Hogwarts: Starting with full Unforgivable Curses

"But Beauxbatons are closely tied to alchemy, and many applications of alchemy are being quietly replaced by Muggle technology products, which forces us to face this problem squarely."

“Yes, I really didn’t expect that.” Dylan said without changing his expression.

"However, not all magic-related industries have been affected." Madam Maxim's tone softened slightly as she changed the subject. "Items such as the Pensieve, which carries advanced magic and is used for memory storage and recall, as well as magical devices designed specifically for wizarding sports like the Golden Snitch and the Quaffle, and magical buildings suitable for various scenarios, and magical tents that can extend and transform—these high-tech and irreplaceable items have not been impacted by Muggle technology at all and still occupy an important position in the magical world."

She paused, her gaze turning serious again: "What's truly impacting the Muggle world right now are the everyday magical gadgets—like automatically stirring cauldrons, temperature-controlled food containers, wardrobes that automatically organize clothes, and so on. The industries that produce these kinds of magical gadgets are the main career paths for our Beauxbatons students after graduation. This is what worries us most; industry shrinkage means increasingly narrow job prospects for our students."

“I see, I understand now.” Dylan nodded in realization. “As far as I know, the production of various common magical items in the magical world is still in the traditional handicraft stage—most of them are completed independently by a single wizard or a small workshop. From material preparation to the final product, the entire process is handled by a few people. The Muggle world, on the other hand, has long since completed its industrial transformation, achieving mass production through assembly line operations, giving it an absolute advantage in both efficiency and cost.”

“Truly astonishing!” Mrs. Maxim’s eyes flashed with approval as she blinked gently. “Mr. Hawkwood, I never imagined you had such a deep understanding of the industrialization process of Muggles. Indeed, what you’ve described is precisely the core source of our predicament—the gap between traditional handicrafts and Muggle industrialized production has reached an insurmountable level.”

“Mrs. Maxim, based on my limited understanding of alchemy and some practical explorations,” Dylan put down his teacup and earnestly stated his opinion, “I believe that modern alchemy can actually undergo similar industrial transformations to adapt to the development of the times.”

He further explained, "If we break down the entire process of making magical items into multiple independent stages according to the principles of alchemy—such as material purification, rune inscription, energy infusion, effect adjustment, etc.—and then let different wizards focus on one stage, we can achieve specialization. This would not only significantly reduce the technical difficulty of each stage, allowing more wizards to participate, but also increase the product yield and production efficiency, thereby reducing overall costs and competing with Muggle industrial products."

The model Dylan described is actually one of the projects that his organization is currently quietly advancing.

—Potion X·Y!

Of course, this is the name for now, but it may change to X·Y Magic Appliances, X·Y Magic Smart Home, or X·Y Magic Technology in the future.
However, due to the highly specialized issues involved, such as the reconstruction of alchemical principles and the establishment of a division of labor system, the team has always adhered to the principle of steady progress and has not been in a hurry to achieve results. Every step has undergone repeated testing and verification to avoid technical loopholes or causing shock to the industry.

Those dark wizards who should have been wandering the streets, constantly on the run from the Ministry of Magic, were almost all recruited and taken in by Dylan in the name of Karthus. They worked day and night to develop magical technology, potions, and businesses for him. However, these wizards did not feel that they were being treated like slaves. On the contrary, they were very grateful to Dylan for providing them with food, clothing, shelter, and even faith.
“I understand what you mean… It’s like an assembly line in a Muggle factory, where everyone is responsible for a specific process, and together they work to complete the product.” Mrs. Maxim nodded thoughtfully, clearly having fully grasped Dylan’s idea. “This idea is very constructive, but the problem is that many people in the wizarding world either cannot understand the necessity of this change, or they are unwilling to understand it and deliberately resist this change.”

Dylan blinked slightly: "Is it to maintain the existing high profits and continue selling handcrafted magical items at high prices?"

“Hmm…” Mrs. Maxim gave a bitter smile, not directly answering Dylan’s question, but simply shaking her head slightly, which was tantamount to acknowledging his guess. Then she changed the subject, “Mr. Hawkwood, what do you think should be done with those magical items that have been produced but have not been sold due to high prices or lack of competitiveness?”

Dylan instantly understood what Mrs. Maxim meant: the number of wizards was ultimately limited, and their ability to consume magical items also had a ceiling. Even if the issues of production efficiency and cost were resolved, how to digest inventory and expand the market was a key issue that needed to be seriously considered.

“Objective market constraints and entrenched subjective interests are all clearly on the table, so no one has dared to take the first step toward change.” Mrs. Maxim sighed softly, her tone tinged with helplessness and resentment. “Or to be more precise, those who once wanted to take this step and drive industry change have been squeezed out and completely kicked out by the stakeholders behind them.”

"Oh?" Dylan picked up his teacup, took a sip of the warm black tea, and the name of a legendary figure instantly flashed into his mind. He put down the teacup and asked with a hint of uncertainty, "Are you talking about... Mr. Nicolas Flamel?"

“Your reaction was incredibly quick, Mr. Hawkwood.” Mrs. Maxim’s eyes flashed with surprise, then she smiled and praised, “Your guess was absolutely right. I was talking about Mr. Nicolas Flamel—the great alchemist and an honorary alumnus of our Beauxbatons.”

“Mr. Nicolas Flamel was always very concerned about the development of Beauxbatons.” Her tone was tinged with nostalgia. “For centuries, he donated large sums of money to Beauxbatons every year to improve teaching facilities and expand the library collection. Mr. Hawkwood, you should know that our school organizes alchemy practice activities for students every summer. The funding for these activities, as well as the provision of venues and materials, all benefited from Mr. Nicolas Flamel’s behind-the-scenes help. He always hoped to cultivate more outstanding alchemists for Beauxbatons and promote the innovation and development of alchemy.”

"However, this great alchemist, who always loved Beauxbatons and cared about the development of alchemy, resolutely chose to leave his hometown of France in his later years and settle in Devon, England, and rarely set foot on French soil again."

“Mr. Hawkwood, some things are ultimately just topics of conversation among insiders and are not convenient to publicize.”

“Of course, Mrs. Maxime.” Dylan nodded solemnly. He fully understood Mrs. Maxime’s concerns and had no intention of revealing these confidential details. “Thank you for your trust. I will keep these secrets safe.” As the most prestigious magic school in France, Beauxbatons, with Mrs. Maxime as its principal, was willing to disclose these matters concerning the rise and fall of the French magic industry, and even involving the secrets of the circle. This was an extreme form of trust, and Dylan was well aware of it. He had no reason to betray this weighty trust and would only keep these words firmly in his heart.

“Many things are ultimately filled with helplessness.” Madame Maxime sighed heavily again, her tone full of regret and melancholy. “If Mr. Nicolas Flamel were still influential in the French magical world, perhaps there would still be a chance to save the declining French flying broom industry and prevent it from falling into its current state.”

"Flying brooms?" Dylan's face lit up with obvious curiosity when he heard this completely unexpected term. He subconsciously repeated it. He had originally thought that the conversation would continue to revolve around the changes in alchemy, but he did not expect that Mrs. Maxim would suddenly turn her attention to the flying broom industry, which made him even more eager to understand the reason behind it.

Seeing his curious expression, Mrs. Maxim asked in return, "Mr. Hawkwood, I imagine you are quite knowledgeable about Quidditch, this magical sport. Since you are interested in the development of magical items, you should also know the history of flying brooms?"

Dylan did not deny it, and responded frankly: "Out of personal interest, and because I had done some related research before, I have indeed consulted a lot of information about the origin and development of flying brooms during this period of time, and have a certain understanding of its history."

“I see.” Mrs. Maxim nodded gently, a hint of understanding flashing in her eyes. After the in-depth conversation just now, she finally understood why Beauxbatons’ students often exclaimed, “No wonder he is Mr. Hawkwood,” when talking about Dylan.

Dylan's knowledge of magic is incredibly broad—he has studied everything from profound theoretical fields like alchemy and advanced magic to more practical and entertaining areas like the history of flying brooms. And he doesn't just dabble in it; he has his own understanding and insights. Such a wide range of knowledge is rare among young wizards.

"The flying broom industry in the magical world entered a golden age of rapid development long ago. A number of outstanding companies, such as Comet Trading Company, Thunderbolt Company, and Lightwheel Competition Broom Company, were born one after another. Their standardized, high-performance competition brooms quickly occupied the global market."

"It is precisely because of the rise of these companies that the traditional flying broom industry in France has suffered an unprecedented blow." Her tone became heavy again. "We tried to reform, but we failed."

"Mr. Hawkwood, I've told you so much about French alchemy and the flying broomstick industry. You should now understand that the French magical industry has suffered a deep wound, and the healing of such a wound will take a long time." Madame Maxime's gaze hardened again as she stared intently at Dylan. "At least for now, relying solely on Beauxbatons' own efforts to improve alchemy and drive industrial transformation is not a viable path. If we want the French magical industry to revitalize and take another step forward, perhaps some external stimulus, some fresh forces, will be needed to break the deadlock."

"But what are your thoughts on bringing this up with me?"

"You have published some very avant-garde ideas, which I have read in some newspapers and magazines. Some of your ideas on industrial development are amazing and I find them very useful. I would like to use them to try out a new round of reforms. Is that okay?"

“Of course, Mrs. Maxim.” Dylan shook his head slightly. “But you should know that many of my ideas are still in the exploratory stage. This model is not perfect and there are many areas that need improvement. If you want to try it, I would be very happy to see it. After all—I don’t need to do it myself; I just need to talk about it.”

Mrs. Maxim picked up her teacup and took a big gulp of black tea. In the Beauxbatons campus, when students privately discussed Hogwarts, the topic of Dylan came up quite frequently, and the opinions were almost unanimously positive.

During various academic conferences, he always shared his thoughts without reservation. He never kept his research ideas and magical insights to himself. Whenever he was inspired, he would immediately share them with the people present, patiently answer their questions, and guide everyone to explore in depth, so that every participant could gain something and improve.

She knew that cross-school discussions among students were often the most honest and straightforward. If Dylan really had any personality flaws or inconsistencies in his words and actions, they would inevitably be magnified in these discussions, making it impossible for him to maintain such a consistent positive reputation.

There are only two possibilities in this situation: either Dylan's disguise skills are superb, deceiving everyone, or he is indeed a person of integrity and honesty, as rumored. After a moment's thought, Mrs. Maxim was more inclined to believe the latter—after all, even Headmaster Dumbledore, who was known as "the greatest wizard of our time," placed great trust in Dylan and entrusted him with many important matters. If even Dumbledore had misjudged him, then it wouldn't be difficult for her to accept that she herself had made a mistake in judgment.

It seems that he is indeed a good child.

And he's an exceptionally talented child. (End of Chapter)