You're running around the South Wing. Your Revelio is pinging like crazy, but you can't see the loot. It's frustrating. Honestly, the South Wing of Hogwarts is a geometric nightmare compared to the Great Hall or the Library Annex. It's full of verticality, hidden staircases, and those annoying Level 1 and 2 Alohomora locks that stop your momentum dead. If you are trying to hit 100% completion, you basically have to treat this area like a crime scene investigation.
Most players think they’ve cleared it once they find the Gryffindor common room or the Clock Tower, but the Hogwarts Legacy South Wing collection chests are scattered in spots that aren't exactly on the beaten path. There are five of them in total. Five. That sounds easy, right? It isn’t. Between the Faculty Tower and the Clock Tower Courtyard, the game loves to hide these behind puzzle doors and Frog Teleporters.
The Clock Tower Secret Most People Miss
The Clock Tower is the big one. You've been here for the Crossed Wands dueling club, obviously. But there is a massive secret hiding in plain sight involving those four giant swinging pendulums. If you look at the floor or the gates at the top of the stairs, you'll see four symbols: a unicorn, an owl, two dragons, and a scarab. These correspond to the symbols hanging above the pendulum’s path.
To get the chest here, you need Glacius or Arresto Momentum.
🔗 Read more: How to Unlock Sirin 9mm Without Losing Your Mind
When the pendulum swings in front of a symbol, freeze it. The corresponding gate will open. One of these rooms contains a collection chest. It’s a bit of a timing game, and if you're like me, you'll probably miss the first three times because the freeze wears off too fast. Just keep at it. Once you unlock the door with the right symbol, the chest is yours. It usually drops a random conjuration recipe for your Room of Requirement.
Diving Into the Faculty Tower
The Faculty Tower is another beast. You first access this during Gladwin Moon's quest, "The Man Behind the Moons." If you didn't grab the chests then, you have to go back. This area is high-density. There's a collection chest tucked away near the Prefect’s Bathroom.
Don't just run past the statues.
There's a specific door in the Faculty Tower that requires Alohomora Level 1. Inside, you’ll find a room that looks fairly standard, but there is often a chest tucked behind a screen or in a corner. The South Wing thrives on these "hidden in plain sight" placements. The game wants you to look at the architecture, not just the mini-map.
That Annoying Frog Teleporter
Let's talk about the Frog Teleporters. I hate them. They’re disorienting. But if you want the Hogwarts Legacy South Wing collection chests, you have to use them. Near the Faculty Tower, there’s a stairwell that leads down toward a locked door. If you explore the nearby hallways, you’ll find a stone frog.
Interact with it.
It’ll spit you out in a room you can’t reach otherwise. Usually, this is where the "Quidditch Board" or some other high-end furniture recipe lives. It’s a tiny, cramped room with no other exit except the frog you came in through. It’s easy to overlook because players assume the frog is just a decorative asset or a one-off gimmick for a side quest. It isn't.
The Map Chamber and the Lower Depths
Technically, the Map Chamber and the Room of Requirement are nested under the "Secret Rooms" tab in the fast travel menu, but the physical traversal often leads people to look for South Wing chests in the surrounding corridors. You need to be careful with the labels. The South Wing officially encompasses the Faculty Tower, the Hospital Wing, and the Clock Tower.
👉 See also: How to Fix the Ryujinx Firmware Hash Error Without Losing Your Sanity
In the Hospital Wing, check the back corners. After you finish the quest involving the Caretaker’s lunacy, the wing stays open. There’s a chest in the office area near the beds. It’s easy to miss because you’re usually focused on the main path or looking for Demiguise Statues.
Why Your Revelio Might Be Lying to You
Here is the thing about Revelio: it has range limits. Even with the "Revelio Mastery" talent, the verticality of the South Wing messes with the gold glow. If a chest is two floors above you in the Clock Tower, the icon might appear faint or not at all.
You have to climb.
The South Wing is more of a tower than a hallway. Go to the very top where the gears are grinding. Use Arresto Momentum on the gears to stop the door from clicking shut. There’s a chest up there that most people skip because they think the gears are just background animation. They are actually part of the mechanical puzzle.
Breaking Down the Loot
What are you actually getting? These aren't gear chests. You aren't getting a legendary pair of glasses with +30 Offense. These are Collection Chests. That means:
- Conjuration Recipes (Tables, statues, rugs for the Room of Requirement).
- Wand Handles (The cosmetic ones that don't actually change your stats).
If you are a completionist, these are mandatory for the "Collector's Edition" trophy/achievement. If you just want to be powerful, you can probably skip them, but where's the fun in that? The South Wing is one of the most atmospheric parts of the castle. It feels like the movies.
🔗 Read more: The Beatles: Rock Band PlayStation 3 Edition: Why It’s Still the Best Music Game Ever Made
The Faculty Tower Puzzle Door
Don't forget the Arithmancy doors. There is one right in the Faculty Tower hallway. You know the drill: Triangle is 1, Graphorn is 2... or whatever the math is (pro tip: the icons around the door start at 0, not 1).
- Demiguise is 0.
- Unicorn is 1.
- Graphorn is 2.
And so on.
The South Wing Arithmancy door is a frequent source of "missing" collection chests. Solve the simple addition puzzle, roll the dice on the wall, and the door opens. Inside is almost always a collection chest sitting on a desk.
What to Do Next
If you're still sitting at 4/5 or 3/5 for the South Wing, stop fast traveling. Start at the Clock Tower Courtyard flame and walk toward the Faculty Tower. Keep your sound on. The "ping" of a collection chest has a slight directional audio cue. If you hear it but don't see it, look up. Or down.
Check your map. If you hover over the South Wing icon on the Hogwarts map, it will give you a checklist on the right side of the screen. If it says you have 5/5 but your overall collection is missing items, the problem isn't the South Wing—it's likely the butterflies in the Forbidden Forest or a random camp in the Highlands.
Double-check the Clock Tower gears one last time. Seriously, that gear puzzle is the number one reason people get stuck. Stop the pendulum on the specific symbol, wait for the mechanical "clunk," and walk through the gate.
Go get those recipes.