This part of Hogwarts Legacy continues the ongoing mystery of Ancient Magic by having players track down the lost pages of the book found in the Restricted Section. It starts with a seemingly unrelated mystery, however.
Depending on a player's chosen House earlier in Hogwarts Legacy, one of four different scenarios will occur that lead players toward the lost pages. Gryffindor Students will go on a short adventure with Nearly Headless Nick, Hufflepuff Students visit a retired Auror at the request of Eldritch Diggory's portrait (which leads to a brief trip to Azkaban), Ravenclaw Students help Olivander retrieve a lost Wand, and Slytherin Students assist a Black Family House Elf to retrieve a ring.
Jackdaw's Rest
After meeting the ghost of Richard Jackdaw and agreeing to reconvene at the Forbidden Forest, players travel towards the place where he died in hopes of finding the lost pages whose map lead him to his death. He explains the password that must be spoken to open a hidden passage near a birdbath and leads players through the Forbidden Forest toward it while explaining the landmarks that can be used to find said birdbath.
After reaching a Floo Flame, Richard decides he doesn't want to return to where he died and encourages the player to continue without him. It's best not to go down the path full of spiders and instead take the path to the right of the Floo Flame, which is much safer. Turn left at the tree covered with far too many warning signs and find the waterfall he mentioned.
From here, it's a short jog to a lake and then to the birdbath. Speak the words and prepare for a fight since Goblins are waiting to ambush the player once they try to enter the cave. The Sentinel that speaks to the player starts the fight with a red shield, which can be broken using spells like Incendio, but otherwise, the Goblins are fairly non-threatening as long as players dodge and block when needed.
Time to enter the cave and uncover its secrets. Inside, players can find three runes arranged near a door, and these serve as an introduction to a recurring puzzle throughout the cave. Shooting each rune with Basic Cast will open the door and start forming a bridge further in, but each rune is on a timer and will reset if this is not done quickly enough. After heading through, spider webs will block the path, which can be burned using Incendio.
Thornback Spiders can be found throughout the cave and use a mix of melee pounce attacks and web shots to attack the player. Web shots can be deflected and countered using Protego and Stupefy, but the best way to eliminate them is to light them on fire with Incendio and then fire a basic cast at them to detonate them for high damage that can also hurt nearby foes.
There's a branching path ahead, but it's best to start by ducking through the low opening and trying to ignore the creepy small spiders. Clear out the spiders in this room and grab the chest to get some loot, then double back through the opening and drop down the ledge to the lower path.
Turn right to find a floating platform that can be pulled around using Accio. Head up the ramp on the right and defeat the spiders to grab a chest, then come back and pull the platform over. Jump onto it and use Accio on the handle opposite to pull the platform over to it and reach a large chest in the alcove beyond.
Now it's time to head back to the path and head in the opposite direction to reach more spiders and another puzzle door. The third rune is on the far left and hidden by the walls of the cave when first entering this area, but the trick is the same as before, so hit all three runes to open the door and continue assembling the bridge.
Head further in and duck through another low opening to progress, and find a ledge with another floating platform ahead. Use Accio to summon it, and now it's time to explore a bit. There are several different handles that can be targeted from here, so players should begin by heading for the opening on the right, using Accio on the handle to pull the platform towards it.
From here, players should follow the path, burning the web on the right to get a chest, and then head into a hall full of egg sacks. These can be destroyed with Incendio to prevent them from bursting into several small spiders, but they can be defeated with a single hit anyway, so it's not too much of a problem.
Several Thornback Spiders attempt to ambush the player in the next room, but after beating them, players can open the big chest for a reward. Then it's time to backtrack since the path further forward is blocked by a fallen pillar that cannot be moved.
Head back to the floating platform, take the path that requires climbing up a small cliff, and grab the loot before returning to the floating platform and heading for the path where the spiders were headed earlier.
Fend off the spider attack that ensues and grab the chest on the way further in. On reaching the larger chamber, check on the left to find another chest, then head in and go down the right-hand path to find another floating platform with some handles nearby.
Head up the ramp and get onto the platform, then use the handles to move it down the hall and reach the ledge for another chest. Then pull the platform to the ledge opposite that for one more chest.
Head down towards the objective and defeat some spiders to find the Thornback Matriarch. This can be instant killed with Ancient Magic or lit on fire and pelted with spells like the other spiders and is accompanied by Scurriors that burrow under the ground to try to attack from below. They can be ripped out of their attempt to burrow using Levioso, which leaves them helpless and easily attacked for a short time. Overall this isn't too bad of a fight if Hogwarts Legacy players are suitably leveled up.
After beating the spiders, players should head for the slope leading up to the gate and head down the path next to it to reach a chest and spot more of those runes from earlier. Head back up the path, so the player character is at the top of the path by the slope and can see the rune. There's another rune above the path down near the gate and another on the left. Strike all three with Basic Cast to complete the bridge and open the path forward.
Across the bridge is a large open chamber with chests hidden on the left and right sides of the entrance. Jackdaw's long-dead body lies straight ahead, his head severed by three swords stuck into the ground.
Check Jackdaw's body to recover the missing pages and then get ready for a fight, as Pensieve Sentries and Sentinels come to life around the room and prepare to fight. Expelliarmus is fantastic here for interrupting any of their attacks and briefly removing their weapons, though they eventually summon new ones.
After beating the first wave, a giant Pensieve Protector comes to life and attacks too. It uses unblockable attacks that can be dodged or interrupted using Expelliarmus, and on defeating the first one, two more will enter the fight. After beating them, players can interact with the Ancient Magic point to activate a gate to a strange chamber. After arriving, the chamber floods, but the player is protected by a bubble, and proceeding leads to a large chamber where players encounter a portrait of Professor Rackham.
Apparently, everything so far was designed to lead someone with the ability to see Ancient Magic to the Map Chamber, but Rackham refuses to explain further until the book is placed on a pedestal at the back of the chamber.
Rackham tells the player to return with the book for more information, and taking the upper door out of the chamber unlocks a Floo Flame for the Map Chamber and reveals that the Chamber is beneath Hogwarts Castle.
Hogwarts Legacy is available now for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S and is coming soon to PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.