Chapter 120: The Beginning of the New Term

Sherlock found himself agreeing to the decision set forth by Headmaster Dumbledore. He was, after all, rather intrigued by the creature that wreaked havoc in the British magical community since its escape from Germany. Sherlock indulged himself in a few more moments of conversation with Dumbledore before he exited the headmaster's office.

Traveling to the fifth floor, he had been informed that the Unspeakable from the German Ministry of Magic, a witch named Hilke, had taken residence in one of the lounges. Sherlock knocked on the door, which eerily swung open a crack by itself with no immediate answer from inside.

After a moment's hesitation, he pushed the door wide open, stepping into the lounge. The room was cloaked in darkness. It was a cloudy day, but no day required the illumination of a lamp inside the Hogwarts castle. However, this room did – its occupant had drawn the curtains to intentionally shroud the room in an ominously dark atmosphere. Sherlock's eyes were drawn to the single source of light, a faintly glowing candlestick centered on a table. This flickering glow was just sufficient to reveal a circle of no more than half a meter.

Hilke, the seer from Germany, sat serenely opposite the candlestick. A pale blue teacup, devoid of any contents save for some fine tea leaves at the bottom, perched in front of her. Sherlock's frown deepened as he entered the room. Before he could extend a greeting, Hilke spoke in a whisper, "Please close the door."

Upon her request, he turned and gently closed the entrance, allowing silence to blanket the room once more. The room was cast back into semi-darkness, with the only light emanating from the candle reflecting on her pale, smooth chin. Despite the dimness, she kept her hood aloft, keeping all but the lower part of her face concealed.

Sherlock then took a seat across from her, his curiosity piqued. "Why don't you open the curtains?" he queried.

Her response was succinct; "It's clearer in the dark."

Sherlock noted the cup in front of her "Ah, tea leaf divination," he muttered. This was one of the most prevalent and practicable forms of fortune-telling in the wizarding world and a compulsory segment of the divination class at Hogwarts. The woman was clearly a seer, however, her manner of speaking wasn't fanciful and bombastic, as most diviners tend to be. Instead, she was straight to the point, using as few words as possible.

Sherlock studied the leaves in her cup for a while, failing to decipher any cohesive meaning. It wasn't from a lack of understanding about tea leaf divination, no, he was simply bereft of the inherent capability to interpret the complex language of divination. To him, the seeming patterns of destiny and the trajectory of the world faded into chaotic nonsense.

"And what, pray tell, are you divining?" Sherlock asked, his eyes still trained on the cup's contents.

"Its purpose," she replied.

Sherlock narrowed his gaze, musing over her vague response. " 'It'? "

Hilke lifted her head slightly. Although Sherlock only saw her small, fair nose and the veil of darkness under her hood, he had the distinct sensation of being enigmatically studied. "Are you Dumbledore's overseer?"

The directness of her question took Sherlock by surprise, causing a series of coughs. "Cough, cough... Oh no, don't misunderstand. I am not here to oversee you, I have simply been designated as your liaison during your stay at Hogwarts."

Hilke nodded, immersed once more in her silent examination of the tea leaves within her cup. Sherlock lost the feeling of being watched as she proceeded to talk, her voice ringing clear and otherworldly amidst the silence.

"It accumulates power through emotion," she stated, the coolness of her words clashing against her cryptic message. "It's not for me to reveal its specifics, but if you are indeed Dumbledore's representative, then you can accompany me when I locate it, and gain understanding for yourself."

Sherlock was surprised to see her speak so clearly and openly, but he found relief in her candor. He was not impressed by red tape; if Hilke could be this frank, he had no reason to indulge in unnecessary complexities.

"All right then," he conceded. "If you have any upcoming tasks or unveil any insights related to 'it', seek me out in the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's office on the third floor."

Hilke acknowledged his agreement with a simple nod. Their short encounter ended with Sherlock exiting the room, leaving Hilke to her quiet contemplation. She remained immutable, her gaze fixed on the tea leaves in the bottom of the teacup, not moving an inch, almost indistinguishable from a marble statue sculpted in the dim light.

...

As evening neared, the sky let loose a downpour. The Great Hall was festooned with decorations, crowded with professors anxiously awaiting the arrival of the students for the term's initiation feast. Adjoining Sherlock, Rubeus Hagrid sat eagerly, his exhilaration cast as a visible glow under his dense beard.

This year, the school had a new Care of Magical Creatures Professor. Silvanus Kettleburn, who heldd the post previously, had retired due to his advanced age and increasingly challenging handicap in his legs. When Sherlock initially encountered Kettleburn, a debilitated old man, bravely persevering in his teaching duties, pangs of sympathy stirred within him. Now, Kettleburn was succeeded by none other than Hagrid.

In all sincerity, Sherlock harbored doubts regarding Hagrid's aptitude to meet the demanding obligations of the role. Hagrid undeniably embodied generosity, kindness, and an enthusiastic spirit, qualities requisite of a great friend and his professional expertise and experience with magical creatures was commendable.

However, regularly, he demonstrated a questionable approach to assessing the danger of certain magical creatures. Owing to his extraordinary size and constitution, perilous magical creatures often seemed considerably less threatening to him, leading him to inadvertently assume the same was true for everyone.

The incident involving Aragog in the Forbidden Forest from the previous term was a case in point. His shaky hypothesis was that Aragog would treat his students with the same respect shown to him due to Harry's friendship. Undoubtedly, had it not been for Sherlock's timely arrival, Harry and Ron could've ended up as prey for the spiders.

Despite these misgivings, Dumbledore granted Hagrid this opportunity, and Sherlock held the belief that, given time, Hagrid would rectify his disproportional perceptions.

Gradually, the Great Hall filled with students, all sans the incoming first-years. The students looked more haggard than usual due to an unexpected inspection by a Dementor on the Hogwarts Express. These creatures had a tendency to disrupt the well-being of the students, despite the necessity of the aforementioned safety measures.

Fortunately, Remus Lupin, the newly-appointed teaching assistant for Defense Against the Dark Arts, had been present on the train to combat the Dementors with a Patronus charm, thereby sparing the students from a potentially perilous experience. Nevertheless, upon arrival at Hogwarts, Madame Pomfrey rushing towards them, clutching dozens of chocolate bars, provided a modicum of comfort to the most distressed students. Consuming sweet foods was a simple remedial method for alleviating discomfort caused by exposure to Dementors.

Harry Potter was singled out yet again by the Dementors, resulting in him briefly losing consciousness. The occurrence was incredibly embarrassing, taking place as it did in front of a raft of students, dealing a striking blow to his mood. Upon his revival, he found himself at the end of some taunts from Draco Malfoy. This led to Harry vehemently declining Madame Pomfrey's well-intended advice to spend the night under her care in the hospital wing. He insisted on returning to the Great Hall for the start-of-the-year feast within the school walls.

Having ascertained his fit state of health, Professor McGonagall finally relented, allowing Harry to partake in the feast. The start-of-the-year Sorting ceremony had already been completed when Harry arrived at the bustling Great Hall.

Following the extinguished noise within the Great Hall, Dumbledore dedicated the lull before the commencement of the feast to the declaration of some announcements. The first was a rather unwelcome one - the Dementors would henceforth be patrolling the school's exits for the term, discouraging escapades outside the school premises for all students, regardless of their possession of an Invisibility Cloak, or Marauders Map.

The second announcement involved the introduction of two fresh introductions to the teaching staff.

"Given the pressing engagements of your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Professor Forester, the school has thoughtfully employed an assistant to shoulder some of his teaching responsibilities. Professor Lupin has graciously agreed to join hands with Professor Forester. Starting this term, he will be responsible for the first through fourth years of Defense Against the Dark Arts, while Professor Forester continues to nurture the fifth to seventh year students in preparation for their imminent NEWT exams."

Despite his less than polished appearance in the midst of other impeccably dressed professors, Lupin's introduction was met with applause from a clutch of students, a tactile expression of gratitude for his interference aboard the Hogwarts Express. Harry and his friends joined in the applause, clapping enthusiastically. But Harry looked contemplative.

"What do you think that means? Pressing engagements?" he pondered aloud to his friends.

Hermione expressed her concerns. "I don't know.. but I'm disappointed that we won't have Professor Forester this year. He's the best teacher we've had, it's unlikely that Professor Lupin's will be a good replacement."

Ron, however, seemed quite optimistic. "Going by his performance on the train, he is definitely nothing like Quirrel, he seems more the practical type. I reckon he'll be even more fun than Forester!"

While the trio conversed, Dumbledore proceeded to introduce the second new addition to the faculty - the beloved Hagrid. The announcement brought immeasurable joy to Harry and his friends, knowing that becoming a professor at Hogwarts was a dream come true for Hagrid. After his name had been cleared following the previous year's incident of the Chamber of Secrets, Hagrid was legally re-integrated into the wizarding community. He could now openly practice magic and was appointed as a professor at Hogwarts.

After the introductions, Dumbledore pronounced the banquet officially opened. Seated in the elevated area specifically arranged for professors, Sherlock found himself in his first interaction with Lupin.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Professor Lupin," he greeted, toasting his glass lightly against Lupin's. Lupin, with his ragged appearance and sallow complexion, emanated an aura of ailments. However, his pleasant demeanor radiated a mild-mannered personality.

"Actually this isn't our first meeting, Sherlock. May I address you as such? Although you were very young when we first met, and likely don't remember, this would technically be our second encounter."