Hogwarts: Starting with full Unforgivable Curses

She paused, then continued, "That lady's child probably didn't have some ordinary strange illness, but was harmed by some kind of magical creature. In order to understand the specific situation and confirm whether the creature that harmed the child was an ordinary magical creature or a dangerous dark magical creature, they came here specifically to ask the lady in person for details. However, in order to abide by the secrecy law and prevent Muggles from knowing about the existence of the magical world, they finally cast a forgetting spell on the lady."

Everyone looked surprised after hearing this. They hadn't expected that an ordinary lunch would lead to such a situation. Dylan frowned, vaguely sensing that this might be related to the security check that the Ministry of Magic had mentioned earlier.

“So that’s what happened…” Frank Longbottom nodded thoughtfully, his expression easing slightly. “Now that the French Ministry of Magic has intervened in the investigation, and there are Aurors and staff from the Department of Magical Creature Management and Control in charge, I believe the situation will be brought under control soon, and the child will recover quickly.”

"Alright, alright, stop thinking about these worrying things!" Sirius clapped his hands, his cheerful tone breaking the lingering gloom. "Didn't we already plan to stroll around the neighborhood after lunch and then decide where to go? Now that we've enjoyed the food, why not use this momentum to think about where to go next?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the restaurant hostess came over with several plates of exquisite desserts. They were plates of crème brûlée, with a layer of amber caramel on the surface of the pale yellow pudding, and some crispy lines on the edges. When you shake it slightly, the pudding is so soft that it seems to flow down. The rich aroma of milk and the sweet scent of caramel are irresistible.

Ron, Fred, and the others were instantly drawn to the crème brûlée. Their earlier worries about the magical creatures vanished into thin air. Looking at the tempting dessert before them, they picked up their spoons, intending to enjoy the sweetness first. As for the next stop, they could discuss it later after satisfying their appetites.

The pudding tasted even better than expected, with a silky smooth texture. The slight bitterness of the caramel blended perfectly with the sweetness of the pudding, making it sweet but not cloying, leaving a lingering aftertaste. While enjoying the dessert, everyone spontaneously helped clear the table of plates and cutlery, tidying it up spotlessly. The restaurant's hostess, seeing this, beamed with satisfaction and thanked everyone repeatedly, her eyes filled with gratitude.

After leaving the restaurant, Dylan didn't immediately rejoin the group. Instead, he turned and went into the nearby secondhand bookstore. He quickly browsed the bookshelves and soon returned to the group, empty-handed, and said with a smile, "This secondhand bookstore doesn't sell maps. We'll have to find a dedicated bookstore to check."

“Oh yeah! How could I forget something so important!” Hermione slapped her forehead, a look of annoyance on her face. “We can’t plan our trip without a map. We can find a large bookstore, where they will most likely have maps of Paris in different languages. That way, we can understand both wizard and Muggle markings, and it will be more convenient for us to travel.”

Just then, Fleur de Lacourt returned to the restaurant and exchanged a few more words with the hostess, presumably asking about the location of a nearby bookstore. A moment later, she quickly returned, pointed ahead, and said, "Let's go! Keep walking straight along this street, turn at the next intersection, and there's a large bookstore about 300 meters away. You should be able to find the map you need there."

Following Furong's directions, the group quickly found the bookstore and successfully purchased a multilingual version of the Paris map. Afterward, they found a café near the bookstore and chose outdoor seating. The afternoon sun was warm but not glaring, and a gentle breeze carried the faint aroma of coffee, making it a very pleasant place. The group sat together, spread out the map, and began to study the various attractions marked on it with great interest.

"What do you think of this?" Fred's finger landed on a prominent landmark on the map, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "This building, what's it called, the Iron Tower, is a full thousand feet tall! It's entirely made of steel; it's incredible!"

“That sounds really interesting!” George immediately leaned over, staring at the Eiffel Tower pattern on the map, his tone full of longing. “Muggles can actually build such a magnificent steel structure? That’s amazing!”

“That’s certainly true.” Sensing everyone’s curious gazes, Fleur de la Cour nodded and added, “However, most of us older wizards in France don’t really like the Eiffel Tower. Especially when the tower was first built, those pure-blood wizards thought it was ugly, with stiff lines, completely ruining the romance and beauty of Paris, and a stain on the city’s appearance.”

“Huh? I think I vaguely remember…” Ron frowned, stroking his chin with his fingers, trying to recall the relevant information. “Then the decorations we saw at the French Ministry of Magic earlier were also constructed of wire and glass, right? Could there be any connection between that and the steel structure of the Eiffel Tower?”

“I’m not so sure about that.” Fleur Delacour shrugged indifferently. She paused, then said with certainty, “After all, it was a long time ago. It involves the historical context and the differences in wizarding perspectives at the time, so there are many details that I, at my age, can’t fully understand. But one thing is certain: due to certain special historical reasons, wizards absolutely did not participate in the construction of the Eiffel Tower. It is a pure steel building designed and built entirely by Muggles, embodying the wisdom and creativity of Muggles.”

"In that case, we definitely have to go up and take a look!" Fred couldn't contain his excitement any longer, leaning forward slightly. "That tower is so tall, I wonder how long it will take to climb to the top? Just thinking about it makes me feel really challenged!"

"Wow." Ron looked up, trying to imagine just how amazing the height was, a hint of hesitation on his face. "Such a height, if you had to climb the whole way up, you'd probably be exhausted, right?"

“Idiot, how could Muggles let everyone climb up!” George smacked Ron on the head, his tone tinged with smugness. “Didn’t Dad tell us before that Muggles invented something called an elevator, which allows people to move up and down without walking? He suspects that the phone booths we use to enter the Ministry of Magic were designed based on the principles of Muggle elevators. The Eiffel Tower, such a famous building, must have an elevator!”

“Standing so high up, we might be able to see the whole city of Paris…” Luna said softly, her gaze drifting into the distance, full of longing. “Looking down on the city from above must be spectacular.” “Haha, I think so too,” Dylan agreed, tracing the Eiffel Tower’s location on the map with his finger. “Anyway, we already have a detailed map now. Once we’re up the Eiffel Tower, we can see the distribution of various attractions clearly from there, and then plan our itinerary using the map. That will be much clearer and save us a lot of time.”

Neville and Hannah exchanged a glance and also expressed their desire to visit the Eiffel Tower. The Longbottoms, seeing their children's excitement, smiled gently and naturally had no objections. Sirius, even more enthusiastic, slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed, "It's settled then! We'll go to the Eiffel Tower and witness firsthand the magnificent creations of the Muggles!"

The Eiffel Tower is actually over 300 meters tall. When Dylan and his group set off for Champ de Mars Park, they hadn't gone far when Fred exclaimed in surprise. Looking in the direction he pointed, everyone could see the outline of the steel building in the distance with just a slight tilt of their heads. It outlined clear and unique lines against the azure sky, and even from a distance, its grandeur could be felt.

As they continued forward and drew closer to the iron tower, its enormous form gradually unfolded in their vision, growing larger and larger until it almost filled their entire field of vision. The midday sun shone down on the tower without reservation, and the steel material reflected a dazzling luster. The entire tower seemed to transform into a giant longsword pointing straight to the sky, exuding an undeniable aura, as if it would break through the shackles of the heavens at any moment.

The wizards were already used to the grandeur and wonder of Hogwarts Castle, but this colossal structure designed and built entirely by Muggles still gave them an unprecedented and intense visual impact. Without the aid of magic, relying purely on human strength and wisdom, they were able to create such a breathtaking building. This kind of shock was far more moving than any magical creation.

“Merlin’s beard!” Ron craned his neck, almost bending it into an exaggerated arc, his face filled with disbelief. His voice was weak, his eyes fixed on the Iron Tower, his tone full of bewilderment and admiration. “This is incredible! It’s beyond my imagination! How did those Muggles manage to do it… without magic, without wands, just their bare hands and that cold steel, how could they build something so tall and so big…”

“I don’t know how to explain it to you in detail.” Hermione also looked up at the Eiffel Tower, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “The Muggle world has its own wisdom. They use mechanical principles and complex mathematical calculations to create these seemingly impossible miracles through precise design and collaboration. It is a power that is completely different from magic, but equally powerful.”

Luna stretched out her hands, interlacing her fingers to make a viewfinder-like gesture, aimed at the Eiffel Tower in the distance, turned to Dylan beside her, and asked softly, "Dylan, what does it look like from this angle?"

Dylan leaned closer and looked out along the square formed by her fingers. Sunlight shone on their hair, creating a soft halo. He examined it carefully for a moment and said with a smile, "This angle is fantastic. From here, it looks like a steel butterfly spreading its wings, possessing both the hardness of metal and a unique beauty."

"Yes! The lines seem rough, but every connection and every structure reveals a meticulous design. There is exquisiteness hidden in the roughness, which is a wonderful feeling."

"Look over there!" Fred nudged George beside him with his elbow, his eyes full of surprise. Looking towards the entrance below the Eiffel Tower, the long queue stretched like a winding dragon, with no end in sight.

George's gaze swept across the queue, a mischievous glint in his eyes. He lowered his voice and said to Fred, "Just imagine, if we dropped a dung beetle from the very top of the Eiffel Tower, the scene would be absolutely earth-shattering, and every Muggle would jump out of their skin!"

“You’re not allowed to lose anything!” Ginny glared at them immediately, her tone serious, like a little adult taking on part of Mrs. Weasley’s responsibility. Noticing Fred and George raising their eyebrows and a sly smile playing on their lips, clearly plotting something mischievous, she quickly added, “Today is only our first day in Paris, can’t you two behave yourselves? Do you want to be invited to the French Ministry of Magic again for this silly prank? Don’t think I can’t guess what you’re thinking! Even when we’re leaving, this kind of ridiculous thing is absolutely unacceptable!”

"Oh! Ginny!" Fred and George immediately clutched their chests, their faces contorted with exaggerated hurt, their voices mournful. "How could you do this to us! You just killed such a great idea! It's so heartbreaking!"

The brothers' exaggerated performance made everyone laugh, and the originally long walk became much easier. Having just eaten and drunk their fill at the restaurant, everyone's energy had been restored. After a brief discussion, they decided to queue up to buy admission tickets first, and then walk up the stairs to the second-floor platform. This way, they could avoid the most crowded elevator queue on the ground floor and get up close to the steel structure of the Eiffel Tower, experiencing the charm of the building more authentically from different angles. Afterward, they would take the elevator directly to the top floor to overlook the panoramic view of Paris.

Deep in the Parisian countryside, in a dense forest far from human habitation, a stone mansion stands quietly, long since swallowed by time and desolation. Once, dark green vines, like hungry tentacles, frantically burrowed into every crevice and crack in the mansion's walls, climbing and spreading recklessly, wrapping and enveloping the entire building, as if trying to completely subjugate it to nature's control.

The stained glass windows of the mansion, long since weathered by wind and rain and the passage of time, were now dilapidated, fragments scattered all over the floor. Only the broken frames remained, crookedly embedded in the wall. Sunlight, no longer filtered by the shimmering glass, poured in unimpeded, forming thick beams of light that pierced the empty, dimly lit hall. (End of Chapter)