Although Professor Lupin had returned to the classroom, his ntal state was far from good, he looked as though he had just recovered from a serious illness.
This inevitably worried the students who cared about him, and they all began asking after his health with concern.
Professor Lupin smiled and said he had only been slightly ill, but was much better now.
Compared to the other students, Sherlock clearly saw much more.
From the mont he entered the classroom, his gaze had been fixed intently on Professor Lupin.
[The worn robes hung loose on his thin fra, clearly ill-fitting, with the cloth forming collapsed folds at the shoulders. Below his eyelids was an ink-stain-like bluish-black color, with deep traces of exhaustion that differed in color density from ordinary dark circles caused by illness.]
At this mont, the hypothesis in Sherlock's mind was completely confird.
This Professor Snape was quite calculating indeed!
However, besides himself, there probably weren't many others who could understand his true intentions.
Sherlock only needed to deduce from the clues, while other students had much more to consider.
When Professor Lupin announced the start of class, they imdiately began complaining in a noisy voice about Snape's terrible behavior during his substitute teaching period.
"We didn't even learn about werewolves!"
"He assigned us howork: two whole rolls of parchnt!"
"A Slytherin substitute teacher, what right does he have to throw his weight around here!"
Remus, who had been maintaining a smile, frowned slightly upon hearing these words. "Did you tell Professor Snape that we hadn't covered that material yet?"
"We did, but he wouldn't listen at all!"
"He even said your teaching was completely disorganized!"
"He wants howork? In his dreams, we're not doing it!"
Hearing this, Remus's smile returned to his face.
He looked at the indignant faces and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Don't worry, I'll talk to Professor Snape. You don't need to write that essay."
"Hooray!"
"Wonderful!"
"Professor Lupin is the best!"
The classroom instantly erupted in cheers.
As for Hermione's sowhat disappointed voice: "Oh no, I've already finished it!" It was completely drowned out.
Harry and Ron both stared at her in shock. 'Seriously, mate, that's a bit much, isn't it!'
With Professor Lupin's triumphant return, Defense Against the Dark Arts class beca enjoyable once more.
Naturally, he didn't continue with Snape's lesson plan from last class to teach everyone about werewolves. Instead, he brought out the Hinkypunk he had already prepared.
This magical creature had only one leg and would lurk in remote areas at night, emitting misleading light to lure travelers astray.
Once a traveler mistook the Hinkypunk's misleading light for their destination or another traveler, they would be drawn toward it and trapped in swamp mud.
As for what would happen next, that was self-evident.
Happy tis always pass especially quickly.
When the bell rang for the end of class, the little lions looked at the Hinkypunk squeaking against the glass wall, still with expressions of lingering interest.
However, most people had other classes coming up, so they could only reluctantly leave.
"Sherlock, Harry, could you please co with ? I have sothing to discuss with you."
Under the surprised gazes of nearby students, Sherlock and Harry followed Professor Lupin.
Professor Lupin covered the Hinkypunk's box with cloth, picked up the box, and led the two of them all the way to his office on the third floor.
Harry had already been here last year.
At that ti, the occupant of the office was Gilderoy Lockhart. The entire office had been covered with photographs of Lockhart, and the room itself was filled with fan letters and gifts for Lockhart.
Now that the office had a new owner, these things had naturally all disappeared.
The current Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's office layout was very simple, one could even say rather spartan.
Sherlock rely glanced around once and imdiately gained a deeper understanding of Remus Lupin as a person.
[Capable and efficient, kind and intelligent, financially struggling. Had a mischievous and naughty personality in his youth, now steady in character. Has unresolved issues regarding his identity, with a deeply hidden inferiority complex.]
Remus didn't yet know that Sherlock had seen through him. After settling the box containing the Hinkypunk, he tapped the teapot with his wand, and steam suddenly spurted from the spout.
"Please sit down."
As he spoke, he opened a dusty canister and winked at Harry. "I only have tea bags here, but I imagine you've had quite enough of tea leaves, haven't you?"
Harry looked at Professor Lupin in surprise. "Sir, how—how did you know about that?"
"Professor McGonagall told ."
After saying this, Remus looked at Sherlock.
"Sherlock, I imagine you can guess why I've asked you both to stay, can't you?"
"It's deduction, not guessing."
Sherlock first corrected Professor Lupin's phrasing, then continued.
"I believe it's because Headmaster Dumbledore has chosen to have you teach us how to defend against Dentors."
"That's impressive!"
Remus smiled and gave Sherlock a thumbs up. "Can you tell how you gue…er, deduced that? I'm quite interested."
Sherlock: "It's quite simple. Defending against Dentors is originally part of Defense Against the Dark Arts curriculum, so it's natural that the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor would teach us.
Of course, I also considered the possibility that Professor Snape might be responsible for the instruction.
But it appears now that Headmaster Dumbledore obviously still has so concerns about that."
Both Harry and Lupin looked at Sherlock in surprise, neither had expected him to consider Snape.
"Well, to be perfectly honest, Professor Snape is indeed more suitable than I am."
Lupin said frankly, "I wouldn't dare claim to be an expert at defending against Dentors."
"But you made the Dentor on the train retreat," Harry suddenly said.
Lupin shook his head and pushed two teacups toward Sherlock and Harry respectively.
"There was only one Dentor on the train, Harry, you need to understand that the more of them there are, the harder they are to deal with.
Of course, since Headmaster Dumbledore has entrusted with this task, I will certainly do my utmost to help you achieve your goal."
Hearing Lupin say this, Harry was very pleased.
Compared to Snape, he obviously would much rather have Professor Lupin guide him.
Harry picked up his tea and took a sip, finding it tasted much better than the tea in Divination class, he wasn't sure if it was the tea leaves themselves or the person brewing it.
As he was pondering this, he heard Sherlock suddenly say. "Professor, you seem to have other concerns?"
Harry quickly looked toward Lupin and indeed saw a flash of worry cross Lupin's face.
"Sherlock, you're truly very perceptive."
Lupin looked at Sherlock with so surprise, clearly not expecting him to notice even this small detail.
However, what surprised him was yet to co. Sherlock chuckled softly and directly stated the specific content of his concern.
"You're worried about the lack of an effective training environnt, aren't you?
Headmaster Dumbledore said it's a very advanced form of magic, far beyond the ordinary wizard level.
Even if one can cast that spell during daily practice, it doesn't an they can successfully do so when actually facing Dentors."
Lupin stared at Sherlock in a daze, unable to speak for a mont.
Although Harry's mind had been in turmoil these past few days, seeing this scene still made him want to laugh.
Thinking back to when he first t Sherlock, he often wore that sa expression.
Now seeing soone else, especially a professor looking just like he had back then was actually quite amusing.
"Sherlock, you're absolutely right."
After a while, Lupin recovered from his surprise.
He let out a long sigh and looked at Sherlock with a complex expression. "If I didn't know it was impossible, I would even suspect you had used Legilincy on ."
"Since coming to the magical world, more than one person has said the sa thing to ."
Sherlock looked at Professor Lupin's sowhat pale face with a aningful gaze.
"Professor Flitwick once told that everyone at Hogwarts has secrets, and as long as their secrets don't harm others, I have no need to delve into them."
Hearing Sherlock's aningful words, Lupin's heart skipped a beat.
Thinking of Snape's teaching content from the previous class, he looked at Sherlock again.
He saw those gray eyes staring intently at him, as if they could see right through him.
"Er, you've indeed hit upon it, Sherlock."
Lupin coughed and rather stiffly changed the subject.
"To achieve the best results and truly repel Dentors, it would be best to face one directly during daily practice.
But that's obviously not realistic, you see, Dentors won't cooperate with us obediently..."
"Professor, you're missing the obvious."
"What? The obvious?"
"Why not practice with a Boggart?"
"A Boggart?"
Lupin was stunned at first, then realized. "You an, what you fear most is... Dentors?"
"Harry, not ."
Lupin looked at Harry in surprise.
Though Harry felt sowhat embarrassed, he still nodded. "Yes, Professor."
"Ha-ha!"
To Harry's surprise, Professor Lupin actually laughed.
"It seems I was mistaken."
"Sorry, Professor, what did you say?"
"In that lesson, I took it for granted that if the Boggart faced you, it would transform into the image of Voldemort."
Harry was stunned. He hadn't expected Professor Lupin would say such a thing.
However, Sherlock noticed another detail that Lupin had directly spoken Voldemort's na.
This was extrely rare in the wizarding world.
Apart from Muggle-borns like themselves who knew nothing about Voldemort, almost no one dared speak that na directly.
Even soone as brave as Professor Minerva McGonagall could only do so after Dumbledore's reminder.
This Professor Remus Lupin was even more interesting than he had imagined. It seed he would need to increase his contact with this professor going forward.
"Obviously, I was wrong."
Lupin smiled and shook his head. "I made an empiricist error. At the ti, I instinctively thought that if Voldemort appeared in the staff room, it would certainly frighten everyone. I didn't expect that what you fear most is actually Dentors."
At this point, Professor Lupin's smile faded and his gaze beca deep.
"You fear Dentors, which ans what you fear most is fear itself—Harry, you're wiser than I imagined."
"So, you didn't think I was incapable of handling the Boggart..."
Harry murmured.
He suddenly realized and looked toward Sherlock, only to see him looking back with a half-smile.
Harry's face imdiately flushed red.
If Professor Lupin thought that way, then Sherlock, who had stopped him along with Professor Lupin at the ti, must have thought so too.
Damn it! He had been overthinking things.
From now on, no matter what happened, he must tell Sherlock about it.
Subjective assumptions were unacceptable!
"Haha, so that's what you've been thinking all along?"
Professor Lupin patted Harry's shoulder. "In that case, things are much easier. Finding a Boggart is much simpler than facing Dentors directly."
Having finished discussing Dentors, Lupin didn't end the conversation there but brought up the weekend match.
"I'm very sorry about your broomstick. Is there any way it could be repaired?"
"No chance. That tree smashed it to pieces, just like Malfoy's broomstick."
Hearing this, Lupin couldn't help but sigh deeply. "That Whomping Willow was planted the year I ca to Hogwarts. People used to play a ga of trying to touch the trunk.
Until later, a boy nad Davey Gudgeon nearly lost an eye, and the school stopped letting us go near it.
No broomstick could withstand..."
As he said this, he suddenly sensed sothing and turned his head to find Sherlock smiling at him.
Professor Lupin frowned slightly, vaguely feeling that things were not so simple.
He had the distinct feeling that this seemingly casual bit of conversation had revealed sothing else to Sherlock.
It seed he would need to further reduce his contact with this student in the future.
"I may need to apologize to you both, the lessons on defending against Dentors will have to wait until next term."
When saying this, Lupin appeared sowhat ashad. "Before the holidays, I still have many things to take care of."
Harry quickly said. "That's perfectly fine. Gryffindor's next match isn't until the second half of next term either. We have plenty of ti."
Sherlock spoke up. "Maintaining your health in good condition is more important for you, sir."
Lupin looked deeply at Sherlock. "You're right, Sherlock. My illness really ca at a bad ti."
Sherlock smiled slightly. "It's alright. It gets easier once you're used to it."
Lupin: '(°ー°〃)
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