Hogwarts: Starting with full Unforgivable Curses

"I remember this creature is unusually large and has a rather violent temperament. Moreover, its magic resistance is stronger than that of the Bitboar. Ordinary attack magic is almost ineffective against it. Rather than wasting time getting entangled with it, we should find another way as soon as possible."

“You’re right,” Cedric agreed. “Hagrid also mentioned the Sphinx, which is relatively easy to deal with. As long as we can answer its riddles, it will let us pass without attacking us.”

“However, there is one thing to note,” Cedric emphasized. “If you can’t answer its question right away, never try to force your way past it, as that will only anger it. The best approach is to politely ask it to ask another question, or simply choose another route to go around it.”

As they discussed strategies for dealing with the various magical creatures, they quickened their pace and walked forward. Before they knew it, the massive outline of the Quidditch stadium had come into view.

Just as Hagrid had said, Ludobagman was already waiting at the stadium entrance. He was wearing a bright sports jacket, and when he saw Dylan and his group approaching, he immediately grinned and greeted them quickly, his voice as loud as ever: "Wow! It's so nice to see you all! I didn't expect you to be the first ones to arrive!"

"How are you all doing, warriors? With the third event getting closer, are you feeling nervous lately? Are you thinking about when the competition will start every day?" Bagman continued to talk on and on, not giving the others a chance to interrupt. "Back when I was playing for a professional Quidditch team, I was like this before every game. My mind was full of things about the game, and I couldn't calm down at all."

He then changed the subject, his tone tinged with envy: "It must feel pretty good not having to take the school year exams, right? You know, if it weren't during the competition, the schoolwork would be piling up like a mountain, making it hard for you to breathe. You wouldn't have time to prepare for the competition as leisurely as you do now."

Dylan, Harry, and the others simply stopped and politely greeted Bagman, without responding to his barrage of questions.

It must be said that Bagman truly deserves to be called a professional Quidditch commentator. Even though no one responded, he continued to talk enthusiastically, from Quidditch matches to the preparations for the Triwizard Tournament, until the other participating warriors arrived one after another. Only then did he finally stop the conversation and begin to invite everyone into the stadium.

Ludobagman remained standing there, talking non-stop, from the exciting moments of Quidditch matches to the preparation details of the Triwizard Tournament, speaking quickly and urgently, giving no room for anyone else to interrupt.

Harry couldn't stand the boredom any longer, so he automatically blocked out Bagman's voice and started looking around the Quidditch pitch.

The stadium was bathed in the soft moonlight at night, and the grass gleamed with a dark green sheen under the clouds. The stands in the distance stood silently, like huge black shadows.

Just then, he noticed that Dylan was tilting his head slightly, his gaze fixed on the distant depths of the field, his expression focused.

Harry followed his gaze and noticed that the once smooth grass now had streaks of varying depths.

These traces crisscross and cover the entire Quidditch pitch, intertwining to form a massive, bizarre geometric pattern with twisted yet orderly lines, exuding an indescribable sense of mystery.

“Dylan, what are these things on the ground?” Harry couldn’t help but move closer to Dylan, pointing at the strange marks with curiosity in his voice. “Could they be crop circles from those Muggle TV shows? I saw similar patterns on TV when I was at my uncle’s house during the summer vacation. They were about the same size and the patterns were really weird.”

“Crop circles are just traces left by moon idiots during their nocturnal activities, unlike this.” Draco chuckled, his gaze falling on the traces with a hint of inquiry in his eyes. “As for these patterns on the ground, judging from their shape and arrangement, they should be an alchemical magic circle.”

"An alchemical magic circle?" Harry gasped in surprise, his gaze returning to the marks. "Such a large alchemical magic circle? Are the organizers planning to forge a magical artifact right here?"

“If I’m not mistaken, this should be an alchemical magic circle unique to Beauxbatons School of Magic.” Dylan withdrew his gaze from the distance, looked down and carefully examined the patterns on the ground, and patiently explained, “Its core effect is not to create items, but to create a structure—a temporary magical structure, a venue specifically built for the third project.”

"Beauxbatons' alchemical magic circle?" Draco also looked surprised, opening his mouth like Harry, his tone filled with disbelief. "You can tell it came from Beauxbatons just from these marks on the ground?"

"Although the core principles of alchemy are similar across European countries, there are still many differences in the specific methods of application and details."

As Dylan spoke, he raised his hand and pointed to several key positions on the magic circle. “Especially French alchemy, because of the legacy of the legendary alchemist Nicolas Lemaire, Beauxbatons’ alchemical magic circle has unique patterns in its design and energy node arrangement, making it easier to trace its origins.”

He paused, then added, "You can pay attention to the intersections and the junctions of the curved patterns. Beauxbatons' alchemical magic circles will leave unique energy imprints in these places. Moreover, the more detailed and complex the patterns of this type of magic circle, the larger the scale and the more complete the function of the magical building it will create."

Just as the group was focused on discussing the alchemical magic circle on the ground, they heard footsteps and conversations in the distance.

Everyone looked up and saw Beauxbatons' warriors, along with several companions, walking towards the entrance of the Quidditch stadium.

Ludobagman immediately stopped his rambling, his face breaking into an even more enthusiastic smile. He clapped his hands vigorously and said in a booming voice, "Great! All the warriors are here! In that case, shall we officially begin our third event?" His gaze swept over each warrior present, and seeing everyone nodding in agreement, his smile grew even brighter, his tone filled with barely concealed excitement: "It's been truly a long and arduous journey! After overcoming the numerous challenges of the first two events, the 'Triple Crown Tournament' has finally reached its final stage!"

"This time, we have an unprecedented number of warriors. This is not only a recognition of your individual abilities, but also a reflection of the strength of the various magic schools behind you." Bagman's voice grew increasingly passionate and infectious. "The increase in the number of participants also means that the difficulty of the third project will increase accordingly. But I believe that both you warriors and the magic schools you represent have reached this point by constantly pushing your limits and challenging yourselves! I can't wait to see your brilliant performance in the final project!"

"Ahem! Alright, let's get back to the main topic!" Ludobagman cleared his throat, habitually raising his voice, his previously playful tone instantly turning serious. "The official competition for the third event will be held right here on this Quidditch pitch!"

He pointed to the massive alchemical magic circle on the lawn not far away, his arm drawing an arc in the air, his voice loud enough for every warrior present to hear clearly: "All of you warriors should see that alchemical magic circle, right? Right now it just looks like a bunch of complex, intersecting patterns, but on the day the third project officially begins, it will transform into a huge three-dimensional maze under the power of alchemy! And the final trophy of the Triwizard Tournament will be placed on the highest level of this maze, waiting for you all to fight for it."

"The trophy is placed on the top floor of the maze?"

Ludobagman turned to look at the group of warriors from Beauxbatons, his face breaking into a bright smile once again, his tone full of gratitude: "That's right! Here, we must especially thank Beauxbatons School of Magic for their generous contributions! The core venue for this competition was made possible by the alchemical support provided by Beauxbatons."

He noticed a strange look on the faces of several warriors, as if they were worried about the fairness of the competition, and quickly added, "Please rest assured, warriors! Although the core alchemy for creating the maze came from Beauxbatons, we have specially invited someone else to design the maze, which will absolutely guarantee the fairness of the competition."

"Thanks to Mr. Barty Crouch's connections, we have the privilege of having a friend from the Castelobuscher School of Magic who will be in charge of the design of the maze." Bagman's tone became increasingly solemn. "Because the preparation of this maze is so difficult and involves the efforts of many parties, we also have some special requirements for all warriors - during the competition, you must not cause any irreparable structural damage to the maze in any way."

“However, everyone can completely trust Beauxbatons’ alchemy; the sturdiness of this labyrinth is beyond imagination!” He paused, then emphasized a key rule, “In addition, the use of any flying magic or items is not allowed during the competition, including but not limited to flying brooms, levitation spells, and flight spells.”

Bagman raised his head, his gaze fixed on the cloud-shrouded night sky, his tone becoming serious and carrying an undeniable air of authority: "Please remember these two rules! If any warrior violates either of them, we will not hesitate to disqualify him from the competition, and we will show no leniency!"

Just as Bagman looked up at the sky and emphasized the seriousness of the rules, almost all the warriors present turned their heads at the same time, and their eyes fell on Dylan.

The rumor that Dylan once used powerful magic to split the Black Lake in two during the second project had already spread among students in various schools—it might be an exaggeration if one student said so, but all the students who witnessed that scene unanimously agreed that it was not a rumor, but a real event.

The rules now explicitly prohibit destroying the maze and flying, and it's clear to anyone with eyes that these two rules were practically tailor-made for Dylan.

"Tsk." Draco scoffed, his tone full of disdain. "Here we go again. Do they really think they can make their school's warriors win the championship with these targeted rules? How naive."

This time, Harry was unusually on the same page as Draco. He nodded slightly, thinking that these rules were actually not a real constraint on Dylan. With Dylan's strength, even if he couldn't destroy the maze or fly, he would surely find other ways to pass the competition smoothly.

Dylan felt the gazes coming from all directions, but he simply shook his head slightly, a faint smile appearing on his face, showing no concern whatsoever.

"Ahem! Warriors, please refocus your attention!" Ludobagman coughed twice again to draw everyone's attention back to him. "In addition to the terrain and rules, the maze will also contain various intricately designed traps and some dangerous magical creatures."

"To ensure fairness, the placement of these traps and magical creatures will not officially begin until the day the third project starts."

Bagman explained in detail, "Furthermore, during the setup process, all the referees will be present to supervise and inspect the entire process, and will make final adjustments to the trap's restriction level and the placement of the magical creatures based on the actual situation, to ensure that no school secretly sets up an advantage or obstacle."

The warriors nodded in understanding, realizing that the referees' intention was to create a relatively fair playing environment so that each warrior could compete based on their own abilities.

Ludobagman continued, "There's one last thing I need to remind everyone—after you successfully find and obtain the trophy, you need to hold it for a full five minutes before you can use the magic associated with it to leave the maze directly. These five minutes are both the final test of your strength and to ensure the fairness of the competition."

“Absolutely correct!” Ludobagman clapped his hands, his face beaming with excitement. “This trophy is not only a symbol of the champion, but also a specially made key! As long as you hold the trophy for five minutes, it will automatically trigger magic and teleport you directly to the champion's podium, saving you the trouble of the journey!”

"We need to hold the trophy for a full five minutes?" The Durmstrang School of Witchcraft and Wizardry warrior immediately grasped the crucial information. His eyes flickered, and his tone carried a hint of probing. "Mr. Bagman, do you mean that during these five minutes of holding, we can also..." (End of Chapter)