Chapter 278: It Must Be Flawless!
Chapter 278: It Must Be Flawless!
The champions have completed the wand inspection before the first task.
Rita Skeeter's exclusive interview with Harry was also published on the front page of the Daily Prophet, with the content being a wildly exaggerated and maliciously altered version of their conversation.
At the end of the article, there was even a segment criticizing Sherlock.
It accused him of becoming arrogant and presumptuous after achieving some success over the past two years. Even when the reporter specifically requested an interview, he rudely refused. The article also subtly mocked Dumbledore's poor judgment in allowing such an inexperienced young man to teach at Hogwarts.
On the first day the newspaper was released, Sherlock didn't attract much attention, but Harry once again became the laughingstock of the other Houses at Hogwarts.
Now, apart from Gryffindor, the other three Houses have no good feelings towards him.
Even the Hufflepuff students, who are usually the most unassuming and enjoy gossip, hold Harry Potter in disdain for allegedly using underhanded means to steal the glory that should have belonged solely to their House champion, Cedric.
Among the students, almost no one besides Hermione believes Harry's repeated claim, "I didn't enter my name!"
So, Harry eventually stopped trying to explain himself, and the young wizards began wearing badges that Malfoy had organized, which read "Potter Stinks."
Cedric, the other Hogwarts champion, is a straightforward and honorable person.
He has been trying to dissuade his classmates from doing this, urging them to remove the magic badges that not only insult Harry but also praise him as "Hogwarts' true champion."
However, his efforts have had little effect and have only made the students more disdainful of Harry.
Despite the castle becoming increasingly lively, the regular classes must continue.
"Alright, that's all for today's lesson, but before we finish, I have something to say to you all", Sherlock said sternly from the podium. "I know you've been discussing the Triwizard Tournament champions, but since you are only spectators, you need to prioritize your responsibilities."
"This is indeed a rare and grand event, and on the official viewing days, Hogwarts will give you a break. However, during classes and your study time, I don't want the tournament to be a distraction."
Sherlock's last class of the week ended with these words.
While his speech couldn't bring the students' wandering minds back entirely, it did have some effect on the Ravenclaw students who had been influenced by the castle's recent atmosphere.
After today, tomorrow will be the first Hogsmeade weekend of the semester, and students in Third Year and above can venture out to the town.
Sherlock also plans to use this time to complete the final touches on the Fidelius Charm contract.
After a week of continuous torment by the Patronus Charm, the aura emanating from the wooden box has become increasingly faint. If not for careful observation, one might not even notice that something is imprisoned inside.
The creature's soul strength has been weakened to its limit, and the repeated defeats led by Sherlock, as well as the ongoing "intimidation" by the Patronus, have ingrained a deep-seated fear of Sherlock in its soul.
The creature that once played with fear now feels fear itself, which is indeed quite ironic.
Sherlock didn't choose to complete the magic contract in his office. Instead, he and Silke went to the Room of Requirement, which they had discovered by chance while trying to find Fidelius. From it, they requested a room filled with sunlight that could only be opened from the outside.
"How long does it normally take to complete a contract?"
At the door of the Room of Requirement, Sherlock opened it and prepared to enter, asking Silke as he did so.
Silke replied calmly.
"An hour should be enough."
"Let's leave half an hour as a buffer in case of any unexpected issues. You can open the door from the outside in an hour and a half", Sherlock said casually.
Although Silke didn't show it on her face, a more observant person could see her concern.
Sherlock had one foot inside the Room of Requirement. Before entering, he smiled and reassured her.
"Don't worry, everything will be fine this time."
"Bang!"
Silke, quick on her feet, kicked Sherlock into the Room of Requirement and slammed the door shut, cutting off his incomplete self-curse before he could finish casting it.
After completing these actions, she let out a sigh of relief and muttered to herself.
"Always talking about taking care of me, who's the one causing the most trouble, really?"
Sherlock, bewildered and forcefully kicked into the Room of Requirement, racked his brain to figure out what he had done to offend her this time.
Before, she had just been cold to him, but now she was resorting to violence!
If this continued, what would become of him?
Sherlock grumbled under his breath, muttering things like "lawless" and "disrespectful", while carrying the wooden box containing Fidelius to the center of the room.
Although he hadn't finished his sentence, Sherlock didn't think anything would go wrong this time.
Before coming to the Room of Requirement, he had already compared the strength of his soul to Fidelius's current state.
The difference wasn't as vast as heaven and earth, but it was still significant, equivalent to half a normal soul.
If the data from the Department of Mysteries was correct, Sherlock had no chance of failing this time.
As expected, everything went smoothly until the final step. When Sherlock drafted the magic contract and forced Fidelius to sign it, the latter resisted with all its might, almost to the point of self-destruction!
It preferred to have its soul extinguished rather than sign a contract that would enslave it!
Sherlock wasn't concerned about Fidelius's life or death, but if Fidelius forced self-destruction at this point, Sherlock's soul would also be damaged.
Thanks to the strong suppression by the Patronus Charm, the damage wouldn't be severe enough to cripple him, but even so, Sherlock was not willing to accept it.
In that brief moment, an idea flashed through his mind, one that seemed worth trying.
A famous literary master once said:
"Human nature always seeks a middle ground. If you propose to tear the roof off, others will surely refuse, but if you ask to open a window after being rejected, they might find it acceptable."
Fidelius thought the servitude contract was too harsh, didn't it?
If Sherlock made the contract seem slightly more "equal", would Fidelius still be so determined to go down fighting?
(End of Chapter)
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