By the time Gemma Farley returned to the end-of-term feast, the candles on the tables were dancing with warm yellow light, illuminating the room full of celebration.
But Sherlock hadn't returned.
This greatly surprised Hermione, who had been watching this matter.
Had those two not been together just now?
Her gaze swept back and forth between the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables.
But until the bell signaling the feast's end rang, Sherlock still hadn't appeared.
Unwilling to give up, Hermione simply followed Harry and Ron toward the boys' dormitory.
As everyone knew, Hogwarts had a peculiar rule.
Girls could freely enter and exit the boys' dormitory, but boys couldn't set foot in the girls' dormitory.
This was a rule established by the founders and had been preserved to this day.
If a boy actually tried to enter the girls' dormitory, those stairs would become steep and slippery.
Of course, this rule wasn't absolutely fixed—with special permission from the Head of House, boys could also enter the girls' dormitory.
Like when Sherlock had investigated Cho Chang's missing eye shadow, he had entered the Ravenclaw girls' dormitory accompanied by Prefect Penelope.
Harry and Ron had long since gotten used to Hermione's surprise visits.
Ron even half-jokingly elbowed Harry.
"One morning we might wake up to find Hermione at Sherlock's bedside, and I wouldn't even be surprised."
Having said this, Ron had already prepared in advance, dodging to Harry's side.
Strangely, this time Hermione didn't get angry as she used to, only pursed her lips and quickened her pace.
This made Ron marvel.
Harry glanced at Hermione, showing a thoughtful expression.
Pushing open the boys' dormitory door, they indeed saw Sherlock lying on his bed.
He maintained his signature posture.
Hands clasped supporting his chin, eyes open, gaze fixed on empty space, seemingly deaf to the commotion of people entering.
"Sherlock, where did you go just now?"
Harry didn't give Hermione a chance to ask, throwing out the question first.
Hermione looked at Harry gratefully.
Sherlock slowly turned his head, his gaze sweeping over his companions before finally settling on Hermione.
"It seems the feast has ended. Hermione, you should go rest."
"I. Will. Not!"
Hermione said stubbornly, her tone carrying some defiance. "It's still early. Now tell us where you went just now!"
"Dear friend, I thought you already knew."
Sherlock's tone was calm, as if stating an obvious fact.
"What are you saying?" Hermione blinked in confusion, looking at Sherlock uncomprehendingly.
"When you noticed I left the feast, shouldn't you have first observed the Slytherin table?"
Hermione: "..."
"When you saw Gemma wasn't at the Slytherin seats, couldn't you think that she and I were together?"
At these words, not only Hermione but even Harry, Ron, Neville, and Dean—all four roommates—stared at Sherlock in astonishment.
Wait, mate.
Saying it so openly—was that really okay?
"Didn't you make that deduction?"
Sherlock finally sat up from the bed, staring intently at Hermione.
"Harry and Ron might not have reacted yet, but I thought you would have even deduced where we met—wasn't that the case?"
Faced with Sherlock's successive questions, Hermione was completely stunned.
Was this person really this brazen?
The four roommates exchanged glances, gradually showing admiration in their eyes.
Truly worthy of you, Sherlock!
"I... did indeed deduce it."
Hermione's voice lowered a few notches, her cheeks were slightly flushed.
"Then you should have told them directly," Sherlock pointed at Harry and Ron, saying calmly, "rather than coming to the dormitory to find me."
"I just saw Gemma return to the feast, but you didn't come back, so I—"
"That's perfectly natural. Until she officially leaves school tomorrow, Gemma is still Head Girl.
She has the responsibility of assisting teachers with management. After finishing her own business, naturally she should return to the feast.
And I'm merely an ordinary third-year student. After finishing my own business, even if I don't return, it won't have any impact."
He said it so rationally that the companions in the room didn't know how to respond for a moment, only able to silently digest this wave of righteousness.
"Do you have any other questions? If not, please go rest quickly. It's already quite late."
Sherlock lay back on the bed and closed his eyes.
"Alright, Sherlock."
Hermione actually had a belly full of questions, the core one naturally being what Sherlock and Gemma had done during all that time!
From Sherlock's speech just now, he not only openly admitted to being alone with Gemma, he hadn't even denied the Room of Requirement as the location, which meant they definitely weren't kissing.
Plus, now clearly wasn't the right time to press further, so she could only nod and quickly leave the boys' dormitory.
As soon as Hermione left, the four roommates surrounded Sherlock, successively expressing their endless admiration.
"Well done!" Harry spoke first.
"Chin up, Sherlock!" Ron noticed Sherlock seemed somewhat drowsy and quickly reminded him loudly.
"Worthy of being our Lion King—you really haven't embarrassed us!" Dean decisively followed up with enthusiastic praise.
"Although I don't know why, everyone else is saying it, so I should praise you too—"
Neville said weakly at the end.
After a round of commercial flattery concluded, Ron asked curiously.
"Sherlock, did Head Girl Gemma ask you out alone to say goodbye?"
"That's right. She gave me her Prefect badge and Head Girl badge."
"What?"
Hearing Sherlock say this, Ron couldn't help but be greatly shocked. "You're saying she gave you both those badges?"
"Dear Ron, you seem extremely surprised by this?" Sherlock opened his eyes, his tone flat.
"Of course I am!"
Ron said excitedly, "The Prefect badge and Head Girl badge are extremely commemorative!
You know, before when Penelope asked Percy for his badge, he couldn't bear to give it!"
"Ravenclaw's Penelope Clearwater?" Dean scratched his head. "But she's a Prefect herself—why would she want your brother's badge?"
"Please, Dean, she wanted the Head Boy badge, obviously!"
"Oh—sorry, Ron, I forgot your brother was Head Boy."
After a moment of awkward silence, Ron continued, "Anyway, the fact that Gemma was willing to give you both the Prefect badge and Head Girl badge shows you hold an extremely important position in her heart!
Ah, it's such a shame!"
"What's the shame in that?"
Neville asked puzzled. "Isn't this a good thing for Sherlock, being so cared for by a good friend?
If only I could have a friend like that—"
"Hey, don't be like that, Neville!"
Dean threw an arm around Neville's shoulders, patting his chest in promise. "If I become a Prefect in fifth year, I'll definitely give you my badge when I graduate!"
Harry also nodded with a smile. "Me too, Neville."
"Same here!"
Ron laughed heartily. "Never mind Prefect badges—even if it's a Head Boy badge, I'd give it to you just the same!
As for why I said it's a shame, it's naturally because Head Girl Gemma is graduating. At least before we leave Hogwarts, we're unlikely to see her again. It would be great if she were in our year..."
Neville didn't notice Ron's latter half sentence. Feeling everyone's concern for him, his eyes instantly reddened.
Tears welled in his eyes, even his voice was carrying a sob.
"Thank you all..."
"But even if we wanted to give them, we wouldn't have any to give. By fifth year, the Prefect will be either Sherlock or Harry."
Dean released Neville, waving his fist. "And Head Boy too—if anyone opposes them then, I, Dean Thomas, will be the first to disagree!"
They laughed and joked for a while longer, until their eyelids grew heavy, then each washed up and went to sleep.
The next morning, as the Hogwarts Express slowly pulled out of the station, the scenery outside the window gradually receded.
In the compartment, Hermione took a deep breath and officially told her friends about her decision to drop Muggle Studies.
"What? But you scored three hundred twenty points!"
Cho Chang covered her mouth in surprise, her eyes full of disbelief. "No one has ever scored that high in that course—wouldn't dropping it be too much of a waste?"
In fact, those who could score high in Muggle Studies were often half-blood wizards and Muggle-born wizards.
Cho Chang herself was a half-blood wizard and an excellent student.
But even so, her Muggle Studies had never exceeded three hundred points.
"I know. Professor Burbage tried to persuade me too."
Hermione sighed. "But I can't stand another year like this—without Muggle Studies and Divination, I can have a normal schedule."
The Time-Turner had already been returned to Professor McGonagall. No one except Sherlock knew about this, and Hermione naturally didn't plan to mention it again.
"This year has indeed been very strange."
Cho Chang said thoughtfully. "Previous timetables never had such high-frequency overlaps. It felt like they were deliberately preventing you from taking all the courses."
"Whatever the reason, it's over.
Muggle Studies is unnecessary to continue, and I don't plan to take Divination anymore either."
As Hermione spoke, she unconsciously directed her gaze toward Sherlock.
He was staring intently at the train window, his profile looked especially clear in the sunlight.
Luna, sitting beside him, mirrored his movements exactly, as if studying patterns on the glass.
The two's actions carried an oddly synchronous harmony.
Hermione had figured it out—as long as Sherlock didn't voluntarily speak, she wouldn't ask what he and Gemma had said.
After all, starting next year, they would have four full years without seeing Gemma.
Third year versus seventh year—advantage was hers!
Next, they chatted about the Quidditch World Cup.
Cho Chang said she would also attend with her parents and would contact her friends beforehand.
This made Ginny somewhat unhappy.
But thinking that Harry's tickets would be arranged by her father, she cheered up again.
They then began playing Exploding Snap. When the witch with the cart came by, Harry treated everyone, buying each person a large lunch.
Near evening, the train's jostling seemed to gradually steady.
Just then, an unexpected figure appeared at the compartment door.
Gemma Farley.
When this young woman who would completely cease to be Head Girl once the train stopped—appeared, the compartment's noise instantly quieted.
Everyone looked toward Sherlock in unison.
Undoubtedly, Gemma appearing here could only mean she was looking for Sherlock.
However, Sherlock shook his head, as if guessing everyone's thoughts.
"Gemma isn't here for me."
"What?" Ron was the first to cry out.
"Sherlock is right. I'm indeed not here for him."
Gemma smiled sweetly, sunlight falling through the window onto her face, her chestnut hair radiating with soft luster.
Her gaze passed over everyone, finally settling on Hermione. "Hermione, could you come out with me for a moment?"
Hermione froze, almost thinking she had heard wrong.
She pointed at herself. "Me?"
"Yes, Hermione. I have something I'd like to say to you."
Hermione stood up with a bewildered expression, then glanced at Sherlock.
Seeing he showed no reaction, she ultimately followed Gemma out of the compartment somewhat hesitantly.
As soon as the compartment door closed, Ron couldn't contain himself, and moved to Sherlock's side where Hermione had just been sitting.
"Sherlock, how did you know she wasn't here for you?"
"Ah, this is actually quite simple."
Hearing Sherlock's familiar opening, his friends knew he would certainly deliver a long analytical process next.
But that was fine—this was exactly what interested them.
"First, when she opened the door, her gaze didn't prioritize finding my location, but quickly scanned the entire compartment environment, with focus falling on Hermione.
Second, last night she already met with me and gave me her Prefect badge and Head Girl badge.
Given Gemma's sense of ceremony and efficiency in handling important relationships, this action itself carries strong symbolic finality—there's no need to make another special trip to find me.
Third, as she walked toward the compartment, her demeanor carried the purpose of direct negotiation, but her eyes deliberately avoided mine.
This means her key contact point this trip was outside of me. If it were to supplement last night's farewell information, this avoidant demeanor would actually make no sense.
Fourth, besides me in the compartment, the person with whom Gemma has potential interaction possibility and whom she's worth specifically seeking out—the highest probability is Hermione.
Considering that I'm the common object of their attention, this probability is infinitely magnified."
Wait, mate.
Using that nonchalant tone to say two girls are both concerned about you—that's really asking for a beating!
Yet Sherlock's expression remained composed, his tone was flat, showing not the slightest hint of showing off.
But that just made it even more infuriating, damn it!
However, only Ron really felt this way.
The others in the compartment—Harry, Cho Chang, and Ginny didn't react so strongly.
Luna just looked at Sherlock curiously. As for his words themselves, she didn't seem too concerned.
"What's this? In the end, am I the only one making a big fuss?"
Looking at his friends' expressions, Ron suddenly felt somewhat presumptuous.
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