Hogwarts: Starting with full Unforgivable Curses

“Mr. Schmidt, your guess is absolutely correct!” Ludobagman nodded with a smile before he could finish speaking, his tone carrying a hint of deliberate exaggeration, “It’s not just the stage of holding the trophy. From the moment the third project officially begins, all the warriors can attack each other and compete! That’s why we need more comprehensive protection measures.”

He paused, then explained, "This part of the protection work will be entirely handled by Durmstrang School of Witchcraft and Wizardry—after all, Durmstrang has considerable experience in defending against and dealing with dark magic. At the same time, the Ministry of Magic will also send specialists to participate in the inspection to ensure that all protective measures are effective and that there are no oversights."

Upon hearing the words "can attack each other" and "dark magic," the warriors present fell into a brief silence. A sense of solemnity seemed to permeate the air as everyone digested this sudden rule, their expressions varying.

“Mr. Bagman,” Beauxbatons’ warrior Adele Lefebvre broke the silence first, her brow furrowed and her tone tinged with skepticism, “You mean, during the competition, warriors are not only allowed to attack each other, but they can even use dark magic to attack? Isn’t that far too dangerous?”

"Regarding this, we actually need to abide by the general dueling rules." Ludobagman scratched the back of his head, a hint of hesitation on his face, and his tone became ambiguous. "Simply put, it means that you can use dark magic... but I personally don't particularly recommend that everyone do so. I remember there was some relevant explanation before, which basically said that if you are not capable enough to control dark magic, it is best not to use it lightly, so as to avoid causing unnecessary trouble."

This ambiguous explanation caused the three Durmstrang warriors to purse their lips in unison, their faces showing obvious displeasure.

They came from a school renowned for its research in black magic, and Bagman's words undoubtedly implied that their area of ​​expertise was "dangerous and difficult to control," which offended them.

Bersbarton's other warrior, Fleur Delacour, raised her delicate eyebrows, a hint of sarcasm in her eyes, and her tone became arrogant: "Mr. Bagman, such a vague explanation is hardly convincing. If even the rules aren't clearly defined, how can the fairness of the game be guaranteed?"

"Wait a minute!" Harry suddenly realized a crucial question and quickly asked, "The Unforgivable Curse also falls under the category of Dark Magic, so can such a spell be used in the competition?"

“How could that be!” Ludobagman waved his hands hastily, denying it urgently, beads of sweat already forming on his forehead. “The Unforgivable Curse is absolutely forbidden! As for the scope of black magic… well, I don’t really remember clearly, but it seems like some relatively mild black magic is allowed…”

Which part specifically is referred to as "a portion"?

"Is there a clear list or defining criteria? We can't just judge based on our feelings, can we?"

“Uh… this…” Ludobagman’s face turned pale, beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks, he rubbed his hands together, and looked around in a panic. “Let me think… there were indeed relevant documents before…”

Seeing Bagman's helpless expression, Draco nodded slightly, his tone carrying a hint of knowing sarcasm: "That's how he should be. Once he steps out of his comfort zone as a Quidditch commentator, he becomes so pathetic when faced with these rules that require strict definition."

He turned to look at the Durmstrang warriors beside him, a cold smile playing on his lips: "Look at those Durmstrang guys, their faces are full of schadenfreude. I bet they already knew the specific rules for using dark magic, maybe these rules were the result of their negotiation with the organizers."

Just as Bagman was being pressed and was finding himself in an awkward position, Dylan spoke slowly, his tone calm yet authoritative: "Mr. Bagman, you could actually discuss with the warriors of Durmstrang and ask them to provide a list of permitted black magic spells."

“Normally, protective measures against black magic focus on weakening its power and reducing its destructiveness. Since Durmstrang is in charge of protection, they must know which black magic is within their control.” He paused, then added, “As for common dueling agreements, the core principle is quite clear: if black magic is used to render the opponent incapable of resistance, then after the duel ends, the user must immediately provide the corresponding counter-spell to ensure the opponent does not suffer long-term harm.”

“That’s right! That’s it! That’s the principle!” Ludobagman nodded hurriedly, as if grasping at a lifeline, looking at Dylan with gratitude in his eyes. “Dylan is absolutely right! After defeating an opponent using dark magic, you must unconditionally provide a way to counter it, ensuring that the effects of the dark magic can be completely eliminated!”

He took a deep breath, his tone becoming serious again: "I must emphasize one point: if someone uses dark magic and cannot undo its effects on their opponent, then even if they ultimately win the trophy, our judging panel will not hesitate to disqualify them from the competition! You must all keep this in mind!"

"If this really happens, what happens after disqualification? Will the competition be reorganized, or will another method be used to determine the final winner?"

“Of course, we’ll play again!” Ludobagman answered immediately, afraid of being stumped again.

The warriors' gazes all fell on Bagman, their eyes filled with a variety of emotions—questioning, dissatisfaction, curiosity… This made Bagman feel a little uneasy. He subconsciously took a half step back and asked in an unnatural tone, “Do you… have any other questions to ask?”

Fleur Delacour's eyebrows never relaxed. She took a step forward, her tone becoming increasingly arrogant: "Mr. Bagman, you only mentioned that using dark magic does not offer a counter-spell. What about other violations? For example, deliberately destroying a labyrinth, secretly using flight, or attacking an opponent who has already lost the ability to fight back. Are there any clear penalties for these behaviors?"

"Of course!" Ludobagman's forehead was already soaked with sweat, beads of sweat streaming down his cheeks. He raised his hand and wiped it haphazardly, saying in a hurried tone, "If any warrior violates the rules, such as deliberately damaging the maze, using flight without permission, or attacking an opponent who is unable to fight back, then that warrior's team will have to enter the maze thirty minutes later than other teams! That's the corresponding punishment!"

"So what about the scores we got for the first two projects?" Draco raised an eyebrow, his tone slightly sarcastic. "We can't expect all those hard-earned scores to be completely useless for the third project, can we?"

“Of course it will be useful!” Bagman nodded quickly, wiping the sweat that kept pouring from his forehead. His tone finally became a little more stable. “The cumulative scores of the first two projects will directly determine the order in which you enter the maze. The team with the highest score will enter the maze first; then every five minutes, the teams with the second and third highest scores will enter in turn.”

"Oh right! I almost forgot to tell you!" He suddenly slapped his forehead, as if he had remembered some crucial information, "You will enter the maze from different entrances, which means that at the beginning of the competition, all warriors will be separated, similar to the grouping model of the second event. This will ensure the fairness of the competition to the greatest extent."

"This time, unlike the first competition, we won't be stripped of our wands, will we?" Durmstrang's warrior asked with a hint of wariness, arms crossed. "No, not this time!" Bagman immediately shook his head, stating confidently, "However, for the sake of fairness and safety, you can only bring wands into the maze. No other magical items are allowed, similar to the rule for the first competition."

“There’s one more important thing!” Bagman spoke again, his gaze specifically directed at Dylan. “Because Hogwarts is a special case, if Mr. Dylan Hawkwood finds the trophy first, he can’t lift it up by himself alone. He needs two more people, and the three of them together, to lift the trophy.”

He raised his hand and scratched the back of his head, his eyes darting around as if trying to recall if he had missed any rules: "That's about it. Do you have any questions?"

“Mr. Bagman, you just said that we need two more people to lift the trophy,” Dylan asked calmly. “Are there any restrictions on these two people? Do they have to be other champions from Hogwarts, or can they be champions from any participating team?”

"Well... I don't recall there being any specific restrictions."

Bagman scratched his head again, his tone becoming somewhat uncertain. "Theoretically speaking, anyone should be able to participate. How about this, I'll check with the judging panel for you later, and then tell you the specific answer before the competition starts, okay?"

Dylan nodded slightly and replied politely, "Then I'll have to trouble Mr. Bagman."

"No trouble at all! No trouble at all!" Bagman grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, then turned to the other warriors and asked again, "Does anyone have any other questions? If not, that concludes today's rules explanation."

Seeing that the warriors present all shook their heads and did not ask any new questions, Bagman finally breathed a sigh of relief, a look of relief appearing on his face, as if a huge burden had been lifted: "Great! Then you can go back and rest now. I wish you all satisfactory results next month!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around impatiently and was the first to run towards the Quidditch stadium exit. His movements were so swift that he was nothing like the flustered rules explainer from before. He left a group of warriors looking at each other in bewilderment, watching his hurried figure disappear into the night.

"Heh!" Draco chuckled, his tone laced with sarcasm. "It seems that all he's managed to maintain over the years is his physical fitness as a professional athlete and his incessant commentary skills. His ability to handle practical matters is utterly terrible."

"The competition actually allows warriors to attack each other," Harry said, his tone revealing an undisguised eagerness, his eyes lighting up. "Does that mean the third challenge is going to be even more difficult?"

“I think that’s true.” Cedric nodded and said in a serious tone, “After all, we not only have to face the dangerous magical creatures in the labyrinth, but also have to be on guard against attacks from other warriors. If we are not careful, all our efforts may be in vain.”

“Mr. Bagman also mentioned that there are various unknown traps set up inside the maze,” Harry added. “The scene is expected to be quite chaotic, so we must be fully prepared in advance.”

The group discussed the rules of the competition as they walked toward Hogwarts Castle.

Back in the castle foyer, Harry turned to Dylan, his voice tinged with anticipation: "Dylan, do you have time later? Or perhaps we could..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a burst of excited shouts.

"I did it! I did it!" Filch's voice came from the other side of the hall, his tone full of barely suppressed joy, and with a noticeable sob.

Dylan, Harry, and the others immediately looked in the direction of the sound and saw Filch walking briskly out of the corridor, holding Mrs. Lorris tightly in his arms. The black cat nestled obediently in his arms, its tail gently brushing against his arm.

Filch's face was flushed, and his eyes were glistening with tears; he was clearly extremely agitated.

He spotted Dylan in the crowd at a glance, and as if finding an outlet for his emotions, his pace suddenly quickened. He rushed towards Dylan with an astonishing speed beyond his years, his voice choked with even more emotion: "Dylan, I...I did it! I...I can finally...can..."

Despite his best efforts to finish his sentence, he was interrupted by the overwhelming emotions that welled up inside him, and tears unknowingly streamed down his cheeks.

Those were tears of joy, tears that contained years of anticipation and perseverance, which had finally come true.

This was the first time Harry had ever seen Filch so distraught. His face was full of curiosity. He quietly tugged at Dylan's sleeve and whispered, "Dylan, what's wrong with Mr. Filch? He seems so excited. Did something particularly happy happen?"

Seeing Filch's speechless excitement, Dylan smiled gently and said confidently, "I think he has successfully cast the spell. Congratulations, Mr. Filch! You have finally achieved your wish." (End of Chapter)