On a seemingly ordinary morning.
When owls flew into the Great Hall as usual, almost everyone's attention was drawn to a long, thin package carried by six long-eared owls.
Sherlock glanced up once before looking away.
Harry, like everyone else, was eager to know what was in the package.
Ron was keeping his head down, focused on eating.
Just as Harry was about to ask Sherlock, several owls circled down, and the package landed right in front of him, even knocking his bacon to the floor.
Harry was amazed.
"What is this?"
Ron, who had been eating, was also stunned. He was about to open it when he heard Sherlock say: "If I were you, I wouldn't touch it."
Ron immediately pulled his hand back.
As if to validate Sherlock's words, just as the owls that had delivered the package flapped their wings and flew away, another owl flew in and dropped a letter precisely on top of the package.
Harry picked up the letter and was about to tear it open when Ron stopped him.
He looked at Sherlock: "Can I open the letter?"
Harry was somewhat amused and exasperated.
Ron's behavior was typical overcorrection.
"Open it. I believe this is Professor McGonagall's gift to you."
Upon hearing this, Harry no longer cared how Sherlock had determined this.
With trembling hands, he tore open the letter. A few short lines were written inside:
Do not open the package at the table. It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one.
Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch field at seven o'clock for your first training session.
By the way, Mr. Holmes's package is also here. Please remember to give it to him.
"Sherlock, Professor McGonagall says your package was sent along too."
Harry forced himself to contain his excitement and handed the letter to Sherlock and Ron.
Sherlock was somewhat surprised.
Although he had deduced from the package's shape and weight that this was Professor McGonagall's gift to Harry, he hadn't expected her to send his mail along as well.
"Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron sighed enviously. "I've never even touched one."
"This time you can touch it all you want," Harry said, then turned to Sherlock curiously. "What's in your package?"
"A violin sent by my family."
Sherlock's voice was calm, but Harry and Ron were directly shocked:
"What did you say? Σ(っ°Д°;)っ"
"You can play the violin too?"
Knowledgeable, skilled in boxing and fencing, and now he said he could play violin too?
Wasn't this range of skills a bit too broad?
Sherlock didn't answer directly but asked instead: "By the way, would you find violin playing too noisy?"
Harry was the first to shake his head: "No."
Having lived with the Dursleys, what noise hadn't he experienced?
Just Aunt Petunia's daily banging on the cupboard door was already excessive, not to mention Uncle Vernon's shouting and Dudley's wailing.
Ron was somewhat hesitant: "That depends on how well it's played. If it's good, it's as beautiful as music, but if it's bad..."
"Ha, then there's no problem."
Sherlock interrupted him before he could finish.
Harry and Ron looked at each other.
Was he that confident?
The three chatted briefly before quickly leaving, mainly because Harry and Ron wanted to find a quiet place to open the package and have a good look.
But after just two steps, Sherlock stopped and looked back.
"Sherlock, what's wrong?"
Harry couldn't help asking.
Sherlock looked away: "Nothing, let's go."
He had noticed someone following them, but after brief consideration, he ignored it.
It was destined to be futile anyway.
Ever since the owls had dropped the package, Malfoy had been watching Harry.
Like everyone else, he was full of curiosity about that long, thin package.
So, when he saw the three leaving, he immediately brought Crabbe and Goyle and began tailing them.
When the package was opened, Malfoy was practically beside himself with excitement.
As everyone knew, first-year students weren't allowed to bring broomsticks.
Before school started, he had spent considerable effort trying to secretly bring a broomstick to school, but ultimately failed.
Now with such an opportunity, he would never let it pass.
In his view, Snape already hated Harry, and with such an opportunity, wouldn't he punish him severely?
Expulsion might be unlikely, but detention would definitely be possible!
Although Sherlock was indeed very capable, now that they were caught red-handed, no matter how skilled he was, it would be useless!
Malfoy never expected that when he found Professor Snape, Snape, who usually treated him fairly well, would scold him with a dark face.
"Mr. Draco, I advise you to mind your own business!"
Malfoy was confused.
What was going on?
Without Sherlock even needing to act, this matter had failed?
How could he know that this broomstick was a gift from Professor McGonagall to Harry?
Sherlock's words had ultimately had an effect—she didn't want to always be suppressed.
Combined with Wood's strong recommendation, Professor McGonagall had finally paid out of her own pocket to purchase the latest model broomstick for Harry—the Nimbus 2000.
To be safe, she had informed the other professors in advance, naturally including Snape.
So, when Malfoy eagerly came to report, Snape only felt he was being stupid.
Malfoy returned defeated, and the confused Crabbe and Goyle hurried over.
By this time, Harry and Ron had finished examining the broomstick and violin and were preparing to leave.
Naturally, Crabbe and Goyle wanted to stop them.
But they were also worried about being beaten up by Sherlock again.
Just as their leader Malfoy returned, both their faces immediately showed sinister grins.
'Potter, you're finished!'
However,...
"Let them go."
"What?"
Crabbe and Goyle almost thought they had misheard. Crabbe couldn't help saying:
"Draco, he's carrying a broomstick, and it's the latest model Nimbus 2000! Didn't you say before..."
"I said let them go!"
Malfoy roared in a low voice.
At this moment, even without Sherlock's explanation, Harry and Ron understood what had happened.
Looking at the angry and confused Malfoy, Harry almost laughed out loud.
Ron wouldn't miss the opportunity and mocked him mercilessly.
"Malfoy, your Comet 260 is decent enough, but it's not in the same league as a Nimbus."
Malfoy was submissive when facing Sherlock, but when facing Ron, he struck back hard.
"Shut up, Weasley! You can't afford half of that broomstick's handle!
I suppose you and your brothers would have to save up twig by twig to buy a complete broomstick, wouldn't you?"
"What did you say? Say that again if you dare!"
Sherlock watched them face off and couldn't help shaking his head.
'Childish.'
Though thinking about it, this was exactly the mental state eleven-year-old boys should have.
Compared to them, he was the abnormal one.
Just then Hermione arrived, and catching sight of Professor Flitwick in the distance, Sherlock knew this group wouldn't be able to start a real fight.
He simply left the others and followed Hermione.
To give Hermione flying training.
This was the third matter occupying Sherlock's time.
It had to be said that Hermione's flying talent exceeded Sherlock's expectations.
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