Sherlock Holmes at Hogwarts.

Chapter 235 Ron: Tom Riddell Did the Right Thing

"I've been saying all this time that I'm coming to see you—come in, come in!"

When Hagrid saw who was outside the door, he immediately beamed with joy.

This made Ron breathe a long sigh of relief.

Thankfully, Hagrid hasn't evolved the ability to read people's minds yet.

He was about to ask Hagrid why he had been so angry, but Hagrid said it himself:
"I heard voices at the door just now, and I thought that guy had come back again!"

"Who is that guy?" Ron asked curiously.

"Professor Lockhart."

Before Hagrid could answer, Sherlock stepped across the threshold and glanced around the entire cabin before speaking.

Ron was surprised: "Why do you...?"

“I won’t go into the reasoning process, lest you accuse me of insulting your intelligence,” Sherlock said casually before turning to Hagrid. “What does he want with you?”

Unlike the surprised Ron, Hagrid was not surprised that Sherlock had deduced this, and therefore answered directly:

"That guy wanted to teach me how to prevent water spirits from getting into the well, but after only a few words he started bragging about how he banished the harbinger of death..."

Hagrid said angrily, taking a half-plucked rooster from the spotlessly clean table and placing it on the teapot.

"It's as if I don't know anything about it."

"Please, Hagrid, you can't stand it after just one time hearing him brag, but we have to endure his torment every single class."

Ron was pleased that someone finally shared his views on Lockhart.

“But…Professor Lockhart is quite capable,” Harry said hesitantly, “...and Professor Dumbledore also thinks he is the most suitable candidate.”

"Hey Harry, the way you're talking reminds me of Hermione!"

Ron elbowed Harry, then laughed and said, "Given the current situation at Hogwarts, anyone who applies for the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor position can do it."

"But we did learn a lot from his Defense Against Dark Magic."

"I know he's capable, I just don't like his 'knows everything' attitude!"
Even Mr. Dumbledore wouldn't dare say he knows everything...

"Forget about him. Why didn't Hermione come with you this time?"

“I told her to do something else.”

Sherlock said calmly, his gaze sweeping over the rooster that Hagrid had tossed aside: "What's going on here?"

"Speaking of this, it's really a headache. Several of my roosters have died recently."

I think it's either a fox or a vampire monster; in any case, I need the principal's permission to cast a spell around the chicken coop.

As you know, when I was in third grade, they broke my wand and kicked me out of school, all because…

At this point, Hagrid suddenly realized, "Oh God, forget what I said! Forget what I just said!"

"..."

Harry and Ron looked at each other.

Dude, you're exposing yourself way too fast, aren't you?

Sherlock, however, seemed to have expected this. He calmly said, "Calm down, Hagrid. This is what we're here for today."

"What? Sherlock, could you please be more specific?"

Hagrid was still unaware of the seriousness of the situation. He looked at Sherlock with a puzzled expression and said, "You know, my brain isn't as sharp as yours."

Harry and Ron looked at each other in silence once again.

Your brain isn't just less sharp than Sherlock's, is it?
Sherlock cut to the chase: "I know you were expelled fifty years ago for opening the Chamber of Secrets..."

"This is slander!"

Sherlock had only just begun when Hagrid immediately stood up excitedly, his movement so great that he knocked over the bench in front of him.

"Aragog was hatched from me in the cupboard!"
He's so adorable, how could he possibly harm anyone!

Harry and Ron looked at each other in silence for the third time.

Just as Ron said, Sherlock only got started, and Hagrid went on and on about everything they wanted to know.

It was very similar to what Dumbledore told Sherlock.

However, Hagrid's account was much more detailed than Dumbledore's.

Fifty years ago, he was a boy.

With a house and fields at home, life is endlessly joyful.

He likes to cast spells and play with animals.

His dream at the time was to become a magnifying biologist.

He wished this kind of life could last forever, but God would never consider his opinion.

In his third year, a traveler from afar gave Hagrid an eight-eyed giant spider.

Hagrid hatched it in the cupboard and fed it little by little with breadcrumbs.

When Slytherin Prefect Tom Riddle, a fifth-year student, attempted to kill the now-grown Aragog, the creature escaped into the Forbidden Forest under Hagrid's cover.

Hagrid was thus unjustly expelled from school.

However, even after fifty years, Aragog, who had entered the Forbidden Forest, maintained close ties with Hagrid.

Hagrid even found him a wife, whom he named Mossag.

Thanks to Tohag, the families of Aragog and Mossag have prospered, and their descendants have grown to the size of horses pulling carts.

Although the eight-eyed giant spider has a cannibalistic instinct, for Hagrid's sake, Aragog has restrained his descendants from attacking anyone for many years.

Hagrid's eyes shone as he spoke these words.

It was as if this was something to be very proud of.

Harry and Ron, however, were horrified.

Especially Ron.

The thought that a spider the size of a carriage was merely a descendant of Aragog, who himself had grown to the size of a baby elephant, with tens of thousands of tiny spiders crawling around him, made him tremble.

Damn it, why didn't that Tom Riddle guy kill Aragog back then?

Both being Slytherin prefects, he was far inferior to Gemma Farley!
"Oh, I shouldn't have told you all this!" Hagrid said, entering his familiar regret phase.

He was annoyed that he had unknowingly blurted it out.

This time, he was determined not to say anything more, no matter what!
absolute!

"If Aragog were still alive, they might really have been responsible for these attacks."

Ron looked thoughtful: "The descendants of Aragog may not necessarily listen to their ancestors. After all, Fred and George don't even listen to my parents..."

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Upon hearing Ron's words, Hagrid immediately forgot his earlier resolve.

His beard twitched, a sign that he was angry.

"Aragok does have that instinct, but he promised me he would never hurt anyone, not a single one!"
Furthermore, the victim's body was found in a bathroom.

Apart from the cupboard, Aragog never saw any part of the castle.

You should know that spiders prefer darkness and silence…”

After Hagrid finished venting his emotions, Sherlock suddenly spoke:
"Then I think Aragog must know what the monster in the secret chamber is, right?"

Harry and Ron immediately perked up.

We've finally seen the main storyline!

Hagrid, still caught up in the misunderstanding surrounding himself and Aragog, blurted out without thinking when Sherlock asked:

"Aragok certainly knew! It was an ancient creature that spiders feared most."

I remember very clearly that Aragog begged me to let him go because he was terrified when he sensed the monster roaming around the school!
How could such a cute little thing possibly hurt anyone? How could it be?

Hagrid's words were so full of flaws that Harry and Ron didn't know how to react to him.

So what exactly is it?

Sherlock, however, remained calm and asked the crucial question.

"He won't tell!"

Hagrid was somewhat disappointed. "I've asked many times, but neither Aragog nor Mosag, nor their descendants, dare to utter the name of this creature."

"Sigh, they're such cowards, they don't even dare to mention the monster's name."

"It's unbelievable that there are creatures that can frighten the eight-eyed giant spider, to the point that it doesn't even dare to mention their names..."

Upon hearing Ron's words, Harry glanced at him, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

Sherlock sneered, "As far as I know, isn't this the same attitude you have towards Voldemort?"

Ron and Hagrid gasped and shivered.

“Look, your reactions are just like those of the eight-eyed giant spider.”

"Oh, please don't, Sherlock..."

Seeing Ron and Hagrid trembling, the kind-hearted Harry felt he couldn't bear to look at them.

“Fine,” Sherlock shrugged indifferently, “Why not tell Dumbledore about this?”

"I can not……"

Hagrid said cautiously, "This incident almost caused Hogwarts to close down back then, so I dare not tell him again."

I remember his expression was very unpleasant when I told him he had found Mossag for Aragog.

"So the whole thing boils down to a lack of communication, Dumbledore's, and yours too..."

Sherlock let out a long sigh.

He now understands Dumbledore much better.

However, understanding does not equate to agreement.

Dumbledore's actions during last year's events involving the Philosopher's Stone and Quirrell already illustrated this point.

For Dumbledore, Hogwarts both made him and trapped him.

Despite having so many impressive titles, deep down he always considered himself only the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Now, Sherlock even felt that replacing the headmaster with a prisoner would be more realistic.

As Snape said, Dumbledore always felt that he could control everything.

But is that really the case?

Thinking of this, Sherlock stood up. "Take me to the backyard, Hagrid."

"backyard?"

“Good, the backyard.”

After taking a stroll around the backyard, Sherlock led Harry and Ron away amidst Hagrid's puzzled gaze.

"Sherlock, do you already know the answer?"

Seeing Sherlock's confident demeanor, Harry couldn't help but ask.

"The puzzle is only missing a few crucial pieces—by the way, Harry, did you find any spiders at the scene of Penelope and Cho Chang's murders?"

“Spiders? I didn’t pay much attention at the time,” Harry pondered for a moment, then shook his head. He then looked at the person with surprise, “Sherlock, you mean…”

"That's exactly what I mean. Once Hermione gets the information, we can be completely certain."

Hermione is even more useful than Sherlock imagined.

In less than a week, she found everything Sherlock needed.

It was still that empty classroom on the fourth floor.

This place is quickly becoming their permanent base.

"First is this."

Hermione's face flushed red with excitement.

She took out a notebook containing all the results of her hard work during this period.

(End of this chapter)