You're running around Hogwarts, casting spells at every suit of armor you see, and honestly, you're probably wondering why your stud count is still so low. It's frustrating. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 is a massive game, and if you're trying to hit that 100% completion mark, you basically need the Red Bricks. These aren't just collectibles; they are the literal lifeblood of the endgame. They give you the multipliers, the invincibility, and the "detectors" that stop you from walking past hidden items for the tenth time.
Most people start looking for Harry Potter Years 5-7 red bricks because they want the x10 multiplier. I get it. Who doesn't want to see their stud counter hit the billions? But there is a specific order to doing this that makes the game way less of a grind. If you just wander aimlessly, you'll spend hours in the Room of Requirement or the Forbidden Forest without actually finding what you need to progress quickly.
The Strategy Behind the Hunt
Don't just grab whatever brick you see first. That's a rookie mistake. You want to prioritize the "Score Multipliers" and the "Red Brick Detector." Getting the detector early basically puts a giant arrow on your screen pointing to the rest of them. It's almost like cheating, but it's a built-in mechanic, so we’re calling it "efficiency."
The game world is split between the London areas and Hogwarts itself. Some bricks are locked behind specific character abilities. You'll need a Dark Wizard (like Voldemort or Bellatrix) for many of them, and a Weasley for those orange boxes. If you haven't finished the main story yet, stop hunting. Seriously. You can’t get most of these until you have the right "Free Play" roster.
Why the x2 Multiplier is Your First Real Goal
The x2 Multiplier is actually found in Hogsmeade. You'll need to head to the train station area. It’s not just sitting out in the open; you have to use a Spectrespecs (those weird glasses Luna wears) to see the invisible LEGO pieces near the tracks. Once you build the birdhouse-looking thing, an owl drops the brick. It costs 200,000 studs. That might sound like a lot early on, but it pays for itself in roughly twenty minutes of gameplay.
Once you have x2, the x4 and x6 multipliers become much easier to buy. They stack. If you have x2 and x4 active at the same time, you're actually getting x8. By the time you get the x10 brick from the path to the lake, you're looking at a x3840 multiplier if everything is toggled on. It’s ridiculous. You’ll pick up one blue stud and see your total jump by hundreds of thousands.
Finding the Utility Bricks
Multipliers are cool, but the utility bricks are what actually save your sanity. The "Collect Ghost Studs" brick is a sleeper hit. You know those translucent studs the Nearly Headless Nick leaves behind to guide you? Usually, they're just breadcrumbs. With this brick, found in the courtyard outside the Great Hall, they actually add to your total. Since there are thousands of them throughout the game, it’s basically free money.
The Red Brick Detector
You'll find this one in the Divination Classroom. It’s one of the most important Harry Potter Years 5-7 red bricks because it saves you from having to look up guides for every single room. You have to mess around with the crystal balls on the tables. It's a bit finicky. Once you spawn it, take it to the owl.
- Fast Magic: Found in the Astronomy Tower. You need a Dark Wizard to break a cabinet. This makes your spells charge faster, which is a godsend in the later duels.
- Invincibility: This is the big one. It's in the Forbidden Forest (the "Hagrid’s Hut" exterior area). You need a character with Strength (like Hagrid or a goblin) to pull a handle near the swamp. It’s expensive—around 5 million studs—but it makes the final boss fights a total breeze.
- Hogwarts Crest Detector: Found in the Great Hall. You’ll need to use a character with a book (like Hermione) on the podium. This is essential if you’re trying to find those last few pesky crest pieces hidden in the rafters.
Dealing with the Dark Wizard Requirements
A lot of players get stuck because they find a Red Brick location but can't interact with the object. Usually, the object will be shaking and glowing with red sparks. That is the universal LEGO sign for "Go get a bad guy."
The easiest way to get a Dark Wizard early in Free Play is to unlock Bellatrix Lestrange. You get her token in the final level of Year 7, Part 1 ("The Magic is Might"). Once you have her, you can go back to Hogwarts and unlock almost everything. Without a Dark Wizard, about 40% of the Harry Potter Years 5-7 red bricks are completely inaccessible.
The Weasley Boxes and Deluminator
Years 5-7 introduced new mechanics that weren't in the first game. The Weasley Boxes (the ones that look like orange trunks) require a Weasley to open them. Inside, you'll find items like the Sticky Trainers (for walking up walls) or Decoy Detonators.
Similarly, Ron’s Deluminator is a key part of several Red Brick puzzles. In the London cafe area, for example, you have to move light from one lamp to another to trigger a sequence that reveals a brick. If you're playing as Harry or Hermione, you’ll just be standing there staring at a lamp like an idiot. Switch to Ron.
Hidden Gems and Oddities
There are some weird bricks that don't help with gameplay but are fun for a laugh. "Carrot Wands" or "Disguises" are usually found in the more obscure corners of the castle, like the Herbology classrooms or the basement corridors near the Hufflepuff common room.
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One of the trickiest to find is the "Fall Rescue" brick. It's in the Library. You have to use the Aguamenti spell (the water spell) to fill a container, then use a character who can jump high or use a vacuum. It prevents you from losing studs when you fall off a ledge. In a game with as much platforming as this, it’s actually more useful than it sounds.
Common Glitches and How to Avoid Them
LEGO games are notorious for being a bit buggy. Sometimes, an owl won't appear even if you've done the puzzle. If that happens, leave the room and come back. The "Great Hall" area is especially prone to this.
Also, make sure you actually buy the bricks after you find them. Finding the brick and giving it to the owl only unlocks it for purchase in the Eeylops Owl Emporium in Diagon Alley. You have to travel there, go upstairs, and spend your studs to actually activate the effect in your "Extras" menu. If you find the x10 multiplier and don't buy it, you're just leaving power on the table.
Actionable Steps for 100% Completion
If you’re serious about clearing the board, follow this specific path. It’s the fastest way to get everything without repeating your steps.
- Finish the Story: Don't even worry about bricks until you've seen the credits roll. You need the full roster of spells and characters unlocked first.
- Unlock a Dark Wizard: Go back to the "The Magic is Might" level and find Bellatrix. She is the MVP of the Red Brick hunt.
- Get the x2 and Red Brick Detector: Head to Hogsmeade for the multiplier and the Divination class for the detector.
- The Multiplier Stack: Use your newly found detector to hunt down x4 (Slughorn's classroom), x6 (the path to the lake), and x8 (inside the London station).
- Clean Up: Once you have the multipliers, studs will literally rain from the sky. Use that wealth to buy the Invincibility and Detector bricks.
- The Final Push: Activate everything in the "Extras" menu. Check your map for any rooms you haven't visited yet. The "Gold Brick Detector" is also vital if you're going for the full 100%.
The game really changes once you have the full suite of Harry Potter Years 5-7 red bricks. It turns from a challenging puzzle-platformer into a sandbox where you're an unstoppable wizard. Just remember to head back to Diagon Alley frequently to spend those studs; having a x10 multiplier doesn't do anything if the brick is still sitting in the shop.
Check your "Extras" menu often. Sometimes you might accidentally toggle a multiplier off, or forget to turn on "Fast Build," which makes those tedious building animations disappear in a second. Once you've got them all, the platinum trophy or 1000/1000 Gamerscore is basically yours.
Next Steps:
- Load your save file and head to Eeylops Owl Emporium to check which bricks you've already delivered but haven't bought yet.
- Focus on unlocking a Dark Wizard character token if you haven't already, as this is the primary "key" for most high-value Red Bricks.
- Prioritize the x2 Multiplier in the Hogsmeade train station area to kickstart your stud collection.