Chapter 55: When 'Pranks' Go Awry

"Professor, I fear we've been assigned an inordinate amount of homework this term," began Hermione Granger, with an earnest and unusually somber expression in her fathomless brown eyes.

Sherlock Forester, the esteemed Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, raised his eyebrows in unexpected surprise. He even questioned whether he had heard her correctly.

"You believe I've bestowed upon you an excess of homework?" he echoed, seeking clarification.

Without missing a beat, Hermione nodded assertively, her expression firm and grave. "Indeed, Professor. Writing an essay on a parchment over a foot long seems an unreasonable expectation for the festive holiday break."

Sherlock however, furrowed his brows in perplexity at Hermione's unlikely concern. This was an odd, yet sincere, complaint to be made during office hours. He had been on the Hogwarts faculty for a term now and had familiarized himself with the typical workload assigned by his colleagues.

Undoubtedly, a foot-long essay was far from a minuscule task. If all professors assigned such a magnitude of homework, there'd scarcely be any leisure time left. All students would inevitably find themselves subsumed by their academics. Yet in his defense, considering the length of the Christmas break, inferior only to the lengthy summer holidays in its duration, this breadth of homework seemed plausible.

Additionally, one must bear in mind that there was an element of ambiguity to the lettering size on parchment. Aside from excessive misuse, Sherlock opted to turn a blind eye to this criterion. What truly baffled him was who this complaint was coming from. The ever-diligent Hermione Granger, registering a complaint about an implausible amount of work, seemed out of sorts.

Sherlock smelt something fishy about the whole thing. Knowing that Hermione played a pivotal role in the team, he sensed that this unexpected change in behavior had the potential to be linked to recent events circulating at Hogwarts.

Meeting Hermione's unwavering gaze with a composed countenance, he cordially responded. "I am of the conviction, Miss Granger, that I haven't assigned any unnecessary homework. And in any other case, I might view this allegation as a mask for indolence, but knowing your determination, I am led to believe there's a different issue underlying your struggle. I would welcome your thoughts on why you believe it's not in your capacity to complete this assignment during the Christmas holidays."

Latching onto a ray of hope, Hermione reciprocated Sherlock's gaze with an unexpectedly soft voice. "Professor, are you saying that you have faith in my ability to complete the holiday task punctually, regardless of unpredicted hiccups?"

Since something about this conversation wasn't adding up, Sherlock picked up on Hermione's avoidance, her struggle concealed by her unusually low voice. He sensed a premonition of an unconfessed constraint. Before he could raise any conjectures, Hermione hastily interjected.

"Thank you for your unwavering faith in me, Professor Forester. I assure you I can finish my work in a timely manner!" she exclaimed, her voice beaming with triumph as if she had attained a long-cherished goal.

But her words left Sherlock scratching his head. "Wait, what?" he muttered, baffled by her reaction.

Showing no signs of slowing down, Hermione hastily assured Sherlock. "Please bear with me for a moment, Professor. I'll bring my completed work shortly." Before Sherlock could react, she darted out of his office with exceptional speed. Taking a moment to collect herself, Hermione dashed into a classroom, retrieved an incomplete assignment from Harry, filled in the missing sections and stormed back into Sherlock's office.

Barely three minutes had lapsed. Hermione's calculated rush left Sherlock in utter confusion. When she finally handed over her completed assignment, the incident felt like a brilliantly choreographed performance. Sprawled in front of him was a completed holiday assignment, spectacularly done in Hermione's hand. What was he supposed to make of this? Was this a prank played by Hermione?

With an earnest look on her face, Hermione couldn't help but pop the question, "Professor, does my work meet the specified requirements?"

Caught unprepared, Sherlock took a moment to peruse Hermione's neatly completed assignment that she had prepared and submitted well before the due date. The script was immaculate; tiny letters systematically filling up the entire length of the parchment. It bore the unmistakable mark of hard work and meticulous effort. The content was exhaustively researched and concentrated on boggarts, their behavioral traits, and detection methods. Absorbed and confused by Hermione's sudden prank, Sherlock juggled between comprehending the assignment and Hermione's intentions.

Taking advantage of the unusual silence, Hermione probed again, a slight impatience seeping into her voice. "Professor, does my work meet your standards?"

Sherlock promptly responded, unable to decode the sudden flurry of events, "Your work is indeed commendable, Miss Granger. However, you admitted to not being able to complete it prior to this meeting. What led to the change of heart?"

Caught off guard, Hermione's face turned scarlet as she stuttered, "My apologies, Professor, I intended it as a small prank on you…"

Skeptical, Sherlock replied, "Simply a prank?" Hermione, her face burning up, felt guilty. She had just repudiated Harry and Ron's behavior towards Professor Sherlock and yet, here she was hoodwinking the same person. But some mystery compelled her to keep the truth concealed. "Yes, Professor – merely a prank. That was imprudent of me."

Although Sherlock felt an inexplicable disconnect, he chose not to pursue the matter further. All indications led him to believe that Hermione must have picked up these tactics from her friends Harry and Ron. "Pranks can often lead to unanticipated consequences, Miss Granger," he said with a stern demeanour, "While your commitment to your work is praiseworthy, I feel obliged to deduct three house points from Gryffindor based on today's behavior. Make sure this serves as a reminder."

A remorseful Hermione whispered, "I understand, Professor. I assure you this lapse of judgement won't be replicated."

Sherlock nodded, finally feeling the end of his confusion. He gestured Hermione towards the door, permitting her to leave. "I advise you to keep up your high standards, even during the holidays. Oh, and have a joyful Christmas break." No sooner had the words left his mouth than Hermione seemed to freeze where she stood, her face turned pale.

Like a suspended animation, she stood there - frozen, lost - her world drained of all color. The only words resounding in her ears in a haunting echo were Sherlock's parting words.

"Wishing you a... joyful Christmas break."

"... a joyful... Christmas break."

"... Christmas break... joyful."

"... break... joyful."

"... joyful."

"..."

No response at all.