The ability to crack those Hogwarts Legacy level 1 locks opens you up to brand new areas of the game to explore, from sealed off rooms in the castle to private abodes in the Highlands. You need to learn the spell Alohomora in order to break these locks, and since level 1, 2, and 3 locked doors are scattered everywhere, you'll want to unlock the spell ASAP. However, like a lot of things in the game, it's a matter of waiting until a certain point in the story.
Like the Hogwarts Legacy eyeball chests and other boxes you can open, these locked rooms contain a wealth of useful gear you'll want to get your hands on. Alohomora is one of the most useful Hogwarts Legacy spells, and you will learn it from caretaker Gladwyn Moon during his main mission quest. Bear in mind, though, alohomora won't help you with those tricky Hogwarts Legacy puzzle doors. There's a whole other thing going on there.
How do I unlock Level 1 locks in Hogwarts Legacy?
You learn Alohomora to open level 1 locks during the main questline, during a mission called The Caretaker's Lunar Lament. Once you have progressed far enough through the story, you will be summoned by caretaker Gladwyn Moon and asked to recover two Hogwarts Legacy demiguise statues - enchanted items that Gladwyn suspects have been planted around in order to frighten him.
Gladwyn then teaches you Alohomora to unlock the Level One door ahead of you and reach these Statues. It won't take up space in your Hogwarts Legacy spell slots, so you won't need to worry about swapping it and out, just use it when the lock prompt appears.
Gladwyn then explains that if you're willing to search the rest of Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and the surrounding hamlets and areas to get rid of the statues, he will teach you more advanced forms of Alohomora that will open level 2 and 3 locks.
How to open locks with Alohomora
When unlocking Level One doors with Alohomora, your goal is to turn the outer and inner dials until they start making a smooth, uninterrupted mechanical whirring sound to signal that they are in the right position. Turn the dials with your joysticks if you're playing on console, or use the Q, E, A, and D keys on your keyboard if you're using a PC. Listen and watch carefully for small movements or sounds, as you might need to fine-tune the dials with smaller movements to get them exactly right. Remember to sell any unwanted items to vendors, since your Hogwarts Legacy gear slots will fill up quickly unless you upgrade them!
The release of Hogwarts Legacy has been the subject of criticism and debate due to J.K. Rowling's public stance on gender identity, which continues to challenge the inclusivity at the heart of the Harry Potter community. Here is our explainer on the Hogwarts Legacy controversy (opens in new tab).
