Sherlock quickly went forward to help Dumbledore, who was standing up from the ground.
"What's wrong, Professor? Why did you suddenly fall?"
In front of Dumbledore, he naturally wouldn't show his cold side, but instead expressed his concern considerately.
Dumbledore, who had accidentally tripped, didn't mind at all that Sherlock had seen him in such an embarrassing state. He chuckled as Sherlock held his arm.
"I'm getting old; sometimes my legs and feet just aren't as reliable as they used to be."
Sherlock looked back at the spot where Dumbledore had just fallen; it was just an ordinary step, as plain as could be.
Although these stairs were sentient and often enjoyed playing pranks on students, they likely weren't bold enough to prank the Headmaster.
So in all probability, Dumbledore had just experienced a perfectly mundane trip on flat ground… Sherlock couldn't help but complain inwardly.
He hadn't expected Headmaster Dumbledore, at such an age, to actually possess such a clumsy attribute.
Reaching the first-floor corridor, Dumbledore waved his hand and moved away from Sherlock's support.
"I'm not so old that I need you to be my walking stick all the time, Sherlock. I really liked the Christmas gift you gave me. Only you always remember that I like eating Cockroach Clusters, and you send me a box every year."
Moving candies that looked exactly like cockroaches—if the original owner hadn't seen it with his own eyes, who would have thought your tastes were so eccentric?
Of course, Sherlock only dared to say these things in his head; on the surface, he still spoke with concern.
"Actually, Professor, I think you should exercise some moderation with sweets now. Eating too much sugar isn't good for your health."
"At my age, I don't have many other desires left."
Dumbledore gave Sherlock a playful wink. "While I can still eat some, I'll eat a bit more. Who knows when I might not be able to eat them anymore?"
"You're joking, Professor," Sherlock said seriously. "Your health is excellent; it's enough for you to live another hundred years."
Dumbledore laughed heartily.
"You've become more mischievous than before, Sherlock. You never used to flatter me."
"I'm not doing that now either, Professor."
"Change isn't a bad thing. I actually hope what you just said to me was truly just a compliment and not from the heart."
They chatted as they walked into the Great Hall; most of the students staying at school had not yet come down for breakfast at this time.
Hagrid was carrying a fir tree on his shoulder, looking for a suitable place to set it down in the Great Hall.
Professor Flitwick from Charms Class was standing beside him giving directions; in a while, he would be adding some beautiful decorations to the tree.
Professor McGonagall was conjuring various Christmas wreaths made of holly and mistletoe onto the walls around the Great Hall.
Tonight, there would be a Christmas feast in the castle—not many people would attend, but it would still be grand enough.
It wasn't just the students staying in the castle; many professors at Hogwarts hadn't started their own families, so this was essentially their home. Naturally, they spent Christmas in the castle every year.
Then there were the ghosts; their favorite holiday of the year was Halloween, but Christmas was still a holiday worth celebrating.
There were others who weren't professors but were Hogwarts staff, such as Hagrid the Keeper of Keys and Grounds, Filch the castle caretaker, and Madam Pince the librarian.
So, although the Christmas feast wasn't as crowded as the Start-of-Term Feast, it was still very lively.
It had been snowing for a week now. After breakfast, most of the students headed out of the castle to play in the snow or go skating on the frozen Black Lake.
Sherlock stayed in the Great Hall to assist Professors Flitwick and McGonagall,
helping to add some decorative touches to the Great Hall.
"How about adding some stars?"
Professor Flitwick stroked his chin with one hand and gave his wand a gentle flick toward the Christmas tree; many bright silver stars appeared on it.
Sherlock observed carefully for a moment and shook his head.
"Golden stars would be more suitable."
He waved his wand, changing the stars Professor Flitwick had conjured into a shimmering gold.
"Aha! Very nice. We can also add some other decorations to it."
Flitwick waved his wand at the Christmas tree again, and the entire tree began to emit tiny particles of light.
Decorating the Great Hall wasn't difficult; in less than a morning, most of it was nearly finished.
Having some free time, Sherlock didn't plan to spend this rare day of relaxation busy with work and magic.
He walked out of the castle, intending to take a stroll along the Black Lake to relax.
Just then, Harry and Ron were returning from the Quidditch pitch; they naturally wouldn't be doing any Quidditch training on Christmas Day.
It was just that there was plenty of snow there, and many students were playing in it. Both Harry and Ron had rosy faces, clearly having just returned from a snowball fight.
"I'm certain they were cheating with magic in secret. That snowball flew straight at my forehead like it had eyes."
"Don't talk about them; we cheated secretly too. I saw you hide a Dungbomb Fred gave you inside the snowball you threw at the Slytherins."
They chatted as they walked toward the castle, happening to run right into Sherlock as he was coming out.
Sherlock's eyes met theirs, and Harry and Ron immediately averted their gaze like mice seeing a cat.
But since they had already run into him, they obviously couldn't just leave.
So, Harry and Ron could only greet Sherlock uneasily.
"Good morning, Professor Cavendish."
They didn't dare wish Sherlock a Merry Christmas. If he wished it back, their Christmas would be ruined.
Sherlock looked at the strange behavior of these two troublemakers today and raised an eyebrow slightly.
"What mistake have you made this time?"
Harry scratched his hair.
"No, Professor. It's Christmas; what mistake could we possibly make?"
"Exactly, we've been very well-behaved."
Sherlock naturally didn't believe their nonsense. In all of Hogwarts, aside from George and Fred, these two were the biggest troublemakers.
However, it was Christmas after all, and Sherlock didn't want to ruin their holiday mood, so he said calmly,
"As long as you're being well-behaved. Go play. I hope you have a fun Christmas—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Harry and Ron's expressions changed instantly, and they hurriedly interrupted.
"My stomach hurts, Professor! I have to go back to the castle first!"
"I'll go with Harry to help him get some medicine!"
The two of them fled back into the castle, leaving a bewildered Sherlock wondering what on earth they were up to.