Chapter 50: Nevilles Behavior

“Mr. Longbottom? Is there anything I can help with you?” Sherlock looked at the boy who came in and asked softly.

The sky outside had darkened, and although the curfew had not yet started, it was something that Filch could punish them. Neville didn’t seem to have recovered from the cold; his face was pale and looked sick.

“Professor…”

He said hesitantly, “Can I ask you about a spell?”

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

“Of course you can, but what spell do you want to ask me at this time?”

“Yes, the Fire-Making Spell. When I tried to use it, I couldn’t cast it. I feel that the way of swinging the staff is not right. But I can’t find the feeling that was mentioned in the book.”

Neville’s voice was low, not much louder than the sound of mosquitoes. But he clearly described the reason why he couldn’t use the spell as if he had studied the spell carefully.

Sherlock didn’t answer his question directly but asked calmly, “The Fire Making doesn’t seem to be a spell that second graders need to master, right?”

Neville wanted to appear calm, but his behavior made Sherlock look at him cautiously, “The weather is getting colder and colder lately, and the fireplace in the common room keeps going out. I want to learn the spell so that when the fireplace goes out again, I don’t have to ask the seniors for help.”

His reason seems reasonable, but it is very far-fetched. Even if Sherlock didn’t see Neville’s weird behavior, he could tell that there was something wrong with it.

In Gryffindor, Neville is an outsider. He always seems to be the scared one among a group of Gryffindors and never seems to be in the spotlight when the others are around. What he said just now is not something he would do at all.

“Is that all, Mr. Longbottom?” Sherlock stared at Neville’s eyes, not letting him escape from his eyes.

Hearing his questioning, Neville seemed to grit his teeth and finally said, “Yes, Professor. I’m just interested in the spell and want to light the fireplace.”

Sherlock saw his gaze. After a long silence, Sherlock finally shook his head slightly, “Okay, show me the spell like you usually practiced before.”

Neville looked at Sherlock, and in front of Sherlock, he started to make a spellcasting gesture that he had been practicing all the time and asked him to help correct his movements.

“The swing can’t be lifted too high, and at the same time, your hand must be kept steady so that the spell can be released normally stable, and there will be no situation where the fire will burn you.” Sherlock has studied these common spells for so long, so he would know something about it.

It’s easy to point out the flaws in Neville’s way of spellcasting and correct his pronunciation. Neville looked a little clumsy, but he took it seriously, more seriously than he usually acts.

Under Sherlock’s guidance, he mastered the Fire-Making Spell little by little before the curfew began. Looking at the flames spewing from the wand’s tip, Neville bowed slightly to Sherlock.

“Thank you, Professor. Thank you very much.”

Sherlock just looked 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, and I am your Professor; there are some things you can’t face alone, but I can.”

Neville pursed his lips when he heard his words as if hesitating and struggling for something, “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. Sherlock looked at the door that was closed but did not continue to pursue him. Neville’s weird behavior 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 mark on his arm made a burning sensation.

Although that feeling was only a moment, the mark had only reacted three times, and he remembered each time clearly. Neville’s appearance now shows that he must be hiding something.

He insisted on not talking about it, and Sherlock had no way to force him.

There is a magic that can spy on people’s minds. It is called Legilimency Spell; it cannot be learned easily, and Sherlock hasn’t mastered it yet.

However, this does not mean that he will give up Neville’s investigation. If his weird behavior is related to the Basilisk, then he could find something to deal with this situation.

Sherlock took out the Marauder’s Map he got from the Weasley twins and marked the small black dot representing Neville. In the following days, he will watch Neville’s actions. The original promise that he would give Fred and George’s map back at Christmas may need to be deleted a little bit.

Now, he uses the Marauder’s map to monitor Neville’s movements and studies how to remove his mark from the Marauder’s map. After all, even if he were to return this thing to the twins, they wouldn’t be able to monitor anyone through this map.

When he finishes these, he will keep his promise and return it to them

Neville returned to his room and looked tired as usual.

Harry and Ron went to bed early in the room, which is rare. Seamus was still making up the homework for tomorrow’s class and asked Neville when he saw Neville coming in.

“Where have you been, Neville? I didn’t see you in the lounge just now.”

“I went to the library to return a book.” Neville’s voice was weak, and Seamus didn’t hear anything wrong.

The night goes through. At midnight, everyone else had fallen asleep, and a figure sat up on the four-poster bed with a drapery. He swayed, pulled something out from under his bed, carefully walked out of the bedroom, and came to the lounge.

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

“Incendio!”

The fire lit the fireplace. The orange-yellow fire danced in the lounge, illuminating Neville’s face.