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Chapter 99: Duke of Devonshire
Chapter 99: Duke of Devonshire
Before the holiday at Hogwarts began, after the end-of-term feast, Dumbledore called Sherlock to his office alone.
He took out a letter from a drawer and handed it to Sherlock.
"If you don't have any plans for the summer, you can visit an old friend of mine in France. He will give you something."
Sherlock curiously took the letter and saw the name of the friend Dumbledore had mentioned on the envelope.
"Nicolas Flamel, the alchemist who created the Philosopher's Stone?" he asked, surprised.
Dumbledore was not surprised that Sherlock had heard of Nicolas Flamel, as his friend's reputation in the Wizarding World was just as great as his own.
"Yes, that's the Nicolas Flamel. However, he has already destroyed his Philosopher's Stone and is now planning to deal with the remaining fragments that still contain some magical power. He intends to give them to some young people. This is a letter of introduction. If you're interested, you can visit him at the address on the letter before August."
Philosopher's Stone fragments?
Sherlock blinked as he looked at the letter. He found this quite intriguing.
Although he hadn't decided if he would definitely go, he decided to keep the letter. Who knows, he might feel like it at some point?
After seeing Sherlock put the letter away, Dumbledore thought for a moment and continued.
"I remember that your place is not far from Harry's aunt's house, right?"
Sherlock nodded.
"Coincidentally, it's just two streets away."
Dumbledore pulled a parchment from his desk, wrote something on it, and then sealed it in an envelope, which he handed to Sherlock.
"If you decide to visit Nicolas during the summer, take Harry with you. You can give this letter to his aunt, and she will let Harry leave with you."
Sherlock was a bit surprised but took the letter.
"Aren't you worried that something might happen to Harry along the way?"
"Protecting our students is a teacher's most basic duty", Dumbledore said with a wink and a smile. "Isn't that right?"
"Alright, you're right. If I go, I'll make sure Harry is safe." Sherlock made the promise.
"There's one more thing you should know", Dumbledore's expression became more serious. "When the next term starts, you will still be the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, but I will be appointing an assistant professor to help you."
Sherlock was taken aback and asked, "I don't mind you appointing an assistant, but why just for me?"
Dumbledore shook his head, a bit helplessly.
"Because someone needs a job. Hogwarts doesn't have any suitable positions this year, so I can only bring him in as an assistant."
Sherlock nodded, understanding.
He carefully recalled the few plot points he still remembered. The assistant professor Dumbledore was bringing in was likely the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor from Harry's third year in the original story.
The next day, after their conversation, the summer holiday at Hogwarts officially began.
This time, Sherlock did not waste an entire day on the Hogwarts Express to get home.
Instead, he used Apparition. One moment he was in Hogsmeade, and the next, he was standing in front of his home in Devonshire.
Although it had been almost a year since anyone had cleaned the house, it still looked remarkably tidy.
Sherlock's home didn't have a house-elf to handle the chores, but most of the furniture had been enchanted. Even when he was away, the furniture could clean the rooms on its own.
So when he returned home, there wasn't much for him to do. He simply cast a few cleaning spells on items that couldn't clean themselves, then sat down in his study.
"An entire year! You haven't come back in a whole year! Do you even still consider me your mother! You good-for-nothing! You disgrace! You disgusting disgrace!"
In the study, the same shrill female voice continued to scold and berate Sherlock, reducing him to a sinless sinner.
But Sherlock paid no mind. Instead, he calmly looked at the magic portrait of the original owner's mother hanging on the wall and tried to communicate with her.
"I've been a professor at Hogwarts this year, which is why I haven't returned."
However, the witch's sharp and sarcastic remarks quickly followed.
"Like you deserve it! Which headmaster must be blind to have hired you! You useless brat! Trash! Worthless!"
Realizing that communication was futile, Sherlock sighed. A red silk cloth slowly rose into the air and draped itself over the portrait, silencing the original owner's mother.
Sherlock didn't take out his wand or utter any incantations. All the books on the bookshelf flew out and arranged themselves neatly around him, rotating in a circle.
This was a form of magic that Sherlock had intuitively mastered after successfully performing Soul Stitching.
His magic power could interfere with reality in its most basic form.
This included, but was not limited to, moving objects, directing them to perform simple tasks, and making minor alterations to them.
In simpler terms, it was a weaker version of the state he had been in when he killed the Basilisk.
While it had limited combat potential, it was extremely convenient for everyday use.
Sherlock selected a book from the rotating circle of magic books, and the rest flew back to the bookshelf, neatly returning to their original positions.
Sherlock's life at home was quite monotonous.
He mostly stayed in his study, researching various types of magic, especially focusing on the Patronus Charm.
From his hazy memories, he recalled that Dementors would cause trouble at Hogwarts when the next semester started.
Given the Patronus Charm's effectiveness against Dementors, he naturally wanted to master it as soon as possible.
However, this spell, which required intense emotional control, couldn't be perfected through practice alone. Therefore, Sherlock didn't push himself too hard, aiming only to use it effectively when needed.
After two weeks of staying at home, Sherlock finally left his study. He found the will agreement given to him by the old butler from the original owner's father, a document he had received exactly one year ago.
Sherlock hadn't paid much attention to it while he was a professor at Hogwarts, but as he learned more about the original owner's parents during his time there, he decided to meet his estranged adoptive father during the summer break.
From what Slughorn had said, it was clear that the original owner's parents had initially been open to wizards, even agreeing to let Slughorn be Sherlock's godfather.
So why had the original owner's mother turned into the crazed state in the portrait, and why had the original owner's father openly despised wizards and forced his son to renounce magic to inherit his estate?
Sherlock was extremely curious about the hidden details.
He had also specifically researched the status of the original owner's father's family in the Muggle World.
The Cavendish Family, the hereditary Dukes of Devonshire in Britain, had produced many scientists and politicians in normal history, exerting significant influence in British politics.
However, the world Sherlock now found himself in was different from the one he had known in his previous life.
The Cavendish Family still held the title of Duke of Devonshire, but starting from the 19th century, the family began to decline.
The key issue was the scarcity of direct male heirs. From Sherlock's great-grandfather's generation onwards, it had been a single line of succession.
A slight misstep without a male heir could result in the title being taken over by a collateral branch of the Cavendish family.
By the time of Sherlock's biological father, the family in the Muggle World was already in a precarious situation, with no clear heir in sight.
Sherlock's identity was highly secretive, and no one knew that the current Duke of Devonshire had a son outside the family.
This revealed just how heartless Sherlock's father was. Now bedridden and clearly not long for this world, Sherlock was his only legitimate heir.
However, if Sherlock did not guarantee that he would never have any contact with the Wizarding World, his father would rather pass the title and estate to a collateral relative.
Sherlock was not particularly concerned about the title of Duke of Devonshire or the vast estate that most Muggles would never spend in a lifetime.
For a Wizard with true aspirations and ideals, the wealth and fame of the Muggle World were utterly useless, not even worth a useful magic notebook.
Sherlock did not consider himself entirely detached from worldly concerns, but he was a Wizard with ambitions. Inheriting the estate was of little interest to him; what mattered was uncovering the reasons behind the drastic changes in the original owner's parents' behavior.
Therefore, he decided to call the butler today and attempt to meet his estranged father.
The phone rang once and was quickly answered. Before the other party could speak, Sherlock calmly said, "I am Sherlock Forrest. I wish to see him."
The other end seemed shaken and remained silent for a moment. After a heavy breath, a trembling old voice replied, "I apologize, sir. I will come to pick you up right away."
Sherlock hung up the phone, hesitating about his first meeting with his father in this world, which would likely be in the hospital. He wondered if he should bring a gift.
But upon further consideration of the strained relationship between the original owner and his father, he dismissed the idea.
Going empty-handed would be more in character for the original owner.
He did not have to wait long. Soon, a luxury car pulled up in front of his small house.
The old man he had met a year ago got out of the car and was about to ring the doorbell when Sherlock walked out of the house.
"Sir."
Sherlock nodded lightly.
The old man immediately stepped aside, standing respectfully and opening the car door for Sherlock. After Sherlock got in, the old man closed the door, got into the passenger seat, and drove towards the hospital in London.
(End of Chapter)
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