"Sorry, Granger, I don't know what's wrong with me either. I always end up messing things up without realizing it."
Seeing Neville apologize in the same manner as Seamus, Hermione wasn't angry, she found it rather amusing instead.
Now that practice was over, Hermione wasn't as fierce as she had been earlier. She spoke earnestly to Neville.
"It's alright. Given your abilities, not mastering it in one go is perfectly normal. You've already done quite well to get this far."
"Really? Really?"
"Of course. As long as you're willing to work hard, you'll succeed eventually."
"Yes, yes! I'll work hard!"
Probably fearing further torment from Neville, Trevor hopped away immediately after Hermione removed the spell.
So, after saying this to Hermione, Neville hurried off to catch the toad.
Watching Neville's smiling figure as he chased the toad into the corner of the classroom, Ron couldn't help but comment.
"'Given your abilities, not mastering it in one go is perfectly normal'—Hermione, you really know how to talk!
Good thing it was Neville. Anyone else would probably have started yelling at you by now, wouldn't they?"
"Hehe, Ronald, are you perhaps referring to yourself?"
"Ahem... well..."
"Hermione wasn't wrong."
Just as Ron was trying to cover his embarrassment with coughing, Sherlock suddenly interjected.
Hermione looked at Sherlock in surprise, not expecting him to speak up for her.
"I don't believe one should deceive others for the sake of so-called 'knowing how to talk.'
Doing so would cause others to develop incorrect perceptions of themselves."
Ron said uncomprehendingly, "So what? It's not that serious, is it?"
"You're wrong, Ron."
Sherlock said without mercy.
"Self-awareness is a precision scientific instrument that requires daily calibration.
Have you ever seen a competent clockmaker assemble a marine chronometer with rusty gears?
Whether in the wizarding world or the Muggle world, precise insight into one's own abilities has always been the key to clearing fog and avoiding danger.
Clearly measuring the boundaries of your own capabilities is the most reliable protective charm."
At this point, he paused, his gaze sweeping across Ron's face.
"For you, that means never trying to bite off more than you can chew."
Ron. (°ー°〃)
'I was indeed wrong—when it comes to not knowing how to talk, Hermione pales in comparison to Sherlock!'
This heartfelt speech from Sherlock surprised several of the young companions.
They didn't know that Sherlock spoke this way because he remembered the Greek Translator case.
Back then, he had nearly missed crucial clues because he overestimated his own abilities.
If Hermione hadn't happened to decode the star chart, Hagrid's translator friend would likely have met the same fate as Musgrave.
So since then, he had made changes.
For an eleven or twelve-year-old boy, Sherlock Holmes still had considerable room for growth.
Thanks to Hermione, the steady point-scorer, Gryffindor's red hourglass used to measure house points had been far ahead since the start of term.
This kept Professor McGonagall smiling every day.
Ever since Harry came to school, not only had he broken Slytherin's monopoly on the House Cup, but Quidditch had also improved. Everything seemed to be getting better.
However, this momentum came to an abrupt halt during Wednesday morning's Potions class.
By second year, professors not only awarded more points but also deducted them more harshly.
This was perfectly exemplified by Professor Severus Snape.
The first Potions class of second year was originally just a review of last term's content, but Professor Snape still easily found reasons to deduct points.
"Potter, why won't you write down what I just said?
Because of your arrogance, Gryffindor has lost ten points!"
After the familiar "Harry Potter loses ten points" segment, both Gryffindor and Slytherin students immediately felt a familiar sensation.
This was Potions class!
This was Professor Snape!
This was the real Hogwarts!
It's back, it's all back!
This scene was particularly important for the Slytherin students.
Long before classes officially began, Professor Snape had convened a meeting of all Slytherin House staff and students.
The meeting was chaired by Head of House Severus Snape.
The meeting noted that given Slytherin students' poor performance during the pre-term station inspection, this gathering aimed to unify thinking, raise awareness, and further strengthen the comprehensive quality of all staff and students.
The meeting emphasized that during the previous term's school life, some students had been inactive in class participation, having complacent attitudes.
A few students had engaged in unfair competition during Quidditch matches, seriously damaging the House's image.
Worse still, some had knowingly provoked others despite being aware of their own inadequacies, causing the House to lose significant points.
The meeting required that with the new term beginning, all staff and students must deeply recognize their own shortcomings, maintain a problem-oriented approach, work to address weaknesses, and welcome the new term with a fresh outlook.
Attendees expressed that Professor Snape's speech was far-reaching and deep, with strong relevance and guidance.
All staff and students would use this meeting as an opportunity to approach the term with the attitude that "the start is a sprint, the opening is the decisive battle," and strive for an excellent beginning.
At the end of last term, Slytherin House had been dramatically overturned at the last moment, losing their chance at seven consecutive House Cup victories.
From that moment on, most Slytherin students had been nursing a grudge.
Particularly for the seventh-year students about to graduate, losing this championship meant missing a significant achievement on their personal records.
Seven consecutive championships!
This would have perfectly covered a student's entire career from entering to leaving the school.
"Since enrollment, through my unremitting efforts, my House has won the House Cup for seven consecutive years."
Such a significant line on one's resume was gone with Gryffindor's strong rise!
Just thinking about it was heartbreaking!
So Slytherin House from top to bottom was determined to reclaim the House Cup this year no matter what!
After the house-wide meeting ended, the young Slytherins were energized and ready to create a point gap with other houses right from the start of term.
Unfortunately, Gryffindor's point-scorer started earning points without warning, catching them off guard.
So, they had been waiting for an opportunity.
Until now.
Professor Snape's point deduction campaign against Gryffindor in Potions class officially sounded the charge.
In the following lessons, Professor Snape struck repeatedly with great success.
The sound of "Gryffindor loses ten points" appeared continuously.
Meanwhile, the well-prepared young Slytherins actively answered questions, with Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson working together to earn fifty points from Professor Snape.
Near the end of class, Seamus caused another small explosion due to operational error.
Fortunately, Sherlock intervened in time, preventing the accident from harming others.
Professor Snape's gaze swept coldly over Sherlock, his black robes billowing as his fingertips tapped against the stone wall with ice-crack-like crispness.
"Great Detective Holmes, that smug expression of yours is truly disgusting.
Do you think waving a wand can compensate for your pathetic judgment? Remember this—spilled water can never be recovered.
As for you, Mr. Seamus Finnigan, due to your impulsiveness, stupidity, and recklessness, Gryffindor has lost another ten points."
With this final blow, by the end of Potions class, Gryffindor's previously commanding lead had been completely checked.
In contrast, Slytherin had surged forward, nearly drawing even with Gryffindor.
"Slytherin is going too far—they have absolutely no shame!"
After class, Ron said indignantly, "I think they definitely conspired with the old bat!
The old bat told them the questions in advance, then let them raise their hands to answer and earn points.
Look at Chrome Boy and the Pug—their mouths are practically stretching to their ears!"
Chrome Boy was the nickname Sherlock had given Draco Malfoy, which had spread widely throughout Gryffindor after being used once.
As for Pug, that was simply Ron's objective description of Pansy Parkinson's appearance.
However, he only scorned the Slytherin students' methods of gaining points, not mentioning Snape's point deductions.
After all, in his view, it would be strange if Snape didn't find fault and deduct points from Gryffindor!
But even this level of complaint was mercilessly refuted by Sherlock.
"No, my dear Ron, your feeling is wrong."
"Huh?"
"The Slytherin students didn't know the questions in advance. They were only able to correctly answer Professor Snape's questions because they had done sufficient preparation.
Although Professor Snape will use underhanded reasons to find fault and deduct points, and will ignore other houses while specifically calling on Slytherin students to answer questions, his pride would never allow him to leak questions to students in advance."
All the young wizards who heard Sherlock's words showed surprised expressions—none had expected Sherlock to speak up for Professor Snape.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Ron shook his head repeatedly. "Sherlock, you must be wrong this time!
Those Slytherin guys aren't like you and Hermione—how could they know the right answers every time?
The old bat must have told them the questions he was going to ask in advance. No, he probably even gave them the answers."
"Ron, if you trust my powers of observation, you should understand that I can read their true thoughts from their expressions."
At this point, Sherlock turned to Hermione.
"Hermione, I think you should remember asking me about my opinion of Edgar Allan Poe?"
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