Hogwarts: Starting with full Unforgivable Curses

The Longbottoms' gazes fell simultaneously on the book on the desk. Frank Longbottom nodded thoughtfully before saying, "The Director of the Legal Enforcement Division of the French Ministry of Magic actually intends to make this book available to batters? This is no small matter, which shows just how valuable this book is."

At that moment, Camille Bonaquide pushed open a wooden door next to him and said with a smile, "Everyone, there's an open kitchen and dining room inside. You must be hungry after your long journey, right?"

He pointed to a small blackboard hanging next to the fireplace and continued, "If you have any special dishes you'd like to eat, or any dietary restrictions, you can write them down on this board with chalk. My little elf Basque is a very good cook and will try his best to meet all your requests."

Hermione frowned slightly and turned to Fleur to confirm, "The Basques that Mr. Bonadoc mentioned, could they be house-elves? In France, are house-elves the primary caregivers for their daily needs?"

“Of course!” Ron nodded matter-of-factly and said with certainty, “Only house-elves can manage life so meticulously and consider every detail. Ordinary people could not be so thorough.”

As he spoke, he suddenly realized something, looked Hermione up and down, and asked with a hint of probing in his eyes, "Do you intend to... fight for the rights of French house-elves, just like you did at Hogwarts?"

“Of course I don’t intend to act impulsively as you think!” Hermione immediately interrupted him, saying firmly, “Dylan told me before that some things can’t be rushed and need to be done step by step.”

Changing long-established habits and mindsets requires patience and strategy.

“Alright, let’s continue the tour!” Camille Bonakud ignored their whispers and enthusiastically led them through the various rooms on the first floor. “This is the potion room. The potion ingredients are fairly complete. You can use them whenever you need them. This next room is the alchemy room. The alchemy tools here are all family heirlooms. Although they are a bit old, they are still usable.”

He pointed to a door at the end of the corridor and said, "The washroom is over there, and hot water is available 24/7."

Then, he pointed to a trapdoor in the corner of the living room, a hearty smile spreading across his face. “That’s the underground wine cellar, where the Bonaquide family’s collection of various red wines is stored, some of which are even over a hundred years old.”

When you come to France, how can you not try authentic French red wine?

"Of course, if you don't want alcohol and would like some juice, milk, or other drinks, you can write it on the blackboard in the restaurant, and Basque will prepare it according to your request." He raised his hand to check the time. "The rest rooms are all on the second floor. I'll take you up to see them now, and you can choose the room you like."

Led by Camille Bonacoud, Dylan and his group walked up the carpeted stone steps to the second floor. The second floor of this monastery-style building was indeed a typical cloister. There was a wide corridor in front of the room, which surrounded the central courtyard. Standing on the corridor, one could clearly look down at the courtyard with the fountain below. In the night, the water from the fountain sparkled with crystal light under the magical lights, making it exceptionally beautiful.

Having grown accustomed to the multi-person dormitories at Hogwarts, room assignments went exceptionally smoothly. The girls chose a large room with floor-to-ceiling windows, three single beds, and excellent natural light. The boys opted for a large room next door with four single beds and ample space. Sirius Black chose a single room by the window, saying he wanted a quiet environment to focus on his thoughts. The Longbottoms chose a double room with a private balcony overlooking the courtyard fountain, offering a stunning view.

After choosing their rooms and quickly unpacking, everyone returned to the common lounge on the first floor. As soon as they entered, they noticed a small figure in the room; Basque was indeed a house-elf.

He was short and thin with light brown skin and a pair of large, bright eyes. He wore a clean white tea towel as a robe, the towel was spotless and had been specially prepared to welcome guests, not a used one.

Upon seeing Camille Bonakoud, the Basque immediately stepped forward, bowed deeply to him, and said in a clear voice, "Master, I have prepared the tea for our guest. It is placed on the coffee table in the living room. It is linden flower tea prepared according to your instructions."

“Oh, that’s wonderful! Thank you for your hard work, Basque.” Camille Bonakoud said with a relieved smile and a gentle tone.

“It is my honor to serve you and your guests.” Basque bowed deeply again, then his figure flickered and with a soft “snap” sound, he disappeared from the spot, leaving only a faint magical aura.

Hermione watched the interaction between Basque and Bonaparte silently the whole time. Seeing that the atmosphere between the two was very harmonious, and that Basque, although a house-elf, did not show any humility or fear, and Bonaparte also treated him with great respect, she finally felt relieved and a relieved smile appeared on her face.

Bonaquide turned to the crowd and greeted them warmly, “Everyone, you must be tired from your journey. A cup of warm linden tea would be perfect for you. Linden tea has the effect of soothing the nerves and relieving fatigue. After drinking it, you can rest well. Please have a seat and try our special French flower tea.”

While the Hawkwood family sat around the oak table in the living room, leisurely sipping warm drinks, Camille Bonaquid and Dylan were still conversing quietly on the leather sofa on the other side of the room. Camille's fingertips lightly tapped the armrest of the sofa, a gentle smile always on her lips. Dylan occasionally nodded in response, her eyes showing a hint of approval. Both of them were relaxed and at ease, clearly indicating that the conversation was progressing very smoothly, without any sign of stalemate or displeasure. After the conversation ended, Camille stood up and straightened her dark blue wizard's robes, reached for the book beside her, and then put the heavy, worn-out magic dictionary next to her into her leather backpack. Hermione's gaze followed the book that was taken away. As she watched the backpack zipper slowly close, she first frowned slightly, then slowly shook her head, her chest rising and falling gently, letting out a barely audible sigh, tinged with complex emotions.

Camille stopped and turned around when he reached the entrance. He whispered a few words to Dylan, who had seen him to the door. His voice was so low that others could only vaguely hear a few scattered words. His tone was solemn. As soon as he finished speaking, a flash of silver light appeared, and the house-elf Basque appeared on the doormat. It was small and thin, wearing coarse cloth clothes that had been washed until they were faded. Upon seeing Dylan, it immediately bowed deeply, its forehead almost touching the ground, and gave a respectful bow with perfect and devout movements.

After Camille left, Dylan returned to his seat at the long table, picked up the cup of linden blossom tea that was still steaming, and felt the warmth of the cup seep through his fingertips. He took a small sip, the fragrance of the tea spreading in his mouth, and then slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, his expression relaxing considerably.

"Dylan, what did Mr. Camille say to you just now?" Ron asked eagerly, leaning forward slightly, his eyes full of curiosity. "And that house-elf, why did he suddenly bow to you? Could it be... that he gave you that house-elf too?"

“No.” Dylan shook his head.

As soon as he finished speaking, a flash of silver light appeared, and the house-elf Basque appeared on the open space beside the long table. It was still wearing the same faded coarse cloth clothes. Upon seeing Dylan, it immediately bowed deeply and respectfully, asking clearly in French, "Master Hawkwood, were you looking for me? Is there anything I can do for you?"

“I’m sorry, Basque, I don’t need your help right now.” Dylan gently shook his head and patiently explained, “I just wanted to make a deal with you. If I need to contact you in the future, I’ll say, ‘Basque, I need your help.’ Only appear to serve me when you’ve heard those words clearly, okay?”

“Young Master Hawkwood, you are too kind! It is my honor to serve you.” Basque bowed deeply again, his tone respectful and sincere. “I will remember your words. From now on, I will only appear when I hear you say, ‘Basque, I need your help.’” After saying this, he nodded slightly and disappeared in a flash.

“Actually, there’s something else I want to tell you all about our upcoming trip.” Dylan turned to the crowd and continued, “When Mr. Camille was chatting with me, he mentioned that if we want to visit Muggle attractions later, he would be happy to help us buy tickets for those places that require them, so we don’t have to bother queuing ourselves.”

"How did he know we needed to buy tickets? Has he been secretly monitoring our movements?" Sirius frowned, his tone tinged with doubt, but he quickly dismissed it, "That's unlikely, isn't it? If he really cared about our whereabouts, why would he stay in this old house waiting for Dylan instead of looking for us elsewhere?"

"It's nothing important. Traveling is a normal thing when you come to a new place."

“But to have the head of the French Department of Magical Law Enforcement personally help buy Muggle attraction tickets…” Fred suddenly let out a loud whistle, his eyes full of admiration, and gave Dylan a thumbs up. “Dylan, you’re amazing! That’s quite the show!”

“Absolutely!” George said, resting his chin on his hands in an exaggerated, dreamlike tone. “I suddenly really want to write to Percy and tell him everything! I really want to see what his perpetually tense face will look like when he finds out—will he be contorted with jealousy, or will he put on a brave face and say, ‘It’s no big deal.’”

"We still need to write to Percy?" Ron frowned, a hint of doubt in his voice. "Before we left, didn't he specifically seek us out and give us some serious instructions..."

“Ronald, it has to be you!” Fred immediately reacted, abruptly interrupting Ron, a sly glint in his eyes. “Now that you mention it, it’s a good reminder! We can imitate Percy’s reaction and rehearse his reaction to receiving the letter!”

As he spoke, he abruptly stood up from his armchair, chest puffed out, head held high, shoulders taut, lips pressed tightly together, and a serious yet proud expression on his face—a perfect replica of Percy's usual earnest demeanor. Before he could even open his mouth, Harry, Ron, and Neville couldn't hold back any longer. Their cheeks turned bright red, their puffed-out cheeks bulged, and the corners of their mouths kept turning upwards as they desperately tried to suppress their laughter. As fellow Gryffindor students, they were all too familiar with Fred's expression at this moment—he was clearly playing Percy flawlessly!
“No need to take me with you!” Fred deliberately lowered his voice, mimicking Percy’s distinctive, somewhat rigid tone. “In a few days, I’m heading to Paris to handle matters related to the International Wizarding Federation Conference!”

“You’re not quite there yet, you’re missing the essence!” George immediately stood up and struck the exact same pose as Fred, even mimicking the serious expression on his face perfectly.

“Fred, you have to do this!” He spread his arms wide, as if giving a grand speech to thousands of people, his voice rising several decibels, filled with an exaggerated sense of mission, “I will go to Paris to contribute to the peace and order of the wizarding world!”

"Got it? Raise the pitch even higher!" George said, demonstrating as he spoke. "You need that sense of pride and determination that comes from having just successfully resolved the magical crisis in London and now heading to save 'Paris'!" He deliberately dragged out the word "Paris," his pride almost overflowing.

"Head to Paris and contribute to peace and order in the wizarding world!" Fred frowned, repeating the words earnestly, and deliberately raised his voice as George had requested, his expression becoming even more serious, as if he had truly become Percy, shouldering a heavy responsibility.

George maintained Percy's posture, nodding solemnly and commenting earnestly, "Hmm! That's much better! Now you're finally qualified to 'save Paris' with me!" (End of Chapter)