Sherlock Holmes at Hogwarts.

Chapter 363 The first snow in 1994 years
Sherlock smiled after reading Harry's letter to himself.

It's becoming an open secret that Mycroft is frequently away from home.

My close friends all mentioned this point.

However, he really didn't expect that Sirius would buy Harry a Firebolt, and in such a magical way.

It's worth noting that Quidditch boutiques display a "Price Negotiable" sign precisely because the prices are so high.

The purpose is to discourage those who are short of money, and also to avoid controversy.

Sirius Black, unable to buy gifts openly due to his status as a wanted criminal, simply ordered the shopkeepers to retrieve gold from Gringotts' vault.
Harry himself was a wealthy man, and Sherlock is no less so now.

But compared to Sirius's behavior... how should I put it?

This is no longer considered an ordinary wealthy person.

That's outrageously extravagant!
With such a precedent set, even if Sirius Black had little to do with Ron losing his pet, giving Ron an owl as compensation was hardly a big deal.

Sirius may lack many things these days, but he'll never lack money.

Sherlock also understood why Harry was so eager to return to school.

Imagine the sheer devastation of a fire bolt appearing on a Quidditch pitch at a magic school – it would be a game-changer.

In the days that followed, Mycroft Holmes did exactly as he had said before.

I only stay at home occasionally during the day, spending most of my time outside, but I always come back before dinner every day.

This made Mrs. Holmes very happy.

For a mother, there is nothing more joyful than having her children by her side.

When they spend more time together, even brothers who seem to be at odds will inevitably chat a bit more.

As it turned out, Sherlock had not overestimated his brother at all.

He probably won't live to graduate; he'll be in England.

Soon, it was 1994.

At the start of the new year, London was hit by a heavy snowfall.

This snow came earlier than usual.

After the New Year, Mycroft began to stay out all night more often.

In his own words, it was because he had just joined the company and it was more convenient to handle many things in the office.

However, Sherlock realized that this guy had gone out on fieldwork.

Of course, Mycroft didn't intend to keep it from Sherlock.

The two brothers tacitly kept the matter from their parents.

A day or two later, Harry wrote again.

This time, he and Sirius Black invited the Holmes family to his new home, 12 Grimmauld Place.

Harry's invitation came at just the right time.

With only a week left until the end of the holiday, it's definitely time to get some exercise.

Although Harry and Sirius invited the Holmes family, Mycroft said he didn't have time.

"As long as you go there, it will be no different from me going there. Please give my regards to Harry and his godfather."

That's true, but some things are better done personally.

Although Mrs. Holmes said this, she also indicated that she could understand.

So in the end, only the Holmes couple and Sherlock Holmes went to the appointment together.

Since Grimmauld Place and Holmes's house were not far apart, the three of them decided to walk to their destination.

Harry made it very clear in his letter that his new home was at number 12 Grimmauld Place—between number 11 and 13.

This may seem like a truism, but it is not.

Because Grimmauld Place is a street in central London, and almost all the residents there are Muggles.

However, due to the Black family's ingenious actions, this location was neither marked on a map nor seen by Muggles in reality.

Due to a combination of magic and inertia, the people living nearby had long been accustomed to the ridiculous mistake of number 11 being right next to number 13.

However, this is a residential area after all, so it doesn't seem strange that most people just hurry past number 12.

When the Holmes family stood in front of number 12 Grimmauld Place, a faint rumble of stereo sound could be heard coming from upstairs at number 11, while a pile of garbage bags lay in front of number 13.

"This is really..."

As the Holmes watched this scene, they couldn't help but think of the Leaky Cauldron.

If it weren't for Sherlock, they wouldn't have seen that tiny bar nestled between the record store and the bookstore.

They didn't see it until Sherlock led them up and they realized there really was a bar there.

The current situation is almost identical to that of the past.

Only by following Sherlock up close and truly believing in their minds that such a house exists can they see it.

Unlike his parents, Sherlock could see the old house directly.

The old age of the Black family can be seen just from the facade.

The stone steps in front of the door are dilapidated, and the black paint on the door has completely peeled off, covered with scratches from left to right.

The silver door knocker was shaped like a coiled snake. There was no keyhole or mailbox on the door, but there was a doorbell.

From the outside, the house appeared dirty and messy, except for the windows, which had just been wiped clean and didn't look so filthy. It seems Harry's cleaning had some effect.

However, in Mrs. Holmes's eyes, this was clearly not enough.

This was her first visit to a wizard's house, and upon seeing the scene before her, she couldn't help but frown:

"Don't wizards have to clean up?"

“No, dear Varita, wizards may be unkempt, but they're not that bad…”

Mr. Holmes once visited Ron’s house—the Cave.

After comparing it with the 12 Grimmauld Place in front of him, he couldn't help but shake his head slightly.

He wouldn't even look at his own wife, let alone himself.

Sherlock, however, understood perfectly.

It seems Sirius isn't very satisfied with his place of residence.

But for Harry's sake, he still chose to move back here.

This is love, it's something that can't be explained in words.

That's all we can see for now; the rest will require further investigation after we enter this old house.

Hearing her husband's words, Mrs. Holmes frowned: "Let's not talk about this anymore, let's go inside."

Mr. Holmes nodded and prepared to ring the doorbell.

Just as his hand was about to touch the doorbell, the black door opened, and Harry's excited face appeared before the three of them:
"Uncle, Aunt, Sherlock, you've finally arrived! Come in quickly!"

Harry, who had just opened the door, was startled to see Mr. Holmes about to ring the doorbell:
"Uncle, please don't ring that doorbell!"

Although Mr. Holmes was somewhat surprised, he heeded Harry's advice and lowered his hand.

"Harry, why don't you ring the doorbell?"

Seeing Harry's relieved expression, Mrs. Holmes asked curiously, "And how did you know we were coming?"

“It was Kreacher who told me.”

Who is Kreacher?

“A house-elf who lives here.”

Mrs. Holmes became increasingly interested: "House-elves, are those the strange creatures Gringotts used to exchange for money for us?"

"No, no, no, the creatures that Gringotts used to exchange money for us were goblins, while Kreacher was a houseelf."

Although they both appear to be short in stature with large heads and long ears, they are two completely different creatures.

Furthermore, they differ significantly in appearance, habits, social status, and magical abilities.

A familiar voice answered Mrs. Holmes' question, and then greeted the three of them, "Uncle, Aunt, Sherlock, hello!"

Hermione!

Mrs. Holmes saw the person who appeared out from behind Harry and answered the question perfectly, and she exclaimed in surprise and hugged her tightly.

"My dear child, it's so good to see you!"

Mrs. Holmes's enthusiasm didn't make Hermione uncomfortable at all; on the contrary, it made her very happy, and she let Mrs. Holmes hold her hand and keep asking her questions:

“I spoke with Jane on the phone a couple of days ago and asked her to bring you to our house—by the way, did she come?”

“My dad and mom brought me here. She’s with Mrs. Weasley right now.”

"Oh, Ron's parents are here too?"

Mr. Holmes was somewhat surprised to hear this.

“Apart from Bill, who is still in Egypt, and Charlie, who is in Romania, the whole Ron family is here. Uh, Percy isn’t here either; he said he’s at home preparing for the NEWT exam.”

Harry laughed, “Uncle Holmes, my godfather told me to invite everyone over. Let’s not stand at the door talking, let’s go inside.”

"The NEWT exam, what is that?"

NEWT stands for Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test.

This is a subject-specific exam that seventh-year students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry must take. It serves as their academic qualification for job applications after graduation, similar to A-Level exams in our world.

After answering Mr. Holmes' question, Hermione offered another reminder:

"Uh, sorry, I think I should remind you to try not to speak loudly when you get to the foyer."

"Why?" Mrs. Holmes looked at Harry curiously. "Is it because there are some strange rules for wizards?"

"That's not..."

When Mrs. Holmes asked this, Harry looked a little embarrassed, as if he didn't know how to answer.

"Is it related to that doorbell?"

Just then, Sherlock withdrew his gaze from surveying the room and spoke.

Upon hearing Sherlock's words, Mrs. Holmes recalled that she had asked Harry this question before.

But Harry did not give an answer.

"I knew you'd find out!"

Hermione turned around and gave Sherlock a bright smile.

(End of this chapter)