Divination in practice – how well did I predict the 2020 sets

As some may remember, back in July 2019 I wrote a post about what possible LEGO Harry Potter sets we might see in 2020. Now that year has come and gone, so I thought it would be interesting to see how well I did. There were some sets that I predicted nicely, but others that I missed completely. Here is a summary…

My predictions for the 2020 sets was my most viewed post last year for many months in 2020, so I was very excited when the sets were finally revealed in April. I scrolled down the list and was pleased to see some that were clearly on my list, but many were not.

Most importantly, I had expected this third year to cover the remaining three books, rather than books/movies 5-6, as many LEGO themes have a life of three years. I am very happy being wrong – and it looks like we’ll have at least one more year of LEGO Harry Potter.

Here is what I predicted (along with some commentary on each point on how correct I was):

• Umbridge’s capture – Small set with Dolores Umbridge being carried off by one or two centaurs as in the Order of the Phoenix. 
  • Correct – I did get this one right, though the official set was slightly larger, also including the giant Grawp.
• Hogwarts: Armour gallery – small to medium sized set with a corridor with suits of armour (connectable with other Hogwarts sets from 2018/19). This set could include 1-2 dementors as well as Professor McGonagall along with two suits of armour she can animate to help fight the Dark Lord’s forces.
  • Wrong – This one didn’t eventuate. It will be interesting to see if we get that in 2021, as it is from the Deathly Hallows book.
• Battle of the Department of Mysteries – small to medium sized set, set in the Ministry of Magic, where Harry and fellow Dumbledore’s Army members fought a group of Death Eaters.
  • Wrong – We didn’t get this one either. I still think the Ministry of Magic is an obvious idea for a set, so hopefully we’ll see such a set in the future.

• The Battle of the Seven Potters – medium sized set covering what also was know as the Battle Over Little Whinging. The Order of the Phoenix has arrived to bring Harry to safety from Privet Drive. It could include Privet Drive 4 house facade, motorcycle with sidecar, and various minifigures (including Nymphadora Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt not currently available as minifigures).
  • Partly correct – We did get Privet Drive, but in a version covering books 2 and 3 instead. I hadn’t expected any sets to cover any of the earlier movies, but I’m pleased to see an updated Privet Drive set, which I’ve subsequently upgraded a bit. And we did end up getting both Tonks and Shackebolt this year anyway.
• Hogsmeade – Medium to large sized set including two of Hogsmeade’s iconic buildings: The Three Broomsticks and Honeydukes Sweetshop. Maybe a train station platform too (useful for any who has purchased the Hogwarts express set).
  • Wrong – Unfortunately, we didn’t get a Hogsmeade set in 2020. So in the end I built my own instead. With my typical luck, an official set will be made in 2021 then…

• The Burrow – Medium to large sized set featuring the Burrow. I’d expect it to be quite similar to the 2010 version (set 4840), but given how iconic it is, it is very likely to be among any sets released. In the Half Blood Prince movie adoption, the Death Eaters launch an attack on the Burrow on Christmas Day and it’s burnt down. Given the Hogwarts Clock Tower seemed to balance the offering to cater just as much to girls, the wedding of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour could be a good occasion for the set to represent.
  • Correct – I’ll say I got this one, though my preferred scene was not covered.
• Hogwarts: Room of requirement – Large set including the Room of Requirement (both as training for Dumbledore’s Army – but also for storage, with a vanishing cabinet), Professor Umbridge’s office, the Astronomy tower, Slytherin common room, and potentially the bridge across the river (all connectable with other Hogwarts sets from 2018/19).
  • Partly correct – while we got both the Room of Requirement (as a smallish set) and the Astronomy Tower, as the large modular set, I was quite wrong with both Umbridge’s office and the bridge across the river (though the latter may come in 2021 as a key feature of the Battle of Hogwarts in the Deathly Hallows).

Overall, I’m pretty happy with the outcome, considering I had assumed the Deathly Hallows movies also would be covered by the sets.

I totally missed the Diagon Alley set, and the kinetic sculpture of Hedwig. I hope we’ll get surprised with such models again here in 2021.

Looking forward – again…

I haven’t done my predictions for 2021 yet, but these are coming soon (I know rumours are already around, but I haven’t paid too much attention yet). Here, early in the year, information often would be coming following one of the international Toy Fairs, but due to Covid-19, I believe most of these are cancelled. So we may not know for sure till April.

Till then, Build the Magic!