Old Magic, New Bricks: Comparing Borgin and Burkes and Dumbledore’s Office

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Borgin and Burkes antique shop and Professor Dumbledore’s office are two distinctive locations in the LEGO Harry Potter universe, both filled with curious magical objects. Over the years, LEGO has explored these places through colorful and imaginative sets, with newer versions bringing their architecture and treasures closer to their cinematic counterparts.

Now we have the pleasure of exploring the latest versions, which LEGO generously sent to BrickNerd. Today, we’ll look at how these buildings have developed and follow the evolution of the magical objects inside. Keep your hands close: some of the antiques might reach out first!

Borgin and Burkes Antique Shop

Borgin and Burkes has appeared only a handful of times throughout the LEGO Harry Potter theme, with long waits between its larger versions. Here, we’ll compare three interpretations of the shop, though it also appeared in the smaller 40695 Borgin and Burkes: Floo Network set.

Before the latest release, the last full shop was part of 10217 Diagon Alley. Its dark exterior is brightened by green pieces and eye-catching purple flowers on a climbing plant. The most extraordinary design choice is the inclusion of glow-in-the-dark details, which create the magical effect in the photo below.

The Borgin and Burkes model from 10217 Diagon Alley, on the left, beside the new shop from 76471 Knockturn Alley Wizarding Shops.

Now the shop returns in 76471 Knockturn Alley Wizarding Shops, alongside Potage’s Cauldron Shop. The green glass and distinctive window shapes capture the dark atmosphere of Borgin and Burkes, where wizards browse antiques and dangerous artifacts. Even before we step inside, the building is instantly recognizable.

But let’s go back a little further. The first shop, from 4720 Knockturn Alley, is rich in interesting details despite being the oldest and smallest of the three versions shown here. It contains some precious LEGO artifacts, including a bottle printed with a brain and an unusual transparent green goblet. Have a look at how well it fits beside the new set! At first glance, they look like a single location, with the two versions complementing each other.

The shop’s most remarkable dark object is the Hand of Glory, which holds a candle that provides light only to the person carrying it. According to Borgin, it is a useful friend to thieves and plunderers. Represented by a printed tile in the old shop, it has acquired a larger, three-dimensional element in the new set. Now it looks especially imposing beside a minifigure’s small hands. The Hand of Glory can even give Harry a tight and scary handshake, just like in the movie!

The new interior is a delight to explore, with curious objects that suggest the shop’s rich history and give us many possibilities for spectacular photographic scenes. The deleted scene between Lucius Malfoy and Borgin is an intriguing moment in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and the wonderfully recognizable Borgin minifigure lets us recreate it. We can put this scene back into the story!

Professor Dumbledore’s Office

Leaving the dark antiques behind, let’s visit another collection of mysterious objects. Albus Dumbledore’s office has never looked so detailed!

The earliest standalone set, 4729 Dumbledore’s Office, took the form of a mysterious stone tower, with a staircase and a small room containing precious magical instruments. Later versions continued to fit the office into the castle’s architecture. Even 2022’s 76402 Hogwarts: Dumbledore’s Office devoted much of its structure to the surrounding castle, leaving a more compact space for the headmaster himself.

These smaller interiors offered limited space for detailed photographic scenes, with Dumbledore’s desk often becoming the main feature. Now the room itself takes center stage in 76478 Book Nook: Dumbledore’s Office. The interior tells us a great deal about its owner, feels inhabited, and captures the wonderful atmosphere of the movies. Its variety of magical objects and mysterious instruments reflects the headmaster’s intellect and multifaceted personality.

Fawkes Through the Years

Of course, no visit to the office would be complete without Fawkes the Phoenix. The summer wave brought us a new mold with his wings spread for flight, along with Dumbledore’s corporeal phoenix Patronus in the new office set. The photo below brings together different versions of Fawkes, starting with the earliest figure beside the Pensieve.

This oldest phoenix still has beautifully sculpted wings: the feathers look like a pattern carved into a stone statue. His tail is useful, too. Minifigures can easily grip it to recreate the students’ escape from the Chamber of Secrets. Each Dumbledore minifigure in the photograph corresponds to the era of the Fawkes beside him.

As with the creatures in my earlier look at the evolution of LEGO Harry Potter’s magical creatures, the older figures still have their own charm. A new mold gives us another possibility for a scene, but it needn’t send the old bird into retirement!

A Rather Damaged Diary

From a faithful phoenix, we turn to a much less trustworthy companion: Tom Riddle’s diary. The search for Horcruxes is one of the key subjects Harry and Dumbledore discuss in this office. The new set includes a reminder of the second movie and Harry’s victory over the Horcrux hidden in the diary, represented by a LEGO book with an impressive new print.

Here are several versions of this dangerous little book. In the newest design, you can see layers of pages through the hole in the cover. The damage on an earlier diary looks more like a burn. The third version shows several punctures from the basilisk’s fang, and the fourth book even has a sock for Dobby!

Time for Sherbet Lemons

Fortunately, there is more to the headmaster’s everyday life than dangerous magical objects. The back of the set resembles a cozy sitting area, with a sofa and small tables on either side. A chocolate frog and the new jar of sherbet lemons provide treats for Professor Dumbledore’s snack break.

I complemented the scene with a selection of chocolate frogs and collectible cards, along with my own miniature versions of Dumbledore’s favorite lemon drops. In my snowy visit to Hogsmeade, you can visit the gorgeous Honeydukes sweet shop and find a photographic guide to creating these tiny treats!

These new sets bring fresh detail to two magical locations and give us many possibilities for photographic experiments. Comparing them also reminds me how much character the older pieces still have, from the sculpted feathers of the first Fawkes to the glowing details of Borgin and Burkes.

For fans who enjoy building beautiful dioramas and creating their own LEGO Wizarding World, bringing together these different “building eras” is part of the pleasure. I hope you enjoyed exploring their magical objects and changing architecture with me!

 

DISCLAIMER: These sets were provided to BrickNerd by LEGO. Any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.

Which older LEGO Harry Potter sets or magical accessories still hold their charm for you, even after a newer version arrives? Let us know in the comments below!

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