HP: I AM SHERLOCK HOLMES

The troll lay sprawling on the ground, its nauseating stench instantly spreading like an invisible fog, making the surrounding air dense and foul.

Harry and Hermione almost simultaneously lifted the corners of their robes to cover their noses, their faces were full of pain and disgust.

”Great, it looks like we don’t have to fight this troll—”

But before Harry could finish his relieved words, he and Hermione stared wide-eyed in shock.

They saw Sherlock walk up to the troll’s body, crouch down without hesitation, and begin examining it carefully.

His brow furrowed slightly, his sharp gaze was like a precise scalpel scanning back and forth over the troll’s wounds.

”Large swelling on the head. Based on the wound timing and blood coagulation, the person should have left not long ago. There’s still time.”

Looking at the completely composed Sherlock, Harry and Hermione were stunned on the spot.

How could he remain so close to the troll and still keep his composure?

You must know that Hermione, standing at a considerable distance from the troll, already had her eyes red from the stench, tears uncontrollably welling up in her eyes.

”Sherlock, you—”

As soon as Hermione opened her mouth, a strong stench rushed straight into her nostrils.

Her face instantly turned pale, her stomach churned violently, and she nearly vomited up her breakfast.

”Let’s go!”

Sherlock stood up, expressionless as he stepped over the troll’s massive body.

Harry and Hermione watched his leaving figure, their admiration reaching an unprecedented peak at that moment.

Entering the next room, Harry and Hermione immediately gasped for fresh air, as if trying to expel all the foul air that had contaminated their lungs.

Harry seized the opportunity to curiously ask the question that had been on his mind: ”Sherlock, how did you manage that just now?”

Sherlock didn’t answer immediately but began observing their surroundings.

The new room appeared particularly spacious, with only a slightly old table standing quietly in the center.

Seven bottles of various shapes were placed on it, gleaming mysteriously in the dim light.

Compared to the previous rooms, this challenge seemed somewhat out of place.

But precisely because of this, it made one’s heart uneasy.

Too abnormal!

After Sherlock’s gaze swept the room once and confirmed there were no other valuable clues, he walked straight toward the table.

At the same time, he answered Harry: ”What do you mean, how did I manage?”

Harry quickened his pace to catch up with Sherlock: ”I could barely breathe! How did you endure that smell just now?”

Sherlock reached the table, picked up a roll of parchment beside the bottles, his eyes quickly scanning the text as he said without looking up:

”Because that smell hasn’t reached the human tolerance limit!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Hermione also carefully stepped through the doorway.

Just then, purple flames suddenly rose behind them like a clawed dragon, instantly sealing the entrance.

Black flames flickered at the door ahead, like black barriers, trapping them tightly in the room.

Harry and Hermione were both startled. ”This, this is—”

Sherlock looked up slightly, a flash of excitement in his eyes. ”Professor Snape’s mechanism. Interesting.”

Then he lowered his head again, continuing to read the parchment while answering Harry’s earlier question:

”Humans have a certain tolerance for foul odors. The troll’s smell is at most unbearable, but hasn’t reached the level of human olfactory nemesis.

Truly reaching that level of stench can even cause direct physiological harm to the human body, such as hydrogen sulfide, methanethiol, putrescine, and cadaverine.

Moreover, human adaptability is strong. Once you get used to the smell, your sense of smell becomes numb. Stay for a while and you’ll adapt.

This is common knowledge, my friends.”

Sherlock’s explanation left Harry and Hermione dumbfounded.

For a moment, neither knew how to respond.

’What do you mean common knowledge?

This kind of common knowledge is clearly something only you would know!’

While the two were still in shock, Sherlock had already finished reading the parchment and chuckled softly:

”Heh, truly fits Professor Snape’s style.”

After saying this, he picked out one bottle from the seven: ”Obviously, this bottle contains what we need.”

Before Harry and Hermione could react, Sherlock continued:

”It appears Ron made the right decision earlier. Quirrell left not long ago—he stayed here for about a quarter of an hour.”

After this statement, Harry and Hermione were completely stunned.

Under Sherlock’s continuous analysis, they had completely lost track of his thought process.

After being dazed for a while, Hermione finally reacted and hurriedly took the parchment from Sherlock to read it.

Harry remained motionless.

Since meeting Sherlock, he had discovered that solving problems with fists and wands was actually quite nice.

As for thinking...

As long as he was with Sherlock, there was no need for that, right?

So, he had no intention of joining Hermione in this endeavor. Whatever Sherlock said, he would do.

At this moment, Hermione had also finished reading the parchment and let out a long sigh:

”Brilliant! This isn’t magic—it’s logic. Many great wizards have no logic at all, so they’ll be stuck here forever.”

After saying this, she looked up at Sherlock in delayed surprise. ”You, you’ve already solved it?”

From Sherlock’s earlier actions, it seemed as if he had already found the answer just after reading the parchment.

Although she knew her friend possessed wisdom beyond ordinary people, wasn’t this speed a bit too fast?

”Give me a minute!”

Hermione looked at Sherlock with some defiance.

Sherlock wasn’t surprised and gestured with his hand: ”Please.”

Hermione read the parchment information twice more, pacing back and forth in front of the bottles, muttering to herself while pointing at various bottles.

Watching this scene, Harry felt somewhat bored and couldn’t help asking:

”Sherlock, although I think this is quite foolish, I still want to ask you.

I’m not surprised you could quickly find the bottle we need—but how did you deduce the other information?

Even if this challenge was set by Professor Snape, how do you know the note on the table was also left by him?

And Quirrell’s departure and stay time—how did you deduce that?”

Sherlock smiled slightly:

”Professor Snape’s handwriting is most recognizable. If you observe carefully, you can see it in the deliberately restrained yet still messy brushstrokes.

That someone touched these bottles is also obvious—this can be judged from the remaining dust patterns.

This person is right-handed, and the dust disturbance marks are still fresh.

The footprints on the ground show this person was very nervous at the time—messy steps, hurried movements.

Combined with the traces left on the bottles, it’s enough for me to judge he stayed here for about a quarter of an hour.

Additionally, I can deduce this person’s height and weight from the depth and spacing of the footprints, which perfectly matches our Professor Quirrell, while also confirming my deduction from observing the bloody writing on Halloween.

Look, I haven’t even used the Christmas gift you gave me!

This is as simple as child’s play.”

Harry looked at Sherlock admiringly: ”This is incredible! Sherlock, you figured all this out in such a short time!”

Hearing his friend’s sincere praise, Sherlock’s lips curved into an obvious smile:

”Ah, Harry, this is merely careful observation and simple logical deduction!

As long as you pay attention to every detail, the truth becomes as clear as daylight.”

After saying this, he looked toward Hermione.

Harry followed his gaze.

Seeing the two looking at her, Hermione took a deep breath and pointed to the small bottle Sherlock had selected:

”It can help us pass through the black flames to reach the next room.”

She then picked up the round purple bottle: ”This can help us pass through the purple flames to return.”

Despite indeed reaching the correct answer within a minute, Hermione felt no sense of achievement.

Because Sherlock had not only found the answer in less time than her, but had also deduced who wrote the note, who touched the bottles, and how long they stayed.

The gap between them was simply too great!

So great that she didn’t even have the heart to try to catch up.

”Hermione, you don’t need to compete with Sherlock.”

Harry kindly advised: ”There aren’t many geniuses like him in the world. Even if you’re a know-it-all—”

”Thanks, if you can’t comfort people, you don’t need to speak.”

Harry: (・_・;)

’Well, nobody likes hearing the truth these days.’

Seeing Harry stop talking, Hermione stared intently at Sherlock:

”The problem is—now this bottle of potion is only enough for one person to drink—so do you want Harry to face Quirrell alone?”

Harry was startled at first, but seeing that the potion in the small bottle was indeed barely a sip as Hermione said, his gaze gradually became determined.

”Sherlock, how about this—you and Hermione drink the purple potion together, then you can go back to find Ron, and then...”

”Then grab three broomsticks from another room to fly through the trapdoor and seek help from the professors?”

Sherlock unceremoniously interrupted Harry, staring at him: ”While you continue forward to temporarily hold off Quirrell?”

Interrupted by Sherlock who had stated his thoughts, Harry felt somewhat embarrassed.

But he insisted:

”Sherlock, this was originally between him and me. You’ve already helped me so much along the way...

Even Dumbledore hopes I’ll face him again—don’t worry, since I luckily escaped once before, maybe I can turn danger into safety again this time...”

”Drop that rhetoric, my dear friend. I’m not Hermione.”

Hermione: (・_・*)

Although she felt offended, still needing Sherlock to solve their current predicament, Hermione suppressed her annoyance and didn’t retort.

”I remember once telling you that courage is stupidity’s best spokesman.”

Sherlock said mercilessly to Harry: ”You think you’re being brave now, but you’re actually being foolish.”

”But we have no other choice now—”

Harry also wanted to face Voldemort together with Sherlock.

Every time he was with him, he felt like victory was assured.

Hermione was also at a loss: ”Yes, there’s no other way—”

Sherlock chuckled: ”Who says so?”

Hearing Sherlock’s question, Harry and Hermione’s eyes immediately brightened: ”You have a solution?”

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