Sherlock Holmes at Hogwarts

Knockturn Alley, Borgin and Burkes shop.

The greasy-haired Mr. Borgin was excited, and even his hunched body straightened up a bit.

He pointed to the star chart and said to Sherlock:

"I said—I can recognize where it is."

"Tch, I don't believe it."

"Mr. Sigerson, Borgin and Burkes is the largest shop in Knockturn Alley, and Mr. Borgin is the owner most familiar with this place.

Even your friend Hagrid knows this, but you refuse to believe me?"

"Hmph, you can never make me believe your words."

"Then are you willing to bet with me too?"

"Haha, that's just letting you lose money, because I know I'm right."

Sherlock said with a stubborn look: "But I'm still willing to take out half a Galleon to bet with you, just to teach you not to be stubborn."

Upon hearing that the bet was as much as half a Galleon, a smile flashed across Mr. Borgin's face, and he pointed his finger:

"Mr. Sigerson, this is the summer Ophiuchus star chart!

I know very well that the dome of the Parthenon Black Market has it painted on it!"

"Really? I don't believe it!"

Even though Mr. Borgin had already said the answer, Sherlock still looked at the other party suspiciously.

"You wouldn't be colluding with Hagrid to deceive me, would you? I've never heard of Knockturn Alley having any black market..."

Hagrid waved his hands repeatedly, "I didn't, I didn't—"

"Haha, that's because it's only open one day a week, and only at four o'clock in the afternoon!"

Mr. Burke smiled unusually happily, with wrinkles piled up on his face, "Even Mr. Hagrid, a regular customer of Knockturn Alley, may not know."

"I really don't know—

Hagrid muttered.

"It doesn't matter, Mr. Hagrid, I've already earned you five Galleons!"

Mr. Burke looked at Hagrid and said, then turned to Sherlock, "Mr. Sigerson, it seems you are too confident."

"Stop talking nonsense there!"

Sherlock looked unconvinced:

"You say it's a black market, then it's a black market? What proof do you have?"

He slammed the counter loudly, looking completely like he didn't want to admit defeat and was angry out of shame.

"Hahaha, Mr. Sigerson, otherwise why did I say you were lucky just now?

Today happens to be the day the Parthenon Black Market is open!"

"Wh-what?"

Sherlock was shocked, "Is it such a coincidence?"

"It really is such a coincidence! Let me see, ah, it's already past four o'clock!"

Mr. Borgin said with a smile, "Last week the black market was open on Friday, but this week it's Monday.

I heard that the group of Nordic guys have been doing some kind of transaction recently - in short, you can easily verify what I just said."

"Take us there immediately!"

Hearing this, Sherlock immediately put away the star chart, "I still don't believe it - if it's really the same as what's drawn on this chart, I'll give you half a Galleon right away!"

"With pleasure!"

Mr. Borgin was overjoyed. He could get half a Galleon just by taking a trip. Why not?

He could now see that this young wizard who called himself Sigerson had a mine at home, and he couldn't hold his breath when he encountered things.

Fortunately, he was lucky enough to make friends with Hagrid, otherwise a newcomer like this swaggering into Knockturn Alley, the dark wizards would never let him go so easily.

It's just... why isn't such a person his friend?

In the window of a shop across from it, some shrunken human heads were eerily displayed.

Two shops away, a large cage was filled with huge black spiders.

In a dark doorway nearby, two ragged wizards were whispering.

But when they saw Hagrid's huge size, they immediately took their eyes back.

Confirmed the look in their eyes, they were people they couldn't afford to mess with.

Mr. Borgin led Sherlock and Hagrid westward to a corner and stopped at a shop selling poisonous candles.

A piece of old wooden street sign hung in front of the shop, with Knockturn Alley written on it.

Sherlock took a few more glances.

Simple homophonic text, Knockturn Alley (KoncktumAlley) comes from nocturnally. It does conform to the real environment, forming a sharp contrast with the bright Diagon Alley.

"Just go south."

Mr. Borgin pointed to the front, led the two around the corner and walked three more shops, finally stopping in front of a dead end.

Knockturn Alley was originally a dark place, and this place seemed particularly dark.

If it weren't for the tall Hagrid by his side, Sherlock would never have come here alone now.

In front of them and to their right were low shops connected together, and Mr. Borgin's face once again piled up with a smile:

"This is the Parthenon Black Market, an industry created by a group of guys from Northern Europe - look over there, Mr. Sigerson, you can see it as soon as you look up."

Following the direction Mr. Borgin pointed, Sherlock and Hagrid indeed saw the Ophiuchus pattern painted on the dome.

Not only Ophiuchus, but also Serpens, which is connected to it.

"How about it, Mr. Sigerson? Do you have anything to say now?"

Seeing this scene, Sherlock immediately lowered his head in frustration, revealing a very annoyed look.

He reluctantly counted out 8 silver Sickles from his arms, and handed them to Mr. Borgin with a kind of indescribable, profound aversion.

"Take the money I gave you and disappear from my sight immediately!"

Mr. Borgin was stunned, "Sir, didn't we agree on half a Galleon?"

1 Galleon = 17 Sickles = 493 Knuts.

Strictly speaking, half a Galleon should be 8.5 silver Sickles.

"Damn it, did you still want me to round it up for you?

Looking at Sherlock's furious appearance, Mr. Borgin's only remaining suspicion disappeared completely.

He immediately took the good and stopped, "Okay, okay, Mr. Hagrid, Mr. Sigerson, if there is anything like this next time, be sure to come to Borgin and Burkes!"

"Go away, I feel unlucky just seeing you! You made me lose five and a half Galleons for nothing!"

Sherlock waved his hand impatiently, then turned to Hagrid and said, "Let's go, now that we're here, let's just go take a look!

If you see anything suitable, I'll just offset the bet for you!"

Mr. Borgin, who was leaving, couldn't help but chuckle secretly when he heard Sherlock and Hagrid's conversation.

Calling it a black market is just those guys trying to put on a good show.

Although they do have some special goods that he doesn't have, but the price, hehe, once this guy suffers a few losses, he will know that Borgin and Burkes is the best choice!

Confirming that Borgin had completely left, Sherlock withdrew his gaze and snorted coldly:

"Look, Hagrid, it's very difficult to get secrets directly from this kind of person.

I dare say that even if I put a hundred Galleons in front of him, he would be suspicious and wouldn't reveal the truth to us like he did just now.

Dealing with this kind of guy, betting is the most cost-effective way. It's much more convenient than us coming to find clues with great fanfare, and it won't arouse suspicion."

After saying this, he found Hagrid looking at him with a blank expression. Sherlock sighed and simply stated his judgment:

"Hagrid, I think we're nearing the end of the investigation."

"What? So fast?"

This time Hagrid understood, and he widened his eyes in surprise.

"This is also beyond my expectations."

Sherlock's face was solemn, "I didn't expect that the black market's opening time this week would be on Monday, so we must speed up our actions - otherwise our translator friend may be in danger."

"What did you say?"

Hagrid's eyes widened like copper bells.

"Without a doubt, the guy who calls himself Smith chooses to use the Portkey at four o'clock in the afternoon every time, just to use the flow of people when the black market is open to cover up the magical fluctuations of the Portkey.

The equidistant light spots formed by the light passing through the curtain gap in Musgrave's room do indeed come from the Ophiuchus star chart here.

In addition, the Icelandic lichen spores mixed in the yew wood chips and the Nordic background of the black market are combined, which is enough to show that the location of Musgrave's imprisonment is here.

But since the black market is already open today, then Smith must have taken the translator away again!

Damn it, this is my negligence - his friends obviously can't protect him very well.

If I'm right, after today's translation work, our translator friend may be killed for leaking the news."

Sherlock's face had become very serious when he said this.

Hagrid's eyes couldn't widen any further, "What should we do now?"

"We have to find the place where he is imprisoned - I've got it!"

Sherlock didn't stand still when he was talking to Hagrid, but moved forward quickly and looked up from time to time.

Occasionally, people who noticed them also turned their eyes away when they saw Hagrid.

Confirmed the look in their eyes, they were people they couldn't afford to mess with.

Fortunately, his destination was actually a distance away from the real trading location of the black market.

Sherlock stopped in front of a room, "Judging from the arrangement of the light spots, the place where Musgrave is imprisoned should be here.

"This looks like a warehouse."

Hagrid said, looking around.

Sherlock nodded.

The most dangerous place is the safest place.

Smith wanted to use the crowd of the black market to cover up the magical traces brought by the Portkey, but at the same time, he was worried about these people discovering his secret, so he simply did this.

It also makes sense.

Hagrid looked at Sherlock hesitantly, "Should we open it?"

"Do it, this is the place."

Hagrid took a deep breath, exerted a little force with both hands, and pushed the warehouse door open.