Those little clouds of glowing butterflies drifting over the Highlands are not just scenery. Get close and the swarm takes off, and if you keep up with it, it stops over a hidden chest that only appears when you cast Revelio. There are 15 of them in Hogwarts Legacy, and none of them are marked on your map.
This guide covers how butterfly chests work, where all 15 swarms start, and a few habits that make the chase painless. Take it at your own pace: most routes take a minute or two once you know where to look.
How Butterfly Chests Work
The system is simple, but the game explains almost none of it, so here is the short version.
- Detection: a swarm only shows up as a small butterfly icon on your minimap when you are close. It never appears on the world map, and there is no tracker in the Field Guide.
- The chase: walk up to the swarm and it starts flying along a set route. Stay a few steps behind it: trail too far and you can lose track of it, and enemies along the way can interrupt you.
- The payoff: when the butterflies stop and hover in one spot, cast Revelio. A chest appears right there. Open it and that swarm is done for good.
- No respawns: a finished swarm never comes back, which is why your own checklist matters.
Every one of them holds a Conjuration recipe you can use to decorate the Room of Requirement and its Vivariums. Small rewards, but they all go toward your Collection, so completionists will want every one. Note that butterfly chests do not count toward the regional Collection Chest totals on your map, so a region can show 100% while a swarm is still waiting.
The Follow the Butterflies Quest
Your first swarm comes from a side quest, and it is the game’s way of teaching the mechanic.
- Quest giver: Clementine Willardsey, inside the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade.
- When it unlocks: after the main quest Potions Class (it is a level 5 quest). If she is not there yet, keep playing the main story and check back later.
- The route: her butterflies wait near the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Follow the quest marker, let the swarm lead you across a small stream, then Revelio for the chest.
- Rewards: loot the chest, report back to Clementine, and you get a Conjuration Spellcraft plus 180 XP. Looting the chest also unlocks the Followed the Butterflies trophy or achievement.
Missable! Not permanently, but it is easy to walk past her in the busy Three Broomsticks. She sits toward the back of the pub, near the right side of the counter.
All 15 Butterfly Swarm Locations
Here’s your checklist. Each starting point is described from the nearest landmark or Floo Flame, so you can fast travel close and then fly or walk the last stretch.
| # | Region | Where the swarm starts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Ford Bog | Northeast of Pitt-Upon-Ford, along the eastern road out of the hamlet |
| 2 | Forbidden Forest | East side of the forest near the poacher camps, facing the mountain (fly northeast over the pond from Jackdaw’s Tomb) |
| 3 | Hogsmeade Valley | On the large hill east of Hogsmeade, by the road; leads to a Merlin Trial guarded by poachers |
| 4 | North Hogwarts Region | Edge of the Forbidden Forest (the Follow the Butterflies quest swarm) |
| 5 | North Hogwarts Region | North bank of the large stream |
| 6 | South Hogwarts Region | Cliffs southwest of the Quidditch pitch, by a natural stone archway near a Merlin Trial |
| 7 | South Hogwarts Region | Southwest of Aranshire, near a Merlin Trial |
| 8 | Hogwarts Valley | West of Brocburrow, below the railway viaduct |
| 9 | Hogwarts Valley | West of Keenbridge, along the western road near trees by the northern cliffs |
| 10 | Hogwarts Valley | Southeast of Keenbridge, on the north bank of the stream by the ruins |
| 11 | Feldcroft Region | Cliff edge of the bay north of Rookwood Castle, facing the castle |
| 12 | Feldcroft Region | Southeast of the Feldcroft Catacombs Floo Flame, along the cliff above the loyalist camp |
| 13 | Poidsear Coast | East down the road from the North Poidsear Floo Flame, where the road curves |
| 14 | Poidsear Coast | Right beside the South Poidsear Floo Flame in the small village |
| 15 | Clagmar Coast | The highest hill above the bay, northwest of Clagmar Castle |
The quest swarm (number 4) sits right on the border of the North Hogwarts Region and the Forbidden Forest. If you want to plan your route visually, our Hogwarts Legacy interactive map helps you line up the Floo Flames before you set off.
Southern Swarms Need Story Progress
The Feldcroft, Poidsear and Clagmar swarms sit in the far south, which you naturally reach later. There’s no wrong way to approach this: sweep up the northern seven early, then grab the southern ones as the story opens up the coast.
Tips for a Clean Chase
- Clear the area first: several routes pass bandit camps, poacher camps or Merlin Trials. Deal with enemies before you start the chase so you are not fighting mid route.
- Scan from the air: flying low on your broom over a region is the fastest way to catch the minimap icon, since you cover far more ground than on foot.
- Stay close: keep the swarm in sight the whole way. Wandering off after a Field Guide page halfway through is the easiest way to lose it.
- Watch the hover: the butterflies stop and circle in place at the end. That is your cue for Revelio, not before.
- Pair them up: swarms 3, 6 and 7 end near Merlin Trials. Bring Mallowsweet and finish both jobs in one trip.
- Keep a list: the game will never tell you which swarms you have finished. Tick them off the table above as you go.
Take Your Time: this is one of those moments worth slowing down for. The routes run through some of the prettiest corners of the Highlands, from the Keenbridge ruins to the Clagmar cliffs.
Lore Connection: a group of butterflies is called a kaleidoscope, which fits a game that hides its rewards behind a revealing charm. If a chest doesn’t show up when the swarm settles, a quick Revelio brings it into view.
Hogwarts Legacy still has a healthy crowd of players on PC years after launch; you can check how many are flying around right now on our live Hogwarts Legacy player count. And if you are deciding whether a return trip for full completion is worth it, our take on whether Hogwarts Legacy is worth playing in 2026 covers what the game offers today, including the next gen update.
Butterfly Chest FAQ
How many butterfly chests are in Hogwarts Legacy?
There are 15 butterfly swarms, each leading to one chest. One of them is part of the Follow the Butterflies side quest.
Why can’t I see the butterflies on my map?
Butterflies are never marked on the world map. They only appear on your minimap when you are close to a swarm.
How do I open a butterfly chest?
Follow the swarm until it stops and hovers in place, then cast Revelio. The hidden chest appears and you can open it.
Where do I start the Follow the Butterflies quest?
Talk to Clementine Willardsey in the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade after finishing the main quest Potions Class.
Do butterfly swarms respawn?
No. Once you open a swarm’s chest it is gone for good, so keep your own checklist.
Checklist: do the quest swarm first to learn the rhythm, sweep the seven northern swarms on one broom flight, then pick off the southern coast as the story takes you there. Fifteen chests, fifteen ticks. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, but a very scenic one.
