Hogwarts: Starting with full Unforgivable Curses

“Oh, right! There’s another interesting trivia.” Cedric’s eyes lit up as if he had suddenly remembered something. “The ‘Loch Ness Monster’ legend that has been passed down in the Muggle world is actually the Horse Monster in disguise. Many Muggles who claim to have seen the monster are actually seeing it in different disguises at different times.”

"Huh? The 'Loch Ness Monster' is actually a horse-shaped monster?" Harry's mouth dropped open in surprise, his tone full of disbelief. "But how would Muggles know about its existence? Hasn't the Ministry of Magic been hiding magical creatures all along?"

He recalled his time at his Uncle Vernon's house, where he had seen reports about the Loch Ness Monster on television. At the time, he thought it was just a rumor made up by Muggles. He never imagined that this "legendary monster" actually existed, and that it was a magical creature from the wizarding world.

“There’s nothing we can do about it, mainly because it’s too big.” Cedric shrugged helplessly and explained, “The Kelpie can grow to over ten feet tall when it’s an adult. With such a large size, it’s hard to completely hide its tracks in the lake, and it’s bound to be spotted by Muggles on the shore.”

“My dad has had to work overtime several times because of this horse-shaped water monster,” he continued, his tone tinged with helplessness. “It’s very aggressive; it not only attacks wizards but also frequently attacks Muggle ships. Plus, it’s huge and lives underwater, making it extremely difficult for the Department of Magical Creatures Control to control. They have to mobilize a lot of people every time.”

"The usual procedure is that the Department of Magical Creatures Control is responsible for driving away the kobold and leading it to a secluded body of water; then the Department of Magical Accidents and Disasters will immediately arrive at the scene, cast a forgetting spell on the Muggles who saw the kobold, and try to make them forget the relevant memories. Then, a 'rumor clarification' will be released through Muggle media to cover up the truth."

After introducing the Lombard Monster, Cedric turned to the next chapter to add other dangerous underwater creatures: "Besides these two, there are also the Selma Lake Monster and the Dakuwaga that need to be watched out for. The Selma Lake Monster mainly lives in the lakes of Norway, but it will occasionally migrate to other waters. It is extremely ferocious and will actively attack humans. Moreover, it has thick skin and flesh, and ordinary spells are difficult to harm it."

"Dakuwaga is similar to the Kelpie, also possessing the ability to transform, but its transformation ability is much weaker than that of the Kelpie. It usually only transforms into two forms—either a strange, humanoid creature with long, thin limbs and a blurred face; or it mimics the shape of a shark, swimming quickly in the water and attacking its target with sharp teeth."

“These are pretty much the creatures we need to focus on.” Cedric closed his book, let out a soft breath, and made a simple summary. “The three monsters, namely the Horse-shaped Lake Monster, the Selma Lake Monster, and the Dakuwaga, are all quite ferocious. They are strong and difficult to deal with, so we should try to avoid them and not provoke them.”

"As for the mermaids, Grindillo, and Loba worms, although they may not seem particularly strong individually, the mermaids possess intelligence comparable to humans and understand teamwork. If they take advantage of their numbers and unite to attack us, it will be more troublesome than encountering the horse-shaped water monster alone. We must be wary of this."

“However, we are not unprepared.” He changed the subject and began to review the countermeasures they had discussed earlier. “We have found an effective attack method – the Extraction Charm, which can be transformed into a high-temperature water column underwater. It should be very effective against creatures like Grindylow and Loba Worms. We also have Gillscapulae, which can solve the problem of underwater breathing and swimming. These are our advantages.”

“Oh right, there’s another important issue we haven’t considered—keeping warm.” Cedric suddenly realized, his tone becoming serious. “The second project is scheduled for March 1st. At that time, the water temperature in Black Lake will still be very low. The icy lake water will quickly deplete our energy and may even cause muscle stiffness, affecting our movement. If we don’t prepare for keeping warm in advance, even if we solve the breathing and biological threats, it will be difficult to complete the challenge.”

"We can't ignore the longhorned water snake either," Dylan added, his tone steady. "The first challenge already featured dangerous creatures like the leopard cat. Given the judging panel's approach to setting the questions, it's reasonable to include the longhorned water snake in the second challenge, since it's also a typical dangerous underwater creature."

“The longhorned water serpent is incredibly strong. Adult individuals are about the same length as the Lake Selma Monster, around ten feet, and are quite agile in the water,” Dylan explained in detail. “What’s more troublesome is that it also possesses some spellcasting abilities. It can use magic to manipulate the surrounding water flow, creating whirlpools or water arrows to attack its targets, making it very difficult to dodge underwater.”

“Ten feet…” Harry rubbed his messy hair, his voice full of anxiety. “Although it’s not as big as a dragon, encountering such a powerful and magical creature underwater is troublesome no matter how you look at it. You could easily get entangled by it.”

"As for the problem of keeping warm, I do have a feasible solution." Dylan changed the subject and introduced a new solution, "However, there is a prerequisite for using this method - you all need to master the Guardian Charm. Only the silver mist generated by casting the Guardian Charm can form a continuous warming barrier underwater."

"The Patronus Charm?" Draco blinked in surprise at the answer, his voice full of doubt. "I only know that this spell can drive away Dementors and transmit messages, but it can also be used to keep warm? And underwater?"

Although he had long since mastered the Guardian Charm through family training and could summon a complete silver doe, he did not know much about the deeper uses and principles of this magic.

He had previously searched through his family's library for related books, but found no record of "Guardian Angel Charms and Warmth," which made him even more curious about Dylan's basis.

Cedric and Harry, who were standing nearby, also reacted, with obvious curiosity showing in Cedric's eyes.

Harry's expression was full of anticipation. He had personally experienced the chill brought by the Dementors and also deeply felt the warmth brought by the Patronus Charm. He wanted to know what the connection was between the two and what made the Patronus Charm able to keep him warm underwater.

“We can start with some real-life phenomena, which will make it easier to understand.” Dylan organized his thoughts and said slowly, “Last school year’s experience is a good example. I don’t know if you remember it.”

"At the start of last school year, when we boarded the Hogwarts Express to go to school, we encountered Dementors on the way. They were ordered to search the train, which caused quite a commotion. You were all on the train at the time, so you must have experienced it firsthand, right?" His gaze fell on Draco, and he specifically asked, "Draco, do you remember what you felt when the Dementors entered the train carriages and began searching them one by one? Can you describe your feelings in detail?"

"Back then?" Draco frowned, closed his eyes, and tried to recall the scene. After a moment, he opened his eyes and said with a hint of lingering fear, "I remember it very clearly. As soon as the Dementors approached the carriage, I felt like I had fallen into an ice cellar in winter. My blood was almost frozen. There was a bone-chilling cold everywhere, and my body became stiff. It was even difficult to raise my hand."

He paused, his eyes darkening, and continued, "What was even more painful was what was in my mind. At the time, my mind was full of bad thoughts, all those negative emotions that I usually ignored, and all sorts of terrible memories, all of them came up uncontrollably. I didn't have a good summer vacation to begin with... cough cough."

"In short, when the Dementors were searching the carriages, not only did all the 'worst possibilities' surface, but they became even more terrifying—I even saw in my mind my father being tortured and dying in Azkaban, and I still can't forget that feeling of despair." Draco's voice trembled slightly as he said this, clearly indicating that the experience had left a deep psychological scar on him.

“I remember too! It was so cold!” Harry immediately chimed in, his voice full of empathy. “There was even a thin layer of ice on the windows of the carriage. It was summer, but it was so cold that you couldn’t help but shiver. What was even worse was that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t remember a single happy thing. My mind was filled with images of being chased by Voldemort and my parents dying. That feeling of helplessness was more unbearable than the cold.”

Seeing that they both shared the same feeling, Dylan nodded and began to guide them in deriving the principle: "You're absolutely right. Dementors are very special creatures. They are not only symbols of 'non-existence,' but also typical dark magic creatures. Their effects on the human body and the environment are very intuitive, which can help us understand the essence of dark magic—it steals happiness, creates chills, and makes life lose its vitality."

"Since Dementors have such negative effects, making us forget happy things and turning the environment cold and biting, have you ever considered that the Patronus Charm, the only effective way to drive away Dementors, might have the exact opposite effect?"

Harry's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had suddenly grasped the concept: "You mean! Since the Patronus Charm can counteract the Dementors' chill, it must inherently possess a warming property? And because it can bind together happy memories, this warmth can last, so it can also form a warming barrier underwater?"

“That makes sense.” Dylan looked at Harry approvingly, confirming his guess, then turned his gaze back to Draco. “Draco, you’ve mastered the Patronus Charm. Based on your usual practice experience, if you were to summarize, what method do you think is necessary to successfully cast the complete Patronus Charm?”

"Successfully cast the Patronus Charm..." Draco pondered for a moment, then, drawing on his countless hours of practice, slowly summarized, "I think the most crucial thing is to find a sufficiently strong positive memory—not just ordinary happiness, but the kind that makes you feel proud and honored. Then you have to fully activate that memory, let it fill your heart, and maintain that emotion, not letting it be disturbed by negative thoughts. Finally, you need to combine it with the correct incantation and wand movements to summon the complete Patronus."

"That's very accurate." Dylan nodded, his tone tinged with appreciation.

"So, what we need to do is fill our bodies with the power of the Patronus Charm, allowing it to fully unleash its light and heat, just like its name suggests, protecting ourselves from the inside out, dispelling the cold from the bottom of the lake, and resisting the dangers in the darkness?" Harry added, following Dylan's train of thought, his eyes shining with understanding.

Cedric suddenly understood and continued, "In other words, we don't need to summon the Guardian Angel to our faces and make it physical as usual. Instead, we let its power manifest in our hearts and exert its effect by 'filling ourselves.' After all, the Guardian Angel spell itself can reflect the heart, and as long as the inner belief is strong enough, the power will naturally continue to exist."

Upon hearing this, Draco suddenly thought of a crucial question and frowned slightly: "Dylan, I have a question."

If we were to fight magical creatures underwater, we would inevitably be distracted during the battle and unable to maintain focus on preserving that positive memory. Would the protection of the Patronus Charm suddenly disappear? And if we lost our protective barrier while fighting Grindelwald or the Kelpie, the consequences would be unimaginable.

“If it were on land, I really couldn’t guarantee that, as distraction could easily cause the spell’s power to be interrupted.” Dylan pondered for a moment, then said with certainty, “But this test is underwater, in a special environment, so I don’t think there’s any need to worry about that. The spell’s protection will be more stable than on land.”

"Why?" Cedric, Draco, and Harry asked simultaneously as soon as he finished speaking, their three eyes fixed on him, expecting further explanation. The underwater environment was clearly more complex, so why were the spells more stable? This was completely contrary to their common sense.

Seeing the three's anxious expressions, Dylan couldn't help but smile: "When we encounter problems we can't understand, we instinctively ask 'why,' which is actually a good way to explore the essence of magic. Have you ever thought that when a person faces mortal danger, the body triggers a hidden but powerful instinct, which is what we often call the 'survival instinct'?"

He gave an example to further explain: "For instance, if someone accidentally falls into the water and struggles in the water, the person in distress will instinctively try to pull on anything around them—whether it's a floating plank or a companion's arm. As long as they can grab onto something, they will never let go, even if they are exhausted. This is the 'survival instinct' dominating the behavior, doing everything they can to survive."

"Once we reach the bottom of the lake, we'll be surrounded by icy water. Our bodies will stiffen from the cold, and we'll face all sorts of unknown and dangerous creatures. In this environment, the 'survival instinct' will be even more pronounced and intense than usual!" (End of Chapter)