This page offers a guide on how to complete Tangled Web side quest, which can be obtained in Hogsmeade in Hogwarts Legacy. This guide will walk you through how to start this quest and how to defeat all the Spiders in Mary Portman’s Cellar.

How to Start the Tangled Web Side Quest¶

Before you can unlock this quest, you’ll need to have completed the Absconder Encounter side quest and Charles Rookwood’s Trial in the main story. Once you’ve satisfied the prerequisites, you’ll be able to start this quest by speaking to Crispin Dunne in The Three Broomsticks Inn in Hogsmeade.

Crispin will ask you to check up on his friend, Mary Portman, who lives in Aranshire - a hamlet that’s currently over run by spiders!

Where to Find Mary Portman¶

Your first course of action will be to head to the hamlet of Aranshire. When you arrive you’ll be greeted by several spider enemies that you’ll first need to defeat before you can continue. You’ve probably fought enough spiders by now to know that damaging spells like Confringo and Diffindo are good, and Levioso can be used on smaller spiders to incapacitate them. Watch out for the Venomous Scurriours, since they can shoot out venom that’ll do damage over time to your HP!

Once you’ve dealt with the spiders, you’ll be able to resume your task of finding Mary. She can be found in the house to the right of the Floo Flame. When you enter into her house, you’ll discover that she’s been killed by the spiders. When you read her letter, you’ll discover that she was to blame for the spiders as she was breeding them in her cellar!

Mary Portman’s Cellar: Dungeon¶

To find the entrance into Mary Portman’s Cellar, you’ll need to head out of the house and round the back (hop over the wall!). When you first enter the cellar, you’ll want to locate the ladder heading further into the ground - it can be found just around the corner from where you first come in.

When you take the ladder down you’ll come across a huge open space beneath the house, and you’ll know from the huge amount of webs around that this is the spiders’ lair. Follow the linear path to the main space in the chasm and you’ll be prompted to destroy 12 egg sacs to stop the spread of the spiders.

How to Find All 12 Egg Sacs¶

The first three egg sacs can be found right in front of you above the archway. As you approach them, several spiders will spawn and before you can continue with your quest to destroy the eggs you’ll need to defeat them all. After they’ve been dealt with, you’ll need to use a spell like Confringo or Bombarda to destroy the egg sacs.

Next up, you’ll want to head to the north and destroy the wood barricade blocking your path. Then continue forwards and destroy the wooden barricade blocking an opening in the metal grid wall. Continue into this new passage and you’ll find several spiders and 5 egg sacs hidden in various alcoves. Before you focus your efforts on destroying the egg sacs you’ll want to get rid of the spiders first. Once you’ve gotten all 5 egg sacs in this area, head back out the way you came and proceed to the other side of the room. When you head south you’ll find a slope heading upwards. In this elevated area you’ll find the final 4 egg sacs. But of course, you’ll need to fight off the spiders before hand!

The final egg sac is found near a desk with a journal entry from Mary Portman saying that she’s gonna be rich from selling spider silk - someone got a bit greedy ey?

Your next task will be to return to the main space in the cavern to locate the source of the eggs - aka the Mother Spider! A Thornback Matriarch and several smaller spiders will burst into the room and yet again, you’ll have to face down some spiders. The Thornback Matriarch is the strongest of the bunch so you should focus your efforts on that one over the smaller ones.

How to Defeat the Insatiable Spider: Infamous Foe¶

After fighting off the spiders, continue into the newly opened space up ahead and follow the path downward to come into a very obvious boss fight arena. In here, you’ll have to fight against the real Mother Spider - The Insatiable Spider.

The Insatiable Spider is an infamous foe but it isn’t actually all that challenging of a fight, it’s just a bigger spider. So, focus on the Insatiable Spider then pick off the smaller ones afterwards - just ensure that you’re dodging the incoming attacks or you could end up being chain attacked by all the spiders at once.

If you know the killing curse, Avada Kedavra, then you can use that to finish off the Insatiable Spider quickly. But if you don’t condone the use of the unforgivable curses, you can focus on using damaging spells and building up your ancient magic meter.

When the Insatiable Spider has been defeated, make sure to loot the Collection Chest on the far side of the room to unlock a conjuration recipe (random). And unfortunately there’s no quick way out of this dungeon (or fast travelling) so you’ll need to make your way all the way back to the ladder and then into the cellar to exit into Aranshire. Return to The Three Broomsticks Inn to tell Cuspin the news. When you finish the quest you’ll earn the Sinister Oddities Shelf conjuration recipe.