Facing Marietta Edgecombe's defiant retort, Cho Chang felt both relieved and worried.
She was relieved that Sherlock might have been wrong, and her good friend hadn't done anything bad.
She was also worried that Sherlock's deduction was incorrect, which would be embarrassing for him.
Alicia wore a curious expression, like a pure bystander who just wanted to watch the drama unfold.
Only Hermione and Penelope firmly believed that Edgecombe was the culprit.
Hermione's trust in Sherlock needed no explanation, especially since she had just found corroborating evidence.
Penelope believed her own eyes—after all, Edgecombe's previous suspicious behavior was practically a confession without words.
However, seeing the other party's confident demeanor now, both frowned.
What had gone wrong?
Sherlock looked at Edgecombe with the expression one might give an idiot. "If you could be a little more patient, you wouldn't ask such a foolish question."
Following Sherlock's gaze, everyone noticed that Mrs. Norris was repeatedly patting the bottom of Marietta's cabinet with her paws, producing hollow "thump thump" sounds.
"Could it be—"
Several girls simultaneously thought of something upon seeing this scene.
Penelope quickly walked to the bedside cabinet and cast a spell directly at the spot Mrs. Norris was pawing:
"Aparecium!"
With the Revealing Charm, a new drawer suddenly popped out from the bottom of the cabinet.
"This is a hidden compartment with an Extension Charm!"
"Oh my, that's my sandalwood box!"
Hermione and Cho Chang exclaimed simultaneously.
Penelope frowned as she retrieved the sandalwood box from the hidden compartment, opened it, and handed it to Cho Chang.
Seven ceramic pigments were embedded in the sandalwood frame carved with plum, orchid, bamboo, and other plant reliefs, ranging from dark cyan to crimson, as if capturing the four seasons in a small space.
Exactly as Cho Chang had previously described.
"The golden eyeshadow has been used more than the other colors, and the usage marks are the most recent."
Sherlock gave his judgment after just a glance.
"Shimmering golden eyeshadow, when used in social occasions, can make the wearer more charming and attract others' attention."
At this moment, Hermione also recalled Cho Chang's seemingly useless description of the seven-colored eyeshadow.
"Marietta, why?"
Cho Chang turned to Edgecombe, her eyes full of regret and disappointment. "We're supposed to be best friends. You know that if you liked it, I could have easily asked my father to buy another set!"
Edgecombe glanced at Cho Chang, her eyes now cold, no longer showing the false sympathy that Sherlock had previously identified.
"Now that things have come to this, I have nothing to say."
"Then say something! Give me a reason!"
"If I said I was just curious and wanted to play with it for a few days, would you believe me?"
"This—"
Cho Chang hesitated.
"If that were really the case, you could have simply told Cho directly."
Hearing this, Kirke became furious.
"But you not only secretly took the eyeshadow, you even used magic and a hidden compartment with enchantments!"
"Miss Kirke, if you want to know her motive, I can explain."
Sherlock suddenly interjected.
"Right!"
Alicia immediately reacted, looking at Sherlock with amazement. "You mentioned it before!"
Sherlock looked at Hermione: "Hermione, please read what I asked you to find earlier."
Hermione nodded and took out a stack of papers.
"Daily Prophet, March 27th: Mrs. Edgecombe once again receives recognition for Floo Network improvements, this time personally awarded by Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge.
This marks the seventh time in nearly a year that Mrs. Edgecombe has received recognition from the Ministry of Magic.
The Department of Magical Transportation and Floo Network Authority have repeatedly praised Mrs. Edgecombe, recognizing her outstanding contributions to Floo Network monitoring and management—"
The content Hermione read next was similar, all positive evaluations and recognition of Mrs. Edgecombe from the Daily Prophet.
After hearing Hermione's description, the girls began to vaguely understand Sherlock's meaning.
Then Hermione continued: "Edgecombe's Potions grades, while not excellent, are adequate.
However, recently her grades have shown a marked decline—coincidentally, Professor Snape's recent essay topics have involved 'the fragility of familial magical contracts.'"
"Thank you, Hermione."
Seeing Hermione put away the materials, Sherlock turned to Edgecombe:
"Miss Chang previously told me that your mother works at the Ministry of Magic.
She's very busy, even busier than Miss Chang's father.
You once complained to her unintentionally that 'not all parents remember to give their children gifts.' Miss Chang merely remembered this comment without connecting it to anything deeper.
Combined with the Daily Prophet reports, it's not difficult to see that she's a workaholic.
So, I deduce that you developed psychological imbalance due to Mrs. Edgecombe's long-term neglect of family, became jealous of the paternal love Miss Chang receives, and vented your emotions by stealing her precious gift.
The decline in your Potions grades also provides circumstantial evidence."
"Marietta, is this really true?"
Cho Chang looked at Edgecombe in shock, her hand holding the sandalwood box beginning to tremble.
Edgecombe looked at Cho Chang without speaking.
"Jealousy is more pitiful than theft, because it cannot be returned."
When Sherlock said this quietly, Edgecombe finally broke:
"Yes, I did it!"
Edgecombe suddenly screamed, snatched the sandalwood box from Cho Chang's hands, and hurled it toward the floor.
Cho Chang had no time to react, but fortunately Penelope was quicker and cast a protective charm.
Edgecombe's sobbing startled the owl on the windowsill.
Looking at her friend's twisted face, Cho Chang stood frozen in place.
At this moment, Cho Chang suddenly remembered Edgecombe's trembling fingertips when touching the eyeshadow, remembered how she always said "Cho always gets the best things."
Perhaps even before she discovered the missing eyeshadow, this friendship had already lost its color.
"Let's go, Hermione. There's nothing more for us here—Prefect Penelope will handle everything."
Having anticipated this outcome, Sherlock once again said those words:
"Ravenclaw's wisdom ultimately cannot overcome the thorns growing wild in the heart."
After few hours.
"Brilliant, truly brilliant!"
That evening at dinner, when Harry and Ron heard Hermione describe Sherlock's solution to the seven-colored eyeshadow theft case, they couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
Harry, who had been nearly drained of energy by Wood, looked enviously at Hermione sitting beside Sherlock.
If he hadn't gone to training today, he would have been the one accompanying Sherlock on the case, right?
Though he only thought this, Ron directly said it:
"Sherlock, you're really not being fair!
Next time something like this happens, you must include us!"
"I think your real purpose is the Ravenclaw girls' dormitory."
Hermione said irritably.
"What are you saying? Do I look like that kind of person?"
Ron protested indignantly, "But speaking of which, I really haven't been to a girls' dormitory—"
Hermione rolled her eyes helplessly, too lazy to argue with him anymore.
Harry asked about another matter: "How will Ravenclaw handle that girl who stole? Will they expel her?"
During his early days at school, he constantly worried about being expelled for breaking school rules.
He even imagined Dumbledore being lenient and letting him work as Hagrid's assistant.
Several times he dreamed of carrying Hagrid's bags, dragging heavy steps around the grounds, watching enviously as Sherlock and others became wizards.
"No, mate—"
Ron looked at Harry with some surprise. "How could you think that? The punishment for theft is just point deductions and detention, at most calling parents."
Harry breathed a long sigh of relief.
Seeing his best friend's reaction, Ron found it somewhat amusing.
He was about to say something when he noticed Harry's gaze fixed past Sherlock's shoulder toward the Great Hall entrance.
Ron curiously followed his gaze and immediately saw two figures walking toward them past the Ravenclaw blue and silver banners.
Harry and Ron's behavior naturally didn't escape Sherlock's notice.
He turned slightly and saw Cho Chang following behind Penelope.
"They came faster than expected," Sherlock's index finger tapped twice on the oak table, producing short, sharp sounds. "It seems Ravenclaw has made their decision."
Soon, Penelope and Cho Chang reached the table where the four sat.
Harry and Ron didn't know Penelope, but the Ravenclaw prefect badge on her chest, similar to Percy's, immediately revealed her identity.
Undoubtedly, she was a girl who possessed both beauty and intelligence.
However, they quickly turned their attention to the younger Cho Chang.
Her black hair was loosely pinned up with a sandalwood hairpin, with a few strands falling by her neck, swaying gently with her steps.
Harry's fingers unconsciously tightened around his knife.
He had seen Cho Chang before—her smile before Christmas had left a deep impression on him.
But she seemed different now from then.
A few freckles on her nose were like stardust scattered on parchment, not only failing to mar her appearance but parts of youthful vitality to her skin.
Her beautiful large eyes carried a hint of melancholy.
"Merlin's beard," Ron nudged Harry with his elbow, lowering his voice: "Your ears are red."
Penelope, preoccupied with heavy thoughts, didn't notice Harry and Ron. She took out a Galleon: "Mr. Holmes, this is our commission fee—"
Seeing this, Ron immediately forgot about teasing his best friend.
After all, his family's vault contained only one Galleon.
So—accepting commissions paid this well?
Sherlock didn't immediately accept: "You're paying too much."
"Mr. Holmes, you defended Ravenclaw's honor—"
Penelope sighed and looked at Cho Chang.
The latter immediately pushed a silk package embroidered with Pagoda patterns toward Sherlock: "Mr. Holmes, this is tea that my father brought from Asia."
"Additionally, we hope you won't publicize the case details."
Penelope lowered her voice, then looked at Harry and Ron: "The same goes for Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley."
This time, Sherlock accepted both Penelope's and Cho Chang's gifts of gratitude, then smiled coldly: "Does Ravenclaw's pride need to be maintained with hush money?"
Cho Chang quickly waved her hands: "No, no! Marietta has already been punished. I just don't want her to be gossiped about—"
Her voice was very soft.
Harry suddenly felt his ribs had become a herd of rampaging Bowtruckles.
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