Mrs. Holmes truly was a helpful woman.
But that was only one of the reasons she so eagerly assisted the Grangers.
As a mother, she knew her son's temperament better than anyone.
Aloof, peculiar, and unsociable.
These traits had caused her many headaches back in his previous school.
Although Sherlock had managed to resolve the issues himself, the outcome hadn't exactly been pleasant.
So, if he could make a friend before starting at Hogwarts, she thought, all the better.
Meanwhile, Sherlock had already greeted the girl named Hermione.
Out of politeness, he added, "Dr. Granger, a pleasure to meet you."
"Pleased to meet you as well… Wait, how did you know I'm a doctor?"
Mr. Granger responded instinctively, only to realize something was amiss.
He hadn't mentioned his profession during their introduction.
Both Mrs. Granger and Hermione, whose thick brown curls framed her startled face, were momentarily stunned.
Mr. and Mrs. Holmes exchanged a knowing smile at the Grangers' reaction.
They, of course, weren't surprised in the slightest.
Incidents like this had happened too many times before.
However, Mrs. Holmes's smile soon faded.
Because Sherlock didn't answer Mr. Granger's question directly. Instead, he turned to Mrs. Granger and said:
"Mrs. Granger, I suspect my mother has developed pulpitis due to untreated cavities. She's been too afraid of the pain to visit a dentist. I was hoping you could help her."
Mrs. Granger's eyes lit up, and she immediately began asking about the symptoms.
Although Mrs. Holmes shot Sherlock a sharp look, she still cooperated and described her condition in detail.
From the moment Hermione saw Sherlock being brought forward, she had already begun observing him.
Short black hair. Grey eyes. Taller than most boys his age.
Even at a glance, he stood out.
Now, hearing him correctly state her parents' professions left her even more impressed. She couldn't help but glance at him several more times.
And that's when she noticed his rather long, hooked nose.
"It's so big."
When Sherlock's sharp gaze flicked toward her, Hermione, caught staring, blushed and quickly turned her head away.
The Grangers, it turned out, had arrived a bit late.
Even though the two mothers had hit it off quickly, the family still had to leave early to purchase Hermione's school supplies.
Before parting ways, however, Mrs. Holmes didn't just point out the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron for them — she generously shared all of her shopping experience from the day with Mrs. Granger.
In return, Mrs. Granger convinced Mrs. Holmes to allow her to conduct a full periodontal check-up before term started.
She promised it wouldn't hurt.
And with that, their day in Diagon Alley came to a satisfying end.
The following month passed in a blur for Sherlock.
He didn't think much about the Granger family afterward.
His mother's pulpitis had been an unexpected bonus.
As for keeping in touch with Hermione once school started — he didn't see the need.
Sherlock had always considered taking care of himself a tedious chore.
The idea of relying on someone else, especially a girl—was even less appealing.
Besides… if he had to constantly look after a young witch, how would he find time to explore the secrets of Hogwarts?
In the meantime, he studied his new pet in depth.
After a few test runs, he confirmed what the shopkeeper had said — owls could indeed deliver letters and packages.
Functionally no different from a postman, but far faster and vastly more accurate.
He'd also given the owl a name.
Watson.
Sherlock couldn't explain why, but something about the name felt right—as if it were made for a lifelong companion.
Aside from that, he finished reading all the textbooks and several extra volumes he had purchased.
Through these readings, he finally gained a structured and broad understanding of the wizarding world.
Compared to Hermione Granger, the clever young witch, Sherlock found himself more intrigued by two particular names.
The first was Harry James Potter.
Whether it was the Hogwarts: A History textbook or the additional titles he'd bought — Notable Magical Events of the 20th Century and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts — the name appeared again and again.
This boy, born on July 31st, 1980, was the same age as Sherlock.
He was known as The Boy Who Lived, The Savior of the Wizarding World, and The One Who Defeated the Dark Lord.
The reason he'd earned these titles?
It had everything to do with the second name.
The dark wizard Harry Potter had supposedly defeated.
According to the books, this individual was the most powerful and dangerous Dark wizard in history.
So feared, in fact, that many texts avoided mentioning his name altogether.
Only a few dared print it even once: Voldemort.
And after that lone mention, they would revert to calling him He Who Must Not Be Named or the Dark Lord.
For Sherlock, a staunch believer in science, this was difficult to wrap his head around.
It all seemed… utterly absurd.
Perhaps this was simply a quirk of the magical world?
In any case, Voldemort had once wielded immense power and commanded a vast number of loyal followers. He'd nearly ruled the wizarding world.
It was the darkest era the magical community had ever endured.
But—
Where there is oppression, there is resistance.
Voldemort's tyrannical reign sparked widespread rebellion, and eventually, an all-out war between good and evil broke out.
Leading the charge against Voldemort was none other than Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts.
This was part of why both Dumbledore and Hogwarts held such revered status in the magical world.
The conflict became known as the Wizarding War, and it lasted for a full eleven years.
The toll it took on the magical world was immense.
According to the books, had the war gone on any longer, Voldemort might truly have succeeded in conquering the wizarding world.
However, everything changed in the eleventh year of the war—just as Voldemort's power reached its peak.
On October 31st, 1981 — Halloween night — the turning point came.
For reasons still unknown, the fearsome Dark Lord traveled to Godric's Hollow.
Located in the southwest of England, it was a semi-magical village named after the legendary wizard Godric Gryffindor.
Harry Potter and his parents lived there.
By all accounts, James and Lily Potter were highly accomplished wizards.
They had fought on the front lines against Voldemort with great bravery.
Yet when Voldemort confronted them, they stood no chance.
He murdered them in cold blood.
And then, he turned his wand on fifteen-month-old Harry.
But—
The Dark Lord, who had slaughtered hundreds and terrorized the entire wizarding world, failed.
The same deadly spell that reduced the Potters' home to rubble somehow left Harry completely unharmed.
And so, Harry Potter became the first and only person to ever survive an attack by Voldemort.