Snape, the Sunshine of Hogwarts

“Some people have begun to suspect that Miss Patty is not actually dead, but no one can explain what happened to her if she is not dead.”

"And after the Prime Minister personally visited Miss Paty, he summoned you all."

As the gardener spoke, he began to look at Severus with curiosity.

"What government department do you belong to? Why are you wearing such strange uniforms? Are those robes?"

Severus stroked his chin, not satisfying his curiosity, but instead continued to ask.

"Did anything strange happen in the house in the days leading up to Miss Patty's accident?"

The gardener shook his head.

"You've asked this many times already, and nothing has happened, except that Mrs. Somerset and Miss Patty had another fight, but that's the norm; they fight almost every week."

Severus had learned from others that the current Mrs. Somerset was actually Patty's stepmother, and their relationship was so bad that it was not even concealed, and everyone knew it.

Initially, the Aurors' investigation also focused on this Lady Somerset, suspecting that she might be colluding with some low-class wizards.

But no matter what methods they used, they found nothing and could only temporarily rule out the suspicion of this wicked stepmother.

"Speaking of which, there is one thing that is not strange at all, which I have told your people about before."

The gardener's sudden words brought Severus back to his senses.

"Could you tell me again?"

“That was a month ago. The lawnmower in the manor broke down. The repairman we used to find had gone to London, so we had to find a new worker.”

"He was a young man with terrible skills. He didn't even know that the lawnmower needed diesel fuel! He was also acting suspiciously around the estate, like he was trying to steal something. This infuriated the butler, who called the police, which scared the man away."

At this point, the gardener stared at Severus, scrutinizing him.

"I thought you'd ask me one of those weird questions too?"

Severus, who had been frowning in thought, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"What strange question?"

"When I was talking about this with your colleague, do you know what he asked me? He actually asked me, 'So why do lawnmowers need diesel fuel?'"

The gardener raised his voice, and it was clear that even now, he still found it hard to believe when he thought about it.

"I said, how can the car move if I don't fill it with gas? He actually asked me if the car can't move by itself? That's so weird! If we're talking about weird things, you guys are the weirdest!"

Severus was initially speechless upon hearing the gardener's words.

That's how wizards are; wizards like Arthur Weasley are extremely rare exceptions.

Aside from wizards whose parents are Muggles, most people know absolutely nothing about Muggles, let alone such modern machinery.

This can be seen from the fact that most wizards, when disguising themselves as Muggles, often adopt what they believe to be very Muggle-like attire, but in reality, they wear extremely bizarre combinations such as suits and beach shorts.

Even Aurors are no exception.

This essentially stems from the fact that the Secrets Act separates wizarding and Muggle societies, and many wizards possess a sense of superiority, disdaining to understand Muggles.

Just as he was thinking this, a thought suddenly flashed through Severus's mind!

"You mean, the police arrived at the scene immediately after Patty's accident, right?"

"Of course, they stayed in that room for several hours."

Severus stared intently at him.

"After my colleagues arrived here, did they try to communicate and coordinate with the police?"

The gardener was completely baffled; he felt that the man in front of him was starting to say strange things.

"How could a gardener like me possibly know about something like this? Besides, you're all government officials; haven't you communicated with each other since you took over this case?"

Severus laughed inexplicably and said softly.

"They might not have even thought of going to the Muggle police."

Chapter 24 The Great Detective and His Partner

Together with the employee left behind by the Ministry of Magic, they were entertained by the manor's butler after dinner.

Severus and Harry went to an empty balcony and began to check the intelligence they had gathered that afternoon.

“Severus is Patty’s half-brother. His mother and Patty had a bad relationship, but he and Patty had a good relationship.”

Harry looked guilty, glancing around furtively every now and then, and whispering about his discovery.

"He quietly told me something that no one else knew, that his sister had suddenly become a different person two weeks ago, much more cheerful than before, and smiling more often. At that time, although he didn't know why, he was still happy for Patty."

Severus tapped his fingers lightly on the surface of the wooden coffee table.

Two weeks ago?

“Yes,” Harry continued. “And a week ago, Patty and Mrs. Somerset had a huge argument. Severus told me the main reason was that his mother wanted to send Patty to a sanatorium, but Patty refused. She had never been so angry before, and everyone in the family was terrified.”

At this point, Harry's voice became hesitant, and he looked up at Severus.

"Teacher, isn't Patty Mr. Somerset's daughter? She clearly went through such a tragic ordeal, and has been confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Why do they still treat her so cruelly?"

Severus met Harry's gaze and said calmly.

"Because everyone makes different choices when faced with a major setback, Harry."

"Some people will face their mistakes, completely change themselves, and create a better future."

"Some people will become so immersed in setbacks and failures that they cannot extricate themselves, wasting their lives and sinking into permanent depression."

“Some people will choose to escape, shifting the blame for failure onto innocent people and becoming hostile to those who bear the infamy they shouldn’t have, as if abusing and tormenting the other person would lessen their guilt.”

Harry blinked.

"So, Mr. Somerset is a third type of person?"

"Judging from the current situation, that should be the case."

“How could he do this?” Harry exclaimed indignantly. “How could there be such a vicious father in the world! Even a viper wouldn’t be this cold-blooded!”

"But when he initially thought Patty was dead, he still appeared very grief-stricken, and I heard that he locked himself in his room for a whole day without coming out."

Severus reminded him.

"If he were truly that cold-blooded, as you say, he wouldn't behave this way at all."

Harry was confused and looked at Severus with a puzzled expression.

"Teacher, does Mr. Somerset love his daughter?"

“Humans are never simple creatures, Harry,” Severus said softly. “You can say he loves, or you can say he doesn’t.”

"However, considering the damage he caused Patty, he is indeed a complete bastard and does not deserve to be a father."

Seeing the bewilderment on Harry's face, Severus realized that this kind of education was still too early for him.

Even if it's a bit early, saying it is better than saying nothing or teaching nothing at all.

Severus glanced at his watch and stood up from his chair.

"Alright, Harry, our break is almost over. We still have some things to do before it gets too late."

Harry hurriedly stood up and followed Severus.

"Where are we going?"

Severus, without anyone noticing, pulled a pipe out of his pocket.

He held it in his mouth and said lightly.

"Of course, I'm going to assist the police in their investigation."

Sheriff Gordon has been in a good mood lately.

During this period, Bristol's security was relatively peaceful. Of course, there were petty thefts, but these were commonplace crimes that were just part of the daily routine and did not cause much psychological stress for the police officers.

He had just finished dinner with his colleagues and was driving home, humming along to rock music by Annie Lennox on the radio.

The Bristol police officers were able to have such a leisurely time entirely because the case at Budmington Estate had been transferred to other departments.

This is a rare good thing, especially since cases involving nobles, particularly those involving intentional injury or even murder, are particularly troublesome.

Sheriff Gordon was eager for someone to take on this hot potato.

He had already made preparations in advance, handing over all the clues and physical evidence obtained by the Bristol Police Department to the unit handling the case.

Four days have passed, and still no one from any department has come to contact them.

This is certainly not unusual; it would be a huge surprise if British civil servants suddenly became more efficient!

Just as Sheriff Gordon was enjoying the rock music,

Under the car headlights, he suddenly saw two figures, one tall and one short, standing directly in front of him!

His brain reacted instantly, and he slammed his right foot on the brake pedal. The locked tires screeched against the rough ground.

"squeak--!"

When the car came to a complete stop, Sheriff Gordon's back was soaked with sweat.

He was breathing heavily with tension, looking at the two figures standing motionless less than a meter away from the front of his car, and angrily unbuckled his seatbelt.

"Fuck! What are you doing?! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"

He grumbled as he pushed open the car door and got out, finally getting a clear look at the two people blocking the road.

It was a man with a child!

Both men were wearing robes that were completely out of place in modern times, but the tall man with a short ponytail was even smoking a pipe and holding a cane, as if he were cosplaying a famous detective.

The boy next to him was wearing a newsboy cap, his head down, trying to focus his attention on the tips of his shoes, as if he were embarrassed about something.

"Good evening, Sheriff Gordon."

The "great detective," with a pipe dangling from his mouth, greeted them.

Gordon, who was staring at them, sensed something was wrong. He felt that this strange man in front of him seemed to have been waiting for him here on purpose!

"Who are you?" he asked warily, while discreetly reaching his left hand behind his back. There was no gun there, only a can of tear gas.

The "Great Detective" shrugged, seemingly somewhat surprised.

"You still can't recognize us? Fine, then let's introduce ourselves. You can call me Sherlock Holmes!"

While loudly introducing himself, the "Great Detective" also secretly nudged the boy next to him with the cane he was holding, as if urging him to catch up with the pace.

The boy was extremely ashamed. He couldn't imagine how his teacher could have come up with such a childish and ridiculous role-playing plan!

But he finally took a deep breath and stammered.

“I am his partner, John, John Watson.”

Sheriff Gordon stared in shock at the two lunatics, one big and one small.

"Did you escape from a mental hospital?"

Watson seemed unable to bear it any longer, and he covered his face in extreme shame.

The "Great Detective," however, seemed truly immersed in his role, speaking earnestly.

“We’re here to help you solve the case, Sheriff Gordon.”

Gordon's face darkened completely, and he pulled out handcuffs from behind his waist.

"You two, put your hands behind your heads and squat down!"

Watson was clearly a good boy, and immediately obeyed the order, putting his hands behind his head and squatting down on the spot.

However, the "great detective" had somehow pointed his cane at Gordon.

"Confusion."

Chapter 25 Key Evidence

"Teacher, did you use magic to control him?"

Wearing a newsboy cap, Harry, who called himself Watson, looked up at the sheriff. After being pointed at by the wand in the hand of "Great Detective" Severus, he suddenly trembled for a moment, and then his angry expression became calm and relaxed.

Severus didn't answer Harry's question first, but instead extended his hand with a smile.