Full house – a non-review of the Harry Potter CMF Series, Part 2

This posts is a continuation of my earlier blog post, looking at some more of the new Harry Potter Collectible Minifigures and the scenes in the Harry Potter books and movies they can be used for. As such it may include spoilers of scenes for any who have not read all the books (or alternatively watched the movies).

The previous post looked at Harry, Ron and Hermione in their Gryffindor robes. This time we’ll finish looking through the Gryffindor figures, covering Harry with his invisibility cloak, Neville Longbottom and Dean Thomas.

Harry Potter with Invisibility Cloak

This figure portraits a young Harry. It has the kids legs without articulation, which is bad for posability, but fits nicely with the height you would expect Hogwarts students to have in the early years at the school.

Harry is wearing a pyjamas, with sharp print as the rest of the series, and the short legs printed to show him walking around barefoot. He comes with a wand, but most importantly, he is also equipped with the Cloak of Invisibility. This is similar to the traditional capes minifigs have, and does thus not cover the head (contrary to how the cloak is used in the movie). It has a light silver colour on one side, effective in illustrating invisibility, while the other side has a darker colour with stars.

This cloak, one of the famed deadly hallows, belonged to Harry’s father James Potter. When James Potter was killed, the cloak was left in Dumbledore’s possession. During Harry’s first year at Hogwarts, Dumbledore gave him the Cloak of Invisibility as a Christmas present anonymously and told him to “use it well”. And he did!

With the short legs and pyjamas attire, this is perfect for the scene in Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone where Harry is checking out the restricted section of the library for information about the Nicolas Flamel and the Philosophers Stone, while Argus Filch skulks around with Mrs Norris looking for students causing trouble. Having just completed the library in my Hogwarts, the photo below shows this scene. Note that Filch is the new figure from Hogwarts Whomping Willow (set 75953).

It is not the first Invisibility Cloak to be released by LEGO. The sets Hogwarts Express (set 4841) and Hogwarts Castle (set 4842) both from 2010 each had one of a rather different design. Being a loose piece of thin net, stitched to curve when placed over the head of a minifigure, it has a surprisingly good effect when watched against a white background as seen below. It could be difficult to get to stay on though, so the newer (though the head is not covered) may be better for kids play.

Neville Longbottom

Neville was one of the students closest to Harry, Ron and Hermione. When the first year students boarded the boats for their first trip across the lake to Hogwarts, Harry, Ron and Hermione shared the boat with Neville. Always their friend, but clumsy and unlucky initially, through hard work he grows and becomes a powerful ally towards the end.

The minifigure shows him in one of the memorable scenes from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, where Professor Spout during Herbology Class gets the students to replant Mandrakes. The earmuffs should protect them from the cries of mandrake’s, which can stun or kill those unprotected. For Neville, that was not enough and he was indeed paralysed as the alternative expression on his head shows. Later, this was however a subject he would excel in.

Neville is wearing a tan jacket suitable for gardening, with his Gryffindor tie is visible underneath, and brown gloves.

The included Mandrake is an improvement over the previous, which featured in the 2007 version of the Hogwarts Castle (set 5378), which came with a greenhouse. The stem on top of the mandrake root is a new plant element, which I’m sure will see plenty of use. He also comes with cauldron (representing a pot) and a wand, making him one of the CMF series figures with the most accessories.

Harry Potter in the figure above came about from me getting doubles of Harry Potter and Neville figures. I realised with a few spare pieces I had lying around, I could create new versions of them in attires that were not covered by the series. A new hair piece for Neville, a green toad and Harry’ uniform gave me Neville in Gryffindor robes. And an alternative hairpiece with earmuffs for Harry and Neville’s uniform gave me Harry as seen in the Herbology classes.

Using Neville, my additional herbology figure from above, and Professor Pomona Sprout from the 2011 Hogwarts (set 4867), I’ve created a scene from the mandrake replanting. I noted that when using the teenage legs, the figure is not quite tall enough posing pulling out a mandrake from the cauldron, if this is placed on a table. Hence, the pot was put on the floor.

‘Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative,’ said Hermione, sounding as usual as though she had swallowed the textbook. ‘It is used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed, to their original state.’

‘Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor,’ said Professor Sprout. ‘The Mandrake forms an essential part of most antidotes. It is also, however, dangerous. Who can tell me why?’

Hermione’s hand narrowly missed Harry’s glasses as it shot up again.

‘The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it,’ she said promptly.

‘Precisely. Take another ten points,’ said Professor Sprout.

Dean Thomas

Dean Thomas is a welcome addition as he has never previously been released as LEGO figure. In the books Dean is a fan of both football (West Ham United supporter) and Quidditch (eventually playing Chaser for the Gryffindor team). In the CMF series he’s represented in his Gryffindor Quidditch team supporter attire, with a scarf in Gryffindor colours around his neck, and the included accessory being a small flag to cheer for his house team (and well as the wand as most figures comes with).

His appearance makes him a great supplement to the Quidditch Match set (set 75956) released here in 2018.

Together with Seamus Finnigan from the Whomping Willow set (see part 1 of my review of that set here), we now have all Gryffindor boys from the year Harry Potter started. Swapping parts, you make make them all in same uniforms.

While the 2018 release of sets complete the Gryffindor boys from Harry’s year, there are still some of the girls from that year outstanding: Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil (twin sister of Padma Patil from Ravenclaw). Hopefully, we’ll get to see them at a later stage.

Build the magic!