Chapter 51: The Weather Should Be Nice Today
Chapter 51: The Weather Should Be Nice Today
The day after Colin was attacked, Hogwarts was filled with a sense of unease.
However, the Christmas holidays were about to begin, and the prefects started collecting the names of students who would be staying at the school during the break.
After the morning Potions class, Harry, Ron, and Hermione gathered furtively in the first-floor bathroom where Myrtle resided.
“I saw Malfoy sign the list to stay at school. He’s planning to spend Christmas at Hogwarts this year. There’s definitely something fishy going on!” Ron said with certainty.
Hermione was stirring the potion in the cauldron, the most crucial step in making Polyjuice Potion, which required boiling twelve horned slugs for twenty-one days.
“Since the three of us are staying at school over Christmas anyway, we can keep an eye on what they’re up to.”
Harry’s main concern wasn’t Malfoy; he still remembered his plan to test Sherlock from the previous day.
“We have Defense Against the Dark Arts this afternoon. We can test Professor Forrest after class.”
Hermione capped the cauldron and looked up at him.
“How do you plan to do that?”
Harry replied with a relaxed smile.
“It’s simple. We just need to ask Professor Forrest how he feels about today’s weather.”
“Then what?”
“Then we observe the weather changes.”
Harry glanced out the window at the clear sky.
“From the looks of it, any normal person would think it’s a beautiful sunny day, right?”
Even after Harry’s detailed analysis of every clue from the previous day, Hermione still found it hard to believe that Sherlock had a jinxing talent.
“Professor Forrest is just a particularly skilled wizard, not a god. How could he possibly change the weather just by speaking?”
Harry and Ron exchanged a look. They had both experienced the effects of Sherlock’s cursed milk and were already starting to question whether Sherlock was human or something more.
“Whether we believe it or not, we’ll know after we try it today.”
By the afternoon, the sky remained cloudless, as if all the bad weather from the past few days had been exhausted, leaving only a string of sunny days.
In the second-year Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Sherlock was explaining the last Dark creature they would cover this term.
“... I’ve covered the key points about Boggarts. After Christmas, before the next class, you need to submit a one-foot-long essay on Boggart behavior, their origins, and the best ways to deal with them.
“I’ve recently noticed a Boggart’s presence in the castle. If I find it before the next class, we’ll have a practical lesson where you can try your hand at dealing with a Boggart.”
The students cheered. This wasn’t their first practical lesson.
Previously, Sherlock had arranged through Hagrid to bring in a few Cornish Pixies and some Grindylows in tanks.
The students showed great enthusiasm for practical lessons, which was a good thing. Sherlock planned to increase the proportion of practical classes in the next term.
After assigning the post-class homework and dismissing the class, Harry, Ron, and Hermione lingered behind, waiting for the other students to leave before surrounding Sherlock.
"Professor, we have a question for you."
Sherlock, upon hearing this, put down what he was holding. Having truly adapted to life at Hogwarts, he was no longer surprised by such occurrences. Although the students in this castle were not particularly diligent in their studies, there were always a few young wizards genuinely interested in magic who would come to him for guidance.
Teaching them allowed Sherlock to deepen his own understanding of basic magical knowledge, making it a mutually beneficial arrangement.
"Ask your question, then. Did you not understand something in today's lesson?"
Hearing Sherlock's words, Harry and his two friends exchanged glances, as if urging each other on.
In the end, it was Harry who stepped forward, trying to appear calm, though Sherlock could clearly see his nervousness.
"Professor Forrest, what do you think of today's weather?"
Sherlock was taken aback by the question, then looked at the trio with a peculiar expression.
"What are you up to?"
He shook his head, picked up his teaching materials, and prepared to leave the classroom.
"If you want to know about the weather, you should ask Professor Trelawney. She might give you a reliable prophecy."
Sherlock's tone grew colder. He wondered if he had been too lenient with Harry and his friends lately, making them think he was easy to tease.
"No, Professor, we're not pulling a prank or joking around."
Seeing that Sherlock was getting annoyed, Harry and the others hurried to follow him, explaining as they went.
"We really just want to know what you think of today's weather."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione continued to plead as they followed Sherlock all the way to his office door.
Sherlock was thoroughly exasperated. Before entering his office, he glanced up at the sky.
The temperature was a bit cold, but the sky was clear and cloudless, indicating good weather for the next few days.
To get some peace, he reluctantly answered Harry and the others.
"The weather should be fine today. If you want to play Quidditch, go ahead. If you have any real questions about defensive magic, you can come to me. But don't bother me with trivial matters like this."
With that, Sherlock slammed his office door shut, leaving Harry and his friends standing outside with delighted expressions.
"Professor Forrest said the weather is fine today, right?"
Ron turned to Harry and Hermione, confirming what Sherlock had just said.
Hermione nodded.
"If Harry's theory is correct, and Professor Forrest is a natural jinx, then the weather should turn bad soon."
Instead of returning to the common room or wandering around the castle as usual, Harry, Ron, and Hermione found an empty classroom and huddled by the window, their heads tilted back to observe the sky.
But even after their necks began to ache, there was no sign of the clear sky being clouded over.
Hermione rubbed her sore neck and grumbled.
"I knew this theory was ridiculous. How could anyone really be a perfect jinx?"
But before she could finish, Ron and Harry suddenly burst into excited shouts.
"Snow! It's snowing! It's snowing at Hogwarts!"
Hermione was stunned.
She stared out the window, watching the snowflakes fall more densely from the sky, her expression one of utter disbelief.
(End of Chapter)
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