It's just a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

Chapter 50 Neville's Anomaly

"Mr. Longbottom? Is there anything else at this hour?"

Sherlock looked at the boy who came in and asked softly.

The sky outside had already turned dark. Although the curfew hadn't started yet, it was obviously not too late for Filch to arrest someone.

Neville seemed to have not recovered from a cold, his face was unusually pale, and he looked sickly.

"Teach, professor..."

He said hesitantly.

"Can I, can I ask you for a spell?"

Hearing his words, Sherlock frowned slightly, and he felt that Neville's not only his body, but even his mental state seemed a little abnormal.

"Of course, but do you have any spells that you want to ask me in a hurry?"

"Yes, it's the Flame Curse. When I use it, I can't use it. I feel that the way I swing the staff is not right. But, I can't find the feeling mentioned in the book."

Neville's voice was very small, not much louder than a mosquito's, but he clearly described the reason why he couldn't use the spell. It was obvious that he had studied the Fire Curse carefully.

Sherlock didn't answer his question directly, but asked calmly.

"The Flame Curse doesn't seem to be a spell that needs to be mastered in the second grade, does it?"

Neville wanted to appear calm, but his immature acting skills still made Sherlock catch his dodging eyes.

"Finally, the weather has been getting colder and colder recently, and the fireplace in the lounge keeps going out, so I want to learn the Flame Curse, so that when the fireplace goes out again, we don't need to ask senior seniors for help."

His reason seems reasonable, but in fact it is very far-fetched.

Even if Sherlock didn't see Neville's abnormal behavior before, he could tell at this moment that it wasn't his truth at all.

Neville is considered an outlier in Gryffindor. He always seems to be the most timid of a group of lion cubs, and he never seems to stand out in front of others.

So what he said just now is not what his character can do at all.

"Is this the truth, Mr. Longbottom." Sherlock stared into Neville's eyes, not letting his averted gaze escape from his own.

Hearing his doubts, Neville seemed to grit his teeth, under some pressure, he finally said.

"Yes, Professor, I'm just interested in the Flame Curse and want to raise the fireplace."

Sherlock quietly met his gaze, and Neville insisted on not avoiding it this time, with an indelible firmness in his weakness.

After a long silence, Sherlock finally shook his head slightly.

"Okay, first you can use the flame spell you normally practice and show me."

Neville looked at Sherlock gratefully, and quickly used the Fire Curse gesture that he had been practicing in front of Sherlock, asking him to help correct his movements.

"This wave can't be raised too high, and at the same time, the hand must be kept steady without any trembling, so that the flame curse released can be stable, and the flames will not burn yourself."

Sherlock has studied these commonly used spells for so long, of course he is a professional.

It was easy to point out the flaws in Neville's spellcasting gestures and correct his pronunciation.

Neville looked a little clumsy, but he studied very seriously, more seriously than ever.

Under Sherlock's little by little guidance, he finally mastered the Flame Curse before the curfew began.

Looking at the flames spewed out from the tip of the wand, Neville bowed slightly stiffly to Sherlock.

"Thank you, Professor Forrest, very much."

Sherlock just looked at him, saying something meaningful.

"If there is anything you feel you can't solve, you can come to me, Neville, you are only 12 years old now, I am your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, there are some things you can't face, but I can."

When Neville heard his words, he pursed his lips tightly, as if hesitating and struggling for something, but he insisted on speaking.

"There is nothing I can't solve Professor, if there is, I will definitely come to ask you for help."

Neville leaves Sherlock's office.

Looking at the carefully closed door, Sherlock didn't continue to sort out the clues.

Neville's unusual state clearly aroused his suspicions.

He had already begun to recall when Hogwarts first started, when he met Neville for the first time in the corridor of the castle, the crescent moon imprint on his arm had an incomparably clear burning sensation.

Although that feeling was only fleeting, the imprint only appeared three times, and he remembered each time clearly.

Neville's appearance must be hiding something.

He insisted on not speaking out, and Sherlock had no way to force him.

The magic that can pry into people's minds - Legilimency is not easy to learn.

At least Sherlock hasn't mastered it yet.

However, this does not mean that he will give up on investigating Neville. If his abnormality is related to the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets, then something can be seen from his trajectory in Hogwarts.

Sherlock took out the Marauder's Map confiscated from the Weasley brothers, and marked the small black dot representing Neville as a key object of attention. In the following days, he will observe Neville's actions at any time .

The original promise to George Fred that they would return the Marauder's Map at Christmas time was probably slightly delayed.

Now he not only had to use the Marauder's Map to monitor Neville's actions, but also studied how to remove his mark from the Marauder's Map.

After all, even if you want to return this thing to the twins, you can't let them monitor yourself through this map.

When he finishes these two things, the Marauder's Map will keep his promise and return it to its original owner.

And Neville, who returned to the dormitory, was still listless as usual.

In the dormitory, Harry and Ron went to bed very early today, and Seamus was still finishing up his homework for Potions class tomorrow. Seeing Neville coming in, he asked curiously.

"Where did you go Neville? I didn't see you in the waiting room just now."

"I went to the library to return the book." Neville's voice was still weak, and Seamus couldn't hear anything wrong.

Then the night gradually deepened, and at midnight, when everyone else had fallen asleep, a figure suddenly sat up on the four-poster bed with curtains.

He unsteadily pulled out something from under his bed, then walked out of the dormitory carefully, and came to the dark common room.

Groping in the dark, the figure came to the fireplace in the lounge, threw the thing in his hand into the fireplace, and then waved his wand.

"Burning flames!"

The sudden flames filled the entire fireplace, and the orange-yellow flame danced in the dark living room, illuminating Neville's pale face.

(End of this chapter)