Cygnus Oddpick

Cygnus Oddpick is the wizard in the portrait that guards the entrance to the Hufflepuff Common Room at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry during the late 19th century. Known for his eccentric personality and deep love for Herbology, his primary role is to ensure only Hufflepuff students gain entry to their quarters. The character originates entirely from the video game Hogwarts Legacy and is not mentioned in the original book series.

All known information about Cygnus Oddpick's life comes from the video game Hogwarts Legacy. During his time as a student at Hogwarts, Oddpick was sorted into Hufflepuff House. He developed a profound passion and talent for Herbology, which he pursued throughout his life, becoming a renowned expert in the field of magical flora. After his death, his magical portrait was created and hung in the Hufflepuff Basement, next to the stack of barrels that marks the entrance to the common room. In this role, he serves as the guardian, interacting with students and ensuring the security of the Hufflepuff living quarters by granting access to members of the House.

As a portrait, Cygnus Oddpick is depicted as a middle-aged wizard with a kind face and a neatly-trimmed, light brown beard and moustache. He wears robes in the Hufflepuff colours of yellow and black (Hogwarts Legacy). Oddpick embodies the core traits of Hufflepuff House: he is friendly, welcoming, and fair-minded. He has a cheerful and somewhat eccentric disposition, often making enthusiastic comments about plants and Herbology. He shows great pride in his House and its students, offering them a warm welcome whenever they approach (Hogwarts Legacy).

• Herbology Expert: Oddpick's primary known skill was his mastery of Herbology. He was renowned for his extensive knowledge of magical plants, their properties, and their cultivation (Hogwarts Legacy).

As a magical portrait, Cygnus Oddpick is not known to have any personal possessions (Hogwarts Legacy).

Cygnus Oddpick serves as a friendly guardian to all Hufflepuff students of his era. He greets them warmly as they approach the common room and is a familiar, comforting presence in their daily lives at Hogwarts (Hogwarts Legacy).

• Cygnus: Latin for “swan” and the name of a prominent constellation. The name is also found within the Black Family, notably Cygnus Black, the father of Bellatrix Lestrange, Andromeda Tonks, and Narcissa Malfoy.
• Oddpick: This surname is likely a portmanteau of “odd” and “pick”. “Odd” reflects his eccentric personality, while “pick” could allude to the act of picking or harvesting plants, a direct reference to his expertise in Herbology.

• Cygnus Oddpick is a character created exclusively for the 2023 video game Hogwarts Legacy and does not appear in the original seven Harry Potter novels.
• He fulfills the role of the Hufflepuff Common Room guardian. In the book canon, the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room is not guarded by a portrait but by a stack of barrels which opens when tapped in the correct rhythm of “Helga Hufflepuff” (Pottermore).
• In Hogwarts Legacy, the character is voiced by actor Jason Anthony (video game).