Sherlock Holmes at Hogwarts.

Chapter 605 As a professor, I cannot provide assistance in the competition.
"We can cheer for the warriors!"

When Ginny mentioned the disappointing Ministry of Magic, Cho Chang laughed and tried to smooth things over.

She looked at Harry and said softly:
"This is also a way of participating. At least it lets them know that we are cheering them on and supporting them silently."

"That's true, but I still feel uneasy."

Ron's voice was still somewhat somber, clearly still bothered by not being able to witness the competition within the maze.

"It's alright, once we bring back the Triumph Cup, we'll tell you all about our experiences in the maze!"

Cedric patted Ron on the shoulder and said confidently:

"We will make sure that no detail is overlooked, even the number of stones on the ground will be clearly stated."

"Okay, this is what you said!"

"Yes, I said so."

They were having a very lively discussion.

Meanwhile, Sherlock, Hermione, Gemma, and Luna sat in a corner of the common room, discussing something completely unrelated to the Triwizard Tournament.

"What are your plans for this summer vacation? Are you going to Hawaii again?" Gemma asked curiously.

“I’m not going this year.” Sherlock shook his head.

“It’s such a pity, I was planning to go there for vacation with you,” Gemma said frankly. “I heard the beaches and sunsets there are especially beautiful.”

"I think so too."

Hermione coughed lightly twice, a blush creeping onto her cheeks.

When everyone's eyes were on her, she quickly added, "Like Gemma, I've heard that the scenery there is especially beautiful."

Is Hawaii fun?

Luna tilted her head slightly and asked a question that was in line with her personality:
I heard there are lots of waves and beaches there, and even singing seashells?

“Sorry, I haven’t been paying attention to that,” Sherlock shrugged. “I’ve spent almost all my time practicing Barton techniques and haven’t gone out much.”

"That's it..."

Luna responded softly, then drifted back into her usual dazed state, her eyes vacant, lost in thought about some strange and unusual thing.

"Speaking of which, do you think Barton's spell would be useful in the maze?" Gemma asked curiously, bringing the topic back on track.

"If it's against the animals set up by Hagrid, it's probably not very effective."

Sherlock chuckled, his tone tinged with a hint of teasing.

All three girls laughed.

The animals Hagrid created are mostly thick-skinned and tough; human fists and feet probably couldn't break through their defenses.

“You mean… it would be very useful against competitors from other schools,” Gemma added.

"Obviously, my friend."

"You're not really planning to beat them up in the maze, are you?!"

Hermione couldn't help but laugh: "I don't think any of them could withstand a punch from you."

Luna touched her nose and said with a serious expression:

"If I get punched by you, it will definitely hurt a lot. I might get a nosebleed, or I might even cry and run to my teacher."

"..."

Everyone was speechless for a moment, not expecting Luna to have thought of things in such detail.

"By the way, the final exams will end on the day the third project begins. You all need to make the most of your time to review, and don't let the special training interfere with the exams."

After everyone came out of the Room of Requirement, Gemma said to them:

“The three warriors don’t need to take the exam, but you’re different. It will be troublesome if you fail.”

Everyone nodded seriously.

Failing an exam can have serious consequences.

Everyone here is a senior student at Hogwarts, so they naturally understand this principle.

Of course, top students like Hermione and Cho Chang don't need to worry about this at all.

Even though they spent a lot of time helping their friends train.

At most, it will slightly affect your exam ranking. Failing? Not a chance!
Luna was similar; although she was called a crazy girl, her exam results were always excellent.

Even the Weasley siblings were somewhat worried upon hearing this, as their exam results over the years had actually been quite good, consistently ranking in the upper echelons of their grade.

And so, exam week arrived.

The other players all had exams to take, so naturally they couldn't help the warriors anymore.

At Gemma's suggestion, the warriors also temporarily canceled their special training.

Her reasoning was that a balance between work and rest, maintaining a good mental state and clear thinking, is more important than high-intensity physical training.

The three warriors all felt that what she said made a lot of sense and expressed their agreement.

However, although Harry verbally agreed, he was still not completely relaxed.

After each exam, he would sit in the back row of the classroom, take out his spellbook and notes, and carefully read through them, drawing circles and dots on the paper with his pen.

The same applies when it comes to the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam.

Just like last year, Professor Lu Ping made the exam very interesting.

2V2 group wizard battle.

After all, most young wizards prefer PVP to PVE.

As the exam was nearing its end, Professor Lupin walked up to Harry, glanced at the book in his hand, and immediately understood.

He looked around and asked curiously, "Where's Sherlock?"

"They must have gone to the Quidditch stadium, right?"

Harry hesitated before saying, "He asked me for the Marauder's Map a couple of days ago, saying he was planning to go check it out."

"Reconnaissance? Marauder's Map?"

Professor Lu Ping shook his head somewhat helplessly. As the creator of Marauder's Map, he understood the importance of maps all too well.

"The Marauder's Map cannot reveal the magical traps and hidden dangers within the maze..."

"Never mind, he must have his reasons for doing this."

As he spoke, his tone suddenly shifted, and his eyes showed a hint of worry and apology:

"By the way, how's your scar...? Does it still hurt lately?"

In fact, Lupin always felt a deep sense of guilt towards Harry.

Harry is the son of his best friend.

When the Potters were brutally murdered by Voldemort and Sirius Black was falsely imprisoned, he really wanted to take on the responsibility of caring for Harry.

However, over the years, because of his werewolf identity, he has had difficulty even solving his own survival problems, and has no spare energy to take care of Harry.

On the other hand, he also learned from Dumbledore that the latter had deliberately placed Harry in the Dursleys' house, far from the magical world, hoping that he could grow up in an environment far removed from magic.

Thus, due to various factors, Lupin was unable to meet Harry for more than ten years.

It wasn't until last year that his fortunes finally turned around. He not only successfully became a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts, but also solved his personal livelihood problems.

With Professor Snape's help, they were able to obtain the expensive wolfsbane medicine free of charge, thus escaping their years of torment.

Most importantly, Sirius Black was exonerated after years of injustice, regained his freedom, and became a hero in the wizarding world.

Having enjoyed all of this, the despicable Peter finally got what he deserved.

Furthermore, he even broke Voldemort's curse on the Defense Against the Dark Arts course, becoming the first Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in decades to be re-elected.

All of this was made possible by Sherlock and Harry's help.

This year, however, he was limited by his position as a teacher and could only watch helplessly as Harry went to participate in the dangerous Triwizard Tournament, unable to provide much substantial help.

Although he gave Harry a hint in a roundabout way in the first project, he still felt it wasn't enough, far from enough.

Not to mention that Harry's scars are starting to hurt again, which makes him feel even more guilty and remorseful.

"It's alright, sir."

Harry smiled and spoke in a relaxed tone, trying to reassure Lupin:
"Dumbledore said he would let me know as soon as a solution was found."

He told me to focus my attention on the third project and not to worry too much about the scar.

“Yes, he told me about that too,” Lupin hesitated for a moment, then asked, “How are your preparations going regarding the third project? Are you confident?”

"Yes!" Harry said firmly, his eyes shining with confidence. "We will definitely win the championship and bring home the Triwizard Tournament!"

Professor Lupin was somewhat surprised to hear Harry say that.

He increasingly felt that he wasn't caring enough about Harry.

During the first project, Harry seemed so uneasy and even a little at a loss.

By the time he got to the second project, although he was no longer worried, his nervousness was still evident.

Why did he become so confident during the third project, as if he were a completely different person?

"Are you that confident?" Lupin couldn't help but ask, his tone tinged with curiosity.

"Yes, we have made ample preparations."

Harry, of course, was unaware of Lupin's complex thoughts. When he heard Lupin ask about it, a confident smile spread across his face:
"It's not just me, Sherlock and Cedric both said the same thing."

We developed a detailed response plan and conducted targeted training.

"That's good."

Lu Ping breathed a sigh of relief, his worries lessening considerably.

He looked at Harry, a little hesitant—should he help Harry again in a subtle way, like with the first project?
Just two days ago, his good friend Sirius wrote him a letter, scolding him for being too old-fashioned and saying that one should be flexible when necessary.

Just then, Hermione, her face flushed, strode over, her forehead covered in a fine layer of sweat.

Lupin quickly dismissed his thoughts and praised Hermione:
“Well done, Hermione! Your spells are very skillful and your tactics are very flexible.”

Hermione's partner was her roommate Parvati. Under Hermione's precise command and powerful spellcasting, the two easily defeated Seamus and Dean's formidable duo.

"Thank you, Professor."

Hermione's cheeks flushed slightly as she responded politely, but her gaze involuntarily drifted towards the Quidditch pitch outside the window, a hint of longing in her eyes.

Clearly, her attention wasn't entirely focused on the professor's praise.

"Hasn't Sherlock returned yet?" she asked Harry anxiously.

"No." Harry shook his head.

Hermione's face immediately showed obvious disappointment, and the corners of her mouth drooped slightly.

At that moment, Ron and Neville also came over, panting.

Ron's partner was Neville, and the two of them put in a lot of effort.

Thanks to the results of their special training over this period, they barely managed to defeat their opponents, their faces still showing signs of fatigue after the battle.

What are you all talking about?

Ron's face was as red as his red hair, and his forehead was covered in sweat. He wiped the sweat away and said:

"Luckily, I've been helping Harry with his special training all this time, and my spellcasting skills and reaction speed have improved a lot, otherwise today would have been really tough."

He used to cling to Sherlock, Harry, and Hermione when they were together.

So I never imagined that one day I would become someone else's pillar of support.

Although the matches were tiring, the feeling of winning the game through one's own strength was quite good.

"Yes, Ron, you've improved a lot. The accuracy of your spells and your adaptability in battle are much better than before."

Professor Lu Ping said with a smile.

As more and more students finished their exams, he had to temporarily suppress his desire to help Harry.

After the exam was completely over and the students had all left the classroom, Professor Lupin thought for a moment and finally called Harry back:
"Harry, wait a minute, I have a few words to say to you."

He was about to make a decision that went against the rules.

Hermione and Ron, being Harry's good friends, naturally stayed behind to see what Professor Lupin had to do.

"Take a look at the results of your practice over this period of time."

Professor Lu Ping looked at the three of them, coughed, and said:
"Hermione and Ron, you did well on this exam. I'll give you an extra point."

"Harry, you'll be my assistant and help me with the testing."

All three of them were immediately intrigued, and knowing smiles appeared on their faces.

They all understood that this had nothing to do with the exam.

It was just Professor Lupin making excuses to help Harry.

Special treatment!

Go through the back door!
edge ball!
Well done!

Next, Harry, Ron, and Hermione showcased the results of their intensive training.

Lupin observed them attentively from the side, interrupting them from time to time to point out their shortcomings and areas for improvement, and personally demonstrating the correct casting posture and spell usage techniques.

As expected, Hermione found that Professor Lupin focused almost entirely on Harry.

Even though Harry's performance was much better than his and Ron's, Lupin was more demanding and gave him more detailed guidance.

All I can say is that a professor is a professor.

Especially professors like Lupin who are skilled at teaching.

To be honest, Gemma's abilities are already quite outstanding.

As an outstanding graduate, she provided tremendous guidance and assistance to the Hogwarts competition trio during this period.

Even Cedric, a prefect and a top student, benefited greatly.

However, compared to the truly professional Professor Lu Ping, the gap immediately became apparent.

Professor Lu Ping's guidance was more precise, more systematic, and more targeted.

The guidance this time was incredibly effective, with immediate and outstanding results.

(End of this chapter)