Hogwarts Legacy follows a fifth-year student during their first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Upon arriving at the famed wizarding school, the young protagonist will be permitted to converse with an array of professors, townsfolk, and students, but not all NPCs are as memorable as others.
The quests provided by Sebastian, Natsai, and Poppy are optional, but completing them allows players to experience a completely different side of Hogwarts Legacy. During Poppy's questline, the player will be tasked with ensuring the magical beasts of the world are safe, and though this sounds simple, the Poached Egg side quest she provides can be quite challenging to get through.
How To Begin The Poached Egg Side Quest In Hogwarts Legacy
Like most of the side quests in Hogwarts Legacy, relationship quests are only accessible after progressing past certain points in the game's story. To begin Poppy's, the player must first have completed the Fire and Vice main quest and reached level 19. Then, they need to meet Poppy in the Three Broomsticks to complete the A Dragon Debrief side quest.
After interacting with Poppy during A Dragon Debrief, the player will learn that she has been tracking the dragon that escaped Horntail Hall and is hoping to return her egg to her. Once the conversation ends, the player will then be given the chance to assist Poppy in her search by approaching her in Hogsmeade town circle.
How To Find The Dragon's Nest
When the conversation with Poppy ends, the player will find themselves in a completely new location, wherein they can find the dragon they are searching for's domain. Heading southwest and following the linear path will eventually lead to an area in which two Dark Mongrels reside. While it's possible to sneak by these enemies with the Disillusionment charm, defeating them will grant the player some freedom to explore the nearby cave and loot the chest inside.
While heading northwest, the protagonist will be required to cast Reparo on a broken bridge in order to progress forward. Moving up the hill and through the opening in the cliff, players will eventually enter the dragon's lair, but returning the egg still requires a bit of work.
How To Get Past The Dragon
Upon entering the more open area, players will be treated to a brief cutscene in which the dragon spots them. In order to progress further into her lair, they will be required to dodge the dragon's attacks while seeking shelter behind the stone walls scattered throughout the area. There will be a chance to explore these ruins once the quest ends, so all focus should be placed on moving forward for now.
The dragon will attack the player by shooting fireballs at them, but the amount will vary depending on the area and playthrough. To avoid getting struck by these blasts while moving forward, the protagonist should either dodge out of the way or hide behind one of the nearby walls. Hiding behind a wall is far more reliable, as dodging requires a pretty frame-perfect input.
It is also important to note that the wooden obstacles along the path will be destroyed if they are hit by a fireball, so players should ensure to only hide behind stone debris if they hope to avoid getting hit. Those struggling to reach the exit without getting hit can also make use of the Swift ability available from the Talents section of the main menu. This move allows the user to quickly teleport, from one area to another, by holding the dodge button.
Once the player is ready to move forward, they should try to take cover behind the wall directly in front of them before sprinting toward the exit. In the next area, the dragon will begin firing a different number of fireballs, so the player should be sure to count each blast before entering. There are three walls to hide behind in this area, but it is possible to reach the other side without getting hit by only hiding behind the wall on the left.
The dragon will vary its attacks once more in the third area, and though avoiding getting hit is pretty easy, thanks to the surrounding debris, reaching the exit can pose a challenge. The best way to get there is to hide behind the first two walls on the left, sprint to the wall on the right, and then to the next wall on the left. From here, all the player needs to do is take cover behind the final wall and then sprint to the opening just under the dragon.
How To Return The Egg
Once the player reaches the opening at the end of this area, they will need to follow the path forward until they find a broken bridge. Like with the previous bridge, a quick cast of Reparo will restore the walkway to what it once was, giving the player access to a new area. Just at the other side of this bridge, players can spot a large opening in the northeastern cliff, suggesting that this is the way the dragon usually resides.
Just in front of this opening is a small rock on which Poppy and the protagonist can place the egg. Once they do, a short cutscene will play, wherein the dragon approaches, takes her egg, and flies away.
How To Complete The Poached Egg Side Quest In Hogwarts Legacy
When the cutscene ends, players will be given the option to either leave the dragon's domain or search the area without getting attacked by the dragon. If the player opts to stay, they can obtain Galleons and gear in the chests scattered throughout the area or acquire the Horklumps and Ashwinder Eggs littered along the path. Aside from these items, there isn't much else to do here, so it's entirely up to the player on how they wish to proceed.
Poppy will follow the protagonist while they explore what's left of the dragon's lair, so whenever the player is ready to leave, they can turn around and talk to her. Upon leaving with Poppy, the protagonist will spawn back in Hogsmeade, and the Poached Egg side quest will end.
Hogwarts Legacy is available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. PS4 and Xbox One versions will release on April 4 and a Switch version will release on July 25.