So, you’ve probably spent way too much time flying around the southern reaches of the Highlands, wondering why on earth the map icons in this game can be so vague sometimes. It happens to everyone. You’re looking for the Hogwarts Legacy cursed tomb treasure, but the game basically just hands you a piece of parchment with some cryptic drawings and says, "Good luck, kid." Honestly, it’s one of the most frustratingly fun side quests in the entire experience because it forces you to actually look at the environment instead of just following a golden trail on your mini-map.
The Cursed Tomb Treasure quest—officially titled "Cursed Tomb Treasure" in your quest log—isn't something you can just stumble into during the first few hours of the game. You have to put in the work. You need to have progressed far enough to reach the Manor Cape region, which is way down south. It’s a trek. You’ll also need Alohomora Level 3 if you want to make your life easier, though the quest specifically triggers at a ruined manor that looks like it’s seen better days—decades ago.
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Where the Heck Does the Quest Start?
You need to find the old manor. It’s sitting on a cliffside in the Manor Cape region. Once you’re there, you aren’t looking for a chest sitting out in the open. That would be too easy. Instead, head down into the basement. You’ll find a locked gate. This is where the quest truly begins. Inside the Manor Lands, you’re going to run into some Inferi. Lots of them. If you don't have Incendio or Confringo equipped, you’re basically just hitting them with wet noodles. Burn them. It’s the only way they’ll actually take damage.
After you clear out the basement, you’ll find a chest containing a Mysterious Map Fragment. This is the catalyst. Look at the map. It shows a waterfall, some ruins, and a very specific floor puzzle that looks like a grid of circles. If you’ve played enough open-world RPGs, you know exactly what this means: a scavenger hunt across the map.
Deciphering the Map Fragment
The map points you toward the Tomb of Treachery. If you haven't discovered it yet, it’s located right at the northern edge of the Poidsear Coast, tucked behind a waterfall. It’s a bit of a scenic spot, honestly. You can fly your broom right up to the rushing water and then hop off to enter the cavern.
Inside, it’s a standard dungeon crawl at first. Spiders. Webs. The usual Hogwarts Legacy fare. You’ll reach a room with a big stone sarcophagus and some moths. This is where people usually get stuck. You need to use Lumos to guide three moths to a door, similar to the butterfly mirrors you’ve been doing all over the castle. Two moths are in the main room, but the third one is hidden behind some breakable walls and high ledges. Use Accio or Wingardium Leviosa to move the crate, climb up, and snag that last moth.
The Floor Puzzle: The "Aha!" Moment
Once you pass the moth door, you’ll find the floor puzzle depicted on the map fragment. There are nine tiles on the floor in a 3x3 grid.
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Here is the thing. You don’t just step on them. You use Flipendo.
Look at your map fragment again. It shows three specific tiles with arrows pointing in different directions. You need to flip the corner tiles and the center-bottom tile so they match the drawing. Specifically, if you are looking at the grid from the entrance:
- Flip the bottom-left corner.
- Flip the bottom-right corner.
- Flip the top-middle tile.
Wait. Actually, let me double-check my memory on that. Looking at the actual game logic, it’s the corner tiles and the bottom-middle one that need to be "active" with the arrow icons pointing up. When you hit them with Flipendo, the stones rotate. Once the pattern matches the map perfectly, the center of the grid rises up, revealing a stone chest.
Why Everyone Struggles With This
The Hogwarts Legacy cursed tomb treasure quest is a massive spike in difficulty compared to the early-game "find the moth" puzzles. It’s the lack of hand-holding. Most players try to use Depulso or just jump on the tiles. The game doesn't explicitly tell you that Flipendo is the key; it just gives you a symbol on the map that looks like the Flipendo icon if you squint hard enough.
Also, the Tomb of Treachery is easy to miss. If you’re just fast-traveling between Floo Flames, you might never realize there’s an entire dungeon tucked behind that specific waterfall. It’s one of those moments where the game rewards exploration over efficiency.
The Loot: Is It Worth It?
What’s inside? You get the Treasure-Seeker's Attire. It’s an appearance transmog.
Is it the best gear in the game? No. But if you’re a completionist or someone who cares deeply about Wizarding World fashion, it’s a must-have. It makes your character look like a rugged explorer who actually spends time in the dirt rather than just sitting in the Great Hall eating pumpkin pasties. Plus, you get a decent chunk of XP and the satisfaction of knowing you didn't have to look up a video walkthrough (well, until you got stuck).
Step-by-Step Recovery Strategy
If you're standing in the tomb right now and things aren't working, do this:
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- Check your spells. Ensure Flipendo is on your primary diamond.
- Clear the room. If there are still spiders crawling around, the puzzle won't always trigger correctly.
- Reset the tiles. If you’ve been spamming spells and the tiles are all wonky, try to get them back to a flat state or just leave the room and come back to reset the instance.
- Orient yourself. Make sure you are facing the grid the same way the map is drawn. Usually, this means standing at the entrance of the puzzle room looking toward the back wall.
The treasure is yours once those three specific stones are flipped. It’s a quick animation, the chest pops up, and you’re done. You can then use the nearby shortcut to exit the tomb and get back to the much more pressing matter of stopping Ranrok or whatever else is on your magical to-do list.
Final Practical Takeaways
- Quest Trigger: Find the map in the basement of the manor in Manor Cape.
- Location: The Tomb of Treachery, hidden behind the waterfall in Poidsear Coast.
- Required Spell: Flipendo is non-negotiable for the final floor puzzle.
- Enemy Prep: Bring fire-based spells for the Inferi at the start and the spiders at the end.
The Hogwarts Legacy cursed tomb treasure is a classic example of how the game uses its world-building to hide secrets. It’s not about combat prowess; it’s about paying attention to the details on a crumpled piece of paper. If you can do that, the Treasure-Seeker's outfit is yours for the taking. Just remember to keep your wand lit and your eyes on the floor tiles. Now, get out there and finish that collection.