A couple of years ago, LEGO released a series of LEGO Harry Potter sets titled Hogwarts Moments. Each set featured a brick-built book that opened and revealed small scenes inside. Sort of like the LEGO version of a pop-up book.
The first wave of the series was released in 2021 and included the #76382 LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Moment: Transfiguration Class, the #76383 LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Moment: Potions Class, the #76384 LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Moment: Herbology Class, and the #76385 LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Moment: Charms Class. The following year, the #76396 LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Moment: Divination Class, and the #76397 LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Moment: Defense Against the Dark Arts Class were added. These sets are now retired, but you can still find info on them at the LEGO Harry Potter section of the Online LEGO Shop.
I personally really liked the Hogwarts Moments sets. They were compact but full of detail, had a nice minifig selection, and had tons of accessories. And because they were foldable, they made great play sets to take along long road trips. The Hogwarts Moments series is now discontinued and was replaced this year by a similar series containing foldable House Banners. The two series include many similarities, but there are also some differences worth highlighting.
The four sets in the new series are the #76409 LEGO Harry Potter Gryffindor House Banner, the #76410 LEGO Harry Potter Slytherin House Banner, the #76411 LEGO Harry Potter Ravenclaw House Banner, and the #76412 LEGO Harry Potter Hufflepuff House Banner. They are currently available at the LEGO Harry Potter section of the Online LEGO Shop.
One feature I really liked about Hogwarts Moments is that once the books were opened, there were extra walls that could fold out. This added additional play area and depth to each scene. It was also quite brilliant how furniture pieces and other accessories got tucked away into the crevices of the walls when the book was folded. The new House Banners series is much simpler in this regard. They fold out, the pointy ends of the banners fold down, and a couple of small furniture pieces complete the scene. They are not as three-dimensional as the Hogwarts Moments sets.
To make up for the lack of 3D effects, LEGO designers added a completely new element unique to this series. A plastic slide-in lenticular backboard that changes with the perspective of the viewer. The artwork on these backdrops is fantastic and adds a magical touch to the sets.
In the video below, you can see how they look and the effect they create. I wish that other LEGO themes also included such backgrounds! They really are special!
Even with the lenticular backdrops, it looks like LEGO designers couldn’t avoid using some additional large stickers. They are nicely designed and fill up the empty spaces. This was also a prominent feature of the LEGO Hogwarts Moments sets. I’m not a big fan of large stickers, but in the case of such small Harry Potter sets they can add a lot of references to the source material. I think fans of the Wizarding World will appreciate that.
As far as minifigures, both the old and new series features three characters per set to satisfy LEGO Harry Potter fans. The minifigs are also great for those who are looking for unique facial and torso prints as well as a selection of skin colors and hairstyles.
The front of the House Banners looks fairly plain with simple borders. However, the emblems in the center are beautifully printed. The banners also have a hook if you would like to hang them.
The LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Moments sets were $30 each, which I felt was a fair price, and even if you wanted to collect the whole series, it wasn’t too expensive. The new LEGO Harry Potter House Banners are $35 each, and I feel that’s a bit much for what you get, even with the special lenticular backdrop. The playability is less with this new series in my opinion. The scenes are too flat, and there is not as much to interact with compared to the Hogwarts Moments sets. However, this does make them better display sets. They hang nice and flush on a wall, and opening them reveals a unique surprise with the lenticular images and other decorations. So overall they seem to be more targeted towards collectors and those who want some cool but streamlined LEGO Harry Potter decor in their home, while the Hogwarts Moments series sets are compact and transportable playsets. If you want to check them out, they are available at the LEGO Harry Potter section of the Online LEGO Shop.
What do you think? Do you have any of the LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Moments sets or the LEGO Harry Potter House Banners? How do you like them? Which series do you prefer? Feel free to share your thoughts and own reviews in the comment section below!
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