HP: I AM SHERLOCK HOLMES

Snape, who had just been asked to leave the headmaster’s office by Dumbledore, saw Harry and Hermione whispering together the moment he stepped out, and his expression immediately darkened.

”Why are you still here?”

Harry’s heart jumped, and he hurriedly tried to explain: ”Professor, we were just—”

But before he could finish, Snape rudely interrupted him.

”Potter, I am not your nursemaid.”

He completely ignored Hermione beside them, his gaze cutting into Harry like a blade.

”Why don’t you bring your brain with you before doing anything? Or perhaps... is that thing on your neck simply for decoration?”

Snape’s venomous words left Harry speechless, not knowing how to respond.

”Besides your brain, are your ears also defective? What are you still doing here! Do you need me to arrange a detention for you?”

Harry and Hermione’s faces immediately changed color.

Just then, Professor McGonagall emerged from the office, her expression even more somber than Snape’s.

”Professor Snape, Potter was brought here by me, and he is a Gryffindor student. Even if discipline is needed, it should come from me.”

Seeing McGonagall also emerge from the headmaster’s office, Snape was clearly startled, though a hint of understanding immediately appeared in his eyes.

Whether it was an illusion or not, both Harry and Hermione noticed Snape’s lips curve upward slightly.

”Very well... Professor McGonagall, but I think you shouldn’t continue to indulge him like this—”

”Severus, I am their Head of House.”

This time, it was Snape who was interrupted.

He looked at McGonagall in surprise, seemingly not expecting her to speak this way.

McGonagall paid him no further attention and led Harry and Hermione away directly.

Harry and Hermione, who had originally wanted to stay and wait for Sherlock, fell silent as mice and obediently followed.

At this moment, they even felt Professor McGonagall was more frightening than Professor Snape.

After the three disappeared from his sight, Snape turned back to glance at the headmaster’s office once more, a complex expression in his eyes, before departing gracefully.

In the Headmaster’s Office

Sherlock clearly sensed that Professor McGonagall seemed even angrier than Professor Snape about being ”asked” to leave the office by Dumbledore.

He looked at Dumbledore: ”These words absolutely had to wait until only the two of us remained?”

”Yes, but not yet.”

Dumbledore raised his wand and tapped the desk, looking toward the portraits hanging on the wall.

”Everyone, could you please excuse us for a moment?”

These portraits were of both men and women, and when Sherlock first arrived, they had all been snoring softly in their respective frames.

Now, with Dumbledore’s words, the portraits on the wall began muttering in dissatisfaction.

Some had been pretending to sleep, but eventually stopped their act under Dumbledore’s gaze and grumbled as they left their frames from the side.

”They are all former headmasters of Hogwarts...”

Once all the frames were empty, Dumbledore spoke, a touch of nostalgia appearing in his eyes.

Sherlock instinctively asked: ”Will you be the same?”

”What?”

Dumbledore couldn’t follow Sherlock’s train of thought for a moment.

”I mean, will you also be hung here someday?”

”...Yes, though I hope that day won’t come too soon.”

Sherlock understood.

After a brief silence, Dumbledore spoke first, and immediately dropped a bombshell:

”I suspect that Quirrell... has already begun working for Voldemort.”

Sherlock wasn’t surprised. ”So, Voldemort really isn’t dead?”

”I’ve always suspected he isn’t dead.”

Dumbledore said seriously, ”Although many people believe he departed eleven years ago, for such a powerful dark wizard, resisting death... isn’t a very difficult thing.”

After saying this, he looked at Sherlock with some curiosity. ”You don’t seem surprised?”

”Hagrid once said similar things to Harry.”

Sherlock spoke frankly: ”Some things that happened after coming to school further confirmed my suspicions. However, if that’s the case, why not directly expel Quirrell from the castle?”

From the descriptions in the books, Voldemort’s power was unquestionable. Even if he was currently in a weakened state, he was still not to be underestimated.

But since they knew Quirrell was problematic, why not nip the danger in the bud?

”Quirrell... he was an excellent Ravenclaw. As a headmaster, I cannot abandon my students—even those who have graduated.”

Dumbledore’s voice was somewhat low.

”Since the start of this school year, he has changed greatly, but I can also sense he is constantly struggling—don’t you think so too?”

”Is this your reason for making the others leave?”

Dumbledore’s reasoning made Sherlock want to laugh.

”Quirrell is your student, but aren’t the others? Harry, myself... first-year students, and all the upper-year students in the castle—they are all your students. Just to save one wayward soul, and possibly an irredeemable one, you would use so many people as stakes? For someone who wrote a message of revenge in blood, I don’t think he’s worth such a gamble.”

Sherlock’s words were almost accusatory.

Dumbledore, after all, was not Snape. He spoke gently: ”Sherlock, I must admit, you are even more outstanding than Minerva described.”

”Thank you, though you’ve already said that.”

Even facing praise from the greatest white wizard of the century, Sherlock felt no pride.

”You’re not a fool, so... what exactly gives you the courage to keep Quirrell at the school?”

”I’m sorry, I have a suspicion, but some things I cannot tell you yet...”

”It’s because of Harry, isn’t it?”

”What did you say?”

Sherlock’s words stunned Dumbledore once again.

”You’re placing your hopes on Harry, aren’t you?”

Sherlock said expressionlessly.

Dumbledore looked at Sherlock without speaking.

The young man’s unusual perceptiveness suddenly reminded him of someone, an old friend.

But before he could expand on that memory, Sherlock had already begun speaking rapidly with cutting words:

”Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore... Headmaster! People say that Voldemort only fears you. But you yourself just said that Voldemort is a dark wizard who can resist death. So, I don’t understand why you think Harry can confront the instigator of the wizarding war.

He’s still a child! A first-year student who has only just begun learning magic! Or do you really believe Harry Potter is the Chosen One who defeated Voldemort? If so, perhaps you should visit the dense forests of Uganda and play sumo with the mountain gorillas. Under those fierce palm strikes, your brain might clear up a bit.”

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