Hogwarts: Starting with full Unforgivable Curses

If we compare the process of exploring magic to climbing a tower, mastering each core power is like taking a step up.

Voldemort undoubtedly severed the crucial step of "love" forever; no matter how high he climbed, he was always missing the most fundamental foundation.

"Is this the only way you can think of? Is this the price of losing 'love'?" Dylan then looked up at Dumbledore. "Headmaster Dumbledore, can I understand it this way—after he got Harry's blood, although he gained the right to harm Harry, he was only 'able to harm' him?"

He paused, then continued, "In fact, he will become part of Harry's magical protection and will be bound to that magical contract."

"To put it another way, his role in this contract is not much different from that of Harry's uncle's family? In fact, because he took the initiative to join, Harry's protection can be extended for quite a while?"

"Oh?" Dumbledore was somewhat surprised. He straightened up, his eyes lit up, and even his circling thumb stopped. "Dylan, you actually thought of this?"

“This is how I put it.” Dylan met his gaze and smiled faintly, “Voldemort wanted to be reborn through Harry’s blood, so the protection and contract in Harry’s blood would naturally enter his body along with the blood.”

"But what he really gained was not the 'right' to harm Harry, but a contract that bound him, just like how he painstakingly crawled into that 'eggshell,' only to find himself trapped inside, never to come out again."

"Voldemort can at most become the membrane inside the 'eggshell'."

Dylan continued, tracing outlines in the air with his finger as if sketching the structure of a contract, "In the end, he still has to fulfill the duties of the eggshell, helping to stabilize Harry's magical protection, but he can never touch the core 'yolk.' As long as he can't access the essence of the protection, he can't kill Harry."

“You can understand it that way.” Dumbledore nodded slightly, his eyes showing even more approval. “Go on.”

"Of course, what I just said was what Voldemort thought he could achieve, and the actual result he caused is completely different."

He emphasized, “You mentioned earlier that adulthood and adolescence are two different stages, and that’s very important.”

"So that means the original magical contract only protects Harry until he comes of age. 'Coming of age' is a fixed point, and that will not change."

"But then an accident happened: the reborn Voldemort also became part of the 'eggshell'."

Dylan's speech quickened, "The magical contract was originally most closely linked to Harry, so its expiration time depended only on Harry's age. But after Voldemort joined in, something interesting happened."

"He's caught between the contract and Harry's protection, making him closer to the 'eggshell' itself than Harry is. Plus, he's 'reborn,' which means..."

At this point, Dylan's lips curled into a smile.

“Once Voldemort is resurrected through Harry’s blood, we can start counting time from the moment of his ‘rebirth’.”

He paused deliberately to make his tone more even: "With Voldemort's 'kind' help, the expiration time of the magical contract has been adjusted to a new standard. Harry's protection can be extended for at least another seventeen years. The contract will only truly expire after this 'reborn' Voldemort 'comes of age'."

"Magic," Dumbledore's smile was particularly pronounced, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes crinkling together, "isn't it amazing?"

“It’s truly amazing, I’ve always felt that way.” Dylan thought of the joy he felt when he was researching magic.

“However,” Dumbledore’s smile faded slightly, and his tone turned somber, “Voldemort’s target is not just Harry.”

Dylan's heart skipped a beat, and he pointed to himself: "The other target, could it be me?"

“Yes, it’s you.” Dumbledore nodded repeatedly. “You and Harry have repeatedly disrupted his plans in different ways. He has long regarded both of you as thorns in his side.”

"He wants Harry's blood to break through the magical protection he can't understand, while he wants your blood to strengthen himself."

Dumbledore added, "After all, you possess a considerable amount of special magical power. He has always been adept at extracting power from bloodline magic, and I have led you to become a youth leader. The other professors have not deliberately concealed your talent, so he should be keeping an eye on you."

“That’s not surprising,” Dylan replied. “There are no absolute boundaries between different types of magic. The deeper you study them, the more connections you’ll discover. Voldemort was very skilled in blood magic, so it’s understandable that he would have this idea.”

However, it's hard to say who will ultimately drain whom of their strength.

"To be honest, since I don't want to release Slytherin directly, I haven't even studied that Horcrux much lately. Perhaps I could release him and torture him to study the new Horcrux."

“It’s a pity Voldemort isn’t in Durmstrang right now,” Dumbledore sighed, somewhat regretfully. “Otherwise, we could have uncovered more of his plans through Barty’s memories.”

“Being able to figure out his two recent targets is already quite an achievement,” Dylan smiled. “At least we know he will be keeping an eye on me and Harry. It’s always better to be prepared than to be passive. Thank you for telling me this, Professor Dumbledore.”

Although Dylan often talked with Harry, Draco, and Cedric, helping them to sort out their thoughts and ease their emotions.

However, in the following week, the three of them could still clearly feel an invisible pressure, like a thin veil wrapped around them, which they could not shake off.

However, at the same time, their popularity is also visibly soaring.

Walking down the corridor, students coming towards me would always stop and say "Good luck" with a smile.

When the younger students of Gryffindor see Harry and Dylan, they excitedly surround them and ask them all sorts of questions.

When Slytherin upperclassmen encounter Draco, they pat him on the shoulder and tell him not to embarrass the house.

Cedric was greeted with cheers from Hufflepuff students wherever he went.

What's even more remarkable is that this encouragement doesn't just come from their own college; Ravenclaw students also give them a thumbs up when they see them.

Harry and his friends gradually realized it.

The identity of "Hogwarts Champion" is like an invisible bond that quietly connects the four houses that were originally clearly distinct.

But it is precisely this special connection that makes them feel increasingly pressured.

If someone makes a mistake in the first event and ruins the competition, wouldn't that disappoint everyone?
Will this hard-won close relationship turn back into the state of no contact between them?
At breakfast, Harry sat at the long table, poking at the fried eggs on his plate with his fork, but he had no appetite at all.

Ron sat across from him, engrossed in making a sandwich.

First, spread out two slices of whole wheat bread, stuff them with several thick layers of bacon and sausage, and then pick up the gravy jug next to him.

A large spoonful was poured out with a "whoosh," and the grease dripped down the edge of the bread.

"Why think so much? Think more about Snape," Ron mumbled, adding another slice of tomato to his sandwich. "Even if something goes wrong, it's not a big deal. We can just go back to how things were before."

He took a big bite of his sandwich, not caring that crumbs fell onto his clothes: "And it might not even be the same as before. Think about it, has Snape changed recently? He's still the same."

Although the words were spoken casually, Harry suddenly came to his senses and nodded in agreement.

Ron was absolutely right, Snape hadn't changed a bit.

In yesterday's Potions class, Snape deducted five points from Gryffindor's potion simply because it was a little too dark in color. He also sarcastically criticized Gryffindor's potion-making skills, saying they were as disappointing as his father's.

Ron knew all this so clearly because he was Harry's deskmate.

Every time Snape deducted points from Harry, he would turn and glare at Ron, coldly saying, "Why didn't you remind Mr. Potter? Looks like you're just as careless," before deducting another five points.

Harry even thought that Snape would never change in his life.

If one day Snape suddenly smiled and said to him, "Go for it, Potter."

He would probably immediately pull out his wand, suspecting that the person in front of him was an imposter who had taken Polyjuice Potion, or perhaps even a Death Eater in disguise.

Hermione, who was standing to the side, had been frowning, clearly feeling that Ron's way of comforting her was too perfunctory, and was about to say something in rebuttal.

But when the words were about to come out, she pursed her lips and swallowed them back.

After all, Ron's intentions were good, and continuing the conversation would only make Harry more annoyed.

Since it hasn't been said aloud, there's still room for maneuver.

Hermione abandoned the idea of ​​arguing, turned to Harry, and said in a much gentler tone, "Harry, don't put too much pressure on yourself. You've worked very hard these past few days, researching and practicing spells every day, and going through every possible solution you can think of."

“Exactly!” Ron immediately put down his sandwich and nodded vigorously in agreement. “We’ve found so much information about magic related to dangerous creatures, from binding charms to healing charms, surely some of them will come in handy!”

These words struck a chord with Hermione. She nodded in satisfaction and continued, "And didn't you two agree to meet in the empty classroom on the fourth floor after breakfast to gather the information you've found and discuss a strategy? You haven't forgotten that, have you?" "Of course not!" Harry's spirits lifted, and his previous dejection vanished.

He picked up his fork and shoveled a handful of fried egg, sausage, and mashed potatoes into his mouth, chewing them heartily.

I need to eat quickly so I have the energy to work with everyone to sort out the data.

Dylan sat down next to Neville, looked at him, and smiled: "I told you, there's no need to be so nervous, it's just some trials."

Draco, Harry, and Dylan entered the empty classroom on the fourth floor almost one after the other.

As soon as I crossed the threshold, I saw that Cedric had already arrived.

He was bending down and moving the desks and chairs against the wall to the center of the classroom, piecing them together to form a temporary long table. Several rolls of blank parchment and quill pens were also placed on the table.

“My father was a great help.” Cedric saw them and placed a stack of parchment scrolls on the table. “He got a lot of information on Level 5X dangerous animals from the Department of Magical Creature Management and Control, and I’ve compiled it all.”

He picked up the top scroll and unfolded it, running his finger across the paper: "Among so many dangerous animals, fire dragons are probably the most likely. There are fire dragon reserves all over the world, so it's easy to mobilize them, and they have always been a common choice for high-difficulty tests."

As he spoke, he distributed the parchment to the other three men.

Harry and Draco took a look and couldn't help but open their mouths in surprise.

The paper was covered with dense writing, along with simple sketches.

From the types of fire dragons, their habitats, habits, and weaknesses, everything is included, which clearly shows that a lot of effort has been put into it.

“Cedric, these documents are incredibly detailed,” Dylan said, flipping through the parchment scrolls with admiration.

This is much more detailed than the information he found himself.

“It’s nothing really.” Cedric smiled shyly, his ears turning slightly red. “My dad has the files on hand, so collecting them wasn’t too difficult. It just took some time to copy and organize them. But it’s unrealistic to memorize all of these kinds of files. I think we should first select the most likely ones.”

"You mean, by combining the areas where each magic school is located, we should find representative dangerous animals?" Draco immediately understood his meaning and looked up at him.

“Yes, that’s what I think too.” Cedric nodded emphatically. “Didn’t Mr. Crouch say that the difficulty should be adjusted because of the increase in the number of warriors? Adjusting the difficulty will definitely take into account the preparation time. If we let each school’s region produce a dangerous animal, it would save time and be fair.”

“If it’s Durmstrang, it’s most likely the Swedish short-nosed dragon.” Draco looked down and flipped through the parchment, his finger pausing on a certain line. “There’s also the Norwegian spinal dinosaur. This kind of dragon is very common in Northern Europe and is also very aggressive, so it’s also a strong possibility.”

"As for Hogwarts," Harry added, glancing at the paper, "both the common Welsh green dragons and the Hebrides black dragons roam this area; they should be one of those two."

“Beauxbatons is in France, so the corresponding species should be the Hungarian Tree-Peak Dragon,” Dylan added, pointing to the sketch depicting the black dragon.

“No matter which type, fire dragons are not easy to deal with.” Cedric smiled wryly. “Especially these and the black dragons of the Hebdiri Islands, they are extremely troublesome.”

"The Hungarian Tree-Peak Dragon is the 'most dangerous fire dragon'?" Harry read the text from the brochure, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper. "Its scales can resist most magic, the spikes at the tip of its tail are poisonous, it has a particularly vicious nature, and it is extremely aggressive... It's actually fifty feet long?"

He looked up and gestured: "It's about four or five stories high, right? And its dragon breath range is fifty feet, it's practically a mobile attack fortress."

Putting down the parchment, Harry looked at the other three: "If we really encountered a dragon like that, the best way to deal with it would be..."

"Flying broomsticks!" Harry, Draco, and Cedric exclaimed almost simultaneously, their voices overlapping.

Cedric was taken aback at first, then couldn't help but laugh: "What a coincidence, it seems we're thinking the same thing."

"The main problem is that fire dragons have too few weaknesses, especially high-level fire dragons, where magic attacks are basically useless."

Harry scratched his head and explained, "Dylan said before that using a flying broomstick to deal with fire dragons is very convenient, and now it seems that it is indeed the best way."

"And the judging panel probably won't actually make us kill the dragon," Draco added confidently. "At most, it'll be like a selection test, where we have to dodge the dragon's attacks for a certain period of time, or complete a certain task to pass the test."

"Wait, I've figured out a key point!" Harry suddenly blinked, his eyes lighting up. "We seem to be Quidditch players! When it comes to riding flying broomsticks, the champions from other schools definitely can't compare to us. That's definitely our advantage!"

“I’m not,” Dylan said.

“Well, but Dylan, you’re way better than us, I know that,” Harry added.

Dylan shrugged.

“However, there’s something we must consider.” Draco suddenly spoke, his fingers gripping the edge of the parchment tightly, a clear look of disgust flashing in his slightly narrowed eyes, his tone filled with undisguised contempt. “That guy must have thought of that too.”

Harry nodded immediately, instantly understanding who Draco was referring to as "he".

—Karkarov of Durmstrang!
This guy is capable of even interfering with the Goblet of Fire, so there's no reason he wouldn't be interested in the project's content.

“Would they really go that far?” Cedric frowned, his tone full of confusion, tapping his fingers on the table. “After all, he’s the headmaster of a magic school; shouldn’t he have some sense of propriety?”

"Decent?" Draco scoffed, his outstretched hand gesture carrying an air of self-righteous mockery. "He's long since thrown decentty to the winds."

He glanced at Dylan and added, "Dylan becoming the so-called 'Fourth Group Warrior' was all Karkaroff's doing, wasn't it? It's just that everyone's saving face and hasn't said it outright. Anyway, with this kind of person, it's always best to think the worst."

Dylan blinked and looked at Malfoy.

This guy seems to know this all too well.

It seems they were influenced by what they saw and heard from a young age.

“What if Karkaroff objects?” Harry scratched his chin, his eyes filled with uncertainty. “Krum is Durmstrang’s hero. If the project benefits Quidditch players, Krum can benefit too.”

“Regardless of whether they try anything funny, let’s be fully prepared.” Dylan raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, his tone calm. “If the first project really is a fire dragon, and flying brooms are allowed, there’s one more crucial point we must pay attention to.”

"What point?" Harry, Draco, and Cedric asked almost simultaneously, their eyes all fixed on him.

“The size of the fire dragons.” Dylan didn’t keep them in suspense and went straight to the point. “The Hungarian Tree-Peak Dragon and the Norwegian Spinosaurus are about the same size, with an average length of fifty feet. The Hebrides Black Dragon is slightly smaller, but still thirty feet long. The Swedish Short-nosed Dragon averages twenty-five feet, and the common Welsh Green Dragon is eighteen feet long.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his wand, and a wisp of pale silver mist first emerged from the tip of the wand. Then the mist quickly spread and condensed in the corner of the classroom.

A coiled, misty fire dragon suddenly appeared, its wings pressed tightly against its sides, yet still occupying most of the corner.

Cedric instinctively took a half step back, Harry's Adam's apple bobbed as he quietly swallowed, and Draco's face instantly darkened.

Even though it was just made of mist, its massive outline still exuded a suffocating sense of oppression.

“This is a Swedish short-nosed dragon, about this size,” Dylan said, pointing to the misty fire dragon, his tone as calm as if he were describing an ordinary object.

“It’s huge…” Harry murmured, his eyes wide with shock. “And it’s huddled in a corner, its wings not even out.”

“This is only of medium size.” Draco took a deep breath, his tone filled with undisguised seriousness. “If it were a Hungarian Tree-Peak Dragon, it would be twice the size of this. Its wingspan alone would fill the entire classroom, wouldn’t it?”

“So we absolutely cannot let the dragon get close to us.” Cedric frowned, his finger tracing the section on dragon habits on the parchment scroll. “A mere flick of its claws or a sweep of its tail can cause considerable trouble, not to mention its breath.”

The three stared silently at the misty fire dragon in the corner, their eyes vacant, clearly simulating the scene of facing a real fire dragon in their minds.

How to take off quickly, how to dodge dragon breath, when to look for an opportunity to counterattack...

Only the sounds of breathing and the faint "flowing" of the misty fire dragon remained in the classroom.

“I might be able to offer some practical help.” Dylan waved his wand again, and the misty fire dragon in the corner instantly dissipated, leaving only a few wisps of light smoke.

"I have a lot of memories and insights about fire dragons that I can share with you."

"Share memories?" Cedric reacted, his tone hesitant. (End of Chapter)