The mastermind behind Hogwarts

Chapter 31 The Undergraduates in the Library

Moriarty and Jericho entered the castle and found a secluded corridor.

"The reason Keith's broom flew into the air was because you tampered with it," Moriarty said bluntly, his tone certain.

Jericho appeared calm, as if he had been prepared, but he kept his head down and hadn't looked up since Moriarty had called him over.

"You were so eager to ride a broomstick and fly freely that when you saw Keith's anxious look, you took the opportunity to cast a spell on his broomstick."

I think that spell must be a type of magic unique to the Blanche family. Lilith said you're a family of athletes. If this hadn't happened, I wouldn't have known you could cast spells silently, and maybe even without a wand? Although it might only work on that one type of magic.”

Seeing that Jericho still had no intention of speaking, Moriarty continued.

"The effect of the mysterious spell was obvious. Keith got into trouble, Ms. Hodge was distracted, and we were able to practice our ball skills as we wished and successfully become Quidditch players."

As for Keith's safety? You've already thought it through. You know I was there; I wouldn't stand by and watch him die.

Besides, it looks like an accident, and no one will suspect you. You've already found a scapegoat, Percy Weasley.

"Who made him argue with Keith and say those things? There's no one more suitable than him, right?"

Moriarty's tone turned cold. If Keith and Percy hadn't argued, Jericho might have actually cast a spell on one of the Gryffindor students!

"I know you're not as sunny as you seem on the surface; you have some special Slytherin qualities hidden deep inside."

"It's okay, I'm not against using dirty tricks, but we're only in first grade, and you're only 11! Practicing your game isn't worth resorting to dirty tactics against your classmates, even if it's your favorite Quidditch game."

Jericho abruptly raised his head, his lips trembling, "Mr. Moriarty, I..."

He suddenly choked up, and Moriarty saw that his eyes were red.

"If you have to scheme and resort to underhanded methods to solve even such a small matter, what will you do in the future?"

"Do you want to be a Quidditch national team player, or a despicable person hiding under a cloak?" Moriarty said these words calmly, then turned and left. Jericho needed some time to think things through.

When Moriarty returned to the common room, a large group of snakes surrounded him. Leon shook his head helplessly at the sight. He wanted to establish his authority, but the first and second-year snakes all listened to Moriarty.

That night, Jericho and Larpo returned to their dormitory very late, and Moriarty didn't say anything to them.

The next morning, Moriarty slept in for an extra hour, which was unusual for him, because it was the weekend.

After getting up, Moriarty went straight to the library to return a few books and borrow some ancient books in Runi. He was accompanied by a follower named Marcus Flint.

However, they parted ways after entering the library.

Marcus reluctantly began studying "The Types of Dragons in Britain and Ireland." Knowing that reading about dragons might arouse suspicion, he also borrowed "The Hippogriff's Psychology Manual" as a cover.

Moriarty found "Advanced Runic Translation" on a bookshelf.

A gentle, soft voice came from behind the bookshelf: "Mr. Moriarty, are you preparing to replace Professor Bassheda Baburin as the new Professor of Ancient Runes?"

Gemma Farley emerged from behind the bookshelf, holding a copy of "A Simple Introduction to Ancient Runes," her eyes filled with a hint of melancholy.

Moriarty shook his head and smiled: "Professor Baburin has a deep understanding of ancient runes, while I am more inclined towards practice."

Gemma nodded as if she understood. Although she appeared delicate and cute, she was actually a very bold girl. Moriarty recalled the topics Gemma and Lilith had discussed at the Sorting Party.

Sure enough, a light seemed to dance in Gemma's eyes, and she gave a sweet smile: "I'm having trouble with a few questions, could you help me out?"

Moriarty was certain he saw a challenge in her emerald eyes, but how could he easily agree? He proposed exchanging Transfiguration notes, with Gemma maintaining her leading position in Transfiguration among the third-year students.

Gemma snorted, "What a man who refuses to suffer a loss. You wait, I'll go get it right now."

When Gemma retrieved the notebook, she found Moriarty sitting quietly at the table reading a book, with no sign of the Transfiguration notebook.

"Moriarty, are you kidding me?" Gemma pursed her lips in anger, her cheeks puffed up, giving her a slightly chubby look.

Moriarty, however, took the notebook from her hand without any hesitation, flipped through a few pages, and casually replied, "Actually, I don't have any Transfiguration notes at all, because there's nothing worth noting down."

But I didn't mean to play a trick on you. I sent a letter to *Today's Metamorphosis*, where you'll find my theoretical framework.

"Are you kidding me? Are you sure they'll accept your manuscript?" Gemma's expression suddenly became much more serious. She placed her hands on the table and leaned down to meet Moriarty's gaze.

Moriarty stepped back a few inches, avoiding Gemma's intense gaze, and said, "I'm pretty sure, you'll probably see it next Wednesday, but I don't think it will be of much help to you."

Elemental transformation was a shortcut Moriarty devised for himself, which might inspire legends like Dumbledore and Voldemort, but for Gemma, applying elemental transformation in actual combat would be very difficult.

However, Gemma didn't see it that way. Unwilling to admit defeat, she sat down next to Moriarty, opened a borrowed book, and began reading, muttering to herself, "Underestimating me? Humph..."

Suddenly, she curled the corners of her mouth up, as if she had read something interesting in a book.

"I'll believe you for now, but now—" Gemma said to Moriarty, "I don't think you'd mind if I asked you a few questions, would you?"

"Sure, ask away. It would be best if you could make me feel like I was in a third-year classroom." Moriarty had almost finished reading Gemma's notes, and apart from Professor McGonagall's personal demonstration of the Animagus, there was nothing noteworthy.

Gemma bluntly asked several questions they had studied the previous week, hoping to stump Moriarty.

But Moriarty could solve any problem; he solved them all in less than two minutes.

Gemma was somewhat impressed with him and laughed, "Seriously, Moriarty, why do you always give off the impression of knowing everything?"

Moriarty shook his head slightly. He wasn't Dumbledore, so he wouldn't waste time sharing his insights or giving pep talks to the young wizards.

When Gemma saw that he was unwilling to talk more, she smiled, but there was a hint of resentment in that smile.

She pouted and snorted, "You chatted happily with Lilith, but you wouldn't talk to me for long, Moriarty. Do you know that everyone says you're inseparable from Tonks in the morning and inseparable from Lilith at noon?"

"It's just a little commotion among the boys and girls, ignore them," Moriarty said with an air of experience. "Don't they also say that I'm inseparable from Jericho in class and have Marcus by my side at night?"

Gemma laughed. "You've noticed too, haven't you? Everyone's starting to revolve around you. Many people see you as their idol, and the girls have even given you a rather domineering nickname."

"Overbearing?" Moriarty looked at her.

“Yes, they like to call you ‘Eternal Shine’ in Quidditch,” Gemma said, resting her chin on her hand and tilting her head as if she could see Moriarty flying across the pitch. Her voice became somewhat ethereal. “Eternal, huh? Nothing in the world lasts forever, but they think you will. Isn’t that a rather domineering title?”

Moriarty found it strange: "Wasn't it a sparkling shooting star?"

"That's the name Lilith gave you," Gemma sat up straight and moved closer to Moriarty. "Tonks said the word 'meteor' was unlucky, so she changed it to 'permanent.' See? I told you you only have eyes for Lilith!"

Moriarty didn't avoid her gaze. He raised his voice slightly: "That's just your opinion. In fact, I only see magic!"

This time he went on to say more: "For example, ancient runes—you know my boots, right? The reason they can carry Larpo is because they are alchemical artifacts that have the function of increasing movement speed. I want to add another function to them: jumping."

Gemma seemed to mistake Moriarty for a professor, and she took out a pen and wrote down all of his words.

Moriarty did not stop her and continued, "So all I need to do is learn about jumping and movement from the ancient runes."

As for how to make it, that's knowledge from other courses. Do you understand, Gemma? I'm just selecting the part I need from different courses, whether it's magic or whatever; learning should be targeted.

Gemma nodded seriously. "I will reflect on my learning methods carefully. Thank you very much for your guidance. Although it sounds a bit strange to say this to my junior, I mean it."

Also, to express my gratitude, I'll tell you a secret!

She leaned closer to Moriarty and whispered, "Professor McGonagall has a Transfiguration Club. As for the name—I'm sorry I can't tell you right now, but I think you'll find out soon enough. Professor McGonagall has no reason to let such a genius like you go unnoticed. She looks forward to meeting you at the club."

After saying that, she waved to Moriarty, blushed, and walked out of the library. Little did she know that Moriarty didn't care about the club at all.

Please don't keep this book waiting. It's very important to keep reading during the first recommendation period. Actually, we got the first recommendation last Friday, but I'm not good with words and I don't know how to say anything funny to make people happy. So I just wanted to write more, so most chapters are only 3000 words. I didn't want to ask, but I really want to advance to the next round of recommendations. Please help me.

(End of this chapter)