Just a Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor: No More, No Less

Chapter 16: The Hogwarts Express

On the morning of September 1st, Sherlock packed his belongings and boarded the train to London from the Surrey station.

Living not far from downtown London, it only took him about thirty minutes to reach King's Cross Station.

With the ticket Professor McGonagall had given him in hand, Sherlock easily found the wall between Platform Nine and Platform Ten.

A crowd of people, some obviously unusual, gathered around the platform. Among them were children pushing trolleys, many with owls perched on them, and adults dressed in odd, old-fashioned robes. Some even wore pointed hats that looked like something from a drama club, drawing the attention of many passers-by.

"Sevier, I told you to put away your ridiculous hat when we get to the Muggle station! These Muggles just think your hat is strange!"

The witch with the pointed hat was scolded by her husband, who wore a suit on top and beach shorts on the bottom. He glared at her, muttering under his breath.

The witch, looking disgruntled, took off her hat.

"Why do I feel like everyone is looking at you?" she asked, irritated.

"Rubbish! I'm dressed just like a normal Muggle, do you think I'm Vicky?"

Meanwhile, their fifth-year Hogwarts student son covered his face in embarrassment. He'd warned his parents before, but it hadn't made a difference. He just wanted to disappear into the ground.

Sherlock, watching this amusing family moment, couldn't help but smirk, though he quickly suppressed it. Years of training had taught him to maintain composure.

To avoid drawing attention, the wizards, who had come to send their children off to school, did not gather in one place. Instead, they loitered casually around the station, waiting their turn to pass through the magical wall leading to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Even though some of them wore unusual clothing, the Muggles, distracted by their own affairs, wouldn't notice anything unusual once the wizards passed through the barrier. They would quickly forget what they had seen.

This was the effect of the Muggle-Repelling Charm, a spell wizards used when large groups gathered or when they couldn't avoid Muggles, ensuring their magical activities stayed hidden.

As the time to board drew nearer, Sherlock waited his turn. He wasn't carrying much, just a simple suitcase. As for the owl he had bought to send letters, he had let it fly to Hogwarts the day before.

With his suitcase in hand, Sherlock stood before the ordinary-looking wall, took a small breath, and then walked confidently toward it.

As his nose was just a few centimeters from the wall, he instinctively closed his eyes. But his steps didn't falter. The next moment, it felt as if he hadn't passed through anything at all, yet the world around him had changed.

The sounds were different. There were the calls of animals—owls, cats, and even mice—and the chatter of people, most of whom were giving their children last-minute advice.

Sherlock opened his eyes.

He saw the thick steam rising from the Hogwarts Express, the chattering crowd of witches and wizards, cats of all colors weaving between people's feet, and children in robes of all styles saying goodbye to their parents. It was a scene that was utterly different from the Muggle world Sherlock knew. A smile tugged at his lips as he shrugged and walked toward the train with his suitcase in hand.

There were still many empty compartments in the train, but Sherlock walked toward the back and found an empty one. He settled into a seat, the soft hum of the train filling the air.

The journey to Hogwarts would take most of the day, and Sherlock decided to use the time wisely. He took out a quill and parchment, placed them on the table, and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes in quiet meditation.

Sherlock was trying to recall what little he could about the original story. His memory of the events was vague. He had only read the first book in English, but the remaining six had been learned through movie summaries and short video explanations. As a result, his understanding of the plot was one-sided and incomplete.

He remembered the end: Justice had triumphed, and the Boy Who Lived defeated the Dark Lord Voldemort. But when it came to the details, Sherlock couldn't recall much.

After a while, as the train began its journey, Sherlock picked up the quill and wrote two words on the parchment:

"The Chamber of Secrets", "The Basilisk".

These were the only things he remembered from the second book.

He vaguely recalled that a secret chamber had been opened at Hogwarts, and a giant serpent, the Basilisk, had been released, attacking students throughout the year. But none of the students had died. It seemed Voldemort was involved in the scheme somehow.

Beyond that, the details eluded him.

Frustrated by his inability to remember more, Sherlock set down the quill. He took out his wand and tapped it lightly on the parchment with the words "The Chamber of Secrets" and "Basilisk" written on it.

Instantly, the paper shredded into scraps.

The Smashing Spell was one of the most difficult spells Sherlock had mastered, and he had become quite proficient at it.

Opening the compartment window, Sherlock tossed the scraps of paper out. As he watched them float away, he suddenly noticed something peculiar. Above the moving train, a flying car appeared, hovering in the sky!

Inside the car were Harry and Ron, their faces lit with excitement.

Harry spotted Sherlock and waved energetically.

Sherlock's eyes widened in realization. He had completely forgotten about this part of the original plot—the flying car. He watched as the car soared higher, turning into a tiny black dot against the sky.

"Good grief, only young people could pull something like that off," Sherlock muttered to himself, a small smile on his face.

Then, he frowned thoughtfully.

"I wonder if they made it to Hogwarts safely. I think they did."

Meanwhile, in the flying car, Harry and Ron were thoroughly enjoying themselves.

"I think I saw Professor Forrest on the train just now!" Harry said, grinning.

Ron, pretending to be an experienced driver, couldn't resist whistling.

"Well, if we did, we've definitely made an impression on him!"

"Not just the professor," Harry replied with a grin. "Everyone at Hogwarts will be talking about us!"