Hogwarts: Starting with full Unforgivable Curses

Filch could no longer contain his excitement; tears welled up in his eyes like a burst dam, rolling down his wrinkled cheeks and dripping onto the soft fur of Mrs. Lorris in his arms.

He opened his mouth and let out a long-suppressed wail, his voice hoarse yet full of power, as if he wanted to pour out all the grievances, resentment, and anger he had endured as a dud for decades.

The cries contained both a protest against the injustice of fate and the ecstatic joy of a dream come true. They echoed in the empty hallway, making one's heart ache upon hearing them.

Although Harry already knew Filch was a Squib, he was still somewhat bewildered by this sudden turn of events. He stood there, stunned, and subconsciously repeated, "Mr. Filch... can he cast a spell now?"

He grew up in his Muggle uncle's house and only had a superficial understanding of many common knowledge about the magical world. He didn't know what kind of despair and helplessness the word "squish" meant, so he couldn't immediately grasp the shock of this event.

"What? He can cast spells?" Cedric and Draco reacted very differently. They both widened their eyes almost simultaneously and shouted in unison, their faces filled with disbelief.

They grew up in a magical world, and the fact that "squirts cannot cast spells" was common sense ingrained in their bones—like the sun rising in the east and setting in the west, and water flowing downhill, it was an immutable law. For them, the idea that squids could cast spells was even more bizarre than a fairy tale!

Upon hearing Dylan's congratulations, Filch's crying did not lessen; instead, he cried even more unrestrainedly.

He wiped away his tears with his rough hands, choking back sobs, repeatedly saying, "Thank you... thank you, Dylan..."

Besides that, he could no longer utter a complete sentence.

Those two simple words contained his gratitude to Dylan, and even more so, his endless感慨 (gǎnkǎi, deep emotion/reflection) at finally breaking free from his fate.

Dylan looked at Filch, whose emotions had gradually calmed down, then turned to Harry and asked gently, "Harry, you asked me if I had time earlier. Is there something you need my help with?"

"Oh! Right!" Harry snapped out of his reverie and nodded quickly, his tone tinged with urgency. "I wanted to practice dueling with you. Mr. Bagman said that in the third event, warriors can attack each other, and I want to gain more practical experience before the competition so I won't be caught off guard."

"Who's in the mood to talk about a duel now?" Draco interrupted immediately, his eyes fixed on Filch, his tone full of urgent skepticism. "What's wrong with Filch? You're saying he can cast spells? How is that possible! This doesn't make any sense!"

In Draco's view, the shock of "squirts being able to cast spells" was no less than seeing an ordinary rooster suddenly turn into a rare phoenix. Even in the most absurd fairy tales, there had never been such a plot that defied the common sense of magic.

He simply couldn't believe that a Squirrel, deemed "without magical talent" by the magical world, could suddenly break free from his fate at such a young age.

“Why is it impossible?” Filch finally stopped wailing, leaving only intermittent sobs. He raised his head, his eyes filled with a hint of stubbornness and pride, and asked in return.

He carefully put Mrs. Lorris down from his arms, and the black cat immediately jumped lightly onto his shoulder and rubbed its head against his cheek, as if to cheer him on.

To prove his point, Filch pulled an exquisite wand case from his pocket, opened the lid, and inside lay a wand that was meticulously maintained and gleaming—the very same wand that everyone had previously mistaken for a "fake wand."

He stretched out his slightly trembling hand and gently lifted the wand, his fingertips turning white with excitement.

He took several deep breaths, trying to calm his turbulent emotions, until the trembling of his hands subsided, then he resolutely uttered the incantation: "Start bubbling!"

Cedric, Draco, and Harry immediately held their breath, their eyes fixed on the wand in Filch's hand.

Suddenly, a tiny bit of water light appeared at the tip of the wand, followed by a bunch of bubbles.

"This is... the Bubble Charm?" Draco was the first to react, his tone tinged with uncertainty.

He knew the spell, but he couldn't believe that Filch's "fake wand" could actually cast effective magic.

Seeing this, Filch's face broke into a childlike, triumphant smile. He wiped away the remaining tears from the corners of his eyes, raised his wand again, and loudly proclaimed, "Begin!"

This time, the light at the tip of the wand was even brighter, and then a bunch of bubbles bubbled up.

"awesome!"

Hearing Cedric's approval, Filch straightened his back even more, and Mrs. Lorris on his shoulder let out a proud "meow," as if she was proud of her master.

The atmosphere in the foyer completely changed; the previous solemnity and doubt disappeared, replaced by admiration and congratulations for Filch.

"Hahaha~ Dylan, I really did it!" Filch turned his gaze to Dylan again, his eyes, which he had just wiped away, quickly filled with tears again. The glistening teardrops shimmered in the candlelight, and his voice choked with emotion, filled with endless gratitude, "I really... I really don't know how to thank you! I've lived this long, and I never thought that I could actually do it, that I could cast magic on my own initiative. It's like an unreal dream!"

Dylan looked at his excited, incoherent state and smiled gently, his tone calm but firm: "Mr. Filch, I've always felt that your limits are not limited to this; this is just the beginning."

“My limits are more than this?” Upon hearing Dylan’s words, Filch was stunned for a moment, his face filled with confusion, as if he could not believe his ears.

Cedric, Draco, and Harry were all shocked and looked at Dylan with curiosity and doubt in their eyes. Filch was already a miracle that defied common sense to be able to break the fate of the Squirt and cast a spell. How could Dylan say that this was not his limit?
Filch quickly wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with his sleeve, took a deep breath, and asked with some urgency, "Dylan, I... I don't quite understand what you mean. Do you mean I can learn other magic? Or is there a more powerful use for this Bubble Charm?"

“Mr. Filch, please put your wand away.” Dylan did not answer directly, but gave a simple instruction.

“Okay! Okay!” Filch replied without hesitation, his face showing no doubt. He immediately put the well-maintained, shiny wand back into the wand case, and then carefully put the case into his pocket, his movements as gentle as if he were handling a rare treasure.

Seeing this, Dylan slowly drew his wand, pointed it towards the Forbidden Forest, and clearly uttered the summoning spell: "Deadwood, come!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a beam of silver light shot from the tip of the wand, slicing through the air in the hall and flying towards the Forbidden Forest. A short while later, a branch with a few withered leaves was magically drawn and slowly flew into Dylan's hand.

He turned around and handed the ordinary twig to Filch, saying earnestly, "Mr. Filch, please try to cast the Bubble Charm again with this twig."

“Use…use a branch?” Filch hesitated for a moment before taking the branch. His fingertips touched the rough bark, and a hint of hesitation crossed his face, but it was quickly replaced by determination. He gripped the branch tightly, took a deep breath, and once again chanted the incantation with a resounding voice, “Bubbles quickly!”

Cedric, Draco, and Harry immediately held their breath, staring intently at the branch in Filch's hand.

A faint light appeared at the tip of that ordinary tree branch, followed by a burst of bubbles.

"Oh my god! Bubbles! Bubbles! Bubbles faster!!" Filch felt the unusual movement of the branch in his hand, and his face showed an unbelievable joy. His tone was much more excited than before. He chanted the spell again, and more bubbles almost submerged the ground beneath their feet.

"What! No... no staff casting?" The three gasped simultaneously, their faces filled with shock, and Draco blurted out those three words without thinking.

They never imagined that Filch could not only cast spells, but also possess such advanced skills. It should be noted that casting spells without a wand is an extremely difficult challenge even for experienced wizards, requiring exceptional magical control and talent.

Filch looked blankly at the branch in his hand, then looked up at the three of them, asking with some confusion, "What is wandless spellcasting? Is it a very powerful kind of magic? I just recited the incantation based on my previous feeling."

“Wandless spellcasting is a very difficult spellcasting technique in the magical world,” Cedric quickly explained, his tone filled with admiration. “Simply put, it means casting spells without the aid of a wand, relying solely on one’s own magical talent and will. Many adult wizards may not be able to master this technique.”

"I actually mastered such a powerful technique?" Filch looked down at the branch in his hand, his eyes filled with disbelief. He gently stroked the bark with his fingers, as if trying to feel the magical power contained within.

"Dylan, could it be that I... I really have a chance to become a wizard? Like the other professors, like the students, a wizard who truly masters magic?"

"A Squib can not only cast spells." Draco's admiration faded, replaced by unprecedented seriousness. He frowned slightly, lost in thought. "...and might even be able to completely shed the identity of a Squib and become a true wizard? This completely overturns all common sense about magic."

As the heir to the Malfoy family, considerations of interests and values ​​have long been ingrained in his thinking.

Draco looked at Dylan, his tone a mix of probing and curiosity: "Dylan, what did you do to him? How did you manage to go this far? If your method were to be mass-produced, how much would it cost? Is it even possible to apply it on a large scale?"

"It's just some insignificant potions. If you only calculate the material cost of the potions needed for the ritual, it's actually not high. It won't exceed one hundred Galleons at most," Dylan replied calmly, his tone completely unwavering.

"It's...so cheap?" Draco opened his mouth in surprise, his eyes filled with disbelief. In his mind, any magic that could change fate and break the rules would inevitably come with a high price. One hundred Galleons wouldn't even be enough for him to buy a set of tableware!
"Because this is a combination of potion and magic, its core value does not lie in the ingredients themselves, but only in the human will; it will inspire the human will."

“I see…” Draco quickly calculated in his mind, taking into account the cost of materials, time, and special conditions. He nodded, “When you calculate it this way, the total cost is indeed not high, and it can even be said to be quite cost-effective.”

“But if you want a Squib to actually learn magic and become a real wizard, it will cost a lot,” Dylan said.

Filch interjected, his tone filled with determination and fervor, even a hint of resolve, "If it could make me a true wizard, even if only for a day, I would give everything, even my life!"

He gripped Dylan's sleeve tightly, his eyes filled with impatient longing, his voice hoarse with excitement: "Dylan, I've worked at Hogwarts for so many years, saving every penny to my name! I don't need much money! Tell me, what materials do you need me to buy? No matter how rare they are, I'll find a way to get them!"

“Mr. Filch, please calm down.” Dylan waved his hand gently, signaling him to calm down, and said sincerely, “I am still in the research stage of the formula to turn Squibs into real wizards. The current formula is still very dangerous, containing unstable magical energy. Using it rashly may cause unpredictable consequences. I need to further improve and perfect the formula to ensure absolute safety before I can try it.”

"Still...still very dangerous?" Filch's eyes dimmed for a moment, but quickly brightened again. He said urgently, "Dylan, I'm willing to cooperate with you in the drug trial! No matter how dangerous it is, even if it's life-threatening, I'm willing! I've waited for decades, and I really don't want to wait any longer!"

“Mr. Filch, I fully understand your desire to become a wizard, and I admire your courage.”

Dylan's tone remained gentle yet firm, unwavering in the slightest, "But please consider Mrs. Lorris's situation. If something were to happen to her during the drug trial, could you bear to leave her alone in this world?"

As if she understood Dylan's words, Mrs. Lorris lifted her head from Filch's embrace and called out softly to him.

"Meow--"

Her voice was gentle and tinged with dependence, and her eyes were full of reluctance.

Just then, a gentle and familiar voice suddenly came from one side of the hall: "Filch, Hogwarts also needs your help. We can't do without you, our responsible and dedicated administrator."

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Headmaster Dumbledore slowly walking up the stairs from the basement. He was wearing his signature robes and carrying an oil paper package. A sweet aroma wafted from the gaps in the package, and as he walked, the rich scent of eggs and milk filled the air, making everyone's mouths water.

"Today is the day the rules for the third project are announced. You just got back from the Quidditch pitch, right?" Dumbledore said with a kind smile, his gaze slowly sweeping over Dylan and his group. His tone was tinged with emotion. "Time really flies. In the blink of an eye, another school year is coming to an end. It's so nostalgic."

He walked up to the crowd and gently opened the oil paper package in his hand. Inside were golden and crispy egg and milk biscuits. The freshly baked biscuits were still slightly warm, and the sweet aroma instantly became even more intense, making people want to taste them immediately.

"How about it? Before you go back to rest, would you like to try some of the pastries I just baked? Consider it a way to cheer you on for the upcoming competition."

Dylan stayed and chatted with Dumbledore for a while.

After bidding farewell to Dumbledore and Filch, Harry headed towards the common room. (End of Chapter)