Sherlock Holmes at Hogwarts.

Chapter 598 Voldemort's Deep-seated Hatred

After stating his first deduction to Harry and Dumbledore, Sherlock continued at an extremely fast pace:
"Secondly, Voldemort's allies possess considerable power."

In Harry's last dream, the man known as Mr. Smith was not acting alone.

In this dream, their dwelling, though not luxurious, was clean, comfortable, and well-stocked.

More importantly, his ability to rescue Barty Crouch Jr. from the Aurors of the Ministry of Magic is enough to prove that his strength and connections are not simple.

Of course, this is also inseparable from the incompetence of the Ministry of Magic.

"Third, Voldemort and his allies are plotting an operation."

The operation, led by Barty Crouch Jr., has been going smoothly so far.

Based on the timeline, once the third project begins, that's when they'll reveal their true intentions and execute their final plan.

Fourth, Voldemort deeply hates me.

At this point, Sherlock paused, a slightly mocking smile playing on his lips:

"Actually, I was able to deduce the first three points based on Harry's last dream and other clues. Only this last point is surprising."

I never imagined Voldemort's hatred for me would run so deep.

After Sherlock finished speaking, a brief silence fell over the office.

Neither Harry nor Dumbledore spoke, but they shared the same thought:
Although this conclusion was somewhat unexpected, it was indeed a very straightforward statement in Sherlock's style.

As for why Voldemort hated him so much—

Don't you really have any idea what you've done?
"Sherlock, I have a question."

Harry couldn't suppress his doubts any longer and asked directly.

"You said."

"Actually, I wanted to say this last time: Voldemort didn't have a complete body, so how did he manage to pick up his wand?"

Harry's eyes were full of confusion; this question had been bothering him for a long time.

"Harry, you've discovered the blind spot."

Sherlock smiled slightly, his tone carrying a hint of appreciation:
Four years ago, Voldemort said this himself when he confronted us:
He was so weak that he was nothing but a shadow and steam, and could only have a physical form when he shared a body with someone else.

Although you later defeated Quirrell, the creature he relied on, by then he had already drunk the blood of a unicorn and regained some of his power.

He paused and continued his analysis:

"Furthermore, Professor Snape has already told us through his Dark Mark that Voldemort's power has been steadily increasing over the past four years."

Therefore, let's make a bold assumption:

As time went on, Voldemort, though still without a complete physical body, managed to create a temporary one using unicorn blood and other dark magic.

This body is very weak, so weak that it needs the help of others to move.

But that was enough for him to pick up his wand and cast a spell.

I think that the witch named Bertha, and the old man named Frank in your last dream, were both killed by his own hands.

Sherlock's voice was soft, yet firm.

Harry could clearly sense the anger hidden in his tone, a hatred for the indiscriminate killing of innocent people.

"He's killing innocent people indiscriminately for his own selfish gain, and he intends to continue doing so..."

Sure enough, Sherlock's eyes and tone turned cold as he said this:
"His ultimate goal is to regain his complete body and achieve a complete resurrection."

So what we need to do now is still the same as before—find the location of the other Horcruxes and destroy them one by one.

Of course, it would be even better if we could find Barty Crouch Jr. along the way.

Voldemort doesn't have many people he can rely on right now. Eliminating this key pawn will further delay his resurrection plan.

“I agree with you, Sherlock.”

Dumbledore gave Harry a complicated look, then said:

"That's exactly why I asked you to come here today."

After Easter, I found another crucial memory that I think will be of great help in our search for the Horcruxes.

"Good job!"

"That's great, Professor!"

Sherlock and Harry spoke almost simultaneously, their eyes lighting up and their faces full of anticipation.

"As you requested last time, I will not repeat it this time, but you and I will directly enter the memory to check it together."

Dumbledore then turned to Harry and asked gently, "Harry, would you like to come along too?"

"Of course!"

Harry said without hesitation.

Harry still harbors resentment about not being able to search for the Horcrux ring with Sherlock and Dumbledore last time.

This opportunity came knocking on his door, and he was determined not to miss it.

"Sherlock, Harry, please forgive my lack of modesty."

Dumbledore coughed softly, his tone tinged with a hint of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing regret, regret, and a sense of melancholy).
"But the fact is—finding evidence about young Riddle is already a very difficult thing."

Finding someone who can clearly remember the adult Voldemort is even more difficult than climbing to the heavens.

I even doubted at one point whether there was another living person besides himself who could tell us in detail about his life after leaving Hogwarts.

Fortunately, you found the diary, and Sherlock provided me with the right direction for the investigation.

After years of relentless effort, I've finally reaped the rewards.

As Dumbledore spoke, he took a small, sparkling crystal bottle from his pocket and placed it next to the Pensieve.

The bottle contains silver-white memory threads, which gleam softly under the light.

Dumbledore looked at Sherlock with anticipation:

"I hope that after you've seen it, you'll surprise me once again."

Sherlock smiled but did not answer.

Harry, on the other hand, was filled with excitement, staring intently at the crystal bottle, eager to immediately enter the memories and find out what was going on.

"But before that, there are some things I feel I need to make clear to you."

Dumbledore began slowly, setting the stage for the two:

"Tom Riddle advanced to the seventh year at Hogwarts with top marks in every exam."

"Every single one is the best? That means he not only got twelve certificates, but they are all 'O's?"

“Yes, that’s right,” Dumbledore said with emotion. “There are very few students who can get twelve certificates, and I’ve only ever seen one who got twelve ‘O’s.”

If he had used his intelligence for good, his achievements would have been limitless, but alas…

Dumbledore shook his head and continued:
"At that time, all my classmates were thinking about their career plans after graduation."

Almost everyone thought he would achieve amazing things—he was a class monitor, student council president, a top student, and had received the school's Outstanding Moral Character and Special Contribution Awards.

I know that several teachers, including Professor Slughorn, have suggested that he join the Ministry of Magic and have offered to introduce him to them. But he has refused them all.

It wasn't until later that the instructors learned he had gone to work at Borgin-Bock.

"Bokin-Bock?"

Harry looked stunned.

He knows this place all too well.

Lucius Malfoy originally intended to sell his stolen goods here.

He simply couldn't understand what Voldemort was doing here.
Could it be researching black magic?

There's no need to choose this place, is there?
Sherlock simply raised an eyebrow without saying a word.

In his view, given Voldemort's ambition and style of doing things, his choice of Borgin-Bock must have had its purpose.

Considering Dumbledore's specific emphasis on this point, the answer is almost obvious:

There, Voldemort could easily obtain information about ancient magical items.

Those items were precisely the ones he planned to turn into Horcruxes.

"Yes, Borgin-Bock."

Seeing Harry's surprised expression, Dumbledore explained gently:

"However, even Bokin-Bock is not his first choice."

Why don't you guess where he initially wanted to go?

"Where else is there besides Hogwarts?"

While Harry was still thinking, Sherlock had already lazily given the answer:

"He doesn't even care about the Ministry of Magic. The only thing more attractive to him is this castle full of ancient magic."

“Absolutely right, Sherlock.”

Dumbledore smiled and nodded, his white beard trembling slightly with the movement, his eyes filled with admiration for Sherlock's astute deduction.

“Back then, nobody knew—in fact, nobody knows now—I was one of the few people who heard the old principal, Professor Dippert, mention it.”

When Voldemort left the school, he specifically sought out Professor Depp, respectfully inquiring whether he could remain at Hogwarts to teach.

"He wants to stay here? He really wants to stay here?"

Harry looked at Sherlock first, then at Dumbledore, and his eyes widened in surprise.

“I thought you wouldn’t be so surprised, Harry.”

Dumbledore sighed softly, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the rim of the crystal bottle, the silvery-white threads of memory within swaying gently with the movement:

"As Sherlock said, Hogwarts was different for him."

His gaze gradually deepened, as if piercing through time, revealing the figure of Tom Riddle, the boy from many years ago:

"Voldemort's affection for this school was deeper than his affection for any other person."

It's fair to say that Hogwarts was the happiest place in his life.

It was also the first, and perhaps the only, place that felt like home to him.

Harry: (ー`ー)
His brows furrowed slightly, and a complex emotion welled up inside him.

The feeling that Dumbledore described is exactly how he truly felt about Hogwarts!
From the moment he first stepped into the castle, it became his true home.

Unexpectedly, he found himself to have such a disturbing similarity with Voldemort.

He subconsciously touched the scar on his forehead, which was calm and still at the moment, yet it inexplicably sent a chill down his spine.

But then I realized that I was different from Voldemort.

Before meeting Sherlock, Hogwarts was indeed his only home.

But after meeting Sherlock...

As time went on, the Holmes house on Kings Road, the Burrow in St. Catchpoll, No. 12 Grimmauld Place, and even No. 4 Privet Drive all gave him a sense of home.

This is precisely what makes him different from Voldemort.

"Besides this most important reason, I can think of two more."

Dumbledore withdrew his gaze, his tone regaining its composure:
"First, this castle has a long history and is a veritable ancient magical stronghold."

Voldemort undoubtedly knew more about this place than most students—especially after he successfully opened the Chamber of Secrets and controlled the Basilisk.

Even so, given his ambition, he probably still felt that the castle held many unsolved mysteries and undiscovered magical treasures waiting for him.

"Staying at school means you can continue digging them out."

Hearing this, Harry couldn't help but glance at Sherlock.

The two looked into each other's eyes, exchanging no words, yet instantly understanding each other's thoughts.

They all thought of the House of Requirement.

"Secondly, once he becomes a teacher, he can legitimately exert a great influence on young wizards."

Dumbledore's tone suddenly turned serious:
"This idea should have come from Professor Slughorn's club."

He was a core member of the club back then and witnessed firsthand how Slughorn made connections with promising students through the club and how he influenced others as a teacher.

I never thought Voldemort intended to stay at Hogwarts forever. He simply saw it as an excellent place to recruit and train his own loyal forces, quietly building up an army.

Of course, he couldn't tell Professor Dippert about these hidden ambitions.

Even so, he still couldn't stay.

Sherlock leaned back in his chair and spoke in a low, languid tone:
"In his own words, you were the one who interfered and ruined his plans."

“I don’t deny that.”

Dumbledore didn't mince words, speaking crisply and frankly:
"When I learned from Professor Deppet that he intended to stay at Hogwarts to teach, I immediately felt very uneasy."

I knew all too well the ambition hidden deep within this young man, so I privately approached Professor Deppet and advised him not to hire Voldemort.

Of course, I didn't present the deeper reasons I just gave you.

"why?"

Harry pressed on, puzzled, leaning forward slightly, his eyes full of doubt:
"Since you know he has a problem, why don't you tell Professor Dippet the truth?"

"Because Professor Duppert was a big fan of Voldemort at the time."

A hint of helplessness flashed in Dumbledore's eyes:
He believed Voldemort to be a genius that Hogwarts had seen once in many years, and he had no doubt about his honesty and humility.

Even if I did say that, he wouldn't believe me.

"Hey, Albus, you didn't say anything, how do you know I won't believe you?"

Just then, a portrait on the wall spoke up with dissatisfaction.

It was none other than the former headmaster of Hogwarts, Armando Dippet.

(End of this chapter)