Confirmation

Sherlock was not quite sure why his father had suddenly gone to the Ministry of Magic, but when he returned, he was not alone. Behind him came Cornelius Fudge, the slightly plump Minister for Magic, Rita Skeeter, a reporter from the Daily Prophet, and a woman in a pink coat named Umbridge.

When Umbridge saw Sherlock, she even stood behind Fudge and secretly greeted him with a beaming smile. However, Sherlock did not have the slightest good impression of this power-hungry woman.

Still, Umbridge was not someone to be underestimated. In the Harry Potter series, she would eventually become the Deputy Minister for Magic, effectively the Ministry's second-in-command, while also serving as the "Head of the Muggle-Born Registration Commission."

At present, she was probably some sort of secretary handling documents for the Minister for Magic.

"Oh... Sherlock, we met last month. I think you still remember me... Fumengde, it seems your son has grown a little taller."

Fumengde ignored the Minister for Magic. Sometimes, Sherlock felt that his father was a little too blunt-tempered. Perhaps because he came from the ancient Mephisto Family, the pride in his bones had never allowed him to learn how to bend and accommodate others.

But the Mephisto Family was, after all, only an old wizarding family. It could not possibly stand against the entire wizarding world. This was clear from the mad retaliation carried out by the Ministry of Magic and the wizarding world after Voldemort's downfall.

It was also from that period that the Mephisto Family began to decline. At the very least, until Sherlock truly came into his own, the Mephisto Family would remain in its period of decline.

This was also the greatest difference between the Mephisto Family and the Malfoy Family.

"Yes, Minister for Magic, Mr. Fudge." Sherlock was much friendlier.

"Hehe, Sherlock, you are truly the smartest and most gifted young wizard I have ever seen—without exception. Even if Merlin were alive, I am afraid he could not have achieved what you have at your age. I heard... you invented another incredibly remarkable spell, is that right?"

"Yes. Whispering Word Spirit. It allows the caster to communicate with creatures close to them. As long as the other party is willing to open their mind to the caster, the spell allows both sides to communicate. Once it succeeds once, there are no further limits—they can talk anytime, anywhere!"

Fudge clapped excitedly. "Ha... Look at that. I can practically see a rising new star in the wizarding world's future. Honestly, Fumengde, I do have a keen eye for talent!"

"Hmph! I know best what kind of talent and aptitude my son possesses." Fumengde spoke coldly, though his attitude had clearly softened somewhat. Still, the gloomy tone in his voice was remarkably similar to Snape's way of speaking.

"Of course, of course. Then... could you demonstrate Whispering Word Spirit? You may not know this, but certain misunderstandings outside have caused people to misunderstand you!"

"They think I am a Parselmouth?"

Fudge looked somewhat embarrassed. He now agreed with the view that Parseltongue was merely a talent. A child should not be branded as evil simply because he might be a Parselmouth.

In all the centuries of wizarding history, only one Voldemort had appeared. They could not condemn everyone merely because he had spoken Parseltongue.

Sherlock shook his head. He had Shog, the Mephisto Family's house-elf butler, find Camilla, who was wandering about the castle.

Then, in front of everyone, Sherlock held a brief conversation with Camilla.

He asked her whether she was having fun.

But Camilla only replied that she was a little sleepy. After all, Camilla had only been growing for a month. Even in Parseltongue, she could only express simple meanings.

"See? It is not like the Parseltongue you imagined. This is actually a practice-based spell. My wife has already learned to communicate with her pet tabby cat by practicing Whispering Word Spirit, and I am practicing it as well." Fumengde stood to the side, looking rather proud.

Fudge wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. To be honest, no one had ever truly seen how a real Parselmouth communicated. Perhaps only Voldemort's closest Death Eaters had witnessed it.

"If you truly have doubts, I am still willing to publish this spell through the Daily Prophet. The highest success rate is between wizards and their pets. I believe many wizards would be willing to communicate with their pets."

Fudge nodded. Indeed, this was the best way to shatter the rumors that Sherlock was a Parselmouth.

Meanwhile, Rita Skeeter, the instigator behind all of this, was rapidly recording everything with her Quick-Quotes Quill, its tip going scratch, scratch.

After Sherlock laid out the incantation and usage precautions for Whispering Word Spirit in full, Fumengde began ushering everyone out of the estate. Rita was given a particularly stern warning: she was not to appear anywhere near the manor in any form. If she was discovered, he would report her to the Ministry of Magic as an illegal Animagus.

The next day...

The Daily Prophet once again published news that Sherlock was not a Parselmouth. The article was still written by Rita Skeeter, and the Ministry of Magic had even issued proof confirming that Sherlock was not a Parselmouth, complete with the Minister for Magic's personal signature.

However, for those wizards who had already believed it or were merely watching the spectacle, this approach clearly meant very little.

The following content was even more explosive. The reason for all this was that Sherlock had invented another incredible spell, called Whispering Word Spirit. Through this spell, the caster could communicate without barriers with creatures close to them.

As long as the creature was willing to open its mind to the caster under the effects of Whispering Word Spirit, it would be successful.

The article also included the incantation and method of use for Whispering Word Spirit.

Once this section was published through the Daily Prophet, it immediately caused another uproar throughout the wizarding world.

People expressed disbelief one after another. It was already unbelievable that a child had invented a powerful healing spell by chance. How could he possibly invent a second one within a single month?

Moreover, the ability to communicate with animals was even more astonishing.

Even though the newspaper had printed the method and incantation for Whispering Word Spirit, large numbers of wizards still believed it was pure fantasy, a ridiculous hoax.

But the following day, the Daily Prophet published a letter from a highly respected wizard. In it, he stated that he was willing to personally confirm that Mr. Sherlock Mephisto had spoken the truth. Whispering Word Spirit truly allowed wizards to communicate without barriers with creatures close to them. He had successfully done so through Whispering Word Spirit and could now communicate freely with his pet.

He had fulfilled a wonderful wish he had never expected to come true.

When people saw this wizard's testimony supporting Sherlock, along with his personal experiment, they gradually dismissed their doubts. Soon after, they developed a great interest in the spell Whispering Word Spirit.

There was no other reason: the name of the first wizard to provide proof was "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Afterward, more and more renowned wizards wrote letters to the Daily Prophet providing their own confirmation.

Among them were the Minister for Magic, the director of St. Mungo's, the deputy headmaster of Hogwarts, the head of the Malfoy Family, and others...

At the Mephisto estate, Sherlock also received a private letter from Dumbledore.

More precisely, it was a letter of thanks.