Ghosts are nothing to be afraid of, though they are interesting beings in the Wizarding World. Motivated by either fear or unfinished business, ghosts are formed when witches or wizards reject the endless rest of death and choose instead to live a whisper of a life forever. Trailers have already confirmed that Harry Potter’s Nearly Headless Nick is one of the ghosts that players will meet in Hogwarts Legacy.
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What are Ghosts?
The Wizarding World is populated by a host of interesting creatures, but ghosts are perhaps the strangest. They exist between living and dead, and while some may envy the immortality they seem to have achieved, others view it as a terrible curse. Strictly speaking, becoming a ghost is not a form of immortality, as the ghost is only an imprint of the mortal. Only wizards and witches can become ghosts, though most choose not to.
Witches and wizards find the idea of becoming a ghost horrifying because they cannot enjoy many of the pleasures that make life worth living. Furthermore, they are stuck with the mindsets and resentments that plagued them at death, leaving them with grudges they carry for eternity. For the few who feel they have unfinished business in the material realm, becoming a ghost is an option, but it is a vastly diminished existence and a mockery of regular life.
Ghosts can be identified by their translucent appearance, and when they are in the vicinity, the temperature will suddenly drop. It is not known exactly how one becomes a ghost, but it is made clear that it is a deliberate choice. In Harry Potter’s Hogwarts castle, ghosts seem to have formed their own community where they celebrate their death days, and each of the houses has a ghost who takes a liking to the students.
Ghosts in Hogwarts Legacy
Hogwarts Legacy will be taking place in the 19th century, which is 200 years before Harry Potter and his friends are born. However, this doesn’t mean that gamers won’t be seeing any familiar faces. This is especially true for ghosts, who have haunted Hogwarts castle for generations and could therefore make an appearance in the upcoming game. Trailers have already revealed that Nearly Headless Nick, the resident ghost of Gryffindor house, will be present. Consequently, gamers can expect the ghosts of the other houses to be present. Slytherin has the Bloody Baron, Hufflepuff has the Fat Friar, and Ravenclaw has the Gray Lady. Trailers have also revealed that the ghostly History of Magic teacher, Professor Cuthbert Binns, will be present.
There are other ghosts encountered in Harry Potter, such as Moaning Myrtle. However, her death comes after the events of Hogwarts Legacy, so she won’t be making an appearance. Players may get to see Peeves, though the infamous troublemaker is not a ghost at all, but a poltergeist. Although they may look similar, there are some key differences, as poltergeists are spirits of chaos. Having Peeves around would mean players have to be on the lookout for pranks and tricks as they explore Hogwarts.
Hogwarts Legacy has faced delays, but gamers won’t have to wait much longer to explore the magical castle. In early 2023, gamers will get to walk the hallways of Hogwarts with ghosts as they learn new magic and decide whether they will stand against dark magic or embrace it as their own. Hopefully, the ghosts of the castle have a significant role to play in the story that unfolds.
Hogwarts Legacy is scheduled to release on February 10, 2023, on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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