Chapter 8: Two Names

Mrs. Holmes was indeed eager to help. But this was only one of the reasons she was enthusiastic about assisting the Granger family.

As a mother, she knew her son’s personality better than anyone else: solitary, eccentric, and socially awkward. She had suffered headaches over these traits at his previous school. Although Sherlock had managed to resolve the issue on his own, the outcome was far from pleasant. So, if he could make friends before even starting school, it would be ideal.

Meanwhile, Sherlock had already greeted a young girl named Hermione. Out of politeness, he turned to Mr. Granger and said, “Dr. Granger, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Pleasure… wait, how do you know I’m a doctor?” Mr. Granger instinctively replied, then realized something was amiss. He hadn’t mentioned his profession when introducing himself.

Mrs. Granger and Hermione, with her fluffy brown hair, were also stunned. Seeing the surprised looks on the Grangers’ faces, Mr. and Mrs. Holmes exchanged a knowing smile. They were, of course, not at all surprised—such incidents had happened many times before.

However, Mrs. Holmes quickly lost her smile because Sherlock didn’t answer Mr. Granger directly. Instead, he turned to Mrs. Granger and said, “Mrs. Granger, I suspect my mother has pulpitis caused by tooth decay, but she’s afraid of pain and hasn’t dared to visit a hospital. I hope you can help her.”

Mrs. Granger’s eyes lit up immediately, and she began asking Mrs. Holmes about her symptoms. Although Mrs. Holmes shot Sherlock a sharp glance, she cooperated and began describing the condition in detail.

By the time Sherlock was brought forward, Hermione Granger had already started observing him. Sherlock’s short black hair, gray eyes, and taller stature compared to his peers made him stand out at first glance. Hearing him casually mention his parents’ professions only increased her surprise, causing her to look at him several more times.

That’s when she noticed his notably slender hooked nose.

“So big.”

Caught by Sherlock’s sharp gaze, Hermione blushed and quickly turned her head away.

The Granger family had arrived a little late. Though the two mothers got along well, the Grangers had to leave promptly to buy all the necessary school supplies for Hermione.

Before parting ways, Mrs. Holmes not only helped them locate the Leaky Cauldron but also generously shared her shopping experiences from the day with Mrs. Granger. Meanwhile, Mrs. Granger persuaded Mrs. Holmes to have a thorough periodontal checkup before school officially began—promising it would be painless.

Thus, a fulfilling day in Diagon Alley came to a close.

The following month was busy for Sherlock. He did not keep the Granger family much in mind. His mother’s pulpitis was indeed an unexpected blessing. As for looking after Hermione at school, he deemed it unnecessary. Sherlock had always found self-care troublesome, and the idea of Hermione caring for him was out of the question. Besides, with a little witch tagging along, when would he have time to explore Hogwarts?

During this time, he studied how to use his new pet. After several attempts, he discovered the owl, as the pet shop owner had said, could deliver both letters and parcels. It seemed no different from a postman, but much faster and more precise.

He also gave his pet owl a name: Watson. Sherlock couldn’t say why, but he felt this name suited a long-term companion.

Besides that, he finished all the textbooks and several extra books he had purchased. Through them, Sherlock finally gained a systematic and broad understanding of the wizarding world.

Compared to the little witch Hermione Granger, he was more interested in two other names.

One was Harry James Potter.

This name appeared in the school’s required reading, such as “A History of Magic,” as well as in Sherlock’s additional books, “Important Magical Events of the Twentieth Century” and “The Rise and Fall of Dark Magic.”

This boy, the same age as Sherlock, was born on July 31, 1980. He was known as “The Boy Who Lived,” “The Savior of the Wizarding World,” and “The Dark Lord’s Only Nemesis.”

The reason for these titles was connected to another name: the Dark Lord himself.

According to the books, he was the most powerful and dangerous dark wizard in history. So fearsome that many texts refused to utter his name, simply calling him “He Who Must Not Be Named.” Only a rare few books would mention “Voldemort,” and even then, usually just once.

Subsequent references shifted back to “the mysterious one” or “the Dark Lord.”

Sherlock, a staunch believer in science, found this hard to comprehend. It seemed rather absurd. Perhaps… this was just a feature of the magical world.

In any case, Voldemort’s strength and numerous followers once allowed him to dominate the wizarding world. For the entire magical community, that was the darkest period in history.

But where there is oppression, there is resistance.

The harsh rule stirred growing dissatisfaction, eventually erupting into a prolonged war between good and evil.

Leading the white wizards against Voldemort was Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This was why both Hogwarts and Dumbledore himself held such esteemed status in the wizarding world.

This conflict, known as the Wizarding War, lasted a full eleven years. The entire magical world suffered great losses during this time.

According to the records, had the war continued, Voldemort might truly have conquered the wizarding world.

However, at the height of Voldemort’s power, in the eleventh year of the war, a turning point came.

On October 31, 1981, Halloween Eve.

For reasons unknown, the dreaded Dark Lord arrived in Godric’s Hollow—a small village in southwest England, known as a half-wizard settlement, named after the famous wizard Godric Gryffindor.

Harry Potter and his parents lived there.

Undeniably, the Potters were exceptional wizards. They were powerful and had once been active on the front lines against Voldemort.

Yet, when confronting Voldemort directly, the Potters were mercilessly slain without any hope of survival.

After killing the Potters, Voldemort turned his wand toward Harry Potter, who was only fifteen months old.

But, astonishingly, the Dark Lord who had personally killed hundreds and struck fear throughout the magical community failed!

His powerful magic obliterated the Potter house into ruins, yet Harry himself remained unharmed.

Thus, Harry Potter became the only known person to survive an encounter with Voldemort so far.