The opening sequence of LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 commences with the level titled Dark Times, which serves as the foundational experience for players entering the final chapters of the wizarding world's narrative. This level is not merely an introduction to the gameplay mechanics but a complex environment requiring a diverse array of character abilities to achieve absolute completion. The journey begins in the bleak, oppressive atmosphere of Privet Drive, transitions through a high-stakes escape from Dementors, and concludes within the bureaucratic labyrinth of the Ministry of Magic. For the dedicated player seeking a 100% completion rate, the level demands a strategic approach to collectibles, including Character Tokens, Hogwarts House Crests, and the rescue of Students in Peril. The environment is designed to test the player's ability to switch between characters with complementary skill sets, blending the magical capabilities of wizards with the physical strengths of non-magical characters.
Essential Character Requirements for Free Play
To fully exhaust every secret and collectible within Dark Times, players cannot rely solely on the initial characters provided during the story progression. The level is architected to require specific ability sets that are only accessible via Free Play mode, where players can select any unlocked character from the roster.
The mandatory roles for 100% completion are as follows:
- Regular Wizard: Necessary for basic spellcasting and interacting with standard magical objects.
- Strong Character: Required to destroy heavy objects, such as the carousel in the playground, to reveal hidden tokens.
- Weasley: Essential for interacting with specific Weasley-themed objects, including the orange box in the sandpit, to acquire necessary gear.
- Digging Character: Needed to uncover buried items in the sandbox area.
- Dark Wizard: Required for the use of black magic to destroy bars in the Ministry of Magic and to rescue Students in Peril.
- Mechanic: Specifically Arthur Weasley, who is the only character capable of repairing machinery, such as the cleaner in the park and the carts in the Ministry.
Privet Drive Playground Navigation
The level opens in a playground characterized by a bleak aesthetic. The primary objective in this section is to navigate the environment by leveraging the distinct abilities of Harry and Dudley.
Harry possesses magical capabilities, specifically the ability to move objects through levitation. This is critical for clearing the path. Conversely, Dudley is a non-magical character capable of pulling orange handles, which serve as the primary physical triggers for environmental progression.
The progression steps for this area are:
- Initial Exploration: Players should use Harry's spells to destroy objects and collect studs, which function as the game's primary currency.
- Clearing the Gate: Harry must use magic to move the bushes that block the exit. Once cleared, the player must switch to Dudley to pull the handle and open the gate.
- Vehicle Destruction: In the subsequent area, Harry must use a spell to blow the hood off a car. Once the hood is removed, Dudley must pull the orange handle at the front of the vehicle to destroy it completely.
- Bridge Construction: After the car is destroyed, Harry uses his magic to collect the resulting LEGO pieces and fashion them into a bridge.
- Final Gate: After crossing the bridge, Dudley is required once more to pull the handle and open the final gate.
- Stair Construction: Upon encountering a cart positioned above the player, this must be shot to release LEGO pieces. These pieces must be arranged on a purple plate to create stairs. While graffiti in the vicinity provides a visual guide for the assembly, the game allows for approximate arrangement as long as the result is climbable.
The Dementor Encounter and Broom Flight
Following the exit from the playground and the navigation of the tunnel, players encounter Dementors. These entities appear suddenly and cannot be defeated through standard combat. The gameplay mechanic here is avoidance; players must stand aside and allow a Dementor to capture Dudley to trigger the next sequence.
This leads into a broomstick flight section over the Thames. While the flight is largely linear, it contains a critical objective for those seeking 100% completion. Players must navigate the flight path and use any available spell to shoot five red buoys swinging over the water.
The Park and Thestral Puzzle
The transition from the flight leads to a park area where several complex puzzles and collectibles are located. This area requires a high degree of interaction with the environment to free trapped witches and wizards.
The thestral puzzle involves a series of sequential tasks:
- Fishing Pole Assembly: Pieces must be put together to create a fishing pole.
- Feeding the Thestral: The pole is used to catch a fish, which is then fed to the thestral.
- Environmental Navigation: Players must hop across rocks and shoot a plant to levitate a LEGO piece into a rock.
- Vertical Movement: After walking through a log, the player uses a bouncy mushroom to ascend.
- Climbing: Wingardium Leviosa is used on a flower, allowing the player to climb the leaves.
- Resource Gathering: Plants are shot to obtain food for the next thestral.
- Bridge Building: Players descend the leaves into a small river, shoot leaves, and assemble the pieces into a bridge.
- Final Fish Retrieval: Near a tree, a plant is shot, and a branch is used to hit a bird, resulting in a fish. This fish is given to the final thestral to complete the area and earn a Gold Brick.
Ministry of Magic Operations
The final segment of the level takes place within the Ministry of Magic, where Harry and Arthur Weasley must collaborate to navigate the bureaucratic complex.
The operational steps are:
- Cart Repair: Arthur must fix a small blue cart located by the last fireplace. Once repaired, the cart drives into another fireplace, releasing LEGO pieces.
- Fireplace Repair: Harry must use these pieces to repair the broken fireplace, allowing access to the next area.
- Paper Airplane Construction: In the passageway toward the giant fountain, Harry turns a red valve. The resulting pieces are assembled into a paper airplane, which is then sent flying into the gate.
- Door Repair: In the elevator room, Arthur is required to repair a broken door with bent bars.
- The Toad Quest: Once the door is open, Harry must sift through junk to find a toad. This toad is delivered to a Wizard in exchange for the parts needed to fix the elevator.
- Elevator Activation: Green LEGO pieces are fashioned into a crank and reattached to the elevator. Turning the crank completes the level and allows the player to progress.
Collectibles and Completion Matrix
To achieve 100% completion, players must track several categories of collectibles. These are often locked behind specific character requirements.
Character Tokens
| Token | Location | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Dudley (Grey Top) | Under the carousel in the playground | Strong Character to destroy the carousel |
| Elphias Doge | In the park | Aguamenti spell to fill the green tank |
| Arthur (Suit) | Ministry of Magic (behind bars) | Dark Wizard (Black Magic) to destroy bars |
Hogwarts House Crests
| Crest | Location | Method of Acquisition |
|---|---|---|
| Crest 1 | Playground (sandpit) | Dig orange box (Digging Character), use sucker shoes to climb wall |
| Crest 2 | Park exit (red wall) | Destroy red wall, build lawnmower (red bricks), mow 5 bushes |
| Crest 3 | Thames (broom flight) | Shoot 5 red buoys swinging on the water |
| Crest 4 | Outside Black home | Repair yellow machine (Arthur Weasley), then drive it |
Students in Peril
A student in peril is located after leaving the playground. This student can only be saved by using a character proficient in black magic.
Analysis of Game Mechanics and Level Design
The design of Dark Times serves as a tutorial for the "Lego-style" gameplay loop: destroy, build, and solve. The level is structured to prevent progress until specific environmental puzzles are solved, effectively forcing the player to experiment with different character abilities.
The use of the "Strong Character" and "Mechanic" roles introduces the concept of non-magical utility, which is a recurring theme throughout the series. The requirement for a "Dark Wizard" to save students and unlock tokens in the Ministry of Magic introduces the moral and mechanical divide between light and dark magic.
The lawnmower and the cleaner are prime examples of the "build-to-solve" mechanic. The lawnmower requires specific red bricks found at the garage gate, and the cleaner requires Arthur's mechanical skill. This creates a dependency loop where the player must first find the components, then find the character capable of assembling them, and finally execute the task (mowing 5 bushes or cleaning 5 piles of garbage).
The thestral puzzle is the most complex part of the level, combining multiple interaction types: fishing, levitating, and climbing. This sequence teaches the player that objectives are often chained, where the completion of one task (feeding a thestral) provides the access needed for the next (climbing leaves).