Chapter 27: Harry, You Have Discovered a Blind Spot

Hermione soon realized she had overthought things.

A chorus of gasps erupted from the table across the aisle. Looking over in surprise, she saw that Sherlock had completely transformed his match into a needle. Professor McGonagall did not hesitate to offer her assessment: "A genius at Transfiguration!"

Students who successfully turned a match into a needle were awarded four points, while those who only managed to form a needle point on one side received one point. McGonagall’s decision to award Gryffindor these points was straightforward and well-deserved, and her expression toward Sherlock and Hermione softened considerably. Indeed, it was thanks to their outstanding performance that she refrained from uttering the "you are the worst group I have ever taught" speech she had clearly prepared.

However, Hermione knew in her heart that while one of the five points Gryffindor received seemed to be her own doing, McGonagall would never have granted it to her if not for Sherlock. Her own transfiguration effort was only worth a smile; that point was entirely due to Sherlock’s influence. This realization gave her the same feeling Harry and Ron often had: having a master carry them through!

Yet, she couldn't bring herself to feel happy about it. Before the term began, her parents had told her to look out for him, but now it seemed completely unnecessary.

Her mood went unnoticed by the others. The first-years continued their routine of classes, meals, and sleep. When bedtime finally arrived, Harry asked the question he had been holding in all day: "Sherlock, did you really not realize that cat was Professor McGonagall?"

The other two boys in the dormitory, despite having already settled in for sleep, couldn't help but perk up their ears.

"My dear Harry, I thought you might have asked me sooner," Sherlock said with a smile, before turning the question back on him. "Well... what do you think?"

Harry thought for a moment, deciding he should be honest with Sherlock. "I think you were lying to her."

"Harry, you’ve discovered the blind spot." Sherlock gave an affirmative answer, then added calmly under Harry’s astonished gaze: "As I told you before, what we need is observation, not just seeing. You noticed the markings around the cat’s eyes, but you didn't connect them to Professor McGonagall. The cat’s behavioral habits were different from a normal cat; if you are familiar with the animal, you can easily spot the difference. Of course, the most important thing is that I know about the Animagus transformation. Combining all these observations, it is actually not difficult to deduce the truth."

The distinction between observing and seeing was one thing, but upon hearing Sherlock flatly admit he had deceived McGonagall, Ron finally couldn't help but sit up. "Holy hell—Sherlock, I thought you didn't know how to lie!"

"In the vast majority of cases, I do not," Sherlock said calmly. "Unless it is necessary."

"So, today..."

"A white lie is better suited for someone like Professor McGonagall than the truth. I don't want to be under her scrutiny for the rest of the term." After all, he still intended to explore Hogwarts.

Harry and Ron exchanged glances. Their understanding of Sherlock had deepened once more.

Sherlock had held high hopes for the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. After all, judging by the current curriculum, the teachers at Hogwarts were highly accomplished. Even Professor Binns, the ghost who taught History of Magic, actually had plenty of knowledge when prompted with questions.

Unexpectedly, Professor Quirinus Quirrell turned out to be the exception. During the first class, the entire room was filled with the smell of garlic. Although he didn't explain why, rumors suggested it was to ward off a vampire he had encountered in Romania. As everyone knew, garlic was an effective deterrent against vampires, and for someone as timid and nervous as Quirrell, who constantly worried about being harmed by dark creatures, such an action was plausible. As for his large turban, he explained it as a gift from an African prince to thank him for helping him get rid of a troublesome zombie. The students remained skeptical.

Harry, curious, whispered, "Sherlock, is he telling the truth?"

Sherlock shook his head. Quirrell was lying, which wasn't a major issue as long as he could perform his teaching duties. The problem was that Quirrell couldn't. To put it bluntly, the professor was nothing more than a heartless tape recorder. His tendency to read directly from the book surpassed even Professor Binns. When students asked questions, he would stutter, beat around the bush, and start talking about the weather.

A subject that required the most practice being turned into this... Sherlock didn't know what to say. It seemed not all Hogwarts professors were elites.

Conversely, Harry felt relieved, as he realized that even his classmates from wizarding families were at roughly the same level as him. The best performers among the first-years were actually the two Muggle-born students, Sherlock and Hermione. This gave him the leisure to joke with Sherlock: "Actually, Professor Quirrell is a good man. I met him in Diagon Alley..."

Harry recounted his experience in Diagon Alley. When he mentioned that Quirrell had been a Ravenclaw and quite brilliant in the past, Sherlock frowned.

"What’s wrong?"

"Harry, what do you think causes a person’s personality to change so drastically?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Hagrid said Professor Quirrell wanted first-hand experience, but he encountered vampires and hags in the Black Forest, and that’s how he became like this."

"A decent reason."

Noticing Sherlock’s skeptical tone, Harry was surprised. "What? Did you think of something?"

"My friend, it is always dangerous to draw conclusions when evidence is insufficient." Sherlock patted Harry on the shoulder. "Come, it’s time for lunch."

After finishing their third Herbology class of the week, the first-years faced the only course they had to attend at night: Astronomy. Professor Aurora Sinistra required all students to observe the stars with their telescopes, primarily learning the names of different stars and the trajectories of the planets. Compared to other courses, this one seemed significantly simpler. It was the only subject that didn't require the use of magic.

However, Sherlock, who had excelled in every other class, stunned everyone. Because they had heard of the exploits of Sherlock and Hermione, and due to the specific nature of this subject, Professor Sinistra specifically called upon them, the Muggle-born students, to answer questions.

Hermione’s answer was excellent; she not only expertly listed the names of the nine planets but also explained the ecliptic and equatorial planes. But when it was Sherlock’s turn, he candidly admitted that he knew nothing about it—not even that the Earth revolved around the Sun.

Everyone was left stunned.