Chapter 64: Hannah Abbott's Trouble

"Knock four times when you come to the door—ordinary people only knock twice, at most three times."

When Hannah Abbott asked why he knew she was troubled, Sherlock said just that.

"Holmes, your reputation precedes you!"

Hannah Abbott let out an exclamation of surprise.

In truth, she was indeed troubled.

"Well then, let us begin at once!"

Sherlock pressed his hands together, resting his chin upon them, and looked intently at the young witch.

Hannah Abbott nodded, took a deep breath, and began to recount the sequence of events.

"My father works at the Ministry of Magic, in charge of document management.

A few days ago, while sorting through a batch of secret documents, perhaps due to a momentary lapse in concentration, he misplaced one of them.

As a result, someone at the Ministry seized upon this to make a great fuss, accusing him of intentionally leaking classified information.

Now he is facing severe disciplinary action, and might even be sent to Azkaban!"

At this point, Hannah Abbott's eyes reddened and her voice began to tremble.

Sherlock did not seem to notice, or perhaps he noticed and simply did not care.

He opened his notebook and continued to question her:

"When your father mentioned this document, did he say anything unusual about it? Remember, any detail, no matter how seemingly trivial, could be of vital importance."

"Father said the document was cast with a special encryption spell and could only be opened with a specific magical key."

"Where was the document kept at the time?"

"Locked inside a safe protected by multiple layers of defensive magic."

"Are you certain?"

"Certain. Father told the Ministry of Magic the exact same thing during their questioning, yet it simply appeared elsewhere out of nowhere."

Hearing this, Sherlock frowned slightly, tapping his fingers lightly against the tabletop. A moment later, he pursued the matter further:

"Before the document was discovered, did anything unusual happen at the Ministry?"

"Unusual?"

Hannah Abbott did not quite understand what Sherlock meant.

"For instance, did anyone frequently enter or leave your father's office, or was any strange magical fluctuation detected?"

Hannah Abbott closed her eyes, her brows furrowed tightly as she tried hard to remember.

Sherlock did not interrupt, simply watching her quietly.

Hermione looked from Hannah Abbott to Sherlock, the deep concentration of the former forming a sharp contrast with the absolute confidence of the latter.

"Ah, right!"

Hannah Abbott's eyes suddenly lit up. "Father mentioned that a few days before the document went missing, the protective magical barrier around his office experienced a brief and inexplicable fluctuation.

At the time, however, he conducted a thorough inspection and found nothing abnormal, so he didn't pay much attention to it."

Sherlock nodded and turned to Hermione. "My friend, if someone were to use magic to bypass the safe's protections and steal the document, would it cause a magical fluctuation?"

"Without a doubt," Hermione replied without hesitation, and then immediately realized, "You mean..."

"Wait a moment, I have a few more questions."

Hermione, interrupted by Sherlock, was not at all annoyed; by now, she had long since grown accustomed to his ways.

The fellow was simply that sort of person!

Sherlock then proceeded to inquire in meticulous detail about the layout of Abbott's Ministry office, the storage location of the documents, and the routine of her father's daily work.

Abbott had frequently visited her father at the Ministry to play since she was a child, and she was able to answer most of Sherlock's questions, though some details remained hazy.

It did not matter, however.

"Mother found a way to let me bring the Ministry's investigative report on this matter."

With that, Abbott produced a stack of documents and handed them over.

Sherlock, whose brow had been furrowed, suddenly brightened.

Abbott's description could only serve as a reference; this report would be far more useful.

He examined it carefully while beginning to sketch in his notebook.

It was a pity that circumstances prevented him from visiting the Ministry of Magic in person.

It seemed he would have to channel Poirot this time.

Fortunately, the Ministry's report was quite detailed. Although it inevitably contained some unclear points, it was more than sufficient to deduce the truth of the matter.

"I believe... the truth has surfaced."

Beneath the astonished gazes of Hermione and Abbott, Sherlock raised his head and spoke.

Surely this was far too fast?

"The person is likely your father's rival at the Ministry. He has long coveted your father's position, and seizing this opportunity, he orchestrated this conspiracy."

"Mr. Holmes, which person are you speaking of?"

Abbott's expression was somewhat bewildered.

Sherlock's sudden declaration left her genuinely struggling to keep up.

"Wright Black, the man of the Black Light."

"It's him?"

Hannah immediately wore a look of shock. "He has no feud with my father?!"

Sherlock shook his head and explained:

"Based on your father's description and the data provided in this report, the encryption method of this document is an extremely rare and complex form of ancient magic encryption.

Those capable of cracking it must possess deep research into ancient magic.

The individuals who fit this description are few, and that Mr. Wright Black happens to be one of them.

Furthermore, the protective magic of the safe required simultaneously cracking at least three different types of magical locks to open.

This demanded not only superb magical skill but also an intimate familiarity with the internal architecture of the Ministry's security systems.

Wright Black happens to be in charge of the security systems for the very sector where your father's office is located, which makes him highly suspicious.

In addition..."

Sherlock picked up his notebook, pointed to the rough sketch he had drawn, and continued:

"Judging from this investigative report, in the week before the document went missing, this Mr. Black entered and left your father's office more frequently than usual, and each time he stayed for a considerable duration.

Of course, he claimed it was merely to discuss work.

Yet your father stated that the contents of these so-called discussions were mostly trivial matters of little consequence.

This is sufficient to show that he was likely utilizing these opportunities to find the optimal moment to execute his plan, while your father remained unaware.

Moreover, he has always been envious of your father's talent—although this is my own deduction, I believe it cannot be wrong.

Because in the most recent promotion evaluations, he lost to your father, which undoubtedly provided him with a powerful motive to commit the crime."

Having listened to Sherlock's analysis, Abbott was both astonished and delighted.

Hermione gently patted the back of her hand, her gaze shining brightly as she looked at Sherlock.

"Holmes, you are simply amazing! What should we do now?"

"Do not worry, Miss Abbott. We still need to gather evidence to prove your father's innocence and that man's guilt.

Although the Ministry has restricted your father's movements, fortunately, your mother is still free to act.

Therefore, we must have her and your father's friends within the Ministry keep watch on that man's movements, particularly paying attention to whether he attempts to destroy magical traces related to the document or if he contacts any suspicious individuals.

At the same time, I shall use certain methods here to search further for evidence."

At this, he turned his head once more.

"Hermione, I must ask you to research materials concerning the cracking of ancient magic and vulnerabilities in the Ministry's security systems. Who knows, we might just find the crucial clue to his crime."

Hearing this, Hermione could not help but freeze. Cracking ancient magic was one thing, but what on earth were vulnerabilities in the Ministry's security systems?

Was such information even something one could simply look up?

Hannah Abbott, however, did not dwell on such thoughts, and with reddened eyes, she expressed her gratitude to Sherlock.

Sherlock wore a reassuring smile:

"Miss Abbott, the truth can never be buried. As long as we search with our hearts, we shall surely find it."