Hogwarts: Starting with full Unforgivable Curses

"Did the mysterious man do this on purpose? He deliberately suppressed the reaction of the Black Demon Mark, not wanting us old subordinates to know that he has been resurrected?"

Having figured this out, his thoughts became much clearer, but his brows furrowed again, and his tone was filled with new confusion: "Could it be... that this is Headmaster Dumbledore's purpose? He must have already guessed that the Black... Mysterio had other plans after his return, which is why he kept him in hiding and didn't take immediate action?"

“But something’s not right…” His brows furrowed, his eyes filled with confusion. “If Headmaster Dumbledore already knew that the Black… the mysterious man had returned, why did he still send people to monitor those… my old friends? Since the mysterious man didn’t want to alarm them, they shouldn’t have made any moves so easily.”

Dylan pursed his lips, not answering immediately.

He couldn't be bothered to discuss these things with Lucius Malfoy.

Thinking of this, Dylan said, "Mr. Malfoy, you don't need to worry too much about these deep-seated plans and arrangements. Just leave them to us. I am the most outstanding young wizard of our time, a fact recognized by many wizards. To a certain extent, I also represent Professor Dumbledore. So what you need to do most now is to take care of yourself and your family and not let the past get in the way."

He listened intently and faintly heard the sounds of voices and footsteps coming from the direction of the castle. It was clear that the students had finished assembling and were heading towards the Quidditch pitch. "I think we've had enough time to talk. The third project is about to start, and I need to hurry over and get ready."

Ludo Bagman stood at the entrance to the Quidditch pitch, hands in his pockets, looking around listlessly.

In the darkness, he occasionally kicked at the gravel under his feet, then looked up at the stadium interior, where the lights were gradually coming on; he was clearly getting impatient.

Just then, he caught sight of Dylan approaching from a distance. His eyes immediately lit up, and the weariness on his face vanished instantly. He quickly went to greet him, his tone exaggeratedly enthusiastic: "Dylan... is it alright for me to call you by your name so directly?"

Dylan nodded in response, his tone calm: "Mr. Bagman, of course, no problem, no need to be so formal."

"That's great!" Ludo Bagman's face immediately lit up with a bright smile, and he patted Dylan on the shoulder. "We have to hurry, you know how old Barty is, he's very particular about time. If we're any later, he'll probably start nagging and frowning!"

Dylan followed Ludo Bagman quickly into the Quidditch pitch.

A standard Quidditch pitch is usually an oval field 150 meters long and 50 meters wide, roughly the size of a Muggle soccer field. But the scene before his eyes far exceeded his expectations. In the center of the field stood a huge rectangular building, comparable in size to a small hill, occupying almost half of the field. Its enormous size was awe-inspiring.

The building is constructed from square, pale gold stones, which fit together perfectly without any gaps, making it resemble an ancient and solemn temple from a distance.

Dylan suddenly remembered what Ludo Bagman had mentioned before: the construction of the maze was to be handled by Beauxbatons, but in order to ensure the fairness of the competition, the design work was to be given to the Castellobusher School of Magic.

He also knew about the school. The book recorded that before the Wizarding World War broke out, there were frequent academic exchanges and friendly relations between Castelobsha and Hogwarts. The school was located deep in the tropical rainforest of Brazil, and its castle itself was built of huge stones in the style of an ancient temple, full of mystery and solemnity.

Clearly, the architects of Castelobusch cleverly incorporated the architectural style of their school into the design of this maze, resulting in a maze that is both imposing and distinctive.

"It's absolutely spectacular!" Ludo Bagman rubbed his hands together, his face beaming with excitement. He looked as if he weren't a referee but one of the warriors about to take the stage. "I never expected Beauxbatons to be so willing to invest! But thinking about it, it's not surprising. In my memory, Beauxbatons has always been incredibly wealthy, with a very substantial fortune!"

As he led the way, he kept rambling on and on: "During the Quidditch World Cup final, I was in charge of patrolling the camp and I saw with my own eyes that Beauxbatons brought a huge group of students to watch the game. The lineup was so impressive that it made people envious! Unlike us, we have to carefully budget every time we go out. It's true that different people have different fates!"

As Ludo Bagman muttered his musings, spectators poured into the Quidditch stadium from various entrances. When they saw the magnificent maze-like structure in the center, they exclaimed in a chorus of gasps. The once quiet stadium instantly became noisy, filled with chatter and cheers, creating an atmosphere of fervent anticipation.

Dylan's gaze swept across the edge of the pitch and he noticed a makeshift tent standing in front of the Quidditch players' locker room. The tent flap was slightly pulled open, and several familiar figures were peering out from inside. Without a doubt, it was Harry, Cedric, and Draco.

Ludo Bagman noticed this too, and said to Dylan with a smile, "Look, Dylan, they're definitely waiting for you! Hurry up and go, don't keep the lads waiting."

Just as Ludo Bagman had said, as soon as Dylan lifted the tent flap and walked in, Harry and Draco asked in unison, "What does he want with you?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, both of them froze, then glared at each other. A subtle competitive atmosphere instantly filled the air. Harry pursed his lips and remained silent, while Draco, looking somewhat uneasy, broke the silence first, asking with a hint of uncertainty, "Dylan, my dad... he didn't ask about my performance in the first two projects, did he? Did he say anything in his opinion?"

“Uh, no.” Dylan shook his head, casually avoiding the core topic and simply glossing over it. “He just chatted with me about my recent life, nothing else. By the way, did Mr. Crouch come over to give me any instructions?”

“He told us to wait here for a moment,” Harry replied immediately, a hint of anticipation in his eyes. “He said that staff from the Ministry of Magic would be coming, and once they arrive, we can draw lots to determine the entrance and order to the maze.”

"By the way! Dylan, did you see that maze just now?" Harry's expression instantly brightened, his tone full of amazement. "I really didn't expect it to be such a huge spectacle! It's almost the size of a Muggle football field, much more magnificent than I imagined!"

“Yes, it is indeed incredibly large.” Cedric nodded in agreement, his tone tinged with caution. “However, the larger the maze, the more complex its structure will be, and the more challenging the traps and obstacles will likely be. We must be extra careful.”

“That’s true…” Harry’s excitement faded a bit, his brows furrowed slightly, and his tone carried a hint of worry. “I really don’t know what unexpected traps are set inside, or what those magical creatures might be particularly dangerous.”

"Don't worry, we've made all the preparations." Dylan smiled and reassured the three of them, noticing their slightly tense expressions. "We successfully navigated the first two challenges, and we'll do the same this time. Just like Mr. Crouch said, we just need to give it our all, fully demonstrate our magical abilities, and leave ourselves with no regrets."

As the audience entered the venue one after another, the cacophony of noise seemed to penetrate the fabric of the tent as if it were a tangible force. Cheers, chatter, and footsteps mingled together, creating a continuous, surging sound in the air.

The warriors inside the tent showed a shift in expression. Their initial anticipation was gradually replaced by obvious tension. They all knew perfectly well that the increasingly loud noise clearly indicated one fact—the third event of the Triwizard Tournament was truly about to begin. Several soft armchairs were neatly arranged inside the tent for the warriors to rest and wait, but apart from Dylan and Draco, none of the other warriors were inclined to sit down.

Harry and Cedric paced back and forth in the tent, their steps hurried and slightly disordered. Every now and then, they would raise their hands to stroke their wands or take deep breaths to calm themselves. Most of the other school's warriors also looked solemn. Some lowered their heads and silently chanted spells, while others clenched their fists, clearly making final mental preparations for the upcoming challenge.

Dylan sat in an armchair, wand in hand, the tip of which rested lightly on a magic metal plaque peeking out of his pocket. His fingertips slowly caressed the cool surface of the plaque. His expression was calm, as if the clamor of the outside world had nothing to do with him. In reality, he was secretly sensing the magical fluctuations of the metal plaque while sorting through information about the Dark Mark in his mind.

On the other side, Draco was also sitting in an armchair, but his posture was quite stiff. He seemed to be leaning back completely, but his back was taut and straight. His hands were gripping the armrests tightly, his knuckles were slightly white, and his legs were shaking uncontrollably, revealing the tension and unease deep in his heart.

After all, this is the ultimate challenge that determines the school's honor, and there is no room for carelessness.

Just then, the tent flap was suddenly flung open, and four staff members dressed in Ministry of Magic uniforms walked in.

The lead staff member was carrying a bulging dark blue velvet bag, which was obviously filled with the lottery equipment. They first spoke a few words in hushed tones with Ludo Bagman, explaining some matters related to the event. Then Barty Crouch turned around first and left the tent with a serious expression, obviously to make final preparations at the front.

"Alright, warriors, it's time to draw lots!" Ludo Bagman rubbed his hands together, a smile of excitement on his face, and called out to the warriors inside the tent, "Everyone, gather around, we'll determine the entrance to the maze shortly!"

He paused, then reiterated the rules: "Old Barty should have already told you all that this maze has eight entrances in different directions. To ensure fairness, you need to draw lots to decide which entrance you will enter the maze from to start the challenge."

Upon hearing Ludo Bagman's words, the Ministry of Magic employee carrying the velvet bag immediately stepped forward, deftly untied the bag's straps, and opened the bag to reveal a series of smooth, round wooden balls inside.

“We will draw lots in order of our combined scores from the first two projects!” Ludo Bagman raised his hand, his gaze first falling on Dylan and his group, and greeted them warmly, “Hogwarts warriors, you have the highest scores, so please draw lots first!”

Dylan, Harry, Draco, and Cedric exchanged glances, then stepped forward and took turns reaching into the velvet bag.

They rummaged through the bag for a moment, each taking out a small wooden ball, and turned to show it to Ludo Bagman and the Ministry of Magic staff.

“Very good! Very good!” He pointed to the three Ministry of Magic employees waiting beside him and said to the four of them, “Follow these gentlemen to the corresponding entrances and wait. They will tell you the details of the subsequent instructions. Next, it’s time for the champions of Beauxbatons to draw lots!”

Led by three Ministry of Magic employees, Dylan and his three companions lifted the tent flap and stepped out. As soon as they appeared, the Quidditch stands erupted in a deafening roar of cheers.

"Harry!"

"Harry!"

"Harry!"

"Dylan!"

"Dylan!"

"Dylan!"

"Cedric!"

"Cedric!"

"Virtue!"

"Cedric!"

Shouts rose and fell, echoing through the night sky. Countless waving arms formed a sea under the lights. Hearing the enthusiastic shouts from the audience, Harry, Draco, and Cedric became increasingly nervous, their cheeks flushed slightly, and their pace quickened unconsciously.

Only Dylan remained calm, merely nodding slightly towards the stands as a response to the audience's enthusiasm.

"Please follow me, everyone." The Ministry of Magic staff member leading the way said in a low voice, "You will need to wait patiently at your respective entrances. The stone doors at the entrances will open automatically when the competition officially begins."

He added, “Once the stone gate opens, it means the third challenge has officially begun! You need to enter the maze immediately to begin the challenge. Remember, you are the first team to enter. The next school’s warriors will enter the maze five minutes later, so you have a five-minute lead, so make the most of it.”

At this point, he suddenly lowered his voice, coughed lightly a few times, and cautiously glanced to both sides to make sure no one from other schools was present. Then, with a solemn expression, he said, "Good luck! You must keep the championship trophy at Hogwarts! The entire Ministry of Magic is cheering you on, and we believe you will live up to our expectations!" (End of Chapter)