Chapter 26 – No Laughing Matter

Introduction

Hello everyone, welcome to our Walkthrough for Chapter Twenty-Six of Year Seven of Harry Potter Hogwarts Mystery. Last time, you told Talbott about the swan Patronus you saw earlier. After discussing it for a while, the two of you decided to do some investigating. You went to the Janus Thickey Ward, where you looked for clues.

Unfortunately, you were unable to find anything, so you went to talk to Jacob about ‘R’. While talking to him, you were informed that Merula wanted to have a word with you. You went to Hogwarts and met with her at the training grounds. She didn’t want to talk to you until you agreed to duel with her. She defeated you in a wandless duel, after which she told you that something bad was soon to happen at St. Mungo’s.

You went back to the hospital, and not long after you arrived, Jacob, Penny, and Madam Strout all started laughing uncontrollably. You now have to figure out the cause of the laughing curse and find a way to reverse its effects.

Summary

Walkthrough

But first, you should take care of the assignments. Proceed to the Ministry office once you are ready to start the first assignment. Mad-Eye will say that he has a case for you.

He’ll tell you that a Muggle accidentally discovered a witch’s garden and ate a salad made from the herbs he found there. Needless to say, eating magical plants can prove to be incredibly dangerous. Moody will say that the Muggle was showing signs of acute confusion and befuddlement, and you’ll point out that any Muggle would be confused after visiting the Ministry of Magic. According to Mad-Eye, that wasn’t the case. He will ask you to investigate the incident.

You will need to finish several tasks to complete the assignments. You can feel free to do them in any order you prefer.

While doing those, it is recommended to pick the task duration that matches their star requirements.

Prioritize bonus progress actions if you are looking to save as much energy as possible.

As for the mini-tasks, completing each of them will grant you some extra attribute points.

Once you are done with all of the tasks, hit the Collect button and return to the Ministry office.

Mad-Eye will tell you about the plants the Muggle ate.

All of those ingredients are used in the Confusing and Befuddlement Draughts, but thankfully, the remedy you made cured the Muggle.

Moody will say that the Ministry took some precautions to prevent any similar incident from happening. You will receive a reward for completing the assignment.

Head back to the Ministry office once you are ready to start the second assignment. Amos Diggory will say that he needs your help.

He’ll tell you that a colony of gnomes is terrorizing a small village in Suffolk, as they have been eating their vegetables, and if it goes on, the consequences could be dire. You will quickly offer to help, and Amos will be happy to hear that. You will receive a list of tasks you need to do in order to complete the assignment.

While doing them, be sure to select the task duration that matches their star requirements.

Focus on bonus progress actions if you want to save some energy.

Try your best to complete all of the mini-tasks to earn some additional attribute points.

Hit the Collect button to return to the Ministry office once you are done with the tasks.

Amos Diggory will congratulate you on a job well done.

Thanks to your help, the gnomes were safely collected and relocated. Sadly, all of the villagers had their memories Obliviated, but luckily, the Ministry came up with a convincing cover story. Curious to know what caused the whole mess, Amos Diggory will explain what happened.

You will receive a reward for completing the assignment.

Now that you’ve taken care of the assignments, you can proceed with the story. Head to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement when you are ready. Upon arriving, you will notice the speech bubbles above some of the characters. Tap on those if you are curious to see what they have to say. Mad-Eye will ask you to tell him what bothers you.

You’ll quickly explain what happened at St. Mungo’s.

Moody will be surprised to hear that, and you’ll say that they’ve probably been cursed, also mentioning the swan Patronus. Mad-Eye will look slightly confused after hearing that, so you’ll decide to start from the beginning and explain everything properly. Explaining what happened requires earning five stars within one hour. Three stars are needed to pass.

Sadly, there aren’t any bonus progress actions here, so you won’t get to save much energy.

Mad-Eye will sum things up once you are done with the explanation.

He’ll say that ‘R’ is likely after Madam Xeep, and you’ll nod, stating that you might be able to get information on ‘R’ if you manage to restore Zenith’s memories. Moody will like your plan.

He’ll ask if there’s anyone else at St. Mungo’s ‘R’ might be after. There are three options to choose from. The correct answer is ‘Jacob’ since he is one of the key witnesses for the upcoming Wizengamot trial.

You’ll be curious why they aren’t going after you, too and Mad-Eye will remind you of the things the White-Robed Wizard said.

You’ll wonder if people will think you are aligned with ‘R’, and Moody will reassure you that won’t happen since you’ve been going against them for a while. However, he won’t be so sure about Merula. He’ll ask if you’ve made any progress convincing her to work as a double agent, and you’ll tell him you haven’t, mentioning that she warned you about the laughing curse.

Mad-Eye will advise you to be careful around Merula, and you’ll nod, expressing eagerness to find the answers. Moody will say there are more important problems that need solving, and you’ll ask if he knows of a way to break the laughing curse.

According to him, the curse was likely caused by Alihotsy Draught, and he’ll tell you to find out what Jacob drank last and figure out if there are any traces of the potion in it. You will quickly decide to head back to St. Mungo’s.

Proceed to the Hospital Ward when you are ready. When you arrive, you will be able to interact with some of the characters by tapping on their speech bubbles. You’ll thank Chiara for agreeing to help you search the Hospital Ward.

She’ll be glad to provide her assistance, and both of you will agree that the laughing curse needs to be broken as quickly as possible. Chiara will ask what you are looking for, and you’ll tell her you are looking for Jacob’s last drink, also mentioning that Alihotsy Draught might be the cause of the laughing curse.

You’ll figure out that Penny could definitely tell you more about that potion, but unfortunately, she won’t be able to help you.

Moments later, Chiara and you will start searching. Investigating the Hospital Ward requires earning five stars within three hours. All five stars are needed to pass, so avoid starting this task if you are low on energy.

Make sure to slide the screen left and right to see all the available actions. There is a bonus progress action tied to your character. Prioritize it whenever it is available to save some energy.

After searching the place, you will stumble upon an empty bottle of pumpkin juice.

You’ll remember that Jacob used to like drinking pumpkin juice. Following that, you will decide to take the bottle to Professor Snape. Hopefully, he will be able to help you solve the mystery.

You will need to wait three hours before you can continue. Since you will probably be low on energy at this point, it is recommended to wait and let your energy recharge in the meantime.

Head to the Potions classroom once the waiting time is over. Professor Snape won’t be too excited to see you.

You will say that you need his help to figure out if the pumpkin juice has been laced with Alihotsy Draught. He’ll ask you to give him a good enough reason to help you. There are three options to choose from. The correct one to pick is the first one.

Thankfully, the professor will agree to help you, but he will need some time to properly examine the bottle. Beatrice will approach you and ask if what you said about the laughing curse is true.

You’ll nod and ask if she’s overheard your conversation with Snape. She will point out that you haven’t really been subtle about it. She’ll find it hard to say anything, and you will figure out that she’s worried about Penny.

Beatrice will try to deny it, but you will quickly realize that she is concerned about her sister.

You’ll reassure her that it’s okay to be worried, and she’ll look down, admitting she isn’t worried much. You’ll suggest talking about it, and Beatrice will agree to that. Comforting Beatrice requires earning five stars within three hours. Three stars are needed to pass.

There are bonus progress actions tied to Beatrice and Snape. Focus on those if you want to save some energy.

Beatrice will realize you are doing everything in your power to help her sister and the others. She’ll be curious about the swan Patronus you saw there.

You will say that someone else cast it. This line will differ, based on whether or not you completed Unleash Your Patronus adventure.

You will try your best to comfort Beatrice. Unfortunately, it will take a while until Professor Snape fully analyzes the bottle. Beatrice will suggest that you talk to Corey in the meantime.

Proceed to the courtyard once you are ready to continue. Upon arriving, you will notice the speech bubbles above some of the characters. Tap on those if you want to see what they have to say. Corey will be glad to see you.

You’ll ask if she wants to talk to you about Merula, and she’ll nod and say that she wants to discuss the next part of the plan. Suddenly, you will spot Fred and George looking your way. As soon as you turn towards them, they will look away.

You’ll warn Corey not to be too loud, and she will apologize for getting excited. Shortly after, you will start discussing Merula. Talking with Corey requires earning five stars within three hours. Since all five stars are needed to pass, it is not recommended to start this task if your energy bar is empty.

There are bonus progress actions tied to George and your character. Prioritize those if you want to save some energy.

Corey will be confident that Merula can be convinced to work against ‘R’, and she’ll also say that you might want to wait for the perfect moment. You will admit that you pushed the issue last time you talked to Merula and tell Corey about your previous conversation with the Most Powerful Witch at Hogwarts.

Corey will be surprised to hear that, and she’ll ask if Merula said anything. You will say that she dodged your questions again.

Corey will ask if you think it was worth it. There are two options to reply with. While this choice won’t have any huge impact on the story, selecting the first option will result in some interesting lines of dialogue, so it is somewhat recommended to go with that one.

Corey will say it is time to finally confront Merula, and you’ll ask if she is sure about it. She’ll nod and say that you need to directly ask Merula if she is working with ‘R’. You will have to figure out the right way to approach the situation, as confronting Merula won’t be easy.

Corey will tell you to be prepared for anything since there is a chance Merula is still aligned with ‘R’. Before you get to say anything, Beatrice will approach and say that Professor Snape wants to have a word with you, mentioning that he’s done analyzing the pumpkin juice.

Proceed to the Potions classroom when you are ready. Professor Snape will confirm that he’s done analyzing the pumpkin juice.

You’ll ask if he found any traces of Alihotsy Draught in it, and he’ll tell you to listen to him if you want to get the answer to your question. Listening to Snape requires earning five stars within three hours. Three stars are needed to pass.

There are bonus progress actions tied to Professor Snape, your character, and some of the potion ingredients. Prioritize those if you want to save some energy.

You’ll learn that the pumpkin juice had no Alihotsy Draught in it, and the Potions Master will be absolutely certain about it. Still, you will consider the possibility of him making a mistake, and Professor Snape will not be happy with the tone of your voice.

You’ll apologize for snapping at him, and Snape will notice that you are clearly upset.

You’ll admit that you aren’t sure how to break the laughing curse, and you will be surprised that Snape is worried about you. He’ll calmly explain that he is simply doing his job.

He will then ask if you are ready to testify at the Wizengamot trial. There are two options to choose from. This choice won’t impact the story significantly, so feel free to go with either option.

Professor Snape will advise you to be completely honest during the trial, and you’ll thank him for that. Shortly after, you will decide to head back to St. Mungo’s and see if your friends can help you figure out the cause of the laughing curse.

You’ll need to wait four hours before you can continue. Since you will probably be low on energy at this point, it is recommended to wait and let your energy recharge in the meantime.

Proceed to the Hospital Ward once the waiting time is over. Upon arriving, you will notice the speech bubbles above some of the characters. Tap on those if you are curious to see what they have to say. You’ll thank everyone for meeting with you.

Chiara will ask you about the results of Snape’s analysis, and you’ll say there was no Alihotsy Draught in the pumpkin juice. Jae will wonder if there’s anything that can be done about the laughing curse, and Talbott will be worried too. You’ll suggest investigating the cause of the curse, and hopefully, by working together, you’ll be able to figure it out.

Determining the cause of the curse requires earning five stars within eight hours. All five stars are needed to pass.

Be sure to slide the screen left and right to see all the available actions. There are bonus progress actions linked to Chiara and your character. Prioritize those if you want to save as much energy as possible.

After investigating the laughing curse, you will figure out it was most likely caused by a cursed object. Unfortunately, you won’t know which object was the cause of it. Chiara will say that it could be anything in the room. Needless to say, examining each object would take very long. Suddenly, the swan Patronus will fly into the room.

It will land near Jacob’s bed and point at the CD case.

You’ll realize that the CD case might be the object you’re looking for. Moments later, the swan Patronus will fly away.

You’ll recall that the CD case was one of the get-well gifts Penny dropped off for Jacob, and you’ll also remember her saying that she got it from Madam Strout. In other words, the CD case is most likely the cursed object. Talbott will advise you not to touch it with your bare hands. You’ll decide to wrap it up and take it to Professor Flitwick, hoping he might be able to help break the curse.

This will conclude Chapter 26 of Year 7. Hit the Collect button to claim your rewards. You will receive 350 Coins and 2000 Experience Points.

Is that CD case really the source of the laughing curse? And will Professor Flitwick be able to break the curse? Find out in the next chapter of Harry Potter Hogwarts Mystery.
Thank you for reading.