Sherlock Holmes at Hogwarts.

Chapter 229 This situation won't last much longer.

The simultaneous attacks on Penelope Clearwater, Cho Chang, and the nearly headless Nick create a tense atmosphere for the young wizard who has just returned to school after winter break.

The killer's abilities seem to be getting stronger and stronger.

From the first time it was just a cat, to the second time it was just one person, and now it's just two people plus a ghost.

What terrified them most was precisely this ghost—Nick's near-headless encounter.

What could possibly be so cruel as to harm a ghost?

People couldn't help but ask each other, what terrible force could possibly harm a dead person?

Harry then became the target of everyone's criticism.

The reason is simple: Pipi Ghost's advertising was too effective.

In just three days, the entire school knew that Harry Potter had once again appeared at a crime scene.

More importantly, Penelope and Cho Chang, who were attacked, happened to be both half-blood wizards.

Some people even dug up Nick's past, saying that he was also a mixed-race Muggle in his previous life.

Thus, although both are under the spotlight, Harry's situation is the exact opposite of the previous school year.

At the beginning of last semester, all the students would crowd around Harry's classroom, and even if they passed by him in the hallway, they would turn back to take another look.

This semester, when people encounter him in the hallway, they avoid him or point at him and whisper about him.

Even some of the Gryffindor lion cubs seem to have started to believe the rumor.

However, the vast majority of lion cubs thought this was nonsense.

For example, the Weasley twins, who love to play pranks.

They thought it was all a lot of fun.

Every time Harry came to the corridor, they would even run in front of him, striding confidently to clear a path for him, shouting loudly:
"Make way for the heir to Slytherin!"

"Get out of the way! The most evil wizard has arrived!"

Percy, their third brother, was very displeased with their behavior. He said coldly, "This is not something to be laughed at."

Harry knew, of course, that this was because Percy's girlfriend, Penelope, was also one of the victims.

However, the Weasley twins were unaware of this, and in their view, Percy had always believed that monsters wouldn't attack prefects.

“Hey, get out of the way, Percy,” Fred said. “Harry’s short on time.”

“Yes, he’s rushing to the secret chamber to have tea with his fanged servant,” George said with a hearty laugh.

This left Harry both relieved and helpless.

It was comforting to see that Fred and George clearly thought his idea of ​​being the Slytherin heir was absurd.

Unfortunately, every time they did this, it was like rubbing salt into their own and Percy's wounds.

After all, his only female friend, Qiu Zhang, was also petrified.

What, you mean Hermione?

Can that be considered a woman?

That's a good buddy!

"Harry, look over there!"

Ron pointed to a spot not far away, where Malfoy was watching Fred and George clown around with a furious expression.

"He'd love to declare that he actually did it."

Whenever analyzing Malfoy's psychology, Ron displays intelligence second only to Hermione:

"You know how much he hates it when someone surpasses him in any way."

In his view, Harry's current honors should actually belong to him.

"Hey, don't look at me like that. In Malfoy's eyes, being the successor to Slytherin is definitely an honor."

"This situation won't last much longer."

Hermione glanced at Harry, then at Malfoy. "I think Professor Dumbledore will be back soon, and then we'll be able to get news from him."

As she spoke, she looked at Sherlock, only to find that he was not paying any attention to her at all, but was staring intently at Malfoy.

This surprised her.

Didn't we say before that Malfoy wouldn't be the one to open the secret room?
Why are you paying attention to this again?
Just as I was wondering what was going on, I suddenly saw Percy and the Weasley twins pulling at each other.

It turned out that Percy finally flew into a rage when George pretended to block Harry's attack with a garlic clove.

Several people rushed forward to break up the fight.

That's why Hermione didn't notice that Sherlock's attention wasn't on Malfoy, but on a girl behind him.

This time, Hermione's prediction did not come true.

It's probably true, as Grandma Neville said, that these things often work for the bad but not for the good.

Since the start of the school year, Headmaster Dumbledore has not made an appearance.

No one knows where he went.

However, as winter gradually passed, the sun began to shine faintly on Hogwarts.

The people in the castle became more optimistic.

Time is ultimately the best healer of all wounds.

Since Penelope, Cho Chang, and Nick the Headless were petrified, there have been no further attacks at Hogwarts.

Professor Sprout was pleased to tell everyone that the mandrake had become moody and taciturn.

"This means they are rapidly shedding their childhood stage, and we will soon be able to re-transplant them."

One afternoon, Filch went out of his way to find Sherlock. Lady Pomfrey had told him that once the mandrakes matured, they could be cut down and boiled over a fire.

When that time comes, Loris will return—and that day won't be long.

Of course, Filch's most important reason for seeking out Sherlock was to find out who was the culprit who had ruined Mrs. Lorris.

“Argus, if you want revenge, I suggest you give up.”

Sherlock poured cold water on Filch's excitement, saying, "That kind of monster is not something you can handle."

“Mr. Sherlock, could it really be…”

"That's right, it's the monster in the secret room."

"Then, for Mrs. Lorris's sake, please tell me who opened the secret room, okay?"
Mr. Sherlock, you loved her so much, you must be heartbroken by what happened to her!

"All I can tell you right now is that this has nothing to do with Harry."

Sherlock's friends marveled as they watched Filch leave dejectedly.

"It's hard to believe that Filch, whom I usually hate the most, would actually believe that Harry is not a Slytherin heir."

"He didn't believe in Harry, but in Sherlock."

Hermione looked at Sherlock and asked curiously, "Sherlock, does he trust you that much just because you cured Mrs. Lorris?"

Last year, Hermione witnessed firsthand the entire process of Sherlock borrowing Mrs. Lorris from Filch after the theft of Cho Chang's eyeshadow.

But she still hadn't expected Sherlock's influence on Filch to be so great.

Sherlock said calmly, "After curing Mrs. Lorris, I had some cat food sent from home that was suitable for her."

Until it was petrified, I would visit it every now and then and bring Filch little toys like cat toys.

However, he overestimated my feelings for Mrs. Lorris.

Actually, I originally wanted to dissect it and take a look.

Hermione: "..."

Seeing Hermione's speechless expression, Sherlock added, "Of course, that's only part of the reason."

Another reason is that I discovered he was a dud.

"what?"

"what?"

Harry and Ron both gasped in surprise.

What is a dud?

"Filch was a Squib?"

Ron couldn't help but laugh at Harry's expression. "A Squib is someone from a wizarding family who doesn't have magical talent. No wonder he's always so hostile towards us students! That's why!"

"So, the reason he's trying so hard to please you is partly because he doesn't want you to tell anyone about this."

Hermione said thoughtfully, then turned to Harry and Ron: "You two mustn't tell anyone about this!"

"Don't worry, I definitely won't, but Harry is another story."

"Why?" Hermione asked, puzzled. "I think Harry is much more reliable than you when it comes to keeping secrets."

“Because Harry talks in his sleep,” Ron said seriously.

Harry: "..."

With that topic settled, Harry felt a bit better.

He felt that the entire school was on high alert and suspicious all the time, so opening the secret room at this time would only increase the risk.

Whatever monsters were in the secret chamber, they've probably settled down now and are preparing to hibernate for another fifty years.

Or perhaps the true heir to Slytherin has lost his courage.

This was the first time he hadn't told Sherlock his thoughts.

The main concern was that if he voiced this opinion, Sherlock would give him a wake-up call, telling him that the other party was only temporarily lying low.

From the moment he met Sherlock, not a single one of the latter's predictions had been wrong.

So he was genuinely worried that Sherlock might say something he didn't want to hear.

Although everything was going in the right direction, there were always some annoying guys who made Harry furious.

Malfoy was one of them.

Sherlock returned to school, and while he dared not provoke them openly, he couldn't resist making sarcastic remarks.

Just as Ron said, it was as if he really wished he had done all of this himself.

There is another type of person who is even more infuriating than Malfoy.

Compared to them, even Malfoy, who always had a sour face, was considered good.

After all, he genuinely believed that Harry was not the heir to Slytherin.

A prime example is Ernie McMillan of Hufflepuff.

He always believed that Harry was the culprit, who inadvertently revealed his true colors at the Duel Club.

Even though many people, including Cedric and Hannah, advised him against it, it was to no avail.

And then there's that pesky Peeves, who always suddenly appears in the crowded hallways, belting out, "Oh, Potter, you peeves..."

Not only did they falsely accuse Harry of being the murderer who harmed his classmates, but they even accompanied it with a fixed dance routine.

The only exception is Gilderoy Lockhart.

He became unusually high-profile during this period.

(End of this chapter)