Chapter 95 "Didn't Regret It"

"People will experience this, and I have always opposed Kingsley's view on it. Some things can't be experienced by just saying it to them. Only when you experience them by yourself alone." Dumbledore knocked on the table, and a cup of tea appeared in front of him and Sherlock.

"How do you feel about your change this time around?"

Sherlock had never been so relaxed in front of Dumbledore, drinking the warm black tea from his cup in one sip, "I feel so good. I've never felt so comfortable."

Dumbledore smiled at him, "I want to hear the details of what happened back then."

Sherlock told of all of their experiences, but he concealed the matter of finding the "Soul Stitching" created by the original Sherlock's mother. Instead, he took the initiative to ask about the mark on his left arm.

He lifted his sleeves, allowing Dumbledore to see the mark on his arm, "The first time I encountered Riddle's diary in the bookstore gave me a strong burning sensation. I met Neville, who he bewitched, and it burns as well. Do you have any idea what this is?"

Dumbledore was not surprised by what Sherlock said. He saw the mark on Sherlock's arm, and his eyes were full of memories.

"This is a protection magic your mother left you."

"My mother?" Sherlock repeated.

Dumbledore looked solemn, "It's also the reason Harry survived Riddle's magic. It wasn't because of anything special about him but because his mother used a protective spell with her own life to protect him. It's the same for you; your mother also protects you."

"Love is the most powerful magic, and this mark is your mother's love for you."

Sherlock looked at the mark on his left arm. He didn't expect it to be similar to the lightning scar on Harry's body.

"Even now, you still don't want to tell me what happened to my parents back then?"

Dumbledore nodded slightly, "It's not that I don't want to tell you, Sherlock. It's that we don't want to recall those things, and we don't want you to know about them. Of course, if one day you have to know about it, someone will tell you more."

There was a brief silence in the office, and Dumbledore spoke softly, "Also, in the end, it was Neville who drew the sword from the Sorting Hat?"

Sherlock nodded, "But you originally planned to have Harry pulled out?"

Dumbledore had a smile on his face, "No, I just wanted to try something. I think anyone can pull it out, but I'm most looking forward to you pulling it out."

"Me?" Sherlock pointed at himself in surprise, "Why?"

"Do you know the origin of this hat?"

He looked at the sorting hat that was placed in the office again.

Sherlock thought for a while, "I have seen records that this hat turned out to be Godric Gryffindor's hat."

"Yes, so does the sword."

Sherlock looked at it in surprise, the sword that had been placed in the cupboard at this moment.

"It was once the sword of Godric Gryffindor." Dumbledore said softly.

"Only someone with true Gryffindor quality can pull it out of the Sorting Hat."

"But I'm a Ravenclaw." Sherlock said in confusion.

Dumbledore smiled, "The choice of house won't limit the development of a person's quality. I hope to see the unique quality of Gryffindor in you, and it's not too bad. I decided to recruit you this year since you made the best decision during that incident."

Sherlock listened to Dumbledore's words and thought for a moment, "Is the rumor about Riddle cursing the position true?"

Dumbledore didn't hide it from him, "It's true; he did jinx it."

Sherlock stared at him closely, "Since you didn't think about me in the first place and hired Lockhart, you already knew he was a liar?"

Dumbledore did not answer his question directly, "During the summer last year, he went to visit a friend of mine, and when I met him, I found out that part of his memory was missing."

"After that, I did some investigation and found a wizard who was famous in the wizarding world, Gilderoy Lockhart. Who found out that he was a liar who stole all his experiences from other people's minds."

"At that time, I couldn't find a professor for this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts class, so I tried to contact him because I thought that a liar like him coming to Hogwarts would definitely reveal his true identity. It may be a meaningful lesson for the students."

"Lockhart is not a fool either. I offered him an invitation at first, but he didn't accept it. It wasn't until I borrowed Harry's name and lured him with the title of Greatest Teacher Hogwawrts would have that he finally failed to resist."

"But then other people discovered his true intent. They also have substantial evidence and sued him in court. This forced me to change my plan for this year and choose you, Sherlock."

Dumbledore blinked, "I even suspected at the time that you reported him in order to remove him from his position as a professor."

Sherlock was stunned when he heard his words. He didn't know if Lockhart's problem had anything to do with the original Sherlock, but after hearing Dumbledore's words, it seemed to be.

"No matter what happened, the decision to get into Hogwarts did not disappoint me," Dumbledore praised.

"Your period has ended prematurely, and you will be the first Defence Against the Dark Arts professor to be re-instated at Hogwarts in decades."

Sherlock didn't ask too much about the position's curse. As Slughorn said, the curse wasn't really that terrible. As long as the person in the position didn't have any crooked thoughts, they wouldn't be affected by it.

He took a deep breath and asked Dumbledore about what he was most concerned about after getting rid of Riddle's diary.

"About Riddle's diary. Although it has been destroyed, there is more than one thing like this out there."