spells.

Long before Hogwarts Legacy, Wonderbook: Book of Spells was released for the PS3 in 2012. Using the Wonderbook periphery, this AR game offers players the opportunity to learn a variety of Harry Potter spells, with the PlayStation Move’s motion controls allowing for an immersive experience. Moreover, the game provides backstory and lore for many classic spells, including the Patronus Charm through the story of Illyius. Although Hogwarts Legacy gives players a brief overview of the story, the original version is much more detailed, including some disturbing lore for the Patronus charm itself.

Book of Spells was followed by the release of Book of Potions in 2013, which, as the name suggests, is a similar game that focuses on the brewing of potions.

According to Book of Spells, not only was Illyius successful in single-handedly fending off a horde of Dementors in spite of his Patronus’ diminutive appearance, but he also provoked the Dementors’ master, Raczidian, into making a fatal mistake. Having tried and failed to use his army to capture the local girl Eliana, Raczidian attempted to face Illyius with a Patronus of his own. However, despite technically being talented enough to cast the spell, Raczidian’s Dark nature twisted the charm in a truly horrifying manner; the Dark Wizard found himself conjuring a horde of maggots that devoured him on the spot.

Related "Single Player Games Are Still Relevant & Important": Hogwarts Legacy Fans Petition WB Games After Warner Bros. announced its commitment to live-service games, Hogwarts Legacy fans petition that a sequel remain focused on single player.

Hogwarts Legacy’s Use Of Wizarding World Lore Isn’t All-Encompassing

How Hogwarts Legacy Connects To Other Harry Potter Games

Close

Raczidian can be seen standing behind Illyius in the painting hanging in the Defence Against The Dark Arts Tower, whilst a female figure kneels (this is presumably Eliana, who eventually married Illyius). Understandably, given that Hogwarts is a school, the dark wizard’s gruesome fate is not depicted in the painting, but its brief Field Guide description also means that the surrounding lore is not apparent to players of Hogwarts Legacy alone. A playthrough of Book of Spells is needed to understand the full context without the use of second-hand sources, making it easy for this tale to be missed.

Book of Spells itself is one of the more underrated Harry Potter games to have been released, not being as widely played as it may have otherwise been due to it now being a decade old in addition to being a PlayStation exclusive. Nevertheless, the lore it can provide adds a level of depth to the Wizarding World that any fan can appreciate. As such, it is good to see its additions to the franchise referenced in the much larger Hogwarts Legacy, if only in part.

The Painting of Illyius references lore nowhere to be found in the Harry Potter books or films, instead being a product of the video games that have followed them. Because of that, it is only fitting that the story of the young wizard and his unusual Patronus are referenced in the biggest Harry Potter video game yet. Hogwarts Legacy very much feels like a culmination of all that has come before it, and the inclusion of even obscure stories like Illyius’ is an excellent example of this.