Extending the Charm of Hogwarts Through Perspective

There are plenty of magical (photographic) tricks that we can use when wanting to stretch the boundaries of a microscale LEGO set. The extra-micro scale 76419 Hogwarts Castle and Grounds set is no exception. The only question is which of the Wizarding World’s Extension Charm spells should we use to expand its potential? Maybe Engorgio (the growing charm)? Or Reducio (the shrinking charm)?

Getting the right balance between these two spells can make a huge difference in changing our perspectives on how we see a set. Let’s see how we can use these spells to explore LEGO Hogwarts Castle and discover all of its hidden secrets!

The LEGO Group generously provided BrickNerd with 76419 Hogwarts Castle and Grounds, and I have the honor and the great pleasure of being your tour guide once again into LEGO’s brick-built version of the Wizarding World. Now, let’s hop onto our flying broomsticks and take flight over Hogwarts’ hallowed halls. It is time to explore this architectural masterpiece and all of the beautiful highlands that surround it.

Is everyone keeping up with me? Good. Now, please raise your wands, and let's cast our own Extension Charm to the tiny Hogwarts. We can do this by placing the castle into many magical brick-built locations and scenes that I prepared specially for our adventure!

Hogwarts: The Main Character of the Wizarding World

Hogwarts not only became a real home to Harry Potter, but it also represents a microcosm of the entire Wizarding World and is a main character unto itself. The magnificence of Hogwarts is perfectly reflected both in the books and movies, and this artistic technique applies to photography, too.

When taking a photo of the brick-built castle (or any model), if we can fill the whole image of the photo edge-to-edge, it helps to impress the viewer that they are looking at a central "character" of the Wizarding World. Take a look at this night version of the set as an example. By filling the frame, the model is an impressive sight, even more so when we swap the tiny printed windows and switch on the lights!

"There was a loud ‘Oooooh!’ The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers."

Now let’s explore the grounds surrounding the school and observe their magical lessons. The magical natural transformations that occur in different seasons are some of the greatest pleasures for Hogwarts students. In this image, we can see the sunny time of late summer.  

Staging the Scene

All of Harry's important discoveries and victories are connected with the castle and its grounds. Hogwarts is a constant companion in his life—just like how the huge collections of books documenting his adventures have been a companion for its readers (like me). We can choose any location of this beautiful landscape, and be reminded of a scene showing Harry and his friends learning their lessons, or maybe one of their secret excursions outside of its towered walls. 

Hermione: “Ancient Runes... That's a fascinating subject!”
Ron: “Exactly how many classes are you taking this term?”
Hermione: “A fair few.”
Ron: “Ancient Runes is the same time as Divination. You'd have to be in two classes at once...”
Hermione: “Don't be silly. How could anyone be in two classes at once?”

Hagrid’s lesson on the Care of Magical Creatures gives us the possibility to admire the huge old castle from a Hippogriff’s point of view. When Harry flies up on Buckbeak’s back, his tiny size creates the visual growth of Hogwarts… it is all a matter of perspective.  

"Without warning, twelve-foot wings flapped open on either side of Harry, he just had time to seize the hippogriff around the neck before he was soaring upward."

Autumn covers Hogwarts grounds with gold, and the students wake up to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors—Halloween is coming…

Smooth Transitions

The story's development is beautifully marked with the views of Hogwarts at different times of the day. Mechanically, this trick works like a scene transition in the movies and lets us see the life of the whole school from the outside, creating a mood of expectation.

"The sky had turned light before they stopped talking. But the night's surprises weren't over..." 

The Secret Inside: Two Sets In One

As you can see, the microscale techniques used in the new Hogwarts Castle set a high standard, and this set seems to be more than just decorative. At first sight, it is just a nice display piece. When you look closer, you realize that it is a map of the previous LEGO Harry Potter sets involving Hogwarts. Look at these examples. You’ll see all these sets again! Seriously... 

The Wizarding World From Above

There’s no shadow of a doubt that this set’s official function is to look great as a display piece. I'm really impressed with the level of detail, interesting design decisions, and overall aesthetics of the completed building. I especially like looking down at it from above and imagining scenes from the books…

Let’s take to the air! The landscape of Hogwarts became a spectacular scene when the Weasley twins rebelled against Dolores Umbridge with fireworks and hijinks.

Another fantastic scene was the arrival of other wizarding schools for the Triwizard Tournament. Here we can enjoy the book version of the scene where Hogwarts’ friendly yet impressive silhouette greets the wizards from other schools.

"As the gigantic black shape skimmed over the treetops of the Forbidden Forest and the lights shining from the castle windows hit it, the students saw a gigantic, powder-blue, horse-drawn carriage, the size of a large house, soaring toward them, pulled through the air by a dozen winged horses, each the size of an elephant."

"Slowly, magnificently, the ship rose out of the water, gleaming in the moonlight. It had a strangely skeletal look about it, and the dim, misty lights shimmering at its portholes looked like ghostly eyes. Finally, with a great sloshing noise, the ship emerged entirely, bobbing on the turbulent water, and began to glide toward the bank. A few moments later, they heard the splash of an anchor being thrown down in the shallows, and the thud of a plank being lowered onto the bank."

From winter to spring, the castle changes with the sounds of bird chatter filling the fresh, cold air. Have a look at the drops of melting snow on the Whomping Willow!

Fading Into the Distance

Of no less importance is the role of Hogwarts as a figure in the background. The set allows us to build and explore some other locations surrounding the castle, using forced perspective to make the school look like a distant mountain range. For example, Hogsmeade Station can be a thematic addition to the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!

This would be the perfect place to put my nano-scale Hagrid sculpture from my previous article about another “microscale” Hogwarts castle. Lighting such a small scene can be a challenge too!

As we wrap up our Extension Charm, I’d like to thank everyone for joining me on this guided tour of the microscale Hogwarts Castle and Grounds. It really makes you think about perspective and photography!

I hope you enjoyed taking this tour with me as much as I did giving it. We visited some wonderful locations around the magical castle and discovered so much in such a tiny creation. Hagrid and I can't wait to see you again next time, maybe on a journey below Diagon Alley…

DISCLAIMER: This set was provided to BrickNerd by LEGO. Any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.

What microscale sets would you like to see Ann cast her magical photographic spells onto next? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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