Sherlock Holmes at Hogwarts.

Chapter 505 Rule Changes
Hermione was initially quite happy.

Because Sherlock didn't lose his composure like Ron and the other boys did when he saw the French girl who looked like a Veela.

In the blink of an eye, Sherlock said that the girl knew him.

She stared blankly at Sherlock:
"You say she knows you... Could it be that you know her too?"

Before she could finish speaking, Ron's voice, raised in shock, drowned her out:
"Sherlock, you said that girl knows you?"

when?
Where?
What's her name?

"She knows me, but I don't know her."

Sherlock calmly shook his head, denying Ron's barrage of guesses.

"Then...how do you know she knows you?"

Harry found it unbelievable; it didn't make logical sense.

How do you know someone knows you if you don't know them?
“Dear Harry, it’s easy to infer that from her behavior just now.”

Her reaction indicated that she recognized me, or at least knew who I was.

Ron shook his head: "I don't understand."

Sherlock then explained to the three of them, "The way she looked at me just now wasn't the way you look at a stranger; it was the kind of look that comes from recognizing someone and trying to hide it."

"Recognized, and tried to cover it up?"

Hermione astutely grasped the key words and frowned as she asked:
Why did she hide the fact that she knew you?
Isn't that even stranger than not recognizing someone at all?

She's just a student at Beauxbatons!

"I've been thinking about that too."

Sherlock's gaze followed the girl's retreating figure, his hands clasped together to support his chin:

"Logically, it doesn't make sense. I can't deduce how she knew me, or why she would hide the fact that she knew me."

Sherlock readily admitted it.

Hermione's brow furrowed even more:

"So you're saying she knows you just because she glanced at you? Isn't that a bit... hasty?"

Sherlock said quietly, "It's not just a glance."

Just now, in the glance that girl gave him as she left, in those deep, azure eyes, Sherlock caught a fleeting, almost imperceptible glimpse of something unusual.

That wasn't curiosity about strangers, but a quick, subconscious confirmation.

Then came a subtle stiffness, as if her intentions had been seen through, which was finally concealed by her long eyelashes that quickly drooped down.

Such subtle expressions might go unnoticed by others, but to Sherlock, they were as clear as ink on a blank sheet of paper.

Sherlock continued explaining to his three friends:

"It was a pause in the eyes, a fleeting moment of surprise, followed by an instinctive attempt to cover it up."

Pupils constricted slightly, and gaze quickly shifted downwards.

These micro-expression combinations convey a very clear message:

She recognized me, and she didn't want me to know that she had recognized me.

As for the reason behind it…

Sherlock shrugged. "This is beyond the scope of information I can obtain through observation."

Perhaps it has something to do with the rivalry between Beauxbatons and Hogwarts?
Or are there other personal reasons?

Insufficient clues to make a conclusion.

Ron immediately looked at him with admiration:

"But how did she meet you?"

A girl as beautiful as her, you'd definitely remember her after just one glance!

Sherlock was silent for a moment. Harry, Hermione, and Ron all carefully observed his expression and noticed that he seemed to be trying hard to remember.

"Sherlock, could it be something from your childhood?"

Harry couldn't help but guess.

Since the school announced the Triwizard Tournament last week, various news about Beauxbatons and Durmstrang has been unearthed.

Putting aside the unsubstantiated rumors that Beauxbatons is an all-girls school, there are other confirmed facts.

For example, Beausparton is located in southern France, and Durmstrang is located in Northern Europe, but it is unknown which country they are in.

At this moment, Sherlock mentions that the girl from Beauxbatons knows him, which reminds Harry of the introduction of Sherlock by Mycroft Holmes when they first met in their first year.

When Sherlock was four years old, the Holmes family traveled to Montpellier, France, and stayed there for two full years.

It was at that time that Mrs. Holmes learned to cook French cuisine.

So Harry immediately connected the two things.

"Yes, Harry, I did go to Montpellier, France with my family when I was young."

Montpellier is the eighth largest city in France and is considered a cultural city of France.

It is also the capital of the Hérault department in the Occitanie region and the capital of the Languedoc-Roussillon region.

The climate there is pleasant, typical of the Mediterranean, making it a popular winter retreat in France, and it is known as the "City of Sunshine".

Of course, the Holmes family didn't stay in Montpellier for the entire two years they spent in France.

I also visited cities like Paris, Marseille, and Lyon during that time, but...

Sherlock pondered for a moment, then shook his head:
"But those memories are too vague. Even if we really did see them, people's appearances change so much that it's impossible to confirm that it's the same person."

Therefore, this cannot be taken as an explanation for her knowing me—dear Harry, reasoning without evidence is very dangerous.”

At this point, Sherlock once again emphasized the limitations of reasoning:
"The only conclusion we can draw right now is that she knows me; everything else is a mystery."

"Oh my bloody mother of hell!"

Ron murmured, glancing at Sherlock, then at the long-haired girl in the distance, and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise:

"This is so cool!"

He was clearly thrilled with the premise that "a mysterious French beauty knows Sherlock."

Harry and Hermione exchanged a glance, both seeing the confusion and doubt in each other's eyes.

The witch of Beauxbatons clearly knew Sherlock, but tried to hide it.
There's no doubt there's something fishy about this!
Hermione was constantly reminded of this.

Objectively speaking, the young girl from Beauxbatons was truly stunning.

Even Gemma, Cho Chang, and Penelope Cruz are slightly inferior.

The bonus from Veela blood is simply too unreasonable.

Fortunately, Sherlock is indeed a man of his word; if he says he doesn't care about appearance, then he doesn't.

However, this little incident, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirred up an unusual ripple on the night the three-way battle for supremacy began.

Then the second dish was served.

Just like before, many sweets that the young wizards of Hogwarts had never seen before appeared.

Ron examined it closely; it was a strange, white milk jelly.

After asking Sherlock and learning that it was also a French product, he carefully moved it a few inches away from his right hand.

Not only Sherlock, but even Harry and Hermione could see through this little scheme.

It's simply so that the dish can be clearly seen from the Ravenclaw table.

Unfortunately, the girl who looked just like Veela seemed to have already eaten her fill, and she didn't come over to get the dessert again.

This made Ron very disappointed.

This also confirmed Hermione's deduction of Sherlock's reasoning.

The other party's act of coming over to pick up the vegetables was just an excuse!

She came here specifically for Sherlock.

As the golden plates were cleaned and polished once more, Dumbledore stood up again.

A mix of excitement and nervousness filled the auditorium.

Sherlock rested his chin on his hands, leaned back slightly, and looked at Dumbledore with great interest. Harry and Ron beside him were even more excited, wondering what the next activity would be.

A few seats away from them, the Weasley twins leaned forward, staring intently at Dumbledore.

Only Hermione frowned slightly, her gaze shifting back and forth between Sherlock and the Beauxbatons girl who resembled a Veela.

"More than a month after the start of the school year, this moment has finally arrived."

Dumbledore said, smiling at the faces that were looking up:

"The three-way battle is about to begin—but I'd like to first explain our schedule for this academic year."

First, please allow me to introduce two guests, as there are still some people who do not know them.

This is Mr. Ludo Bagman, Department of Physical Education and Sports, Ministry of Magic.

This is Mr. Alastor Moody, a former Auror of the Ministry of Magic.

"My God, when did they arrive?" Ron asked in surprise.

“While you were looking at that girl,” Sherlock said calmly.

"..."

When Ludo Bagman's name was introduced, the auditorium erupted in enthusiastic applause.

Perhaps it was because he was somewhat famous as a batsman, or perhaps it was simply because he looked much more approachable than the other guest—he waved his hand happily in thanks.

But when Alastor Moody was introduced, not a single teacher or student applauded, except for Dumbledore and Hagrid.

Dumbledore and Hagrid clapped a few times, but finding the applause echoing lonely in the silent Great Hall, they wisely lowered their hands.

The main reason was that everyone else seemed stunned by Moody's strange appearance and just stared at him intently.

Especially Karkarov.

The moment he saw Moody, his face turned deathly pale, revealing a terrifying expression of mixed resentment and fear.

Moody's seemed unmoved by the lukewarm response.

He picked up the wine glass on the table and took a big gulp. His normal eye was fixed on the glass, but his blue eye kept darting around in its socket, taking in the auditorium and his classmates.

As he raised his arm to drink, his cloak, which was trailing on the ground, was pulled up a few inches.

Then people saw a few inches of carved wooden leg protruding from under the table, with a claw-shaped foot underneath.

"Sherlock, Harry, aren't you surprised?"

Noticing that Sherlock and Harry both seemed quite calm, Ron couldn't help but ask a question.

“We had already seen him during Peter Pettigrew’s trial.”

Harry said softly, still somewhat confused, "But what are they doing here?"

Hermione explained:

"The Triwizard Tournament is organized by the Department of International Cooperation and the Department of Sports of the Ministry of Magic. I guess they want to witness the opening ceremony of the tournament in person."

However, given what happened to Barty Crouch, he definitely can't come, but...

"Sending Mad-Eye Moody over here seems rather strange, doesn't it?"

“Protect,” Sherlock suddenly said.

"What?" Hermione looked at him, puzzled.

“The Daily Prophet previously published news about Moody.”

Sherlock said calmly:

"As far as I know, Alastor Moody and Dumbledore are very good friends."

If Professor Lupin is unable to teach the Defense Against the Dark Arts course this academic year, then Moody will be the instructor.

"My God!"

"my God!"

"My hellish mother!"

Harry, Hermione, and Ron all looked surprised.

The thought of Mad-Eye Moody being their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor is unbearable.

"Fortunately, the curse was broken..."

Ron murmured, "Come to think of it, this should be the only time I'm grateful to Lockhart."

After all, according to Dumbledore's analysis, it was precisely because Lockhart allowed Voldemort to possess him and indulge in teaching that the curse of changing defense against the dark arts professors every year was broken.

Hermione glared at him, then looked away and asked Sherlock:

"But what does this have to do with the 'protection' you're talking about?"

"As an excellent Auror, a master at capturing dark wizards, one must also be skilled at protection."

Although the three-way battle has resumed, safety is of paramount importance.

Having Moody on the referee panel can, to some extent, effectively prevent various unexpected events from occurring.

That's one point.

Sherlock held up two fingers:

"Secondly, judging from the content published in the Daily Prophet last time, many people in the wizarding world now believe that Moody has mental problems after retiring."

As the saying goes, there are no wrong nicknames, only wrong names. The fact that he was called "Crazy-Eyed Man" speaks volumes.

Therefore, having Moody fill in for Crouch while he was unavailable was also a form of protection for Moody himself.

Then Dumbledore spoke again:

"Mr. Bagman, Mr. Moody, together with me, Professor Karkaroff, and Ms. Maxim, will form a judging panel to evaluate the warriors' efforts."

Upon hearing the word "warrior," the students seemed to concentrate even more.

Even the shock of Moody's unusual appearance was temporarily forgotten.

Dumbledore seemed to notice their sudden silence as well, and with a slight smile, he said:

“Mr. Filch, please bring the box up.”

Apart from Sherlock, no one noticed that Filch had been lurking in a corner of the Great Hall.

Upon hearing Dumbledore's words, Filch, carrying a large wooden box inlaid with jewels, walked towards Dumbledore.

The box looked quite old, and the students stared at it intently, discussing it with great interest.

To get a better view, little ones like Dennis Crevey stood on a chair.

But he was so small that even when he was standing, his head wasn't much taller than others.

Characters like Sherlock, Harry, and Ron have it much simpler; they just need to sit up straight.

As Filch carefully placed the box on the table in front of Dumbledore, Dumbledore said:

"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Moody have carefully reviewed the specific events for the Warriors' competition this year."

They also made many necessary arrangements for each project.

There are three projects in total, conducted at different times throughout the school year, which will test the warriors in many different ways:

Test their magical talents.

It tests their ability to cope with danger.

"Testing their courage and reasoning skills..."

At this point, most of the students in the Great Hall looked towards Gryffindor.

Nowadays, whenever "deduction" is mentioned, Sherlock Holmes is an unavoidable name.

"Of course, as you already know, three warriors will represent their respective schools in the competition, but..."

Dumbledore paused here.

"...The rules will be changed this year."

Upon hearing this, the auditorium fell completely silent, as if everyone had stopped breathing.

(End of this chapter)