Sherlock Holmes at Hogwarts.

Chapter 270 The Reserved Nature of an Eastern Girl

The difference between Sherlock and Harry is that Sherlock has witnessed far more cases.

That's why he knew that even in the Muggle world, there were vicious criminals like Sirius Black.

If this were during wartime, there would have been even more brutal war criminals than him.

The key point is that criminals like Blake, who can kill thirteen people in an instant with just one spell, are extremely rare, like those found on the streets.

Sherlock has already witnessed the power of the Ministry of Magic.

Therefore, Sherlock had no hope that Fudge would "do everything in his power to bring Black back to justice."

Judging from the cases he was involved in, two years have passed, and former Ministry of Magic member Wright Black has still not been apprehended.

John Smith, the main culprit in the Greek interpreter case, remains at large despite being pursued by both the British and Greek Ministries of Magic.

This is only the case I am aware of.

How many cases remain unsolved that we are unaware of?
Scotland Yard is more powerful than the Ministry of Magic, but unfortunately, for a wizard, they can only play a supporting role.

Although Sherlock has made great progress compared to two years ago, he is still no match for a vicious prisoner who has managed to escape from Azkaban.

He was interested in the case for two reasons, firstly because of the name Sirius Black.

The fact that they shared the same surname inevitably reminded him of Wright Black, who was involved in the case of Hannah Abbott's father being framed.

Although Wright Black's name is not in the Pureblood Register, the Black family maintains the purity of the family's bloodline by expelling mixed-blood or Squib members.

So this Blacklight might actually be a branch relative of the Black family, or a member who has already been expelled.

Another reason is Azkaban.

As is widely known, the magical world, like the Muggle world, does not have the death penalty.

As early as 1969, the United Kingdom formally abolished the death penalty through a parliamentary vote, with the maximum penalty for the most serious crimes being life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Even so, this is one of the later Western European countries to abolish the death penalty.

In judicial practice, the UK had not carried out the death penalty for a long time before its abolition.

The highest form of punishment in the magical world is also life imprisonment, and the place of imprisonment is Azkaban.

Because of the existence of Dementors, this life sentence is far more terrifying than the Muggle world.

Sherlock was naturally interested in Black, the first successful prison break in centuries.

In the following period, the Holmes couple took Sherlock and Harry out several more times.

It allowed Harry to fully experience the warmth of family.

In his spare time, he also completed his homework during this process.

Harry didn't understand why Sherlock would have such extensive knowledge about the medieval practice of burning witches.

But... Sherlock did provide a lot of help with his paper.

One Saturday morning, Watson and Hedwig delivered mail to Sherlock and Harry, one after the other.

The difference is that Sherlock received three letters, while Harry received a package.

"Sherlock, I've missed you dearly these past few days."

You probably already know about Black's escape from Azkaban, as you overheard several uncles talking about him at the family dinner, so I won't go into details here.

This man was the first criminal to successfully escape Azkaban and a fervent follower of the Mystic. Once the Dark Mark rises again, he will take the second seat.

Harry lost everything after stopping Vader.

Please remind Harry to be careful—according to the elders in the family, Black likely believes that killing Harry would allow the Void to make a comeback.

This person had been lying low in Azkaban for twelve years; his sudden escape should raise serious concerns.

"Through the mist on the window, I saw three horned snorts screaming, saying that a shadow in black robes was crawling toward your friend Harry."

Sirius Black's name echoed in my ears; his head must have been inhabited by several angry gnats, like the sound of butterfly wings flapping against glass.

Sherlock, don't let Harry walk alone in the moonlight. The fugitive carries bite-inducing memories in his pocket, and Harry's eyes are too bright for the darkness.

"Mr. Holmes, I am writing to offer my warning."

According to Azkaban guards, Black was mentally unstable before his escape, frequently reciting in his dreams, "He's at Hogwarts...he's at Hogwarts."

Therefore, Sirius Black's goal after escaping from prison was clear—it was Harry Potter, who was staying with you.

This person is extremely dangerous. Although the Ministry of Magic has remained tight-lipped, there is already a great deal of unease within the ministry.

Please be sure to take extra precautions. I personally suggest that Mr. Potter stay indoors as much as possible.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Magic is of particular concern for your safety. Colleagues may visit you in the coming days. Please be aware of the urgency of the situation and handle it appropriately.

Although the three people used different words, they were all talking about the same thing.

Watch out for Blake!
It's not that Sherlock needs to be careful, but that Harry needs to be careful.

Compared to the warning Sherlock received, the letter Harry received was much warmer.

"The wooden carving of the thief outside the window flapped its wings on the desk, while the tip of the quill pen hovered for a long time."

Please forgive my clumsiness—I always catch glimpses of you fluttering in the air during Quidditch matches, but now I don't know where to begin asking.

First of all, happy birthday!

I hope you like my gift. The stitching on the scarf may not be very neat, but it should be able to keep out the harsh Scottish winds (laughs).

During this holiday, my mother took me to visit the hidden realm of Kunlun Mountain, where snowy owls dance under the moonlight, carrying ice crystals in their beaks.

I saw frost that had lasted for a thousand years on the summit of Jade Void Peak. If I have the chance, I'd like to show you the moment the Ice Soul Butterfly awakens from its flower bud; it looks just like a spell being cast from the tip of a magic wand...

Perhaps when the new semester begins, we can chat about our new insights into the Water and Fire Invulnerability Mantra in the morning light of the library?

Or perhaps you could head to the Three Broomsticks pub in Hogsmeade for a drink?
I hope you can offer your valuable advice during the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw matches.

Looking forward to a reply.

A few ice crystal petals clung to the edge of the letter, creating a magical effect as they unfolded, with miniature snowy owls circling around it. The handwriting was as neat as a mountain stream, possessing a touch of free and unrestrained elegance.

Unlike Hermione's neat handwriting, her words revealed a unique reserve and gentleness characteristic of an Eastern girl.

Perhaps because it was in the far east, Qiu Zhang's birthday gift did not arrive on time.

But Harry didn't care.

Sending a goose feather from afar is a small gift but carries great meaning.

Besides, what Qiu Zhang gave him wasn't even a goose feather.

It was a hand-woven scarf with the gold letters HP embroidered on a bright red background.

Harry held the scarf up to his neck, and as the soft fur edge brushed against his chin, he caught a faint, almost imperceptible scent of mugwort.

Just as he was about to share his joy with his friend, he turned his head and saw Sherlock frowning. Curious, he asked:

"Sherlock, whose letter is this?"

“Several old friends.”

Sherlock's gaze swept over the scarf in Harry's hand:
"Miss Zhang's gift is perfect for you, my dear Harry."

Don't look at me with that surprised look; your expression tells me the answer—almost exactly the same as before last Halloween.

Looking at the scarf itself, the embroidery thread for the letters 'HP' is slightly messier than the rest, and the stitches are also particularly dense.

The vertical line of the H is slightly to the left, and the circle of the P is crescent-shaped; these are marks from when the yarn was unraveled halfway through knitting. I think this must be her first piece.

Harry felt a warm glow inside when he heard Sherlock's words.

At this point, Sherlock suddenly changed the subject, "However... I think you probably won't be able to go to Hogsmeade this semester."

"W-what?!"

Harry was stunned by Sherlock's words.

He had already started fantasizing about drinking and talking about life with Cho Chang at the Three Brooms Bar.

But now Sherlock says he can't go?
"why?"

Harry asked hurriedly, his scarf slipping off his shoulder without him noticing.

Before he could finish speaking, there was a rapid knocking on the door.

"Excuse me, is this the Sherlock Holmes residence? I am Arthur Weasley."

"Mr. Weasley!"

Harry was immediately startled when he heard the familiar voice.

Why is Ron's father here?
“Sherlock, this…” Harry instinctively turned to Sherlock for help.

Sherlock frowned as well, wondering when the Ministry of Magic had become so efficient.

"If I were him, I would open the door myself."

Sherlock's words were like a prophecy.

The next moment, the two heard Mr. Weasley's voice outside the door: "Open the Alaho Cave!"

Sherlock's door was not countered by any spell, so it was opened with a simple unlocking spell.

Harry was once again taken aback when he saw Mr. Weasley's familiar face.

As for that? !

You actually broke down the door!

"Sorry, Harry, oh, and Sherlock too!"

Mr. Weasley seemed very happy to see Sherlock and Harry.

But then he awkwardly touched his nose, a gesture exactly like Ron's.

“I know this is impolite, but please believe me, I have my reasons for doing this—and I have obtained permission from the Ministry of Magic.”

Harry was still reeling from Mr. Weasley's surprising move when Sherlock asked with a serious expression:

"So... has our situation really deteriorated to this extent?"

"Sherlock, what are you talking about?"

“Let me be frank—Mr. Weasley, your colleague, Mr. Pisgood of the Reversal of Accidental Magical Events team, has already told me everything.”

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

Upon hearing Sherlock's words, Mr. Weasley waved his hands in denial:
"Sherlock, don't try to trick me this time. The Ministry of Magic has strict confidentiality procedures; Arnold wouldn't..."

"is it?"

Seeing that Mr. Weasley was still pretending to be stupid, Sherlock simply asked in return:

"Then, Mr. Weasley, why did Black keep saying in his dreams, 'He's at Hogwarts,' before he left Azkaban?"

"W-what?!"

As soon as Sherlock uttered those words, Mr. Weasley immediately looked surprised.

"Sh-!"

He looked around, quickly went into the house, and closed the door behind him.

This action puzzled Harry even more. He looked at Sherlock, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

His intuition told him that trouble seemed to be coming for him again.

That's enough!

(End of this chapter)