Despite the highly damaging rhetoric the franchise's creator continues to spout, Hogwarts Legacy is one of the most anticipated games of the year, and for good reason. A fully-fledged open-world Harry Potter game has never really been attempted before, with only Chamber of Secrets on the PS2 coming close, so fans are naturally extremely excited to finally be able to fly their broom through Hogwarts' grounds, visit Hogsmeade, and battle a plethora of magical foes. While the big-picture stuff is what will get fans through the door, it's Hogwarts Legacy's intriguing cast of characters that will hopefully cement the experience as a memorable one, with Nigellus Black being a potential standout.
Hogwarts Legacy is about to introduce a whole new cast of characters to the Harry Potter mythos, with some of the most interesting being the new professors. Set about 100 years before the events of the main Harry Potter series, Hogwarts Legacy's professors may have a different approach to teaching than their successors. Nowhere is this more evident than with Phineas Nigellus Black, Hogwarts' old headmaster, who doesn't share Dumbledore's more caring attitude.
Every Nigellus Black Appearance In Harry Potter
Phineas Nigellus Black only has two big appearances in the rest of the Harry Potter franchise, but during those sequences, a few key details are given about the character. Part of the prestigious Black family, Nigellus is Sirius' great-great-grandfather, which also makes him loosely connected to Harry Potter himself, with Sirius being Harry's godfather. According to Sirius, Nigellus is perhaps the most disliked headmaster in Hogwarts history, having only taken the job because the Ministry of Magic pressured him into it. As a Slytherin, Nigellus Black has little regard for Muggle-born students and generally lacked a great deal of empathy.
Nigellus Black's first appearance in Harry Potter can be found in The Order of the Phoenix. When Nigellus died in 1925, his portrait would be hung in the Hogwarts headmaster's office, in keeping with the school's longstanding tradition. This portrait is designed to offer advice to the next headmaster of the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but with Dumbledore taking on the role, the portrait of Black became reluctant to offer advice, due to Dumbledore's acceptance of Muggle-born students.
While Nigellus' portrait may not agree with Dumbledore's outlook, he's still bound to serve the new headmaster, and that's shown toward the end of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. After waking from a vision that showed Arthur Weasley being attacked in the Ministry of Magic, Harry rushes to Dumbledore who asks Nigellus to pass along a message to Sirius Black at 12 Grimmauld Place, where a second portrait of Nigellus is located. This speedy message manages to save Arthur's life, letting the Order of the Phoenix reach him in time.
Phineas Nigellus Black's only other appearance in Harry Potter can be found in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. When getting ready to embark on their quest to destroy the Horcruxes, Harry, Ron, and Hermione decide to take the portrait of Nigellus with them on their travels as a way to contact those inside Hogwarts and get inside information. This works for a little while, with the trio learning that a small student rebellion was stirring in the school's halls. However, being a Slytherin, Nigellus' portrait tried to betray the group at several points, eventually managing to reveal the group's location to Snape. After Voldemort's defeat, Nigellus' portrait is hung back up inside the headmaster's office.
Hogwarts Legacy launches February 10 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, with PS4 and Xbox One versions launching April 4, and a Switch version releasing July 25.
