LEGO Harry Potter 12 Grimmauld Place 76408 Building Toy Set for Kids, Girls, and Boys Ages 8+ (1,083 Pieces)

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The limited room becomes more apparent on the middle floor, which looks surprisingly sparse. One room contains a basic armchair, while the small piano is inspired by The Deathly Hallows, when Harry, Ron and Hermione take refuge in Grimmauld Place. There are stools for Ron and Hermione, so it is a shame that Hermione omitted.

I like the reddish brown highlights above each window and the simulated wrought iron railings look splendid as well. Such details are missing from the sides, although these medium nougat 1x6x5 panels look reasonable and the chimney pots on the roof are equally effective. Moreover, viewing the model from this angle reveals a third house, secreted behind these two. Its functionality is also as intelligent and considered by design as it has been ambitious, because it ensures that there is still a credible and playable interior, with most of the mechanisms that create the movement and transformation seemingly crafted out of sight.

Crookshanks completes the figure selection, despite Hermione's absence. This half-Kneazle cat looks reasonable and I love his moody expression, reflecting Crookshanks' sometimes haughty personality. I think a traditional dark orange colour may have been more appropriate than this vibrant colour though and my figure exhibits a printing issue around the eyes, which is hopefully isolated.

However, the model is significantly smaller than I had envisaged, reaching just 26cm in height. While perhaps disappointing, the size is roughly equivalent to the buildings from 75978 Diagon Alley, so they look good together and some simple modifications could ensure total consistency between them. The scale does feel underwhelming for the price though, unfortunately. The hair component and head chosen for Ron Weasley appear similarly appropriate, but this torso is new. I dislike this combination of green shades and yellow stripes, although the gaudy design corresponds with the movie! Since they are nearing adulthood, both minifigures include standard legs, rather than the small and medium legs common among Harry Potter sets.

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These designs previously appeared in 75978 Diagon Alley and capture wonderful personality, since both twins seem fittingly cheerful. Fred features a smile and a laughing expression with open eyes, while George's laughing face includes closed eyes. The twins' reddish brown and dark brown wands are also provided, as always. Upon first glance, this building appears surprisingly mundane. The architecture corresponds precisely with the terraced houses in areas of central London and the distinct proportions of these houses are perfect, although they are one floor shorter and accordingly narrower than their onscreen counterparts. Nevertheless, the relative heights and widths are most important and those measurements look great. Several mugs and goblets are placed along this table, with an exclusive newspaper tile which depicts The Daily Prophet's momentous 'The Boy Who Lies?' headline. Four linkages connect the dining room with the areas on each side and they are integral to the sliding function, pulling 12 Grimmauld Place forward. Kreacher's den occupies the corner, behind a door with room for Kreacher inside. Fred Weasley and George Weasley are among the characters gathered at Grimmauld Place when Harry arrives. Their matching striped shirts are certainly more attractive than Ron's attire and again closely resemble the onscreen characters. Identical dark orange hair pieces are also included, although their heads thankfully differ.

Grimmauld Place fills a conspicuous gap in the LEGO Harry Potter theme and has proven impressive, in many respects. The function that reveals number twelve is outstanding and I think the exterior looks marvellous, while the interior includes numerous details from the movies. The designer has certainly made efficient use of the limited space. Grimmauld Place works twice as hard as any other LEGO Harry Potter set for that reason too. The play function is central to its initial appeal, but the ability to still offer up a decent exterior design and interior space for play ensures that for both of those standard LEGO Harry Potter theme identifiers it stands shoulder to shoulder with any of the other sets currently available, with little compromise, considering that the outer terraced house interiors are on triangular-shaped plates to allow the model’s internal folding mechanism. Altogether, delivering on play and display ensures that beyond what is a noteworthy play feature, 76408 12 Grimmauld Place is a set with the same longevity for both aspects as any other LEGO Harry Potter set. Grimmauld Place not only offers that sizeable minifigure count and a more-than-decent dollhouse model that neatly balances exterior design with interior play, but it also, crucially and somewhat amazingly, appears and disappears between its neighbouring properties, just like in the book and film, just like magic.Grimmauld Place is a long-awaited and much-anticipated LEGO set, yet also one that none of us would have anticipated arriving in the form that it has. Offering the same balance between exterior display and interior play as any number of other LEGO Harry Potter sets, 76408 12 Grimmauld Place takes things to a new level with a smart and unexpected play feature that pays true homage to the books and films that inspired it. And we cannot overstate just how perfectly this single feature to the set elevates it above any number of other LEGO sets, in the Harry Potter theme and indeed across the wider product range, and from what’s currently available and from what has come before. There’s nothing to fairly compare the fluid, fantastic motion that this set offers, for how effectively it works, for how accurately it actually looks and, for how strongly it plays all the right notes to Harry Potter fans. As a theme, LEGO Harry Potter has been delivering some stand-out LEGO sets in recent years and it is pretty clear that 76408 12 Grimmauld Place is the latest such creation. For parts fans, this set includes a new broom mold that appears in several of the Summer 2022 Harry Potter sets, which is much more accurate to the on-screen brooms the characters use; it’s also arguably simply better scaled for a minifigure. The approach of only molding the bristles also makes the part much more flexible – I guarantee someone will be able to make engine plumes from these – and there is an anti-stud on the bottom offering more attachment possibilities. Each character carries their usual wand, although Harry's broom seems decidedly unusual. This accessory comprises a new element and an antenna, allowing greater customisation than was possible before. Moreover, the shape appears more accurate than the existing element, which predates LEGO Harry Potter. Some have expressed concern that this design would feel fragile, but I have found it adequately strong.