Crucio is one of the three Unforgivable Curses you can learn in Hogwarts Legacy. It is one of the most powerful spells in the game, as it deals continuous damage to enemies and curses them, meaning that they will lose more HP when they get hit. And although no professor will teach you the Cruciatus Curse, your friend Sebastian will do it. You need to follow his quest line alongside the main story, and you will eventually be able to start the so-called In the Shadow of the Study mission.
During this quest, you will get the chance to learn Crucio from Sebastian. You can, of course, decline his proposal, but keep in mind that using this Unforgivable Curse in the game won’t negatively impact your character or the story. Instead, it will help you defeat more challenging enemies faster, along with the other available spells in Hogwarts Legacy. That said, let’s see how to complete the In the Shadow of the Study mission and learn Crucio.
How to complete the In the Shadow of the Study quest
In the Shadow of the Study is a relationship quest tied to Sebastian Sallow, and you will be able to start it after you complete the main story mission called The High Keep. Moreover, the previous quests tied to Sebastian must also have been carried out.
Once these prerequisites are met, you can reach Sebastian outside the Slytherin common room and talk to him to start the quest. You will then follow your friend and meet Ominis to convince him to join you and access Slytherin’s Scriptorium.
To open Slytherin’s door, you must light three braziers nearby. You can use Confringo to do that. The first brazier is located in the corridor in front of the Scriptorium’s entrance. The other two are in the small hall on the left, just before the staircase. You need to light them up quickly; otherwise, the door won’t open.
Once done, pass through the entrance. You will soon notice pieces of a broken sculpture on the floor and a closed door. Use Reparo to fix the picture, and then talk to Ominis. He will speak in Parseltongue to open the gateway.
In this area, you’ll need to get through three gates. However, they won’t simply open with Alohomora; you must solve three puzzles to progress. Near the first gate, on the left, you will notice a snake with two dials below it. You need to rotate them to unlock the passage, and if you don’t complete it within a certain amount of time, you will be attacked by the animal. You can try this again, but failing will drain a small portion of your HP at every attempt.
At first glance, this puzzle may look tricky. However, the solution is pretty straightforward: the symbols on the statue must match the ones you see on each gate. Look at them, return to the lock, and turn the dials until you get the right combination.
The other two Slytherin locks are further from their respective gateways, so you need to look for them. Fortunately, the area is relatively small, so you should be fine finding them.
How to learn Crucio in Hogwarts Legacy
Once you leave behind the third gate, you will find yourself in an area with no exit other than a closed gate with Crucio written on the floor. You will find a note from Noctua Gaunt, Ominis’ aunt, mentioning that the only way forward requires casting an Unforgivable Curse, Crucio. After speaking with Sebastian and Ominis, you will get the chance to learn the Cruciatus Curse from Sebastian.
You can learn this curse and cast it on your friend or let him cast it on you. This will trigger the usual minigame for new enchantments, and once the mission is complete, you will have the Cruciatus Curse added to your spells set.
You can also choose not to learn it or do it later. You will have the chance to interact with Sebastian in the Undercroft, and he will be more than happy to teach you this Unforgivable Curse.
If you need more help with Hogwarts Legacy, you can check how to open Eye Chests, the best talents to unlock in the game, and all Gobstone locations.
