Chapter 5: The Original Owner's Diary
Chapter 5: The Original Owner's Diary
The first entry in the diary was written five years ago, based on the fact that Hogwarts only admits 11-year-old wizards and has a seven-year program.
At that time, Sherlock was 15 years old and in his fifth year.
What made him start writing in the diary was, surprisingly, a failed romance?
Well, judging from the tone of the original owner, he was indeed a bit of a loner with a hidden passion.
Sherlock continued flipping through the pages.
The diary entries were not consecutive; he seemed to write one about every three days, mostly to vent about the trivial matters he encountered at school and his admiration for Headmaster Dumbledore.
Indeed, the diary revealed a clear admiration for Dumbledore. The original owner did not hide his future goal of becoming a wizard like Dumbledore.
His academic performance also appeared to be excellent, as Sherlock found an entry about him achieving top marks in his year, which led to many female students from his house seeking his help, much to his annoyance.
After experiencing a doomed romance, the original owner seemed to transform into a cold and aloof man. He showed no interest in the opposite sex and considered their enthusiasm for being around him as harassment.
Half of the diary documented the original owner's life at Hogwarts.
From these student-era experiences, Sherlock could already get a good sense of his character.
On the outside, he was clearly a very solitary person. In the entries about his life at Hogwarts, Sherlock found no mention of any friends.
In other words, during his seven years at Hogwarts, he did not form a single friendship.
As for the girlfriend mentioned in the first entry, he treated her more like a tool than a partner.
The original owner's greatest passion was reading.
Unsurprisingly, he was a student in the Ravenclaw house at Hogwarts.
Apart from eating, sleeping, and attending classes, he seemed to dedicate all his time to reading and studying.
He was either in the library or on his way there.
Reading and studying were his life, and becoming a wizard like Dumbledore was his lifelong goal.
Thus, a vivid character began to take shape in Sherlock's mind.
The original owner was tall and handsome but always wore an expression that made it seem like everyone owed him a fortune.
His tone was harsh, and he never bothered with flattery or pleasantries. He was poor at socializing and never hid his likes and dislikes.
In short, his temper was as stubborn and unpleasant as a stone in a latrine.
After finishing the last entry about his school life, Sherlock found a magic photo stuck to the page.
It was a graduation photo of his housemates.
The striking face was easy to spot.
He stood in the corner, while all the other students were smiling. Only he had a stern, frowning expression, looking as if he found the graduation photo session a waste of his time.
Staring at the photograph, Sherlock tried to mimic the original owner's expression in the mirror.
Honestly, it wasn't difficult.
He just needed to think about the possibility of being caught by Professor Mcgonagall and taken to Dumbledore for a "brainwashing", and his face would naturally adopt a pained and resentful look.
Since Sherlock only knew the Harry Potter story from movie summaries, his impression of Dumbledore was shaped by the manipulative and calculating image portrayed in those summaries.
Some even speculated that all of Harry Potter's experiences at Hogwarts were secretly orchestrated by Dumbledore.
This made Sherlock naturally wary and resistant to Dumbledore.
Just the thought of being brought to Dumbledore if he made a mistake was enough to make him frown and look sour.
As for his tone, that was even easier. Being polite might require practice, but saying something to irritate someone came naturally to most people.
With a plan for his expressions and tone, Sherlock did not stop reading the diary.
This was not out of voyeuristic curiosity.
Rather, it was because only three years had passed since the original owner graduated from Hogwarts, and his recent experiences were undoubtedly more important.
Sure enough, the first entry after leaving Hogwarts gave Sherlock a big "surprise."
"June 28, 1989."
"Truly a disappointing day. Professor Dumbledore rejected my job application. He said I had just graduated from Hogwarts and my understanding of defensive magic was still theoretical. I need more practical experience."
"Although it was disappointing, the professor also acknowledged my talents, saying that when considering candidates for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position in the future, he would give me priority. It was heartening to receive such recognition from Professor Dumbledore."
"Alright, even though I don’t think the Defense Against the Dark Arts professors Hogwarts has hired over the past two years are much better in practical skills than I am, Professor Dumbledore’s words can’t be wrong."
"So, what kind of job should I look for next?"
"Hmm, if it’s to gain more practical experience, perhaps becoming an Auror would be a great choice."
Sherlock stared at this diary entry for a long time. He never imagined that the original owner had actually applied for the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts right after graduation.
According to the information from the movie, this position was cursed by the ultimate villain, Voldemort, in the Harry Potter story. Professors who took on this role often faced accidents or even death within a year.
Fortunately, the original owner’s job application was unsuccessful, and Dumbledore rejected his request. Otherwise, Sherlock might not have had the chance to take over his life, as he could have met with an accident.
After being rejected by Dumbledore, the original owner indeed went to the Auror Office under the British Ministry of Magic for an interview. With his excellent results from the N.E.W.T. (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test) and seven years of hard work, he easily met the requirements to become an Auror.
However, after joining, he was not assigned to the combat department. Instead, due to his strong theoretical knowledge, he became a clerical staff member in the Auror Office. This made the original owner very dissatisfied. After multiple failed attempts to transfer to the combat department, he resigned and returned home after just over a year.
He then became a recluse, dedicating himself to the study of defensive magic. Three months ago, he returned to Hogwarts, not only to apply for the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor position again, but also to join the Order of the Phoenix, a resistance organization founded by Dumbledore during the Dark Lord’s reign.
Sherlock had some vague memories of this organization. He remembered that one of the Harry Potter books was named after it.
This time, Dumbledore did not give a clear response to his application, neither accepting nor rejecting it. This left the original owner feeling extremely disappointed, believing he had not gained Dumbledore’s true recognition. He had been in a low mood for over a month.
A week ago, he had given up and started a dangerous, unfinished spell experiment. The diary ended there.
However, Sherlock could guess what happened next. The experiment must have gone wrong, causing him to fall from the second floor and hit his head, which allowed Sherlock to take over his body.
After reading the entire diary, Sherlock had a deeper understanding of the original owner. He was like a troubled child who hadn’t grown up, with good academic performance but problems everywhere else.
It’s no wonder Dumbledore rejected his application for the professor position and even hesitated about letting him join the private organization.
Sherlock leaned back in his chair, pinching his chin and thinking quietly.
So, Professor Mcgonagall’s special visit was likely related to the original owner’s application to join the Order of the Phoenix two months ago. The letter mentioned that there had been a development, meaning Dumbledore might have agreed to his request.
If that was the case, Sherlock felt a wave of relief. Joining the organization wasn’t too bad. The original owner was a naturally reclusive person. As long as he was cautious and avoided interacting with others, he could likely blend in.
As long as he didn’t have to become a professor at Hogwarts, everything else was manageable.
Sherlock felt a great deal of relief. Moreover, he couldn’t become the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor this year anyway. It was already July, and the position for the next semester was likely already filled.
From his vague memory, the unlucky professor this year was supposed to be a celebrity wizard, while the original owner, a reclusive recluse with no friends, clearly didn’t stand a chance.
(End of Chapter)
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