Sherlock Holmes at Hogwarts.

Chapter 638 Old Memories
The person whose name couldn't even be mentioned has returned.

Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge confirmed in a brief speech at this year’s Hogwarts farewell party that the person whose name cannot even be mentioned has returned to the country and is once again active.

"I regret to announce that the wizard who calls himself the Dark Lord—alas, everyone knows who I'm referring to—has risen from the dead and is active among us again."

In an exclusive interview with our reporter, Fudge said he looked both tired and disheveled.

"Fortunately, we gained the upper hand in our first direct confrontation with his supporters."

The Aurors of the Ministry of Magic and the professors of Hogwarts engaged in a deep collaboration, joining forces to launch a fierce battle against their adversaries.

Although the man whose name cannot even be mentioned escaped, many of his followers were arrested and sent to Azkaban.

Even so, we strongly urge those in the magical community to remain vigilant.

The Ministry of Magic is publishing a basic defense guide for families and individuals, which will be sent free of charge to all wizarding families next month.

In addition, the Ministry of Magic will increase Auror patrols at key locations such as Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, and St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries and Sicknesses to ensure the safety of the core areas.

We will leverage this Triwizard Tournament to collaborate with the Ministry of Magic, including Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, and share Death Eater intelligence networks to prevent potential threats.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry made a significant contribution in this battle, and the Ministry of Magic will cooperate with the school to implement a series of defensive measures:

This includes providing the latest defensive magic materials and dispatching experienced Aurors to assist professors in improving their defense against the Dark Arts curriculum.

The Ministry of Magic's statement has raised concerns and caused unease within the magical community.

As is well known, since Minister Fudge took office, he has consistently claimed that the idea of ​​the mysterious man's imminent return is pure nonsense.

The details of what prompted Minister Fauci's complete 180-degree turn in attitude are still unclear.

However, one thing is certain: the person whose name cannot even be mentioned led a group of followers (whom everyone knows refers to the Death Eaters) in a fierce conflict with the Hogwarts professors and the Aurors of the Ministry of Magic after the Triwizard Tournament.

The specific details of the battle are unclear, but several of the mysterious man's followers were subdued and sent to Azkaban.

Before Minister Fudge made his speech, Albus Dumbledore had already given a special explanation on the matter.

He is the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a member of the International Confederation of Wizards, and the chief wizard of Wizengamor.

In his speech, Dumbledore stated that he has always maintained that the Mystic is not dead as people generally hope and believe.

Over the years, he has been quietly accumulating strength.

He has now regrouped his supporters and is preparing to seize power again, just as he did during the magical wars.

"Now that the mysterious man has returned, we should abandon our illusions and prepare for battle."

In an exclusive interview with this newspaper, Dumbledore stated:

"We should unite all forces that can be united, take proactive action, and seize the initiative."

Meanwhile, we discovered a name that appeared at the heart of this crucial victory.

Sherlock Holmes.

This 15-year-old fourth-year student at Hogwarts was publicly praised by Headmaster Dumbledore at the farewell dinner as "the Lion King with wisdom and courage," "the great detective Sherlock Holmes," and "the divine detective Sherlock."

Dumbledore claimed that it was Sherlock Holmes who provided accurate warnings and foresaw the mysterious man's plot in advance.

With wisdom and fearlessness far exceeding that of his peers (and even many adult wizards), he thwarted the mysterious man's scheme to exploit the Triwizard Tournament and played a decisive role in the ensuing battle, saving the lives of several people, including other warriors.

Headmaster Dumbledore even led the entire Hogwarts Great Hall faculty, students, and guests, including representatives from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, in raising a toast to the young "Great Detective Sherlock Holmes."

Note: The title "detective" originates from the Muggle world and refers to the profession of investigating cases, similar to the Aurors in magical societies, but with a greater emphasis on finding clues and solving puzzles.

It is worth noting that in this battle against darkness, the boy who miraculously survived—Harry Potter—was also on the front lines.

Potter, the longtime nemesis of Mystic, displayed extraordinary courage.

According to reliable sources, Holmes and Potter were not only comrades-in-arms but also close friends.

The close collaboration between the two young heroes became a symbol of Hogwarts' core strength in the fight against the forces of darkness.

While acknowledging Holmes' contributions, Principal Dumbledore also emphasized the importance of unity.

The strong friendship between Sherlock Holmes and Potter is a vivid manifestation of this spirit of solidarity.

Note: In this Triwizard Tournament, Sherlock Holmes, Harry Potter, and another Hogwarts student teamed up to defeat Beauxbatons and Durmstrang and win the championship.

As is well known, during the dark days when the Mystic was in power, the only safe place was Hogwarts.

This is because the mysterious man is most afraid of Dumbledore.

Decades later, Hogwarts will once again shoulder its historical responsibility under the leadership of Professor Dumbledore.

Igor Karkaroff, the former headmaster of Durmstrang School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, chose to resign and remain at Hogwarts seeking refuge.

This move itself confirms Hogwarts' status as a counterweight to the Dark Fortress.

In the new term, Hogwarts will significantly enhance its Defense Against the Dark Arts curriculum and invite experienced Aurors, such as Mad-Eye Han Alastor Moody, to provide practical guidance.

Regardless of the controversy, one undeniable fact is:
The shadow of the return of that person, whose name cannot even be mentioned, has loomed over the magical world.

The magical world stands at the starting point of a new journey filled with unknown dangers.

After reading the report, Hermione put down the Daily Prophet.

The scenery outside the train window flashed by; the green fields looked exceptionally tranquil under the summer sun, a stark contrast to the somber headlines in the newspapers.

She breathed a sigh of relief and handed the newspaper to Gemma:

"Unexpectedly, this report is surprisingly objective, except that it still doesn't mention Diggory's name..."

Gemma took the newspaper, glanced at it a few more times, nodded slightly, and then smiled.
"Without Rita Skeeter's slander, I feel a little out of sorts for a while."

"What a pity!"

Luna grabbed the latest edition of "The Quibbler" and flipped through it haphazardly, mumbling as she said:
"I was originally planning to have my dad do an exclusive interview with Sherlock and Harry, but who knew they'd be so serious this time."

"Isn't this a good thing?"

Hermione smiled and looked at Sherlock. "By the way, what about Rita Skeeter? What are you planning to do with that woman?"

Sherlock said calmly, "It's already been taken care of."

"what?"

Sherlock's parents and Sirius went to another carriage.

So this carriage only contained their familiar friends.

Sherlock, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Gemma, Luna, Ginny, Cho Chang.

Upon hearing Sherlock's statement that "Rita Skeeter has been dealt with," his friends all stared at him in astonishment.

Ron froze at the sight of the chocolate frog he had just bitten into, his eyes wide open.

He couldn't help but ask, "Sherlock, what do you mean by 'deal with'?"

His voice trembled slightly.

Because he had come up with a truly terrifying answer.

The answer was too dark for him to say.

“I handed it to Mycroft when he came to school,” Sherlock said casually.

"That's it..."

Hearing Sherlock say that, Ron breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, it wasn't what he had imagined.

"What exactly are you worried about?!"

Hermione glared at him, clearly annoyed.

She trusted and understood Sherlock far more than Ron did.

Despite knowing that Sherlock sometimes resorts to extreme or even borderline legal methods in order to investigate cases.

However, his values ​​have always been on the side of justice.

So even though Sherlock just said he had "dealt with" Rita Skeeter, Hermione's only concern was whether his actions were a bit too extreme.

But looking at Ron, it was as if he was worried that Sherlock would make that old woman disappear.

"Heh, heh heh, heh heh heh..."

Ron belatedly laughed awkwardly.

After that topic was put aside, the group moved on to other topics.

“Sherlock, was Malfoy’s father among the Death Eaters who were with Voldemort that night?” Ron suddenly asked. “He wasn’t among the Death Eaters captured by the Ministry of Magic either.”

"Sirius said the same thing. He said that Crabbe and Goyle's father were among that group, but he didn't see Malfoy's father."

Harry looked at Sherlock as he spoke, wanting confirmation from him.

"Lucius Malfoy."

Sherlock clasped his hands together, resting his chin on them, and leaned back slightly.
"He is a shrewd speculator, a sophisticated egoist."

It is obvious that he is far more cunning than the likes of Crabbe and Goyle.

He didn't appear with Voldemort that night, and in my opinion, there are only two possibilities.

The other children all perked up their ears.

"The first possibility is that he was actually there at the time."

Sherlock raised a finger and slowly said:

"He simply concealed himself more carefully, or perhaps he altered his appearance with a compound decoction to avoid our observation—given his personality traits, this is not impossible."

"The second possibility, which I think is more likely, is that he chose to wait and see."

Sherlock raised his second finger, his tone becoming more certain:
"Voldemort has been gone for more than ten years, and his Death Eaters have scattered like monkeys when the tree falls."

Lucius Malfoy has successfully laundered his reputation by virtue of his family's status and the wealth he has inherited.

Voldemort's resurrection was both an opportunity and a huge risk for him.

Therefore, he needed to confirm whether Voldemort had truly regained all his power and whether he could take control of the situation again.

In this respect, he is quite similar to Peter Pettigrew, who has always been hiding beside Harry.

They were all worried that if they revealed themselves too early and Voldemort failed again, he would lose everything he had.

Therefore, they all chose to remain inactive and observe the situation.

"So he won't bet easily until the situation becomes clear, and he will only truly take sides when he feels that Voldemort's advantage is unstoppable."

Gemma chimed in, saying that she knew best the ways of a pure-blood family like the Malfoys.

"Fool on the wall!"

Ron forcibly suppressed the fear he felt upon hearing Voldemort's name and said with considerable disdain:

"I knew it! They're just like that, father and son!"

Harry, however, said with a doubtful expression:
"Sherlock, are you saying that as long as we maintain the upper hand, Lucius will..."

"That's theoretically true, but don't forget, the news of Voldemort's resurrection has now been made public."

Having suffered his last defeat, Voldemort lacked the resources at his disposal, and he wouldn't let someone like Lucius continue to stand by and watch.

Next, whether Lucius likes it or not, he will be forced to make a choice.

Sherlock looked out the window as he spoke.

The summer scenery of the countryside is so refreshing, he said softly.

"When that time comes, his choice of what to do will be up to him."

However, I think that with Dumbledore's shrewdness, he certainly wouldn't let this opportunity slip by.

The carriage fell silent.

"How about we talk about something happier?"

Noticing that something was off, Ron once again took initiative:
"Speaking of which, what are your plans regarding the prize money for the Triwizard Tournament?"

Because the Ministry of Magic added 500 Galleons to the original 1,000 Galleons, this means that Sherlock, Harry, and Cedric will each receive 500 Galleons.

This is no small sum.

Sherlock looked at Harry, who was about to speak, when the door to the box was pulled open.

Draco Malfoy was there.

Crabbe and Gore stood behind him.

Upon seeing the trio, whom everyone hadn't seen in a long time, they couldn't help but exchange bewildered glances.

Only Sherlock, as if he had expected this, said, "Would you like to talk to me, Malfoy?"

“That’s right,” Malfoy nodded, his gaze sweeping over the others in the box. “Could you come out for a moment?”

"of course."

Sherlock smiled slightly, then stood up and followed the three of them outside the private room.

To everyone's surprise, Sherlock returned very soon.

"Sherlock, what does Malfoy want with you?" Ron asked curiously.

“He just asked me, a consulting detective, some questions,” Sherlock smiled slightly. “You’ll find out later.”

Since Sherlock said that, everyone knew that he was not going to say anything more now.

The remaining time on the journey passed quickly; in the blink of an eye, the Hogwarts Express stopped at Platform 9¾.

The young wizards on the train began to disembark, and the aisle descended into chaos and noise once again.

The 1994-1995 school year has come to an end.

(End of this chapter)