HP: I AM SHERLOCK HOLMES

To Sherlock’s right stood middle-aged Dumbledore, who was concentrating intently on Dippet’s words.

Hearing this voice, Sherlock turned to the other side and, as expected, saw elderly Dumbledore standing to his left.

He was looking at Sherlock with curious and examining eyes.

”I thought I might startle you.”

Seeing Sherlock turn his head, elderly Dumbledore said this.

”Your appearance was well within my expectations, Headmaster.”

Hearing this, Dumbledore couldn’t help but smile, then reached out to support Sherlock’s arm.

Sherlock immediately felt himself beginning to rise slowly like a balloon.

Rising into mid-air, he saw the headmaster’s office and both headmasters vanish before his eyes, leaving only darkness.

Then he felt as if he’d done a slow-motion somersault, his feet suddenly touching ground.

The next moment, he found himself back in the headmaster’s office.

The Pensieve gleamed in the cabinet before him, with Dumbledore standing beside him.

”Sherlock, how did it feel?”

”If you’re asking about using the Pensieve, my assessment is that it’s adequate.

To some extent, it currently has advantages over my memory attic.

I must thank you for providing some direction for my thinking attic’s evolution into a thinking palace.

If you’re asking about the specific content, then I’ll tell you that Tom Riddle was lying, he knows about the Chamber situation but didn’t tell Headmaster Dippet.”

”You’re absolutely right.”

Hearing Sherlock’s words, Dumbledore sighed.

”In fact, that very night, Tom witnessed Rubeus and the creature he was keeping. He tried to catch that creature but was knocked down by Hagrid, and the creature escaped into the Forbidden Forest.

After that, the matter couldn’t be concealed. Dippet originally wanted to suppress this incident. But Tom bypassed us and wrote directly to the Ministry, formally reporting Rubeus.

The final result, I think you should know, third-year Rubeus Hagrid was expelled and his wand was broken by Ministry officials.

Tom Riddle received a Special Award for Services to the School for this incident and became Head Boy in his seventh year.”

At this point, Dumbledore glanced again at Armando Dippet’s portrait on the wall, explaining. ”I firmly believed Rubeus was innocent, as did Armando.

Moreover, the Ministry never found direct evidence of the creature harming people, so Hagrid was allowed to remain at Hogwarts as Keeper of Keys and Grounds.

To avoid panic and also to protect Hagrid, the school’s final public announcement was that the student had died in a strange accident.”

”So, Headmaster Dippet really was a good person then?”

”Brat, watch your tone!”

Headmaster Dippet’s portrait said huffily. ”The Ministry’s consistent approach is: better to avoid trouble than invite it.

They don’t care what the truth is: for them, they just need someone to take responsibility.

Under these circumstances, Riddle’s formal report gave them the perfect excuse: Parents no longer needed to worry, and even if Hogwarts really were closed, it would have nothing to do with the Ministry.

Coincidentally, after that child was expelled, all the attacks truly stopped.

This way, Rubeus Hagrid’s guilt was confirmed.”

”What a fine Ministry indeed,” Sherlock said with a cold laugh, ”calling it the Scotland Yard of the wizarding world would be insulting to Scotland Yard.”

”Yes, we all know... Hagrid is innocent.”

Dumbledore’s expression grew increasingly gloomy.

”I prefer to believe the truth is this: the real culprit, seeing things had gotten out of hand, chose to lay low.

Previously, I was reluctant to tell you about this because I didn’t want this matter to be classified again as Chamber monster attacks, to avoid Rubeus getting involved in this affair once more.

After all, you know Rubeus has always had a soft spot for large creatures, which would be extremely unfavorable for him.

Once things escalate, I’m afraid this time he might not be able to remain at Hogwarts. My long absence from school is also related to this matter.”

Sherlock nodded, deeply understanding this point.

Last year, Hagrid had tried to hatch a dragon in his forest hut, completely disregarding that in a few weeks the thing would burst through his cottage.

Not only that, he had also obtained the Hound of the Baskervilles from a Greek contact, a vicious animal that could even bite Snape.

Though it was meant to protect the Philosopher’s Stone, Hagrid found it adorable and named it ”Fluffy,” emphasizing the contrast.

Considering these points, Hagrid did seem capable of feeding the Chamber’s monster.

Perhaps in his eyes, that thing was just another little cutie.

”I understand the basic situation.”

Sherlock took out his notebook, staring intently at Dumbledore. ”But I need more information.”

”What else do you want to know?”

”How many victims were there fifty years ago?”

”Four victims total, all Muggle-born or half-blood. The first few students who were attacked were petrified; the last student unfortunately died.”

”Who was the student that was killed?”

”Myrtle Warren, also a Muggle-born young witch. I was actually the one who came to bring her to Hogwarts.”

”What exactly was Hagrid’s pet that was mistaken for the Chamber monster?”

”I asked Rubeus later, he called it Aragog, an Acromantula.”

”An Acromantula? Keeping an Acromantula at school?”

Sherlock was so surprised because when he heard Dumbledore’s statement, he had already retrieved information about Acromantulas from his memory attic.

Acromantulas, native to the dense rainforests of Southeast Asia, particularly the thick jungles of Borneo.

These magical creatures have eight black eyes and are covered in thick black hair.

Adult Acromantulas can have leg spans reaching an astonishing 15 feet, with massive pincers specifically for catching live prey and dead relatives.

As everyone knows, spiders are carnivores.

Acromantulas are no exception. And they prefer large prey, including humans.

Additionally, they secrete venom, are enormous in size and naturally vicious, so they’re classified at the highest XXXXX level by the British Ministry of Magic.

No wonder Hagrid thought keeping a dragon in his hut last year was nothing, he was experienced and had prior arrangement!

Dumbledore’s expression was also somewhat embarrassed. He coughed twice and continued,

”It was a gift from a distant traveler to Rubeus. Rubeus was still a student then, so he secretly hatched it in a Hogwarts cupboard.

Later it grew up in that cupboard, and Rubeus kept feeding it breadcrumbs...”

Perhaps due to his old age, when recounting these old stories, Dumbledore became uncharacteristically longwinded, telling many old tales about him and Hagrid.

Sherlock had already sketched the outline of an Acromantula in his notebook. He stopped his pen and looked at Dumbledore, who had finished his account.

”This is the only point where I agree with Riddle, such creatures really aren’t suitable for keeping at Hogwarts.”

”I know what you mean, but Rubeus told me that although Aragog’s instinct is to feed on humans, for Rubeus’s sake, it never hunted humans at Hogwarts.”

”Absurd!”

Sherlock said bluntly, ”Even if it could control itself, could it control its offspring?

Acromantulas can lay up to 100 eggs at once, with a hatching time of only 6-8 weeks. Once they successfully grow and hatch...

Oh, right, Hagrid only had one Acromantula, so there’s no need to worry about offspring.

Wait... what does that expression mean?”

Noticing Dumbledore’s fleeting subtle expression, Sherlock immediately captured it keenly. For the second time that evening, he showed surprise.

”You’re not telling me Hagrid found it a mate too, are you?”

”Er... actually, after Colin Creevey’s incident, I already spoke with Rubeus. He told me Aragog lives in the Forbidden Forest, feeding on the creatures there. They still keep in touch, and Hagrid even found Aragog a wife. These Acromantulas formed a thriving family, living peacefully away from humans.”

Sherlock: ≡(▔﹏▔)≡

At this moment, he had nothing left to say.

He even began to understand that wizard called Tom Riddle.

If Hagrid were placed in Muggle society, even without malicious intent, he would become a criminal.

Dumbledore obviously also felt Hagrid’s explanation was somewhat unreliable, saying somewhat embarrassedly.

”That’s how it is, Sherlock. Do you have any leads?”

Sherlock pondered for three seconds, then spoke.

”The person who opened the Chamber fifty years ago wasn’t Hagrid, and the one attacking and injuring students couldn’t be the Acromantula that Hagrid raised.

The reason is simple: people attacked by Acromantulas would die directly from poison or be eaten completely, they would never be petrified.

But whether from your fifty-year-old memory or Headmaster Dippet’s description just now, the deceased from fifty years ago didn’t die from poisoning.

Additionally, the Acromantula was always kept by Hagrid in a cupboard and had no connection to the Chamber.

As for Tom Riddle reporting Hagrid, I’m more inclined to think he didn’t want Hogwarts to close and wanted to end this matter quickly.”

At this point, Sherlock paused, ”Where is the Malfoy family’s house-elf? I want to see it.”

”You mean Dobby?”

Dumbledore was taken aback, ”Snape has already used Veritaserum on it, and I can ensure it has told us everything it knows.”

”I know, but I still want to confirm something.”

”You suspect the Chamber incident is related to what the Malfoys planned before?”

”No,” Sherlock looked at Dumbledore, saying slowly under his surprised gaze, ”it’s Voldemort.”

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