Hogwarts: Dumbledore’s Office (76402) Review

We continue our review of all things Harry Potter with Hogwarts: Dumbledore’s Office (76402). This is the penultimate review of the HP sets and the second of two Hogwarts modular builds from this wave. I have to say right at the start that this is easily the better of the two modular sets. Not Just for being a bigger build compared to the Courtyard, but for also being a much stronger setting. This set recreates elements from The Philosopher’s Stone and to a lesser extent The Chamber of Secrets. All the 20th Anniversary modular expansions have stuck more or less to the first 3 books/films. Not that you can’t break out different figures to expand the story out – the beauty of all these sets tying in together so nicely.

This is one of seven new sets in the Summer 2022 wave and I am happy to have the entire collection for review. These were first announced in early April with some currently up for pre-order on LEGO.com. Click on the links below for my previous reviews. And for an unboxing of the entire wave with set stats, please click on the YouTube link below. Thanks for tuning in and enjoy more Wizarding World goodness.

NOTE: This set was provided by The LEGO® Group to True North Bricks for review. This does not guarantee a favourable review and all opinions are my own. For a breakdown of the rating system, please click here.

• #76408 – 12 Grimmauld Place
• #76400 – Hogwarts Carriage and Thestrals
• #76401 – Hogwarts Courtyard: Sirius’s Escape
• #76406 – Hungarian Horntail Dragon
• #76407 – The Shrieking Shack & Whomping Willow

SET SUMMARY

• NAME: Hogwarts: Dumbledore’s Office
• SET #: 76402
• THEME: Harry Potter
• COST: $109.99 CAD
• BRICK COUNT: 654
• MINIFIGURES: 6 (3 existing & 3 new prints)
• RELEASE DATE: June 19, 2022

QUICK REVIEW

• VALUE: 70% (a moderate-to-weak cost-per-brick and cost-per-minute score, OK value overall)
• BUILD: 83% (smooth, simple build with fun architectural details and decent interiors)
• MINIFIGURES: 92% (excellent brick-to-fig ratio with an OK mix of new and existing prints)
• ENTERTAINMENT: 81% (nice modular addition or solo display set, fun details for play)
• OVERALL SCORE: 82% (fun set with decent playability, clever details and good minifigs)

Office Hours

Hogwarts: Dumbledore’s Office (76402) is the second time that this specific location has been the focus of a set release. The original takes us back to 2002 with Dumbledore’s Office (4729). Similiar in concept, this OG build more heavily focuses on the actual office. Of note is the spiral staircase leading up the office (movie accurate), which is omitted from the current offering. Some side walls hinge open to allow better access as well. Overall there are quite a few similarities with the accessories – Sorting Hat, desk, shelves, etc. But it is a bit smaller at 446 pieces and just 3 minifigures. I do love how many callbacks and references the 20th Anniversary Hogwarts modulars make to these first sets, it’s a great bit of design.

VALUE: 70%

Hogwarts: Dumbledore’s Office (76402) retails for $109.99 in Canada. With 654 pieces at your disposal this gives us a cost-per-brick of $0.17 for a score of 68%. This sadly puts the set on the lower end of the value spectrum; both amongst the Summer 2022 wave and all HP sets reviewed to date. By comparison, an average score of 80% is at a more comfortable $0.13 to $0.14 per piece. As I’ve mentioned quite a lot by now, this wave has a pretty high range of value scores. But the end result is still desirable and helps offset the costs and value a bit.

Being the relatively speedy, efficient builder that I am, my build time clocks in at 102 minutes. This translates to a cost-per-minute of $1.02 and a final score of 71%. It’s a relatively straightforward build so I basically got it done in my own normal pace. Taking both scores together we get a final value of 70%. It feels a bit low, but I will leave it as such just on the basis of the relatively high cost-per-brick. An OK start, but it could be better.

BUILD: 83%

Inside the standard Wizarding World packaging of Hogwarts: Dumbledore’s Office (76402) are 5 numbered bags, a small sticker sheet, 115 page instruction book and one 8×16 plate. Being a modular Hogwarts expansion set, this build is a grouping of levels that combine into one larger design. There are 4 ‘floors’ total. The first floor is a part of the library – the restricted section if I remember correctly. Above that is Dumbledore’s actual office with desk, shelves, Sorting Hat, wee baby Fawkes and the usual decor. And above that is a small area with the Pensieve and a roof area atop that with the Sword of Gryffindor.

Ground Floor: Spells, Books and Stationary

Starting on the ground floor we have the library with some nicely done shelving and a couple of seats/tables. There is a fun interactive mechanism found in the shelves. Pushing in two small elements on the outside pushes two books forward in the room. They are connected on simple clips for removal. Each has a nice sticker element, but only on the inside cover – strangely no decorated tile. It’s a cute detail, one that’s well disguised on the exterior as vines and rock.

Upper Floors: Housewares, Clothing and Pets

Dumbledore’s office has recognizable elements but nothing in the way of interactive or moving parts. The Sorting Hat and baby Fawkes are appropriate decorations, but that’s it for real features. Those background shelves and bottles make for OK decorating. Otherwise, it’s a simple setting with enough space for Dumbledore’s chair and a minifig or two inside. Sadly we don’t get that famous spiral staircase and gargoyle statue. There is however a large sticker of the statue, so it is alluded to. But I would have preferred something brick built – there is certainly enough space.

The upper floors are simpler still with just one object on each. Now, while they are very important objects – Sword of Gryffindor and the Pensieve – they are rather boring on their own. The Sword is a nice design that has appeared in the most recent Advent Calendar. The Pensieve is extra plain sadly, with just a blue trans element on a dome. Yes it works alright, but it feels very unfinished. The printed plate element that comes with the CMF Series 1 Dumbledore minifigure would be a great inclusion here. So if you’re keen, there’s plenty of opportunity to spruce up the rooms with your own additions.

The exteriors are what you expect, keeping the same design aesthetics and colours as all the previous modular sets. The taller build orientation feels substantial and I love the vertical lines with those skinny windows. It definitely looks medieval and old. Taken all together it’s a successful build. Yes it’s simple and yes there’s a few ‘bland’ spots, but it’s a nice addition to anyone’s existing Hogwarts. And bonus points for being a solid build on its own. I’m scoring the build an 83%.

MINIFIGURES: 92%

Hogwarts: Dumbledore’s Office (76402) includes 6 minifigures: Harry, Hermione, Mr. Filch, Dumbledore, Snape and the all-new character of Madam Pince. Of the 6 characters, Dumbledore, Pince and Filch are brand new prints, with the rest being reused designs. With 6 minifigures and 654 pieces, the brick-to-fig score comes in at 109 for a superb value of 97%. Once again, another amazing brick-to-fig ratio, the second best of the reviewed sets so far. And even if only half of the figs are new, it’s still a great value for collectors.

Our line-up of repeat minifigures each have simple front and back torso printing, dual-sided expressions and a wand. Harry in his open cloak first appears in Hogwarts Chamber of Secrets (76389). He gets a couple of nice accessories however thanks to a new invisibility cloak and a lantern. The cloak is a wonderful new design with a holofoil side and a fantastic print with new flocked texture. It’s a nice update from the original found in the CMF Series 1 – although Harry’s pajamas print is technically more accurate. Hermione and Snape first appear in Hogwarts: Fluffy Encounter (76387) and Hogwarts Moment: Potions Class (76383) respectively.

New Characters and Prints

Our new prints feature two returning characters and one all-new one. New to the HP minifigure roster is Madam Pince, the Hogwarts librarian. She appears in the Chamber of Secrets, in an albeit minor capacity. Her minifig has great torso and skirt printing, with some nice metallic detailing. The brand new hat/hair combo piece is really sharp and the feather detail is a fun add-on. Her accessory is a standard Wand.

Dumbledore gets some nice torso and leg printing with metallic highlights, beard and wand. If he needs an extra accessory you can always give him baby Fawkes. Mr. Filch also gets a nice new print as well with a reddish-brown coat, brown vest and a snappy ascot. Like Harry, he gets a lantern (logical) and a wand. His trusty cat companion Mrs. Norris also makes it into the set, now with a recoloured print and red eyes. The minifigures themselves get a final score of 87%. Combined with the brick-to-fig score, we get a final minifigure score of 92%.

ENTERTAINMENT: 82%

A big draw of this set, and all the Hogwarts ‘pieces’ is the modular-style connectivity. Of the two Hogwarts expansions, this is definitely the more successful. It works on its own as a separate play set and it also fits in perfectly with other 20th Anniversary builds. The sections break into 16, 8 and 4 studs in width which allows you to cleanly put everything together in a few arrangements. With quite a few other sets to incorporate, there’s a lot of potential fun here. Young builders will get a kick out of the many configurations. And although this set references a specific film, there’s plenty of opportunity to recreate many other moments from other books/films.

AFOLs collecting the modular sets have plenty of display options. By now there’s lots of ways to arrange a nice facsimile of Hogwarts. The minifigure collectors among you will love the new prints, but sadly this set means getting a few repeat minifigs. But that’s just the way it goes with an IP this big. All these Hogwarts sets also give you some nice parts and elements for your moc making needs. I’m giving this set a final entertainment score of 81%.

OVERALL: 82%

Hogwarts: Dumbledore’s Office (76402) is strong set in the Summer 2022 wave of HP sets and definitely the better of the two modular expansions. The set is good on its own for young builders AFOLs alike thanks to fuller interiors and a more substantial build. I quite enjoy the references and the accessories included as they help recreate some fun scenes. The minifigure selection is also decent despite the inclusion of repeat character designs. The upper floors could definitely use a bit more decorating and accessorizing. And let’s face it, there’s no such thing as ‘minimalism’ in the Wizarding World. If you have the other expansion sets then you will love adding this to your Hogwarts build out. My final score for Dumbledore’s Office is 82%.

And that’s a wrap on our penultimate Harry Potter Summer 2022 set. The courtyard didn’t leave me excited about the 20th Anniversary modular sets, but this changed my mind. It’s a lot easier to see the appeal of these types of sets if you can can at least enjoy it on it’s own and use the sections more creatively. Let me know if you agree or if you’re looking to add this to your collection? Are you a fan of Harry’s new cloak? Did you even remember Madam Pince? Please comment below and let me know your feedback. Thanks for reading and until next time, keep on brickin’. 🧱

-Frank

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