The day after Colin's attack, a wave of panic swept through Hogwarts.
However, the Christmas holidays were about to begin, and the prefects started tallying the students applying to stay at school for the upcoming break.
After the morning Potions class ended, Harry, Ron, and Hermione surreptitiously gathered together in Myrtle's bathroom on the first floor.
"I saw Malfoy sign the stay-at-school list. He plans to stay at Hogwarts this Christmas; there's definitely something fishy about that!" Ron said with a look of certainty.
Hermione was stirring the potion in the cauldron. The most critical step of the Polyjuice Potion required simmering twelve lacewing flies for twenty-one days.
"Since the three of us are staying at school for Christmas anyway, it's the perfect chance to see what they're up to."
Harry's current focus wasn't on Malfoy; he still remembered what he had said yesterday about testing Sherlock.
"We have Defence Against the Dark Arts class this afternoon. We can test Professor Cavendish after class."
Hermione put the lid on the cauldron, looked up at him, and asked,
"What do you plan to do?"
Harry said with a relaxed expression,
"It couldn't be simpler. We just need to ask Professor Cavendish how he thinks the weather is today."
"And then?"
"And then we observe the subsequent changes in the weather."
Harry looked through the window at the clear sky outside.
"Looking at the current situation, any normal person would think today is a bright, sunny day, right?"
Even after analysing every clue with Harry yesterday, Hermione still found it hard to believe the idea that Sherlock was a jinx.(TN: This storyline about him being a jinx is weird as hell.)
"Professor Cavendish is, at most, just a slightly powerful wizard; he's not a god. How could he change the weather just by saying something?"
Harry and Ron exchanged a look. Both of them had experienced Sherlock's poisoned milk, and they were already beginning to doubt whether Sherlock was human or a god.
"Whether we believe it or not, we'll find out if we try today."
By the afternoon, the sky remained cloudless, as if it had exhausted all the bad weather from previous days; now, there were only several consecutive days of sunshine.
In the second-year Defence Against the Dark Arts class, Sherlock was telling them about the last Dark Arts creature they would study this semester.
"...Regarding the Boggart, I have already clarified the key points of this lesson. After Christmas ends and before the next class begins, you are to hand in a holiday assignment one foot of parchment long. The main content should be about the habits of the Boggart, the reasons for its appearance, and the best way to deal with it."
"I seem to have spotted a Boggart in the castle recently. If I can find it before the next class, then we will have a practical lesson next time, allowing you to personally experience what it's like to deal with a Boggart."
The students below cheered; this wasn't the first time they had a practical lesson.
Previously, Sherlock had used his connection with Hagrid to bring in a few Cornish pixies, as well as some grindylows kept in water tanks.
The students showed great enthusiasm for practical lessons, which was naturally a good thing. Sherlock also planned to increase the proportion of practical lessons in the curriculum next semester.
Just as he finished assigning the homework and announced the end of class, the three of them—Harry, Ron, and Hermione—lingered behind all the other students. After everyone else had left, they surrounded Sherlock.
"Professor, we have a question we'd like to ask you."
Hearing this, Sherlock set down his things. Having truly adapted to life at Hogwarts, he was no longer surprised by such things.
Although the students in this castle weren't exactly hardworking in their studies, there were always some young wizards truly interested in magic who frequently came to seek his guidance.
While teaching them, Sherlock could also gain a deeper understanding of this basic magical knowledge himself, making it a mutually beneficial matter.
"Ask your question. Was there something in today's class you didn't understand?"
Hearing Sherlock's words, the three of them looked at each other as if egging one another on.
Ultimately, it was Harry who stepped forward. He pretended to be calm, but Sherlock could clearly see he was somewhat nervous as he asked,
"Professor Cavendish, what do you think... the weather is like today?"
Hearing this question, Sherlock was momentarily stunned. He then looked at the trio's expectant expressions with a strange look on his face.
"What kind of tricks are you playing?"
He shook his head and picked up his teaching materials again, preparing to leave the classroom.
"If you want to know about the weather, you should go ask your Professor Trelawney; she might give some sort of reliable prophecy."
Sherlock's tone clearly grew cold. He wondered if he had been too nice to these bratty kids lately, making them think he was easy to mess with.
"No, Professor, we're not pulling a prank or joking."
Seeing that Sherlock seemed about to get angry, Harry and the others hurried after him to explain.
"We really just want to ask you, how do you feel the weather is today?"
Harry, Ron, and Hermione pleaded all the way, following Sherlock right to his office door.
Sherlock was annoyed beyond belief. Before entering his office, he looked up at the sky outside.
Although the temperature was a bit cold, it was cloudless; clearly, it should be good weather for the next few days.
So, in order to get some peace and quiet, he perfunctorily said to Harry and the others,
"Today's weather should be good. If you want to play Quidditch, go ahead. If you have real questions about defensive magic, you can come ask me, but don't bother me with this other nonsense."
With a "bang," Sherlock closed his office door, while Harry and the other two stood outside with delighted faces.
"Professor Cavendish just said the weather is pretty good today, right?"
Ron confirmed what Sherlock had just said once more with Harry and Hermione.
Hermione nodded.
"If Harry's guess is right and Professor Cavendish is a natural jinx, then the weather should turn bad next."
Next, the three of them didn't return to the Common Room, nor did they wander around the castle as usual. Instead, they leaned against the window of an empty classroom, the three of them side by side with their heads tilted back, observing the sky.
But they waited until their necks were sore, and they still didn't see the slightest sign of the clear sky being covered by dark clouds.
Hermione massaged her aching neck and complained dissatisfiedly.
"I knew this guess wasn't reliable at all. How could anyone truly be a jinx that works every single time—"
But before she could finish her sentence, Ron and Harry beside her suddenly let out excited shouts.
"Snow! It's snowing! It's snowing at Hogwarts!"
Hermione was instantly stunned.
She stared blankly out the window at the snowflakes falling more and more densely from the sky, her expression looking exactly as if she had seen a ghost!