A nervous house-elf is leaving notes in statues, rocks and pumpkins, and you are the only student he trusts to follow them. That is the hook of Scrope’s Last Hope, the Slytherin-only main quest in Hogwarts Legacy, and honestly it is one of the most charming chapters of the house storylines.
So here’s the deal: the quest is short, but it has a few spots where people get stuck, mostly the second note and the swim into the grotto. Below is the full route, the spells you need, the beach fight and what happens at the end.
Scrope’s Last Hope at a Glance
| Detail | What to expect |
|---|---|
| House | Slytherin only |
| Unlocks after | The Trials of Merlin main quest, at level 5 |
| Starts with | An Owl Post letter from Scrope, the Headmaster’s house-elf |
| Spells used | Accio, Basic Cast, Revelio (optional), Disillusionment (optional) |
| Enemies | Stoneback Dugbogs on the beach |
| Reward | 260 XP, plus the map for the optional Ghost of Our Love side quest if you open the grotto chest |
| Next quest | Jackdaw’s Rest |
Following Scrope’s Notes
The Setup: after Trials of Merlin, Scrope writes to you. He knows about the book you pulled from the Restricted Section and says he can help, but he cannot be seen talking to you. Hence the scavenger hunt.
Note 1: The Clock Tower Courtyard
Floo to the Hogwarts South Exit (or the Clock Tower Courtyard Floo Flame) and head into the courtyard with the central well. One of the stone statues around the well has a rolled note sticking out of its mouth. Collect it.
Note 2: The Rock Past the Bridge
Walk back out across the long wooden bridge. As you step off, look to your left: the second note is stuck halfway up a rock, just too high to grab. Target the crate nearby with Accio and pull it in front of the rock, then climb the crate and take the note. When I first found this, I jumped at that rock for a solid minute. Don’t be me.
Note 3: The Pumpkin Patch
The second note sends you downhill to a shack with a pumpkin patch and a scarecrow. Cast Revelio near the scarecrow to highlight the right pumpkin, then break it with Basic Cast. If the pumpkin closest to the shack is empty, try the others around the house.
Meeting Scrope at the Broken Docks
The third note puts a waypoint on the water’s edge. Follow it to the broken docks for the cutscene with Scrope himself.
Lore Deep Dive: Scrope serves Headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black and has been with the Black family for years. He tells you that Apollonia Black knew about the pages torn from your book, and that a grotto of hers below the castle might hold a clue. He also hopes a family heirloom, a ring, is hidden there. Agree to keep this quiet and to visit the grotto, and he hands you a slice of toast. Yes, toast. Hold that thought.
Reaching Apollonia’s Grotto
Follow the shoreline toward the marker under the Hogwarts cliffs. Along the beach you will run into Stoneback Dugbogs. You can sneak around them, but if you fight, they are tougher than they look this early in the game.
- Fight them: dodge rather than block, because many of their attacks go straight through Protego. Throw nearby rocks with Ancient Magic and punish when the tongue is exposed.
- Skip them: cast Disillusionment and sneak past, or simply swim. They cannot follow you far into the water.
- Find the cave: the grotto entrance is a narrow cleft in the cliff face that you swim into. Climb out onto dry land inside.
The Squid Mural and the Toast
Inside, there is a painting of a giant squid on the wall with a small stand in front of it. Interact with the stand to place the toast. The squid comes alive, takes the offering and a hidden passage opens in the wall. Absolutely silly, absolutely Hogwarts.
Inside: Journal, Chest and a Ghost
Here’s Where It Gets Wild: the room behind the mural is Apollonia Black’s hidden study.
- Grab the chest first: a chest behind the folding screen on the right holds a treasure map that unlocks the side quest Ghost of Our Love. It is easy to miss once the cutscene starts, but you can always come back for it later.
- Take the journal: collect Apollonia Black’s Journal from the desk to trigger a cutscene.
- Meet Richard Jackdaw: a ghost appears, says he knows where the missing pages are and asks you to meet him at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. You can ask him questions before ending the chat.
There is no ring waiting for Scrope here, and Jackdaw’s story makes it clear it is gone for good.
Returning to Scrope
Swim and run back the way you came. Scrope is still at the docks. The Dugbogs may follow you, but they do not seem able to hit you while you are in the water, so the swim is your safe lane. Give Scrope the disappointing news about the ring and the quest completes.
The Payoff: 260 XP, the optional Ghost of Our Love side quest (if you grabbed the map), and the lead into Jackdaw’s Rest. Before Jackdaw’s Rest will start, you also need to learn Expelliarmus by finishing Professor Hecat’s Assignment 2, so line that up if your log stalls.
The Other Houses’ Versions
Each house gets its own quest here, all pointing at the same mystery.
| House | Quest |
|---|---|
| Slytherin | Scrope’s Last Hope |
| Gryffindor | The Hunt for the Missing Pages |
| Ravenclaw | Ollivander’s Heirloom |
| Hufflepuff | Prisoner of Love |
The castle, the bridge and the coastline below it are all marked on our Hogwarts Legacy interactive map, which helps if the Floo network still has gaps this early on.
Is It Worth Playing Slytherin for This?
I’m not gonna lie, this quest alone is not a reason to pick a house, but the worldbuilding here is lovely. If you are still on the fence about the game in general, our take on whether Hogwarts Legacy is still worth playing in 2026 covers it. The community is still very much around, too: check the live Hogwarts Legacy player count to see how many people are in the Highlands right now. And for where the story might go next, here is everything we know about Hogwarts Legacy 2.
Scrope’s Last Hope FAQ
How do you unlock Scrope’s Last Hope?
Be sorted into Slytherin, finish the Trials of Merlin main quest and reach level 5. Scrope then contacts you by Owl Post.
Where is the second note in Scrope’s Last Hope?
Halfway up a rock to the left after you cross the bridge out of the castle. Use Accio to pull the nearby crate over, climb it and grab the note.
Which pumpkin has the third note?
One of the pumpkins by the shack near the scarecrow. Cast Revelio to highlight it, then break it with Basic Cast.
What do you do with the toast?
Place it on the stand in front of the giant squid painting inside the grotto. The mural accepts it and opens a hidden passage.
Do you find the ring for Scrope?
No. The ring is not in the grotto, and you end the quest by giving Scrope the bad news.
The Payoff: three notes, one toast and a ghost later, you have your next lead on the missing pages. Grab that chest behind the screen before you leave, then go meet Jackdaw at the forest’s edge.
