You're standing in a dark, damp hallway deep within the bowels of Hogwarts. Your companion, Sebastian Sallow, is looking at you with a mix of desperation and academic fervor. This is it. This is the moment most players have been waiting for since they first saw the trailers. In the shadow of the study Hogwarts Legacy isn't just another side quest; it is the moral crossroads of the entire game. Honestly, the first time I went through this, I hesitated. The game does a great job of making the air feel heavy. You aren't just clicking buttons; you’re deciding what kind of wizard you're actually going to be.
Sebastian wants into Salazar Slytherin’s Scriptorium. He’s convinced the answers to his sister Anne’s curse are buried there, hidden away by a founder who wasn't exactly known for his warm personality. But to get in, you have to navigate a series of puzzles that feel less like schoolwork and more like a death trap.
Getting the Quest Started
So, how do you even get here? You won't find this on the map right away. You have to be at least Level 16. More importantly, you've got to play through the main story until you've finished "In the Shadow of the Estate." This is a Sebastian-centric storyline. If you’ve been ignoring his owls, you’re not getting in.
Once you meet the requirements, Sebastian will send you an owl. He’ll be waiting outside the Slytherin common room with Ominis Gaunt. Ominis is... prickly. Can you blame him? He’s a direct descendant of Slytherin and knows exactly how messed up his family history is. The tension between Sebastian’s ambition and Ominis’s trauma is what makes this quest actually worth reading the dialogue for. They’re arguing about a secret entrance, and you’re basically the tie-breaker.
Opening the Scriptorium Door
The first hurdle is just getting the door to budge. You’re in a hallway with three braziers. You have to light them quickly. If you’re too slow, they go out. Use Confringo or Incendio. I prefer Confringo because you can stand in one spot and just snip them from a distance. Once they’re lit, a door opens, and you head down into the dark.
This is where the atmosphere shifts. The walls start whispering. Ominis starts hearing things because, well, Parseltongue. It’s a cool detail that reminds you that while you’re the "special" protagonist with Ancient Magic, Ominis has a legacy that’s arguably more terrifying.
The Dial Puzzles
The real "gameplay" of the first half involves Slytherin Locks. These are those snake dials that look like they’ll bite your hand off. Because they will. If you mess up the combination, the snake lunges and takes a chunk out of your health bar.
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Don't overthink these. Look at the gates blocking your path. Each gate has two symbols on it. You need to match the symbols on the dial to the ones on the gate.
- The first dial is usually right next to the first gate.
- The second dial is through a crawlspace to the left.
- The third dial is hidden further back in a side room.
The trick is the timing. You have a limited window to rotate both the top and bottom symbols before the snake resets and attacks. If you’re playing on a higher difficulty, that bite actually hurts. Pay attention to the icons—some look like a weird "Z" or a circle with a line through it. They’re distinct enough that you won't confuse them if you're looking closely.
The Cruciatus Curse Decision
This is the peak of the quest. You're trapped in a room. The only way forward is through a door that literally requires the Cruciatus Curse—the Torture Curse—to be cast. Slytherin was a real piece of work, wasn't he?
Sebastian offers you a choice. This is where players usually freeze.
- Don't learn the curse at all. Sebastian casts it on you. You move forward, but your spell list remains "clean."
- Learn the curse, but let Sebastian cast it on you. You get the spell for your collection, but you aren't the one doing the torturing in this moment.
- Learn the curse and cast it on Sebastian. You get the spell, and you’re the one pulling the trigger.
Does it matter? Mechanically, no. There is no "Morality Meter" in Hogwarts Legacy. You won't get a "Dark Side" ending like in Knights of the Old Republic. You won't get expelled. The teachers won't even look at you funny. The only difference is the dialogue and your own personal roleplay. Honestly, if you want the Platinum trophy or all the Unforgivable Curses, just learn it. You don't have to put it on your spell diamond if it makes you feel bad, but having it available for the later battle arenas is pretty handy.
Sebastian’s justification is that he’s doing it for Anne. Ominis is horrified. It’s a mess. But it’s a brilliant piece of storytelling because it makes the player feel like an accomplice.
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Inside the Scriptorium
Once the screaming is over and the door opens, you’re in the actual Scriptorium. It’s a small, dusty office. The main prize here is Slytherin's Spellbook. You’ll also find some notes scattered around that fill in the lore about why Salazar left the school. It wasn't just a petty argument; he was genuinely obsessed with "purifying" the wizarding world.
Give the book to Sebastian. He’s going to be ecstatic, which, given what just happened, feels a little bit gross. But that’s his character arc. He’s sliding down a slippery slope, and you’re either sliding with him or watching from the sidelines.
Finding the Noctua Gaunt Notes
While you’re in there, don't just grab the book and sprint out. Look for the notes from Noctua Gaunt. She was Ominis’s aunt who tried to do exactly what you just did. Her story is tragic—she didn't have a friend to cast the curse with, and she died alone in that room. Reading her final thoughts adds a layer of grim reality to the "cool" Dark Arts quest. It’s a reminder that these curses aren't toys.
Is Crucio Actually Good?
You’ve finished in the shadow of the study Hogwarts Legacy, and now you have Crucio. Is it worth the inventory slot?
Yes. It's incredibly powerful.
Crucio doesn't just do damage over time. If you invest talent points into the Dark Arts tree, specifically "Crucio Mastery," whenever you hit an enemy cursed by Crucio, it sends out projectiles that curse other nearby enemies. You can turn a single cast into a room-wide debuff. Cursed enemies take increased damage from all other spells. It’s the cornerstone of a high-damage build.
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If you're playing on Hard mode, Crucio is a lifesaver for crowd control. It stuns the victim, taking one threat off the board while you deal with the others. It’s brutal, sure, but effective.
What Most People Miss
A lot of players think if they say "No" to learning the curse during this quest, they’ve lost it forever. That’s not true. If you change your mind later, you can visit Sebastian in the Undercroft. He’ll be more than happy to teach you what you missed. The game is surprisingly forgiving about letting you become a Dark Wizard later in the game.
Also, check your owl post after the quest. The fallout between Ominis and Sebastian starts here, and the letters you get later provide a lot of context for the next quest, "In the Shadow of Time."
Actionable Next Steps
To make the most of your progress after finishing the Scriptorium, follow these steps:
- Spend Talent Points: If you chose to learn Crucio, go to your Talents menu. Navigate to the Dark Arts tab and unlock Crucio Mastery at Level 16 and Slowing Curse if you have the points.
- Check the Undercroft: Head back to the Undercroft to talk to Sebastian. Sometimes there's extra dialogue that doesn't trigger immediately after the quest ends.
- Update Your Spell Sets: Create a "Dark Arts" spell diamond. I usually pair Crucio with Glacius or Diffindo. Cursing an enemy and then hitting them with a high-damage spell like Diffindo results in massive numbers.
- Prepare for "In the Shadow of Time": This is the next major beat in Sebastian's story. You'll need to be Level 17. It takes you to a tomb in Feldcroft, and it's where you get the chance to learn the Imperius Curse (Imperio).
Don't worry too much about the "evil" factor. The game wants you to experiment. Whether you're a loyal friend to Ominis or a power-hungry student alongside Sebastian, the Scriptorium is the point of no return for your character's reputation—at least in your own head.