"People always go through these things, which is why I have always opposed the requests of Kingsley and the others to provide you with a sheltered education. Some things cannot be truly understood just by being told; only when one experiences them for oneself do they truly belong to them."
Dumbledore tapped the table, and a cup of steaming black tea appeared in front of both him and Sherlock.
"How do you feel about the changes in yourself this time?"
Sherlock had never felt so relaxed in front of Dumbledore; he drained the warm tea in his cup in one gulp.
"I feel very good. I've never felt this comfortable before."
Dumbledore looked at him with a smile.
"I would like to hear the details of what happened."
Afterward, Sherlock recounted everything they had experienced that morning, though he concealed the fact that he had found the book 'Soul Stitching' created by the Original Owner's mother. However, he took the initiative to ask about the mark on his left arm.
He rolled up his sleeve, showing Dumbledore the crescent moon mark on his arm.
"It's this. When I first encountered Riddle's diary in the bookstore, it gave off a strong burning sensation, and the same happened later when I met Neville, who was being possessed by Riddle. So, what exactly is this mark?"
Dumbledore did not seem surprised by what Sherlock said. Looking at the crescent mark on Sherlock's arm, his eyes were full of memory and nostalgia.
"This is a protection left to you by your mother."
"My mother?" Sherlock repeated.
Dumbledore looked solemn.
"Just as the reason Harry was able to survive Tom's Killing Curse was not because of anything special about himself, but because his mother used her own life to cast a protective charm to shield him. This mark of yours is also a protection left by your mother."
"Love is the most powerful magic; this mark is your mother's love for you."
Sherlock silently looked at the crescent mark on his left arm. He hadn't expected this thing to be similar to the Lightning Scar on Harry.
"So even now, you are still unwilling to tell me what happened to my parents back then, right?"
Dumbledore nodded slightly.
"It's not that I don't want to, Sherlock, but those are things we are unwilling to recall and do not want you to know. Of course, if the day comes when you absolutely must know, someone will tell you."
A brief silence fell over the office before Dumbledore spoke softly.
"You said that in the end, it was Neville who pulled that sword out of the Sorting Hat?"
Sherlock nodded.
"Did you originally plan for Harry to pull it out?"
A very happy smile appeared on Dumbledore's face.
"No, I originally just wanted to test it. I felt it was possible for any of you to pull it out, but the one I most hoped would pull it out was you."
"Me?" Sherlock pointed at himself in surprise. "Why?"
"Do you know the origin of this hat?"
His gaze turned toward the Sorting Hat sitting in the Headmaster's Office.
Sherlock thought back for a moment.
"I've seen records stating that this hat originally belonged to Gryffindor."
"Correct. And the sword is the same."
Cavendish looked with surprise at the sword, which was now placed in a cabinet, its blade gleaming coldly.
"This was once the sword of Gryffindor."
Dumbledore said softly,
"Only someone truly possessing the qualities of Gryffindor could pull it out of the Sorting Hat."
"But I'm a Ravenclaw?" Sherlock asked, puzzled.
Dumbledore said with a smile,
"A House choice cannot limit the development of a person's character. I was quite hoping to see the unique qualities of Gryffindor in you. But this is also good; the final decision to recruit you this year is perhaps the most correct decision I have made in years."(TN: The final decision?)
Sherlock listened to Dumbledore's words and pondered for a moment.
"Are the rumours about Riddle cursing the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor true?"
Dumbledore did not hide it from him.
"It's true. Riddle did indeed place a curse on this position."
Sherlock's eyes stared intently at him.
"So when you didn't consider me at first and instead hired Lockhart, you already knew he was a fraud?"
Dumbledore did not answer this question directly.
"During the summer break last year, he went to visit a friend of mine. It was only after meeting him that I discovered a portion of his memory was missing. After an investigation, I found that the wizarding star Gilderoy Lockhart, famous in the Wizarding World, was actually a fraud who sought fame by deceit. All his experiences were stolen from the minds of others using the Memory Charm."
"It just so happened that at that time, I couldn't find a suitable candidate for this year's Defence Against the Dark Arts class, so I tried to contact him. I believed that a fraud like him coming to Hogwarts to be a Professor would certainly be exposed, which might be more meaningful for the students' education."
"Lockhart wasn't a fool; he didn't accept when I first invited him. It wasn't until I borrowed a bit of Harry's fame and enticed him with the title of the teacher of the Chosen One that he finally couldn't resist the massive fame and fortune and agreed."
"But afterward, besides me, others discovered his problems. They even obtained substantial evidence and took him to the Wizarding Court. This forced me to change the year's plan and choose you, Sherlock."
Dumbledore blinked his eyes.
"At the time, I even suspected you were the one who reported Lockhart behind the scenes just to drive him out of the Defence Professor position."
Hearing his words, Sherlock was momentarily stunned.
He didn't know if Lockhart's situation had anything to do with the Original Owner, but hearing Dumbledore say it, it seemed somewhat possible.
"Regardless of what happened before, the decision to bring you to Hogwarts certainly hasn't disappointed me," Dumbledore praised.
"Your probationary period has ended early. You will be the first Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts to serve consecutive terms in decades."
Sherlock did not press too much on the matter of the curse on the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor. Just as Slughorn had said, this curse wasn't actually that terrifying; as long as the person in the position of Defence Professor didn't have any wicked intentions, they wouldn't be affected by the curse.
He took a deep breath and asked Dumbledore the question he was most concerned about after dealing with Riddle's diary.
"Riddle's diary—it is not simple. Although it has been destroyed, there is definitely more than one thing like it!"