Just a Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor

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

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

The sky outside had already darkened, and although the curfew had not yet started, it was obviously not too late for Filch to arrest him.

Neville didn't seem to have recovered from the cold, his face was unusually pale, and he looked sick.

"Teach, professor..."

he said hesitantly.

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

Hearing his words, Sherlock frowned slightly. He felt that Neville was not only physically, but even his mental state seemed a little abnormal.

"Of course you can, but what magic spell do you want to ask me in a hurry?"

"Yes, it's a flame spell. When I use it, I always can't use it. I feel that the way of swinging 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 the sound of mosquitoes, but he clearly described the reason why he couldn't use the spell, obviously as if he had studied the fire spell carefully.

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

"The flame spell doesn't seem to be a spell that second graders need to master, right?"

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

"Most, the weather is getting colder and colder recently, and the fireplace in the lounge keeps going out, so I want to learn the flame spell, so that when the fireplace goes out again, we don't have to ask the seniors for help."

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

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

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

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

"Is this the truth? Mr. Longbottom." Sherlock stared at Neville's eyes, not letting his dodging eyes escape from his own.

Hearing his questioning, Neville seemed to grit his teeth, under some pressure, and finally said.

"Yes, professor, I'm just interested in fire spells and want to raise the fireplace."

Sherlock quietly met his gaze, and Neville insisted that he didn't dodge this time, with an indelible firmness in his weakness.

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

"Okay, show me the fire spell that you practiced normally."

Neville looked at Sherlock gratefully, and in front of Sherlock, used the fire spell casting gesture that he had been practicing all the time, and asked him to help correct his movements.

"This swing can't be lifted too high, and at the same time, the hand must be kept steady without any tremors, so that the released flame spell can be stable, and there will be no situation where the flames will burn to you."

Sherlock has studied these common spells for so long, of course, professionally.

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

Neville looked a little clumsy, but he took it quite seriously, more seriously than he ever seemed.

Under the guidance of Sherlock little by little, he finally mastered the Fire Charm before the curfew began.

Looking at the flames spewing from the tip of the wand, Neville bowed slightly to Sherlock.

"Thank you, Professor Forrest, thank you very much."

Sherlock was just looking at him and said meaningfully.

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

Neville pursed his lips when he heard his words, as if hesitating and struggling for something, but insisted.

"Professor, I have nothing that I can't solve. If there is, I will definitely come to ask for your help."

Neville leaves Sherlock's office.

Looking at the door that was carefully closed, Sherlock did not continue to organize the clues.

Neville's abnormal 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 castle corridor, and the crescent mark on his arm had a very clear burning sensation.

Although that feeling was only fleeting, the mark had only reacted 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 spy on people's minds - Dementorism is not something that can be learned easily.

At least Sherlock hasn't mastered it yet.

However, this does not mean that he will give up the investigation of Neville. If his anomaly is related to the basilisk in the secret room, then something must be seen from his trajectory in Hogwarts.

Sherlock took out the Marauder's Map collected from the Weasley Brothers~www.NovelMTL.com~ and marked the small black dot representing Neville as the focus of attention. In the days to come, he will be at any time Watching Neville's actions.

The original promise that George Fred and the others would return the Marauder's Map to them at Christmas was expected to be delayed slightly.

Now he not only uses the Marauder's map to monitor Neville's movements, but also studies how to remove his mark from the Marauder's map.

After all, even if they were to return this thing to the twins, they wouldn't be able to monitor themselves through this map.

When he finishes these two things, he will keep his promise and return it to the original owner.

And Neville, who returned to the bedroom, still looked listless as usual.

In the dormitory, Harry and Ron went to bed early today, which is rare today. Seamus was still making up the homework for tomorrow's Potions class, and he asked Neville curiously when he saw Neville come in.

"Where have you been, Neville? Didn't see you in the lounge just now."

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

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

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

Touching the darkness, the figure came to the fireplace in the lounge, threw the things in his hand into the fireplace, and then waved his wand.

"Burning flames!"

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

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