This article is part of a directory: Hogwarts Legacy Guides: Complete Walkthrough, Tips, Tricks & More!
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When you complete the "Secrets of the Restricted Section" quest in Hogwarts Legacy, you will gain an Ancient Magic meter that can be upgraded by finding Hotspots of this magic scattered around the map. The Ancient Magic meter fills up during combat, unleashing a powerful attack that strikes through Shield Charms when full. These hotspots provide permanent upgrades to this meter by collecting three essences of Ancient Magic at these locations to increase this ability's damage.

There are 20 Ancient Magic Hotspots in total, found exclusively in the wild regions of The Highlands outside Hogsmeade and Hogwarts Castle. You do not need to find every hotspot to upgrade their Ancient Magic meter, as it only has three possible upgrade tiers. The first boost demands you find two Hotspots, the second requires six, and the third and final enhancement only asks you to discover twelve. These areas are easily spotted by a geyser of blue/white magic leaking from the ground when you use a flying mount in Hogwarts Legacy or a Broom to see these wellsprings from above.

Every Ancient Magic Hotspot Location In Hogwarts Legacy

Hogwarts Legacy Ancient Magic Hotspot Being Investigated Player Perspective Screenshot

As stated, you must search around the Ancient Magic Hotspot for three essences of the arcana sprouting from the ground. Using the Floo Flame fast travel system puts you in the best position to start exploring these areas. Spells such as Incendio, Depulso, and Revelio help unlock or identify regions within the hotspots where essences are tougher to get, as well as Accio to remove any obstacles that might hinder progress.

Floo Flame

Hotspot Location

Essence #1

Essence #2

Essence #3

North Ford Bog Entrance

Southwest of the Floo Flam, across a road in that direction.

Immediately to the right of the hotspot.

Behind some rocks after climbing a ruined wall.

In a room to your left, after you traverse a nearby platform.

West Forbidden Forest

Close to the Giant Purple Toads Den, southwest of the Floo Flame, and to the left after crossing the hill in a building with a frog statue.

Directly inside the building.

Near the first statue, some spider webs block the way to the essence and a chest unless you cast Incendio on them.

Left of the first frog statue, you must jump to another statue's area.

Collector's Cave

Toward the road northwest of the Floo Flame.

Burn the vines at this area's entrance can find the first essence.

A hole in the floor reached by breaking wooden bars with the Depulso spell shows a switch in the wall, where Accio lowers the structure to the second essence.

You must defeat Inferi to access an area behind the wall where the final essence resides.

West Hogwarts Valley

Along the bottom of the cliffs, past a set of ruins to the northeast, and inside a broken building.

Through a hole in the floor that you can use the Broom to reach.

Up several platforms to the left of the room, blocked by vines that can be burnt with Incendio.

At the entrance of the building, along the higher sections of the wall to the left.

Brocburrow

Before a treasure vault to the southwest, at the bottom of a collection of cliffs.

Past a gate, you must use Depulso to open after defeating wolves in the area.

Past vines at the other end of the gate, in a room you must use your Broom to reach.

The very top of the area has more vines you can burn after flying upward.

Brocburrow

Directly south, past the Kneazle Den, and west from a Spider Lair.

Behind several spiderwebs that can be burned away with Incendio.

Toward the back of the area, beyond more webs that spider enemies guard.

After you climb a box to the left of the second essence, you can travel forward until reaching a hole leading to the last source of Ancient Magic.

East Hogsmeade Valley

The southwest road leads you to take a right after it ends, then left soon after. A final right turn reveals the Hotspot.

Past vines at the very top of the ladder near the back of a room.

At the end of the platforms leading up from the room.

you must break a lock in the room using Depulso to drop to another section underneath.

North Feldcroft

Between a Small Bandit Camp and Merlin trial along the northeast road close to the shore.

Within the ruins before the Bandit Camp, down a staircase.

In a building close to the ruins.

Directly below the second essence after you fall into another room.

Keenbridge

Past a treasure vault east of the river, off the road leading south.

In the building's entrance, you can cast Incendio on the vines blocking the way in and Depulso on crates inside.

Use Accio to maneuver crates, then climb up to a different building section, where more crates block the essence.

Across the platform with the crates on the other end of the room.

Keenbridge

West of the Floo Flame, indicated by a chimney on the ground.

Directly on the top of the chimney.

Casting Revelio shows a location with the essence to the southwest.

Within a field not too far east of the chimney.

Keenbridge

To the northwest after passing Fatimah Lawang's shop, then west from the large Landing Platform on top of a cliff.

Crouching past the opening after burning more vines leads to a room with the essence on the right.

Using Accio on a switch above after climbing a ladder reveals the next essence.

Blocked by crates that can be pushed aside with Depulso after you climb another ladder.

Feldcroft

Northwest of a treasure vault directly north of the Floo Flame, on the road close to the shoreline.

Right at the very top of a ladder found at the start of the area on the map.

Hidden behind vines past the first essence.

To your left, blocked by crates easily dispersed with Depulso, creating a walkway to the final essence.

Feldcroft

On a cliff to the east before the Landing Platform in that direction.

In a ruin with multiple rooms outside the first area.

Toward the back of the ruins, past a few trolls.

In a broken building to the right of the second essence.

Irondale

Next to a Landing Platform southwest of the Floo Flame and across a small stream.

Within an abandoned castle to the right of its entrance.

Past a few platforms toward the top of the entrance's room.

The final essence sits outside a treasure vault, south of the Hotspot and slightly east.

Phoenix Mountain

Using the southern road, the Hotspot rests past an intersection at the end of an adjacent path.

Atop a locked house, bypassed with the Alohomora spell or a broom flying to the roof.

Simply inside the side entrance of the same building.

Depulso breaks wooden planks blocking the house's other entrance, then must be used again on rocks inside to find the third essence.

South Poidsear Coast

Next to a bridge to the south, on the road discovered by dropping past a cliff.

On the other end of the bridge, is a house with wooden planks that can be broken with Depulso.

A larger house beyond the first has a second essence beneath the floor.

In a much larger room here, Accio pulls out a brick from the wall and opens a crate. Climbing this crate to the top floor shows the final essence.

Marunweem Bridge

Across the giant bridge at the very end, near a Landing Platform.

Repairing a set of platforms with Reparo leads to this essence.

Using Accio on a block against a wall reveals a door that cannot be opened unless you have Alohomora Level 3. The essence lies past the door.

At the bottom of the platforms, directly near the water below.

Marunweem Lake

North of the road next to the shore, in a set of ruins directly west of the path's end to the east.

Above the ruins in an area, you can easily fly to.

In the central room, you must open two crates using Confringo to show Depulso mechanisms that open the door to the second essence.

Around the far end of the ruins, again accessed through a Broom.

West Manor Cape

Where the "Cursed Tomb Treasure" quest was near the back of a house east of the castle.

By using cubes that drop when striking the floor with a spell, you can find the essence when using Levioso to climb one of the objects upward.

On top of the rafters of the building.

At the very top of the castle, through a door blocked by an Alohomora Level 3 door.

Cragcroft Shore

Down the cliff and southwest along the road, on the eastern path, when the road forks around where a Merlin Trial happens to be.

On top of the tower once you climb it.

To the side on another platform from the top of the tower.

Along the northern face of the tower, seen from afar on a broom.

Editor’s Note: Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling has been accused of transphobia by those in the LGBTQ+ community. Although not directly involved in the development of Hogwarts Legacy, Rowling does stand to earn royalties from the game. We would like to reiterate our support for trans rights and that trans identities are valid. Support services are listed below for trans people impacted by discussions of transphobia.

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  • Hogwarts Legacy Game Poster
    Hogwarts Legacy
    Released:
    2022-02-10
    Developer:
    Avalanche Software
    Genre:
    Adventure, Action RPG, Open-World
    Platform:
    Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows, Steam
    Publisher:
    Warner Bros. Games
    ESRB:
    T
    Franchise:
    Harry Potter
    Mode:
    Single-Player
    Platforms:
    Xbox One
    Release Date :
    February 2023
    Rating:
    T