When I first heard about Hogwarts Legacy, I was instantly intrigued about how morality surrounding dark magic and Unforgivable Curses would work. I’ve always wanted the chance to live my best dark-side life but not at the cost of the game’s story. Unforgivable Curses have always played a large part in the mythos of the Harry Potter universe. Using any of these curses was considered a heinous crime punishable by a life sentence in Azkaban – if you’re lucky.
Hogwarts Legacy takes a far more casual approach to these curses. And for those eager to explore the darker side of magic, there are almost no consequences. Throughout students’ time at Hogwarts, they will get the opportunity to learn and use each of the three curses. However, their use is strictly forbidden on Hogwarts grounds and blocked outright.
However, this doesn’t mean there are zero consequences of any kind if you choose to walk this dark path. While you don’t have to fear that the wizardry police are standing by to ship you off to Azkaban, players will risk damaging their relationships with fellow students and other NPCs – although, aside from some shocked gasps and some verbal berating, students shouldn’t suffer much more in the way of moral punishment.
Now that you know what the potential consequences of dabbling in this kind of magic are, let’s talk about how to unlock it:
As with the lore the game pulls inspiration from, there are three Unforgivable Curses to learn in Hogwarts Legacy. These are Crusio, the torture curse; Imperious, the mind control curse and Avada Kedavra, the killing curse. Each of these Unforgivable Curses can be unlocked by completing Sebastian Sallow’s optional Dark Legacy questline.
To get to this quest, players will need to complete the “Welcome To Hogsmeade” quests, after which they will receive an Owl from Sebastian which can set them off on the path of unlocking some seriously dark magic… should players choose.
To unlock the Crucio or the Cruciatus Curse, players will need to embark on a side quest called “In the Shadow of the Study”. Players will need to head over to Slytherin’s Scriptorium and find a door that requires Crucio to use. Students will need to be at least level 16 to do this.
To unlock Imperio or the Imperius Curse, players will need to start the “In the Shadow of Time” side quest. Students will be tasked with finding an Ancient Relic, and upon completion, they will unlock the second unforgivable curse. Students will need to be at least level 17 to do this.
Finally, to unlock the big bad of the three, Avada Kedavra or the Killing Curse players will have to complete “In the Shadow of the Relic.” Once players reach a cave full of Inferi and a boss, they will receive the final and most unforgivable of the three curses. Students will need to be at least level 28 to attempt this.
Will you be walking this dark road? Let us know in the comments below.