Hogwarts: Starting with full Unforgivable Curses

Harry nodded quickly in agreement, adding eagerly, "Traditional Occlumency must remain active at all times to continuously protect our minds from invasion. If a 'mind barrier' based on positive emotions could exist continuously like a guardian angel, the defensive effect would definitely be much better!"

“There are often many common underlying logics between different types of magic,” Dylan continued. “What we need to do is find these commonalities and use them as bridges to make the originally complex magic easier to master.”

He began to explain the specific practice methods to Cedric, Draco, and Harry in detail: “We don’t need to forcibly clear our minds—that’s the biggest challenge for beginners. Instead, we can actively recall positive and pleasant memories, such as happy times spent with friends, the joy of success, the warmth of being protected by family… Use the strong emotions carried by these memories as ‘light’ to fill the ‘mind room,’ so that the entire mental space is filled with this positive emotion.”

This method is an innovative practice method that Dylan summarized by combining the defense logic of the Soul Labyrinth, the emotional driving principle of the Patronus Charm, and the continuous effectiveness of the traditional Occlumency. For the three who have already mastered the Patronus Charm, using this method to practice Occlumency will be much easier than the traditional method, and the entry threshold will be greatly reduced.

“Dylan, I remember there’s another crucial point about traditional Occlumency,” Harry said quickly, his voice tinged with concern, “that it requires continuous external stimulation. Only through constant external interference and testing can the user gradually adapt to the Occlumency state, develop a habit, and ultimately achieve a long-lasting effect. Does our simplified method also require such a step?”

Draco immediately offered a contrary opinion, his tone tinged with disdain: "Only the conventional Occlumency training method requires long-term external stimulation because it demands that the user forcibly suppress their emotions and thoughts, which is extremely difficult. Dylan's training method is so ingenious, do you think it needs to be as troublesome as the traditional method?"

“I just want to get it as quickly as possible!” Harry retorted immediately, his cheeks slightly flushed. “Of course I know this method is better, but the third project is urgent, and it’s always good to speed things up through practice!”

Dylan naturally knew why Harry was in such a hurry—his worry about Voldemort and his desire to protect those around him made him eager to master this defensive magic as soon as possible.

He waved his hand, picked up where the two were going, and said in a calm tone, "Once we are able to summon a physical guardian, the guardian itself will exist around us for a long time, becoming part of our mental defense. Draco is right. The Occlumency technique mastered in this way, even without relying on deliberate external stimulation and repeated practice, can gradually become a long-term effective defense as our emotions become firm and our beliefs are strengthened."

He then changed the subject, his tone softening: "However, you are indeed learning Occlumency together to prepare for the third project, so time is quite tight. It is entirely reasonable to use appropriate external stimuli to accelerate the learning process and help everyone adapt to the Occlumency state more quickly."

“Dylan, what method should we use to stimulate the external environment?” Cedric asked curiously. “We can’t really use Legilimency, can we? I remember the Ministry of Magic has very strict controls on Legilimency, prohibiting its use unless absolutely necessary.”

"It doesn't seem like a big deal, unless the Ministry of Magic checks the trajectory of each of our wands one by one." Draco shrugged and said casually, "Even if they do find out, we're just practicing defensive magic to prepare for the Triwizard Tournament, so they can't say much."

Dylan smiled and shook his head, saying, "The Ministry of Magic does stipulate that 'Levitation of Psychic or Veritaserum should not be used unless absolutely necessary,' but we don't need to violate these regulations. Since we can't use them directly, let's find some similar alternatives."

He continued, “I know of a spell that can simulate some of the effects of Truth Potion. By casting the spell once, the person will be temporarily affected by the spell and involuntarily reveal their truest thoughts. This spell will not harm the user, nor is it within the scope of the Ministry of Magic’s strict control, making it perfect as an external stimulus for practicing Occlumency.”

"There's such magic!" Harry's face immediately lit up with a delighted smile, his eyes filled with anticipation. "This is perfect for testing the effectiveness of our Occlumency spell! If we can successfully resist its effects, it means our defenses are working!"

“That’s what I was thinking too.” Dylan nodded.

As he spoke, he drew his wand and began to demonstrate the incantation technique to the three of them in detail. He lowered his wrist slightly and then quickly raised it, drawing a small arc with the tip of the wand, while clearly and firmly reciting the incantation.

He also deliberately slowed down his speech and repeated the pronunciation of the incantation several times to ensure that all three of them could accurately grasp the pronunciation and rhythm.

The three of them watched Dylan's demonstration intently, afraid of missing a single detail.

In the sunlight, the tip of Dylan's wand shimmered with a faint silver light, and as the incantation was uttered, a gentle yet firm magical aura filled the air.

They all understood that mastering this magic, combined with the previous simplified practice method, would make their learning of the Occlumency technique much more efficient.

After repeated practice and Dylan's patient guidance, Cedric, Draco, and Harry were finally able to perform the move skillfully.

They each waved their wands, chanted spells, and tested the effects on each other—each time a spell was cast, the cursed person would involuntarily utter a truth; the magical effect was stable and precise, fully meeting the standards required for practice.

After confirming that all three had mastered the technique, Dylan nodded and said in a calm tone, "Very good, you can all use this magic flexibly now. Next, we will use this magic as an external stimulus for the Occlumency spell to practice in real combat."

He paused, then clearly explained the practice method: "Actually, the specific method is very simple. Because the effect of magic can only last for a very short time and cannot force the other party to say more, we use a question-and-answer method to carry out the practice. The questioner first casts a spell on the questionee, and then immediately asks a question. The questionee needs to deliberately give a wrong answer that is contrary to the truth under the defense of Occlumency."

"Questions and answers?" Harry's eyes lit up, and he immediately realized the key point, pressing for an answer. "And then we have to lie? Use lies to counteract the magic's truth-for-truth effect?"

“Yes.” Dylan nodded affirmatively and explained further, “The direction of the questions can be chosen flexibly, without strict restrictions. For example, you can start with some obvious and uncontroversial basic questions, such as asking about the other person’s gender, academy, and grade, to adapt to the rhythm of the confrontation between magic and defense.”

“Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can ask more in-depth questions that require recall,” he added. “For example, what is the exact spell for a particular spell, or a knowledge-based question about key events or relationships in the history of magic. The person being questioned will also need to give the wrong answer. This way, you can both train your Occlumency defenses and solidify your previously learned magical knowledge—a win-win situation.”

"More in-depth questions?" A glint flashed in Draco's eyes, a meaningful smile playing on his lips, his tone tinged with amusement. "Doesn't that mean we can ask questions that involve personal secrets? Like where your hidden snacks are, or some little secret you don't want anyone to know?"

"Your smile is so wicked!" Harry immediately frowned, his eyes filled with vigilance, and he subconsciously took a half step back, his tone wary. "Draco, what exactly are you planning to do? Don't try to pry into other people's privacy!"

"Heh..." Draco didn't answer Harry's question directly, but just chuckled coldly, a sly glint in his eyes. He clearly didn't intend to reveal his true thoughts, and that look made Harry even more uneasy.

“I think Dylan’s suggestion is very comprehensive, and the direction of practice is also very reasonable.” Seeing this, Cedric quickly stepped in to smooth things over and ease the tension between the two. “It just so happens that we don’t have to take the regular academic year exams this year because we are participating in the Triwizard Tournament, so we may be a little rusty on many knowledge points.”

He chuckled and suggested, "Why don't we use this practice opportunity to test each other with magical knowledge questions? It'll be a good way to practice Occlumency, review what we've learned, and reinforce our memories, which will also help with the third project. What do you think of this idea?" Harry turned to Draco, his eyes still wary, and said reluctantly, his voice drawn out, "As long as he doesn't get any funny ideas, doesn't pry into other people's privacy, and only asks questions related to learning and magic, I have no objection."

“I should be saying that to you,” Draco retorted immediately, raising his eyebrows. “Gryffindors are always so curious. Don’t do anything out of line just because you’re curious during practice, like asking questions you shouldn’t.”

Dylan stood aside, smiling without saying a word, but secretly agreed with Draco's statement.

Gryffindor students are indeed quite curious, sometimes even beyond reason.

Draco may have said those words unconsciously, but Dylan felt that those words might become a seed, quietly planted in Harry's heart.

Once this seed of curiosity takes root and sprouts into a thriving obsession, given Harry's personality, he might very well cross the line during practice and try to use magic to ask about some private secrets in order to test his defenses.

However, this can also be considered a form of growth. As long as it's not excessive, appropriate exploration might allow him to grasp the essence of the Occlumency technique more quickly.

“Let’s begin now!” Cedric clapped his hands, breaking the brief silence, his tone filled with anticipation. “To avoid chaos, how about we decide on the order of asking and being asked questions? Dylan, would you like to join the practice? With you involved, our practice will definitely be more effective.”

He looked at Dylan with a sincere invitation in his eyes. After all, Dylan was the creator of this training method and the strongest person. With him joining, the training would not only be more challenging, but he could also provide timely guidance when they encountered problems, helping them to improve faster.

"No problem, I'll come with you."

The third project came soon.

Before we begin.

Harry pushed open the door with a mix of trepidation and anticipation, and the first figure that came into view instantly warmed his heart—it was none other than his godfather Sirius Black, whom he had been thinking about day and night!

Sirius Black still had that carefree and unrestrained look, wearing a dark leather jacket, with a bright smile and eyes full of concern for Harry.

Harry rushed over almost without hesitation and gave Sirius a big hug, so tight it seemed he wanted to pour all the longing he had felt these past few days into that embrace. His voice choked with barely suppressed emotion as he said, "Sirius! I knew you would come! I missed you so much!"

“Silly boy, how could I possibly miss your match?” Sirius hugged Harry tightly, patting his back gently with his hand, his tone full of affection and relief. “Seeing you getting stronger and stronger, I’m relieved.”

After releasing Sirius, Harry immediately caught sight of two other familiar figures out of the corner of his eye. His smile widened, and he exclaimed with delight, "Mrs. Weasley! Bill! It really is you! It's so good to see you here!"

“Harry, my child!” Mrs. Weasley strode forward, took Harry’s hand, her eyes full of affection. She looked Harry up and down and said warmly, “We’ve been following your competition closely. Your performance in the first event was outstanding! We couldn’t resist coming to cheer you on.”

Bill stepped forward, extended his hand, and shook hands firmly with Harry. With a gentle smile on his face, he said approvingly, "Charlie has already told me about your performance in the first project. You were so calm and collected in the face of the fire dragon and successfully completed the task. I'm so proud of you!"

"This is all thanks to me!" Sirius patted his chest, a hint of pride in his voice, and explained with a smile, "Dylan and the company I founded were sending people over to set up a 'visual projection screen' so everyone could watch the game live. I used my connections to get a spot to accompany them. I could have come directly by myself, but I figured you'd definitely want to see Molly and the others, so I gave my spot to Molly and came with the staff. It'll be a perfect surprise for you."

Harry was so moved he couldn't speak, and could only nod vigorously.

Just then, the other warriors also rushed into the conference room, making the already lively room even more bustling. Everyone greeted each other and shared their pre-match feelings, and the air was filled with an atmosphere of both tension and excitement.

Dylan arrived at the conference room.

Rita Skeeter was sitting on a sofa not far away, holding a quill pen and a notebook, staring at him sharply.

He asked with some surprise, "Ms. Skeeter, what are you doing here? Did the Daily Prophet send you to cover the game?"

Rita Skeeter shook her head, put down her quill, and said in a somewhat mysterious tone, "To be precise, I'm here on behalf of the Ministry of Magic, not as an official report from the Daily Prophet."

Dylan's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately realized the key point. He tentatively asked, "Did Minister Connelly Fudge send you here? Do you want me to write some good words to stabilize the current situation?"

“Yes.” Rita Skeeter nodded without hesitation, her tone tinged with sarcasm. “He’s probably clinging to the last straw, trying to hold on as long as possible.”

Dylan pressed further, "While news of Voldemort's resurrection hasn't fully spread, there are already some rumors circulating. The outcome of this Triwizard Tournament shouldn't have such a significant impact on the Ministry of Magic, right?"

“I’ve always preferred sensational, entertainment-oriented reporting. The infighting and power struggles within the Ministry of Magic,” Rita Skeeter shrugged casually. “Frankly, I don’t know much about it, and I’m not particularly interested.” (End of Chapter)