Hogwarts Castle #4842

Name: Hogwarts Castle
Item No: 4842
Release date: 2010 21 of September


Description
The castle is made up of four main buildings, which can attach in different ways. Though they are not official, the names of these buildings are picked according to the main features. Below is detailed descriptions of each building


Astronomy Tower
The first building is a three-floor open-top tower. It features an observation roof for Astronomy featuring a telescope and a Rat. The second floor down is part of the library with three brown books (likely the Restricted Section as handcuffs block the person from easily accessing the books). There is a play feature here. When one takes off the handcuffs, the cabinet slides open and one can take out the books. The bottom floor is the Room of Requirement in the form of the Room of Hidden Things, represented only by te Vanishing Cabinet which can open and close to allow the placement of a Minifigure in it.

Gryffindor Tower
The next building contains four floors and represents (for the most part) the Gryffindor Tower as seen in the films. The bottom floor is the Slytherin Common Room with black chairs, snakes, a green Slytherin flag, and a torch in the center. On a green table between the chairs is a transparent goblet and a Quibbler newspaper piece. The floor above is a rotating piece of furniture with a knight on one side and Tom Riddle's diary behind it. The third floor is the Gryffindor Common Room with two red chairs and a brown table with a clear goblet and the Maurader's Map on top. It also contains the Gryffindor fireplace through which Sirius Black's head speaks to Harry. The top floor is the Owlery which contains three owls (a gray, a brown, and a white) and some bird scats scattered among them. Also, the top of this tower contains the three empty small towers (albeit with nothing in them) as seen in the films, though they appear larger in the films.


The Great Hall
Great Hall is depicted as the central building of the set and contains the Great Hall itself. Dramatic changes are shown from its previous design in set 4709 Hogwarts Castle, one being that the ceiling is now made of pieces, as the original set had cardboard for a ceiling. It contains two long tables (each containing bench seating on both sides) with a large cake, a golden plate full of cherries and a croissant, a large roast turkey, golden goblets, staff chairs and Dumbledore's announcement podium up the front. There are two crossed axes behind the professors' chairs. Stain glass windows are on both sides of the walls. In addition, Gryffindor and Slytherin banners hang from the ceiling, as do some "floating" candles.

Dumbledore's Office
The last building is broader and depicts the design of set 5378 Hogwarts Castle. It contains a semi-open top tower, the bottom floor of which is the Trophy Room. This room features a staircase, a Quidditch Shield bearing the name James Potter, and a chest containing treasure and parchment. The top floor of this tower is Dumbledore's Office which contains many potions, a magnifying glass examining the Daily Prophet, a frog, a crystal ball with a combination of red and translucent orange bricks, a Basilisk fang, Gryffindor's Sword, and a stand where the new, redesigned Sorting Hat rests. Portraits of Hogwarts Headmasters are on the walls.


Notes
-This is one of the only two sets that contain the Invisibility Cloak, the other one being 4841 Hogwarts Express. A violet cloak was featured in older sets such as 4751 Harry and the Marauder's Map, 4706 Forbidden Corridor and 4709 Hogwarts Castle. This may have meant to have represented the same cloak, although this remains uncertain.
-This is the first set to have Argus Filch, Mrs. Norris and Professor Flitwick in it.
-Although the knight is a Minifigure, it is not shown on the box art.
-Sirius' faceplate in the fireplace is identical to Nizam from Prince of Persia.
-Dumbledore has a double sided head, either with and without glasses

From Lego.com
Magic and mystery haunt the halls of the Hogwarts™ Castle!
The Dementors have the Hogwarts™ School of Witchcraft and Wizardry surrounded, and an epic battle between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort is looming! Harry and Dumbledore face He Who Must Not Be Named while Professors McGonagall and Flitwick try to keep the school safe. Explore this essential Harry Potter set to discover incredible details like Dumbledore’s office with sliding spiral staircase, the Slytherin and Gryffindor common rooms, and so much more!

¦Includes Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and 9 minifigures exclusive to this set: Lord Voldemort, Professor Dumbledore™, Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, Argus Filch and his cat, Mrs. Norris and 2 Dementors
¦Dumbledores office features the Sorting Hat, Gryffindor’s Sword, a Basilisk fang and secret sliding stairs
¦Gryffindor common room features fireplace with Sirius Black’s face
¦Tom Riddle’s book hidden in the knight’s armor
¦Restricted section of the library included
¦Astronomy Tower and Vanishing Cabinet
¦Great Hall decorated with Slytherin and Gryffindor colors

Pros:
This is one great Harry Potter Set, it is independent, full of accessories, has a great details and huge. From all of my big and expensive set, this one reigns supreme.

Cons:
Since this set has a lot of accessories, this will be one of the set that would be hardly to maintain. There is a lot of unique pieces that can be extremely hard to find or unless you will buy this set again. Not to mention, this set is very very expensive in my point of view. But if you love Harry Potter that much, you will see that all single bucks you spent was worth it.

Minifigures:
Harry Potter™
Hermione Granger™
Albus Dumbledore™
Argus Filch™
Filius Filtwick™
Minerva McGonagall™
Severus Snape™
Lord Voldemort™
2 Dementors™
Knight Statue