128 King's Road, Kensington-Chelsea District, 2nd Floor Master Bedroom.
Mr. Sherlock Holmes.
Sherlock received a strange letter.
It was strange because, normally, no one would specify the recipient's address down to “2nd Floor Master Bedroom” when mailing a letter.
You couldn't expect the postman to deliver the letter directly to the bedroom, could you?
Yet, this letter was indeed delivered to Sherlock’s bedroom.
This was the second reason it was strange.
The letter’s postman was an owl.
Yes, an owl.
Sherlock looked towards the top of the clothes rack nearby.
A black and white Eurasian eagle-owl stood there.
It was this Eurasian eagle-owl that had just flown in through the second-floor window, carrying the envelope, circled the room once, and then accurately dropped the letter into his hand.
It was as if it had become a spirit.
Sherlock was naturally surprised at first.
—No one would remain calm encountering such a thing.
But unlike ordinary people, the excitement this matter brought Sherlock quickly overshadowed his surprise.
Turning the envelope over, there was a dark red wax seal and a prominent shield emblem.
However, more eye-catching than these was a capital “H” encircled by a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake.
The four animal patterns did not distort due to the envelope’s limited space; instead, each was remarkably lifelike, as if about to leap from the paper.
Sherlock took a magnifying glass from a drawer and meticulously observed it.
His gray eyes sparkled, and his slightly trembling hands showed that his inner self was not as calm as his exterior.
Finally, Sherlock laughed out loud with delight:
“Finally, something exciting has happened! Local criminals have been far too inactive lately…”
In 1991, as the European Union’s integration process accelerated, its member states quickened their pace in unison.
There were rumors that the European Community would pass formal treaties for the European Economic and Monetary Union and the European Political Union by the end of that year.
As one of the core member states, Britain, in order to showcase its former imperial grandeur and suppress its main rivals, France and Germany, also intensified its efforts to maintain public order and stability within the country.
In fact, by the late 20th century in Britain, large-scale criminal organizations had already almost vanished.
Only street gangs stubbornly asserted their presence.
Given this background, London, as the capital, was naturally the first to bear the brunt.
Facing such high-pressure tactics, criminals lowered their flags and temporarily ceased operations.
Furthermore, he had recently recovered from a serious illness, and his parents had arranged a preparatory school for him.
For Sherlock, who loved excitement and detested a peaceful life, this period of merely waiting at home for school to start naturally felt even more boring.
Until today.
Of course, despite his intense excitement, Sherlock still carefully examined the envelope before opening it.
This was a habit he had always maintained.
“No stamp, emerald green ink, parchment quality, excessively thick paper… Interesting.”
Through observation, Sherlock had already drawn preliminary conclusions.
However, further confirmation was needed from the letter’s main text.
Principal of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: Albus Dumbledore
(Supreme Mugwump, Grand Sorcerer, First Class with Honors, Wizengamot Chief Warlock)
Dear Mr. Holmes:
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1.
We await your owl by July 31.
Sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
“…”
Before reading the letter, Sherlock had considered many possibilities, but this one never crossed his mind.
Hogwarts?
School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?
Grand Sorcerer?
So… this was an acceptance letter?
The content of the letter was so preposterous that even the usually rational Sherlock couldn't help but fall into deep contemplation.
As stated in the letter, a second page was attached after the main text, listing essential school supplies.
Sherlock’s glance revealed items such as wands, magic books, and magic robes, things that only appeared in fantasy literature and films.
Books like “Standard Book of Spells” and “History of Magic” even listed their authors.
It was made to look so real.
After a moment of silence, Sherlock held the letter up to the light.
“Ha!”
His eyes brightened further.
If it were any other child, they would probably have believed everything in their excitement by now.
However, 11-year-old Sherlock Holmes was no ordinary person.
He was far more mature than his peers.
He was also a young man who firmly believed in science.
magic?
How could something that only existed in legends truly exist?
So this must be a prank.
An exquisitely crafted envelope?
It could be forged.
The content of the letter?
It could be concocted with a little effort.
His own address?
This was the simplest, requiring even less effort than fabricating the letter’s content.
The only puzzling aspect was the letter-delivering owl.
Before this, Sherlock had indeed never heard of them doing such a thing; this job was usually handled by their counterparts—carrier pigeons.
But not hearing about it didn’t mean it didn’t exist.
Sherlock felt that with enough effort, it wasn't impossible to achieve.
The question was, would anyone really spend so much effort on such a boring thing?
The answer was definitely yes.
Because this incident was not unprecedented.
Sherlock’s childhood dream was to be a pirate.
While this dream could be called 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 letter was delivered by a regular postman.
The sender claimed to be Jack Sparrow, stating in the letter that he was once a swashbuckling pirate who led many henchmen across the seas, robbing the rich to help the poor, and was quite a formidable figure in his time.
Unfortunately, he carelessly fell prey to another villainous captain, who stole his beloved pirate ship.
Ultimately, he became disheartened and ended up on the streets.
He wrote to Sherlock because he discovered Sherlock possessed the potential to become an excellent pirate, and thus made a decision against his ancestors’ wishes: to train Sherlock as his successor.
The goal was to defeat the scoundrel who stole his ship and reclaim everything he once possessed.
Initially, Sherlock refused.
But as time went on, this Jack Sparrow eventually proved himself to Sherlock through various means.
One must know that Sherlock was no ordinary child.
Gaining his trust was never an easy task.
Because of this, throughout the process, Sherlock repeatedly tested and sought verification, yet found no flaws; everything seemed to be in order.
However, just as Sherlock finally believed him and resolved to embark on an adventure with Jack Sparrow, he was informed that it was a hoax.
This news was nothing short of a thunderbolt to him.
Sherlock took a deep breath.
Let bygones be bygones.
But one cannot stumble in the same place twice.
Now, Sherlock’s deductive and analytical abilities were stronger than when he was young and naive, and with past experience, he naturally wouldn’t be easily fooled this time.
So, even though common sense told him owls don’t deliver letters, based on his past experience of being tricked, it wasn’t impossible for an owl to learn to deliver letters if someone was willing to put in a great deal of effort.
That person was evidently delighted to play with his emotions.
Recalling this experience, Sherlock paced back and forth in the room.
Finally, he made a not-so-difficult decision, took out a piece of paper, and wrote furiously.
Dear Professor McGonagall:
It is an honor to receive your school’s acceptance letter, and I would be delighted to attend your esteemed institution.
However, my family and I have never heard of “magic” matters before, and we are not very clear about the preparations for enrollment. I would be most grateful if your school could arrange for staff to visit and answer our questions—Sherlock Holmes.
A slight smile appeared on Sherlock’s lips.
Since he wanted excitement, he would see it through to the end.
The other party had already made their move, so he would play along.
Unexpectedly, as soon as Sherlock finished writing his reply, the owl still perched on the clothes rack immediately hooted and flapped its wings, coming before him.
So proactive?
Sherlock tentatively extended his hand, and it immediately took the letter, then flew out the window with a flap of its wings.
Observing its flight posture and speed, Sherlock couldn’t help but feel a little impressed.
Judging by the results of training this owl, a considerable amount of effort must have been put in.
This alone was worth taking seriously.
Knowing that person, they certainly wouldn’t give up just like that.
How would he respond to him?
Would he slowly gain his trust through replies?
Or would he arrange for someone to impersonate a teacher from the school of magic?
Or would he simply jump out and bluntly declare it a hoax?
Hmm, that last one was unlikely—after all, both sides wanted to continue this contest.
In any case, Sherlock was very much looking forward to what would happen next.
At least… this summer wouldn’t be boring.
However, Sherlock didn’t expect 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, “Tanan, that home invasion case has been solved—Sherlock was right, the culprit really was that one-armed man!”
Mr. Holmes smiled and looked at his son, “I remember that was a case from three months ago.”
Sherlock put a piece of bread into his mouth and said indifferently, “Scotland Yard’s efficiency has always been like this, and they often turn a blind eye to obvious facts.”
“Scotland Yard” is not a place name, but a metonym for the Metropolitan Police Service of London.
It is neither located in Scotland nor responsible for policing Scotland.
The Metropolitan Police Service is responsible for maintaining public order and traffic in the entire Greater London area, excluding the City of London. Its old headquarters were at 4 Whitehall Place.
Because one of its back doors faced Scotland Yard, and this door happened to be the public entrance of the Metropolitan Police Service, over time, Scotland Yard became a metonym for the Metropolitan Police Service.
Using place names to refer to institutions is not uncommon, such as Fleet Street or 10 Downing Street.
Not just Britain, other countries also have this habit.
For example, Sherlock, who is very interested in investigation, knows places like “Lubyanka,” “Six Fan Gates,” and “Seeburg Grand Hotel.”
Mr. Holmes heard Sherlock’s evaluation of Scotland Yard and couldn’t help but suggest, “Sherlock, why don’t you become a detective in the future!”
Sherlock raised an eyebrow but did not reply.
Just then, a Eurasian eagle-owl flew directly in through the open window.