Chapter 309: Breaking Ties!
Chapter 309: Breaking Ties!
Sherlock sat cross-legged in front of Eddie's gravestone, completely devoid of the assertive demeanor he usually displayed in front of Skeeter. Instead, his face was filled with worry, and he let out long, heavy sighs.
"I didn't come here today to visit you, but to curse you! This whole mess is all your fault!"
He cursed harshly, as if trying to vent all the resentment pent up inside him.
"If you hadn't died so early, would I have to suffer like this? Everyone says I'm being melodramatic! Melodramatic my ass! Damn it, I was the one who took care of her when she was little. Back then, I was more like her father, while you, the absentee dad, never acted like one!"
"Who can understand me? It's not that I don't like her! I liked the Vera before I met Amy! Now that Amy and Vera are the same person, what am I supposed to do?"
"I'm not a pervert! Can feelings be so easily figured out? What kind of feelings do I have for Amy? Can they compare to the initial fondness I had for Vera when I first met her?"
"And you! You only made things worse instead of helping. You insisted on getting close to me back then. Now look at us, what kind of relationship do we have? If I dated your daughter, wouldn't you come out of your grave?"
"That little girl doesn't understand and calls me melodramatic. Professor Flitwick and the others, who know nothing about it, also call me melodramatic. I have some conscience left! If I really had no principles, I would have done whatever I wanted long ago! Besides Snape, that old bastard, who else would know!"
The cold, biting wind slapped against his face, but Sherlock felt no chill. He was too engrossed in his rant, even standing up again.
"I never intended to be some noble gentleman, but a person should have some standards to measure their actions, right? Fine! Now that you've forced me, I'll raise my standards, and I won't care anymore!"
"Regarding Amy, I'll treat her as if she died with you. Vera Silke is just Vera Silke. The first time I saw her was in the summer of 1993 at Hogwarts! I don't remember what she went through before or who her father was. I'll just consider her an ordinary witch who transferred from the German Ministry of Magic to the school."
He plopped back down on the ground.
"From now on, you can pretend I'm no longer your friend. After all, I saved you twice and never asked anything of you. Now, I'll use the debt you owe me to sever our ties."
"The future is uncertain. I don't know what will happen or what I can do, but if one day—"
At this point, he seemed a bit uneasy, his demeanor noticeably weakened, and he avoided looking at the gravestone, speaking with a lowered gaze.
"Cough, I mean, if one day, I come to see you with a different identity, and we don't have that messy family relationship where you call me brother and I call you father, then we'll just call each other by our names, as if we're meeting for the first time."
As he said this, his courage suddenly returned, and he spoke loudly.
"So, let's agree on this. From today on, we are no longer friends. According to the customs of my hometown, cutting the robe means severing ties!"
An invisible blade sliced through the hem of his robe, and the black fabric fluttered in the wind, landing in front of the gravestone.
"From now on, we are even!"
After saying these words and performing this act, Sherlock felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his heart. He took a deep breath and turned to leave the cemetery.
As he walked out of the Forbidden Forest with a lighter step, the cold wind gently lifted the black fabric on the ground. It spun in the air, as if someone was silently waving goodbye to Sherlock's back, and then it quietly landed on Eddie's gravestone.
After the Christmas dance, the students at Hogwarts returned to their regular academic routines.
Harry felt that the dance had not brought him much joy; instead, it left him feeling more dejected and frustrated.
Especially every day after classes, he would often see Chang walking down the corridors, her arm linked with Cedric's, looking happy.
Harry's first love had died before it even began, thanks to that failed dance invitation, which he wasn't even sure could be counted as a confession.
When things go wrong, even a sip of water can get stuck in your teeth.
Harry's love life was in shambles, and his friendship was also in trouble.
However, the problem wasn't directly with him, but rather between Ron and Hermione, who were at odds again.
The cause was simple: Hermione had been Viktor Krum's dance partner at the Christmas dance.
Ron kept saying that Krum was up to no good, trying to get information from Hermione about Harry's progress with the golden egg. Hermione felt insulted, as if Ron was belittling her, implying that no one would have invited her to the dance if it weren't for her friendship with Harry.
The tension between them was intense, even more so than the previous conflicts between Harry and Ron.
Now, Harry was treading carefully between the two, fearing that any misstep might lead to further issues.
With the Christmas holidays over, the second task in February was fast approaching.
All these recent events had left Harry feeling anxious and frustrated. His progress with the golden egg was virtually non-existent. During this time, Cedric had even come to him once, offering to share the information about the fire dragon from the first task, and suggesting that he try taking the golden egg into the bath.
However, Harry didn't take Cedric's advice seriously. Chang was standing by his side at the time, and this only fueled his competitive spirit. The more Cedric tried to help, the more Harry resisted.
In this state, during the break between tasks, Barty Crouch Jr., who often wandered around Hogwarts, found Harry.
"Hey, Harry, have you made any progress with the golden egg?"
Harry hadn't been in a good mood lately and didn't want to engage much with the open and friendly Head of the Department of Magical Sports and Games. He replied half-heartedly.
"I've got a bit of an idea."
But Bagman didn't seem to notice Harry's impatience. He looked around, then lowered his voice and said to Harry.
"If you need it, I can offer you a bit of help, maybe a small hint or two."
Harry looked at him in surprise.
"But, but you're one of the judges for the tournament."
Bagman waved his hand dismissively.
"I have high hopes for you, Harry. Honestly, we're all British wizards, and I'd be happy to help you."
(End of Chapter)
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