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Hogwarts Legacy follows the journey of a young fifth-year student during their time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The protagonist will be required to attend various classes when they arrive at the famed wizarding school, but they will eventually be given the freedom to explore the vast magical world outside the castle's walls, where they can offer their help to various witches and wizards.
Though most of the side quests in Hogwarts Legacy are located outside the castle, some, like the Portrait in a Pickle side quest, can only be found by exploring Hogwarts itself. Unless the player is searching for this quest specifically, however, there is a chance they mightn't find it, as the quest-giver can easily go unnoticed.
Updated June 16, 2023, by Justin Flynn: Several side quests in Hogwarts Legacy force players to make big decisions, and the Portrait in a Pickle side quest is no exception. Toward the end of this quest, the protagonist must decide what happens to the portrait in question, and depending on what players choose, the outcomes can be quite different.
Hogwarts Legacy is very much a decision-based game; as a result, players will be faced with several multiple-choice options during their playthroughs, but only some of them will affect what happens in the story. Though the choice presented in the Portrait in a Pickle side quest is small, it can have a lasting effect on a particular character's fate.
How To Begin The Portrait In A Pickle Side Quest In Hogwarts Legacy
In order to begin the Portrait in a Pickle side quest, players should fast-travel to the Library and approach the portrait to the right of where the Floo Flame spawns them. Upon interacting with said portrait, the player will be introduced to Ferdinand Octavius Pratt, a rather obnoxious character who claims some Hogwarts students have wronged him.
According to Ferdinand, the portrait of him that once hung in the Three Broomsticks has been stolen and taken somewhere far away. He believes Astoria Crickett is the mastermind behind the theft, so when the cutscene ends, the protagonist will suggest speaking to her before beginning their search.
Where To Find Astoria Crickett
Astoria Crickett can be found inside the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. To reach this location quickly, the player should fast-travel to the South Hogsmeade Floo Flame and travel north until they find the establishment. Upon interacting with Astoria inside, she will explain to the protagonist that Ferdinand reports the conversations of students to the headmaster, which is why she chose to move him to a different location.
She then reveals that the thieves she hired took Ferdinand's portrait to a ruin near the coast, and though this description seems vague, the game will highlight the exact location of the ruins in question once the conversation ends.
How To Get To Poidsear Coast
Normally, players can mount their broom and fly directly to whatever part of the map they like, but this isn't the case for those who wish to travel to the southern reaches of Hogwarts Legacy's world. Players who have already unlocked a Floo Flame in th map are free to fast-travel there and continue their search for Ferdinand's portrait, but those who have not will need to make their way through a cavern filled with goblins until they get to Poidsear Coast.
This cavern can be found just behind the Medium Bandit Camp directly south of Keenbridge. Upon entering the area, the protagonist will be attacked by the goblins waiting there, but those who wish to avoid combat can simply run past them and enter the cave. Inside the cavern, the same strategy can be used, but players hoping to do everything Hogwarts Legacy has to offer should take a moment to fight Ogbert the Odd, one of the game's twenty-one Infamous Foes.
Where To Find The Marunweem Ruins
Upon reaching the end of the cavern, the protagonist can mount and fly their broom south and follow the shore to reach the Marunweem Ruins.
Those who have already reached this section of the map can fast-travel directly to the Marunweem Ruins Floo Flame. Once there, the player will need to fight and defeat the Poachers and Ashwinders lurking around the area before they can freely look for the entrance to the chamber below.
After all the Dark Wizards have been dealt with, the player should head to the northern section of the ruins, where they will find a stairway leading into the ground. At the end of this path, they will be faced with a Level 2 lock that must be opened in order to reach Ferdinand. To unlock these advanced locks, the player will need to have found nine optional Demiguise Statues and returned them to Gladwin Moon.
What To Do With The Portrait Of Ferdinand Octavius Pratt
Upon interacting with Ferdinand in the final chamber, the player will be given the option to choose what happens to his portrait. If the player chooses the "Let's get out of here" option, they can either return him to the Three Broomsticks or bring him to the Hog's Head, an establishment Ferdinand despises.
Ferdinand will thank the protagonist if they choose to return him to the Three Broomsticks, but bringing him to the Hog's Head is arguably the more enjoyable option. Upon arriving there, Ferdinand will cower at the thought of being in such an ill-fitting establishment, and the barkeeper will suggest that his portrait will make for good target practice.
If players chose the second option when they found Ferdinand's portrait at the Marunweem Ruins, they could also choose to burn his portrait. Each quest outcome will reward the player with 180 XP and the Oddities Shelf, a decorative item that can be placed in the Room of Requirement, so the player can feel free to choose whatever outcome they like, as their decision won't have any long-lasting effects on the overall story.
Are There Any Other Quests Like Portrait In A Pickle In Hogwarts Legacy?
Most side quests in Hogwarts Legacy require the player to head to a destination and recover something valuable or important, and a great deal of them allow players to choose what happens to the item or creature they find. The Portrait in a Pickle's choice is arguably one of the most interesting, however, as whatever choice players make will have a pretty big impact on the rest of Ferdinand's existence.
Those who wish to find similar side quests that feature equally interesting choices should seek out "Rescuing Rococo,""Take the Biscuit," and "Birds of a Feather." Each of these quests' multiple-choice scenarios can lead to the protagonist acquiring a unique creature that can only be obtained during said quests.
Side quests like "Gobs of Gobstones" and "The Lost Astrolabe" also require players to make a choice, but the protagonist won't earn anything of value from choosing to take any quest-related items; their decision will only affect how the quest-giver speaks to the protagonist whenever they encounter each other later.
Hogwarts Legacy is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, with a Switch release scheduled to release on November 14, 2023.
