Set Review ➟ LEGO® 76445 Hogwarts Castle: Herbology Class
Hogwarts Castle: Herbology Class is a nice little set. Construction of the small greenhouse is basic, almost all assembly is straight stacking with a handful of bar-and-clip or bar-in-stud-hole connections while SNOT connections are limited to the mounting of a select few bits of flora. Curiously the model uses two slotted 1x14 bricks (part 4217) as center beams but the slot serves no purpose other than aesthetics. Or it might be assumed that the standard 1x14 in tan is not in production at this time; that seems to have been a one-off in 2022.
Roof window sections are hinged and while the side of the greenhouse without the tree allows for full opening of the windows, the tree on the tree side blocks windows from fully opening.
The structure is hinged at center and folds to a compact 16x15 studs at the base, ignoring the potential overhang of tree elements. That would be 16x14 given the exception of a curved slope serving as a tree root projecting from one side. While the model will close, note that the two halves when folded do not snap together with a clip-and-bar or other mechanism.
Lack of usable floor space is typical of LEGO’s always insufficiently sized interiors and the greenhouse is no different with space severely limited due to the rather abundant selection of plants. However all three minifigures will fit—just barely—enough to allow the model to close, thus the entirety of the model can be connected and contained.
The inside of the greenhouse is decorated with a selection of plants and a few tools. The tool selection is somewhat odd for a greenhouse being that they are an axe and a long handled shovel. More appropriate greenhouse tools like a hose and a trowel are absent. I suggest that if LEGO plans to keep making greenhouse models, then maybe molds for appropriate greenhouse tools ought to be on the to-do list. But perhaps Professor Sprout is a serial killer and intends to off the students with the axe and dig a hole with the shovel to bury them. I don’t know, I’m not familiar with the whole Harry Potter mythos.
Planter sections of the floor attached with clip-and-bar separate from the base to facilitate play.
Model with planter sections in place.
Model with planter sections removed.
The set has three minifigures: a standard sized Professor Sprout and two knuckledraggers, Hermione and Neville. Perhaps at some point LEGO will see fit to create some more proportionally appropriate arms to go with the short legs for these “child” figures.
The Randolph T. Fielding Absolutely Administrivia Section
New pieces are the mandrake, bubbles, and flower pot. It’s about time we got a flower pot, and I hope to see this piece in many colors in the future as there is so much build potential in that piece. No logo or part number is evident on the mandrake piece but it did have a mold number on a rib in the underside hole. The bubbles sport a very evident 5533 beneath the logo on the outside of the part. The flower pot has 7077 evident in the base of the pot opposite the logo with additional mold markings on the underside of the pot. Although mandrake and bubbles have sizable cavities on the underside, neither accepts a bar while a hole in the base of the flower pot does.
Please do note the clever position of the injection point on the mandrake piece.
Aside from the torsos and heads, the only printed pieces are the mandrakes. There are no stickers in the set.
In my review set the heads for Neville and Sprout were 3274 and Herimone was 3626. Hermione hair is the 80675 version. All wands were on less elaborate sprues.
And finally, these are the extra pieces.
Summary
While Hogwarts Castle: Herbology Class is a sweet little set with wonderful aesthetics and an exemplary student-to-teacher ratio, the value for the money really doesn’t warrant a passing grade. Especially so when one considers that a functionally very similar model can be built with pieces off the Pick-A-Brick wall. Minifigures are not unique to the set, and with the exception of the mandrake, bubbles, and flower pots—which are unique to the set—the rest of the pieces, in the colors used here, for the most part are common. While I really do like the set for its simplicity and aesthetics, I have a difficult time recommending it at 390 pretty doggoned common pieces for fifty dollars/euros.
Disclaimer
Thanks to LEGO for providing the review set.
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