When they saw Sherlock and Harry, Ron the foodie and Dean Thomas immediately stood up and waved enthusiastically.
“Sherlock, Harry, over here!” As the two walked over, Ron said proudly, “I saved seats for you!” “Thanks,” Harry said, adding softly, “It’d be great if you could keep your voice down, though.” Because of Ron’s loud announcement, combined with the famous name of Harry, Sherlock and Harry instantly became the center of attention in the Great Hall.
“Right over there, look!” “Where?
Where?” “Over there!
Next to that tall boy with the hooked nose.” “You mean the one wearing glasses?” “Yeah, did you see his face?” “Did you see his scar?” As Sherlock and Harry crossed the Great Hall to sit next to Ron, the whispers never ceased.
This made Harry deeply uncomfortable.
Noticing Harry’s discomfort, Ron rubbed his nose sheepishly.
“Sorry.” It was his fault for shouting so loudly.
Under normal circumstances, breakfast was not as lavish as the opening feast, but it was certainly not bad, and most importantly—the portions were unlimited.
For a big eater like Ron, or Harry, who had never been allowed to eat his fill at home, this was an absolute bliss.
As for Sherlock, who was adept at multitasking, he focused his attention on the Gryffindor first-year timetable while eating.
Monday morning: History of Magic.
Afternoon: Herbology.
Tuesday morning: Herbology.
Afternoon: Charms, Transfiguration.
Wednesday morning: Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Afternoon: Herbology.
Evening: Astronomy.
Thursday morning: Transfiguration.
Afternoon: Charms.
Friday morning: Double Potions.
Afternoon: Off.
There was also a footnote: *Once Flying Class begins, it will be added on Thursday afternoons after Charms.* It was clear that the first-year schedule was fairly demanding—which was understandable.
After all, the young witches and wizards who had just stepped into the magic world needed their worldview completely reshaped.
After finishing breakfast, the group hurried off to class.
For Sherlock, the first week at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was both fulfilling and intriguing.
Every course had its own distinct characteristics.
History of Magic was the only subject taught by a ghost.
As the saying went, a ghost’s lecture was pure blather.
The subject was purely theoretical to begin with, relying heavily on rote memorization.
To make matters worse, Professor Binns droned on in his uniquely monotonous, dreary voice, reading straight from his notes.
As a result, the class became excruciatingly dull.
Almost all the students struggled to stay awake while hastily scribbling down names and dates.
Only two people were exceptions.
One was Hermione Granger.
On her very first day of class, she had already displayed the qualities of a star pupil.
Listening attentively, taking meticulous notes, actively answering questions…
well, not the last one, because Professor Binns didn’t ask any questions.
The other exception was Sherlock.
He was immensely fascinated by the magical world.
He had already read all his textbooks, so listening to the ghost professor’s lecture was equivalent to using an audiobook feature for someone who didn’t feel like holding a book.
When a student actively asked questions, however, Professor Binns would actually interact.
Sherlock happened to be that student.
This made him stand out vividly among the drowsy little lions.
Even Hermione, who was listening just as attentively, couldn’t help casting curious glances at him again and again.
*This guy…
is just like me!* Compared to History of Magic, Herbology was much more interesting.
The schedule of three classes a week was enough to prove it was a foundational subject.
The professor teaching this course was Pomona Sprout, a squat witch who was also the Head of Hufflepuff House.
The classes took place in the greenhouses behind the castle rather than indoors.
As for the content, it taught the first-years how to care for extraordinary plants and fungi and understand their uses.
This time, besides Sherlock, Hermione joined in as another eager questioner.
Perhaps spurred on by Sherlock’s performance in History of Magic that morning, Hermione even crowded around Professor Sprout after class ended.
Unfortunately, Sprout had other classes to teach, so those extra questions had to wait until the next day.
By the following morning, Hermione was still the picture of an eager student.
Her outstanding performance across two consecutive classes even earned Gryffindor five points, drawing a round of applause.
Sherlock, however, was not as proactive as he had been the day before.
He simply completed Professor Sprout’s assignments step by step without asking a single extra question.
Sherlock felt it was no longer necessary.
Having read the textbook in advance, combined with his inquiries during the first lesson, he had already established his own unique understanding of the subject.
That was more than enough.
From then on, Sherlock applied the same method to every course.
He would ask questions in the first class to grasp the overall direction and scope of the subject, then filter the information.
For courses that were less useful to him, he only aimed to ensure he passed the exams.
He saved his energy for subjects that were more practical or held greater personal interest.
Soon, such a course arrived.
Charms.
“Hermione Granger!” “Sherlock Holmes!” “…” “Harry Potter—oh!” The professor teaching Charms was Professor Filius Flitwick, who was also the Head of Ravenclaw House.
Professor Flitwick possessed Goblin ancestry, making him extraordinarily short.
By Sherlock’s estimate, he was under four feet tall—barely over a meter.
During class, he had to stand on a stack of books just to reach the top of his desk.
The first class began with the customary roll call.
Reading the other names was fine, but when he reached the name Harry Potter, he squeaked with excitement and tumbled out of sight behind the desk.
This reminded Sherlock once again of the sheer impact the name Harry Potter had in the wizarding world—even a department head at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was not immune.
It also proved once again that his decision to mentor Harry before the start of term was entirely correct.
Even before term started, Malfoy and his two lackeys from Slytherin had delivered themselves right to their door.
After term began, the staff and students paying attention to Harry naturally could not escape Sherlock’s watchful eyes whenever he was with Harry, greatly accelerating the speed at which he learned about the magical world.
At the same time, Sherlock unexpectedly realized that Harry had great potential to be an assistant.
This gradually caused him to abandon the idea of treating Harry merely as a tool, starting instead to view him as a friend worth cultivating.
Of course, that was a story for later.
Professor Flitwick was quick to compose himself, regaining his composure in no time to begin the lecture.
The content of the first lesson was similar to other courses—an overview of the subject.
He also taught a basic charm: the Mending Charm.
It was the very same spell Sherlock had used on Harry’s glasses aboard the Hogwarts Express.