Chapter 245: Solving the Puzzle
Chapter 245: Solving the Puzzle
Sherlock listened to the three pieces of information she read out, his face a mix of confusion.
"What does this mean?"
Silke tidied up the poker cards on the table, leaving only the Eight of Diamonds.
"A location in the Castle, just as I said yesterday. Its true intention is to lead us to it. It has no interest or other designs on the students at Hogwarts; it just wants to find you."
"But if it's just about revenge, it shouldn't be so urgent." She murmured, her voice tinged with evident bewilderment.
Sherlock had no interest in delving into the Straw Golem's motives and intentions. The most pressing matter was to resolve the issue before things escalated and the news spread. This year was not like the year the Chamber of Secrets was opened; if it came to the point of closing the school, the consequences would be far more severe.
"Eight", Sherlock picked up the poker card Silke had left, pinched his chin, and pondered, "What could this mean? Time? The 8th or 8:00? Or a location? The 8th classroom? The 8th floor? Or the 8th tower?"
In solving puzzles, Silke had far more experience than Sherlock.
"The possibility of it being a time is small. If it were indicating the 8th or 8:00, it wouldn't connect with the subsequent clues. 'White' and a hidden room suggest a location more strongly."
With Silke pointing out the direction, they had a clear target for their search.
Sherlock had two sixth-year classes in the morning, so he asked Mad-Eye Moody to cover for him. Silke, on the other hand, had a lighter workload since Arithmetic Divination was only available to Third Years, and she could easily reschedule her classes if needed.
They started their search on the first floor of the castle, following the corridor and counting the classrooms they encountered until they reached the 8th one. It was a small, empty room, looking like an occasionally used Potions classroom. Sherlock and Silke thoroughly checked every corner but found nothing.
"The 8th classroom isn't right. Maybe it's the 8th floor? But that's a pretty broad area. There are quite a few classrooms and offices on that floor, and I remember Filch using two rooms as storage."
Sherlock and Silke climbed the stairs to the 8th floor, their faces showing signs of frustration.
Silke, however, didn't look as troubled. For someone who was used to solving prophecies, this puzzle wasn't too daunting.
"The 8th floor is a strong possibility. Since there are three clues, the number eight is just the first hint. The broader the initial range, the more likely it is to be the answer, as the subsequent clues will narrow it down. Every detail in a prophecy is significant; ignoring any one of them can lead to vastly different outcomes."
"Classes are still in session. Should we search each classroom one by one?"
Silke tilted her head, her eyes, covered by a black ribbon, looking at Sherlock.
"Are you not good at solving puzzles?"
Sherlock touched his forehead.
"Alright, I admit I lack some patience. I can't predict what will happen if the student's nightmare continues, especially since it used to kill without any regard for consequences."
"We don't need to search room by room. Pay attention to the last two clues: white and a hidden room."
Silke could see that Sherlock was getting a bit flustered out of concern. He had been teaching at this castle for three years and had developed a deep affection for Hogwarts.
So she needed to stay calm.
She looked at the castle's surroundings. Built in the tenth century, even after numerous renovations and repairs, the walls of Hogwarts had never been painted or sprayed with color, remaining the natural hue of the stone.
Dusty and gray, even with sunlight streaming in, the castle exuded a unique sense of oppression.
The decorative paintings on the walls were mostly oil and portrait paintings, rich in color. They depicted a short knight on a horse shouting, a lady holding a cat and smiling, and a monk holding a cross with a look of compassion.
Neither the walls nor the paintings seemed to offer any clues related to white.
So the second clue, "White", must be the most important.
Based on her experience in solving prophecies, the number eight established a broad area, while "white" was clearly meant to pinpoint a specific location within that area. The final clue directly pointed to the answer itself.
"You've been at Hogwarts longer than I have. Do you know of any paintings or walls on the eighth floor that are predominantly white?"
With such a clear hint, Sherlock only needed a moment to recall a specific tapestry.
"There's a tapestry of a troll beating Barabas! Barabas is wearing a white ballet dress, and the tapestry's main color is white."
"Let's go there!"
They quickly arrived at the tapestry.
It was a rather humorous scene. Barabas, dressed in a ballet dress, seemed to be trying to teach the troll to dance, but the troll was raising a wooden club high, ready to strike Barabas's head.
In the tapestry, Barabas looked quite disheveled. When Sherlock and Silke arrived, the troll with the club turned its gaze to them, eyes wide and nostrils flaring.
Sherlock, of course, had no time to pay attention to the troll in the painting. He scanned the area around the tapestry. Normally, he might not have noticed anything, but now, specifically looking for something, he saw something amiss.
Opposite the tapestry was a wall that seemed out of place. It was an ordinary wall, no different from the others in the castle, but its position was peculiar.
It wasn't at the end of a corridor or at a staircase corner, making it seem unnecessary to leave such a space.
While there were other such spaces in Hogwarts, they usually had a few animated paintings or a statue to decorate them. This wall, however, was completely empty, as if deliberately left blank.
Sherlock frowned as he looked at the wall opposite the tapestry, muttering the final clue.
"A hidden room, a concealed chamber."
(End of Chapter)
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