Below are hints for all the puzzles in the game. Click a topic to see the next hint...
A couple of general hints:
Save your game. Do it before heading into the unknown. Do it before eating things. The game is fairly forgiving, but you can get poisoned, you can drown, you can get locked out of places, you can destroy items that are hard to replace, and of course, you can be killed by your nemesis.
You will never die of hunger or cold or sleep deprivation, but they are there to make life feel more realistic. There is magically regenerating food in the great hall, enough to last several days. The wool cloak is in the Entrance Hall. Neither are necessary, but they will reduce the amount of whinging.
The last time you had it was at the Training Grounds. Start there?
There's a hint in the snow.
Go to the Owlry. Examine the nest. Examine the twig.
Hagrid might be able to help with owls?
Turn the wheel atop the gatehouse to get to the castle grounds.
Maybe Hagrid is carrying something useful?
Ask Hagrid for chow. (1 point)
Give chow to owl. Take wand. (2 points)
The owl will bring you a newspaper. Read it.
Balor's notes are in the cabinet in Dark Arts Classroom.
You can see Dumbledore's office by looking through telescope from atop astronomy tower.
You'll know where else to look with the telescope after you get the Marauder's Map.
There is even more information in Dumbledore's Office.
There's something important in Filch's desk.
You need to distract Norris.
Hagrid might have some advice?
Go to the greenhouse. Examine planter. Get catnip. (1 point)
Give catnip to Norris. Open paper. (1 point)
You can't get to Hogsmeade until you've found the Marauder's Map.
The statue is in the First Floor Corridor (west).
Tap statue. Again. Again. (1 point)
You'll need the floo powder, chocolate, and invoice.
Flitwick will teach you a charm.
You'll need to persuade him. He clearly needs something.
Stand on table in great hall. Get candle. (1 point)
Give candle to Flitwick. (1 point)
There's something important in Dumbledore's Office.
You can't get there if you haven't been to Hogsmeade.
You'll need to find a way to navigate the great staircase.
Examine the stairs.
Climb red stair. (1 point)
To pass the gargoyle, say the password from the invoice at Honeydukes.
Fawkes will get you the key. (2 points)
Bourne is a book, in the Library Restricted Stacks.
You'll need magic to sneak by Pince.
The magic you need is in McGonagall's office.
Examine rack. Again. Again. (1 point)
You'll need a distraction. What is the most distracting thing in the game?
Peeves.
Wait outside McGonagall's office for Peeves. Enter McGonagall's office while he's following you. Get the cloak. (2 points)
Go to the Library Stacks when Pince is in the Library Hall. Wear cloak. Examine tome. (3 points)
Snape or Sprout might have some advice?
Mushrooms grow in dark places.
There is an unlit dungeon, northwest of the Old Dungeon.
Go to the Unlit Dungeon. Lumos. Get mushroom. (2 points)
Snape or Sprout might have some advice?
You have to get past the Whomping Willow.
Have you found the broom in the quiddich shed?
If you talk to Hooch, she will tell you to find something less powerful.
The answer is in the First Floor Corridor (south).
Try the a mop in the caretaker's storage closet.
You'll need to find somewhere very high up to start your glide.
Go to the Astronomy Tower. Sit on mop. Go southeast. Get up. Go northeast. Get knotgrass. (2 points)
Snape or Hagrid might have some advice?
Changes of surviving improve with the antivenom from the chest in the Hospital Office.
If you wander around the Forbidden Forest, you will get stung sooner or later.
Wait until you are stung. Drink the antivenom. You will already have the fang. (2 points)
Snape or Sprout might have some advice?
If you haven't been to Hogsmeade, figure that out first.
Specifically, you the floo powder from Dervish & Banges.
Go to your dorm (or the Charms Classroom, if you lost your note). Incendio fireplace. Put powder in fireplace. (1 point)
Enter fireplace. Open cabinet. Get starthistle. (2 points)
Snape or Hagrid might have some advice?
Sprout has a pot of gillyweed.
She'll give you some if you do her a favor.
Ask her about flitterbloom.
Take the watering can to the Fountain Courtyard. Fill can with rainwater. Pour rainwater in brass pot. (1 point)
You can't get the ink until you've been to Hogsmeade.
There is a boat at the dock around the lake at the train station.
Enter boat. West. Eat gillyweed. Exit boat. Down. Wait. Fill flask with ink. (2 points)
Obviously, you need the amanita, knotgrass, spider fang, starthistle, and squid ink.
Your cauldron is pewter. Your cauldron is a distractor. You can drop it now.
The answer is in the Trophy Hall.
Examine cabinet. Examine bowl.
There is a brazier in the Potions Classroom.
Put all the ingredients in the gold bowl. Put bowl on brazier. Incendio brazier. (3 points)
You're not ready to face Balor until you have found the chocolate, learned the the Protego charm, found the skeleton key, and made the draught.
You can get into the sealed office without the skeleton key.
You won't find anything there without the draught.
Enter sealed room phased. (4 points)
Use protego to defend against the first attack. (1 point)
Give chocolate to Abby. (2 points)
Give the rest of the draught to Abby. (1 point)