By the time he left the headmaster's office, Harry found it somewhat amusing.
Sherlock had already explained to him what he and Dumbledore had just discussed.
This summer, Dumbledore would take Sherlock and him to visit Professor Horace Slughorn.
Thanks to Dumbledore, Harry finally didn't get his name wrong this time.
Taking him there was naturally to extract from him the secret he shared with Voldemort.
This was crucial to understanding the Horcrux matter and ultimately destroying Voldemort completely.
Precisely because of this, Sherlock needed Harry.
Because Harry's mother Lily was Professor Slughorn's favorite student.
In Slughorn's view, Lily's talent in Potions was even higher than Snape, the Potions Master.
He felt a paternal affection toward Lily.
So as long as they brought Harry, they could fully utilize this point to persuade Slughorn.
This was why Dumbledore said he was despicable—thinking to use this to extract secrets from Slughorn.
Of course, Sherlock clearly agreed with this.
Harry wasn't opposed to it.
Being used? As long as it was Sherlock, he could use him however he wanted.
But being used aside, he still said to Sherlock in a half-joking tone.
"Please, Sherlock, next time you sell me out, give me a heads-up—I don't want to be arranged so thoroughly without knowing what's happening every time."
Sherlock: ←_←
Harry: (°ー°〃)
After resolving the Slughorn matter, only one thing remained for this term.
It was also the reason Dumbledore couldn't take them to find Slughorn right now.
Final exams.
For Sherlock personally, third year was the most relaxed year he'd spent at Hogwarts.
At the end of first and second year, Voldemort always came to personally give him a practical Dark Arts Defense lesson.
Only this year had he not come.
Though there was the Azkaban prisoner escape incident, it had been resolved early on.
So, the real MVP this year were actually the Weasley twins.
It was precisely because they provided the magical Marauder's Map that Sherlock was able to confirm Peter Pettigrew's true identity before the end of the first term, and subsequently capture that bastard who had been hiding for twelve years.
Otherwise, they probably would have had to wait until the second or even third term to resolve this matter.
They might even have had a werewolf battle by then.
Speaking of the Weasley twins, these two mischievous troublemakers were different now than before.
With their intelligence, in the previous two years they could pass exams without much effort at the end of term.
And some of their exam scores were quite high.
But this year was different.
Now in fifth year, they had to take the Ordinary Wizarding Level exams (O.W.L.).
They had to work hard and prepare properly.
Otherwise, if they didn't earn certificates in some courses, they wouldn't be able to pursue further studies in sixth year.
Just like that guy, whom Sherlock had encountered while investigating the Greek Interpreter case because he didn't earn a single certificate, he couldn't even attend sixth year.
Ultimately, he could only leave Hogwarts without graduating.
Besides fifth-year students, the seventh-year students graduating this year were preparing to pass the N.E.W.T. exams, which were more advanced and more difficult than the O.W.L.s.
Compared to the Ordinary Wizarding Levels, these were the highest qualifications Hogwarts could provide.
Gemma, Percy, and Penelope all needed to prepare well.
Percy was the most nervous among them.
Because he was determined to enter the Ministry of Magic after graduation, he needed outstanding grades as his stepping stone.
Precisely because of this, he had become increasingly neurotic.
No matter who disturbed the quiet of the common room at night, he would impose heavy punishment.
"To speak bluntly, someone like Percy Weasley won't be valued even if he does enter the Ministry."
"I agree with your assessment, though you wouldn't have evaluated others so readily before."
"Because I'm about to graduate—when you're planning to leave Britain anyway, saying certain things doesn't matter anymore!"
"You've decided, then?"
"Mm."
It was now June, so the Room of Requirement naturally no longer had that fireplace.
Gemma had transformed it into a small fountain, the air permeated with moist coolness that dispelled the summer heat.
"Speaking of which, you called me out today—surely not for final exams?"
Gemma was still quite surprised that Sherlock had suddenly called her out.
After all, given this young man's personality, the probability of him doing such a thing was really too small.
"Not for exams." Sherlock shook his head. "Why, are you busy?"
"Very. So how do you plan to compensate me?"
Gemma's fingers traced lightly around the rim of her iced lemonade glass, leaving circles of water marks.
Her gaze toward Sherlock carried a hint of teasing, blinking suggestively.
However, Sherlock seemed not to catch that deeper meaning, saying flatly. "I'm looking for you because of Professor Lupin."
"Professor Lupin?"
Gemma started, her fingers gripping the cup tightening slightly, then a flash of understanding crossed her eyes. "You... do you want to help him conceal his identity?"
"So, you do know." A hint of approval flickered in Sherlock's eyes.
"Sherlock, don't underestimate a seventh-year senior!"
Gemma laughed lightly, her blue eyes becoming even clearer in the reflected water light.
She leaned forward slightly, teasing. "I might have discovered this secret even earlier than you!"
Sherlock naturally didn't care who discovered it first. He was more concerned about something else.
"Besides you, who else knows about this?"
"Not many. Among people you know, Penelope is one."
Speaking of this, Gemma couldn't help but sigh, both regretful and relieved.
Regret because Hogwarts students' level was truly somewhat lacking.
After an entire year, still only a few had discovered Professor Lupin's true identity.
Not to mention that the first time Snape substituted for Professor Lupin, he pulled a nasty trick.
Deliberately teaching about werewolves' various characteristics in class, just to draw the young wizards' attention.
Yet unexpectedly, even so, only Sherlock, Hermione, and a handful of others discovered the truth.
Relief was also because Professor Lupin's identity hadn't been exposed.
All those who figured out Professor Lupin was a werewolf kept silent about it.
"Anyone who can figure this out is intelligent, and intelligent people naturally know that keeping Professor Lupin is the choice that serves students' interests."
"Sherlock, you've only met three Defense Against the Dark Arts professors and already think Professor Lupin is the best. I've seen a full seven!
Not to mince words, from when I started school, all the Defense professors have been complete disasters.
Though before I came to school, there were one or two excellent Defense professors.
Unfortunately, I heard one got divorced and lost half his assets, so he lost interest in teaching.
The other went home to get married and similarly couldn't continue teaching."
After saying this, Gemma blinked curiously.
"After what happened last year... do you think... the curse on this position has been lifted?"
Sherlock smiled slightly; his eyes gleaming with firm conviction.
"I only believe that fate is in one's own hands. As long as Professor Lupin's identity isn't discovered, I can't think of any reason for him to leave."
"It seems fine for now. As you said, the students who've discovered this are all like you and me—they won't speak of it.
Precisely so that a truly excellent teacher like Professor Lupin can continue staying at Hogwarts next year."
Gemma stirred the lemon slices in her cup gently, her tone becoming grave.
"But the future is uncertain—after all, there's never a shortage of conceited people in this world."
"That's why I need your help." Sherlock's voice was low and earnest.
This statement made Gemma's face instantly bloom with a bright smile, like a sunflower suddenly opening in summer.
She suddenly leaned forward, closing the distance with Sherlock, her hair inadvertently sweeping across the table as she urged breathlessly.
"Tell me quickly!"
"I really didn't want to say it."
In the Gryffindor common room, Harry pointed at the exam schedule he'd just copied down with his quill, his brow furrowed, shaking his head repeatedly.
"But now I have to!"
9.00 — Arithmancy 9:00 — Transfiguration
[Lunch]
1.00 PM — Charms 1:00 PM — Ancient Runes
"Is the school deliberately trying to prevent us from passing these exams?"
Harry's voice was full of disbelief as he jabbed his finger at the overlapping times.
"The elective courses already overlap with each other, which is bad enough, but now even required courses conflict with electives—how could we possibly sit in two exam rooms at once?"
Hermione stole a glance at Sherlock.
Since being counseled by Sherlock and Gemma last time, Hermione had thought things through.
Recently she'd selectively dropped several courses, no longer attending every single class like before.
The effect was obvious—the dark circles under her eyes had lightened considerably, and her mental state was much better than her previous tense appearance.
Otherwise, continuing as before, she likely would have become another Percy, crushed by his studies.
However, she still planned to take all this year's final exams—except Divination.
She was thoroughly fed up with Professor Trelawney, considering her a complete fraud.
"Just skip those two courses."
Sherlock said without looking up. "We don't have a choice, do we?"
"True enough... well, actually I was planning to drop those two courses anyway. Runes and Arithmancy are both too difficult."
Harry stared at the schedule for a while longer, his brow still furrowed. "The next few days' exam times are fine, but the last day has Divination conflicting with Muggle Studies again."
"No need to take Muggle Studies—not very meaningful for you."
Sherlock's quill paused as he offered his suggestion directly. "If it were Ron, then exactly the opposite."
Harry immediately nodded in agreement. "That's what I was thinking too."
"Hey, I only chose Care of Magical Creatures and Divination!"
Hearing Sherlock and Harry's conversation, Ron couldn't help gloating.
"Besides the five required courses, I only need to take two more. Envious, aren't you?"
Sherlock still didn't look up.
Harry and Hermione turned their heads in unison, their gazes falling on Ron's face, but simply watching him silently without speaking, their eyes carrying an indescribable complexity.
"Hey, I wasn't the one holding a wand to you, forcing you to choose all the courses. Why are you looking at me like that!"
Ron felt uncomfortable under their stares and complained loudly, unconsciously scratching his messy red hair.
Harry and Hermione exchanged glances and tacitly withdrew their gazes, each bowing their heads to continue organizing review materials.
"Hey—you guys—!"
Ron watched as they immediately returned to calmness, as if the previous dispute had never happened, suddenly feeling like a jumping clown.
He pursed his lips, his fingers irritably rolling his sleeves.
What was supposed to be a three-person conversation, yet he felt like an outsider excluded from it.
Helplessly, he could only clear his throat and stiffly change the subject.
"Hermione, lend me that copy of Numerology and Grammatica. I'm planning to flip through it before bed."
Hermione frowned but still shuffled the high stack of parchment test papers on the table, her fingertips sliding across thick magic textbooks one by one, her brow slightly furrowed.
"Strange, I distinctly remember putting it here. How can I not find it?"
"It's with me."
Sherlock pulled out a hefty tome with a complex star chart on the cover from beneath the open A History of Magic, the gilded title Numerology and Grammatica glinting in the firelight.
He held up the book, looking at Ron. "Do you want it?"
"You still need to prepare for exams yourself, so never mind."
Ron waved his hand dismissively, as if remembering something, his gaze sweeping over Sherlock's open review notes, the dense annotations making his scalp tingle.
Harry wanted to say something but hesitated, thinking better of it.
Arithmancy conflicted with Transfiguration's exam time.
Even Sherlock couldn't possibly choose Arithmancy and abandon Transfiguration.
However, Harry always felt that this book would be more important in Sherlock's hands than in Ron's.
Just then, footsteps sounded in the common room as Dean Thomas ran in excitedly.
Behind him followed a puzzled-looking Neville and an equally excited Seamus.
Dean first looked around cautiously, confirming Percy wasn't present before leaning close to Sherlock and the others' round table.
He lowered his voice but couldn't hide his excitement, even his breathing trembling.
"There's an earth-shattering secret! Absolutely explosive!
I bet even you, Sherlock, couldn't guess it!"
Sherlock finally looked up for the first time, a clear smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.
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