Sherlock Holmes at Hogwarts.

Chapter 399 Hogwarts Steadfast
Principal's office.

When Headmaster Dumbledore finished stating his theory—that the diary was a Horcrux—Sherlock pondered for a moment, then said, as if summarizing:

"So... Horcruxes are a kind of dark magic item that can store souls."

Voldemort's Killing Curse rebounded onto him, and he should have died instantly.

Yet he survived in a shattered form because he successfully created a Horcrux.

Dumbledore's eyes widened in surprise, a glint of astonishment flashing behind his glasses as he looked at Sherlock:
“You’re right, Sherlock, but I don’t think you’ve ever heard of Horcruxes before.”

"This is indeed the first time I've heard of it."

"Then your understanding of it has hit the nail on the head; that's an amazing and insightful judgment."

Dumbledore nodded approvingly, his long, silvery-white beard swaying gently with the movement.

"Thank you for your kind words, sir, but I am more concerned about something else."

Sherlock leaned forward slightly, his gray eyes filled with seriousness.

"But it doesn't matter."

“Headmaster Dumbledore, I remember you once said that he was hiding in the forests of Albania.”

"Yes."

"You said this before solving the locked-room mystery, so is he still alive now?"

"He's still alive."

"Are you sure?"

"I am very sure."

“Then a new problem arises,” Sherlock’s gaze suddenly turned serious, “He possesses more than one Horcrux.”

Dumbledore's admiration deepened even more than before. "How did you figure that out?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Sherlock reached out and tapped the diary:

"The reason Voldemort didn't die thirteen years ago is because he created Horcruxes and stored his soul."

You told me before this diary was destroyed that Voldemort was hiding in the forests of Albania.

Now that it's been destroyed, you're telling me Voldemort is still alive? That proves he must have at least one Horcrux besides this diary.

Otherwise, with the destruction of this diary, he should have been completely annihilated.

Dumbledore stared intently at Sherlock for a moment, then laughed loudly:

Now that you mention it, it is indeed so simple that it doesn't need any explanation.

Sherlock shrugged indifferently. "I've heard that phrase said more than once."

So… you brought me here today so I could help you deduce just how many Horcruxes Voldemort created?”

"Yes and no."

Dumbledore made no attempt to conceal his intentions and stated them directly:
"I am convinced that an old friend shares some dark secrets with Tom Riddle."

Once we know these secrets, everything about Voldemort and the Horcruxes will come to light.

"Well, it seems you want me to help you dig out this secret from this old friend."

Sherlock raised an eyebrow, his tone revealing a hint of understanding.

“As you expected, Sherlock,” Dumbledore chuckled, “but this old friend is not willing to see me, so I wanted to tell you this first so that you are better prepared to do it.”

"a wise decision."

Sherlock smiled, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes.

It seems that after the Chamber of Secrets incident, Dumbledore has indeed changed his previously reserved approach.

He leaned forward slightly, his eyes fixed intently on Dumbledore:

“Then tell me about your old friend, Principal, the more details the better, as this will help me uncover his secrets.”

Inside the office, the portraits of past principals all held their breath.

Even the fat wizard with the red nose forgot to adjust his hearing aid. Everyone was quietly waiting for Dumbledore's answer, and a tense yet expectant atmosphere filled the air.

If there is anyone in the wizarding world besides Snape who can be called a top Potions Master, then it must be Horace Slughorn.

Like the Black, Malfoy, and Weasley families, House Slughorn is also one of the Twenty-Eight Holy Purebloods.

Horace Slughorn, a pure-blood wizard, came from a privileged and wealthy family.

His parents were not pure-blood fanatics like the Black and Malfoy families, nor were they considered "traitors to the pure blood" like the Weasleys.

However, they still highly valued the inherent advantages of family, so before Horace entered the school, they advised him to associate more with people similar to himself.

Horace lived up to expectations, being sorted into Slytherin upon entering Hogwarts and becoming an outstanding student.

Not long after enrolling, he displayed amazing talent in potion making, and was also remarkable in other areas, becoming a key student for training.

However, he did not completely follow his parents' instructions.

Besides his classmates who were just as talented as the Slughorn family, he also made many friends who were also Muggle-born and highly capable.

And so, shortly after graduating with excellent grades, Horace received a job offer to teach Potions.

Without a doubt, Horace Slughorn was an exceptionally talented wizard, and he carried the weight of his parents' expectations for him to excel in the Ministry of Magic.

However, although he has the potential to become a politician, he is not interested in intrigue and prefers to stay in his current comfort zone.

They feel content as long as they make friends with people who have achieved great success, and they don't try to catch up with their friends' achievements.

Because he preferred to stay behind the scenes and enjoy the privilege of meeting celebrities and successful people, and because he loved his alma mater very much, he readily accepted the invitation to become a Potions professor at Hogwarts.

The headmaster at the time was Armando Dippet, who was teaching during the same period as Albus Dumbledore.

He was a professor of potions at the university.

Not long after, due to his outstanding abilities, he also became the Head of Slytherin House.

Overall, Horace maintained a good temper and easygoing personality throughout his teaching career, earning him consistent praise from faculty and students.

Despite being a pure-blood wizard, he never discriminated against half-blood or Muggle-born wizards.

As long as they demonstrate their strength, Horace will not hesitate to take care of them.

Of course, he also has his shortcomings, namely, his dichotomy of treating students differently is too obvious.

One is a student who pleases him or whom he considers to have a bright future—whether a pure-blood, half-blood wizard, or Muggle-born.

One type is students he considers to have a bleak future or no future—unless the student comes from a prestigious family.

In short, he needs to have something special about him.

Unfortunately, Tom Riddle was an exceptionally bright student back then.

Slughorn undoubtedly possessed a keen eye for talent; he discovered Riddle's strengths and nurtured him as his prized student.

Of course, Slughorn can't be blamed for this. Tom Riddle's disguise was just too successful at the time.

Almost all the teachers and students had a very good impression of him.

Aside from Albus Dumbledore, the Transfiguration professor who personally brought Riddle back to school from the orphanage.

"In fact, I warned Horace beforehand not to be used by Tom."

Dumbledore said slowly to Sherlock:

"Unfortunately, Horace was too confident in his judgment—which, of course, has been proven many times over."

During his decades of teaching at the school, he nurtured countless outstanding wizards, who came from Quidditch, politics, business, and journalism.

That's why he ignored my warnings.

He believed that I already harbored prejudice against Tom when I brought him back to school from the orphanage.

“You did have a prejudice against him from the beginning.”

Sherlock bluntly remarked, "It turns out that your opinion of him doesn't matter."

Because the Dark Lord, who struck fear into the hearts of the entire wizarding world, was trained at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

It's pointless to solely blame Professor Slughorn.

Dumbledore shook his head with a wry smile. "You're right, Sherlock, I won't shy away from this."

Sherlock shrugged noncommittally: "So, he's the one who told Tom about Horcruxes?"

"This is just my speculation. When Tom, who called himself Voldemort, rose to prominence in the wizarding world, Horace did not immediately recognize his old student."

But he was terrified when he realized that the terrifying wizard was actually Tom Riddle.

On the very night Voldemort returned to Hogwarts seeking a teaching position, he hid in his office, fearing that the other party would come looking for him.

Unfortunately, his worries seemed unnecessary; Voldemort made no effort to seek out his mentor.

Sherlock shrugged again.

"Horace felt more fortunate than most people when Voldemort attacked Harry that night and suffered a setback."

It was precisely his display of ecstasy at that moment, and the fragments of words he uttered, that first alerted me to his connection with Tom.

"So you just asked him directly?"

"Yes, I asked him carefully, but this action only deepened his defenses, and he even resigned a few days later."

"what!"

Sherlock smiled.

Professor Horace was indeed swift and decisive.

"In the more than ten years since his retirement, he has returned to the comfortable home left by his deceased parents, which used to be his vacation spot during school holidays, and has now become his permanent residence."

He enjoys his retirement and occasionally visits former members of the Slughorn Club.

In addition, he also enjoys hosting dinner parties at home...

Until two years ago, he learned through his connections that Voldemort was still alive.

Dumbledore then changed the subject, "As far as I know, he hasn't been having a very pleasant time since then."

As you just analyzed, the fact that Voldemort survived after being afflicted with the Killing Curse means that he had successfully created a Horcrux.

Of course, if he knew that Voldemort was still alive after we destroyed a Horcrux, he would probably be even more tormented.

Sherlock had no interest in listening to Dumbledore's analysis of the old professor's psychological state; he only asked about the parts that interested him.

"Slughorn Club, what's that?"

"This is a gathering that Horace started at Hogwarts, named after his own surname."

The program specifically invites outstanding students, children of famous and successful individuals, and children from families with excellent connections in the magical world.

"understood."

Sherlock smiled slightly. "I suppose Tom Riddle has also joined this club, hasn't he?"

Dumbledore nodded solemnly.

“Very well, so to summarize, Professor Horace Slughorn’s life trajectory fully demonstrates the survival skills of a shrewd Slytherin in chaotic times.”

Sherlock leaned back in his chair, rested his chin on his hands, and began to summarize with a sharp look in his eyes:

"He is a contradiction. He comes from a prominent pure-blood family and has absolute pure-blood advantages and connections, yet he is willing to associate with capable Muggle-born individuals."

But this is by no means true egalitarianism; it's more like an investment perspective—he keenly senses the potential future value that promising stocks may bring.

He was extremely content with the status quo, or more precisely, content with the sense of security that his comfort zone provided.

For him, pursuing power and climbing the political ladder was too risky and could easily lead to being caught in a vortex, which is why he chose a teaching position at Hogwarts as a shield.

They can legitimately cultivate their network using their position as dean, while also hiding under the fortress of knowledge and your protection.

Here, he enjoys prestige, comfort, and the satisfaction of selecting and nurturing future stars, while minimizing the risks.

I think that when Voldemort first rose to power, he chose to continue teaching at the school because it was safer there.

In fact, this is a common belief among the vast majority of people—even today, the entire wizarding world still believes that as long as you are at Hogwarts, Voldemort won't dare to cause trouble.

"Sherlock, you flatter me too much. Voldemort possesses..."

“I know that Voldemort possesses magical power that you could never have.”

Sherlock waved his hand impatiently and directly uttered the second half of Dumbledore's sentence, causing the centenarian to pause in surprise.

"For Professor Slughorn, recognizing talent is his strength, or rather, his core ability for self-preservation and pride."

For decades, this discerning eye for talent has been the cornerstone of his status and security network.

But it was precisely this arrogance that ruined him, making him indulge in a flawed judgment of Tom Riddle and so blind that he ignored your warnings.

When Riddle transformed into Voldemort, and when it was because he revealed knowledge of Horcruxes that all of this happened, his reaction was extremely typical—fear and escape.

He was relieved when Voldemort was mistakenly believed to be dead.

Unfortunately, your question triggered his strongest defense mechanism.

He resigned, retreated to the luxurious safe house left by his parents, and numbed himself with parties, fine wine, and memories of past glories, trying to rebuild that broken safety barrier in a life of debauchery.

The news that Voldemort was still alive shattered this fragile dream of retirement, and everything he relied on to maintain his sense of security instantly became a potential threat.

His network of connections, which was once his pride, has now become a preliminary list for the Death Eaters' roster.

Of course, it's a bit too early to say all this now, but if Voldemort really does return, then that will be a foregone conclusion.

At this point, Sherlock made his final summary:

"Ultimately, the core value that Horace Slughorn pursued throughout his life can be summed up in one word—stability."

(End of this chapter)