Okay, hear me out. As a die-hard Potterhead who practically lived in the first game, my brain has been buzzing non-stop since the official Hogwarts Legacy 2 announcement. Everyone’s throwing around wild ideas for the sequel’s timeline—jumping decades to the Roaring Twenties, or even further. But honestly? I think a small, 3-5 year hop forward is the secret sauce. It’s like trying to transplant a mature Whomping Willow; a big jump might look flashy, but you risk losing all the delicate roots that made the first game so magical. Let me break down why keeping it close to home is the real win.

A short time skip solves the series’ biggest, most unique problem: students graduate. Our first hero was already a fifth-year, and our beloved crew—Poppy, Natsai, Sebastian—were on the same clock. Jump 20+ years and they’re all gone, poof, like a poorly cast Vanishing Spell. But a hop of just a few years? That’s the golden snitch. It lets the world breathe and the consequences of our first adventure marinate, all while keeping the door open for our favorite faces. Imagine exploring a Hogwarts still whispering about the massive battle that happened right under the Great Hall a few years prior. New rumors, changed portraits, maybe even a memorial—the atmosphere would be thicker than a potion of Polyjuice.

The Real Magic: A New Cast WITH Old Friends

Yes, we’d need a new protagonist. But that’s a feature, not a bug! Starting fresh is half the fun of an RPG. Think of it this way: our first character’s story was a brilliant, self-contained constellation. A new student’s perspective lets us see that same sky from a different angle, spotting new connections and stories we missed before.

Who we could see again:

• Poppy Sweeting: Still championing beasts, maybe as a magizoology apprentice?

• Sebastian Sallow: His complex story deserves a follow-up. Where did his choices lead?

• Professors: Figures like Professor Garlick or Ronen could still be there, offering wisdom (and new quests!).

Seeing their lives evolve through another student’s eyes would be incredibly rewarding. It’s the narrative equivalent of a well-brewed Felix Felicis—everything just clicks into place.

The BIGGEST Reason: Enter Young Dumbledore ✨

This is it. The game-changer. The single most exciting possibility a short skip unlocks.

Canon Check: Albus Dumbledore started at Hogwarts in 1892. The first game was set in 1890. A 3-5 year skip puts us right in his early school years.

We’re not talking about the wise, bearded mentor from the films. We’re talking about a 13-year-old Albus Dumbledore. A prodigy, yes, but still a kid. This is our chance to be his classmate, to witness the raw clay before the legend was fully formed. The Harry Potter series gave us glimpses of his flawed, ambitious youth. Hogwarts Legacy 2 could let us live it.

Imagine the potential here.

• Friendship Quests: Building a relationship with a genius who doesn’t yet know he’s destined to be the most powerful wizard of his age.

• Seeing His Flaws: The ambition, the pride, the mistakes—making him a deeply real character, not just a monument.

• Shared Adventures: What if our new character gets caught up in one of young Albus’s early, daring experiments? The storytelling potential is a bottomless magical trunk.

A five-year skip would put him in his third year, perfect for showing his burgeoning talent while he still has that untamed, youthful energy. Passing up this opportunity would be like finding a Room of Requirement and only using it for extra closet space.

Why a Long Skip Could Backfire

I get the appeal of a big leap. The 1920s! World War I! But here’s the thing: that sacrifices immediate continuity for historical spectacle. We’d lose the intimate, character-driven threads we just started weaving. The supporting cast from Legacy 1 would be as distant as a memory in a Pensieve. The sequel’s connection to its predecessor would feel as thin as a single strand of unicorn hair. A short skip lets the world evolve logically, like a magical plant growing from a seed we helped plant, rather than teleporting us to a completely different garden.

My Dream Setup for HL2

So, for 2026, here’s my ideal pitch:

Setting: 1893-1895 (a 3-5 year skip).

Protagonist: A new student starting their Hogwarts journey.

Core Hook: Navigating a school still healing from past trauma, with the shadow (or direct influence) of our first hero’s actions lingering. And of course, sharing a dormitory with a certain brilliant, auburn-haired boy from Godric’s Hollow.

It honors the foundation of the first game while boldly stepping into a new story. It’s the perfect blend of nostalgia and novelty. Warner Bros., Avalanche Software—if you’re listening, this is the path. Don’t make the sequel feel like a distant cousin; make it feel like the very next chapter in a book we can’t put down. The Wizarding World’s past is rich, but its immediate future—the one we helped shape—is where the real magic for a sequel lies. 🪄