At the very last carriage of the Hogwarts Express—
As Sherlock, Harry, and Hermione enthusiastically discussed a highly taboo topic, Neville Longbottom had completely forgotten about the toad he was supposed to be looking for.
Several times he opened his mouth to speak, but the words trembled on his lips and never made it out.
Ron, too, watched the three of them converse as if nothing were out of the ordinary. He hesitated again and again… until finally, unable to take it anymore, he summoned the courage to interrupt:
"W-Wait a minute… you—you actually said You-Know-Who's name!"
"And why not?" Sherlock looked curiously at Ron, who was nearly hyperventilating, and at Neville, who looked like he might faint.
"You're really that afraid?"
He knew that in the wizarding world, Voldemort was a name steeped in fear. After all, most books referred to him as He Who Must Not Be Named.
But he hadn't expected that more than a decade after Voldemort's downfall, even the mere mention of his name could leave people so shaken.
Watching Ron and Neville nod fervently, Hermione couldn't help but ask, "But why be afraid of just a name?"
"Of course it's because…" Ron started, then paused, realizing he couldn't quite explain it.
After thinking for a moment, he murmured, "Mum and Dad used it to scare me when I was little… Every wizarding family warns their kids that the name is cursed. Unless absolutely necessary, no one says it—not willingly, anyway."
Neville nodded vigorously in agreement, as if to say same here.
Ron glanced at Harry with admiration. "But I suppose it makes sense for you. I mean, after all, you—"
Harry hesitated, then explained,
"It's not because I'm brave or anything. I just… didn't know you weren't supposed to say it. You understand what I mean?"
Hermione nodded in agreement.
For someone raised in a Muggle household, this fear simply didn't exist.
Compared to Voldemort, my mum shouting my full name is scarier, she thought.
"There's no reason not to say it," Sherlock said calmly, catching everyone off guard. "Fear stems from ignorance. The best way to overcome fear is to face it."
Seeing Ron and Neville cowering like frightened quails, Sherlock offered a straightforward solution.
Harry and Hermione nodded emphatically.
Ron and Neville, meanwhile, stared at Sherlock with wide-eyed admiration.
Incredible!
But that was as far as it went.
Even if Sherlock's logic made sense, their upbringing still made it difficult to break the habit.
Hermione and Neville lingered in the compartment for a little while longer—until a kindly witch opened the door and asked if anyone wanted to buy snacks. They then stood up to resume their search for Neville's toad.
Before leaving, Hermione reminded Ron—rather pointedly—that he really ought to get a new wand. Using a secondhand one could lead to spellcasting failures.
Ron: (ˇˇ)
Funny, Ron thought bitterly. When Sherlock said the exact same thing, I didn't mind. But coming from her…
"No matter which House I get sorted into," Ron muttered as soon as Hermione walked out, "I hope she's not in it."
Harry nodded absentmindedly. His thoughts were still fixed on Sherlock.
This new friend of his… was simply too incredible.
At that moment, Sherlock had walked up to the trolley witch, staring in fascination at the magical sweets on display.
Even from appearance alone, the treats radiated enchantment.
It was a small thing, really—but this was exactly the sort of magic that had drawn Sherlock into this world in the first place.
"Did you bring any lunch?" he asked, glancing at Harry and Ron.
Harry shook his head.
In fairness, the Dursleys had never starved him. But he'd never been allowed to eat his fill either—Dudley always got to the food first. So of course they hadn't packed him a lunch.
Ron mumbled something about having a sandwich.
His ears turned red.
Sherlock understood immediately.
He wants to eat… but he can't afford it.
Sherlock said nothing more. He asked about the prices, then bought a bit of everything from the trolley.
All told, it cost just under twelve silver Sickles.
Not exactly cheap—but not outrageous either.
"I'll treat us to lunch," Sherlock said. "Though it's all snacks, so Ron—lend me your sandwich first to pad things out."
Ron perked up at once, eagerly handing over his sandwich.
His mum never remembered that he hated corned beef, so Sherlock's request was a godsend.
Besides, he was much more interested in magical snacks than another dry sandwich.
Harry agreed with a small nod—he didn't even hesitate. For the first time in his life, someone his own age was offering to share food with him.
It felt… strange, but warm.
After spending time together, Sherlock had come to understand their personalities quite well.
Harry, though quiet and reserved on the surface, had a strong and resilient heart. He could accept kindness without suspicion.
Ron, on the other hand, came off as cheerful and easygoing—but growing up in the shadow of five talented brothers had left him with some buried insecurities.
If Sherlock had simply offered to treat him to food, Ron likely would've refused out of pride.
But phrased as a trade, just like now—could he accept it without guilt.
And to be fair, Sherlock hadn't lied. He really had wanted some actual food before diving into the sweets.
To his surprise, Mrs. Weasley's cooking was pretty good. The corned beef was actually delicious.
With that, the three of them dug in enthusiastically. Soon, the compartment was filled with the mouthwatering aroma of magical treats.
Ron began introducing Sherlock and Harry to the various snacks.
For example, Chocolate Frogs weren't made from actual frogs—they were just frog-shaped chocolates.
But they were enchanted, so you had to be quick when unwrapping them or they'd try to hop away.
As for the taste? Delicious. A favorite among young witches and wizards.
But what really grabbed Sherlock and Harry's attention were the collectible cards inside.
Every Chocolate Frog came with a Famous Witches and Wizards card—a moving portrait on the front, with a short biography on the back.
Harry happened to pull one of Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts.
Wizarding photos were nothing like Muggle ones. In the magical world, people in pictures moved.
So after reading Dumbledore's biography, Harry flipped the card over—only to find that the headmaster's portrait had vanished.
"You can't expect him to hang around all day," Ron said casually.
When Harry explained that Muggle photos never moved, it was Ron's turn to be amazed.
"They just… stay still forever? That's so weird!"
Just then, Dumbledore reappeared on the card, giving a small wave.
Harry couldn't help exclaiming, "That's amazing! Sherlock, aren't you surprised?"
Sherlock took a bite of his Chocolate Frog—it was indeed delicious—then accepted the card from Harry.
Watching the bearded old wizard vanish and reappear, he chuckled and said:
"Actually… you could pull off something like this even without magic."
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~I'm sorry for the messed up order of chapters. It was supposed to be released at the same times on 12 but webnovel ruined the order of chapters instead. As an apology, I added an extra chapter for you guys✌️
~Give powerstones Guys, While You're at it😁