As I’m on a Lego building kick right now, I thought I’d showcase my latest set and do a Polyjuice Potion Mistake review. This is the Lego Harry Potter set 76386, and it retails at £17.99. It’s the most affordable Harry Potter set currently available in 2022, and is available at most toy retailers. Seeing as it wasn’t too expensive, I figured it was worth a purchase, and I’m glad I took a chance on it. Whilst it may not be as large and impressive as some of the other sets, it’s still a really enjoyable build, and has some exciting features. Let’s get into it!
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The Inspiration
The Lego license is with Warner Bros, so all their sets are based off the movies rather than the books. I love both, but I’ve always enjoyed the Harry Potter books more than the films. However, in this case, I think the movie did a great job capturing the vibe of the scene. I understand why Lego chose this as the inspiration for their set.
Polyjuice Potion Mistake is based off of the moment in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets where the trio drink polyjuice potion. They’d been brewing it in secret for a month, and it was finally ready. They were suspicious of Draco Malfoy, and their plan was to get him to confess that he was the Heir of Slytherin. Polyjuice potion temporarily transforms the drinker into another person if you add part of their DNA.
The plan was for Ron to impersonate Crabbe, Harry to be Goyle, and Hermione to be Millicent Bulstrode. Hermione had plucked a hair off of Millicent’s robe to use in the potion. However, unbeknownst to Hermione, Millicent had a pet cat, and that was the hair that had been on her robe. Polyjuice potion is intended for human use only, and so disaster struck when Hermione drunk the potion. She transformed into a half-cat, half-human hybrid. She had a cat face with human body and hair, and it was a hilarious mistake. I love how this set recreates that iconic scene.
Ease of Build
I built this right off the back of larger sets like Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade Village Visit, so I was used to some pretty finicky building elements. In comparison, Polyjuice Potion Mistake is a dream. It has an age rating of 7+, and unlike a couple of other Lego sets that I feel have an unrealistically low age range, I think this is perfect. I think it would be just the right level of challenge for a 7 year old.
Of course, I’m a fully grown adult, and I’m therefore more experienced than a young child. I don’t mean to brag, but I definitely think I could out-skill them. Try to hold your applause, I know that’s a bold claim. So for me, this Polyjuice Potion Mistake set was an easy build. I love how compact it is, and everything fits really neatly together.
Some parts are built separately, but they attach easily to the main surface. I never really had any issues putting it all together. The only caveat there is that at one point I did have an issue with the sinks. They’re built by stacking 2×1 bricks, and on one occasion I did use too much force trying to snap a sink into place, and the pieces showered everywhere. Fortunately, it was simple to put back together, so no gripes there.
There are also no fiddly stickers to worry about. There are 3 stickers in total, which represent the mirrors on the sink. However, given their size, they’re incredibly convenient to attach. There’s enough distance from the edges that you’re highly unlikely to have a problem with the placement. Overall, this build took me about 2 hours.
Enjoyability of Build
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this one very much. Given it’s small size, and relatively unexciting setting, I had low hopes. I’d bought this set mainly for the minifigures and the 20th anniversary extras. As such, I was ready to just get through the build and hope it wasn’t too boring. But it actually ended up being really fun.
Although there’s not that much differentiation in colours, there’s enough that I was kept entertained. Most of the pieces are a sandy-beige, but there are also browns, whites, and greys. The taps look particularly elegant as a gorgeous shade of gold. What can I say? I like shiny things. I’m a very visual person, so having that variety was important for keeping my attention. There’s a lot more of a range in pieces than you’d guess from the picture on the box.
I had fun building the different elements, such as the toilet, the taps, and the arches around the walls. There’s even a window that juts out the back of the set, and that was fun to put together. There weren’t really any frustrating sections. I’m not usually a big fan of hinges or clips, but they weren’t a problem here. The instructions were written in a clever order, which meant the pieces attached without disrupting other areas of the build. I ended up having a mesmerising time putting Polyjuice Potion Mistake together.
Finished Product
I won’t lie, this isn’t the most exciting set to put together. As memorable a scene as this represents, it’s still essentially just a bathroom. Although there’s enough colour to keep the build enjoyable, it still looks quite neutral, and lacks vibrancy. However, I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. Not all Lego Harry Potter sets need to be bursting with colour and eccentricity.
The Lego Polyjuice Potion Mistake set contains a couple of really cool interactive elements. Firstly, the bathroom stall opens and closes, which is a small detail, but one I appreciate. It did make me laugh putting together a toilet. It even has a lever on the side to represent the handle for the flush. The toilet door is a bit further off the ground than you’d expect, but that’s a minor observation.
The best interactive part is the secret entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. The middle sink hinges upwards to reveal a hole in the floor. I adore that this set is built around the polyjuice potion scene and not the moment with Lockhart where they actually go down into the chamber. I find it really funny that the trio were oblivious when they were right next to the secret entrance. This set even connects onto the Lego Chamber of Secrets 76389 set. That way the secret passage can open up and drop directly into the chamber!
The set also has some extras that aren’t specified to attach anywhere in particular. There’s a cauldron, a spoon, and some potion bottles. However, I wanted to keep this set compact, so I just placed them on the floor as there were plenty of empty studs.
The Minifigures
This set technically comes with 3 minifigures. However, you essentially get 6 for the price of 3, as all of them can be transformed into another character. This was the main draw for me with this set, and is part of the reason I purchased it. I already have plenty of minifigures from when I built Diagon Alley, but I liked the uniqueness of these ones.
Let’s start with the similarities. All three are wearing an identical Slytherin uniform because their plan is to sneak into the common room. The body shows the Slytherin crest, and a green tie under the black robes. The legs are entirely black, and are the short legs that don’t bend. However, the heads are the important factor with this set.
Firstly, we have Hermione. She comes with two faces, one is a confident smiling expression, and in the other she looks very worried. She has a brilliantly made hair piece that conveys the thick frizziness of her usual style. However, after taking the potion, she of course transforms into a feline version of herself. Lego have included a cat face that goes over the top of her head, like a hat. The face is detailed with glowing yellow eyes and a sad expression, and the back has Hermione’s long hair. This is such a unique piece, and I’m very glad to have it in my collection.
For Ron and Harry, the idea is that on one side of their face is their regular look, and the other side has Crabbe/ Goyle respectively. There are then hair pieces for Crabbe and Goyle that can be swapped on to them. That way, you can have all stages of the transformation, including Ron/ Harry’s face but Crabbe/ Goyle’s hair, and vice versa. However, Lego accidentally gave me two of the Ron heads and no Harry. Thankfully their website has a form where you can order missing pieces, so those are now on the way. For the picture, I just used a Harry head from a different set.
20th Anniversary Extras
As this set is part of the Lego Harry Potter 20th anniversary celebration, it comes with some fun extras. Firstly, we have a golden Harry Potter minifigure, which I was really excited about. I already had a golden Ron Weasley from when I made Hogsmeade Village Visit, and I love that one. The Harry is equally impressive, and I grinned stupidly when the pieces tumbled onto my table.
I love the detail that goes into these golden minifigures. I can immediately tell that it’s Harry based on the lines that have been printed on. It doesn’t matter that I can’t see his black hair or scarlet Gryffindor crest. I can tell straight away who this minifigure is based on. My only criticism would be that the scar is printed on in a very light shade of gold that makes it difficult to see. On his back, he has the 20th anniversary Lego logo (try saying that 5 times fast!).
The set also comes with two of the collectable wizard card tiles. There are 16 in total, and I already owned 4 of them. They’re added randomly to each set, so you never know who you’re going to receive. I was relieved not to end up with duplicates, I must say. My set contained Minerva McGonagall and Newt Scamander. I have to admit, these tiles aren’t particularly incredible. The designs are quite basic, and often I need to look at the checklist to know who’s who. Still, I like having something special, so the fact they’re collectable is enough for me.
Value for Money
This set has very good value for money. It RRPs at £17.99, and for that you get 217 pieces, 3 minifigures, 3 interchangeable hair pieces, a golden minifigure, and 2 collectable wizard card tiles. That’s a lot. The build by itself would be pretty average value for money. It wouldn’t be a total rip off, but it wouldn’t be a bargain either. Like I said, I enjoyed putting it together, but I’m not convinced that a 2 hour experience is worth nearly £20.
However, when you account for everything you get, I genuinely believe this is arguably the best value for money of the entire Lego Harry Potter range. I feel like they easily could’ve charged £21.99 or even £24.99, and I’d have been happy to pay it. This is such a compact, high quality set, and all the pieces feel deliberate. Everything serves a purpose in making this build better.
I also love that it’s so affordable. There are so many sets targeted at mid-high range budgets, so it’s fantastic to have one this cheap. It allows fans without the best financial situation to still engage in their hobby. It also is specifically designed to fit with the more expensive Chamber of Secrets set. That way, it serves a bonus purpose if you’re ever able to splash some extra cash.
Overall Verdict
Overall, I would highly recommend the Polyjuice Potions Mistake Lego set. It’s an easy and enjoyable build, and putting it together is a wonderful experience. The final display is solid and well-made. Some sets feel as though they might fall apart at any moment. But with this one, it’s sturdy, and I feel comfortable moving it around. This would be perfect for a child to play with. However, I also believe that it offers a lot of enjoyment for adults. It’s got some beautifully unique minifigures, and I adore the golden Harry Potter that comes with it. If you can afford it, you should definitely get Hogwarts Polyjuice Potion Mistake 76386 for your collection.
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Disclaimer
Although I love Harry Potter as a franchise, I feel the need to clarify that I do not support J.K. Rowling. I completely disagree with her disgusting comments about the trans community, and Screen Hype will always be an inclusive space for anyone who wishes to be here.
