Hogwarts: Starting with full Unforgivable Curses

He didn't react much to the feeling of being surrounded and noticed until the elevator stopped on the second floor with a "ding" and the door slowly opened. Only then did Dylan, with Ludobagman's help, quickly step out of the elevator.

The main department on the second floor of the Ministry of Magic is the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Ludobagman led Dylan into a spacious corridor. On both sides of the corridor were neatly arranged doors to subordinate departments, each door tightly closed. Occasionally, faint conversations could be heard coming from inside. The entire corridor appeared both solemn and orderly.

As they passed the office prohibiting the misuse of Muggle items, the door happened to open, and Arthur Weasley came out. He immediately spotted Dylan in his tuxedo robe and a warm smile spread across his face. He walked up to greet him, "Dylan! You look really handsome today! This tuxedo suits you perfectly! I wish you a successful awarding of your medal and that you receive the honor that is rightfully yours!"

“Thank you, Mr. Weasley,” Dylan smiled and nodded politely. “And best of luck with your work.”

After exchanging a few brief pleasantries, Dylan followed Ludobagman forward. At the end of the corridor was the entrance to the Wiesengamo administration, inside which was a special award hall for holding important ceremonies. Pushing open the heavy wooden door, the scene of the award hall came into view. The hall had been carefully decorated and appeared particularly grand and solemn. On both sides of the corridor stood ancient suits of armor, which were polished to a spotless shine and gleamed with a cold metallic luster under the lights, like silent guardians protecting the solemnity and sanctity of this place.

In the very center of the hall, there was a huge, round, dark green carpet. The carpet was thick and soft, and you could hardly hear it when you stepped on it. In the very center of the carpet, a delicate "W" character was carefully outlined with silver thread. This was the abbreviation of Wizengamot, symbolizing the authority and justice here.

Like the Great Hall at Hogwarts, this awards hall was also enchanted with a Stretch-Without-Trace Charm, making the interior space much more spacious than it appeared from the outside. Instead of the swirling nebulae on the ceiling of the Ministry of Magic's Great Hall, there were shimmering runes floating in mid-air, drifting slowly. They seemed chaotic, yet possessed a strange rhythm.

With some time to spare before the awards ceremony officially began, Dylan stopped and looked up at the runic characters on the ceiling.

"We all live in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars..."

Lucius Malfoy looked at Dylan.

The duel between Dylan and Voldemort was a real event that took place right before everyone's eyes.

Even though Voldemort had not fully recovered to his peak condition at the time and was restrained by Dumbledore, his proud Fiery Magic was used against him by Dylan, and he was ultimately defeated by Dylan. This is undeniable and there is no excuse to comfort oneself.

In the past few days, Lucius Malfoy's manor has received a pile of letters from other pure-blood families. He doesn't even need to open the envelopes to guess what they say—they are nothing more than asking for his opinion on the current situation or proposing to unite and reconsider their relationship with Voldemort and the Ministry of Magic.

Lucius Malfoy had no interest in these letters. He simply instructed the house-elves in the manor to throw any letters from these pure-blood families into the fireplace and burn them without reporting to him. He had long seen through the hypocrisy and selfishness of these families.

At that moment, a considerable commotion came from the entrance of the awards hall.

As the time drew near for the official commencement of the awarding ceremony, more and more people entered the hall. Among them were Ministry of Magic staff members in uniform with solemn expressions, as well as several reporters carrying cameras, quills, and notebooks—they had clearly been granted permission to come specifically to record this significant awarding ceremony and wanted to capture the charisma of the young recipient of the Order of Merlin, First Class.

As is customary in the Ministry of Magic, since the awarding ceremony was held at the Ministry of Magic, the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, was naturally the one to confer the honor. When Cornelius Fudge appeared at the entrance of the hall, Dylan subconsciously looked over and was slightly taken aback.

The Cornelius Fudge before me was a completely different person from the spirited and even somewhat arrogant Minister of Magic on the night the Triwizard Tournament ended. He looked quite haggard, and his figure had obviously become thinner. His once full cheeks were sunken, making him look particularly frail. His face had lost its former ruddy glow, replaced by an undeniable sense of vicissitude, as if he had aged more than ten years overnight.

Even though it was clear that he had dressed up carefully—wearing a crisp Minister of Magic uniform and with his hair neatly combed—it couldn't hide the weariness in his eyes. His eyes were dull and lifeless, with deep-set sockets and heavy dark circles like smudged ink, firmly imprinted under his eyelids, revealing his anxiety and torment over the past few days.

Dolores Umbridge also appeared in the awards hall next to Connelly Fudge. Her condition was exactly the same as Connelly Fudge's, and even more dejected. Her face was ashen and she looked obviously haggard. Her once round cheeks were sunken and her skin had lost its former luster, appearing loose and rough.

The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and mouth were deeply etched on her face, as if carved by a knife, layer upon layer. Even with thick layers of makeup, she could not completely conceal these traces of time and fatigue, which instead made her face look even more strange.

Her eyes also lacked luster, no longer displaying the deliberate flattery and hypocrisy hidden beneath them, but instead a detached and bewildered look, as if she had lost interest in everything around her, or as if she were filled with anxiety about her future.

“Umbridge isn’t having an easy time right now.” Lucius Malfoy walked towards Dylan, his gaze lingering briefly on Umbridge before returning to his lips. His tone carried a subtle hint of sarcasm as he whispered to Dylan, “Everyone in the Ministry of Magic knows perfectly well that she and Cornelius Fudge are in cahoots, always working together. She’s the one who whispers in Fudge’s ear behind his back about many things.”

“The situation is now very clear. Connelly Fudge’s position as minister will probably not last long, and he will soon be out of office.” He paused and continued, “When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. Umbridge will naturally suffer as well. In order to deal with public opinion and do a good job of appearances, Connelly Fudge had already demoted her from the core department, a promotion in name only, stripping her of her real power.”

"Before she could even settle in, she was transferred again a couple of days ago, nominally to be the head of a department, which sounds respectable." Lucius Malfoy said, a slight smile creeping onto his lips as he tried to suppress his laughter. He coughed a few times before continuing, "Ahem... You might find it funny to hear this, but her current position is the head of the Centaur Liaison Office."

Although Lucius Malfoy had a close relationship with Connelly Fudge, even to the point of being close friends with shared interests, he always harbored resentment towards Dolores Umbridge, even to the point of dislike. To be more precise, whenever he needed Connelly Fudge's help to get things done, he was always thwarted by Dolores Umbridge's gossip and slander.

The gossip, like maggots clinging to a bone, always managed to pinpoint Fudge's concerns and make him change his mind. Lucius Malfoy knew that the relationship between Cornelius Fudge and Dolores Umbridge was far more complex than it appeared, so even though resentment was simmering within him, he could only suppress it for the time being and not let it easily erupt. Lucius Malfoy felt a complex mix of pity for the now-fallen Cornelius Fudge, after all, the two had once shared a "friendship" based on mutual exploitation, and seeing his former "ally" in such a state was inevitably somewhat disheartening. But for Dolores Umbridge's downfall, he felt only satisfaction.

The fact that he was able to maintain his composure and not burst out laughing, only using a few coughs to cover his amusement, was already a testament to his excellent manners. He even thought to himself that appointing Umbridge as the head of the centaur liaison office was the best possible arrangement—centaur have always been unruly and do not take the officials of the Ministry of Magic seriously at all, and Umbridge's days ahead would probably only be more difficult.

"The Centaur Liaison Office?" Dylan blinked, a look of realization crossing his face, his tone tinged with uncertainty. "I seem to remember it. That department seems rather deserted, with hardly any actual work to do?"

The Centaur Liaison Office is a department under the Department of Magical Creatures Control, but centaurs have always been proud and unruly, insisting on their independence and never acknowledging the Ministry of Magic's jurisdiction, much less conducting any business through this so-called "liaison office".

Since its inception, this department has never truly served its purpose and is practically non-existent. If a wizard is assigned to this department, it often means that his future in the Ministry of Magic has come to an end and he may be officially dismissed at any time.

“You’re right, that’s exactly it!” Lucius Malfoy’s lips curled into a cold sneer, his tone full of schadenfreude. “This department is so deserted that it’s practically the Ministry of Magic’s ‘cold palace.’ It won’t be long before we can say goodbye to Dolores Umbridge for good—either she’ll resign voluntarily, or the Ministry of Magic will kick her out under the pretext of ‘department abolition.’”

At this moment, Connelly Fudge and Dolores Umbridge, though also in the awards hall, appeared remarkably marginalized. They didn't initiate conversations with anyone, but instead found a secluded corner to stay quietly, completely out of place with the lively atmosphere of the hall.

Cornelius Fudge was, after all, the Minister of Magic. Even though he was in a difficult situation, several guests who came to the ceremony took the initiative to talk to him out of courtesy. However, the conversations were short and their tone was somewhat perfunctory.

Dolores Umbridge's situation was far more miserable. She stood alone in a corner, her hands awkwardly clasped in front of her, watching the crowds coming and going in the hall. No one was willing to turn their heads to look at her properly. At most, someone would glance at her out of the corner of their eye as they passed by, their eyes filled with disdain and indifference. The flattery and fawning that once surrounded her had long since vanished, leaving only endless desolation and embarrassment.

In stark contrast to Umbridge's dejected state, Dylan's side was bustling with activity.

Fortunately, Lucius Malfoy was there to protect Dylan. Having spent years navigating various social situations, he was highly experienced in handling such matters. He calmly stood beside Dylan, using tactful words and skillful social techniques to politely decline some overly enthusiastic guests, while also selecting a few truly worthwhile people for Dylan to meet. He avoided offending anyone and helped Dylan resolve many unnecessary troubles, allowing him to calmly deal with the situation.

This continued until Amelie Bynes and the others entered the awards hall. Behind her followed a group of directors of the Ministry of Magic, each dressed in formal uniforms and with solemn expressions. At the end of the procession were two Ministry of Magic staff members carrying trays covered with a deep red velvet cloth, under which sat an exquisite box.

The box was exquisitely crafted, made of dark, precious wood, with intricate carvings on its surface and inlaid with fine silver trim. The front was clearly engraved with the abbreviation "OM" for the "Order of Merlin," which gleamed softly under the light.

Upon seeing the box appear, the noise in the hall gradually subsided, and everyone subconsciously quieted down.

Everyone knew that the highly anticipated medal-awarding ceremony was finally about to begin, and sure enough, Amelie Bones was the host of the ceremony.

She wore a well-tailored crimson robe, on the left front of which was meticulously embroidered a delicate "W" in silver thread—the symbol of Wizengamot, signifying her status and authority.

She walked steadily to the other end of the dark green carpet in the center of the hall, stood still, cleared her throat, and her loud and steady voice, amplified by the magic amplification effect, clearly spread throughout the entire awards hall, so that everyone could hear it clearly.

"Distinguished guests, good morning! It is an honor for me to stand here and preside over today's award ceremony." Amelia Bones's tone was capable and solemn. "Today, we are gathered here to witness a very important moment - a young wizard, who has made immortal contributions to the magical world with his courage and wisdom, is about to receive the glory that belongs to him."

"In the recent 'Azkaban mass breakout,' Mr. Dylan Hawkwood demonstrated extraordinary composure and courage in the face of the sudden crisis. His decisive actions at the critical moment bought the Ministry of Magic precious time, ultimately preventing the prisoners from escaping Azkaban and averting a huge disaster that could have affected the entire wizarding world."

As the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Amelie Bowens didn't waste any time. After concisely explaining the reasons for the award, she went straight to the point and announced in a passionate tone: "Next, let's give a warm round of applause to Mr. Dylan Hawkwood to come up to the stage and receive the 'Order of Merlin, First Class'!"

Hearing this, Dolores Umbridge, who was huddled in the corner, couldn't help but curl her lip, a hint of disdain and dissatisfaction flashing in her eyes. She was clearly extremely contemptuous of Amelia Bones's hosting ability. She secretly thought to herself that if she had hosted this award ceremony, it would definitely have been much more dignified and thorough!

In her speech, she will first praise the efforts and contributions of all departments of the Ministry of Magic, emphasizing the leading role played by the Ministry in this event. After all, without the venue, resources and support provided by the Ministry of Magic, this award ceremony would not have been able to be held smoothly.

In Umbridge's view, Amelie Bynes's current actions were completely attributing all the credit to Dylan, as if the Ministry of Magic had done nothing in the whole affair, which was simply outrageous!

However, Dolores Umbridge no longer held the same authority. Her grievances and complaints were completely irrelevant to the rest of the Ministry of Magic; no one even cared about her thoughts. Thunderous applause filled the hall, and all eyes were fixed on Dylan, watching expectantly as he walked towards the stage of glory. (End of Chapter)