Sherlock Holmes at Hogwarts.

Chapter 636 Sherlock

When Dumbledore spoke of the return of the Bourgeois, the entire Great Hall was instantly filled with whispers.

Strangely enough, such a bombshell news that was enough to overturn the magic world should have caused a huge uproar, like a stone thrown into calm water.

But it's probably because the intimidating power of "that person whose name can't even be mentioned" is just too great.

Even though the young wizards had never seen that person, from a young age, Voldemort's fearsome reputation had been entwined in their hearts like a vine, influenced by their elders.

Therefore, at this moment, no one even dares to talk loudly or make a lot of noise as they would when discussing hot topics normally.

Everyone was whispering.

It looked extremely strange.

Of course, some people who knew the inside story in advance remained very calm.

For example, Harry Potter simply clenched his fist slightly.

Having grown up in the Muggle world, he had no fear of Voldemort.

Even after facing him more than once, Harry's current feelings towards Voldemort are more hatred.

Hearing Dumbledore's words at this moment, he felt a sense of relief that his knowledge had finally been made public.

Finally said it!

Hermione and Gemma, Ron and Ginny, Luna and Cho Chang all exchanged glances at that moment.

They both saw the knowing look in each other's eyes.

There were also students of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang.

Their reactions were also noticeably less intense than those of the Hogwarts students.

Especially Durmstrang's students.

On the contrary, their principal, Karkarov, seemed to be in poor condition.

His already pale face turned even more deathly white, as if all his energy had been drained away.

Sherlock's gaze swept quickly across the entire hall, taking in everyone's expressions.

At this moment, he gained a deeper understanding of Voldemort's influence in the wizarding world.

The topic of Voldemort caused a great stir among the people.

As an elder who lived through the Victorian era, two world wars, and the reign of Elizabeth II, Albus Dumbledore was all too aware of Voldemort's terrifying influence in the British wizarding world.

So he simply stood there quietly, observing patiently, without stopping the commotion in the auditorium.

After a while, the whispers finally subsided into silence.

Everyone held their breath, even the Weasley twins straightened their backs.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on Dumbledore, waiting for him to say something next.

"You regained your composure much faster than I expected."

Dumbledore said with considerable satisfaction:
"This further proves that I was right to tell you the truth."

In fact, not only the Ministry of Magic, but even some students' parents might... no, they would definitely be shocked by what I did.

Perhaps it was because they were unwilling to believe that Voldemort had actually returned—after all, too many wizards stubbornly believed that he would never reappear.

Perhaps it's because they feel I shouldn't tell you this—after all, you're still too young.

but……"

Dumbledore paused, his gaze sweeping across the young faces below the stage, his tone suddenly becoming firm:

"If we ignore the facts before us and try to escape like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, it will not only not help our current situation, but will also bring unimaginable dangers."

Telling the truth is always better than lying.

Upon hearing Dumbledore's words, Fudge and Bagman exchanged bewildered glances.

Fudge, in particular, felt that Dumbledore was practically calling him by name.

An ostrich burying its head in the sand... Isn't that exactly how Sherlock Holmes described himself that night?
At the time, I thought this underage wizard didn't know the rules.

Only now did he realize that the Joker was himself.

The same sentence will naturally have different effects on different people.

Upon hearing Dumbledore's words, Hermione abruptly raised her head and, at the same time, turned to look at Sherlock along with Gemma.

Hermione's lips curled up slightly, a sly smile gleaming in her eyes.

Gemma suppressed a laugh and blinked gently.

At that moment, their gentle gazes fell upon Sherlock like warm light.

"what happened?"

Sherlock felt two burning gazes and turned to look at the two girls.

Hermione's long hair fell over her shoulders, and a smile was hidden in her eyes.

Gemma quickly lowered her head, but still couldn't help but let her shoulders tremble slightly.

Upon hearing his question, the two of them turned back at the same time.

Sherlock was completely baffled.

What are these two women up to?
But the smiles on the two girls' lips were like spring buds, unable to be hidden any longer, quietly blooming.

At that moment, they couldn't help but think of what Sherlock had once said:
“I don’t lie in the vast majority of cases—unless it’s necessary.”

From a certain perspective, Dumbledore's statement just now clearly coincided with Sherlock's.

It's just that there's no follow-up explanation.

The young girls' thoughts were still quietly wandering when Dumbledore's voice abruptly interrupted their reverie:

"When talking about Voldemort, I must also mention another person."

The entire room fell silent instantly, and hundreds of eyes focused on Dumbledore.

Dumbledore spoke slowly, each word clearly resonating throughout every corner of the Great Hall:
"Of course, I'm talking about Sherlock Holmes—the Lion King who combines wisdom and courage."

It wasn't just Hermione and Gemma who were moved at this moment.

When Dumbledore pronounced Sherlock's name in this formal manner, another ripple swept through the Great Hall.

The tense atmosphere caused by Voldemort's return was somewhat broken, and most people turned their heads toward Sherlock's location, but then quickly turned back to continue looking at Dumbledore.

They are all waiting for more information.

Sherlock himself raised an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity flashing in his gray eyes.

Is Dumbledore finally going to vindicate himself?

Thinking about it carefully, it makes sense. After all, even Voldemort now knows that his plan failed because of him.

Instead of continuing to hide your abilities and leaving everyone with only a vague understanding of them, it's better to be open and honest about them.

This will make it clear to everyone that Hogwarts is not unprepared.

Boosting morale is still very necessary.

"Sherlock Holmes discovered Voldemort's plan ahead of time."

These words were like a spark, instantly igniting a chorus of discussion in the auditorium.

Some people couldn't help but gasp in hushed tones. Others turned to exchange glances with their companions.

Snape gave Sherlock a long look, his gaze complex.

And there's Cornelius Fudge.

His gaze toward Sherlock was even more complex than Snape's.

This time, however, Dumbledore did not allow the students and teachers in the Great Hall to let the emotions continue to fester as before. He stretched out his hands and pressed them down, stopping everyone.

He looked at Sherlock and continued slowly in an appreciative tone:
"In this entire work, Holmes displayed an intelligence far beyond that of his peers, and even surpassing that of many adult wizards."

He was the one who gave the early warning and accurately predicted Voldemort's plot to use the Triwizard Tournament against us.

It was thanks to his advice that we weren't caught off guard when facing the newly resurrected Voldemort.

Moreover, having the initiative, we won a resounding victory.

Voldemort fled in disarray, and his Death Eaters were sent to their rightful place—Azkaban.

Wow——!
When Dumbledore finished speaking, the atmosphere in the Great Hall could no longer be contained, and cheers and gasps of amazement erupted instantly.

Some people excitedly slammed their fists on the table, some stood up and strained to look in the direction of Gryffindor, and even the parents of the warriors couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

Voldemort... he actually ran away?

Of course, some people still have doubts about Dumbledore's statement, feeling that he might be deceiving everyone—after all, it sounds somewhat absurd.

But most people were ignited at that moment.

This is Dumbledore!

Although Harry Potter is the Dark Lord's nemesis.

However, Albus Dumbledore was the only person the Dark Lord feared.

The initial fear being replaced by excitement was certainly a good thing, but it also forced Dumbledore to continue speaking in an even louder voice:

"It wasn't just his intelligence; he displayed fearlessness in every aspect when facing Voldemort."

I think you all know very well that even experienced adult wizards rarely show such composure and courage when faced with Voldemort's tyranny.

Without him, I think many of us would not be able to sit here with us tonight and enjoy this dinner.

Sherlock Holmes truly deserves the title of great detective, and Sherlock Holmes is undoubtedly a master detective!
So I hope everyone will stand up and raise a glass to Sherlock Holmes.

After saying this, Dumbledore was the first to raise the wine glass in his hand.

Immediately afterwards, everyone in the auditorium stood up from their chairs, and the auditorium echoed with the sound of benches being moved.

Whether they were Hogwarts students, visitors from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, or even the parents of the warriors, everyone raised their wine glasses.

They said in unison in deep, resonant voices:

"Homage to Sherlock Holmes!"

Even the Slytherin students who were initially somewhat resentful of Sherlock now put aside their disdain and seriously raised their glasses.

The same applies to the trio of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle.

Malfoy, in particular, looked at Sherlock with a complicated expression, his thoughts unreadable.

Hermione and Gemma exchanged a glance, both seeing undisguised joy in each other's eyes.

Hermione turned her head and whispered to Sherlock:
Did you know beforehand that he would do this? That he would announce your contribution in front of everyone?

Sherlock shook his head, a hint of surprise in his eyes: "I don't know."

At first, he did not expect Dumbledore to directly vindicate him.

Now, no one expected that Dumbledore would elevate him to such a high position.

But since Dumbledore did this, he understood the other party's intentions.

Keep in mind that he wasn't the only one facing Voldemort at the time.

Harry Potter, the savior of the magical world and the Dark Lord's only nemesis, was Voldemort's primary target from the beginning.

His plot was initially aimed at Harry as well.

I was just someone who was incidentally brought along.

However, Dumbledore consciously downplayed Harry's role in his speech, instead emphasizing his own contributions.

This is clearly an attempt to push himself out, to become the new focus, and to attract Voldemort's attention.

Thinking of this, Sherlock couldn't help but laugh.

That's good.

From this moment on, even though he didn't have to stand by Harry Potter's side all the time, he finally became the person at the center of the vortex.

Isn't this exactly what I wanted to do when I first entered the wizarding world—to actively approach Harry?
To his utter surprise, the person who ultimately helped him realize this wish was Voldemort.

Although this means more danger, it also adds a bit more excitement.

More importantly, to some extent, this does indeed serve to protect Harry, allowing him to catch his breath temporarily from the pressure of being the savior.

Harry Potter is not only the savior of the wizarding world, but also his friend.

After everyone was seated again, Dumbledore continued:
"As I said at the beginning of the semester, the purpose of the Triwizard Tournament is to enhance and promote mutual understanding in the magical world, so that wizards from different countries and schools can put aside their differences and trust each other."

Given what is happening now—given Voldemort's resurrection—this connection is more important than ever before.

Dumbledore's gaze began to move slowly.

He first looked at Mrs. Maxim, who was sitting with Hagrid, and nodded slightly to her.

Then he looked at Karkaroff, whose face was still pale, but when he noticed Dumbledore's gaze, he managed a weak smile.

Then there were Beauxbatons' students at Ravenclaw's table.

Finally, there's Durmstrang's student at the Slytherin table.

His eyes were gentle, like the spring sunshine, and his tone was sincere, making everyone feel that his words came from the heart.

"Every guest in this Great Hall is welcome to return to Hogwarts at any time, if they wish."

I'll say it to you all again—given Voldemort's resurrection, we can only become strong by uniting.

If it splits, it will be vulnerable.

Voldemort's magic is very powerful, but what he is best at is creating conflict and hostility, making us kill each other.

Only by demonstrating the same unbreakable friendship and trust can we fight them to the end.

As long as we share the same goals and are open-minded, differences in habits and language will not be obstacles.

Everyone knew perfectly well that the so-called habits and language were a reference to Beauxbatons and Durmstrang.

At this point, Dumbledore paused, then added:
"I would also like to take this opportunity to announce something."

What? Not again?

Upon hearing Dumbledore's words, everyone in the Great Hall was taken aback.

Many people subconsciously looked at each other, their eyes filled with surprise.

From the Triwizard Tournament and the College Cup to the announcement of Voldemort's resurrection, and then to the tribute to Sherlock.

Dumbledore has been saying one surprising thing after another today, and now he's planning to say another one?
Everyone's hearts were in their throats again, filled with both curiosity and nervousness as they waited for the next installment.

(End of this chapter)