Sherlock Holmes at Hogwarts

The last carriage of the Hogwarts Express.

Listening to Sherlock, Harry, and Hermione loudly discussing forbidden topics, Neville Longbottom even forgot about looking for his pet.

He wanted to speak several times, but the words trembled on his lips before he stopped.

Ron, watching their normal conversation, hesitated many times as well.

Until he couldn't bear it any longer and finally mustered the courage to interrupt them:

“W-wait a minute… you, you actually said the Dark Lord’s name!”

“Why not?”

Sherlock looked at Ron, who was almost out of breath, and Neville, who genuinely was, and asked curiously:

“Are you scared?”

He knew that the wizarding world was very wary of the name Voldemort; otherwise, books wouldn't use "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" to refer to him.

But he didn't expect that even after more than a decade, his influence remained.

Just mentioning the name with Harry and Hermione was enough to unsettle them.

Seeing Ron and Neville nodding repeatedly, Hermione couldn't help but ask curiously, “Why be afraid?”

“Of course, because…”

Ron wanted to answer but suddenly realized he couldn't explain it clearly.

After a moment of thought, he murmured, “My parents used it to scare me since I was little… all wizarding families tell their children that this person's name is taboo.

Unless absolutely necessary, I don’t want to mention his name, or rather… no one wants to.”

Neville nodded repeatedly, indicating he felt the same.

Ron looked at Harry with admiration, “But thinking about it, it makes sense, after all, it’s you…”

Harry hesitated for a moment but still explained:

“Saying his name isn’t because I’m brave or anything, but because I never knew that name couldn’t be said, do you understand what I mean?”

Hermione nodded in agreement.

For those born into non-wizarding families, it was indeed the case.

Voldemort was less scary than my mom calling me by my full name!

“You can say it, there’s nothing you can’t say.”

Amidst their surprised gazes, Sherlock said calmly, “Fear comes from the unknown; the best way to eliminate fear is to face it.”

Seeing Ron and Neville as frightened as quails, Sherlock directly offered a solution.

Harry and Hermione nodded repeatedly.

Ron and Neville looked at Sherlock with admiration.

Amazing!

But that was all.

Even though they felt Sherlock was right, the education they received since childhood didn't allow them to do so.

Hermione and Neville stayed in the compartment for a while, until a smiling woman opened the door and asked if they wanted to buy snacks, then they got up to continue searching for Neville's toad.

Before leaving, Hermione didn't forget to remind Ron to get a new wand, as using an old wand could lead to spell failures.

Ron: (｡•ˇ‸ˇ•｡)

Strangely enough, Ron could accept the same words from Sherlock.

But when they came from Hermione, Ron felt very uncomfortable.

“No matter which house I’m sorted into, I hope I’m not with her.”

As soon as Hermione left, Ron directly voiced his true feelings.

Harry nodded absentmindedly, his attention still on Sherlock.

This good friend he had just met was truly amazing!

At this moment, Sherlock was already standing in front of the snack vendor.

He looked with curiosity at these snacks he had never seen before.

Just by their appearance, these little snacks were full of magical aura.

Seemingly insignificant things were precisely what initially drew him into the magical world.

“Did you guys bring lunch?”

Sherlock looked towards Harry and Ron.

Harry shook his head.

To be fair, except for punishments, the Dursleys didn't let Harry go hungry.

But they also never really let him eat his fill—his cousin Dudley would always snatch away what he wanted to eat.

Under such circumstances, they naturally wouldn't prepare lunch for him.

Ron whispered that he had brought sandwiches.

Seeing his ears turn red, Sherlock immediately understood.

He wanted to eat, but he had no money.

Sherlock didn't say much, asked for the prices, and bought some of each.

In the end, it cost less than twelve silver Sickles.

Not too expensive, not too cheap.

“I’ll treat everyone to a meal, but these are all snacks, so Ron, give me your sandwich to fill my stomach first.”

Hearing Sherlock say this, Ron nodded eagerly.

His mother always forgot that he didn't like corned beef, and Sherlock's suggestion suited him perfectly.

Moreover, for him, snacks were originally more appealing than corned beef sandwiches.

Harry nodded without much hesitation; this was the first time a peer had shared food with him, and the feeling was quite wonderful.

Through this period of interaction, Sherlock had clearly understood their personalities.

Harry seemed aloof and introverted, but subconsciously he was a strong and brave person, so his confident self could accept his kindness.

On the other hand, Ron, who seemed carefree, had always lived in the shadow of his five excellent older brothers and was actually a bit inferior inside.

If he directly offered to treat him to food, he would definitely find it difficult to accept.

But changing the wording—like exchanging now—would make him feel at ease.

Moreover, Sherlock wasn't lying; he indeed felt he should have some staple food before eating snacks.

To his delight, Mrs. Weasley's cooking was good, and the beef was delicious.

Next, the three began to feast, and the carriage was soon filled with the aroma of food.

Ron also began to use his expertise to introduce Sherlock and Harry to various snacks full of magical characteristics.

For example, Chocolate Frogs were not real frogs but a type of bar chocolate with a creamy filling.

The milk was rich, silky smooth, with a pure, smooth, and easy-to-melt texture, bringing consumers a new taste experience.

The taste was very good, and young wizards liked them very much.

However, Sherlock and Harry's attention was more focused on the picture cards that came with these little snacks.

Each pack of Chocolate Frogs came with a card, the front featuring portraits of famous people in the wizarding world, and the back featuring biographies.

Harry got a card of Hogwarts Headmaster Dumbledore.

The photos in the magical world were different from those in the non-magical world; people in the photos could move.

So, when Harry finished reading Dumbledore's biography and flipped the card to the front, he was surprised to find that Dumbledore's face was gone.

“You can’t expect him to stay there all the time.”

Ron saw Harry’s surprise and casually explained.

When Harry told Ron that people in the non-magical world never changed once they were photographed, it was Ron’s turn to be surprised, “Then they don’t move at all? That’s amazing!”

While speaking, Dumbledore slipped back into the picture.

Harry couldn't help but praise, “That’s really amazing, Sherlock, aren’t you surprised?”

Sherlock took a bite of the Chocolate Frog; the taste was indeed good.

He took the card from Harry, looked at the white-bearded old man who disappeared and reappeared, and smiled, saying:

“This kind of thing… can actually be done without magic.”