Sherlock Holmes at Hogwarts.

Chapter 557 The Secret of the Golden Egg

"Yes, I took a bath with the golden egg in my arms."

Faced with the curious gazes of Harry, Hermione, and Ron, Sherlock suppressed his earlier laughter, but the corners of his mouth still turned up slightly, and a hint of pleasure lingered in his eyes.

On the one hand, he was quite satisfied with the process of unlocking the secret of the golden egg.

On the other hand, he was delighted by the surprised and admiring looks from his friends.

He tapped the table lightly with his fingers and explained methodically:

“Last night, after I returned to the dormitory from the common room, I took the golden egg to the prefect's washroom on the sixth floor…”

"The prefectural washroom?" Ron's eyes widened in surprise. "Sherlock, you actually went to the prefectural washroom?"

"What's wrong?" Sherlock asked. "Is there a problem?"

Seeing Sherlock's question, Ron was at a loss for words.

I already said it's the prefect's restroom, how can you act so nonchalantly!

"The environment there is very nice and suitable for independent thinking."

Moreover, in a situation like yesterday, no one would bother us, making it a perfect opportunity to verify my hypothesis.

I carried the golden egg into the bathtub, and only when the warm water was above my shoulders and I was completely submerged did I slowly open the golden egg's shell..."

"I understand!"

Before Sherlock could finish speaking, Ron suddenly shouted excitedly, breaking the silence of the common room.

He slapped his thigh hard, his palm hitting his pants with a loud "smack":

"The idea is to put the golden egg in water and open it, right?"

That way, the golden egg won't scream like it's sawing wood anymore, and it will instead reveal secrets, right?

I knew it! It must be related to water!

"Don't interrupt Sherlock!"

Hermione glared at Ron, this was the second time.

Moreover, Sherlock had already mentioned "soaking the golden egg in water to open it," and anyone with a little common sense could have guessed what would happen next. Ron just had to interrupt, which was really frustrating.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Ron coughed twice, then awkwardly sat back down, his hand unconsciously touching his nose.
"I... I was just too excited and couldn't help it."

"Sherlock, continue, leave me alone."

"Just as you said, my dear friend."

Sherlock didn't seem to mind Ron's interruption, his tone remaining calm as if the little incident had never happened:
"When the golden egg was placed in the water and opened, it indeed stopped screaming and instead emitted a melodious and beautiful song."

"singing?"

Harry's eyes widened instantly upon hearing those two words, his face filled with disbelief.

He still remembers the sharp, piercing sound, like sawing wood with a dull saw, when he first opened the golden egg.

Now Sherlock is saying that it was actually singing?

He couldn't help but mutter to himself: that sound was probably only comparable to the noise Sherlock made when he wasn't playing the violin properly.

"That's right, it's singing."

Sherlock, seeing Harry's shocked expression, couldn't help but smile slightly, his tone tinged with a hint of teasing:

"If you're interested, you can try taking the golden egg with you another day and hear it for yourself."

After saying that, he suppressed his smile and continued:

The content of the song is as follows:

Seek us out where our voices are heard, for we cannot sing on the ground.

When you search, please think carefully:

We stole your most beloved treasure.

You have only one hour to find and reclaim what we took.

An hour later, all hope vanished; it had completely disappeared, never to return.

As Sherlock finished speaking, Harry, Hermione, and Ron fell into deep thought.

Harry frowned, his fingers unconsciously tracing the edge of the sofa, trying to connect the lyrics to the Triwizard Tournament.

Hermione took out her notebook and quickly wrote down the lyrics, the pen scratching on the paper, her eyes full of focus.

Ron rested his chin on his hand and stared at the ground, but his slightly dazed expression made it seem more like he hadn't fully memorized the lyrics yet.

A moment later, Hermione was the first to react, unsurprisingly.

She abruptly raised her head, her eyes flashing with sudden realization, and looked at Sherlock with surprise and admiration:

"Sherlock, I understand!"
The second project will definitely be held underwater!
The lyrics say, "We cannot sing on land," which suggests that the "we" who make the singing are aquatic creatures.

'Stealing your most cherished treasure' likely refers to these creatures taking what the warriors value underwater.

Your mission is to dive underwater within one hour and rescue the 'treasure'!

Harry was only a beat slower than Hermione; he reacted instantly, and the confusion in his eyes vanished in a flash.

“So that’s it!

That's why you just said we need to find ways to stay underwater for extended periods and still engage in vigorous activities.

After all, searching for something in a lake definitely requires considerable physical strength; simply holding your breath wouldn't last an hour!

Only Ron was still in a daze.

He blinked, glanced at Harry, then at Hermione, and finally scratched his head sheepishly before looking at Sherlock:

"Um... Sherlock, you memorized all the lyrics after hearing it just once?"

"if not?"

Seeing Sherlock looking at him with such an indifferent gaze, Ron couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Comparing people to each other is so annoying!

To his shame, he only remembered 'one hour' and 'beloved baby'...

"So, our top priority now is to find a way to allow people to breathe underwater for at least an hour."

Hermione put away her notebook, tapped her fingers lightly on the table, and said thoughtfully:

"Judging from the two clues in the lyrics, 'unable to sing on land' and 'living underwater,' the creature that took away the 'most beloved treasure' is most likely a mermaid."

"Feel sorry."

Ron finally couldn't help but interrupt Hermione's statement:
"Why does it have to be a mermaid? Aren't there other creatures in the water? Like the giant squid in the lake?"

"Among the underwater creatures we know that can make sounds, there aren't many that can't survive on land."

This time, before Hermione could speak, Harry explained first:

"Besides that giant squid, the only other creature left in Hogwarts Lake is the mermaid."

Mermaids naturally have the habit of singing, which corresponds perfectly to the 'singing' in the lyrics, while giant squid don't sing.

"Yes, that's it."

Hermione listened to Harry's explanation and nodded in satisfaction.

However, Harry suddenly became a little embarrassed: "But, but I'm not very good at swimming."

Before his relationship with the Dursleys improved, Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia never let him learn to swim. Dudley, on the other hand, had received swimming training when he was young, and Harry didn't think he could do it well without any prior experience.

"What's there to be afraid of? We have Sherlock!"

Ron said nonchalantly, "Sherlock, you can swim, right? See? I knew it!"

Harry shook his head. "But that lake is very wide and very deep..."

Mermaids must live in the deepest part of the water...

Besides, we can't always rely on Sherlock alone..."

"What are you talking about?"

Hermione glared at Harry and Ron, annoyed.
"You didn't listen to a word we just said, did you?"

Sherlock said from the beginning that he wanted to find a way to stay in the water for a long time.

The key is the method, not swimming technique!
Even a swimming champion can't hold their breath at the bottom of a lake for more than an hour!
Harry, don't forget you're a wizard, a wizard!
We need to find a solution using magic!

Harry and Ron exchanged a glance, both realizing that Hermione's words were loaded with meaning.

When they solved the Philosopher's Stone in their first year, they even complained that Hermione wasn't a witch.

Although Hermione is a good friend, it seems she still can't escape some common traits of girls—being petty.

"So our task next is very clear:"

"We need a magical means to enable a person to survive underwater for at least an hour without oxygen."

Hermione slammed her hand on the table, her voice full of energy:
"Fortunately, Sherlock solved the secret quickly enough, giving us two whole months to prepare!"
If this still doesn't solve the problem, then that would truly be strange!

As soon as she finished speaking, she noticed that Harry and Ron were both looking at her with strange eyes.

His eyes held a mixture of amusement and helplessness, as if he were looking at someone familiar.

Why are you all looking at me like that?

Hermione touched her face in confusion, then looked down at her clothes:

"Is there something dirty on my face? Or is my clothing unsuitable?"

Harry and Ron exchanged a glance, then shook their heads in unison and said:

"No, nothing."

That being said, both of them were thinking the same thing at the same time:

Hermione's tone of voice and the way she slammed the table were becoming more and more like Sherlock's.

Especially the last line, "It would be strange if this didn't solve the problem," isn't that one of Sherlock's catchphrases?
Just like with the first project, Harry told Cedric about it, as Sherlock had instructed.

When Cedric learned that Sherlock had uncovered the secret of the golden egg in such a short time, he was both shocked and delighted.

"As expected of Sherlock Holmes!"

He said excitedly, "I bet you, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons have absolutely no clue about it yet!"
Sherlock is a genius! We have plenty of time to prepare for this!

"You mustn't tell Delacour about this."

Harry suddenly remembered that Cedric had danced with Fleur Delacour at the Christmas ball, and couldn't help but give him another word of advice.

He worried that Cedric might lose control and accidentally reveal the secret.

After all, she was a woman with Veela blood.

"Harry, what are you saying?"

Cedric immediately retorted, "I'm not your friend—do I look like that kind of person?"

Upon hearing this, Harry instantly understood that Cedric was referring to Ron.

Ron made such a scene in the Great Hall when he asked Fleur to be his dance partner that it became common knowledge, and now almost everyone in Hogwarts knows about it.

"Cough cough..."

Harry was a little embarrassed, but he couldn't argue back.

Firstly, because Ron did indeed do that, and secondly, because he mentioned Cedric first.

"Okay, just kidding, don't mind it."

Cedric noticed Harry's embarrassment and quickly tried to smooth things over with a smile. He patted Harry's arm and his tone became serious:

"Don't worry, Sherlock bought us so much time, we certainly can't let him down."

I will not tell anyone about this, including my friends.

"Leave the rest of the preparations to me. I have to do something too; I can't always rely on Sherlock."

Seeing Cedric's confident demeanor, Harry's embarrassment dissipated, and he smiled along.

"Okay! We can definitely do it..."

"Crack!"

Just then, the shutter clicked.

Harry and Cedric turned their heads at the same time and saw Colin Crevy holding up his old camera.

His brother, Daniel Crevy, stood to the side; the two of them had appeared out of nowhere.

Colin had just put down his camera, a smile of excitement still on his face.

Cedric looked surprised.

Harry, however, remained expressionless.

He's completely oblivious to the fact that Colin was able to find him and take his picture.

No other reason than that I'm used to it.

"Harry, Diggory, judging from your expressions, you're pretty confident of winning the second event!"
This photo is sure to be great; I'll send it to you as soon as it's developed!

Seeing Colin and Daniel excitedly waving their fists, Cedric looked at Harry with some surprise.

There was a hint of doubt in his eyes.

Who are these two little boys?

Why are they so enthusiastic about Harry?
Harry felt a little embarrassed by Cedric's gaze and could only bite the bullet and explain:
“They were my Gryffindor classmates, Colin Crevy and his brother Daniel Crevy, who were always very…supportive of me.”

He was too embarrassed to say "they are my fans," so he could only come up with a more euphemistic way of putting it.

But Cedric understood immediately.

It turns out these two are huge Harry Potter fans.

"Harry, can we take another picture with you?"

Colin, oblivious to the exchange of glances between the two, continued to look at Harry expectantly, then turned to Cedric and said:

"Diggory, can you take a picture for us?"
It's very simple, just press this spot!

As he spoke, he handed the camera to Cedric and pointed to the shutter button.

Harry: "..."

Cedric: "..."

The two Hogwarts warriors were thus surrounded by two enthusiastic little fans, and for a moment they didn't know what to do.

While Harry and Cedric were being bothered by Colin, Sherlock had already arrived alone at the entrance to the Headmaster's office on the top floor of Hogwarts Castle.

(End of this chapter)