https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-55-The-World-Where-Only-Hermione-Is-Injured/13456668/
Chapter 54: The Third Test
Chapter 54: The Third Test
As the Christmas holidays drew closer, the atmosphere among the students at Hogwarts gradually became more relaxed.
The young wizards, of course, had not forgotten the previous two attacks, but the prospect of soon returning home and temporarily leaving the potentially dangerous Hogwarts Castle lifted their spirits considerably.
"Did you hear that Percy signed up to stay at school this time? What does he plan to do?"
During lunch in the Great Hall, Harry, while slicing a sausage on his plate, curiously asked Ron.
Ron leaned in, his voice low, and whispered to Harry and Hermione.
"I think Percy might be in love."
Hermione blinked, her tone tinged with a hint of gossip.
"With who?"
"Beats me." Ron shook his head. "But I suspect it's a Ravenclaw girl. I've seen him hanging around the Ravenclaw Tower a lot lately."
Harry, fork poised in mid-air, pondered aloud.
"Considering Professor Forrest has such favorable conditions and so many girls chasing after him, do you think he doesn't have a girlfriend because he always believes he can find one whenever he wants?"
Ron's eyes widened as if he had just heard a startling secret.
"There's a possibility."
Hermione, dissatisfied, tapped her spoon against her plate.
"Hey, some respect! We need to show Professor Forrest at least a bit of respect! If he heard your thoughts, he'd definitely make you and Malfoy clean the toilets together."
Harry and Ron exchanged glances, winking at each other, clearly not taking Hermione's words seriously.
Of course, they respected Sherlock in their hearts; it was just that Hermione was being too rigid.
"When are we starting the third test?" Ron asked eagerly.
Harry also looked eager.
They were clearly hooked on these tests, as if they had discovered that Sherlock was a wish-granting chalice, only you had to state your wishes in reverse.
Hermione calculated the time, hesitating as she spoke.
"Probably this afternoon. I've already written half a foot, and I'll write a bit more before heading to the office to see the professor."
Ron urged her on.
"You write too small. It's fine to write bigger; that way, you'll finish faster."
"If it's just about completing it, what's the point of doing homework?" Hermione glared at him. "I'm warning you, if I turn in my assignment early, you won't be able to copy it. You'll have to do your own work."
Harry and Ron dismissed Hermione's threat.
Compared to copying homework, testing whether Sherlock had god-like abilities was far more appealing to them.
In the afternoon, Hermione brought a piece of parchment, already half a foot long, to the library, with Harry and Ron following closely behind.
However, they had their hands empty, carrying nothing.
"I thought you two would be a bit more responsible and bring your homework to work on!" Hermione huffed.
Harry shrugged.
"How can writing homework be the most important thing right now? We need to figure out the extent of Professor Forrest's jinx first."
He said this with a serious expression.
"If Professor Forrest really has the ability to make the sun rise in the west, then our current test is saving the world."
Ron seemed to have found a justification for their current actions and said with a righteous expression.
"That's right, we are saving the world!"
Hermione looked helpless; she couldn't really argue with that.
In a way, what Harry said wasn't wrong.
If they had discovered Sherlock's jinxing ability and its high potential before he started talking nonsense, it would indeed be another form of saving the world.
For the entire afternoon, Hermione was diligently researching various materials in the library to complete her Defense Against the Dark Arts homework for the Christmas holiday.
A foot-long piece of parchment was about thirty centimeters, significantly larger than a regular A4 sheet.
Additionally, Hermione's handwriting was very small, which made the assignment take a considerable amount of time.
Around four in the afternoon, Hermione had nearly filled the entire parchment with words. She looked at her work with satisfaction, then turned to Harry and Ron, who were bored and almost dozing off at the table.
"Have you checked if Professor Forrest is in his office?"
Harry yawned and rubbed his eyes.
"I asked George and the others earlier. The professor only had their class this afternoon, so he's probably finished by now."
"Then we can head over now."
Harry and Ron immediately perked up.
"You're done already?"
"Just two more lines to meet the professor's one-foot requirement. We'll go ahead, and I'll finish the last bit later."
They gathered around Hermione and left the library, then made their way to Sherlock's office, which they knew well.
The closer it got to the holiday, the busier Sherlock became.
The after-class assignments for the younger years were manageable; he just needed to assign them essay topics.
But it was a different story for the older years.
Hogwarts had never had a "Problem Booklet" before, and if Sherlock wanted the fifth-year students and above to practice with a large number of problems, he had to compile them himself.
This was undoubtedly a massive undertaking. To ensure the compiled problem booklets were distributed to the students before the Christmas break, Sherlock had been working on it almost non-stop outside of class hours.
He felt that Dumbledore should award him the Outstanding Teacher Award this year to recognize his hard work and dedication.
As Sherlock was busy with his Quill, a Self-Inking Quill beside him, Hermione knocked lightly and walked in.
Sherlock rubbed his slightly sore wrist and looked up at the girl who had entered quietly.
"Miss Granger, what can I do for you?"
Compared to Harry and Ron, Sherlock had a much better opinion of Hermione.
She was proactive in class, never slacked off on her homework, and always completed it with high quality and efficiency. She was diligent and self-disciplined.
Any teacher would love a student as perfect as her.
However, Sherlock overlooked the fact that no matter how perfect Hermione appeared on the surface, she was still a Gryffindor.
Every little lion had a restless heart.
Hermione, who hung out with Harry and Ron, was no exception.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
