Sherlock Holmes at Hogwarts.

Chapter 175 Malfoy Survival Guide

Once Professor McGonagall called her, Hermione immediately stood up.

She spoke without pause in her fluent Oxford accent:

Gamp's Basic Law of Transfiguration is the fundamental law of Transfiguration, which states that we can transform objects or create something out of thin air, but there are five major exceptions:

The first exception is that you cannot conjure food out of thin air;
The second exception is that one cannot conjure life;
The third exception is that you cannot conjure items with magical properties;

The fourth exception is that unknown substances cannot be created;
The fifth exception is that the quantity cannot be changed! "

Hermione spoke as fast as if she was casting a spell, and it took her less than a minute to give the standard answer.

The young wizards who were attending the class were not surprised at all.

For Hermione Granger, the top scorer, this was routine.

"Excellent! Five points to Gryffindor!"

This time, Professor McGonagall finally smiled with satisfaction.

After one class, Gryffindor scored another fifteen points.

On the scoring gems of the four academies, red has begun to show its brilliance.

When it was time for lunch, Harry and Ron, like other young wizards, began to discuss the afternoon's Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

Noticing Harry's worried look, Ron handed him a chicken leg:
"Don't worry, brother. Although I don't like Lockhart either, think about it. Even if he is terrible, can he be worse than Quirrell?"

Hearing his good brother's comfort, Harry nodded subconsciously.

It is indeed unlikely that it is worse than Biqilo.

But even so, he still felt that Lockhart was a bit boastful.

At Flourish and Blotts, he just showed up, but the other party insisted on pulling him to take a photo, and he couldn't run away.

Fortunately, I got the complete set of Lockhart's books in the end, so it wasn't too bad - after all, his books were sold at extremely high prices.

No, according to Sherlock, it's still a loss.

I really should have asked him for a few more sets so that everyone in Ron's family could get one.

Anyway, Sherlock has already said that he was not being merciful by pulling him to take a photo.

Ultimately, he is using the fame of Harry Potter in the wizarding world to promote himself.

In this case, you should feel at ease asking for the book.

Unfortunately, even though he realized it now, it was too late.

While Harry was discussing with Ron, Sherlock had already finished his meal. He glanced at Hermione inadvertently, revealing a thoughtful expression:

"It seems you really like Professor Lockhart, my friend."

Hermione blushed upon hearing this and stammered:
"S-Sherlock, w-what are you talking about?"

Sherlock leaned back lazily and pointed his slender finger at the table in front of Hermione:
"'Travels with Vampires', you've been reading this book since a while ago, without stopping.

Also, if you don’t want others to know what you’re thinking, then it’s best not to let others see your schedule.”

His words immediately caught the attention of Harry and Ron.

The two of them immediately stopped what they were doing and came over.

Hermione was startled when she saw this and wanted to put away her timetable, but it was too late.

"Hermione, why did you circle all of Professor Lockhart's classes with hearts?"

As soon as he asked this question, Ron felt something was wrong and said to himself, "Oh no!"

Why can't I control my mouth?
Sure enough, Hermione glared at him the next moment:

"Ronald, no one will think you're dumb if you don't speak!"

Ron was suddenly silent.

For the sake of homework, I endure it!
Although Harry didn't say much, seeing his brother in trouble, in order to change the subject, he quickly asked Sherlock:
"By the way, Sherlock, last time in the carriage you said Professor Lockhart might have real skills. Do you still think so now?"

When Sherlock heard Harry's words, he didn't answer immediately.

On the day they went to Diagon Alley, thanks to Harry's foresight and Lockhart's generous gift of books, he and Hermione were able to directly get two sets of Professor Lockhart's complete works, so they didn't have to queue up to buy books like other people.

But at the same time, it also resulted in him and Hermione not meeting Gilderoy Lockhart himself who was signing books.

Hermione expressed great regret about this at the time.

After returning from Diagon Alley, Sherlock read through the series of books that had been used as his Defense Against the Dark Arts textbooks this semester.

With Sherlock's ability, he can easily distinguish which contents in the book are true and which are false.

The conclusion is that the book's description of Lockhart's personal adventures is indeed exaggerated.

Several books are deliberately given names that will arouse readers' desire to read.

Like "Breaking with the Female Ghost" and "Holiday with the Female Demon".

Even people who know nothing about the magical world would probably be tempted to take a look at this title.

When it comes to the specific content of the adventure, the descriptions of some insignificant things are too lengthy and detailed, and the elements of artistic processing are obvious.

For example, the relationships between the author, the female ghost, and the female demon are all described as vaguely ambiguous.

but.

Sherlock still found a blind spot.

That's what this bestselling author has going for him—because the adventures are real.

Although it is true that literary works written from a first-person perspective can enhance the sense of immersion, it is not easy to express the various details and psychological activities in them through imagination alone without personal experience.

After all, humans cannot comprehend anything beyond their own imagination.

In addition, the fact that his books are so popular has also been tested by the market.

After all, this world really has magical creatures such as ghouls, hags, werewolves, trolls, female ghosts, etc.

Pure fabrications can be easily exposed.

For the above reasons, Sherlock became interested in the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

When he arrived at Hogwarts Station to check for dark magic items, Sherlock finally met Gilderoy Lockhart in person.

During the opening ceremony, I was even more impressed by his wonderful self-introduction.

Through his observation of Lockhart, he discovered that this man...

how to say?

interesting.

"The adventures in his books are not fiction."

Sherlock said slowly, "It's impossible to depict those details and psychological activities with imagination alone."

"You mean... is he really that powerful?"

Ron was stunned when he heard Sherlock say this.

You know, besides Hermione, his mother is also a fan of Lockhart.

He still has a copy of "Gilderoy Lockhart's Guide to Household Pest Control" at home.

However, when it comes to clearing out goblins, he and his twin brothers always take the lead.

Naturally, not even a page of this book was turned.

But if Lockhart has real talent, then I really wronged him before. Should I go back and take a closer look at it this semester?
"There's not enough evidence to make any inferences," Sherlock chuckled, "but we'll know when we have class this afternoon."

In fact, not only them, but all the young wizards are looking forward to the first Defense Against the Dark Arts class of the new semester.

Defense Against the Dark Arts!
For any young wizard in school, this should be the most interesting course.

Unfortunately, due to Voldemort's curse, their hope for this course gradually turned into disappointment, and now there is a trend of disappointment turning into despair.

However, before the afternoon class, Sherlock and his friends encountered a small incident.

As they walked towards the classroom together, Sherlock suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong, Sherlock?"

Harry asked curiously when he saw Sherlock stop.

"Someone has been following us since we left the common room."

"what?"

Harry, Hermione, and Ron were all startled when they heard Sherlock's words.

Why didn't they notice anything?

Sherlock turned his head and glanced towards a hidden corner.

"Come out, there's no point in following you any further."

As soon as he finished speaking, a man slowly walked out from behind the wall.

|ω｀)
Seeing that there was really someone following them, the three of them looked surprised.

Appearing in front of the four people was a thin, gray-haired boy with an unremarkable appearance, holding a point-and-shoot camera in his hand.

Sherlock took one look at his three friends and realized that they didn't know each other.

Instead, he recognized the other person at a glance.

At this year's sorting ceremony, Sherlock had deduced the backgrounds of the new students one by one as he had done in the past, and this little boy was one of them.

Shylock's judgment of him at the time was:
[A boy from a Muggle family, his father works as a milkman, he has a younger brother, and he likes taking pictures]

When he appeared in front of him at this moment, he also immediately knew the other party's purpose.

"Harry, he's here to see you."

"Ah? Looking for me?"

Harry was stunned when he heard Sherlock's words.

"Yes, it is……"

Harry hadn't reacted yet, but the little boy nodded when he heard Sherlock's words and stammered:

"Hello, I'm—I'm Colin Creevey."

His breathing was rapid, his face flushed, and when he spoke to Harry he was like a fan seeing his idol.

Then, his subsequent actions really proved that he and Harry had a relationship of idol and fan.

"I, I'm a first-year Gryffindor student, Mr. Harry Potter. I...can I take a picture of you?"

Harry looked at Creevey in confusion, not understanding what he meant at all.

So I subconsciously asked this question:

"Photographing? Why are you taking a photo of me?"

This caused trouble.

Just like Hermione on the Hogwarts Express last year, the young wizard named Colin Creevey immediately perked up when Harry asked the reason and started talking non-stop:

"Because, because this way, I can prove that I have seen you!

You may not believe this, Mr. Harry Potter, but although we had never met before yesterday, I know everything about you!
How you escaped the clutches of the mysterious man, how he vanished from his prime, and how you foiled the evil wizard's plot last year!

I know everything about you!

I heard that you still have a lightning-shaped scar on your forehead, right?" As he said this, his eyes kept looking at Harry's forehead.

This action made Harry frown deeply.

However, this is not the end.

The little boy continued:
"A boy in my dorm who came from a wizarding family told me that if I could use the right developing potion, the people in the pictures would move.

By the way, you also grew up in a Muggle family. This kind of thing sounds really interesting, right?
And there's more! Before I received the letter from Hogwarts, I had no idea that the strange things I could do were actually magic.

My dad was a milkman and he couldn't believe this either, so I took a bunch of pictures and sent them to him.

If only there were a picture of you among them..."

Colin Creevey spoke a little haltingly at first because of nervousness.

But the more he spoke, the more fluent he became, and the faster he spoke.

By the end, the speed of her speech was almost the same as Hermione's when answering questions.

When he said this, he took a big step forward, which scared Harry.

Colin Creevey looked at Harry with a pleading look and said:

"Look, this point-and-shoot camera is very simple to use:
All I have to do is stand next to you and ask your friend to help you press the shutter.

By the way, after we take the photo, could you please sign an autograph?"

When Colin Creevey finished speaking, Harry and his friends were stunned.

Don't talk to yourself!
I haven’t promised you to take a photo yet!
Harry was the most shocked of the three.

He never imagined that a first-year student could be so fanatical.

I still remember that when I first came to school last year, he was indeed treated as a rare creature and was watched for a long time.

Not only did the students run to the classroom one by one to visit, but when they met in the corridor, some people had clearly passed him by and then ran back to look at him.

Fortunately, as time went by, his classmates' attention to him gradually decreased.

In addition, with the birth of the Gryffindor Lion, a large part of the attention on him was diverted to Sherlock, which made the situation better.

But even so, no one came to him to ask for a photo or an autograph!

Not even Ron's sister Ginny, who blushes whenever she talks to him!

This was the first time Harry encountered such a thing, so he subconsciously looked at Sherlock, trying to seek his help.

But before Sherlock could answer, a sharp voice spoke up.

"Signed photos? Are you giving away signed photos, Potter?"

Even without turning around, Harry recognized the voice as belonging to Draco Malfoy.

A person he hated very much.

In his first year, Harry had never imagined that he could dislike a boy more than he disliked Dudley.

Now that his relationship with Dudley has been restored, Malfoy has topped his list of the people he hates the most.

So when Malfoy's annoying face appeared in front of Harry, he couldn't help but frown.

Behind Malfoy were two old acquaintances, Crabbe and Goyle.

After a summer vacation, the two men grew a lot taller, which made them more arrogant.

However, when Crabbe and Goyle noticed Sherlock next to Harry, their eyes couldn't help but shrink slightly.

Damn, how come this guy has grown taller!
What happened to the saying that smart people only grow in mind but not in height?
Judging from the situation, we still can’t win!

Gan!
At this moment, Malfoy had already shouted in a sarcastic tone:
"Ha, ha! Everyone line up, the savior Harry Potter is going to hand out signed photos!"

After being taught a lesson again and again, Malfoy conducted an in-depth study of Sherlock.

Then he discovered that as long as he did not make direct personal attacks on Sherlock's friends, such as Harry, Hermione, Ron, etc., Sherlock would not attack him.

Sure enough, after he said this, he looked at Sherlock cautiously.

Then I noticed that Sherlock looked absent-minded and didn't seem to react to it.

Seeing this, Malfoy felt relieved.

Great, this is a sure thing!

Instead, Harry clenched his fists and said angrily:

"I'm not, I'm not, you're talking nonsense!"

Ron, who had always wanted to find an opportunity to teach Malfoy a lesson and prove his ability, took a step forward and was about to speak.

He never expected that Colin Creevey, Harry's new fanatical fan, would be even faster than him.

"You're jealous!"

It was really hard to imagine that Creevey's entire body was only as thick as Crabbe's neck, but at this moment he actually dared to defend his idol.

remarkably brave!

But his actions and words made Harry feel helpless.

Isn't it the same as admitting that you are sending out autographed photos?

"Hahaha!"

Sure enough, Malfoy laughed immediately.

He pointed at Harry and said with great joy: "Why are you jealous? I don't want to have an ugly mark on my head..."

Malfoy was halfway through his words when he suddenly realized something and quickly changed his words:
“…Hehe, it seems he really wants an autographed photo from you!
Come to think of it, this is worth more than your friend Weasley's house!"

After saying this, he quickly glanced at Sherlock.

so close!

Malfoy's desire to survive is still very strong.

He almost attacked Harry personally.

That way, Sherlock would have a reason to attack them.

Fortunately, I held back.

But you have to say, this feeling of jumping back and forth on the edge of danger is quite interesting.

Although he could only gain some verbal advantage, being able to make Harry and Weasley unhappy in front of Sherlock was already the happiest thing for Malfoy at this stage.

Of course, when the Quidditch school team recruited new members this year, he also prepared a surprise.

Harry's expression would surely be even more amusing then.

"How can this be possible? I..."

Hearing his old rival Malfoy mocking him again, Ron was about to do something when suddenly a voice came from not far away.

"What's going on? What's going on?"

Following this voice, Gilderoy Lockhart, professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts and famous author, strode towards them.

His turquoise robe fluttered behind him, and he had a charming smile on his face.

“Who’s sending out autographed photos?”

I have to say that Lockhart's appearance is indeed impeccable.

As soon as he appeared, he immediately became the most conspicuous one in the crowd.

Even the little wizards who originally didn't pay attention to this matter came over.

Harry panicked when he saw this situation and hurriedly explained:
"No, Professor, you misunderstood..."

Unexpectedly, Lockhart hooked his hand over his shoulder and pulled him over.

"Don't ask! We meet again, Harry!"

Lockhart's voice was cheerful, and the smile on his face grew ever brighter. His white teeth gleamed in the sunlight, making one wonder if he had used bleach.

No matter who sees this scene, they will not doubt that Professor Lockhart has a close relationship with Harry.

However, Harry, who was sandwiched next to Lockhart, felt his face flush with embarrassment.

At this time, Malfoy saw the professor appear and could only retreat back into the crowd helplessly.

But his face was full of pride, because his goal had been achieved anyway.

He noticed Harry's expression - he felt happy as long as he could make Harry unhappy.

Lockhart did not ask others what had happened. He glanced at Colin Creevey who was holding a camera and immediately greeted him with a smile.

"Come on, Creevey! A photo together is perfect!

Once you develop the photos, we'll both sign them for you."

Creevey never expected such an unexpected gain.

He nodded heavily, his excitement almost making him speechless.

Although he came for Harry Potter, the savior of the wizarding world.

But if you can get a photo of Gilderoy Lockhart, the star of the wizarding world, at the same time, it would be a huge win!

He was afraid that the two would go back on their word, so he quickly pointed the camera at Harry and Lockhart.

A promise is a promise, double happiness!
Because his fingers were shaking, he failed several times before pressing the shutter button for Harry and Lockhart.

There were continuous "click" and "click" sounds, and he took many photos in one breath without saying a word.

When he finished all this, the bell for class rang.

"Let's go, let's go to class."

Lockhart shouted to the crowd and then walked towards his classroom.

"Wait, he's not going to put Harry down?"

Seeing that Harry was still tightly held by Lockhart, Hermione suddenly showed a look of surprise.

"Haha, he did something similar last time at Flourish and Blotts."

Looking at Harry being taken away by Professor Lockhart, Ron said sarcastically:
"I think Harry must be very regretful now."

"What do you regret?"

"I regret not learning an escape spell."

"..."

"By the way, Sherlock, what do you think?"