Just as Sherlock had predicted before the start of term, the name Harry Potter was practically synonymous with being at the center of trouble.
Even when he did nothing at all, trouble had a way of finding him.
In just under two months since school began, Harry had already been caught up in numerous incidents—
including, but not limited to: getting swarmed by overly enthusiastic students; being harassed by Peeves the Poltergeist; getting caught by Filch while wandering into a forbidden room Dumbledore had explicitly banned; being trapped on one of the moving staircases that decided to shift on a whim… not to mention Draco Malfoy deliberately picking a fight.
Most of these problems had been manageable—so long as Sherlock was around, he could always resolve them swiftly and efficiently.
But Sherlock couldn't be with Harry all the time.
And the moment he wasn't, Harry had to handle things alone. As for Ron… his presence didn't seem to make much difference either way.
The most recent issue was classic trouble that came knocking on their door.
After being scolded by Sherlock on the train, Malfoy had quieted down for a while.
But life in the Slytherin dormitory had clearly bolstered his confidence again.
About a month into the term, Malfoy resumed his provocations against Harry.
Still wary of Sherlock—fully aware that even Crabbe and Goyle together were no match for him—Malfoy had no desire to face Harry head-on.
So he chose a different approach: indirect and crafty.
One morning, Malfoy approached Harry and challenged him to a duel.
A simple challenge like that wouldn't warrant Sherlock's interference.
And indeed, Sherlock didn't lift a finger.
Instead, he seemed genuinely interested in the so-called "wizard duel."
After all, it touched on an area even he knew little about.
Wizard duels?
It sounded rather intriguing.
And right at that moment, Ron stepped up.
He declared that he would act as Harry's second in the duel.
What's more, right in front of a thoroughly bewildered Harry, Ron went ahead and arranged to meet Malfoy at midnight in the trophy room.
Even after Malfoy left, Harry was still too stunned to speak.
Sherlock soon learned all the details from Ron's rambling explanation, including the rules of wizard dueling.
He wasted no time drawing a conclusion.
"A wizard duel," Sherlock summarized, "is a formalized, ritualized form of conflict rooted in wizarding tradition."
Ron blinked in surprise. "Hey… that actually sounds about right. You figured that out so quickly?"
"It's just tradition—based on medieval knight duels. The only difference is the restriction to using magic."
Sherlock waved dismissively. "Sadly, the chivalric spirit of those days is mostly extinct now. But anyway—did you seriously volunteer to be Harry's second?"
"According to the rules," Sherlock continued calmly, "if one duelist dies, their second is obligated to take their place."
"Ron…"
Harry's face went pale. Just as he was about to speak, Ron quickly added upon noticing his expression:
"Well, yes, technically… but you and Malfoy don't know enough magic to actually hurt each other. At worst, you'll just be flinging sparks."
Harry breathed a sigh of relief—only to glance nervously at Sherlock again.
"But what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?" he asked.
"Then throw your wand away and punch him square in the nose."
Before Sherlock could answer, Ron had already chimed in.
"…."
Harry stared blankly for a moment, then looked back to Sherlock pleadingly.
"Solid suggestion," Sherlock said with a nod. "Sometimes, achieving your objective requires abandoning formalities."
For the first time, Ron found himself receiving Sherlock's approval—and instantly became more confident and self-assured.
"…But if it were me," Sherlock added, "I wouldn't go tonight."
"Why not?"
Ron, still riding his wave of courage, was stunned. "Backing out of a duel is the act of a coward!"
So un-Gryffindor!
"Bravery is the best disguise for stupidity," Sherlock said dryly. "Draco Malfoy never intended to show up. Harry, I'll bet you a Galleon—if you go, the one waiting there won't be Malfoy, but Filch."
Harry blanched again.
"No way! Absolutely not!"
Ron instantly objected. "Sure, Malfoy's a git, but he's still a member of one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight…"
"Shut it, Ron. You're dragging down the entire house's average IQ."
Ron: (°ー°〃)
"When you mentioned acting as Harry's second," Sherlock continued coolly, "Malfoy only then picked either Crabbe or Goyle on the spot."
"If he were really serious about the duel, he wouldn't make that decision so last-minute. That's a clear sign he's just stalling—trying to lure you into a trap."
"He was hiding it, but if you'd paid close attention, you'd have noticed he was limping slightly on his right leg—probably from an accident during flying class."
"I'd wager neither of you noticed he didn't linger on his broomstick yesterday like he usually does."
Harry and Ron exchanged looks. They hadn't noticed at all.
Damn it, Harry thought. Was this just another difference between looking and observing?
"And his reaction when you chose Ron as your second?" Sherlock went on. "Far too calm."
"If I were Malfoy and saw you pick Ron instead of me, I'd be thrilled—or at least relieved."
Ron: _〆(Д｀)
"But Malfoy didn't react."
Ignoring Ron's sulking face entirely, Sherlock gave his final verdict:
"He didn't care who accompanied Harry—because he never planned to duel in the first place."
"As for that whole 'Sacred Twenty-Eight pure-blood families' nonsense? Just self-indulgent rubbish."
Sherlock scoffed.
Honestly, what century is this? Still clinging to blood purity?
In some ways, the wizarding world was regressing instead of advancing.
Sherlock's influence over Harry was undeniable.
In the end, Harry was convinced not to attend the duel.
And as it turned out—Sherlock was right.
The next day, Malfoy never mentioned the duel again.
In fact, he looked genuinely surprised when he saw Harry and Ron safe and sound.
Ron, grateful that Harry had listened to Sherlock, kept quiet about how he had still been egging Harry on the previous night—though he certainly wasn't about to admit that now.
Instead, he took the opportunity to mercilessly mock Malfoy.
With the help of Fred and George spreading the word, news that Malfoy had challenged Harry but never showed up soon spread across the school.
For quite some time afterward, Draco Malfoy couldn't lift his head in public.
And the Gryffindor students gained an even deeper respect for Sherlock.
Slowly but surely, more students began seeking him out for help with everyday problems.
Sherlock rarely turned them away. He saw it as the perfect way to deepen his understanding of the magical world.
The one who came to him most often was his dormmate, Neville.
His pet toad, Trevor, had an uncanny talent for going missing every few days.
As for Malfoy, he wasn't one to take humiliation lying down.
If one scheme failed, he'd just come up with another.
He kept a close eye on Harry, waiting for the right moment to regain his pride.
And that opportunity was coming soon…
-----
30 Advance Chapters on Patreon!
p(a)treon(.)com/HudaLin
-Remove the parenthesis to access patreon normally
Thanks for the Support!