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[Mr. Sherlock Holmes]
[Master Bedroom, 2nd Floor]
[128 King's Road, Kensington-Chelsea]
Sherlock received a strange letter.
Strange, because ordinarily, no one would specify the recipient's address down to the 'Master Bedroom, 2nd Floor' when sending mail.
Surely, one couldn't expect the postman to deliver the letter directly to the bedroom?
Yet, this letter had indeed been delivered right to Sherlock's bedroom.
That was the second reason it was strange.
The letter's postman was an owl.
Yes, an owl.
Sherlock glanced towards the top of the nearby coat rack.
Perched there was a black and white eagle-owl.
Just moments ago, this very owl, carrying the envelope in its beak, had flown in through the second-floor window, circled the room once, and accurately dropped the letter into his hand.
It was practically sentient.
Sherlock was naturally surprised at first.
—Anyone encountering such a thing wouldn't remain calm.
But unlike ordinary people, the excitement this event brought Sherlock quickly overshadowed the surprise.
Turning the envelope over, he saw a dark red wax seal and a shield-shaped crest, quite striking.
However, more eye-catching than these was a large capital letter 'H', surrounded by a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake.
The images of the four animals were not distorted by the envelope's small size; instead, each was vividly lifelike, as if about to leap off the paper.
Sherlock retrieved a magnifying glass from his drawer and began to examine it with practiced meticulousness.
A pair of grey eyes sparkled, and his slightly trembling hands revealed that his inner state was not as calm as his surface appearance suggested.
Finally, Sherlock let out a happy laugh:
"At last, something interesting enough to capture one's attention! The local criminals have been far too inactive lately..."
In 1991, as the process of European integration accelerated, EU member states uniformly quickened their pace.
Rumor had it that the European Community would pass formal treaties for the European Economic and Monetary Union and the European Political Union by the end of the year.
As one of the core member states, the United Kingdom, eager to display its former imperial glory and surpass its main rivals, France and Germany, also intensified efforts to maintain domestic law and order.
In fact, by the late 20th century, large-scale criminal organizations had already nearly vanished from Britain.
Only street gangs stubbornly maintained their presence.
Against this backdrop, London, as the capital, naturally bore the brunt.
Faced with such high pressure, criminals had largely ceased operations, temporarily closing up shop.
Adding to this, he had recently recovered from a serious illness, and his parents had arranged for him to attend a preparatory school.
For Sherlock, who craved excitement and detested a quiet life, this period of waiting at home for school to start naturally felt increasingly dull.
Until today.
Of course, despite his inner excitement, Sherlock still carefully examined the envelope before opening it.
This was a habit he had long cultivated.
"No stamp, emerald ink, parchment paper, excessively thick paper... Interesting."
Through observation, Sherlock had already reached a preliminary conclusion.
However, further confirmation was needed from the letter's content.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Holmes,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
"..."
Before reading the letter, Sherlock had considered many possibilities, but this was not one of them.
Hogwarts?
A school of magic?
Grand Sorcerer?
So... this was an acceptance letter?
The content of the letter was so outrageous that even the usually rational Sherlock couldn't help but fall into deep contemplation.
As mentioned in the letter, a second page was attached, listing the required school supplies.
Sherlock scanned it and found items like wands, spellbooks, and robes – things typically found only in fantasy literature and films.
Books such as 'The Standard Book of Spells' and 'A History of Magic' even had authors listed.
It all seemed so real.
After a moment of silence, Sherlock held the letter up to the light.
"Ha!"
His eyes shone even brighter.
If it were any other child, they probably would have believed everything in their excitement by now.
However, the 11-year-old Sherlock Holmes was no ordinary person.
He was far more mature than his peers.
And a staunch believer in science.
Magic?
How could something that only existed in legends possibly be real?
Therefore, this had to be a prank.
The exquisitely made envelope?
It could be forged.
The letter's content?
Easily fabricated with a little effort.
His own address?
That was the simplest part, requiring even less effort than concocting the letter's content.
The only puzzling point was the owl that delivered letters.
Prior to this, Sherlock had indeed never heard of them doing such a thing; that job usually fell to their relatives – carrier pigeons.
But never having heard of it didn't mean it didn't exist.
With enough effort, Sherlock believed it wasn't impossible.
The question was, would someone really expend so much effort on such a pointless endeavor?
The answer was yes.
Because this wasn't the first time something like this had happened.
Sherlock once dreamed of becoming a pirate.
While this dream could be considered peculiar, it wasn't entirely unacceptable.
—After all, it was part of the country's traditional culture.
It was during that time that Sherlock received a letter.
Similar to this 'acceptance letter', but that one was delivered by a regular postman.
The writer claimed to be Captain Jack, stating he was once a heroic pirate who led many followers across the seas, robbing the rich to help the poor, a formidable figure in his time.
Unfortunately, he carelessly fell victim to another villainous captain who stole his beloved pirate ship.
Disheartened, he ended up destitute on the streets.
He wrote to Sherlock because he saw in him the potential to become an excellent pirate and thus made a decision that went against his ancestors' ways: to train Sherlock as his successor.
The goal was to defeat the scoundrel who stole his ship and reclaim everything he once owned.
Initially, Sherlock was resistant.
But over time, this Captain Jack managed to prove himself to Sherlock through various means.
Keep in mind, Sherlock was no ordinary child.
Gaining his trust was never an easy task.
Because of this, throughout the process, Sherlock repeatedly tested and verified, finding no flaws; everything seemed legitimate.
However, just as Sherlock finally believed him and decided to follow Captain Jack on an adventure, he was told it was all a hoax.
This revelation was like a bolt from the blue for him.
Sherlock took a deep breath.
No need to dwell on the past.
But one shouldn't stumble in the same place twice.
Now, Sherlock's deductive and analytical skills were stronger than in his naive youth. With the previous experience as a lesson, he naturally wouldn't be easily fooled this time.
So, even though common sense told him owls don't deliver mail, based on his past experience of being deceived, if someone was willing to put in significant effort – teaching an owl to deliver letters wasn't impossible.
That person took pleasure in playing with his emotions.
Recalling this experience, Sherlock paced back and forth in his room.
Finally, he made a decision that wasn't particularly difficult, took out paper, and wrote furiously.
Dear Professor McGonagall,
I am honored to receive the acceptance letter from your esteemed school, and I am willing to attend.
However, neither I nor my family have previously heard anything about 'magic', nor are we familiar with the preparations required for enrollment. If the school could arrange for a staff member to visit and answer our questions, I would be most grateful.
—Sherlock Holmes.
A smile appeared on Sherlock's lips.
If you're going to seek thrills, then see it through to the end.
The opponent has made their move; let's play along.
Unexpectedly, just as Sherlock finished writing the reply, the owl still perched on the coat rack hooted once and fluttered down in front of him.
So proactive?
Sherlock tentatively extended his hand. The owl immediately snatched the letter in its beak, and with a flap of its wings, flew out the window.
Observing its flight posture and speed, Sherlock couldn't help but feel a little impressed.
Judging by the training results of this owl, a considerable amount of effort had indeed been invested.
That alone deserved his serious attention.
Knowing the person involved, they certainly wouldn't give up just like that.
How would they respond?
Would they try to slowly gain his trust through correspondence?
Or arrange for someone to impersonate a teacher from the magic school?
Or perhaps simply jump out and crudely announce it was all a hoax?
Well, the last one was unlikely – after all, both sides wanted to continue this contest.
Regardless, Sherlock eagerly anticipated what would happen next.
At least... this summer wouldn't be boring.
However, Sherlock hadn't expected the response to come so quickly.
Three days after receiving the acceptance letter, Sherlock was having breakfast with his parents.
Mrs. Holmes picked up the newspaper, glanced at it, and then exclaimed to her husband, "Tarnan, that burglary case has been solved – Sherlock was right, the culprit really was the one-armed man!"
Mr. Holmes smiled and looked at his son, "I remember this case was from three months ago."
Sherlock put a piece of bread into his mouth, his expression indifferent as he said, "Scotland Yard's efficiency has always been like this, and they turn a blind eye to obvious facts."
'Scotland Yard' wasn't a place name but a metonym for the Metropolitan Police Service in London.
It wasn't located in Scotland, nor was it responsible for policing Scotland.
The Metropolitan Police Service is responsible for maintaining public order and traffic control throughout Greater London, excluding the City of London. Its original headquarters was at 4 Whitehall Place.
Because one of its back entrances faced Great Scotland Yard, and this entrance happened to be the public office of the police, over time, 'Scotland Yard' became the metonym for the Metropolitan Police Service.
Using place names to refer to institutions is not uncommon, like Fleet Street or 10 Downing Street.
This habit isn't unique to Britain; other countries have it too.
For instance, Sherlock, interested in detection, knew of places like 'the Lubyanka'.
Hearing Sherlock's assessment of Scotland Yard, Mr. Holmes couldn't help but suggest, "Sherlock, why don't you become a detective in the future!"
Sherlock raised an eyebrow but didn't answer.
Just then, an eagle-owl flew straight in through the open window.
(End of Chapter)