Sherlock Holmes at Hogwarts.

Chapter 352 You're not even willing to call me Godfather

After hearing about Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban, Sherlock's curiosity was satisfied.

Harry, on the other hand, remembered the book he had read at Sherlock's house.

He vaguely remembered that the description of Azkaban prison said something like this:
That most terrifying prison in the world was built on a lonely little island in the vast ocean.

However, what was truly terrifying was not the high walls and the sea that isolated the prison from the world, but the Dementors that guarded it.

Harry's understanding of the walls and the sea was not deep enough based solely on written descriptions.

But Harry had a lot to say about the Dementors, who were far more terrifying than the walls and the sea.

Both times Harry encountered them, he fainted immediately. When he regained consciousness, he found himself covered in cold sweat and with cold hands and feet. The second time, tears welled up in his eyes.

One can only imagine what it must have felt like for the prisoners locked up there.

They had almost all lost positive emotions and could no longer feel even a trace of happiness.

So even without experiencing the Dementor's Kiss, most people went insane after just a few weeks.

When Fudge went there to inspect, most people were talking to themselves.

But Sirius became an accident.

He not only survived there for a full twelve years thanks to the changes in his Animagus, but also...

More importantly, after learning that Peter Pettigrew was still alive, he escaped from the world's most terrifying prison, becoming the first person in history to successfully break out of prison.

In short, both their perseverance and their ability to act are enough to move and even shock people.

"What a surprise."

Sherlock couldn't help but sigh, "Our Minister of Magic has finally done something good, even if it was unintentional."

Harry nodded in agreement.

In any case, Fudge's act of handing the newspaper to Sirius did objectively contribute to Sirius's determination to escape.

Judging from Fudge's act of telling himself this, he still doesn't realize what he has done.

That's not surprising at all.

However, it is precisely because this is the first time someone has escaped from the most terrifying prison in the world that the Ministry of Magic is so eager to cooperate with Sirius Black, claiming that his escape was authorized by the Ministry of Magic.

Otherwise it would be too ugly.

"Thank you for your answer, Mr. Sirius."

Sherlock stretched. "Now that everything is settled, I think it's time for you to leave."

"Where should we go after leaving here?"

Sirius was somewhat surprised.

How come it feels like the initiative in this meeting has shifted without us even realizing it?
Who is the elder in all of us?

Sherlock smiled slightly:
"Isn't it obvious? Peter Pettigrew has been executed, and the truth has come to light. As for Sirius Black, the notorious Death Eater, murderer, and traitor... he's free."

“You don’t have to go into so much detail, Mr. Holmes.”

"I'm just stating a fact."

"..."

“Don’t worry about the details, Mr. Sirius.”

Seeing that the other person was still somewhat hesitant, Sherlock decided to make his point even clearer:
"From this moment on, you can live in the sunshine, without having to hide or add those seasonings to your food anymore."

Harry nodded emphatically as well:

Sherlock is absolutely right.

Actually, not long ago, Minister Fudge contacted me and said he hoped I could go to the Ministry of Magic to collect that medal.

Harry then recounted how Fudge had found him earlier.

Not satisfied with just that, he started from when Sherlock first noticed Peter's initial signs.

The story goes all the way up to the point where he brought three friends to the headmaster's office, where he exposed Peter Pettigrew's identity in front of Dumbledore and the others, and under the influence of the Truth Potion provided by Snape, Peter Pettigrew confessed to all the crimes he had committed over the years.

With the Ministry of Magic now pressing its defenses, the evidence against this matter is truly irrefutable and difficult to overturn.

"So that's it..."

Sirius's gaze toward Sherlock took on a different look.

Even with his arrogance, he and his best friend James hadn't mastered the Animagus by the age of thirteen.

In his early twenties, he was still being tossed around by the insect tail that he once looked down upon, and ended up spending twelve years in Azkaban for nothing.

In contrast, Sherlock, at only thirteen years old, almost single-handedly brought the truth of twelve years ago back to light.

What is a genius?

This is genius!
"Actually, I already know roughly what happened from that cat... You should call it Crookshanks, right?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, it's my good friend Hermione's pet."

"It's the smartest cat I've ever seen."

Sirius Black couldn't help but look on with emotion, "It not only recognized Peter immediately, but also quickly determined that I wasn't a dog when it saw me."

Harry: "..."

Something about that sounds a bit off.

"But it took him a long time to trust me, and I finally made him understand what I was looking for."

It has been helping me all this time, and even tried to bring Peter directly to me, but that didn't work.

Sherlock looked at Harry, who couldn't help but look embarrassed.

In fact, it was he who stopped Crookshan time and time again.

If it weren't for her friend Sherlock finding the truth, she would have ended up making things worse.

“There’s no need to think that way, Harry.”

Sherlock saw right through his friend's thoughts. "Making Peter's story public would be far more beneficial than letting Sirius kill him."

"what?"

Harry stared at Sirius in astonishment, his face filled with disbelief. "You...you want to kill Peter?"

"Of course I want to kill it!"

Sirius said viciously, "I can't wait any longer, that despicable, shameless, filthy, and vile bastard!"

At this point, he seemed to realize that showing this side of himself in front of Harry wasn't quite right, and he restrained his emotions:
"But this ending isn't so bad... Anyway, it stole this for me."

I had originally planned to wait until the end of this holiday to go to Hogwarts Castle again and personally bring Peter back, but it seems I won't need it now.

Sirius Black said this, taking a small piece of paper from his pocket and handing it to Harry.

Harry took it and looked at it, and found that it was covered with writing:

A vulgar mongrel dog, salamander eyes in the mud, Merlin's traitorous mustache, bat guano rubbing silver armor, a strange body and hide... and so on. "This is the password to Gryffindor Tower!"

Harry couldn't help but gasp, then handed the note to Sherlock.

Sirius nodded. "Yeah, I guess it must have gotten it from some boy's bedside table."

"Neville Longbottom."

Sherlock glanced at it and said, "He said before that he wrote down passwords for a whole week to help with his memory."

Tsk, even I didn't notice this note. In some ways, this cat is definitely smarter than him..."

Sirius: "..."

Harry: "..."

"Students these days are really..."

Sirius shook his head, then looked at Sherlock with admiration in his eyes:

"Before I entered Azkaban, I heard Lily say that there were detectives in the Muggle world who could see into people's hearts, but I never thought that someone could actually expose a lie that had been covered up for twelve years based on just a few clues."

"Logic knows no distinction between wizards and Muggles; there is only one truth."

"Perhaps you're right, but..."

Sirius hesitated for a moment, then looked at Harry again, "Do you really want me to go to the Ministry of Magic?"

Harry nodded emphatically, glancing at the sandwich Sherlock had taken from the table. "Just like Sherlock said, I hope you can live in the sunlight again and not have to live like this anymore."

"Under the sunlight?"

Sirius pondered Harry's words, then nodded as if making a major decision, "Okay, I'll go with you."

This made Harry breathe a long sigh of relief.

This trip was definitely worthwhile.

And so, a three-person team was formed.

Sirius walked in the lead, running down the stairs and disappearing back into the tunnel.

At first, none of the three spoke, but after walking along the tunnel for a while, Sirius suddenly spoke up:
“Harry, you probably don’t know what it will mean if I really go to the Ministry of Magic.”

"Isn't it just that the truth comes out and you regain your freedom?"
Harry said curiously, then, as if remembering something, added:
"Ah... actually, your arrest warrant was withdrawn after the Ministry of Magic issued the announcement."

They just want you not to tell anyone about your prison break; I think that Order of Merlin medal is meant to shut you up.

However, I heard it's very valuable; Sherlock said even Professor Flitwick wanted one…

"That was not what I meant."

Sirius's voice sounded a little nervous, "I didn't mention it in that letter I wrote to you, and I don't know if anyone has told you—that I am actually your godfather."

“Yes, I know about that,” Harry said, still not understanding what Sirius was trying to say.

Sherlock immediately understood, and he looked at Sirius with great interest as Sirius continued:

"That's right... Your parents appointed me as your guardian."

Sirius's voice grew increasingly tense. After talking so much with Sherlock and Harry in the Shrieking Shack, his previously restored speech became unnatural again. "If something unfortunate happens to them..."

Harry didn't interrupt him.

This time he understood what Sirius meant.

Could it really be as I imagine?

He couldn't help but glance at Sherlock behind him, only to see the latter looking at him and Sirius with a half-smile.

"Of course, I would understand if you wish to continue living with your aunt and uncle."

Sirius finally mustered up his courage and spoke his mind:
"However... uh... what I mean is... you can consider it, once I've cleared my name and restored my reputation, if you want a different kind of home..."

Hearing this, Harry finally realized Sirius's feelings.

His heart was pounding with emotion, and he could no longer contain himself. He shouted, "What? You mean you want me to live with you?"

So excited, he even bumped his head on a protruding rock at the top of the tunnel.

"Of course, I don't think you would want that."

However, Harry's actions led Sirius to misunderstand his meaning, and he immediately began to try to cover it up:
"I understand, of course I understand, they are your family after all."

Besides, I've done so many wrong things, and Lily and James only let Peter become the secret agent because they listened to my advice.

I thought it was a good plan... a switcheroo... Voldemort would definitely come looking for me, but I never expected him to actually use such a weak and incompetent thing...

Harry, I don't want to shirk responsibility. Even though that bastard betrayed us, in my opinion, I killed them with my own hands.

Sirius's voice grew even deeper:
“I understand all of this, so even if you don’t want to call me Godfather, I can completely understand.”

"Are you out of your mind?"

At that moment, Harry couldn't help but curse out loud; he truly felt that Sirius Black had something wrong with his head:
"Of course I'd like to leave the Dursleys! Do you have a house? When can I move in?"

Strangely enough, despite this being only his third year at Hogwarts, Harry already feels a strong sense of belonging to the wizarding world.

He was extremely proud of his identity as a wizard.

Indeed, with Sherlock's help, he has repaired his relationship with the Dursleys.

Even before Sirius came to find her, she had thought about going back during the winter break to tell her aunt and uncle the real cause of her parents' deaths.

But if he really had to choose between the Dursleys and Sirius, he would definitely choose the latter.

Harry certainly wouldn't discriminate against Muggles.

But since he so deeply identifies with his identity as a wizard, he is obviously closer to Sirius Black, who is also a wizard.

Even if today is only the first time meeting the other person.

On the other hand, Sirius Black had a strong feeling that this man was just too much like his father!
Moreover, he was the guardian appointed by his own parents.

Just as Sirius Black said, even his own parents wanted him to stay with Sirius Black.

In a sense, a godfather is a father.

"would you like?"

Sirius was stunned.

He stopped and turned around, looking at Harry with surprise, as if trying to confirm whether what he said was true.

"Do you really want to?"

"Yes, absolutely! I'd like to live with you!"

Harry looked at Sirius and uttered the word he most wanted to hear.

"godfather!"

(End of this chapter)