Sherlock followed Hermione to sit at a table with no one around. After hesitating for a moment, she finally spoke:
"Sherlock, could you... teach me to fly?"
After saying this, she looked at Sherlock somewhat anxiously.
If it had been just after school started, or half a month ago, or even a week ago, she wouldn't have made such an abrupt request.
After all, at that time, the two of them could at most be considered "people who knew each other."
Compared to other classmates, they just knew each other earlier.
Her relationship with Sherlock naturally wasn't as close as Harry and Sherlock's, or even as close as that glutton Ron's—after all, they were roommates.
But over this past month, every weekend she had spent in the library with Sherlock.
Especially after last weekend, she felt she and Sherlock could be considered friends.
After all, they had both started addressing each other by first names rather than surnames, hadn't they?
Another reason was that she truly felt Sherlock was the same type of person as her.
Hermione believed that her poor performance in flying class was more due to psychological factors.
In this situation, she naturally thought of Sherlock.
"Sherlock, what did Granger want with you?"
When Sherlock returned to the dining hall, Harry asked curiously.
"She must also want to join the Quidditch house team," Ron said with certainty. "Hmph, too bad those things she learned from books can't teach her to fly well."
"You're right, so she wants me to teach her."
"I knew it... wait, what did you say?"
Ron stared wide-eyed at Sherlock.
Harry was also somewhat surprised.
Hermione Granger?
That little girl who always looked so proud?
It was really hard to imagine her asking a classmate for help.
But thinking that the person she was asking for help was Sherlock Holmes, Harry felt relieved.
"So did you agree to help her?"
"Mm."
Ron's eyes widened even more, and he looked incredulous: "You actually agreed! No... how could you agree!"
Sherlock didn't pay attention to Ron.
When someone close to him made a request, Sherlock was naturally willing to help.
Moreover, helping Hermione improve her flying skills was just a small matter for him, not requiring much effort.
His energy was mainly spent on other aspects.
Having been at the magic school for a month, Sherlock had long figured out Hogwarts' structure.
Not to mention first-year students—even expanding the scope to all teachers and students in the school, few could know it better than him.
The only people who surpassed him in this regard were the caretaker Filch and the Weasley twins.
Under normal circumstances, this would be the time for him to go on adventures.
But.
Magic was, after all, a completely new version that Sherlock had never encountered before.
In this version, many things couldn't be analyzed and judged using the scientific thinking he had grown accustomed to.
Humans cannot understand things beyond their imagination.
Precisely because of this, he had become one of the two freshmen who most loved asking questions, along with Hermione.
Also, for this reason, Hermione thought Sherlock was the same type of person as her.
But in fact, although both loved asking questions, their essence was different.
Hermione's questions were about the courses themselves, sticking to the subject matter.
Sherlock's questions often extended beyond the classroom, full of thoughts and research about magic.
So, although both were considered good students for loving to ask questions, Hermione loved both asking and answering, while Sherlock only asked without answering.
Of course, when questioned by teaching professors, he could always answer perfectly.
After a month, Sherlock had developed his own understanding of the wizarding world.
It was time to begin deeper contact with the school's teachers.
Helping Harry join the Quidditch house team was the opportunity.
Friday morning, after Potions class where Snape had routinely deducted points from Gryffindor, Sherlock took the nervous yet excited Harry and Ron to find Professor McGonagall.
"What? You three want to join the Quidditch house team?"
It wasn't easy for new students to see the Deputy Headmistress, but with Harry Potter's golden name, the three successfully met Professor McGonagall.
However, when McGonagall heard their purpose, she couldn't help but show a surprised expression.
"No, only these two."
Sherlock pointed at Harry and Ron, indicating he was just accompanying them.
"You... this is simply ridiculous!
New students haven't even mastered the most basic flying, and you want to join the house team?
Are you trying to break your necks?"
Professor McGonagall was known for being fair and strict. As Deputy Headmistress, her deterrent effect among students was even higher than Dumbledore, the Headmaster.
Speaking sternly now, she made Harry and Ron tremble, afraid she would say "Ten points from Gryffindor" next.
Not to mention the originally unconfident Harry—even the ambitious Ron became timid.
Both turned their pleading gazes toward Sherlock.
McGonagall was experienced and immediately understood the situation.
"Mr. Holmes, is this your idea?"
Her gaze became somewhat dangerous.
During the pre-school phase, Sherlock had already left a deep impression on her.
At the Sorting Ceremony, he had become a Hatstall like herself years ago—something that happened once every few decades.
After formal classes began, Sherlock's performance was amazing.
Just his understanding and application of Transfiguration even exceeded some senior students.
And his cat-petting technique...
In any case, for various reasons, Professor McGonagall viewed Sherlock with special attention, treating him as a focus of care like Hermione.
But compared to the worry-free Hermione, Sherlock was severely unbalanced as a student.
In some professors' classes, he actively asked questions, even making it difficult for teachers to leave after class.
In some courses, he just attended lectures, leaving immediately after class without any attachment.
Even worse, he would simply skip some classes.
Like Professor Quirrell's Defense Against the Dark Arts.
This gave McGonagall quite a headache.
Although Sherlock could regain the points deducted for skipping classes from other sources.
But in the long run, this behavior would inevitably bring bad influence to others.
After all, Defense Against the Dark Arts was a required, not elective, course.
If everyone ignored school rules like him, deciding whether to attend classes based on personal preference, wouldn't the school be in chaos?
Even the mischievous Weasley twins weren't like this.
McGonagall had originally wanted to find an opportunity to talk with Sherlock, but unexpectedly, he came to her today.
More surprisingly, he was actually encouraging Harry and Ron to join the house team.
This was a perfect opportunity to teach him a lesson.
While McGonagall was thinking, Sherlock had already spoken.
"It was my suggestion—I believe Harry's displayed talent is sufficient to break the rules."
Facing the gaze that could make Harry and Ron tremble, Sherlock said something that pained McGonagall:
"Professor, you wouldn't want Gryffindor to always be suppressed by other houses, would you?"
You can read more chapters on:
patreon.com/MikeyMuse