Hello there and welcome to the Jay’s Brick Blog Daily daily countdown of the 2021 LEGO Harry Potter Advent Calendar!
This is LEGO’s third year of Harry Potter Advent Calendars, and to freshen up the formula, there is some sort of game built into the Advent Calendar this year which I’m excited to see unfold.
Note: Harry and Hermione Megafigures not included.
Check out the HP Advent Calendars from 2020 and 2019 for a walk down memory lane
This year, in addition to Harry Potter, I’ll also be counting down the Star Wars, Friends and Marvel Advent Calendars as well, making it the biggest and most involved year yet!
How does this work?
If you’re new here, I do daily updates on each window of the 2021 Harry Potter Advent Calendar. I usually post updates in the morning, but sometimes if I get too busy at work, updates will be posted in the evening. I’ll update this post each day, as I don’t really enjoy the practice of creating new posts for each day as it keeps it so much cleaner.
Unlike other sites, I’m actually opening each window as I go, and I’ve been able to be relatively spoiler-free to be as surprised as I can get. All reviews, thoughts and reactions are live as we go along, there are no pre-planned photos or thoughts, unless I happen to be travelling or away from home.
Do note that I’m based in Melbourne, Australia (GMT +11) so we’re ahead of most of the world (except New Zealand) so to avoid spoilers, try to come back to this post after you’ve opened your window and built the daily model especially if you’re located in other timezones like the US or UK.
PS: If you’re planning to buy any LEGO for Christmas and would like to support the blog, please use these affiliate links if you’re shopping on Amazon, Amazon Australia or LEGO.com!
I receive a small commission if you purchase something, which goes a long way in paying for equipment and server costs, and of course LEGO I purchase for content. All my advent calendars are purchased myself!
To make it easier for you to check out each day’s section, as this post is going to grow longer with every new window, all you have to do is click on the Day you want, and you will instantly jump to the corresponding section.
- Day 1 – Privet Drive Sign
- Day 2 – Harry Potter
- Day 3 – Fireplace
- Day 4 – Hogwarts Letters
- Day 5 – Birthdae Cake
- Day 6 – Dudley Dursley
- Day 7 – Leaky Cauldron Sign
- Day 8 – Leaky Cauldron Table
- Day 9 – Diagon Alley Entrance
- Day 10 – Gringotts Bank Counter
- Day 11 – Griphook
- Day 12 – Gringotts Mine Cart
- Day 13 – Gringotts Vault
- Day 14 – Galleons
- Day 15 – Spellbook and Wand
- Day 16 – Hedwig, Chocolate Frog and Hogwarts Express Ticket
- Day 17 – Luggage Trolley
- Day 18 – Ron Weasley
- Day 19 – Platform 9¾ Entrance
- Day 20 – Hermione Granger
- Day 21 – Hogwarts Feast
- Day 22 – Draco Malfoy
- Day 23 – Christmas Tree
- Day 24 – Game Spinner
- Final Thoughts
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To follow along, it’s best to bookmark this post to check back each day. You can also find a link to this post from the home page via a link in the top navigation bar. If you’re on mobile, you have to expand the burger menu (the button with the 3 lines) to find it.
I LOVE this illustration of a snow-covered Hogwarts castle. The art style is on point, and reminds me so much of the original book covers, and really sets the scene for the 2021 Harry Potter Advent Calendar.
Lifting open the flap reveals the mat, which has a game, called “Journey to Hogwarts”. Along the mat is some sort of pathway, and there’s a spin dice to move your minifigures along, with numbered spots that correspond to the Advent Calendar builds.
A pretty fun gimmick, and I like that there’s some innovation in the advent calendar, and this should hopefully be very playable for families!
As always, the instruction of each day’s builds are printed on the inside of the doors, so be careful and try not to rip them out!
Without wasting any time, let’s get started with the 2021 Harry Potter Advent Calendar countdown!
Day 1
Day 1 starts off slow and easy, with a Privet Drive sign, along with an envelope resting on the sign.
Nothing too fancy here, and it’s a break from the tradition of getting a Harry Potter minifigure on Day 1’s window like previous years.
The Privet Drive sign is a printed tile, which you might recognise from 75968 4 Privet Drive.
You can pop the Privet Sign drive on its square on the playmat, and that’s it for Day 1.
A little bit of a plain build, and very strange not to get a minifigure out of the box, but let’s hope that we get one in Day 2! Check in tomorrow to see what we get!
Day 2
Right on cue, for Day 2 of the Harry Potter Advent Calendar, we get the titular hero himself – a Harry Potter minifigure! It’s technically an exclusive minifigure, but not entirely new as it recycles the torso from 75978 Diagon Alley, which until now was quite an exclusive and hard to find print.
So good on LEGO for putting this hard-to-find torso in a fairly accessible advent calendar, but it does make the set less special.
Following on from Day 1’s Privet Drive sign, this version of Harry Potter is significant as he’s dressed in the outfit where he receives the deluge of Hogwarts letters, much to the annoyance of the Dursleys.
Here’s a look at the back printing, and the alternate face which has a shocked expression on its face.
Not too bad of a minifigure, but I do wish we had a brand new outfit or torso for Harry that was exclusive to the Advent Calendar, but at the same time, I am still quite happy that we get this version of Harry Potter, so that those who missed out on Diagon Alley get a chance at this minifigure, which has an outfit from one of the most iconic scenes of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone.
That’s it for Day 2! Check in tomorrow to see if we get more Privet Drive build, or characters!
Day 3
Day 3 of the Harry Potter Advent Calendar reveals a fireplace, one of the more detailed builds! We continue on the theme of Harry Potter at Privet Drive – you might remember the Fireplace with Hogwarts letters whizzing out, as Uncle Vernon attempts to block it – hence the black dividier that goes into it.
The instructions are a little unclear, but you’re actually meant to slot the black flag with clips into the slot, to cover the fireplace.
In fact, there’s a really clever play feature built in here – you can take the Hogwarts Letter tile from Day 1, pop it inside the Fireplace, and when you lift the black flag, it pops right out! Very impressed by how well it works!
That’s it for Day 3 so far, check in to see what Day 4 brings!
Day 4
Perhaps I was a little premature loading up yesterday’s Fireplace with the one Hogwarts letter, as Day 4 gives us 3 more Letter Tiles, and some accessories to complete the Fireplace’s look!
You can of course fit the letters into the Fireplace, and pull the flag open to send them all flying out, but it gets quite cramped, and I found the letters don’t shoot out as satisfyingly as with just one tile.
The broom and shovel are nice, and can be attached via the clip. You can also attach the wreath to either stud, but I chose to clip it on the flag, to make it slightly easier to grip and raise it to send the letters flying out!
Not the most exciting window, but it does give you the right elements to bring to life the scene from Philosopher’s Stone in Harry’s first year!
Check in tomorrow to see if we still remain in Privet Drive, or if we get more elements of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone!
Day 5
Day 5 of the 2021 Harry Potter Advent Calendar gives us more delightful references from the Philosopher’s Stone, with Hagrid’s Birthday cake, given to Harry for his 11th birthday!
The icing and writing is a little wonky, and Hagrid misspells birthday to “birthdae” but Harry is delighted nonetheless, as this is the first birthday cake he’s ever received in his life.
I believe the pink printed tile is exclusive to the Harry Potter Advent Calendar, so this is a great addition to your LEGO Harry Potter collection, and bonus points that its printed!
The cake comes in a simple white box, with a lid that can swivel open.
Day 5’s build is neat, and I’m sure Potterheads will be delighted to get a really iconic piece (of cake) from the Philosopher’s Stone to add to their collection.
I don’t know if he’ll actually hit in an Advent Calendar window (probably not), but LEGO HAS to do a Santa version of Hagrid someday. It’ll be perfect.
It goes in the Day 5 spot, so check in tomorrow to see what Day 6 will bring!
Day 6
Day 6 gives us another minifigure, and an excellent one at that – with Dudley Dursley, in his striped pyjamas. This is only the second Dudley Dursley minifigure ever, and it’s exclusive to the 2021 Harry Potter Advent Calendar.
There are some nice subtle details, like a mischevious face, and also a tummy line on his pyjamas, to represent his portly figure. Unfortunately, his legs aren’t printed which is a bummer, but at this stage, LEGO doesn’t really do printing on short legs.
The best feature is his back printing, where a little pigtail pokes out from the back of his pyjamas, and Dudley has an alternate face that’s a mixture of surprise and shock.
When picking Harry up from the Dursleys, Hagrid casts a spell on Dudley, threatening to turn him into a pig – adding just a pig tail as a warning. It’s a great nod to the Philosopher’s Stone movies, and I’m very impressed with Day 6’s window!
Harry has a companion now, albeit one that he actively dislikes, and it’s great to see more of Harry’s life in Privet Drive come together.
Check in tomorrow to see what Day 7 will give us!
Day 7
Day 7 treats us to a Leaky Cauldron sign, signalling that we’ve left the Dursley’s home at 4 Privet Drive, to head towards Harry’s first trip to Diagon Alley, the wizard shopping district in London.
It’s a relatively simple build, and I love that the sign is printed! The sign is exclusive to this set, and is a fun little addition to your LEGO Harry Potter collection.
Maybe this signals that we’ll eventually get a Leaky Cauldron building that can be used to expand 75978 Diagon Alley, as I can absolutely see this sign being repurposed again.
That’s it for Day 7! I’m looking forward to what new things we’ll discover from Diagon Alley in Day 8 and beyond!
Day 8
What do we get after yesterday’s Leaky Cauldron sign? Day 8’s Table… with 2 coffee mugs, and a bottle. That’s it.
In trying to find something positive to say about this plain build, the best I could do is that the flat silver mugs are kinda rare, and new, so getting 2 is a small bonus?
That doesn’t make up for the fact that it’s quite a lacklustre build, and I wish there was something more wizard-y about it.
Hope Day 9’s window makes up for the disappointing Day 8!
Day 9
Day 9 of the Harry Potter Advent Calendar is a wall section that represents the Diagon Alley entrance!
“Three up… two across…” he muttered. “Right, stand back, Harry.”
It’s pretty simple, and it would’ve been made all the more perfect if we got a Hagrid to help show Hagrid the magical entrance into Diagon Alley, the wizarding shopping district, where Harry goes to buy supplies for his first year at Hogwarts.
The wall splits apart, allowing both sides to separate cleanly – magic!
While the models and builds have been more miss than hit this year, I do appreciate the chronological story-telling with each day’s windows, tracing Harry’s journey from 4 Privet Drive to the Leaky Cauldron, and now, as he takes his first few steps into Diagon Alley.
I wonder what we’ll get in Day 10!
Day 10
One of Harry’s first stops in Diagon Alley is Gringotts, as Hagrid takes him there to uncover his family fortune that James and Lily Potter left for him. Day 10’s build takes us to Gringotts with this Bank Counter, complete with Gringott’s signature round lights that appear on each counter.
On the other side of the counter is a small platform… suitable for a short minifigure to be placed there – maybe a clue on what we’ll get in Day 11?
Until then though, Dudley Dursley will have to substitute in. Check in to see if we get a Goblin tomorrow to man the Bank Counter!
Day 11
As expected, Day 11 gives us a Griphook minifigure! Griphook is the goblin bank teller at Gringotts, and has the pleasure of taking Harry to his vault. He comes with a golden key (2 in fact, as there’s a spare on the sprue), and is dressed quite handsomely in a dark red blazer.
This Griphook is exclusive to the set, but the torso has been used before in other Harry Potter sets, notably for Garrick Ollivander, from 75978 Diagon Alley
Here’s a look at his back print, as well as alternate face, which has a sly, cunning Goblin smirk.
As expected, he’s the perfect height for yesterday’s Gringott’s Bank Counter!
And that’s it for Day 11 so far! Looking at the plot progression, and the silhouette of Day 12’s build… it’s probably a no-brainer that we’ll get for Day 12!
Day 12
As expected (also because it was spoiled prominently on the box), we have a Gringotts Mine Cart on Day 12! It’s a fairly basic version of the carts that Griphook uses to ferry Harry to the Potter vault, where he learns that he’s filthy rich in Wizarding terms!
The build is fairly basic, but I like small details like transparent studs for lamps, and studs for Harry and Griphook to stand on, since their short legs doesn’t allow them to sit.
Here’s the back of the mine cart. I do wish the wheels were slightly better, as they don’t spin as well – proper wheels would’ve made this so much more enjoyable and playable!
I’m currently travelling, so wasn’t able to put together a group shot of all builds so far, but that should return to normal tomorrow!
Let’s see what else we might get in Day 13 of the Harry Potter Advent Calendar tomorrow!
Day 13
We get more of Gringotts on Day 13, with a lovely brick-built Gringotts Vault! Following on from Harry’s journey into Gringotts, we arrive at the vaults, containing Harry’s inheritance left to him by his late parents.
The build is quite effective, with a wooden door that swivels open, leading Harry and Griphook in. The functionality works pretty well and while the build is quite simple, it does the job pretty well.
And that’s it for Day 13 – we’ve spent a lot of time in the Gringotts phase of Harry’s journey, and I wonder if we’ll explore something else for Day 14 tomorrow!
Day 14
We’re still in Gringgots, with a second part-er to yesterday’s Gringott’s vault – a big pile of Galleons for Day 14! It’s as basic as it goes, literally just a pile of pearl gold 1 x 1 studs, and some pearl gold bars.
With LEGO going hard into the Harry Potter theme, it’s puzzling that they would not invest in a Galleon tile, which would make so much sense as it’s the most valuable denomination of wizard currency.
This pile of galleons attaches itself to the Gringotts vault, allowing you to open the door, for Harry be amazed and discover that he’s secretly filthy rich.
I do wish we got a few more accessories such as gold cups, or some other Wizard paraphernalia, so I think Day 14 is a bit of a plain window, but at the very least, it connects to Day 13’s vault.
I think I’m done with Gringotts for now, and can’t wait to leave and explore more of Harry’s journey into the wizarding world!
Day 15
We finally leave Gringotts, with a pocketful of Galleons in hand and are now ready for some Wizard shopping! Day 16 gives us a Spellbook and a wand, probably purchased from the wizarding bookshop Flourish and Blotts, and wand shop, Ollivanders.
It’s a pretty plain build for the calendar, with the spellbook just having a plain tile on the inside, but I do like the wand, which comes in its own wand case – a new element first introduced in 75978 Diagon Alley.
But hey, it’s great that Harry finally has his wand, which is 11″ long, made of holly, and possessed a phoenix feather core.
That’s it for Day 15 so far – I’m looking forward to seeing more of Harry’s shopping adventures in Diagon Alley. Check in to see what else we get on Day 16, and what else Harry will splurge on!
Day 16
On Day 16, we get more Wizarding shopping, with a Hedwig, the Snowy Owl that is purchased by Hagrid from the Eeylops Owl Emporium as a gift for Harry!
Apart from that, we also get one chocolate frog, a Hogwarts Express ticket, and a Chocolate Frog Card.
It’s the old-style Owl, instead of the newer Hedwig with wings outstretched, so it feels like LEGO are clearing old Owl stock!
Here’s a closer look at the chocolate frog card, and the Hogwarts Express ticket. Chocolate Frog Card tiles are meant to be random, so I’m really interested to know if everyone got the same card – mine being Seraphina Picquery, who you might remember from the Fantastic Beasts 2 movie, as the President of the Magical Congress of the United States of America.
Let me know in the comments if you got a different card and what you got!
Check out Brickfinder who has a handy checklist of Chocolate Frog Cards to see the others that you can collect.
And that’s it for Day 16 – no building required, but it’s nice to get some more Wizarding items, and also a chocolate frog card.
Check back in tomorrow for Day 17 where we hopefully get back to regular builds, or even minifigures!
Day 17
Day 17 took me by surprise, because I honestly thought I was building another Gringotts Mine Cart, until it struck me that this is a Luggage Trolley, that Harry uses to load up all his Wizarding supplies as he catches the Hogwarts Express from Platform 9¾.
By the way, thank you so much for sharing your chocolate frog cards from yesterday! It was so fun to read what everyone else got, and I was really glad to see LEGO truly randomise the chocolate frog cards!
It’s a very basic build, with 2 studs, and space to load up your items, as well as a handle for Harry to push. It’s an okay build, and not very exciting as nothing about this really screams “Wizarding World”.
That said, it looks much better once you load it up with Hedwig, a chocolate frog and some spellbooks!
Check back in tomorrow to see what else we get in Day 18!
Day 18
On Day 18, we get another familiar face out of the 2021 Harry Potter Advent Calendar – Ronald Weasley, Harry’s best friend at Hogwarts!
Harry first meets Ron at Kings Cross Station, where he can’t figure out where to find Platform 9¾, and bumps into the Weasley family, so it seems like we’re either in Kings Cross Station, or on the Hogwarts Express, as he gets properly introduced to Ron on the train, and among other things, discovery Chocolate Frogs and the Trading Cards.
Young Ron comes with a wand, and a chocolate frog, and chocolate frog card. I don’t know why, but I received 2 wand sprues, which means I have 4 wands, which isn’t a major complain… but thought it was kind of odd.
Did you get 2 wand sprues too?
After discovering that the Chocolate Frog Trading Cards were random in Day 16, I was very pleased to get another new card with Ron, and I received Garrick Ollivander! Maybe that’s why I got a spare set of wands!
Here’s a look at Ron’s alternate face, with a terrified look – maybe he spotted a large spider or something.
Always good to see one of the “big three” pop out of an Advent Calendar window, and Ron’s emergence hopefully should signal that we’ll get Hermione soon!
Check in tomorrow to see what Day 19 brings!
Day 19
On Day 19, we get the entrance to Platform 9¾. This unassuming pillar may look solid, but is actually the secret entrance to Platform 9¾ where Hogwarts students catch the train to get to Hogwarts.
It’s a great little build, and immediately recognisable, and I believe the printed Platform 9¾ tile is a brand new element, and is so far exclusive to this set, making it a really neat addition to your LEGO Harry Potter collection.
Harry is flummoxed as he’s completely new to the Wizarding World, and he needs the guidance of the Weasley family to cross the barrier into Platform 9¾ – making a quick run into the pillar.
I guess this places Harry before he boards the Hogwarts Express, and he hasn’t caught the train yet!
With only 5 days left, we’re almost at the end, so check in tomorrow to see what we get on Day 20!
Day 20
On Day 20, we get Hermione Granger – the third and final member of the “Big Three”! With her bushy brown hair, and a confident smile, Hermione comes with her wand – 10¾” long, made of vine wood, and possessed a dragon heartstring core.
Unfortunately, unlike Ron, she doesn’t come with any other accessories, which is a bit of a bummer, as it’d be great to incorporate her interests and personality if something like a spellbook or even a printed tile, but nope, you just get a wand (or 4!).
Here’s Hermione’s back printing and alternate face, which has a worried face.
It’s awesome to get all 3 main characters, and the main trio is finally complete! Harry does look quite out of place without his Hogwarts robes next to Ron and Hermione – he definitely needs a change of clothes as he’s about to board (or has already boarded) the Hogwarts Express!
That’s it for Day 20 so far, check back in tomorrow to see what we get for Day 21! Only 4 more days to go!
Day 21
Day 21 is quite possibly the most elaborate build yet, at least by piece-count and size – a large Hogwarts Feast! It looks like Harry has zipped from the Hogwarts Express straight into the Great Hall for the Start of Term Feast!
The table has benches on the sides, and has a number of food items – a plateful of cherries, a baguette and a pumpkin.
You can relive the scene here!
It’s great to get such a substantial build for Day 21, and it looks like we’re near the end of Harry’s journey to Hogwarts. The one downside of having minifigures with short legs that don’t bend is that you can’t properly sit them down at the table, which is a bit of a bummer, but I guess it still looks okay with everyone standing.
That’s it for Day 21! Only 3 days remain, so check in tomorrow for Day 22 and to see what else we’ll get!
Day 22
Oh, this was a pleasant surprise that was not spoiled on the box – Day 22 gives us another minifigure, Harry’s arch-nemesis Draco Malfoy from House Slytherin!
I actually thought we were done with minifigures, so seeing Draco and his trademark blonde hair pop out from the window was a lovely surprise. He has a smug look on his face, and also comes with a wand (or 4), and is dressed in black wizard robes.
Here’s a look at Draco’s alternate face, which has a very mean-spirited snarl!
At least the Big Trio now has competition, and Harry has his enemy to torment him for the remainder of his schooling life at Hogwarts.
We’re almost at the end of the calendar with 2 days to go!
Day 23
It’s Day 23, but is this the final “build” of the 2021 Harry Potter Advent Calendar? You get a lovely Christmas Tree, with a great mix of dark green and green elements, with the stars providing some nice contrast.
I like the sleek shape of this tree, but can’t shake the idea that this is really the final build of the calendar, as we all know what comes next with Day 24, given that its been splashed all over the front of the box…
While the presence of the Christmas Tree does give off very festive vibes as we’re 2 days from Christmas… I can’t help quite feel a little underwhelmed that there isn’t really a “climax” to the calendar.
That all being said, check back in tomorrow on Christmas Eve for the final build on Day 24, and for a wrapup of the 2021 Harry Potter Advent Calendar!
Day 24
Day 24 of the 2021 LEGO Harry Potter Advent Calendar isn’t really a surprise as it’s been featured heavily on the box and cover, as it’s also a crucial element for this year’s board game “gimmick” – you get a game spinner, that acts as a spinning dice!
Think of it as a top, with a printed dome of 2, 4, -1 and -2 numerals for the number of steps you’re supposed to take – forward or backwards. You can now play the game on the box flap – a very crude version of Snakes and Ladders that sees Harry make his way to Hogwarts, pass all the major milestones, and places in the Philosopher’s Stone.
Here’s the Game Spinner in action. It’s a little unclear how you determine which number you get, as you will get 2 numbers facing upright… so just establish a rule and make it so!
While I like that all the major house colours are featured, to give it a bit of a Hogwarts feel, it just feels like quite an underwhelming build to finish the Advent Calendar on – very underwhelming, and doesn’t really give you a sense of excitement or completion that you get from other Advent Calendars, where the final window is usually the crescendo and culmination of the countdown till Christmas.
Ending on a top is quite meh, and in many ways encapsulates this year’s Harry Potter Advent Calendar..
Final Thoughts
And that’s it for the 2021 LEGO Harry Potter Advent Calendar. This is the 3rd year running for the Harry Potter Advent Calendar, and I hope I’m not the only one who feels like it’s been the weakest experience so far.
I do have to give kudos to the design team for coming up with this simple board game, that younger kids will get to enjoy on Christmas Eve, and how you chronologically trace Harry’s journey to Hogwarts from Privet Drive, to Diagon Alley all the way to the Great Hall, which makes for a great story-telling element, to get kids into Harry Potter.
Build-wise, I feel like there were a lot more misses than hits – the minifigures were just okay – getting the main trio is almost to be expected, and Draco Malfoy was a nice surprise, as was Dudley Dursley, but I was very surprised that we didn’t get Hagrid, who was instrumental in guiding Harry through his journey to Hogwarts.
Many of the scenes and locations referenced here, such as Dudley’s pig tail, the Diagon Alley entrance all have Hagrid’s fingerprints, and I think it’s such a huge miss that we didn’t get a Santa-version of Hagrid, which would have been absolutely perfect. Maybe his giant minifigure can’t fit into Advent Calendar windows…
While I did enjoy some of the builds, and the random Chocolate Frog Cards, I don’t think it compares to previous Harry Potter Advent Calendars, which had a cohesive scene such as last year’s Yule Ball, or even micro models which were a lot of fun.
The board game gimmick also didn’t quite land with me and my daughter, as she was quite disinterested, mostly because she hasn’t watched Harry Potter yet, so couldn’t quite relate to each day’s builds. In fact, she lost interest in the Advent Calendar builds midway through.
There’s a lot more room for improvement, and I hope if they continue with the Harry Potter Advent Calendars, we’ll go back to building a specific scene or location, or just have a more cohesive experience where you get to connect all the builds together to form a much larger scene.
Anyway, thank you so much to everyone who has been following the 2021 LEGO Harry Potter Advent Calendar countdown every day, going on this journey to Hogwarts together!
I haven’t been able to respond to every single comment, but I’ve read every single one, and it’s been so much fun counting down the days to Christmas! Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas, and New Year’s!
I hope Santa has plenty of LEGO for you and your family under the Christmas tree! If you’re new to the blog, feel free to subscribe if you want to get the latest LEGO news and LEGO Reviews straight in your inbox.
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You built the spinner wrong. The colors on top should line up with the colors on the sides. That way you only get one number facing up each time.
My son and I love following along with you every year!
I initially had the same problem with the spinner (when it lands, two numbers face upwards), but I fixed it by separating the two circular pieces and putting them back together with the top one turned 45-degrees.
Thank you for your insights, we’ve enjoyed reading them! It’s been so nice to open up every day something that apart for a chocolate frog had no real chocolate in it.
Wishing you a very happy Christmas!
I love the new advent calendar of the lego harry potter. I just wish there was more info of how to play. Either way I still loved the experience of each day opening each piece to build.
I get a calendar every year, but this was my first HP. Perhaps that’s why I seem to be in the minority here – I loved it. I agree it needed Hagrid and a sorting hat (which would have made a great final window) but the concept is very clever and I loved the six Minifigures.
I would have rated it the best of the calenders I’ve had to date. With now five to choose from every year it’s harder to pick the gems.
I feel now that they have added the chocolate frog “cards” to this year’s builds. They need to continue with that, and make more than just the first story.
I had been hoping that the set would include (or conclude with) a seasonally themed Sorting Hat. That seems like a much more logical end to this journey-to-Hogwarts theme, particularly considering that all the robes lacked house-markings. I agree that the dreidel-ish spinner is disappointing and weird.
Thank you so much! I follow your HP advent calendar blog every day and really appreciate your thoughts and pictures!
W
Hen building the spinner we lined up the side color pieces with the colors on the top of the spinner. Then when it lands it’s on a flat side. Why is Gryffindor -2 points??? And Slytherin +4 points???
Clearly the designer was a Slytherin.
I actually really liked it. I agree that some of the builds were a bit lame, but I liked the journey to Hogwarts. I would have liked a Hagrid… perhaps instead of Malfoy.
Spinner could have been day 1 and end with the tree…
Maybe the spinner should have been day 1. Especially since it was spoiled on the box
A different perspective to consider…many families may buy only one Harry Potter advent calendar for their kids. So getting the main characters is nice, not redundant as some have said. I can’t compare to other years since this is our first one, but we enjoyed the whole thing! My 7yr old daughter loves everything Harry Potter and has enjoyed playing with everything as we go. We loved the vault and the diagon alley wall most of all. We aren’t huge Lego builders either so no expectations on the build quality. overall this was a fun experience for us!
Totally agree with you about this year’s Advent calendar being the weakest to date. A slightly disappointing experience apart from the occasional surprise like Dudley and the printed pieces Let us hope that 2022 will be a much better year for everyone. Happy Christmas.
Regarding the top: you can position the number wheel so that the number colors align with the color blocks beneath. That way, only one number/color comes up on a spin.
Can anyone enlighten me… are the Hermione/Ron/Draco torsos used anywhere else? As they’re pre-Sorting Hat, they’re wearing different ties from the usual House colours. (My HP-fanatic daughter noticed this, not me!)
Thanks for your daily summary – it actually helped with a few of the builds!
Thanks Jay for your blog. This was my first Lego advent calendar and I’m so glad I had your insights into the builds and interesting facts. I really enjoyed the calendar but with it being my first one had no expectations or comparisons. Good to avoid spoilers too
Merry Christmas from the UK
Loved it but can’t find any instructions on how to play the game…? Am I missing something?
Gold Coast, Australia
Does anyone know how to play the game?
I had 2 extra green squares, so I put them on he bottom between the tree and the circular base which made the tree taller and not look so squat. I had some trouble figuring out that the sides fit in the spaces and not in the circles.
I’m really disappointed we didn’t get a Hagrid – he was the one who took Harry on his journey to Hogwarts. We got the cake, but not the man? Makes zero sense. Last years HP advent was so much more fun and enjoyable to open/put together. They really dropped the ball this year.
I always assume we’re getting 6 mini figs so was expecting one more…Malfoy was a nice surprise.
It’s interesting that the Great Hall table we got for day 21 is exactly the same build as the two tables from 2019’s advent calendar, though with different food options. I am reopening the two previous years’ calendars along with this one, and while I’m enjoying the Journey to Hogwarts theme, I still think last year’s calendar with the Yule Ball theme is the best of the three so far.
I miss all the micro builds from last year!
The proportion of table was really bugging me, so I changed it. Haha. It didn’t seem to make sense that they are basically sitting on the ground and then the table top is SO high. I took out the lighter brown 1×2 plates next to benches, and I added another layer of gold studs to the table legs (luckily, the table had one extra and we had 3 more extras from our other Lego advents sitting here, so I didn’t even have to go hunt some down. Haha.) The proportion is much more to my liking, and I guess it makes it a little different than the previous years. 😉
The Yule Ball theme was amazing, and it makes sense that they couldn’t keep that up for this year.
That really was a spectacular set!!!
I’d really be ok in future calendars to take a break from Ron & Hermione. The first two years made sense with the theme. I loved getting Griphook and Dudley – and want more of those. We’ve still got at least one more mini-fig coming and I hope it’s Hagrid (I avoid spoilers).
Yup, I agree on not having Ron/Hermione!
Same. Getting a little tired of the same recycled designs. The advent calendars could do with more variety.
I got godric gruff indoor and Minerva mcgonagall! How fun that they were different!! Idaho, US
Purchased at Costco.
Who’s Gruff and why is he indoors?
Day 16: Gilderoy Lockhart
Day 18: Rowena Ravenclaw
We got 2 sets of wands with Ron, too.
Thank you so much for your ongoing advent post! And for your website I general! Yours is the first I go to for info on all the new sets!
Day 16 Gilderoy Lockhart
Day 19 silver Albus Dumbledore
I almost always get 4 wands with the mini figures.
I got Bertie Bott. For both my chocolate frog cards. A bit disappointed I didn’t get two different. I also got 4 wands with Ron.
Oops my big fingers hit the period after Bertie Bott.
Ah bummer! With it being random, that can sometimes happen.
I think the Platform 9¾ sign is supposed to be one piece up from how you have it, judging from the alignment in the calendar picture. Then the black bit is more of a support for it rather than an odd piece that sticks out at the top, and you have the same grey bit underneath as the flat brick lower down.
Oh, you’re absolutely right – thanks for pointing that out. I’ll fix it in future photos!
I got:
Day 16: Albus Dumbledore
Day 20: Helena Ravenclaw
Sorry, I ment Rowena Ravenclaw
Very cool selection!
I got…
Day 16: Albus Dumbledore
Day 20: Helena Ravenclaw
I got Dumbledore in Day 16 and Olympe Maxime in Day 18
Got two wand sets and another Rowena Ravenclaw card which is what we got on day 16. Located in the US.
On day 16 I got Helga Hufflepuff & day 18 – Nicholas Flamel. This is my 1st Lego anything since I was a kid! Am glad to have found this website!
We also have two sets of wands and we received a Dumbledore card
I got two sets of wands as well, and Albus Dumbledore gold foil. Colorado, us
I also got 2 sets of wands! My card this time had Nicholas Flamel!
I got Salazar Slytherin
I for 2 sets of wands too and Godric Gryffindor 💫 (Paris, France)
And thanks for the annual countdowns (I follow the SW adventiste calendrier too !
Sorry for the wrong words (iPad writes in French 😭
I got two different cards, Jocunda Skyes (16) and Seraphina Picquery (18). I also got four wands on day 18. In the US.
Two wand sprues for us too! The card was Jocunda Sykes – we got the gold Albus Dumbledore in the other pack. Loving this advent calendar and we enjoy your blog and help.
Who are these? Lockhart and Ollivander? https://www.instagram.com/p/CXoaNONrbiG/?utm_medium=copy_link
Yes
I got two sets of wands also, and the same card you did.
We have gotten extra pieces/accessories almost every day. It always makes me think we did something wrong. Lol
In the UK we got 2 wand spruces & the same card as on day 16 (Gold Dumbledore).
I also got two sets of wands, and was a little disappointed to get another Salazar Slytherin. I’m in the US. Want to swap? 🙂
We got Albus Dumbledore (gold background) and Minerva McGonagall on 16 and 18, respectively
I got Olympe Maxime this time and yes, I got 2 sets of wands.
Yes. I got two sets of wands and Madam Maxine!!!
Golden Dumbledore in day 18 – also got a spare set of wands.
I got Snape as my wizard card
I got Lockhart!
Rowena Ravenclaw! I’m delighted – I got sorted on a couple of sites – no doubt, get thee to Ravenclaw. I was hoping for that one. I got Snape the other day. And yes, I also got 2 wand sprues (?).
I also got Rowena Ravenclaw (rose gold)
Day 17 Cart could’ve combined the shopping….. hey ho!
Newt Scamander!
We got an extra piece in today’s (17). It’s a 2×1 flat light grey grid piece. Does anyone know what this is for or if it’s just been mistakenly added to the bag? Thanks
Extra bags on a great day. Oplimpe, gilderoy and newt. Yep 3 bags. Figure it will be short somewhere. We shall see
Oooh Jealous – that’s awesome!!!
I got Bertie Bott.
I didn’t realize that there might be different Chocolate Frog cards. That’s even more exciting. We got Silver Dumbledore.
We got Godrick Griffyndor!
The face of our hedwig owl was printed on the back of its head. So creepy!
nice can you post a pic? Is that even possible?
I found Bertie Bott in mine today!
We got Severus Snape!
I got Godric Gryffindor!
I got Salazar Slytherin on my chocolate frog card! Pretty cool!
I got Salazar Slytherin on my chocolate frog card!
We got dumbledore, but no gold border.
We got gold border Dumbledore.
Newt Scamander in the US
I’m pretty sure I got Gilderoy Lockhart on my chocolate frog card!
I also got Lockhart!
I got Helga Hufflepuff! Love following your blog for the HP advent calendars!
I got Lockheart
If Lego was smart, they would have given everyone the Dumbledore card because that’s what Harry got as his first card. But I’m probably overthinking it…
We have Olympe Maxime.
Loving the HP calendar and enjoy your blog for help and extra details!
Those chocolate frogs have one good jump in them … ours did as the packet opened and gone … somewhere in the lounge!!
Definitely randomly selected Chocolate Frog card tiles! I received a silver edged Dumbledore. I was a little disappointed with the Hedwig and chocolate frog as we had already received these in prior year calendars. Something new would have been more ideal!
I got a Dumbledore chocolate frog card.
I got minerva mcgonagall 🙂
I got McGonagall in the UK 🙂
We got Bertie Bott!
Ooh, Bertie Bott (uk .. and loving this advent calendar)
I got Jocunda Sykes chocolate frog card today 😀
I got Garrick Ollivander 🙂
I got Jocunda Sykes
This is our first lego advent calendar and have enjoyed checking your blog everyday after we’ve opened up the calendar. We got Minerva McGonagall for our chocolate frog card today!! Can’t wait to see what tomorrow is.
I got a Nicolas Flamel or Snape, can’t tell the difference between them. Annoying, since this a dupe of a dupe.
Here in the U.S. i got Gilderoy Lockhart!
Got Olympe Maxime chocolate frog card.
I got Severus Snape!
Very excited I got the Severus Snape card!
My Chocolate Frog Card was Jocunda Sykes
We got the same card as you. (In Scotland).
I got Newt on my chocolate frog card!
The chocolate frog cards – I got gold Dumbledore (my third:-( – are killing me!! Out of 15 collected so far – 8 are dupes!! AAArrrgh! The train ticket is nice tho, and like seeing Hedwig.
We got Gilderoy Lockhart in ours today in the UK
Hello ! Here in Paris, France, I got MacGonnagal 💫
Over here in Idaho, USA, I got McGonagall. How fun that they’re different, I didn’t expect that.
We got an Olympe Maxime in the UK. I think this is gonna b the best HP Advent by far when it’s done. Can’t wait to play it.
I don’t think my Chocolate Frog Card is any of those. Quite similar to Jocunda Sykes but not identical.
Godric Griffindore in mine. (UK).
Not happy with just 4 pieces & no build, this years calendar is poor value.
I got Olympe Maxime- I’m in the US.
In the US- Godric Griffindor
Our Chocolate Frog Card was Godric Gryffindor! My daughter and I really enjoy your blog every morning over in Santa Monica, California.
We got Gilderoy Lockhart!
We got Minerva McGonagall!
Hi Jay. Thanks for doing this blog. It’s not always easy to know what the items are so this really helps. My chocolate frog card is Gilderoy Lockhart.
We got a Nicholas Flamel card!
We got Jocunda Sykes, which is awesome because my daughter was just learning about Amelia Earhart!
Godric Gryffindor for me!
I received a Helga Hufflepuff card (in Canada, if that makes a difference). I love how Lego included different ones! I appreciate you sharing the link to the set.
Dumbledore card for us (uk) too!
My 8 year old son has me pull up your blog for him everyday! He says to comment that he got Dumbledore. We are in the US.
From Spain, we got Rowena Ravenclaw!
Salazar Slytherin
My chocolate frog card was Godric Gryffindor, a little unfortunate as it’s a repeat for me but the beautiful 9 3/4 printed tile absolutely makes up for it!
Here in the UK we got –
Albus Dumbledore (Gold Border)
We got a gold bordered Albus Dumbledore as well. In US
I got Bertie Bott which I didn’t have! I have nearly all the sets that come with card and many duplicates of the smaller modular room build sets and never got him until now!
On Day 16, I got the silver version of Dumbledore. Until I looked here, I thought everyone would get Dumbledore to stay true to the story.
One daughter received the Jocunda Sykes Chocolate Frog card and the other daughter received the Albus Dumbledore with the gold border.
We got Dumbledore for our Chocolate Frog Card!
We got Dumbledore on our Chocolate Frog Card!
I got Dumbledore
Ooh I got a different card!! Im not entirely sure who it is but it looks like Snape.
I got Minerva !
We got Seraphina Picquery as well in our HP advent calendar.
McGonagall 😀
Hi Jay. We got Bertie Bott, so your hunch was correct! Spencer and his Mom
We did get a different card with our chocolate frog! So maybe they are random, pretty cool!
My girls got Gildroy Lockhart on their chocolate frog card. Thanks so much for doing this blog!
I got a Dumbledore tile! I like that they did different ones. Made this simple day more exciting.
We got the Madame Maxine card! We are having fun reading your blog and doing the calendar!
We got Newt Scamander. I’ve been fairly underwhelmed by this year’s HP calendar.
I’m not doing the Harry Potter calendar, having never bought into the HP lego, but I’m really enjoying seeing you open the days up! It even inspired me to re-watch the first film last night 🙂
Definitely random cards. I got Rowena Ravenclaw in mine 😊
Thanks for your blog Jay! I got the Chocolate Frog Card of Bertie Bott in my window! Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas!
My daughter and I love the Harry Potter advent set.
Following the HP calendar.
2 doors now.. the Galleons should’ve been part of the door in one window.
There’s so many shops to visit….
I’m guessing we’re going to Ollivander’s, then the train…with 3 mini figs left to get. I haven’t looked at spoilers or the back so might be wrong.
I would love it if we went to Olivander’s or the Emporium tomorrow…but that may be hoping for too much.
I thought The Gringots vault was not supposed to be upright but when I read the blog then I figured that it was supposed to be upright
We received a 2nd birthday cake in our Day 13 calendar! Am so glad you have this list as we thought it was strange to have 2 cakes!!
Griphook and the goblin at the counter (the one you pictured) are two totally different characters. Are you sure Day 11 is Griphook and not the head goblin (the one who’s at the counter when Harry arrives at the bank)?
Griphook is the head goblin
No, Griphook is the goblin that brings Harry to his vault and opens it for him. The head goblin is the one who is at the counter and asks if Mr. Harry Potter has his key. They are two different goblins
Oh
He just looks different between movies 1 & 6
Our Harry mini figure didn’t come with a head 🙁
You can always request replacements for missing pieces: https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/replacementparts I did it last year. Comes pretty quick.
😮
Lego is really great about replacing missing and sometimes even lost parts, because they want you to enjoy and be fully happy with your sets. Use the info PJ posted below, and you should have no trouble getting a replacement.
If you put the wheels on with the wide side out they look less good but spin way better. Also your blog has made building these way easier, thank you so much.
Thanks for doing these every year! My son and I get so much more enjoyment out of the calendars by following along with you.
I do not wonder what we’ll get day 10 because it’s bloody well obvious. And day 11, and day 12. Almost *everything* is on the outside of the box. I think there is likely one minifig that is not on the box. I’m also led to believe that those 2 wizard cards *are* going to suck up an entire day. (There had better be chocolate frogs with them.)
I had an extra black bar on Day 7. It worked well for the clamps at the top of the Fireplace from Day 3.
No misses as far as I am concerned. I’ve really enjoyed the HP calendar this year. Also the Star Wars one. The Marvel Avengers calendar is the one I believe is really missing.
We’ve been a bit disappointed with the Marvel one too. Glad we’re not the only ones!
Day 9 took a little bit of working out!
The right hand side of the wall is built studs downward.
Yeah, but it’s actually the same exact build as the other half, just upside down.
We were confused when we got a second Harry. Turns out it was supposed to be Dudley
Glad I’m not the only only one that didn’t catch on. Thought it was just Harry in pajamas until I turned it over and saw the pig tail!
Day eight… only positive for me is it gave me inspiration to add a staging table area to a custom build I am doing to the modular HP Castle sets and making the kitchens under the Chamber of Secrets (2021) set between the great hall and the chamber of secrets using two of the dormitory promo sets Lego sent out last month as the shell of the room.
Do you have photos of this build? Sounds incredible.
Hi, Jay! My kids and I love following along with you, we appreciate your help so much! My daughter has the HP this year (my son has Avengers). On Day 1, we had an extra bag of pieces, but we have no idea what it is. Help, please? Also, should we have gotten the spinner yet? Thanks so very much!
The spinner comes on Day 24, judging by the little icon on the window for 24.
That’s what I thought, thanks! I do wonder what that bag of extra pieces we got could be still.
Mystery solved! That extra bag belonged in window 14!
I havnt git harry potter or the drive I’ve one disappointed daughter
The Happee Birthdae cake element really made me smile! It’s so simple, but I think it’s one of my favorite HP LEGO pieces ever. I found your blog after getting my first HP advent calendar two years ago and being confused about the Architect of Hogwarts statue, and I’ve consulted you after every calendar window since then, to make sure I didn’t miss anything! Thanks so much for creating this great resource!
We love following along with you. You frequently help us with the more tricky builds. Thank you!
For day 5’s pink cake piece, I was originally confused because in the Philosopher’s Stone book it says Hagrid spells it correctly instead of making mistakes on the “happy” and “birthday”. I found it odd that LEGO would take these liberties until I realized that in the movie, the words are spelled incorrectly in the same way and that LEGO just copied the movie version. This has, in my experience, happened multiple times before, such as Harry’s attire in last year’s Yule Ball advent calendar being a black suit instead of green dress robes. I was wondering whether anybody knows why the movies choose to make these changes and why LEGO chooses to reflect the movies as opposed to the books in their sets and calendars. Thanks!
I think the films are just so much bigger particularly for this age range and, I would guess, they may actually have their licence from WB somehow along with the DC superheroes.
But yeah, my daughter has watched each film many times but only read the books once each and I read them to her
I’ve just noticed that this advent calendar is slowly going through Harry’s life! First privet drive, then the letters to hogwarts come, leading him to that shack where he meets Hagrid. I assume we’ll next get some diagon alley builds before going to hogwarts.
Yes, and seeing that it is also a board game, the game must be a kind of chronological journey following Harry’s adventure to Hogwarts. If you put the flap that acts as the board back up, you can actually see that there are more builds to be placed along beside the path and where they go, and they reflect this theory. I believe this is the first time LEGO has made a calendar that is over multiple periods of time and the first time it’s ever come together as a game.
I’m so glad I didn’t buy this. There’s nothing to match the standard of last year’s glorious mini-builds. Today’s bits could surely have been included with Day 3’s?
Hopefully! I get the change in direction with the “game”, but nothing has come close to the micro Hogwarts and Durmstrang ship yet!
If there’s one next year I’ll pay close attention to your announcement post on the calendars.
Anybody else feeling a new element to the game we end up with?🤔
Place the letters on random tiles around the board and it’s not the first to make it to Hogwarts that wins, but the one with most letters?
Either way, can’t wait to play this when it’s finished.
Thank you so much if u didn’t do this we be lost thanks can not wait for tomorrow
A fireplace! Might have helped if the instructions were rotated 90 degrees! My daughter thought it was a chair. Thanks
Really liked this one! ( I haven’t assembled my Privet drive yet…) and I had to peek at this site to figure out the function. I also love looking for uses for all my spare bits: I added a little bar in brown in the grippers to give it a more finished look. 🙂
Love this! Had no idea it was a fireplace on day 3.
I just couldnt figure out what is was. Thanks.
This is why I follow these posts during the holiday’s. I completely missed how the black piece played into this build and the proper orientation, so now it looks a LOT better than when I first set it up.
Thank you for your blog. My daughter is a huge fan and some days we are not clear what is in the calendar and your blog gives us so much detail. Love the detailed descriptions referencing the book and movies
I legit had no idea what this was! Thanks for clearing it up!
The mail mechanic for the fireplace is just like the one in 75968 4 Privet Drive.
No idea what to do with day 3? We tried finding it online but no luck. Please help! Thanks
I was gutted to miss out on Avengers but I think this is the pick of them this year, adding a game playing element to it. I’ve all the Harry Potter ones but this looks the best yet. I’ve filled you for 5 years now and opening the calendars wouldn’t be the same without this blog. Thanks for your great work 👍👏🎅🏻
Your wish might just come true!
I’m liking the Hogwarts panel not giving away any spoilers. Star Wars should take note!
Well, technically the missing numbers do tell you which doors will be minifigs, but other than that, yeah!
I’ve been following you since 2019 – and counting down the calendars on my IG (@aerialpj) too. I also added Star Wars and Avengers this year – since it’s the first year for the latter!!! Love your page and your energy!!!
Could you include the “instructions” that are on the inside of the compartments? Would really appreciate it.
Thanks for the great work as always Jay. Following your blog is a big part of opening the Harry Potter calendar every year for my daughter and me.
The board game is a cool twist, we’re looking forward to playing on the 24th. Although, the board itself is kind of a spoiler, you can make some very good guesses about what kind of thing is coming each day…. Best not to look too closely!
Hi my name is Molly Mae I am 8 years old.We live in County Clare in Ireland.We followed you last year and we are excited to do it again.I think this build was cool! I’m excited for the next one 🙂
Hello, and Star Wars? We open with you every year. 🙂
Coming soon in about 30 mins! Just wanted to space them out
Ok, we are waiting patiently. 🙂