Chapter 126: Duel Demonstration

Chapter 126: Duel Demonstration

The Straw seemed to be the murderer's calling card.

Wherever this thing was found, it meant the murderer had been there.

"What's a murderer doing in the back alley of a bar?" Sherlock frowned.

Silke didn't answer his question but began to patrol the yard. However, the clutter made it difficult to spot anything unusual.

She drew her wand and tapped the air, casting a silent spell.

In the next moment, all the old wooden barrels and furniture floated into the air, revealing the original appearance of the yard.

There didn't seem to be anything special, and Sherlock, leading Sirius Black around, found nothing peculiar either.

Just then, the back door leading to the bar's main hall was suddenly opened.

An old man, dirty and with a long, messy beard, glared at them.

"What are you doing!"

This was the bar's owner and bartender, clearly disturbed by Silke's spell.

"Sorry, sir, we found some clues related to the recent attacks in your yard."

Sherlock and his companions had no good excuse, and the old man, reeking of sheep, wouldn't listen. He drew his wand and shouted at them.

"Are you Aurors from the Ministry of Magic! If not, get out of my yard now! Immediately!"

"Alright, don't get upset. We'll leave."

Sherlock led Sirius Black and Silke out of the bar's back yard. They stood in a small alley, watching the dilapidated, dirty bar from a distance.

Sherlock stroked his chin, staring at the bar, deep in thought.

Silke was also looking at the building. They seemed to be thinking along the same lines. Sherlock spoke first.

"If there's nothing wrong with the back yard, then the problem must be with the bar itself."

"This town was once occupied by goblins."

Silke's words brought back memories for Sherlock, who said with realization.

"I remember now. Hogsmeade's most famous incident was during the goblin rebellion when they occupied this place and set up their headquarters here. That headquarters was in this very bar!"

The murderer had come to the back yard of the Hog's Head, and this bar had once been the goblin command center.

The coincidence was too striking to ignore.

Sherlock pondered.

"Perhaps what it's looking for is related to the goblin occupation of Hogsmeade."

Silke gave the building a final, deep look and said softly.

"I'll have someone research this."

The sky had turned completely dark. They didn't plan to stay any longer and decided to return to Hogwarts.

Before leaving, Sherlock looked at the black dog he was leading. He thought the dog was intelligent and considered taking it as a pet.

"If you don't want to keep wandering, you can stay with me."

Sirius Black considered the idea for a moment and quickly rejected it.

Following Sherlock into Hogwarts might give him some convenience, allowing him to move freely in the castle.

But he didn't need that convenience.

He knew every secret passage from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts.

If he followed Sherlock, his actions would be restricted, and he might slip up. So, Sirius Black showed his reluctance.

Seeing that he didn't want to follow, Sherlock didn't insist. He canceled the transfiguration on the leash, freeing Sirius Black.

Unrestrained, Sirius Black ran off immediately, fearing Sherlock might change his mind and catch him again.

But Sherlock had let him go and wouldn't force him.

They returned to Hogwarts under the cover of night.

During dinner in the Great Hall, Sherlock heard about Hagrid's mishap in the first class of Magical Creatures.

Out of concern for his friend, Sherlock visited Hagrid's hut.

When he entered, Hagrid looked like he had been crying, his eyes red and his nose runny as he blew it with a tissue.

"Don't be upset, Hagrid. Everyone has a first time. No one is born knowing how to teach students", Sherlock comforted.

But Hagrid remained disheartened.

“I prepared for a long time, thinking everyone would like those little creatures. But I didn't expect Malfoy to get scratched in the first class. His father is a governor of the school and has always disliked me. They won’t let this go!”

Sherlock already knew the entire story.

To be honest, Malfoy did bear some responsibility, but as a teacher, Hagrid's decision to let Third Year students handle Hippogriffs without any protection was clearly more problematic.

However, as a friend, Sherlock couldn’t directly blame Hagrid. After all, Hagrid had helped him a lot last semester by providing dark magic creatures for his teaching cases.

He could only say it gently.

“In future classes, you could use less dangerous magical creatures for teaching. I think as long as the class is interesting enough, the students won’t mind if the creatures aren’t particularly powerful.”

That was all Sherlock could say. Whether Hagrid would take his advice was beyond his control.

Time passed quickly, and a week went by.

In the first week of the new term, Lupin, Sherlock’s teaching assistant, received excellent feedback from the lower grades. The students found his teaching to be just as good as Sherlock’s, and they quickly accepted him.

This news would likely make Hagrid even more disheartened. Both new professors this year, Lupin was widely praised, while Hagrid had injured a student in his first class.

Silke, after returning from Hogsmeade that day, retreated back into the room on the Fifth Floor. She was using some method to gather information about the goblins' establishment of their headquarters at the Hog's Head.

With the start of the new week, the second class for the seventh year arrived.

Dumbledore had approved Sherlock’s request to move to the largest classroom in the castle.

This was a disused Potions classroom, three times the size of a regular classroom, large enough to accommodate all the seventh-year students and provide ample space for Sherlock’s lessons.

“I know some of you are eager, but I hope you remember the two key points I emphasized in the last class.”

“Armor Charm and transfiguration. These are the focus of the practical exam. In my class, everyone must master the Armor Charm, and I will correct your transfiguration techniques during practical exercises to help you develop the habit of using transfiguration more often.”

With that, he cleared the front part of the classroom and then asked the students.

“Who would like to come up and demonstrate a duel with me?”

Almost all the students raised their hands; none of them wanted to miss this opportunity.

Most people in the school knew about Sherlock’s previous position in the Ministry of Magic’s Auror Office. Given his clear understanding of the practical exam process, a demonstration duel with him would be like a practice run for the real exam.

In the end, Sherlock chose Percy, partly as a small reward for his help with assignments and announcements.

The other students moved to the sides and corners, giving them plenty of space.

Sherlock and Percy each drew their wands and held them in front of them.

“Are you ready, Weasley?”

Percy’s hand gripping his wand was slightly sweaty; he naturally felt immense pressure facing Sherlock.

“I’m ready, Professor.”

“Then I’ll count down from three. When I finish, we’ll begin.”

“Three, two, one!”

The moment Sherlock finished counting, Percy and he both raised their wands.

“Protego!” they both said.

Invisible shields enveloped Sherlock and Percy, protecting them.

In a real fight, Sherlock could have tried to take Percy down as soon as he used the Armor Charm, but this was an exam, and he had to follow the rules.

After both had cast the Armor Charm on themselves, Percy immediately pointed his wand at Sherlock again.

“Expelliarmus!”

His first move was still a spell.

Sherlock, however, remained calm. He waved his wand and cast another Armor Charm.

“Protego.”

But this time, the Armor Charm didn't form a protective layer around his body. Instead, it created a transparent barrier centered on the tip of his wand.

Percy's Disarming Charm was precisely blocked by the Armor Charm. At the same time, the originally colorless barrier turned blood red upon contact with the red spell.

In the next second, the spell was deflected right back!

Fortunately, Percy was prepared. Sherlock had taught them in sixth year that a high-level Armor Charm could reflect the caster's spell back at them (it was actually supposed to be taught in fifth year, but their professor that year was Quirrell).

Before his spell was reflected back, Percy performed a roll on the ground, which, though somewhat awkward, successfully dodged the returning Disarming Charm.

While rolling, Percy used the movement to conceal a subtle wave of his wand.

A chair behind Sherlock suddenly transformed!

Five long, venomous snakes slithered up his ankles, growing longer and longer. Just as they were about to turn into ropes, Sherlock lightly tapped his wand.

"Stop Spell."

The snakes instantly reverted to their original form, the chair falling back to the ground.

The moment he used the Standard Disenchantment, his wand suddenly moved again, but he didn't utter any incantation.

Percy's heart tightened at the sight. He immediately looked around, trying to figure out what Sherlock had transfigured.

But there was nothing around him that could be transfigured!

It was then that Percy realized he had been tricked. But by the time he realized it, it was too late, as Sherlock had already cast his spell.

"Expelliarmus."

The red spell streaked through the narrow space and struck Percy's Armor Charm head-on, leaving him with no way to avoid it!

An invisible ripple spread in front of him, followed by a sudden sound like shattering glass!

Percy's Armor Charm successfully blocked the Disarming Charm, but Sherlock had also successfully broken through his defenses.

As Percy recovered from his panic and prepared to reorganize his attack, giving himself a chance to reapply his Armor Charm, two chains silently wrapped around his legs!

Percy barely had time to react before the chains bound his arms as well, tying him up on the spot!

The duel was over.

All the students watching clapped sincerely, impressed by the exciting duel. Although Percy had lost, no one had expected him to win from the start. The fact that he had managed to hold his own against Sherlock for so long was already a surprise to many.

Sherlock's effortless casting and disenchanting left a deep impression on the students. Each wave of his wand was like an artist crafting a masterpiece, beautiful and flawless!

"Very good, Weasley."

Sherlock canceled the transfiguration on Percy, who then noticed that the object used was another chair.

It had been far enough away that he hadn't paid attention to it.

Sherlock's silent wave of the wand wasn't a deception; the object of transfiguration was simply too far from Percy, making him believe it was a feint. Then, the Disarming Charm that broke his Armor Charm had captured his full attention.

By the time he realized what had happened, it was too late.

"Your performance was nearly perfect. Apart from a lack of experience, you don't fall short of any adult wizard. If this were a real practical exam, I would give you the highest score."

Sherlock didn't hesitate to praise Percy.

Percy's performance truly stood out among the students. The Weasley family had never lacked for prodigies, and Percy was undoubtedly one of them.

However, his ambition and desire for power were stronger than those of his other siblings.

Just as he had been easily swayed by Tom last semester, psychological issues could lead him astray in the future.

But this was a practical class, so Sherlock didn't delve into his psychological issues.

His praise made Percy's face flush, and he walked back to the students, chest out and head high.

Next, Sherlock began to analyze the entire duel for the students.

"The most important aspect of magical combat is rhythm—specifically, the rhythm of casting and disenchanting."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end