You’ve probably seen Nora Treadwell getting harassed by Ashwinders near Lower Hogsfield. Honestly, it’s one of those scripted moments in Hogwarts Legacy that feels like a chore until you realize it unlocks the single most important inventory mechanic in the game. We’re talking about Merlin Trials. If you're tired of seeing that "Gear Slots Full" notification every ten minutes, you need to clear these. Specifically, the South Hogwarts Region Merlin Trials are your starting point. They aren't just tutorials. They’re the foundation for actually being able to carry more than three pairs of glasses and a stray scarf.
Mallowsweet is the currency of the realm here. Without those little green leaves, you can’t even start a trial. Most players run out of Mallowsweet leaf early on because they don't realize you can just buy the seeds from The Magic Neep in Hogsmeade and grow them in the Room of Requirement. Don't be the person paying 100 gold per leaf. It's a scam.
The South Hogwarts Region is surprisingly dense with these puzzles. It serves as the game's way of teaching you the various "types" of trials you'll encounter across the Scottish Highlands. Some require brute force. Others require a bit of finesse with Depulso or Flipendo. Let’s get into where they are and how to actually solve them without staring at a stone pillar for twenty minutes.
The Lower Hogsfield Introduction Trial
This is the one everyone knows. It’s right there. You help Nora, she gives you some Mallowsweet, and you cast Incendio on some torches. It’s basic. But it sets the tone for the "brazier" puzzles. The trick here—and this applies to the harder versions later—is speed. You have to light all the braziers before the first one sinks back into the ground.
If you're struggling with the timing on later versions, remember that Confringo has a much longer range than Incendio. You don't have to run up to every single pillar. Stand in the middle. Aim. Fire. If you’re fast enough, the stone gazebo thing will materialize, and you’re one step closer to more gear slots.
The Aranshire Bridge Puzzle
East of the school, near the Aranshire hamlet, there’s a trial tucked away that confuses people because they forget to look up. It’s a stone pillar puzzle. Basically, you’ll see pillars with stone balls on top of them. You need to blast them.
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Sounds simple? It is, until you realize one is hidden behind some brush or tucked behind a rock face. Use Revelio. Seriously, pulse it constantly. The objects you need to interact with will glow blue. If you aren't seeing blue highlights, you’re looking in the wrong direction. Most players miss the one tucked near the bridge supports. Just hit them with a basic cast. No fancy magic required here, just a bit of aim.
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South of Hogwarts, near the lake, there's a trial that involves a massive stone sphere and a bowl-shaped indentation in the ground. This is the Depulso trial. Or Wingardium Leviosa, if you’ve unlocked it and want to make life easier.
The physics in Hogwarts Legacy can be a bit... floaty. If you try to push the ball up a steep hill with Depulso, it might just roll back and crush your soul. Use Levioso to get it off the ground, then hit it with a push. Or better yet, just use Wingardium Leviosa and walk it to the hole like a dog on a leash. It’s significantly less frustrating.
There's another variation of this in the South Hogwarts Region that involves small piles of stones. You’ll see three platforms with four holes each. You need to find the clusters of five small stone balls and move them onto the platforms. Accio is your friend here. Once you get them close to the platform, they usually "snap" into place.
The Moonlight Moth Trial Near the Forbidden Forest Border
This is arguably the most "magical" looking one. You find these stone monoliths with crystal centers. They look dead. To fix them, you need to find nearby moths—usually glowing green—and lead them back to the pillars using Lumos.
- Moths don't like it when you turn your light off.
- They can get stuck on terrain if you move too fast.
- Usually, there are three pillars.
- One group of moths is almost always hidden behind a breakable wall or up a small cliff.
If you can't find the moths, listen. They make a distinct fluttering sound. Also, they glow. If it's daytime, they’re harder to spot, so consider changing the time to night in the map menu. It makes these trials a breeze.
The Flipendo Blocks (The Real Headache)
Near the southern coast of the lake, you'll run into the symbol cubes. These are the worst. Each pillar has a cube on top with various symbols. You have to use Flipendo to rotate the top cube until its symbols match the ones on the base pillar.
It’s not just about matching the shape; it’s about the orientation. If the symbol is a hawk, it needs to be upright, not sideways. This trial is a test of spatial reasoning that feels a bit out of place in a game about shooting sparks at goblins, but it’s mandatory for completionists.
The trick is to stand directly in front of the side you want to flip. If you hit it from the side, it rotates on a different axis. Stand square. Cast. Check the result. It usually takes three or four flips to get it right. If you’re stuck, look at the "arrows" or the border patterns on the stone—they often provide a hint for which way is "up."
Repairing the Statues
Near the ruins in the south, there’s a trial where as soon as you drop the Mallowsweet, several statues shatter. This is a Reparo trial. It’s probably the easiest one in the South Hogwarts Region, provided you actually have Reparo equipped.
You just walk around and fix them. The only challenge is finding them all. Again, Revelio is the "win button" here. The broken pieces will glow blue. Once they’re all standing, the trial ends. It’s almost a break from the more intense puzzles.
Clearing the Parkour Pillars
Usually located near the water or on rocky outcrops, these trials involve a series of stone platforms. You have to jump from one to the next without touching the ground.
- Don't use your broom. It's cheating, and the game knows. The trial won't count.
- Don't sprint too hard. The character's jump distance is fixed.
- Check for obstacles. Sometimes there are jars or boxes on the pillars you need to break first.
If you fall, you have to start the sequence over. It’s not hard, but the camera angles in this game can occasionally betray you. Take it slow. It’s not a race.
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Practical Steps for Your Next Session
You shouldn't try to do all of these at once. It’s a recipe for burnout. Instead, treat them as "detours" while you're flying between quests. Here is how you should actually handle the Merlin Trial grind in the South Hogwarts Region:
- Unlock the Room of Requirement first. You need a steady supply of Mallowsweet. Growing it in large pots is the only way to stay stocked without going broke.
- Get the Revelio Potency talent. This increases the range of your scan. It makes finding those hidden moths or stone balls infinitely easier.
- Check your Challenges menu. The game doesn't give you more gear slots automatically. You have to manually claim the rewards in the "Exploration" tab of the Challenges menu. I’ve seen people finish 20 trials and wonder why they still can’t carry more loot.
- Wait for Confringo. While Incendio works for the braziers, Confringo is the "sniper" version. It makes the timed torch trials much less stressful.
The South Hogwarts Region Merlin Trials are more than just a completionist box to tick. They are your ticket to actually enjoying the loot system without the constant inventory management headache. Focus on the ones near Lower Hogsfield first, then work your way around the lake. By the time you head to the South Sea Bog, you'll have enough inventory space to actually hold the legendary gear you find.
Once you’ve cleared this region, the puzzles don't really change much; they just get more hidden. Master the "Moonlight Moth" and the "Flipendo Cube" logic now, and you’ll breeze through the rest of the game's 95 trials. Stick to the basics, keep your Mallowsweet stock high, and use your map to track which ones you've missed—the icon disappears once the trial is complete.