Chapter 51: Snape — “My Rules Are the Rules”

"Enough. Spare us your ridiculous parlor tricks from the Muggle world!"

As soon as Sherlock finished his deduction, Snape's piercing glare shifted from Harry to him.

"Holmes, who exactly do you think you are?

You take a few glances and presume to know what happened here?

Do you actually believe you're some kind of fictional detective?"

"It's called deduction, not presumption."

Snape's oppressive aura didn't faze Sherlock in the slightest. Instead, he calmly corrected him.

"In fact, I do have information that might help in this case—"

"Silence! I've no time for your tedious monologues," Snape snapped.

"What I do have time for is this—"

He sneered.

"Gryffindor will lose twenty points because of this incident."

Despite Professor McGonagall standing right beside him, Snape didn't hesitate in the slightest as he announced the punishment.

The moment those words left his lips, Harry, Ron, and Hermione's faces darkened—though Sherlock's remained composed as ever.

Hermione, especially, felt a pang of guilt. After all, everything had started because of her.

As for Professor McGonagall, she remained impassive. Her lack of objection suggested a reluctant acceptance of Snape's decision.

And then—

She said something that stunned everyone present.

"Mr. Holmes, would you care to share your thoughts?"

"Professor McGonagall!"

Snape turned sharply to her. "Are you seriously asking a first-year—a mere child—to blather on about matters beyond his depth?

I suggest a more fitting punishment would be a week's detention—"

"Thank you, Professor Snape," McGonagall interrupted coldly, not taking her eyes off Sherlock.

"I know exactly what I'm doing. Mr. Holmes is one of my students, and as such, I have both the right and the responsibility to hear him out."

She then turned back to Sherlock. "Go on, Mr. Holmes."

"This was a premeditated act."

Under the scrutiny of three professors and three students, Sherlock didn't waste time.

"The person who left the bloody letters was a man.

He's under six feet tall, middle-aged, and right-handed.

He moves with agility and cunning, but currently finds himself in distress.

This wasn't his idea—it was done under someone else's orders.

Also, the wand he used should be roughly nine inches long..."

"Enough!"

As Sherlock's analysis gained momentum, the astonishment on everyone's faces deepened.

Until a cold voice suddenly cut in:

"That's quite enough."

Snape stared icily at Sherlock, his tone laced with unfiltered contempt and mockery.

"Holmes, the great detective?"

"I told you already—drop your absurd games."

"Maybe such nonsense has value in the Muggle world, but in this world..."

Snape's eyes narrowed.

"...I suggest you tread carefully."

He paused, then added with feigned thoughtfulness,

"Oh—and another ten points from Gryffindor. For spouting nonsense in front of a professor."

Harry, Hermione, and Ron were utterly horrified.

If the first deduction of points had any semblance of a legitimate reason—wandering around during the troll incident—this was plain vindictiveness.

Who's the one talking nonsense here?!

This wasn't punishment—it was spite disguised as discipline.

But Snape was a professor.

No matter how unjust the deduction seemed, they couldn't protest directly.

Otherwise, Snape might double it.

Because that's just the kind of man he was—arbitrary and unapologetically biased.

So the trio could only look pleadingly to McGonagall.

She was known for her sense of fairness and justice.

She had to intervene.

Especially since she was their Head of House.

But to their utter dismay, McGonagall looked Sherlock straight in the eye and said:

"I'm very disappointed in you."

The words struck like a hammer blow.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione's hearts sank all at once.

How could this be happening?

Was Sherlock's display really that unacceptable?

In hindsight... maybe.

Even though he had acted confident, the things he said were almost too bizarre to believe.

Even the three of them—who'd witnessed Sherlock's genius firsthand—had difficulty fully accepting it.

So it made sense that someone like McGonagall, who didn't know him well, would find it unbelievable.

Still… a deduction just for that? Wasn't it excessive?

Then something unexpected happened.

The usually timid Professor Quirrell, still looking weak and shaken, quietly said:

"Professor… there's no such rule for that kind of point deduction…"

The trio's eyes lit up.

For the first time ever, Quirrell's constant garlic stench didn't feel so unbearable.

But—

Snape shut it down in one sharp retort:

"My rules are the rules."

Quirrell: *Σ(｀д′ノ)ノ

And that wasn't the end of it.

Snape gave him a frosty glare and added:

"And what you should be doing is going back to your quarters—now."

Quirrell: o((⊙﹏⊙))o.

Seeing even a fellow professor get steamrolled like that, Harry and the others knew better than to argue.

Only Sherlock remained unmoved.

He wore a thoughtful expression, quietly absorbing everything.

McGonagall acted as though nothing had happened. She looked at the group and said:

"If none of you are injured, return to Gryffindor Tower immediately. The Halloween Feast is being served in your common room."

---

"Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!"

Ron was practically fuming as they made their way back.

"Snape's lost it! That wasn't even a real reason!

I'll bet my wand he just made that up on the spot!"

Harry and Hermione both nodded emphatically.

The earlier tension between them and Hermione had vanished after the troll incident.

Now that they had a common enemy—Snape—the three were united in frustration.

Even Hermione, usually respectful toward professors, didn't hold back her complaints this time.

But then Sherlock said something that caught them all off guard:

"Actually, Professor Snape is a good person."

"...Huh?"

The three of them whipped their heads toward him, eyes wide.

Sherlock said seriously,

"More precisely, he's a despicable but kind-hearted man."

"..."

"???"

"How can you even put those two words together?" Hermione gaped.

"They're not contradictory in meaning. Why shouldn't they go together?" Sherlock replied.

Hermione paused.

Technically, "despicable" and "kind-hearted" weren't exact antonyms.

But... when said out loud together, they just sounded so wrong.

Ron, still bitter, asked why Sherlock didn't bring him and Harry along when going to rescue Hermione.

Sherlock's response was blunt:

"I was worried you'd slow me down."

Ron grimaced. "You're really... honest, aren't you?"

"I've said before—I don't lie unless its necessary."

"Well, thanks for the brutal honesty, then."

And so, chatting and bantering along the way, the four finally arrived at the portrait of the Fat Lady.

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