Summary
Hogwarts Legacy’sFollow the Butterflies Relationship Quest may seem a bit odd to some players, but not to those deep within theHarry Potterfandom. The Easter Egg serves as an in-joke for those who rememberHarry Potter and The Chamber of Secretsand Ron Weasley’s legendary phobia. The books and movies are a treat for fans, and though the second installment is a bit darker than evenThe Prisoner of Azkaban, it has some amusing instances as well.
Hogwarts Legacyis chock-full of such Easter Eggs, and they lead back to specific moments from either theHarry Pottermovies or books. The game takes place decades before Albus Dumbledore became the Headmaster and a century before The Boy Who Lived walked the wizarding school’s hallowed halls. And yet, the developers have placed some in-jokes to make long-time fans feel at home.
Hogwarts Legacy’s Follow the Butterflies Quest Fulfills Ron Weasley’s Wish
Hogwarts Legacy’s Follow the Butterflies Side Questinvolves players speaking with Clementine Willardsey at The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. She talks to them about how there are butterflies at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, but she could never muster up enough courage to follow them. At this point, they can take up this relationship quest, find and follow the butterflies, collect a treasure, and return to speak with her.
ThisHogwarts Legacyside quest is a direct in-joke toHarry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets’latter half, where Harry, Ron, and Fang follow the spiders to meet Aragog. Once Hermione is petrified, Harry and Ron take on the job to find Slytherin’s Beast more seriously. They visit Hagrid to find out more information since he was there when the chamber was first opened.
At his hut, things proceed rather quickly with Dumbledore, Cornelius Fudge, and Lucius Malfoy arriving. Meanwhile, Harry and Ron are hidden under thethird Deathly Hallow, the Invisibility Cloak. Dumbledore is sacked from his position as Headmaster and Hagrid is taken away to Azkaban. While leaving, the Gamekeeper speaks “to the room” and says that if someone needs more information, all they would have to do is follow the spiders. This is what leads to the famous line.
When Harry and Ron step out of the hut to follow the spiders to the Forbidden Forest, the latter’s Arachnophobia rears up and he bemoans, “Why spiders? Why couldn’t it be ‘follow the butterflies’?” The following scenes with the colony of spiders and Aragog himself show why Ron was placed inGodric Gryffindor’s house, with his courage and loyalty to friends rising higher than his deepest fear. Harry and Ron’s adventure leads to getting attacked by massive spiders and making it back to safety by the skin of their teeth. Perhaps, like in theHogwarts LegacyFollow the Butterflies quest, they should have given in and followed prettier bugs instead.
How Hogwarts Legacy’s Follow the Butterflies Quest Injects Joy into the Game
What makesHogwarts Legacy’sFollow the Butterflies quest a great in-joke for fans is how the developers weave in elements of what they know to a story that is completely new. Not only does it bring back Harry, Ron, and Fang’s adventures to mind, but it also shows that there ismore to the Forbidden Forest than just dark creatures. Players do encounter a couple of them during the quest itself, but the scenic environment and the “treasure” at the end jokes at how things could’ve been in a parallel dimension if the trio had gone in pursuit of butterflies instead.
If players missed out on this in-joke, there’s no reason to fret.Hogwarts Legacy’sFollow the Butterflies Quest remains even after the chat with Clementine Willardsey.
Aside from the quest, there are multiple other instances where fans will find butterflies in and around the Forbidden Forest, and they’ll berewarded with a Conjurationfor their troubles. This isn’t something greatly rewarding or risky, and there’s no big bonus once all are collected; all it does is help platinum the game. And yet, the feelings of nostalgia and warmth imparted from Following the Butterflies’ in-joke inHogwarts Legacyare quite enough.
To those few who may not have played yet,Hogwarts Legacyoffers an immersive rendition of the wizarding school, the town besides it, the Forbidden Forest, and the surrounding Highlands. The map is full of dangerous creatures, and massive spiders are naturally among them. There are quests where players are required to kill them, but the game’s in-built Arachnophobia mode can help stave off fear. Aside from that, community creators have also created variousHogwarts Legacymods, like z3song’s Burger Spiders at NexusMods, which turns spiders into cute burgers.
Why Side Quests and Exploration are Crucial to the Hogwarts Legacy Experience
Hogwarts Legacyis the first title set in theHarry Potteruniverse that offers such a deep level of immersion. While many fans may want to stick to main quests and complete the story, side quests and exploration are where they will get the most bang for their buck. This could be something as simple as attending classes like Herbology and Transfiguration to more narrative-based and dangerous offerings like relationship quests. Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, the Forbidden Forest, and the surrounding Highlands are full of painstakingly created structures,Easter Eggs to theHarry Potteruniverse, and flora and fauna. These make the game’s created world feel really lived in.
Follow the Butterflies is one among many side quests in Hogwarts Legacy that offer players a break from the beaten path. These little nuggets do help in earning XP and money, getting more used to game mechanics, and acquiring materials for crafting. But more than that,Hogwarts Legacyside quests like Poached Eggand others showcase character depth, dialogue mastery, environment and creature artstyle, and much, much more. These factors make side quests and exploration crucial to the experience, perhaps more than just the string of main quests.
Hogwarts Legacy
WHERE TO PLAY
Hogwarts Legacy is an immersive, open-world action RPG set in the world first introduced in the Harry Potter books. For the first time, experience Hogwarts in the 1800s. Your character is a student who holds the key to an ancient secret that threatens to tear the wizarding world apart. Now you’re able to take control of the action and be at the center of your own adventure in the wizarding world. Your legacy is what you make of it.Explore an Open WorldThe wizarding world awaits you. Freely roam Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, the Forbidden Forest, and the surrounding Overland area.Be the Witch or Wizard You Want to beLearn spells, brew potions, grow plants, and tend to magical beasts along your journey. Get sorted into your house, forge relationships, and master skills to become the witch or wizard you want to be Experience a New Wizarding World AdventureExperience the wizarding world in an unexplored era to uncover a hidden truth from its past. Battle against trolls, Dark Wizards, goblins, and more as you face a dangerous villain threatening the fate of the wizarding world.
