Sherlock Holmes at Hogwarts.

Chapter 467 Judging by appearance is wrong
"Well done, Sherlock!"

"As expected of the Lion King, he really didn't embarrass us!"

Hermione chased after him outside and saw that Dean and Seamus, who had just dragged Sherlock out, had released him and were praising him to the skies.

"Who says that just because we're British, we have to support the Irish team?"

"You know what? I actually prefer the Bulgarian team!"

"Me too—because they have Krum!"

"But I never dare to mention this in front of my mother."

"Exactly! Sherlock, what you just said was absolutely right!"

"The Irish team has so many supporters, they don't even need us!"

Hearing Dean and Seamus's words, Hermione couldn't help but smile.

She really didn't expect that the two brothers would bring up Sherlock to talk about this.

However, to be fair, she actually admired Sherlock quite a bit.

In that atmosphere, he was still able to speak frankly and contradict Simo's mother.

She could never do that.

“Simply expressing emotions is meaningless, and decorating the tent like that is just formalism.”

If it's just a personal preference, then there's nothing wrong with it. But if you want to avoid attracting the attention of Muggles, you shouldn't do it.

Unfortunately, judging from the current situation, the Ministry of Magic seems powerless to do anything about it, and ultimately they will have to resort to a Forgetfulness Charm.

Sherlock readily accepted Dean and Seamus's praise, but then he changed the subject, "I think you just ran into Harry and the others, didn't you?"

“That’s right, Sherlock! I knew you would be able to figure it out.”

Simo said with a smile, "Actually, my mother just forced them to admit that they like the Irish team."

They're not as brave as you—I guarantee my mom'll be furious when we get back.”

When talking about his mother being angry, Simo seemed very happy, clearly a very filial son.

Dean added, "Ginny heard what Simon's mother said, that she also wanted to know what the Bulgarians had hung on their tents, so they went over to take a look."

Sherlock nodded, then pointed: "Is it that way?"

“That’s right, Sherlock, how do you know everything?”

"It's just observation."

Sherlock and Hermione were looking for the water-fetching trio, so now that they knew where they were, there was no need for them to go back to the water-fetching place only to find it empty.

Moreover, Sherlock and Hermione also wanted to know what the Bulgarians had done in the tent that made Seamus's mother so unhappy.

They soon got their answer.

The area where the Bulgarian tents were located was easy to spot—white, green, and red flags fluttered in the air.

When the wind blows, the flags unfurl their vibrant colors, standing out starkly against the hazy mist.

Unlike Simo's mother, their tents were not draped with vines or covered with plants; they simply stood in place.

However, one consistent detail makes them particularly eye-catching:
On the canvas of each tent, there was an identical portrait.

The painting depicts a young man with thick eyebrows and large eyes, whose features are deep-set, yet whose expression reveals a hint of coldness and hardness.

Portraits in the magical world are usually vibrant and lively, but this young man's portrait is unusually monotonous.

There are only two expressions over and over again:

They either had their brows furrowed, as if they were worried about the game.

They either blink rapidly, or barely even twitch the corner of their mouth.

"Who is this?" Hermione asked, her brow furrowing slightly as she stared at the repeated portraits.

“Krum, the Bulgarian Seeker,” Sherlock replied casually.

How do you know? Do you know him?

Hermione turned to look at him in surprise, her eyes widening slightly. She had never heard Sherlock mention anything related to Quidditch before.

"Isn't it obvious?"

Sherlock's gaze swept back and forth across the Bulgarian tent area, his fingertips unconsciously tapping his palm as he explained in a matter-of-fact tone:
"As Simon just mentioned, he prefers Ireland to win, but even so, he still chooses to support Bulgaria because 'they have Krum'."

Also, when we passed that group of Latin-speaking wizards just now, they were talking about how the Bulgarian team had a 'game-changing seeker'.

A person who can make others believe that they can single-handedly turn the tide when their team is potentially behind must be exceptionally capable.

Isn't it perfectly natural that Bulgarians plastered his portrait all over their tents as a propaganda tool?

"I do not like him."

Hermione's gaze returned to the portraits, watching as countless Krums simultaneously frowned and blinked at them, their brows furrowing even more deeply.

Her tone carried a hint of blunt rejection: "His appearance is too gloomy; it makes me uncomfortable."

“I must remind you, dear Hermione, that it is wrong to judge a book by its cover.”

Sherlock withdrew his gaze and said in a light tone:

"Judging from Seamus's preference for him and the Bulgarians' high regard for him, this guy named Krum is quite skilled at Quidditch."

I remember telling you more than once that you shouldn't judge a person solely on their appearance.

"Well, you never judge a book by its cover..."

Hermione muttered softly, her gaze fixed on Sherlock's calm profile.

At that moment, she suddenly remembered something from the past:

She once asked Sherlock curiously if he had any particular fondness for Gemma's elegance or the sweetness of the Petit twins.

Sherlock pointed out at the time that he would not be overly concerned with appearance, because that was just the most superficial label.

Now, faced with Krum's gloomy appearance, he no longer felt the same instinctive aversion as he had.

From this perspective, Sherlock is indeed a gentleman who keeps his word.

His judgments are always based solely on facts and logic, not on superficial impressions.

Once they had finally passed through the Bulgarian tent area and could no longer see the numerous Krum portraits, Hermione breathed a long sigh of relief and subconsciously rubbed her temples.

Stared at by so many gloomy eyes, she felt a tightness in her chest.

Now even breathing is easier.

As luck would have it, just as I stepped out of the Bulgarian tent area, a familiar voice came from not far away.

They finally ran into Harry, Ron, and Ginny, the water-fetching trio.

This time, Hermione's deduction was proven correct.

Harry and his friends did indeed run into someone they knew.

Qiu Zhang and her parents.

Hermione couldn't help but smile knowingly at the sight.

Since Harry encountered Cho Chang, it's not surprising that it took so long.

Cho Chang is still stunningly beautiful, just as she was when we last met at Grimoire Place.

She was chatting and laughing with Harry, and they both looked very happy.

Ron was talking to Zhang Wei, and the two seemed to be having a very pleasant conversation.

Ginny was talking to Zhuge Dali, but she seemed a little uneasy.

Just then, she suddenly noticed Sherlock and Hermione standing side by side, and her eyes lit up:
"Sherlock, Hermione, we're here!"

She shouted and waved frantically at the two men, trying to attract their attention.

In fact, even if she hadn't done that, the two of them would have already walked past each other.

"Uncle Zhang, Aunt Zhuge!"

Sherlock and Hermione greeted Zhang Wei and Zhuge Dali politely. Zhang Wei asked curiously, "What brings you here?"

"Of course we're here to find Harry and the others!"

Zhuge Dali smiled and gently pushed her daughter:
"Alright, Qiu, stop bothering your classmates. They need to start a fire and cook!"

Qiu Zhang blushed slightly.

Oh no, I was so focused on chatting with Harry that I forgot about this.

After greeting Sherlock and Hermione, he stood next to his parents.

Harry felt a little embarrassed; since coming here this year, he seemed to have become more easily influenced by beautiful women.

At this point, Zhang Wei asked in confusion, "I remember there's a spell that can make you get out of the water quickly, so why do you still need to fetch water?"

“Fool, you’re talking about the Aguamenti spell (Clear Water Like a Spring).”

Zhuge Dali smiled slightly, "But since they've all come to fetch water, it must mean they're all law-abiding citizens, so why would they use magic?"

"I feel it's not very meaningful."

Zhang Wei spread his hands and shrugged:

"I've seen a lot of people using their wands to light fires."

Honestly, I'd rather wizards use magic.

Making them cook and start fires like Muggles is nothing short of a disaster. Several tents over there are already on fire. I don't know what the organizers are thinking..."

"Alright, Wei, say less."

Zhuge Dali gently stopped Zhang Wei.

Seeing his wife smile, Zhang Wei was momentarily stunned.

"Fool, haven't you seen enough over the decades?"

"Not enough, not enough in a lifetime."

"..."

The young wizards looked at each other in bewilderment.

Hey, there are children here, isn't this inappropriate?

Qiu Zhang was so embarrassed by his parents' appearance that he almost dug a two-bedroom apartment out of the ground with his toes.

She glanced at Harry instinctively, only to find him looking on with envy.

Qiu Zhang: ╰(*°▽°*)╯

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the group bid farewell to Qiu and Zhang's family of three and set off again.

Ginny was the happiest one, and only she knew why.

On the other hand, with Sherlock and Hermione helping to share the water, their speed of movement increased significantly.

But it soon slowed down again.

Because on their way back, they always saw familiar faces, or were seen by familiar faces.

It mainly consists of Hogwarts students and their families.

Sherlock and Harry need no introduction; one is a lion king with great wisdom, and the other is the savior of the wizarding world.

These two influential figures are always the center of attention wherever they go.

Even if it's just to say hello, you should stop and walk, right?

Hermione and Ginny, the two young girls, were equally impressive.

Hermione was the top scorer for three consecutive years, ranking first in her grade in every exam. As the know-it-all, her fame was second only to Sherlock and Harry.

Ginny, on the other hand, was simply chosen because she was pretty.

Now in third grade, she has reached the age of blossoming beauty.

As Sherlock's roommate Dean said, there will always be some British people who find it hard to get used to a girl like Cho Chang.

However, all men in this country would like Ginny's type.

So wherever she goes, she always attracts the attention of a large group of men.

Ron fared much worse; his nickname "Gryffindor Chess Master" only circulated for a short time around the end of his first year.

After entering the second grade, it was basically not mentioned anymore.

In addition, he was the tallest among the group.

This makes him look like a bodyguard—or rather, a thug—when he stands next to the four people.

In short, Ron's physical appearance naturally led others to categorize him as a follower, making it difficult for him to attract attention.

However, Ron was slow to react and had not yet realized this.

Most people they encounter simply stop to say hello, but some will pull them aside for a long chat.

For example, Oliver Wood, whom they are currently dealing with.

Wood was a strong man of average build.

Not only is he tall and strong, but he is also very handsome.

He was the former captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team and had just graduated from Hogwarts.

Last semester, he finally led the Gryffindor team to lift the Quidditch Cup, achieving his goal in his final year of school.

This person's passion for Quidditch goes without saying.

In the words of the Weasley twins, even a forbidden curse couldn't stop him from participating in the tournament.

Of course, this is just an exaggeration, but it is enough to show Wood's passion for Quidditch.

During his seven years at Hogwarts, all the courses were just an extra for him.

Nothing is more important than Quidditch.

The family atmosphere must be extraordinary to raise a child like this.

So whenever there's such a big event, the whole Wood family comes here to watch the game.

Upon seeing Harry and Sherlock, Wood excitedly pulled them into his parents' tent and introduced them to the adults.

Hermione, Ron, and Ginny were left looking at each other in bewilderment.

However, they knew that Wood was just like that, so they shrugged and went inside.

As soon as the three entered the tent, they saw Wood praising Harry lavishly.

He spoke highly of Harry's performance during his three years at the school.

Wood emphasized that Gryffindor was able to lift the Quidditch Cup entirely thanks to Harry, the Seeker.

He's the youngest Seeker in a century, a genius born for Quidditch, and even more talented than Charlie Weasley, among other things.

After talking about Harry, he started talking about Sherlock.

Wood points out that although Sherlock did not join the Gryffindor Quidditch team, he has always highly recognized Sherlock's talent in Quidditch.

Not only that, he also took this opportunity to bring up that old, tired topic again, hoping that Sherlock would join the Gryffindor Quidditch team as soon as possible in the new school year.

Gryffindor is in dire need of talent, and Sherlock, as the Lion King of Gryffindor, should fully shoulder his responsibilities and not waste his talent.

Wood seemed to transform into a different person whenever Quidditch was mentioned, and Sherlock was used to it, so he wasn't surprised at all by his remarks.

Harry, on the other hand, felt a little embarrassed—Wood had praised him a bit too much.

According to Wood, Gryffindor's ability to win the Quidditch Cup last term seemed to be entirely due to Harry's efforts.

But Harry knew very well that wasn't the case.

Ball is not something that can be played by one person alone.

(End of this chapter)