Yes, we know you’re counting down the days on the calendar. And, yes, we share your nerves. Hogwarts Legacy, the video game created by Avalanche Studios and based on the Harry Potter universe, will be released on February 10 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One and PC, although those who own the Deluxe edition of the video game will be able to start 3 days earlier.
After several trailers, videos showing what we can do at Hogwarts and some other leaks, a few days ago the game’s launch trailer was released and we were able to see a number of details unpublished to date. One of them, perhaps the most intriguing, is that our protagonist will have the strange ability to see “whispers of ancient magic”, a “powerful magic that should only be wielded by a chosen few”. But what exactly is ancient magic?
What is ancient magic in the Harry Potter world?
Ancient magic is a type of magic that occurs independently of the magician’s skill. It is an extremely mysterious and ancient effect (as the name suggests), triggered by certain events or by elements of human nature itself, such as kindness or love, and for which it is not necessary to cast any spells or even use a wand.
While some may think that this concept is an invention of Hogwarts Legacy, the truth is that in the books and films of the Harry Potter saga we were already mentioned this peculiar magic, which is far from everything “ordinary” in the magical world. Who was the first to mention it? Our old friend Albus Dumbledore.
Already in the first book, Dumbledore explains that Harry will be protected from any threat as long as he lives with a close relative on his mother’s side, Lily. In addition to this protection, completely unusual within the magical world, Harry Potter’s own survival after Lord Voldemort’s attack is due to a type of ancient magic activated by his mother after she gave her life for him.
Another type of ancient magic that departs from human morality can be seen in the dragons themselves. In the books, we are told that the hard scales of dragons, fearsome beings that can cause a wave of destruction just by opening their mouths, are impregnated with this type of magic, and that “only the most powerful spells can penetrate them”.
At the moment, there is little information about this magic, although, knowing that the video game will revolve around it thanks to its protagonist, there are only a few days left for us to learn more about it in depth.
