Sherlock Holmes at Hogwarts.

Chapter 394 Where is My Sherlock?
"No one knows you better than me, my dear Harry."

From the time you can remember, it's probably only during those few encounters with Dementors that you've heard your parents' voices.

So you still hoped to hear their voices, and that's why you didn't use your full strength when casting the Guardian Charm.

In the Gryffindor common room, Harry jumped to his feet after hearing Sherlock's words.

He clenched his fists tightly and stared at Sherlock in shock.

I was found out again?
Why did I say "again"?
"Don't look at me like that."

Sherlock rested his chin on his hands, leaned back slightly, and said bluntly:
"You should know very well that it's easy for me to see that."

Perhaps you only have this thought in your subconscious, without even realizing it yourself.

But I must point out that if you continue as you are now, even if it's just a vague expectation of hearing your parents' voices again, you'll never create a proper guardian angel.

Hearing Sherlock's words, Harry slumped down.

He was silent.

You can lie to your buddies, but you can't lie to yourself.

Moreover, his buddy is no ordinary person; he can't be fooled at all!

After Sherlock pointed this out, he could no longer fool even himself.

However, Sherlock's bluntness continued; he looked at Harry and said without any mercy:

"They are dead. Your father, James Potter, and your mother, Lily Potter, died thirteen years ago."

My friends, listening to their voices repeatedly will not bring them back to life.

What you are doing now is tantamount to becoming addicted to the Mirror of Erised in another form.

Harry: (;Д`)
Sherlock's words were very blunt, but Harry couldn't bring himself to be angry.

Because he knew very well that Sherlock was right, and that his friend was genuinely looking out for him.

He took a deep breath. "I...I understand. I'll pay attention next time I practice."

"That would be best. Let's go back to the dorm and rest."

Harry nodded, and just as he stood up, Sherlock suddenly asked again:

"You didn't faint when you faced the Dementors the second time. What happy thing came to your mind?"

Harry blushed when he heard the question.

Noticing Harry's expression, Sherlock asked curiously, "Was it the first time you rode a flying broomstick?"

He remembered clearly how Harry excitedly shared his feelings at the time—a sense of freedom, euphoria, and complete control over everything.

Harry nodded first, then shook his head.

"That's something I remember from my first practice session."

"So, the exhilarating feeling of flying isn't intense enough for you? Is that what it's like when Gryffindor wins the College Cup?"

Harry shook his head.

"Isn't that interesting? Perhaps it was the first time he discovered he was a wizard and had to leave the Dursleys to go to Hogwarts!"

Seeing Sherlock's confident expression, Harry shook his head again.

"Is that what we did to clear Sirius's name and free him?"

"Not yet? Let me think. It must have been the moment you got the Firebolt. You even considered emptying your treasury to buy it!"

"Isn't this it? Hmm... I think it must be with Miss Qiu..."

“That…Sherlock.”

Seeing that Sherlock had guessed several times without success, Harry finally couldn't help but whisper the answer:

"I was just thinking back to the first time we met on the train. You helped me lift my suitcase onto the step and smiled at me..."

Sherlock looked at Harry with a surprised expression upon hearing this.

The latter was a little embarrassed and couldn't help but turn his head to the side.

Sherlock genuinely failed to deduce this.

When he first met Harry, he was hoping to get closer to the Savior in order to learn more about the magical world.

In other words, they are somewhat utilitarian.

But he never expected that the happiest moment in Harry's mind would be their first meeting.

At that moment, Harry was surprised to find that Sherlock's usually bright and strong eyes were a little moist, and his firm lips were trembling slightly.

This was the first time he had ever seen Sherlock with such an expression.

Although he had suspected it before, this moment made Harry truly realize how deep the friendship was hidden beneath Sherlock's seemingly cold exterior.

For Harry, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see that Sherlock possessed not only a great mind but also a great heart.

She considered her first meeting with Sherlock to be the most enjoyable moment in her life, and she was content to see Sherlock's genuine emotions.

However, Sherlock's feelings came and went quickly.

Most people in this world are mediocre and only have eyes for the bustling streets.

"Walking with Sherlock Holmes, you'll see the battlefield."

Sherlock quickly regained his usual resolute demeanor and burst into laughter:
I don't want to pry into your past; that's your business.

It would be my honor to be a part of your future.

Thank you for your trust, my dear Harry—well, that's all I had to say, and it's time for us to get some rest.

Harry felt the sincere friendship in his friend's heart and nodded emphatically.

For the next week, Sherlock continued to take Harry and Neville to practice boxing and swordplay every morning.

The match between Slytherin and Ravenclaw is about to begin before the second Thursday arrives.

The teams from both houses had been practicing hard since the beginning of the semester, and before the competition, Cho Chang still took the time to specifically seek out Harry.

"Harry, I will do everything I can to win this game."

Qiu Zhang first said firmly, then added with a slightly flushed face:

“Davis has already contacted me—because after the match against Slytherin, it’s Ravenclaw vs. Gryffindor, and he’s worried that I won’t be able to perform at my best because of you…”

How could he do this!

Harry said angrily, "How could he think you would do that! You're not that kind of person at all!"

Seeing Harry's expression, Cho Chang smiled; she hadn't misjudged him after all.

There was actually one more thing she didn't tell Harry.

That is, Davis not only told her not to go easy on Harry, but also hinted that she could use some special means to make Harry go easy on Ravenclaw, who was also a Seeker, during the match.

Of course, this hint is very subtle.

Qiu Zhang pretended not to understand and didn't respond, leaving Davis helpless.

She looked at Harry happily, her eyes turning into crescent moons, genuinely happy for his trust in her. "I knew you'd say that—so I'm telling you, in the next Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw match, you're not allowed to go easy on me!"

Harry nodded. "I will!"

The two chatted about the Slytherin lineup for a while longer, when Cho Chang suddenly spoke up:
“Harry, there’s something I’ve wanted to ask you since the start of the semester, but I’ve been busy with training lately and haven’t had the time.”

"What is it?" Harry looked at Cho Chang curiously, knowing it couldn't be about Quidditch.

"During your winter break, did you invite Sherlock and the others to your and Sirius's new house?"

After asking the question, Cho Chang stared intently at Harry.

"Yup!"

Harry, unaware of anything amiss, honestly replied, "I invited Sherlock, Hermione, and Ron and his family..."

Before he could finish speaking, Qiu Zhang immediately asked, "Then why didn't you invite me?"

"what?"

Is it because I'm not yet your friend?

Qiu Zhang said in a somewhat melancholy tone:

"Do you know how surprised I was when Miss Ginny talked about Sirius Black's grandfather and the Order of Merlin First Class on the train?"

I could tell from her conversation with Ron that you two spent several days together during the winter break…

"Ah, this..."

Harry sensed the awkward atmosphere and quickly said:
"Um, Qiu, I've actually already decided—next time, I'll invite you to come along..."

Why does it have to be next time?

As Cho Chang closed in, Harry broke out in a cold sweat.

what's the situation?
In his memory, Qiu Zhang had always been very gentle, so why did she suddenly have such a strong sense of oppression?
Fortunately, he felt he wasn't entirely in the wrong, so he continued honestly:
"Because the new house is such a mess, I was thinking of cleaning it up completely before inviting you over..."

"So why did Miss Ginny go this time?"

“I actually only invited Ron, but she came along because the Weasleys were all here.”

As soon as Harry finished speaking, he suddenly felt the inexplicable sense of oppression emanating from Cho Chang disappear.

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief and then said, "But she did help a lot after she got there."

After Sherlock and Hermione left, the family stayed for a few more days.

Mrs. Weasley and her family helped us clean up...

"Qiu, what's wrong?"

Harry was astonished to find that the sense of urgency that had just disappeared from Cho Chang's body had returned!
“I can go with my parents, and I can help with the cleaning!”

This time, Qiu Zhang's tone was no longer one of resentment, but rather one of complaint.

Harry: (-*)
What on earth is going on?
Sherlock, where are you? Come and help me!
"Sherlock, this is the Room of Requirement."

On the eighth floor of Hogwarts Castle, in front of a huge tapestry depicting a troll beating Barnabas.

Sherlock and Gemma stood side by side, the air seemingly still carrying the ease of the Christmas holidays and the lightheartedness of Gemma's letter.

"I thought you would come to find me sooner!"

Gemma smiled as she looked at the boy, who was now almost as tall as her, and said this.

There's no need to rush.

Sherlock's gaze swept across the seemingly ordinary white wall opposite the giant carpet:
"With the new semester just beginning, there are always things to do. The key right now is to clearly define our needs."

Gemma looked at Sherlock with interest: "That makes a lot of sense. So, what kind of venue do you need?"

"A sufficiently secluded space suitable for our discussion would satisfy our basic needs, would that be acceptable?"

“Of course,” Gemma nodded slightly. “Then just do as I say—walk across this wall three times in a row, focusing intently on the scene you need.”

The two did as they were told.

They walked side by side to the window at one end of the white wall, turned around, walked to the other end to the vase that was as tall as a person, and then turned back.

Footsteps echoed softly in the empty corridor as they trod on the ancient stone bricks.

After the third turn was completed, Gemma softly reminded her, "Sherlock."

On the originally white wall opposite the tapestry, a smooth door silently appeared.

Sherlock looked at Gemma, who smiled and gestured for him to proceed.

Without hesitation, he grasped the smooth brass handle and pulled open the door that had suddenly appeared before him.

As the door opened, a warm, dry breeze carrying the scent of burning pine filled the air, replacing the chill and dust of the corridor.

The room before him was not the simple, hidden cave-like space that Sherlock had imagined, a space only for secret conversations.

Sherlock glanced at it and knew that its layout and arrangement also reflected Gemma's silent expectations.

The room was more spacious than I had imagined.

The main body is a sunken circular space, with a stone hearth in the center surrounded by pebbles embedded in the floor, where leaping orange flames are dispelling the chill.

The line from Gemma's letter to Sherlock, "May the fire dispel the chill of London," seemed to come alive at that moment.

The walls were not the rough stone walls typical of castles, but were covered with red velvet curtains.

The surface was discreetly embroidered with silver vine patterns, which gently yet effectively blocked out all external sounds, satisfying Sherlock's core need for secrecy.

The bookshelf was cleverly embedded under the curtain along the curved wall, occupying most of the space.

These bookshelves are not the towering, cramped style of school libraries, but rather of moderate height, clearly tiered, and filled with books.

Sherlock glanced at the list and immediately noticed titles such as "Annotated Translation of Ancient Runes", "Criminal Psychology", "Advanced Potion Making", and "Illustrated Compendium of Rare Magical Creatures".

Other shelves displayed exquisite crystal bottles, globes, crucibles, and Sherlock even saw a uniquely shaped small brass telescope.

In a quiet corner of the room stood a walnut wood wine cabinet, with bottles of deep-colored wine displayed on top.

Sherlock recognized the label on one of the bottles of Romanian brandy.

Once again, the object that Gemma mentioned in her letter has been materialized.

On the other side of the room, there is a large sandalwood desk.

The desk was unusually tidy, with only a set of ink bottles and quills neatly arranged, next to several stacks of parchment files awaiting organization, including contents related to the Sirius and Peter incident.

But the most eye-catching feature is the exceptionally comfortable seating located near the hearth.

Two large, soft, high-backed velvet sofas face the hearth, with a low table covered with a red carpet and tea sets placed between them.

On the mantelpiece sat a slender-necked glass vase filled with vibrant white hyacinths.

What do you think of this place?

Gemma's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible anticipation as she followed Sherlock in, gently closing the door behind her.

The door then vanished, blending seamlessly into the curtained wall without leaving a trace.

(End of this chapter)