Chapter 143 Sad Hermione

After the Christmas holiday, Hogwarts has maintained a stable daily life.

Although the danger of Black still exists, this year is far less disturbing than last year.

At least everyone knows that he is a murderer wizard, and more than half of the students know that his biggest target has always been Harry Potter.

A clear murderer is obviously much more reassuring than the unknown basilisk in the previous chamber of secrets.

Harry's study of the Patronus Charm with Sherlock is also proceeding in an orderly manner.

His talent for defensive magic is indeed very high, which Sherlock was right about before. After experiencing the high pressure of the Dementors and releasing the prototype of the Patronus.

Almost every spell Harry casts later can reach this level, but it will take a major breakthrough to truly summon the Patronus.

This is not something that can be solved in a hurry. The Dementor is completely useless afterwards.

After Sherlock used it to experiment with the application of the Oblivion Charm in the virtual body again, he finally kept his promise and released it back to nature and returned to the Dementors outside.

Its simple and weak thoughts were tormented by Sherlock. After returning, it could only be a carefree Dementor who only thought about sucking emotions, and could no longer recall the almost hellish life of the past few months.

At the end of February, Harry asked Sherlock for two weeks of leave.

It was about to be their Quidditch match with Ravenclaw, which was related to the ownership of this year's college cup. He had to focus most of his energy on the court practice and win this game for Gryffindor.

It was naturally good for young people to have some interests and hobbies. Sherlock did not want him to focus all his energy on learning magic, so he approved a two-week vacation for him.

Sherlock had no time to watch the next Quidditch game. The closer it was to the end of the semester, not only did the students have heavier homework, but Sherlock's workload also increased day by day.

He had to correct more than two hundred test papers every week, and he also had to prepare the lesson plans for the test questions on these test papers, as well as the preparations for the content of the practical courses, etc.

Even though Lupin helped him share the first to fourth grade courses, Sherlock was still very busy, and he had no interest in Quidditch, so he did not go to watch the game.

But after the game, he still knew the result.

Harry rode his flying broom "Firebolt" that was checked by Professor McGonagall and won the victory with the Gryffindor team.

In the middle of the game, Malfoy and the Slytherin team members pretended to be Dementors to scare Harry in order to interfere with him. As a result, not only did they not scare Harry, but they were frightened by Harry's incomplete Patronus Charm.

For this, Professor McGonagall was furious like an angry lioness.

She deducted 50 points from Slytherin in front of Snape and was going to report the matter to Dumbledore.

The whole Gryffindor College was filled with a joyous atmosphere on the day of winning.

Although Sherlock was not very interested in Quidditch, the youthful and energetic atmosphere among the students still made him feel good.

On the afternoon of the day when the game ended, Sherlock had just returned from the library. He was taking a pile of written materials to put them down in the office and then going to the cafeteria for dinner when he accidentally heard a soft cry in an empty classroom.

He stopped and listened carefully to the noise coming from the classroom. He could tell that it was a girl's voice.

Sherlock hesitated for a moment, and finally gently pushed the door of the classroom open and walked in.

There was a girl inside who was sobbing softly while writing homework on parchment with a feather pen. There were books piled up two feet high beside her, as if there were many books that she had not finished reading.

Hermione heard the noise, and she wiped her tears in a panic and looked at the door. Sherlock also saw Hermione with red eyes.

"Professor Forrest." Hermione sniffled and shouted.

Sherlock was very surprised when he saw that the person crying secretly here was Hermione.

However, he did not express his doubts at the first time, but pulled out a chair and sat down next to Hermione.

"Hiding in a classroom and crying secretly is not something that the Miss Granger I know would do."

Hermione put down the quill in her hand. She seemed to be very aggrieved, but she was trying hard not to show it in front of Sherlock.

Sherlock dug into his pocket and took out a box of Bebe's Multi-Flavored Beans and put it on the desk.

"How about some candy? I stole these from Dumbledore's office. Before I left, I asked the portraits on the wall to help me not to tell on them. Unfortunately, Dumbledore just came back from outside and caught me. Fortunately, he still let me take these candies out."

Hermione was amused by Sherlock's story about her own embarrassment. She took out a tissue and blew her nose.

"You must be lying to me, professor."

Sherlock shrugged his shoulders and did not comment. He pinched a multi-flavored bean and put it in his mouth.

"So can you tell me why you are hiding here alone and feeling sad? Why don't you go back to the common room and celebrate with them?"

Hermione's face became aggrieved again, but this time she didn't pretend, but said sadly.

"They won't pay attention to me anymore, our friendship is over."

With someone to talk to, Hermione told Sherlock all the grievances she had these days.

"Harry received the Firebolt at Christmas. The gift was unsigned, but Ron and he were both dazzled by the surface of the broom. At this time, it is very likely that Black sent it to harm Harry! I told them my concerns, but they blamed me for having wild thoughts. I could only tell Professor McGonagall about it myself."

"Professor McGonagall took away Harry's broom and wanted to dismantle it for a complete inspection. They broke up with me because of this. Ron said I was a troublemaker, and Harry was also angry with me."

"Until the day before yesterday, Professor McGonagall returned the broom to Harry after confirming that there was no problem with it. He was very happy when he got it. I was happy for them too, but Ron was still angry. Harry wanted to take this opportunity to make me and him reconcile, but, but..."

When she said this, Hermione couldn't help crying again. Sherlock didn't interrupt her, but handed her a tissue at the right time.

Hermione took the tissue and wiped her tears while continuing.

"But Ron's pet Scabbers is missing again! There is a pool of blood on his bed, and there is also Crookshanks' cat hair. He said that Crookshanks ate Scabbers!"

"It's all my fault!... They put all the blame on me... I know that Crookshanks has been doing something wrong since he came to school... He doesn't listen to me, and he always wants to catch Scabbers... You can't blame me for everything..."

Hermione's voice began to choke.

"I don't have time to explain to them... I still have a lot of homework to do... It's just that they ignore me, and I don't have time to pay attention to them..."

After listening to Hermione's story, Sherlock also understood that it was nothing more than some very common conflicts between the three children.

But he didn't take these small conflicts lightly.

Sherlock is a teacher at Hogwarts, and the teacher's responsibility is not just to teach. Faced with the confusion and troubles that students have about their friendship and life, he naturally has the obligation to help them face these sudden problems in life.

"Escape is not the solution, Miss Granger."

Hermione said stubbornly: "I didn't escape... I really have a lot of things to do... I don't have time to bother with them about those things!"

"But you know you are not wrong, or even if you are wrong, it is really Crookshanks who ate Scabbers, they shouldn't treat you like that, right?"

Hermione pulled a face, although she didn't answer Sherlock's question, but it was obvious that she felt that it was true.

Seeing her performance, Sherlock laughed.

"In fact, through your story, I also think you are right. A stranger gave a broom to Harry, and it was during the period when Black was at large. This is indeed very risky. Telling the professor about the matter and letting the professor solve it is the safest way. You did absolutely nothing wrong in this regard. Even if it is finally proved that there is no problem with the broom, it is unreasonable for Harry and Ron to be angry with you."

Hermione grumbled.

"It is."

"But you shouldn't escape the matter of Ron's pet disappearing later, Hermione."

"They all blame me..." Hermione wanted to explain.

"Crookshanks is your pet, and as its owner, you are responsible for what it does." Sherlock said seriously, "If you think that Scabbers' disappearance has nothing to do with Crookshanks, then explain it to them clearly, and then go find Scabbers with Harry and Ron, instead of hiding here alone and feeling sad."

"Don't let the grievance of the last incident affect you, Hermione. Harry and the others should apologize to you for the broom. If Scabbers' disappearance is related to Crookshanks, you should also apologize to Ron."

Hermione was silent.

Sherlock gave her time to think, then pushed the box of multi-flavored beans in front of her, blinked and said.

"Life is like this box of Bibi's every-flavor beans. Everyone has different experiences and stories. The one we eat now may taste badly like pepper, but when you eat the next one that tastes like strawberry, you won't think it's not sweet because of the pepper taste of the previous one. It's like after you've experienced a misunderstanding, you can't cover up your mistakes because of the previous misunderstanding."

Sherlock pinched out a pink every-flavor bean for her. Hermione took it silently and put it in her mouth. It was a sweet strawberry flavor.

Looking at her, Sherlock stood up from his seat.

"So find a chance to explain it to Harry, Ron and the others, and don't make yourself so tired. Knowledge is endless."

Hermione seemed to be in a much better mood than before.

"I'll go find them when I'm done."

"Keep working hard."

"Thank you, Professor."

After Sherlock's comfort, Hermione felt a little better. She looked at the homework that seemed to never be finished and put it away for the time being.

Back in the Gryffindor common room, all the Gryffindor students were celebrating. Fred and George somehow bought a bunch of candies from Honeydukes Candy Store.

Hermione was holding a thick pile of books and avoiding the crowd. Harry happened to notice her at this time.

"You haven't been to the game?" Harry took the initiative to ask her.

"Of course I have been." Hermione said, her tone was muffled, as if she was a little hesitant, "I'm glad we won, I think you did a great job, but I have to finish reading these books before Monday."

"Come on, Hermione, have something to eat." Harry said while looking at Ron, wondering if Ron's mood was good enough to make peace with Hermione.

"I can't, Harry, I still have 422 pages to read!" Hermione said, her voice sounding a little muffled.

"Besides," she also looked over at Ron, "he wouldn't want me to join."

This was obvious, because Ron deliberately chose this moment to say loudly: "If Scabbers hadn't been eaten, he could have eaten a few of these Fudge flies, which he always liked to eat..."

Hermione cried again, and the mood she had originally wanted to apologize after hearing Sherlock's words disappeared.

Before Harry had time to say or do anything, she ran to the stairs leading to the girls' dormitory with the books in her arms, sobbing.

Harry sighed, he had no way to mediate the conflict between his two friends.

Ron valued Scabbers very much, and Hermione didn't look like she would apologize on her own initiative, and he was at a loss now.

However, things didn't end here tonight.

The whole Gryffindor student had a happy day, but in the middle of the night, Harry was suddenly awakened by Ron's screams.

Ron woke up in the middle of the night and saw Black standing in front of his bed!

Harry heard the slamming of the door when he was awakened. They rushed out of the dormitory shouting and ran downstairs at full speed, waking up everyone in the common room.

Just as the Gryffindor students gathered in the common room, Professor McGonagall heard the noise and walked in with a furious look on her face.

"Gryffindor won the game, I'm happy, but you are so ridiculous now!"

Harry and Ron explained to her what happened, but Professor McGonagall didn't believe it because there was no sign of damage to the portrait of Sir Cadogan at the entrance.

It was not until they asked Sir Cadogan that they knew that Black read out the correct password for the Gryffindor common room for a whole week from a note, and he let him in.

And Neville had just lost the password note he had written down recently.

That night, the entire castle was searched again, and Sherlock was called up by Professor Flitwick in the middle of the night to search the area near the library.

This was still a fruitless search. No one had found Black. He seemed to know the castle well and knew where to escape.

After tonight, the management of the castle became stricter.

Sir Cadogan, who was temporarily responsible for guarding the entrance to the Gryffindor common room, was dismissed. After the Fat Lady was repaired, she returned to her post, and this time there were several dwarfs with sticks in her frame, patrolling and protecting her.

Neville was also punished. Professor McGonagall punished him by not allowing him to go to Hogsmeade Village after this semester and not allowing anyone to give him the password to enter the tower.

Poor Neville had to wait in the common room every night to see who could take him in.

In addition to raising the security in the castle again, Black's attack did not affect the other lives of the students.

Hagrid also went to Harry and Ron to tell them that Hermione was very sad recently, but Ron was still angry about Scabbers, saying that he would only accept Hermione again unless she threw away her crazy cat.

Hagrid wanted to try his best to reconcile the conflict between them, but it was obviously a bit powerless.

Sherlock did not pay any more attention to it, and even did not ask more about Harry's subsequent teaching of the Patronus Charm. He believed that Harry and the three of them would handle it themselves in the end.

Another half a month passed, and during the days of the full moon in March, Sherlock found Lupin in the office.

"How is it? Have you decided on a good day?" He asked, sitting opposite Lupin.

Lupin said with a wry smile.

"Are you serious?"

Sherlock shrugged.

"Of course I am serious, otherwise do you think I am kidding you?"

"But even with the wolfsbane potion, there is no way to ensure that I am safe."

Sherlock waved his hand and said.

"How many Stunning Spells can you withstand in the werewolf state?"

Lupin said thoughtfully.

"I haven't tried it, but according to previous records, there are cases where more than a dozen Aurors have used Stunning Spells to subdue werewolves."

"Only a dozen or so are enough?" Sherlock said, "Then don't worry, even if you really go crazy, you won't hurt me."

Lupin had no more reasons to refuse his insistence.

A few days ago, when Sherlock and he were having lunch in the auditorium, he proposed to observe some characteristics of the werewolf up close when he transformed on the next full moon night.

Lupin thought he was just talking casually before, but he didn't expect Sherlock to be serious.

"If you really want to see it, then come with me tonight." He said calmly, "Today is the day I transform."

While Sherlock was waiting boredly in Lupin's office, he suddenly found a familiar old parchment on his desk.

He asked in surprise, "Did you get this from the Weasley twins?"

Lupin was also surprised by Sherlock's reaction.

"No, I got it from Harry. Do you... know this thing?"

Sherlock's face was strange. He didn't hide anything and said the name of the parchment.

"Marauder's Map. At the beginning of last year, I took this map from George and Fred. In the end, because they performed well, I returned it to them. I didn't expect it to fall into your hands now."