Hogwarts: Starting with full Unforgivable Curses

"Owl?" The word "owl?" was like a thunderclap, instantly silencing the audience who had been chatting enthusiastically. Everyone stopped their discussion and turned their heads in unison to focus their attention on the screen displaying Dylan's figure, their faces full of surprise and confusion. The answer seemed abrupt and had nothing to do with the many descriptions in the riddle. For a moment, no one could figure out the logic behind it.

"Correct answer!" A hint of approval flashed in Sphinx's eyes, and a friendly smile spread across his face.

It slowly stood up, its massive body moving to the side, steadily retreating to the wall of the passage, making way for Dylan to reach the seventh floor.

"It's 'Owl'!" Ron in the audience slapped his thigh and exclaimed in sudden realization, his voice filled with barely concealed excitement. "No wonder the Sphinx mentioned 'things you'll be annoyed about and need to work hard to accomplish' at the end! This is clearly a hint at the Common Wizarding Level (OWL) exams! The official exams aren't until the end of next school year, but since the beginning of this semester, the professors have been constantly adding assignments and giving mock exams, it's driving everyone crazy!"

Ron's words were like a key, instantly unlocking everyone's thinking.

After Dylan revealed the answer, most of the Hogwarts students, including Hermione, gradually figured out the specific logic behind solving the puzzle.

The core difficulty of this puzzle lies in the excessive number of distractors. However, as long as you can accurately distinguish which descriptions are distractors and which are key hints, it is not difficult to deduce the answer.

While Dylan successfully solved the Sphinx's riddle and steadily made his way to the seventh level of the maze, Cedric, Draco, and Harry were still exploring the passageway on the fifth level.

Unlike the first four levels, which are made of solid, massive stones, the labyrinth’s structure changes completely from the fifth level onwards. The cold, hard stone walls disappear, replaced by dense, fiercely growing thorns and hedges.

These thorny bushes have thick branches covered with sharp barbs, while the hedges grow tall and straight, their branches and leaves intertwined, forming natural barriers that further divide the passage into a complex and seemingly endless network.

Draco stopped first, frowning as he surveyed his surroundings. He reached out and cautiously touched the thorns beside him; the barbs instantly cut his fingertip, drawing a bead of blood.

He abruptly withdrew his hand, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes, before falling into deep thought.

Although the stone walls of the first four levels are thick, they do not actively hinder progress. The thorns and hedges are not only strangely shaped, but also seem to contain some kind of magical energy, faintly exuding a dangerous aura.

Suddenly, Draco seemed to realize something, and a glint of inspiration flashed in his eyes.

Without further hesitation, he raised his wand high, his arm outstretched, pointing towards the sky, and clearly and forcefully uttered the spell: "Flash!"

As soon as he finished speaking, an incredibly dazzling ball of light burst forth from the tip of the wand, far brighter than an ordinary illumination spell, instantly dispelling the surrounding darkness completely.

The intense white light was as dazzling as the blazing sun, engulfing the surrounding thorns, hedges, and even the pebbles on the ground, creating a blinding spot on the projection screen that made the audience squint.

A few seconds later, the dazzling light gradually faded, and the surroundings returned to their previous brightness.

But Draco didn't stop. He adjusted his breathing, waved his wand again, and chanted the "Fluorescence" spell twice in succession. Two orbs of light, slightly weaker than before but still bright, lit up one after the other, lingered in the air above the passage for a moment, and then slowly dissipated.

After doing all this, Draco put down his wand, crossed his arms, and waited patiently in place, his eyes filled with a determined expression.

On the commentary platform, Ludobagman instantly noticed Draco's unusual behavior. He immediately realized its significance and turned his gaze to the screen displaying Harry and Cedric's movements. His tone became incredibly excited: "My God! That's an extremely clever move! Mr. Malfoy is so perceptive! He noticed the change in the fifth level immediately and, instead of blindly advancing, chose to use his most proficient magic to send a signal and summon his companions!"

"Look, everyone! Potter and Diggory have both seen that dazzling light!" Ludobagman's voice, amplified by the megaphone spell, carried throughout the area, brimming with barely concealed excitement. "They must have immediately guessed that this is Malfoy's rallying signal! Without the slightest hesitation, the two of them stopped their explorations and ran swiftly toward the direction of the light! Their steps were rapid and determined, clearly eager to rejoin their companions as quickly as possible!"

He paused, his tone tinged with approval: "Although stopping to wait for teammates to rejoin us will take some valuable time, I'm sure it's all worth it! After all, the rules of this top three tournament are quite unique. Warriors are not fighting alone; they need teamwork to ultimately lift the trophy. While acting alone is certainly flexible, the strength of a team is undoubtedly more reliable when facing an unknown new environment like the fifth floor!"

"Without a doubt! When these three Hogwarts warriors come together, their excellent teamwork and individual abilities will greatly accelerate their exploration of the fifth level of the maze, and they might even find the entrance to the sixth level ahead of time!" Ludobagman's gaze swept over the images of the warriors from other schools, his tone urging, "The warriors from other schools need to hurry! Hogwarts' team advantage is already showing; if they don't speed things up, they'll be left far behind!"

On the projection screen, Harry and Cedric were running swiftly along the passage, their figures weaving through thorns and hedges. The silver light surrounding Harry and the magical glow emanating from Cedric illuminated their path.

Draco, who was waiting in place, would occasionally look up in the direction the two had come from. Although his face still carried his usual pride, he could not hide a hint of anticipation. He knew that after the three of them reunited, they would be more confident in facing the obstacles of the thorny hedges or other possible traps.

The challenges of the fifth level are about to take a new turn thanks to this proactive gathering.

Harry, Draco, and Cedric had just met up in the Thorn Pass when a group of strange-looking magical creatures sprang out from behind the hedges and surrounded them.

These creatures are dwarf pig monsters. They have deformed pig-like outlines, but are emaciated with skin clinging to their bones, making them look particularly ferocious.

The strangest thing about them was their proportions—their limbs were long and thin like a giraffe's, disproportionate to their thick bodies. Their long hooves clattered on the ground, and their short, thick tails twitched rapidly from time to time, accompanied by a sharp, piercing cry, as if challenging the three of them. "These hog-boars are too fast, and incredibly cunning!" Harry gripped his wand tightly, his eyes scanning the constantly moving hog-boars around him warily, his tone tinged with impatience. "The magic glue I secretly conjured up just now was detected by them; it didn't trap them at all!"

No sooner had he spoken than a dwarf pig suddenly lunged at Harry, its hooves whistling through the air, nearly striking his wrist.

Harry quickly dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack.

"Close your eyes!" Draco's voice rang out decisively. Before the two could respond, he quickly waved his wand and clearly chanted the spell, "Fluorescence!"

A white light, even brighter than the previous assembly signal, suddenly burst forth, as dazzling as the midday sun, illuminating the entire encirclement in a stark white light.

The dwarf pig monsters seemed to have a natural fear of bright light. The moment they sensed the light, they seemed to detect a deadly threat, immediately stopped attacking, and scattered and fled in all directions with their long, thin hooves, hiding in the shadows of the thorn hedge.

Only when the light gradually faded did they cautiously peek out again, surrounding the three of them once more, their eyes gleaming with a greedy yet wary light.

Draco tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling on Cedric beside him who was rapidly chanting a spell. His tone was urging, "Cedric, aren't you ready yet? They're about to attack again!"

"Ready! Almost there!" Cedric replied hastily, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, clearly indicating that the preparations had taken a lot of effort. "Luckily, you guys used the bright light to buy me some time, otherwise I wouldn't have had time to complete the summoning!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a deafening bark suddenly rang out, its penetrating power immense.

Immediately afterwards, a dozen or so agile white hounds emerged from the tip of Cedric's wand. Their fur was snow-white, their muscles were well-defined, and their eyes were as sharp as eagles. Upon landing, they immediately charged towards the group of boars. The boars, who had previously dared to be arrogant and provocative, instantly lost their composure upon seeing these white hounds. Their greed was replaced by fear, and they dared not linger any longer. They turned and fled, chased by the hounds into the depths of the thorns, never daring to emerge again, completely clearing their path.

"Fantastic! We finally chased those troublesome pig-like creatures away!" Ludo Bagman on the commentary platform immediately praised loudly. "Well done, Diggory! His composure and skill in dealing with magical creatures are truly reminiscent of his father, Amos Diggory! You know, Amos is a key member of the Department of Magical Creatures Control at the Ministry of Magic, with extensive experience in handling all kinds of magical creature problems; he's a true expert in the field!"

In the audience, Amos Diggory's face lit up with pride when he heard Ludobagman's public praise. He straightened his back and his face was filled with undisguised pride.

Sitting beside him, Mrs. Diggory beamed with joy, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothing out. She affectionately took Amos's arm, her gaze fixed on Cedric's figure on the screen, her tone full of pride: "Our Cedric has certainly not disappointed us."

Having escaped the encirclement of the dwarf pig monsters, the three continued to advance deeper into the fifth level.

Upon entering this level, they clearly felt that the traps in the maze were becoming increasingly sophisticated, and the threat from the magical creatures was growing stronger, requiring them to be extra cautious with every step.

Some traps are extremely well hidden. Even if they have used magic to scout beforehand, they will still fall into them when they reach a certain location. Just like now, the three of them are walking along a seemingly flat corridor, with dense thorn hedges on both sides.

But when they reached the middle of the corridor, the solid stone floor beneath their feet suddenly changed without warning, instantly turning into a muddy swamp, with black silt bubbling and emitting a faint fishy smell.

Caught off guard, the three instantly lost their balance, their feet sinking deep into the mud. The more they struggled, the deeper they sank, soon reaching above their calves. The mud's suction was extremely strong, as if countless hands were pulling at their bodies, making it difficult for them to move.

"Oh no!" Draco's expression changed. He tried to break free with magic, but found that the mud contained a power that suppressed magic, and ordinary spells were ineffective.

In that critical moment, Harry had a sudden inspiration, and a daring idea flashed through his mind.

He gripped his wand tightly, aimed it at Cedric, adjusted the intensity of his magical energy, and chanted in a deep voice, "Repel!"

A gentle yet firm stream of magical energy surged from the tip of the staff, striking Cedric precisely and propelling him steadily toward the other side of the swamp. Cedric adjusted his posture in mid-air and landed firmly, immediately understanding Harry's intention.

He swiftly waved his wand, aimed it at the thorn hedge beside him, and chanted a Transfiguration Charm. The originally hard, thorny thorns instantly softened and stretched, transforming into several thick, sturdy ropes. He secured one end of the ropes to a rock on the bank and threw the other end to Harry and Draco in the swamp, shouting, "Hold on tight! I'm pulling you over!"

Harry and Draco immediately grabbed the rope, and Cedric pulled with all his might. With the help of the pull, the two struggled to break free from the mud and climbed step by step to the other side, finally averting the crisis without serious injury.

"My goodness! Potter's understanding of magic is incredibly bold!" Ludobagman's voice once again resounded throughout the arena through the amplification spell, his tone impassioned. "Who would have thought that a knockback spell could be used like this! Not to attack enemies, but to precisely control the force and safely transport a companion to the other side! This ingenious use of magic is truly unexpected and incredibly creative!"

Just then, Ludobagman on the commentary platform suddenly exclaimed again, interrupting all the discussions in the audience. He leaned forward abruptly, his hands gripping the edge of the platform tightly, his eyes fixed on one of the screens, his voice filled with unbelievable excitement: "My God! Look what I've discovered! While all the other warriors are still struggling through the thorns and traps of the fifth level, desperately searching for the entrance to the sixth level, Dylan Hawkwood has already reached the seventh level of the maze—the final level! This speed is absolutely astonishing!" (End of Chapter)