Hogwarts: Starting with full Unforgivable Curses

The stone foyer of Hogwarts was far more bustling than usual today.

Rita Skeeter stood out in the crowd—she was dressed in a bright, almost blinding magenta robe, the frame of her glasses was densely inlaid with tiny gemstones, and even the ends of the temples were adorned with small crystals, the light reflected off them as she moved was dazzling.

However, her careful dressing up could not hide her fatigue. The dark shadows under her eyes were clearly visible, and the fine lines at the corners of her eyes were deeper than usual. Even the movement of raising her hand to adjust the collar of her robe revealed a sense of weakness.

“Hey! I never expected to run into you here,” Rita’s voice was still as enthusiastic as ever, but there was a hint of hoarseness at the end. She took two steps forward and moved closer to Dylan. “I just received an anonymous letter this morning. The key person mentioned in the letter is standing right in front of me right now. Why don’t we find a quiet place and have a good chat?”

Dylan walked out of the crowd: "Of course."

Those who know him well know that getting him to agree to an interview is never easy, but today he agreed unusually readily. Rita, who should have been excited, shook her head slightly instead, a soft sigh escaped her lips, and a look of exhaustion lingered on her face for a moment.

But the next second, she suddenly straightened her back, her shoulders tensed slightly, as if forcibly dispelling the weariness around her. Her previously unfocused gaze instantly became sharp, and she turned to the photographer behind her and gestured with her chin: "Keep up, don't miss any details."

The photographer quickly responded and hurried to catch up with the two. He only managed to snap a few photos of Dylan's profile before Rita waved him away—clearly, she was more interested in the conversation to come than in simply recording the images.

After walking a short distance and passing stone pillars carved with vines, Rita led Dylan to a secluded corner where two wooden desks and chairs had already been set up. The surfaces were wiped clean, and there was even a small dish of fresh Honeydukes candies.

“Dylan.” Rita sat down first, raised her hand to open the crocodile skin handbag she carried with her, and several blank parchment papers and a quill pen flew out and hovered in the air in front of her. The quill pen tip was already soaked in ink.

"Aren't you curious about what was written in that letter I received?" She stared into Dylan's eyes, trying to find a hint of emotion in his calm expression.

Dylan lowered his eyes, his fingertips gently tracing the embroidery on his sleeve, his voice even softer: "Perhaps I know more than what you wrote in that letter."

He looked up at Rita, his gaze calm. "You've always been good at hiding and gathering information, but some situations aren't suitable for you. Like the open sea, with its strong winds and high waves, it's not easy to hide your figure. On the contrary, it's easier to find a hiding place in a dense forest."

Rita frowned slightly, her fingertips paused for a moment, and the quill pen hovered in mid-air: "Dylan, when exactly did you begin to know so many unknown things?"

She sighed softly, her tone tinged with inquiry, "Was it before or after the final three-way competition last night?"

“It might go back even further.” Dylan’s voice remained steady as he looked at Rita, his tone carrying a hint of suggestion. “Ms. Skeeter, what you’re about to do is what you do best. There will be more developments in the areas you’ve always focused on that are worth your attention.”

Dylan's gaze fell on Rita Skeeter's furrowed brows, his tone calm yet carrying a precise insight: "But judging from your expression, you don't seem to have much expectation, but rather a lot of concerns."

“You’ve already said all that, what else can I expect?” Rita shrugged dramatically, then let out a long sigh, her tone full of helplessness and sarcasm. “That’s ‘the person whose name I don’t even dare to mention easily.’”

She shrugged, a hint of self-mockery in her eyes: "What do you think I should expect? Expect him to politely knock on my door and ask me in a gentle tone, 'May I cast the Killing Curse on you?' Dylan, if it were you, how would you answer that absurd question?"

Only Rita herself knew that this weariness was not simply due to the rush of travel. As early as that night, she had keenly sensed that something was wrong. As a journalist with a keen sense of smell, she knew far more than the average person. What happened that night might be related to that person. This realization kept her awake all night, and she spent the entire night in a fierce internal struggle.

She was both terrified of being associated with a terrifying figure like Voldemort and unable to let go of this momentous subject that could shake the entire wizarding world. It wasn't until dawn, when she received a letter from Dumbledore inviting her to Hogwarts to interview Dylan, that her dilemma found a temporary solution.

“Ms. Skeeter, if that’s the case,” Dylan said with a knowing smile, his tone light but meaningful, “then he has a lot of doors to knock on.”

"Hmm?" Rita's eyes suddenly sharpened, and she leaned forward, her tone full of inquiry. "What do you mean by that? Are you saying that many people will be involved in this conflict? What exactly are you planning?"

"Voldemort is determined to announce his return in a grand manner and to make all the wizards in the world submit to his new order. We must stop him and not let his conspiracy succeed."

"He attempted to use the Dark Mark to announce his return to all Death Eaters and the entire wizarding world, and to convey his evil ideology."

He paused, then continued, "But that's just a little kid jumping up and down."

Hearing this, Rita Skeeter blinked and finally understood the key point: "No wonder there were so many colleagues at Hogwarts this morning."

She had been so preoccupied with Voldemort that she completely overlooked this unusual detail. Now that she thought about it, it was clear that those reporters had received the news and rushed over to get a head start.

“That’s right, and there will be more and more reporters like that.” Dylan nodded, his tone carrying a hint of certainty. “They’ve already started taking action, but in this battle for public opinion, some people will always stand out by virtue of their strength and initiative.”

He looked at Rita with a hint of suggestion in his eyes: "I don't know who will ultimately stand at the top, but there is one person who started preparing a long time ago. Whether it's data collection or public opinion preparation, she far surpasses others. As a result, her probability of winning is naturally much greater, isn't it?"

Rita Skeeter raised an eyebrow, a complex smile playing on her lips, her tone tinged with a hint of probing: "So, I can refuse this troublesome 'war,' right?"

“Of course.” Dylan’s gaze swept over the dark circles under her eyes, his tone calm but hitting the nail on the head. “But Ms. Skeeter, I think you already have the answer in your heart, don’t you? You’ve never been one to easily give up a golden opportunity.”

She naturally had no reason to refuse. "In that case, let's not waste any more time!" Rita Skeeter suddenly raised her hand, pulled out the shorthand quill from her crocodile-skin handbag, tossed it aside, and took out a quill with a thicker barrel and a sharper tip. This pen was clearly one of her treasures, with tiny magical runes inlaid on the barrel and emitting a faint scent of ink.

She placed the new shorthand quill in front of the parchment, and the tip immediately hovered, ready to strike. Rita looked up, the weariness in her eyes long gone, replaced by a burning fighting spirit and ambition. She stared intently at Dylan: "Tell me all the inside information. Don't hide anything. I want to know every detail, every truth that can shake the magical world!"

"I've waited far too long for this opportunity!" Her voice trembled with excitement, her eyes sharp as knives. "I'm determined to prove myself! I want to use these reports to show everyone that I can reclaim what I missed and lost with my own pen!"

Despite Voldemort's many plans suffering setbacks, the Dark Mark that hung high in the sky that day, exuding a chilling aura, was an undeniable fact for all witnesses, becoming a shadow that lingered in the minds of wizards.

However, the next day's front-page news in the Daily Prophet cleverly avoided the core of "Voldemort's return," focusing entirely on the events in Azkaban. It only mentioned the appearance of the Dark Mark at the end of the report, and the accompanying picture was of the ruins of Heroes' Square, which had been burned by Fiendfyre and was not yet fully restored, making the image extremely impactful.

The headline on the front page of the newspaper was particularly eye-catching.

"A dangerous prison break occurred in Azkaban, and the Ministry of Magic acted swiftly to resolve the crisis!"

"Last night, a serious security incident occurred at Azkaban prison in the North Atlantic. Antonin Dolokhov, a veteran Death Eater who had been imprisoned for many years, successfully carried out a prison break under the secret planning of his family members."

"This conspiracy was meticulously planned and involved the use of several forbidden spells, including the casting of Fiendfire."

"Fiendfire, recognized in the magical world as an extremely vicious form of black magic, is highly destructive. It can incinerate all flammable materials and continuously absorbs energy to grow stronger during the burning process, making it difficult to extinguish."

The report went on to describe the events.

"This atrocity was an important part of the Dolokhov family's revenge plan, and it achieved the desired effect—the fire spread extremely quickly, engulfing most of Heroes' Square in just half an hour and causing serious damage."

"In order to stop the Fiendfire from spreading further and to prevent more innocent people from being injured or killed, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore had to go to the scene in person. With his unfathomable magical skills, he expended a great deal of magic to finally extinguish the devastating fire."

"It is understood that Antonin Dolokhov was imprisoned in Azkaban for many years and was always regarded as one of Voldemort's most loyal followers."

"After successfully escaping this time, he immediately joined forces with his family members to launch a revenge campaign, which shows his ambition and ruthlessness!"

"According to the testimonies of several captured Azkaban prisoners, Antonin Dolokhov secretly studied a rare and complex form of dark magic in prison. Through this magic, he gathered the dark magic mark energy from all the imprisoned Death Eaters and projected it into the sky."

"This action was intended to send a signal to the Death Eaters in exile, to demonstrate the Dolohoff family's absolute loyalty to Voldemort, and to serve as a deterrent to the Ministry of Magic."

In the Great Hall of Hogwarts, Michael Corner finished reading the report, let out a long breath, his tense shoulders instantly relaxed, and a relieved smile appeared on his face.

He spread the newspaper on the table and said to his classmate next to him with great excitement, "I knew it! It couldn't possibly be the 'mystery man' coming back!"

"It turns out it was this Death Eater named Antonin Dolokhov who was behind this, and his family was plotting revenge behind the scenes."

"That makes sense, and there's nothing to worry about!" He spoke with certainty, as if he had witnessed the entire event firsthand.

Sitting across from him, Chrismoon frowned and shrugged uncertainly: "But the letter my father sent me this morning made it very clear that the 'Mysterious Man' has really returned. Last night, while on a mission near the Ministry of Magic, he saw the Dark Mark in the sky and felt that familiar, chilling aura."

“The Daily Prophet has clearly reported it this way, so what is there to doubt?” Michael picked up the newspaper and waved it in front of Chris, his tone tinged with disdain. “Would you rather believe your father’s side of the story than the report from an authoritative media outlet?”

“You can’t say that,” Anthony Goldstein, sitting to the side, calmly interjected, putting down his knife and fork. “If you could believe everything the Daily Prophet says, do you remember that article from the Christmas holidays a couple of years ago? I remember it clearly; it claimed that Headmaster Dumbledore was using Hogwarts students for Dark Arts experiments, and it sounded very convincing. So tell me, would you believe such a report?”

Anthony's words were like a shot in the arm for Chris. He immediately straightened his back and raised his voice a few decibels: "Exactly! Michael, how can you be so sure that the content of this report is true? Maybe the Ministry of Magic deliberately had the newspapers write it this way to stabilize the situation?"

"Uh...you're just being unreasonable!" Michael was speechless for a moment, his cheeks flushed red, and the veins on his neck stood out. He shouted excitedly, "How can this be the same? Last time it was malicious fabrication, but this time there are well-founded reports and even the prisoners' confessions!"

"Stop arguing! Look at the back of the newspaper!" Terribt, who was sitting next to me, suddenly spoke up. "Michael, turn the page! It's on the next page, there's quite a bit of content!"

Michael quickly grabbed the newspaper with both hands and flipped to the front page. The content of the second page immediately came into view. The picture on this page was larger than that on the front page, taking up nearly two-thirds of the page.

In the image, a phoenix formed from raging flames spreads its wings and soars, the light of the flames illuminating half the sky, creating a magnificent spectacle.

The text below the picture continued: "This Azkaban prison break did not end with Antonin Dolokhov's escape."

"According to the latest information disclosed by the Ministry of Magic, the Dolohoff family's ambitions go far beyond this. They originally planned to expand the scale of the prison break, using dark magic to disrupt the prison's defense system, release all the prisoners held in Azkaban, and create greater chaos and panic..." (End of this chapter)