Sherlock Holmes at Hogwarts.

Chapter 386 Who is more beautiful, me or Gemma?
The tall and handsome Cedric held Harry's hand tightly, reluctant to let go.

He said sincerely to Harry, "Congratulations on getting such a fine broom to replace Nimbus 2000, Potter."

"Thank you, Diggory."

Harry also had a good impression of this sunny and cheerful boy.

Aside from his earlier efforts to maintain order, few of the people who came to see the fire bolts congratulated him like Cedric did.

Most people either come to see the fire bolts or to see him.

Either you attack the fire arrows, or you attack him.

The two chatted briefly, and Cedric politely greeted the other people in the private room before turning to leave.

“He was the most polite of all,” Hermione remarked with considerable emotion.

Sweating profusely, Ron took a swig from the cup and couldn't help but say, "If only everyone else could be like him."

Ginny and Cho Chang both nodded.

“Cedric Diggory is indeed a good man.”

Sherlock also gave a realistic assessment.

But at that moment, an out-of-place comment abruptly appeared:

"He was just secretly watching Qiu."

"puff--!"

Ron, who was drinking water, spat it out.

Fortunately, he was already quite far from the others, so he didn't splash any water on them.

He coughed repeatedly while looking at Luna with an incredulous expression.

What happened to this girl?

Her statement was even more abstract than her earlier comment about those girls wanting to be Harry's godmothers!
Not just Ron, everyone's eyes were turned toward Luna.

Cho Chang, who also came from Ravenclaw like Luna, blushed even more: "Luna, what... what are you saying..."

She didn't doubt Luna's statement.

In some ways, this girl is similar to Sherlock Holmes; she says whatever comes to mind and never considers the occasion.

So when she said Cedric was spying on her, she meant he was spying on her.

The problem is that she didn't notice at all.

Or perhaps they've encountered this kind of thing so often that they've become accustomed to the admiring glances from the opposite sex.

Or perhaps it was because my attention was focused on Harry that I didn't notice.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but look at Harry.

Just then, Harry looked over at her, and their eyes met, making Cho Chang even more embarrassed.

However, what embarrassed her even more was yet to come.

Sherlock also confirmed Luna's observation: "Luna is right, he did indeed look at Miss Zhang several times."

Qiu Zhang: "..."

Hermione looked at Sherlock and Luna with a hint of helplessness.

These two are really...

Actually, she had just noticed that as well.

Well, everyone has a love for beauty.

The young wizards who had just come to this private room to watch the fire crossbow bolts all had their eyes lingering on Cho Chang.

It's not just boys, girls are no exception.

She's really beautiful!
It was only because Cedric was the only one left that his behavior became more obvious.

If you can see it, you can see it. Why do you have to say it out loud?
Don't you know that this will make people feel embarrassed?
But then I thought, if they could think like me, they wouldn't be Sherlock and Luna.

That said, Hermione noticed that only Sherlock, herself, and Luna had noticed this so far.

Ron's mind was focused on the fire bolts, so it's normal that he didn't notice.

As for Harry... he's always been rather slow to react to these kinds of things.

Cho Chang and Ginny were focused on Harry, neglecting Cedric.

It wasn't a big deal originally, but Sherlock and Luna's comments made the atmosphere even more awkward.

Something has to be done...

Just as I was pondering this, the cubicle door was opened again.

Percy Weasley and Gemma Farley, the two student council presidents, walked in.

Also with them was Percy's girlfriend, Gemma's good friend Penelope Clearwater.

Hermione's eyes sharpened instantly when she saw Gemma.

Qiu Zhang secretly breathed a sigh of relief; they had arrived just in time!
“I already know about it. I’ve already spoken to the prefects.”

Percy glanced around, then looked at Harry as if seeking praise and said:

"No more people will be bothering you like this, Harry. I think you should be grateful to me, right?"

“Thank you so much!”

Harry quickly took Percy's hand.

Percy really came in handy this time.

"Come on, Percy, you're just doing this so you can easily watch the fire bolts, aren't you?"

Ron immediately and without hesitation exposed his third brother.

"What are you saying, Ron!"

Percy glared at Ron, annoyed that he hadn't given him face in front of his girlfriend. "It was Penelope who wanted to see the Firebolt, that's why I brought her here!"

Penelope didn't deny it. She smiled and nodded, then turned to Harry and politely said, "Harry, may I get the Firebolt?"

"Ah, of course!"

Harry and Penelope were already quite familiar with each other, so he immediately agreed.

While Percy and Penelope were observing the Firebolt, Harry, Cho Chang, and Ginny followed.

“Mr. Black is so good to you!” Penelope looked at Firebolt with envy and exclaimed sincerely.

Harry was a little embarrassed. "My godfather has indeed been very good to me."

"Speaking of which, how much does this fire bolt cost?" Percy asked curiously. "I saw it in that shop in Diagon Alley, but it said 'price negotiable'..."

“It would take at least a thousand Galleons,” Penelope said confidently, then looked at Harry curiously, waiting for his reply.

Harry coughed. "Um, I don't know either."

"How could you not know? Is it that Mr. Blake is unwilling to tell you?"

His words only fueled Penelope's curiosity.

"Well, actually, when the Godfather planned to give it to me, he was still wanted by the authorities—you know, back then people thought he was the murderer."

So it found a way to send the order to the Owl Post Office, and then let the clerks retrieve the gold themselves from Gringotts' vault.

"Let the clerk get the gold himself?"

"Yes, it's my godfather's treasury. They can take as much as they need."

So I'm sorry, but even my godfather, who bought me the gift, doesn't know its exact value.

The way everyone looked at Harry instantly changed.

Gemma didn't go with Percy and Penelope; she merely glanced at them from afar before casually sitting down opposite Sherlock.

A pair of sea-blue eyes looked Sherlock up and down: "How was your Christmas, Sherlock?"

Sherlock nodded: "Not bad."

Gemma's gaze swept over Hermione and Luna beside Sherlock, then she smiled slightly:
“My parents have been praising you. A case that had been kept secret from the entire magical world for twelve years was solved in just a few months by you.” “Actually, it was just that I was lucky. The clues just happened to come to me at the right time.”

Sherlock wasn't being modest; if Sirius hadn't suddenly escaped from prison, Peter's disguise as Scabbers wouldn't have been exposed so quickly.

So we really have to thank Fudge for this, because it was he who inadvertently let Sirius know the fact that Peter was not dead.

Of course, we also have to thank Hermione's Crookshanks, Ron's miniature peephole for Harry, and the Marauder's Map given to Harry by the Weasley twins.

They peeled back Peter's disguise layer by layer; they had merely pieced it all together.

Sherlock and Gemma then naturally started chatting, showing no signs of awkwardness despite not having seen each other for a while.

Not only that, Gemma also consciously brought Hermione and Luna into the conversation, and did not neglect the two of them because of her conversation with Sherlock.

"Hermione, your extensive knowledge is truly admirable."

Gemma looked at Hermione with admiration and said, "I could never have known so much when I was in third grade. You'll definitely get twelve certificates in the future."

Hearing Gemma mention this, Hermione became genuinely interested.

Gemma earned twelve certificates in the OWLs exams.

So she immediately began asking the other party how they handled the relationship between courses and time.

Even with the time converter, I still felt somewhat powerless.

In fact, she had asked Percy the same question before the holiday.

However, the other party's answer did not satisfy her.

It's not that he doesn't want to say it.

In fact, he was able to do it himself, but he didn't know how to share his experience with others.

But Gemma is different.

Hermione spoke to her for a few minutes, and suddenly felt enlightened.

"Actually, I'm already preparing to give up divination."

Hermione blurted out her true feelings without realizing it: "Looking at tea leaves all day is a complete waste of time."

"Divination, is it...?"

Gemma pondered for a moment and said, "Although Professor Trelawney is a bit crazy, she is right about one thing: this course relies more on talent than anything else."

For those without the third eye, no amount of effort is of any use—even those with the third eye cannot teach them.

Of course, if it's just to get a certificate or if you plan to work in this field in the future, then you might as well continue learning.

This semester you should be learning palmistry. It's a bit more concrete than reading tea leaves, but there's really no need to put in too much effort.

Hermione nodded. "Thank you, Gemma."

"Alright, alright, Penelope!"

At this moment, Penelope at the other end of the carriage had been examining the fire crossbow bolt for a long time.

Harry didn't think anything of it, but Percy stopped her from watching any further.

"Be careful not to break it!"

Penelope gave Percy a disgruntled look, put down the fire bolt, thanked Harry, and left the box.

"Wait for me, Penelope!"

Percy panicked when he saw this and chased after his girlfriend without saying a word.

Harry: "..."

"Then I'll be going too."

Gemma stood up as she spoke, smiling slightly.

"It looks like Mr. Weasley is going to spend all his time on his girlfriend from now on."

I was originally planning to slack off, but now I have no choice but to honestly take on the responsibilities of the student council president.

Sherlock immediately understood upon hearing this.

It seems that Percy, the student council president, is very dedicated in his work.

"Are you leaving now?"

Hermione stood up as well, and she was surprised to find herself feeling a little reluctant to leave.

I had just thought she was a threat.

Sherlock, on the other hand, remained calm and unmoved, merely nodding to Gemma.

Gemma didn't seem to mind. Just like Cedric had done earlier, she greeted everyone in the carriage before gracefully leaving.

After the carriage doors closed again, Qiu Zhang said with considerable emotion:
“No wonder Penelope said that President Gemma was a moonbeast that had infiltrated a snake’s den; she really is different from the other Slytherins.”

“That’s a novel analogy,” Hermione said thoughtfully. “What she just said was very insightful.”

“It’s a pity she’s graduating this year,” Harry said with some regret. “Slytherin will never have someone like her again. Sherlock said that’s what a real Slytherin should be like.”

Hearing Harry say that, Hermione suddenly turned to Sherlock: "Sherlock, what do you think of Miss Gemma?"

Everyone looked over in surprise when Hermione suddenly launched a straight shot.

Sherlock, of course, wouldn't avoid the question, and immediately answered:

"Without a doubt, Gemma Farley is a witch who is exceptionally capable, rational, tactful, and has independent judgment."

As a former Slytherin prefect and now the student council president, she is undoubtedly very competent, even outstanding.

Her values ​​and actual performance tend to define herself and others based on competence and rationality rather than narrow academic loyalty.

I believe she played an indispensable and positive role in Slytherin's existing management structure.

That's a very objective observation...

Hermione blinked and continued, "So... what about the rest?"

“Dear Hermione, I think my description is quite specific. If there is anything I have omitted, please point it out.”

"I mean, what about appearance? Don't you think Gemma is very pretty?"

Hermione fired off another direct line, "Even our Miss Cho won't become the school beauty until Gemma graduates!"

Hermione, what are you saying!

Cho Chang, who was listening with great interest, was suddenly called out by Hermione and looked at her with a helpless expression.

You can just say Gemma, why are you dragging me into this!

Fortunately, Hermione only mentioned it casually, and then turned to Sherlock: "What do you think of Miss Gemma's appearance?"

They're starting to get to the bottom of things.

The other girls looked at Hermione with some nervousness.

It seems she's determined to be completely straightforward today?

The most perceptive Qiu Zhang's gaze shifted back and forth between Sherlock and Hermione. Had the girl sensed a threat from their conversation?

That makes sense, after all, it's Gemma Farley!
If it were me, I'd probably feel the same way, right?
However, if it were me, I would ask, "Who is more beautiful, me or Gemma?" But if it were Hermione, I wouldn't be able to ask that question.

Qiu Zhang is humble and polite, but deep down he is confident and proud.

This is also what distinguishes her, a British citizen of Chinese descent, from native-born British people.

Hearing Hermione's question, Sherlock raised an eyebrow slightly.

He was slightly surprised by Hermione's obsession with judging her appearance, but responded in his usual calm tone:
"Dear Hermione, appearance is essentially a subjective perception and is negatively correlated with the time dimension."

However, since you insist on discussing this variable, I can share my perspective.

"Okay!"

Hermione immediately made a listening gesture.

The others in the private room all perked up their ears and looked at Sherlock with curiosity, eager to hear his views on this matter.

(End of this chapter)