Hogwarts: Starting with full Unforgivable Curses

She drew her wand and chanted the spell, "Flash!" A soft light immediately shone from the tip of the wand, illuminating the surface of the pocket watch. "First, turn the buckle of the pocket watch over. Do you see it?"

She turned her pocket watch over and showed it to everyone: "The patterns on the back are all the same, engraved with the French national flower—the iris, and the lines are very clear. After confirming, just press the handle to start the teleportation, and it will immediately take us to our destination."

Before she could finish speaking, two soft sounds were heard, and Harry and Ron, who were standing at the front, had vanished into thin air without making any obvious noise, leaving only a faint magical fluctuation in the air.

Seeing this, everyone subconsciously gripped their pocket watches tighter, their faces showing a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.

"Harry!" Sirius called out instinctively when he saw Harry and Ron disappear in an instant. Fearing that something might have happened to them, he quickly pressed the buckle on his pocket watch and disappeared into the alley.

Hannah watched the people disappear one after another, a worried look on her face. She couldn't help but ask, "They just vanished like that. I hope nothing bad has happened to them. Is there any danger in this kind of teleportation?"

“Miss Delacour, this pocket watch teleportation device, isn’t it essentially a kind of key?” Dylan asked, holding the pocket watch and carefully examining the patterns on it. “If that’s the case, then no matter who uses it, the destination should be the same, right?”

“That’s right, don’t worry, the destination is fixed.” Fleur Delacour nodded, reassuring her. “Let’s hurry up and set off, don’t keep them waiting too long.” With that, she pressed the button on her pocket watch, and her figure instantly turned into a glimmer of light and disappeared.

The remaining people no longer hesitated and pressed the button on the pocket watch. Unlike the uncomfortable feeling of being hooked in the navel by a traditional door key, the experience of moving with this alchemical pocket watch was incredibly comfortable. The entire teleportation process was unbelievably smooth, without the slightest bump or pulling. The landing was also exceptionally light. Neither the elderly Longbottoms nor the slender Luna experienced any instability or falls.

After the teleportation ended, everyone was transported to a quiet forest. Under the cover of night, the shadows of the trees stood silently like giant monsters. Not far away, a huge rock lay quietly in the grass, its surface covered with a layer of moss of varying shades, appearing ancient and mysterious.

As soon as Dylan landed, he heard Sirius's cheerful voice: "This teleportation is so comfortable! It's a hundred times better than using the portal key! Spending these silver coins to buy a souvenir that also serves as a teleportation device is totally worth it!"

"That's absolutely right!" Fred and George agreed in unison, their actions mirroring each other—both holding the pocket watch in both hands, turning it over to look at the dial, then turning it to the back to study the iris pattern, their eyes sparkling with curiosity, as if they couldn't wait to take the pocket watch apart and see the alchemical structure inside.

Dylan also toyed with the pocket watch between his fingers. The cool metallic touch combined with the exquisite engraving made him nod in agreement with Fred and George's opinion. French alchemy was indeed well-deserved, with unique features in both practicality and comfort. This pocket watch could be collected as a souvenir or used as an emergency means of transportation. The design was quite ingenious.

Fleur Delacour walked up to Sirius Black, intending to return the pocket watch to her—after all, it was one that Sirius had purchased for everyone. However, Sirius Black took a step back, waved his hand, and said in a friendly tone, "No need to be so polite, Miss Delacour. We're all traveling together, this little thing is nothing. Consider it a travel gift from me to everyone."

Although Sirius's tone was very amiable, Fleur could clearly hear the determination in it, knowing that he genuinely wanted to give the pocket watch to everyone. She didn't insist anymore, and finally carefully put the pocket watch into her pocket. She turned around and greeted Dylan and his group, "Everyone, the country cottage we're going to stay in is on the other side of Pierre Bonacoud village. Just cross this forest and the village, and we'll get there. Let's go now!"

Dylan and the others followed behind Fleur, listening to her explanation as they walked: "Pierre Bonacoud is similar to your Hogsmeade in England. It's a dedicated wizarding community where only wizards can live and work. Muggles can't find the entrance to this village."

As they spoke, the group arrived at the massive rock. Fleur stopped, wand in hand, her gaze fixed precisely on the darkest patch of moss in the center of the boulder. She raised her wand and gently tapped the moss three times. A magical thing happened: the once-hard boulder, touched by the wand, became like a calm lake surface after a stone was thrown in. Ripples of pale green spread across the moss, and the entire boulder became transparent and ethereal, eventually disappearing completely like bubbles, revealing a wide cobblestone path hidden behind it. Vintage magical lanterns hung on both sides of the path, their warm light illuminating the way and dispelling the darkness and chill of the forest. The group slowly walked along the path, the air filled with the fragrance of grass and trees and a faint magical aura. After walking for about ten minutes, the view suddenly opened up, and a monastery-style building appeared before them.

The building was constructed entirely of gray and white stone, with a steep, pointed roof and green vines climbing the walls. Soft light shone through the windows, giving it a rustic yet cozy feel. Before the group even got close to the building's entrance, they saw a figure hurrying towards them from the direction of the building.

“Hello, Mr. Hawkwood!” The visitor was a middle-aged wizard dressed in a dark wizarding robe. He spoke with a thick French accent, which sounded somewhat stiff. “It’s a pleasure… a pleasure that you could come… to me… Was your journey smooth?” He walked straight up to Dylan with a genuine smile on his face, and continued speaking Common with some difficulty, trying his best to express his welcome.

Dylan paused for a moment, then switched to fluent French and replied, "Hello, sir. Thank you for your welcome. We have a pleasant journey."

Before he could finish speaking, the middle-aged wizard's face lit up with surprise. He immediately abandoned his broken Common and switched back to fluent French, saying eagerly, "Mr. Hawkwood, your French pronunciation is so perfect! It's just like a native Frenchman!" As he spoke, he looked Dylan up and down carefully, his eyes full of concern, and said as if finally relieved, "I was worried something had happened to you on the way, since the agreed time had already passed. It's so good that you arrived safely."

Then he asked a series of questions: "You've come all this way, you probably haven't had dinner yet, have you? I'll have my little Basque elf prepare dinner for you. What would you like to eat? Traditional French dishes or your English style?"

Faced with this sudden and unusually enthusiastic stranger, Harry, Ron, and the others were all a bit confused. Watching Dylan and the middle-aged wizard conversing fluently in French, while they couldn't understand a word, Harry, Ron, and the others' curiosity was thoroughly piqued.

They couldn't help but turn to look at Fleur Delacour. Harry spoke first, asking, "Miss Delacour, could you understand what Dylan and that gentleman were saying? Who is he? Why is he so enthusiastic towards Dylan?"

Fleur deflected her gaze from the monastery-style building, cleared her throat, and patiently explained, "Let me first give you a detailed introduction to this place."

“This place is indeed similar to your Hogsmeade Village in England. It’s a secluded wizarding community called Pierre Bonaquid Village.” She paused, looking at the surprised expressions on everyone’s faces, and added, “That’s right, it’s the Pierre Bonaquid you’re thinking of—the first president of the International Confederation of Wizards. This village is named after him and has a very long history.”

“Pierre Bonaquid?” Hermione’s brows furrowed instantly, her eyes filled with thought. “I’ve seen that name in my history of magic textbook! Is it really named after that legendary wizard, the first president of the International Confederation of Wizards, Pierre Bonaquid?”

“Exactly!” Fleur de la Cour nodded affirmatively, gesturing to the middle-aged wizard. “The gentleman currently speaking with Dylan is named Camille Bonacourt. He is a direct descendant of Pierre Bonacourt and currently holds an important position in the French Ministry of Magic, specifically as the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, wielding considerable power.”

“So that’s how it is!” Ron clapped his hands in sudden realization, his tone tinged with excitement. “No wonder someone specially arranged for us to stay here! A descendant of the first president of the International Wizarding Federation, with such a noble status, he might even be good friends with Jacob Kowalski! After all, Jacob is quite famous in the wizarding world.”

Fleur de la Cour continued, “Actually, when I first saw this address, I thought it was other wizards from the Ministry of Magic who would be hosting us. I didn’t expect Mr. Bonacute to come and greet us personally.” There was a hint of surprise in her voice. “Because in my memory, although this building is owned by the Bonacute family, he usually lives in Paris to facilitate his work at the Ministry of Magic and rarely stays here.”

While Fleur was explaining the situation, Camille Bonacoud was also chatting warmly with Dylan, a friendly smile on his face. He said earnestly, "I just met with Jacob this afternoon and we talked about you. He specifically told me to take good care of you! Listen to what he said! Even if he hadn't specifically instructed me, given your talent in the magical field, I would have done my best to entertain you!"

Dylan responded with a polite smile and gentle tone, "Mr. Bonacool, you are too kind."

I only did something insignificant, and it's already an honor to have your and Mr. Jacob's recognition."

Camille Bonacoud seemed to suddenly remember something, slapped his forehead, and quickly said, "Oh, right! Oh, right! I was so busy chatting here that I forgot to invite you in! The wind is so chilly tonight, it's not good to stay outside for too long, I've been so negligent!"

He quickly turned around and raised his hand to warmly greet Harry, Ron, and the others, saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, please...please come in with me! Come inside...please sit down and we can talk slowly! Hot tea and snacks have been prepared in the room."

Although his Common Tongue still carried a heavy French accent, and he stumbled over some words, his genuine enthusiasm infected everyone. The crowd politely nodded in response and followed Dylan and Camille Bonacutt into the building's foyer. Many magical buildings share a common characteristic—the interior space is much more spacious than it appears from the outside. This old Bonacutt family mansion was no exception. The foyer was tall and spacious, with smooth marble floors and several ancient oil paintings hanging on the walls. The figures in the paintings seemed to gently shift their gazes as the group walked.

The space at the end of the foyer, which should have been a small chapel, has obviously been carefully transformed. Its overall style is somewhat similar to the Ravenclaw common room. Several rows of tall bookshelves stand around the perimeter, almost reaching the ceiling. The bookshelves are filled with all kinds of books, from heavy ancient books to brand-new magical works. The variety is so great that Dylan couldn't help but take a few more glances, his eyes showing obvious interest.

In the very center of the ceiling, a huge glass sphere floats, burning with the ancient, ethereal blue flames of the Ancient Bulai. The flames flicker quietly, emitting a soft yet bright light that illuminates the entire common area without causing any heat. The room is furnished with several dark wooden desks, soft fabric sofas, exquisitely carved armchairs, and a few low stools covered with colorful cushions. These pieces of furniture seem to be placed randomly, yet they inexplicably give off a harmonious and comfortable feeling, making one want to sit down and relax.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Hermione's gaze was instantly drawn to a book on the corner of the desk. Her eyes lit up, and her voice betrayed an undisguised eagerness and excitement. She quickly walked to the desk, carefully picked up the book, and flipped through a few pages, her eyes shining even brighter. (End of Chapter)