Back To Hogwarts: Modern Gourmet Foods Hogwarts Mug with Hot Chocolate Mix and 'Wand' Stirring Stick

I pick up a lot of my Harry Potter stuff from stores I frequent. Some things - like LEGO sets - have to be ordered on-line, but a lot of incidental things show up in my stores, like this Modern Gourmet Foods Hogwarts mug - a perfect gift for the Holiday season (in this case a gift to myself 😉). I started my Harry Potter series in September of last year by featuring a Hedwig mug by Modern Gourmet Foods and now look forward to new annual offerings. I like the design of this mug in that it's reminiscent of a black cauldron. The Hogwarts crest is a combination of the iconography of the four Wizarding Houses and the reference to 'Potion Master' may be a nod to Severus Snape - Head of Slytherin House and Death Eater-turned unlikely hero. The stir stick is a tiny replica of what appears to be Harry's wand, and there is a package of hot chocolate included. I haven't yet made the chocolate, so I can't give any taste reviews on it - sorry! While the mug is supposed to be dishwasher safe, I think I'd rather hand wash it. Enjoy! Opa Fritz

Back to Hogwarts: LEGO Set No. 76413 Room of Requirements Pt 2 Built-Up

As I didn't take any in-progress photos of the build, I'll post these shots taken when it was all finished. I took a series of photos without the figures and then with the figures. When closed up it measures overall 6.5" (16.51cm) W x 15.125" (38.41cm) H x 2.875" (7.30cm) D   Enjoy! Opa Fritz

The Room of Requirements is hidden from view within the castle by a plain wall...

...until you need to gain entry, when the wall opens up to reveal hidden doors

In some of these shots, you'll see figures lurking in the room

The Lost Diadem on a stack of balancing books and boxes

One Cornish Pixie is provided in the set

The Fiendfyre can be posed anywhere but he really can't fit within the confined space of The Room when it's all closed up

Best shot of the diadem

Using extra pieces supplied in the set, the Fiendfyre can be taken apart and posed whizzing around the room catching everything on fire.

Back to Hogwarts: LEGO Set No. 76413 Room of Requirements Pt 1 The Unboxing

I s'pose this is as good a way as any to kick off Halloween month - a look at one of LEGO's many Harry Potter sets.

A few months back I had a few extra dinero when shopping at Target and came home with this nifty 'Room of Requirements' set. It cost $49.99 (if I remember correctly) + tax. Honestly folks, my toy and toy train collections are enough to warrant me moving into a warehouse, but this Harry Potter stuff will push me over the edge! LEGO has a gazillion HP sets and figures (just like they did - and are still doing - with Star Wars), and to complicate things, this set is just a small fraction of what's available to make up a complete Hogwarts castle. But that didn't stop me from buying it! 😄

The set comprises a 'selectively compressed' (model railroad slang for taking major elements of a structure and highlighting those in a highly down-sized model re-creation) Room of Requirements. It features a removable separate room just for The Grey Lady (Helena Ravenclaw), a feature which allows it to be splayed out to better display the room, 7 figures (IF you include the Cornish Pixie), and the Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw. Today we'll just take a quick look at the packaging and contents. I didn't take any in-progress photos of the build, so instead I'll cover the completed build, the special features, all the figures, etc., in separate posts. Enjoy! Opa Fritz

I try to be careful when opening the box so as not to mutilate it

Four bags full of parts, instruction book, and a set of peel-&-stick appliques'

The 120pg book is lavishly illustrated to include drawings showing each and every single part and it's associated part number.