Chapter 052: Sherlock Holmes?!

"Since you want to stay here, just stand aside obediently and don't disturb us in our work." As soon as Madam Pomfrey gave the order, the second-year students immediately pressed against the wall en masse, except for Catherine, who had been holding Snape.

Madam Pomfrey ordered Colin to be put to bed and ordered Snape to sit down for an examination, and when she announced that he could be discharged, Douglas popped up again.

【Is－Tom!】

【Tom?】Harry's shocked expression suddenly appeared, [Tom-Marvolo-Riddle?]

Catherine didn't answer, but drew her wand and wrote the name out of thin air, then reversed the order of the letters.

“I－am－Lord－Voldemort!”

The other sophomores were stunned, including Delaco, for he didn't know that Voldemort's name had changed in this way, and Ron shouted in disbelief:

"If he is really a mystery person, then why did the school award him with the Special Contribution Award?"

"When Myrtle's accident broke and the school decided to temporarily close Hogwarts, Riddle—" Professor McGonagall paused before continuing, "he framed Hagrid for not wanting to leave here......"

"Hagrid!" The three Gryffindor students collectively shouted, "Why Hagrid?" "What did Hagrid do wrong?" "Could it be that Hagrid has some strange creatures again?"

[I know this!] Douglas wagged his tail and spoke, [This stupid big man secretly raised an eight-eyed giant spider, and after he was expelled, he also helped his pet find a wife, and now this family occupies a corner of the Forbidden Forest, I really don't understand how nothing has happened after so many years. 】

Catherine's translation made everyone else stunned, and it took a long time for Professor McGonagall to scold, "Hagrid, this idiot, dares to take a man-eating eight-eyed giant spider as a pet!" ”

"In that respect," Snape said grimly, "he did contribute to the school by preventing the Eight-Eyed Spider from nesting in the castle. The others' expressions froze, not knowing what to say.

"Albus!" Madam Pomfrey suddenly glared at Dumbledore, "For the safety of the students, we must do everything possible to get rid of those eight-eyed spiders!" ”

"Let's be Christmas! After all, there was a basilisk in the school, and they didn't dare to run in yet. Dumbledore rubbed his temples vigorously, he really didn't expect that there were so many safety hazards in the school, "The most important thing now is to figure out who is the person who opened the secret room?" ”

"Isn't it the Dark Lord?" Draco asked.

"As far as I know, he is hiding in the forests of Albania." Dumbledore pushed his glasses.

"Then why did Douglas see him at school again?" Brace asked.

"It's clear that he's used some unknown method to accuse someone in the school." Dumbledore looked at the back of Snape's left hand, "Douglas, can you describe what Tom looks like?" ”

"He's older than the last time I saw him," Douglas said after a moment's thought, "but he shouldn't be over 30 years old. 】

"It can't be!" Hermione scrambled to say, "Myrtle has been dead for fifty years, and he's definitely over 60 years old now. ”

[I don't think it's him either.] Douglas spat out the snake letter, [His appearance was indistinct, very strange, as if he was looking at him through a heavy fog, and there was a strange glimmer around him, which looked a little like a ghost. 】

"If it's not him, then how can we find out who he accuses?" Pansy pointed out the most important thing at the moment, "It's Saturday, and the first Quidditch match hasn't been over yet. ”

"Maybe ask Myrtle." Professor Sprout said.

"I don't think Myrtle will know." "The whole school knew that Myrtle was there almost all the time, and he would definitely pick when she was away, for example, to attend Nick's death party." ”

"Then again—" Catherine suddenly asked, "who didn't attend the Halloween party last time, except for the seven of us?" ”

"Nope." The adults shook their heads.

"What about being late or leaving early?"

The adults looked at each other and suddenly showed strange expressions.

"Who?" The seven children asked in unison, but no one answered.

"Now is not the time to play a mystery game!" Dumbledore smiled and said, "You're not Sherlock Holmes either!" ”

The six children pouted in exasperation, but the adults threw them out of the medical wing.

"What should I do?" Harry was the first to speak, "Surely they know who the suspect is?" ”

"You're so stupid!" Draco said dismissively, "There are so many people at the Halloween party, you don't know if you ask once." ”

"The question is—" Catherine asked sternly, "what can we do when we know that?" Standing behind the man was Voldemort, whom even Professor Dumbledore found intractable! ”

The other second-year students shivered collectively, and their high spirits were completely extinguished by Catherine's basin of cold water, and they returned to their respective houses sullenly, unable to lift their spirits for anything until new rumors appeared.

Since all those involved were hiding what happened on Saturday, the news of Colin's sudden disappearance caused unease among the crowd, and many thought that he had been taken by a monster in the secret room.

At breakfast on Monday, Dumbledore came forward to refute the rumor that Colin had been accidentally petrified by Snape, but no one believed this fact, because Snape had just awakened when he found out that Colin was missing, and most people thought it was an excuse for the school to avoid closing.

Suddenly, rumors flew in the school, and everyone was suspicious. First-year students are now always huddled together in groups of three or five, as if they would be attacked if they were alone.

"Ginny was at the same table with Colin in the Charms class, and she was so upset that I didn't dare tell her the truth." Ron said nervously.

After school in the afternoon, he and Harry followed Hermione to the library to find Catherine, and Draco coincidentally led Pansy and Blaise over.

"Daphne has been keeping Astra around since she heard the rumors, and now the whole school is terrified." Blaise grabbed his arm and spoke in a very uneasy tone.

"Let's investigate!" Catherine rubbed her temples and reluctantly placed three red notebooks and three green notebooks in front of the six of them, "This is the address book, you can connect with each other, remember not to act randomly." ”

"Yes!" The six second-graders replied in a high voice, each grabbing an address book and rushing out of the library, and Mrs. Pince, who was registering, glared at their backs in displeasure before glancing at Catherine, who could only smile and apologize.

The investigation went very smoothly, after all, Halloween had passed for more than a week, and everyone's attention was focused on the party at that time, most people only remembered the performance of the Skull Dance Troupe, and they didn't remember who was late or left early, although there was a "secret room declaration", but after Dumbledore declared that it was just a prank, no one remembered it, and no one connected it until Colin disappeared.

So it wasn't until the end of November that they came up with a list, and it took another three weeks for them to identify the final suspects.

"How could it be him?" When Hermione saw the rest of the name, she couldn't help but hold her head and exclaim.

"Sherlock Holmes once said," said Pansy mercilessly, "when you take out all the impossibilities, whatever is left—no matter how unbelievable—it is the truth!" ”

"But that's too bizarre!" Ron said in shock.

"Think of what happened in first grade," said Brace haughtily, "and it was even more unreliable than that!" ”

"Catherine, what should I do?" Harry looked at the smartest of the seven.

"Why," Draco said contemptuously, "do you want to test the Professor?" ”

"Maybe." Catherine abruptly agreed, and reached out to the bulletin board in the foyer surrounded by students.

Harry and Ron's roommates, Seamus Finigan and Dean Thomas, were excitedly reading the words on a piece of parchment that had just been nailed, and immediately waved at a glance at them.

"They're going to start a dueling club!" Seamus said to Harry and Ron, "First meeting tonight. I'm not averse to taking some dueling lessons, which might come in handy one day......"

"Do you think the monsters in the Chamber of Secrets will duel?" Ron's face was full of disbelief.

"Who is the one who taught it?" Harry squeezed in to read the notice.

"I don't know, the notice didn't say it." Dean shook his head, "Maybe it's Flitwick, I heard he was a dueling champion when he was younger. ”

"Flitwick can't stand this toss." Draco directly learned from Snape to release the magic pressure and said, "It's better to let our dean teach." ”

"As long as the Embroidery-Professor doesn't get involved," Brace followed Draco to the bulletin board despite the glaring glare of the others, "even Hagrid, I can take it, at least he knows how to deal with the Eight-Eyed Spider." ”

"Do you think he's really coming?" Hermione asked Catherine in a whisper, and the three girls were still standing still, not going to the bulletin board to join in the fun.

"How could he not come." Pansy pouted in displeasure, "I think he created this 'dueling club' at all." ”

"I agree with Pansy." Catherine smiled, "So tonight we can do whatever we want." ”

At eight o'clock in the evening, they hurried back to the auditorium.

The long dining table vanished, and along one wall appeared a gilded stage, illuminated by hundreds of candles floating above. Once again, the ceiling was dark as velvet, and almost all the students in the school came, crowded one after another, each with their wands in their hands, their faces full of excitement.

"Oh no!" The boys let out a sudden groan, and then the students present saw Lockhart walking onto the stage, he was shining in a fuchsia robe, and he was beside none other than Snape, who was still dressed in black.

Lockhart waved everyone to silence, then shouted, "Come around!" Can everyone see me? That's great! ”