Chapter 369: Mrs. Matthews
Chapter 369: Mrs. Matthews
This old witch, known as Mrs. Matthews, was not someone who appeared easy to approach.
She had the long, hooked nose characteristic of most witches in Western animations, her face was full of wrinkles and age spots, and her hair was a dull, ashy white.
While greeting Broom, her gaze was actually fixed on Sherlock the entire time.
Broom seemed to get along reasonably well with his mentor, showing no signs of being overly restrained in his mannerisms.
"Professor, you know how busy things get in the Hall of Time. Besides, didn't I take some time out of my day to come and see you today?"
"Hmph, to see me, and bring someone I don't know along?"
Hearing that the conversation had turned to him, Sherlock broke his silence and introduced himself.
"Good morning, Mrs. Matthews. I am Sherlock Forrest, Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts."
Mrs. Matthews’ face did not show any particular expression as she looked at Sherlock.
"Oh, Mr. Forrest, I may be an old woman out of touch with the world, but I have certainly heard of your name recently. So, what brings you to see an old woman like me?"
Her rocking chair swayed gently, and she held her hot tea steadily, speaking politely but showing no intention of inviting Sherlock or Broom to sit down or offering any hospitality.
Broom looked a bit awkward. He knew his mentor had a peculiar temper, though not to the point of being completely impolite.
Just as he was about to speak to ease the tension, Sherlock beat him to it.
"I would like to ask you about Time Dust."
Broom was a typical Ravenclaw, a tech-savvy researcher who spent most of his time in the Department of Mysteries, not well-versed in social niceties.
Mrs. Matthews’ demeanor was already a clear indication of her dissatisfaction with some aspect of Sherlock.
Although Sherlock was certain that this was his first time meeting the old witch and that he had never wronged her in the past, his current position was a statement in itself.
Perhaps Mrs. Matthews had a good relationship with Scrimgeour in the Ministry of Magic, or maybe she had close ties with a pure-blood family that had been arrested because of Sherlock. There could be many reasons.
So, Sherlock decided not to make any attempts at reconciliation and went straight to the point, already having a sense of her attitude.
Mrs. Matthews' voice remained calm.
"Time Dust? There are very few people who still pay attention to it. What aspect are you interested in?"
"I want to know if it's possible to extract this substance from the human body once it has been absorbed."
"Absorbed by the human body? Ha."
Mrs. Matthews chuckled, setting down her teacup as if she had discovered something significant.
"That's not a simple question. Anyone with a basic understanding of time knows that Time Dust has no physical form. Without special methods, a normal wizard can't even touch it."
Her words made Sherlock realize there was more to them, and his gaze became more intense.
"Not a simple question, which means you've encountered it before?"
Mrs. Matthews once again picked up her teacup with a blank expression and took a gentle sip.
"Are you asking me about this because it's related to the fight against the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters?"
Sherlock did not lie; he replied calmly.
"It has nothing to do with that. It's just a personal matter of mine."
"Then please leave", Mrs. Matthews said without any hesitation. "If it were related to the fight against the Dark Lord, I wouldn't mind putting aside some things to offer you some help. But since it's your personal matter, I see no reason to get involved."
Broom, standing to the side, suddenly became anxious.
"Teacher, you and Mr. Forrest don't have any grudges, right? Why can't you help him?"
Sherlock remained silent, genuinely curious about the reason himself.
Mrs. Matthews let out a cold laugh.
"He and I don't have any grudges, but Dumbledore and I do. On a larger scale, I can overlook past personal grievances, but since this is a personal matter of a professor under Dumbledore, what benefit would I gain by helping, other than causing myself more trouble?"
Broom wanted to say more, but Mrs. Matthews cut him off before he could speak.
"It seems your work isn't keeping you busy enough, Mel. You meddle in everything. When I have time, I'll write to Old Jones. Has the Department of Mysteries become so lax?"
It was only then that Sherlock understood why he had never met this old witch before, yet had been treated with such disdain since he entered the house.
The reason lay with Dumbledore.
Anyone who followed the news knew that Dumbledore treated Sherlock almost like a successor, to the point where they might as well be called Sherlock Dumbledore.
If she had a grudge against Dumbledore, it was understandable that she would extend that hatred to Sherlock.
Sherlock took a deep look at Mrs. Matthews and thanked her.
"Thank you for your hospitality today, Mrs. Matthews. Since you are not welcoming, I will take my leave."
Mrs. Matthews did not acknowledge his farewell, as if she hadn't heard him, continuing to sit quietly in her armchair, sipping her tea.
Broom also muttered a goodbye to the old witch and followed Sherlock, intending to leave with him.
As they walked to the door, Broom apologized.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Forrest. My teacher's personality is a bit odd. I'll try to persuade her later."
Sherlock wasn't particularly disheartened and even comforted Broom.
"You've already been very helpful today, Mel. It doesn't matter if Mrs. Matthews has a grudge against me. Once I return and ask Dumbledore about the matter, there will be another opportunity to come back."
Just as he said this, before he could reach out to open the wooden gate, someone pushed the door from the outside and walked in.
The person who entered was a middle-aged wizard with a fierce appearance and a long, narrow scar on his face, clearly not someone to be trifled with.
Sherlock's brow furrowed the moment he saw him.
He felt that the timing of the wizard's arrival was off. Since he didn't keep his domain control active all the time to avoid wasting energy, Sherlock didn't know when the man had arrived or if he had overheard their conversation.
As Sherlock frowned, the wizard suddenly grabbed his arm!
(End of Chapter)
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