The LEGO Harry Potter 76407 Howling Shack – Harry Potter multi-volume setting: how did LEGO implement the location?
Howling shack – that sounds like ghosts, spirits, horror – and in a way it is. The Howling Shack will appear as a LEGO set for the second time in 2022 – the predecessor listened to the set number 4756 and came onto the market in 2004 – this year’s set with the number 76407 was released on June 1 at an RRP of 89.99 euros both directly from LEGO and over the counter.
Construction
The assembly is quick and easy – the colors brown and white dominate. First the whooping willow is built, to which the howling hut is attached.
Whomping Willow
The finale of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban begins with the disappearance of Ron’s rat Scabbers. The three find them on a visit to Hagrid’s hut a few weeks later – on the day on which the wrongful death sentence on Buckbeak Hippogriff is to be carried out. On their way back to the castle – with Scabbers in their pocket – they are attacked by a black dog who grabs Ron and disappears with him into the roots of the Whomping Willow.
Help! I’m kidnapped!
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The willow gets its name from its ability to vigorously defend itself against anyone who gets too close.
ash work
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LEGO has implemented this characteristic with a crank on the side – the tree rotates happily in circles with two gears.
crank
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I like the willow better than the version in set 75953 from 2018 – the previous model always reminded me of a squid with tentacles. (old version on the right, new version on the left)
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Howling Hut
However, with the help of Hermione’s cat Crookshanks, who is unfortunately not included in the set, the trio manage to paralyze the pasture – they follow Ron and the dog into the corridor – and thus leave the safe school grounds. After a good hike they reach the Howling Hut – a crumbling edifice above the village of Hogsmeade.
The Howling Shack!
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On the one hand, LEGO relies on a slightly twisted upper floor, as well as on printed (1×4) and glued (1×6) boards to emphasize the dilapidated structure of the building. Because of this rotation, I really like the front view.
The designers implemented the rotation with two turntables in the ceiling of the ground floor. There’s a chimney on one side – some kind of secret entrance on the other – because nobody’s come through the front door in years.
Ground floor
On the ground floor, LEGO equipped it quite simply but functionally with a box in the corner, a chair and a lantern.
upper floor
First encounter
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Upstairs in the Howling Shack, the three meet Sirius Black – whom they believe to be the man who betrayed Harry’s parents to Voldemort. He’s an animagus, so he can transform into an animal. He was the black dog.LEGO closely followed the film template – and equipped the upper floor with a bed, grand piano and fireplace.
Without minifigures
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Harry – thinking he’s dealing with his parents’ traitor – wants revenge – but their teacher Remus Lupine has followed them down the hall and is able to avert this. He reveals to them that Sirius is not the traitor – but Peter Pettigrew, also an Animagus, – turned into a rat. And indeed – Ron’s rat Scabbers turns out to be Pettigrew!
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The full moon
Lupine and Sirius then want to kill Pettigrew – but Harry intervenes and wants him to be punished by a dementor – and not his godfather and Lupine become murderers.
As if that wasn’t enough confusion, Severus Snape suddenly shows up – he’s not included in the set, unfortunately. When they get back to the school, the bound Pettigrew is about to be handed over to the dementors – but the full moon appears in the sky and Lupine turns into a werewolf – and Pettigrew escapes!
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LEGO realized the transformation with a kind of turntable – and to make the two sides distinguishable, a full moon and a “only cloudy” sky are attached at the top.
The full moon glows in the dark – an excellent use of reintroduced colour!
The figures
The kit gives us a total of six figures. Lupine in the form of a werewolf is definitely a highlight – we already know the legs from Demorgogon from Stranger Things (75810)
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Sirius falls a little short of other iterations of his persona this summer with his legs unprinted – Pettigrew, on the other hand, impresses throughout. The rat is standard, but the black dog is very excitingly printed.
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The three heroes are traveling with the prints that have already been used in some sets for ie this year – but this is also because these sets are exactly one after the other in the storyline.
The set was provided to me by LEGO for a review – however, the report only reflects my own opinion.
Conclusion
A very successful kit – many aspects make the howling hut the highlight of this year’s Harry Potter wave for me. I was completely immersed in the action again during construction – you may have noticed this in the review. The set simply offers the ideal opportunity to replay this finale. The Whomping Willow looks significantly better than its predecessor. I also really like the Lupine to Werewolf twist/transform feature. The glowing full moon completes the impression, as does an exciting building experience (the twisted second floor) and many beautiful stones in appealing colors. The figures are also convincing, at least with Pettigrew, the black dog and especially with Lupine as a werewolf.
Your opinion!
How do you like the set? Write your thoughts as well as wishes for further additions to the magical theme world in the comments!
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