The Harry Potter series often places characters in tough situations where they have to pick between difficult choices. Whether it’s Harry choosing Gryffindor, Pettigrew choosing to betray James and Lily, or Snape choosing to leave the Death Eaters, making a decision between good and evil has been a staple of the books and films. It’s no wonder that Hogwarts Legacy gives players a few tough choices, like the question of should you help Ackley Barnes.
There Is Not Much in-Game Reason Not to Help Ackley Barnes in Hogwarts Legacy
You will first have the option to take on Ackley Barnes’ sidequest “Venomous Revenge” after you’ve grown to level 15 and completed the main quest line “The Helm of Urtkot.” In the sidequest, players will meet Barnes, who is trying to recruit them into stealing a Venomous Tentacula from Alfred Lawley, though he won’t give them their payment until after the job is done. Unaware of your specific reward, players can be unsure of if the quest is worth it or if it will end up alienating another potential ally.
Despite the ethical conundrum, and a number of choices for conversation, the player will always at least receive 180 XP if they choose to complete the quest. The conversational choices will result in either receiving 300 Galleons or an even larger prize sum of 500 Galleons if you say the right things. If caught during the quest you will get reprimanded by Alfred Lawley, including automatically failing the quest and losing some trust with him, so how you choose to proceed is up to you. But there is no morality system in Hogwarts Legacy, so it doesn’t matter much regardless.
How to Complete the Venomous Revenge Quest
To start the quest, simply go talk with Ackley Barnes, who will enlist you to steal the plant. Once you agree, you will have to sneak into Lawley’s property to take it.
If you are willing to help Barnes, you will want to first make sure you have an Invisibility Potion or have access to the Disillusionment charm because you will need it to remain undetected by Lawley while stealing the plant. Remember that if you are caught in the act you will abruptly fail the quest.
Once you have the plant, return to Barnes, which will trigger a series of dialogue options, with the most important being picking between “happy to get rid of it” and “I’d like to be paid.” If you pick the former, you will receive the 300 Galleons mentioned earlier, while if you pick the latter, you’ll get a bonus of extra Galleons with 500 total.
That’s how you help Ackley Barnes in Hogwarts Legacy, and with a lack of consequences for being awful in the game, there isn’t much in-game reason that you should not help him.
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