Chapter 23: Got Them

Chapter 23: Got Them

“Uhh, Professor Forrest...” This is the second student Sherlock met tonight.

George and Fred are nervous now. They don’t know why Sherlock, who just joined Hogwarts today, appeared here. Of course, being here is not the main point that they were nervous. Just a minute ago, the two of them used the Marauder’s Map in front of the newly recruited Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

After he reacted, George hurriedly hid the Marauder’s Map behind him. The next second, he and Fred laughed nervously.

“What a coincidence, Professor Forrest. I didn’t expect to meet you as soon as we came out. You’re taking a night stroll, professor?”

“Oh yes, it’s about nighttime, and we met you; what a coincidence indeed. It’s not too late tonight. Professor, I think it’s better for you to go back to rest early since you just arrived here. We’re going to sleep too. Staying up late will not do you good.”

George and Fred were jokingly trying to fool him and hide the Marauder map. At the same time, they turned around and walked towards the entrance of the Gryffindor common room together. However, their behavior of hiding something certainly won’t deceive Sherlock.

The moment they turned around, Sherlock grabbed the back collars of the two of them. Fred’s body froze instantly. They gulped and looked at each other. They could see from each other’s eyes that they couldn’t escape so easily tonight.

“Uh... Is there anything we can do to help you, Professor Forrest? We have to go back to sleep. Mom said going to bed late is not good for your health.” George wanted to make the last shot.

However, Sherlock stretched out his hand before him and said lightly, “Give that to me.”

Knowing they couldn’t escape, George and Fred sighed and took out the Marauder’s map. They didn’t dare to play tricks in front of Sherlock. During the summer vacation at home, Mrs. Weasley told them countless times how amazing Professor Forrest was when he was a student.

After graduating, he worked as an Auror for more than a year. Later, he felt that being Aurors was too boring, so he resigned from the Ministry of Magic and devoted himself to studying magic at home. After two years of studying, he has already written two books on spells that many wizards respect.

“I will not tell the school about your violation of the school rules tonight, and I won’t confiscate your map. But in order to let you know the consequences, I will keep this map for myself for some time. If by Christmas, I feel you perform well in the first half of the semester, I will give it back to you.”

As soon as they heard that they could get it back, George and Fred immediately made a promise, “We promise to be a good student in the next few months, Professor Forrest.”

“I hope for that, too.”

George and Fred didn’t dare to ask for too much. Sherlock’s promise to return the map to them was a shocker to them. Besides, they would only need to be a good student for the next few months. It will be another matter when they get the map back.

The two then asked, “Can we go back to sleep now, Professor?”

Sherlock handed the Marauder’s Map to them, “Undo the magic on this map.”

Fred took the map, raised his wand in front of Sherlock, pointed at the Marauder’s map, and chanted,

“Mischief managed.”

The next moment his wand touched the map, all the lines on the parchment contracted, finally converging into a single ink dot that disappeared completely on the parchment, and the Marauder’s map became an ordinary parchment.

Sherlock noted the opening and closing spells. He took the map back from Fred’s hands and nodded to indicate that they could go back to sleep. At this time, they turned around and said the password to the portrait to the Gryffindor’s common room, ending their adventure for the night.

Sherlock was the only one left in the silent corridor. He looked at the parchment in his hand and lightly tapped it with his wand, “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.”

Countless ink-colored lines emerged from the parchment, stretching around like a snake, forming the entire Hogwarts map. Looking at the unexpected thing he got tonight, Sherlock raised a smile.