76386 Hogwarts: Polyjuice Potion Mistake

The set in a Nutshell:

Name: 76386 Hogwarts: Polyjuice Potion Mistake

Pieces: 217

Minifigures: 3 minifigures and a 20^th anniversary Harry Potter minifigure

Original Price: $19.99 USD

Recommended Age: 7+ years of age

Is there any potion more important than the Polyjuice potion? There probably is in the Wizarding World, but for the Harry Potter franchise the Polyjuice potion makes an appearance throughout multiple movies. Though when we are first introduced to it in “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” things go awry quickly, but we must remember Harry, Ron and Hermione are only in their second year at Hogwarts when they give the potion their first try. Overall, the potion worked well except of course for poor Hermione.

Originally, when I reviewed the 2021 sets and I decided to pass and focus on catching up on the retired sets that I had missed. But then I came across this set at the local Walmart on sale. The suggested retail price of the set is $19.99 USD and I found it marked down to about $16.00 USD. I did study the box closely and the set is designed so it can be incorporated into the 76389 Hogwarts Chamber of Secrets set. That one retails for about $129.99 USD, and I had made up my mind that I would not be purchasing it. (I do think the basilisk looks much better than the one from 75954 Hogwarts Great Hall and the set has some incredible minifigures, but I couldn’t justify the price considering I had already collected the 2018 to 2020 Hogwarts castle sets that no longer fit in with the new modular 2021 Hogwarts castle). In any case, I decided that for $16.00 USD it would be nice to have the set in my collection. With this set it is so very specific to the Polyjuice potion scene in the "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" movie that I think it looks great even as a standalone.

You may remember, Hermione, Ron and Harry brewed the Polyjuice Potion in order to transform into Slytherin students Crabbe, Goyle and Millicent Bulstrode to gain access to Draco Malfoy to find out if he is the heir of Slytherin. To keep the brewing a secret they kept it hidden in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, who of course is very bemused when Hermione does not turn into Millicent Bulstrode as planned.

The building of the set is quick and painless. It is only 217 pieces, but it does come with some stickers for the mirrors. That is typically where I fall apart – I can’t get stickers on correctly. Mine typically end of being off center. I wish there would be a spell! To give you the highlights of the set – I love the way the sink is designed. I did have one sink unit incorrectly assembled and couldn’t get the sinks to properly fit at first. Though after figuring out the issue, it all came together. The middle sink lifts and if you have this set correctly connected to set 76389 Hogwarts Chamber of Secrets, your minifigure can travel through the lifting sink into the Chamber of Secrets! Very loyal to the inspiration of the movie! And exactly that almost made me go out and purchase the Chamber of Secrets set.

The modular aspect of the new Hogwarts castle does take a bit away from how it looks displayed. The 2018 – 2020 sets just look majestic, but it would be very difficult to add a bathroom for the Polyjuice potion mishap into those older sets, if it had not been originally included. That is where I think the 2021 Hogwarts castle sets shine. I would think having the ability to constantly add new rooms makes much more sense from a marketing angle and I am already thinking how the Room of Requirements could be redesigned for the modular Hogwarts! One moment it is there and the next moment it is gone!

Back to the Polyjuice set! It does also include a toilet – you know the one where Hermione hides after turning into a cat! The golden faucets are slick too! This is a master bathroom everyone would like to have at home! The minifigures are what really stands out. There are three, but this set really outdoes itself. Harry, Hermione, and Ron are included in Slytherin clothing. Instead of having alternate faces on the back for Harry and Ron, the minifigures have faces for Crabbe and Goyle on the back. The set also comes with alternative hairstyles, so the transformation into Crabbe and Goyle can be completed. Hermione does have an alternative face on the back, but she also comes with a cat mask that covers her whole face to also make her transformation complete. For me the set just feels very complete when I think of the scene in the movie, you can look at just this set and know exactly what is happening and I really love that.

The set does also come with a golden Harry Potter 20^th anniversary figure and two wizard card tiles. Those are nice additions in celebration of the 20^th anniversary! I do wonder what people think who started with the Harry Potter sets 20 years ago. It’s an incredible run for any theme and I appreciate that as LEGO evolves so do the sets!

For $16.00 USD I think this was a great investment! Even for $19.99 it isn’t a bad purchase. I really like the scene in the "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" movie and think it is neat how the minifigures can transform. I can justify why I like to display it, however, to just purchase the set to play with – that I am not sure on. You would most likely need the Chamber of Secrets set to be able to fully enjoy the set. Otherwise you would just have a room with a sink that lifts.

VERDICT: The price is right for this one! If you should already have 76389 Hogwarts Chamber of Secrets, then this set is a great addition in order to be able to slide from the bathroom into the Chamber of Secrets. If you shouldn’t have the larger set, this set is still very nice to add to your collection, especially for the sales price of $16 USD – you receive two wizard card tiles and the 20^th Anniversary Harry Potter figure.

The Minifigures