Hogwarts: Lacus doesn't want to be a witch who destroys nations.

Amidst the commotion, Lux's first Christmas at Hogwarts is about to begin, and according to school rules, Lux and Tom need to return to the orphanage.

On the way back, Lux insisted on going to the Bouncing Hoop Magical Joke Shop in Diagon Alley, where she bought a bunch of magical items with bizarre effects.

"Genius, Tom! The maker of this slug-like handkerchief is an absolute genius!" Lux exclaimed to Tom, holding up a sticky handkerchief.

Tom involuntarily took a few steps back: "Get away from me, it's disgusting."

"This handkerchief keeps oozing slug slime whenever it gets wet, and the more you wipe, the more it produces!"

"Get out!"

The hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley was shut out behind the wall. Tom, with a gloomy face, used a cleaning cloth he had pilfered from Patchi's Crucible Shop to vigorously wipe the cuffs that had been ravaged by Lux's "Genius Slug Handkerchief." The sticky, fishy-sweet secretion seemed to have a tenacious vitality, becoming stickier the more he wiped, which only made Tom's already irritable mood worse.

"Genius? I think he's more like a madman who produces nightmares!" Tom muttered under his breath, shoving the filthy rag into the trash can next to him. The rag wriggled inside for a moment before settling down, making Tom's eyes twitch.

Lux, however, didn't seem to care at all. She hummed an off-key song, holding the wicker basket containing Lumi in her arms, which was also filled with spoils from the bouncy and playful magic joke shop: a rubber duck that bites fingers, a comb that can instantly dye hair fluorescent green, and the roll of infinite slug handkerchiefs.

"Why doesn't Dumbledore keep you in solitary confinement until next year?" Tom's gaze swept over the hidden archway at the end of Diagon Alley. Further ahead was the Leaky Cauldron, which connected to the Muggle world.

Following the route, since they weren't traveling by train, they could only leave the Wizarding World from the Leaky Cauldron first and then return to Wood's Orphanage. The thought of returning to that place filled with the smell of disinfectant and the terrible food made Tom's steps slow.

Lux noticed his hesitation, put away her handkerchief, and nudged him with her elbow: "Come on, come on, there's nothing good to eat back home anyway, how about we go to the Leaky Cauldron for a hot chocolate? I heard the owner added Honeydukes caramel sauce to the new batch."

Tom wanted to refuse, but he couldn't resist the slight hunger in his stomach. They had been so busy dealing with Lux's antics in Diagon Alley that neither of them had eaten anything properly. In the end, he acquiesced and followed Lux ​​through the wall.

Upon entering the Leaky Cauldron, the place, which should have been filled with the boisterous laughter and clinking of glasses of wizards, was unusually quiet. The air was filled with a faint smell of alcohol and burnt food. Several wizards huddled in a corner booth, their eyes darting furtively towards the center of the bar, forgetting even to pick up their glasses.

"What's going on?" Lux tiptoed over the heads of several wizards and saw the scene in the center of the bar: an old man in a dark gray tweed suit was sitting at a long oak table. He was thin and slightly hunched, but his posture was still upright. He had an unlit pipe between his fingers and his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's as he scanned the wizards around him.

"Here we go again?" The old man's voice was loud and clear, carrying an undeniable authority. "If you really know any magic, prove it to me now. If you can't produce any evidence, don't block my way. I have more important things to do and don't have time to waste with a bunch of pretentious charlatans like you."

"What's wrong?" Lux asked curiously.

"Sigh..." A helpless sigh came from behind the bar. Boss Carter was wiping a copper cup with a cloth. When he saw Lux and Tom, he lowered his voice and explained, "You've come at the right time... I don't know how this Muggle gentleman barged in. It's possible that the Oblivion Charm at Charing Cross Road has failed. According to the Secrecy Act, no one can use magic on him before an Auror casts the Oblivion Charm on him, otherwise they will be taken directly to the Ministry of Magic for questioning. Nobody wants to spend a few days in there."

Lux raised an eyebrow, her gaze returning to the old man. A Muggle bar trespassing? That's a rare sight indeed.

Just as she was about to go over and see what was going on, she heard the old man speak again, this time with a hint of impatience in his voice: "My name is Sherlock Holmes, and I'm not some idle vagrant. If your so-called magic is just a hoax like the Gypsies', then let me go now."

"Sherlock Holmes?!" Lux's eyes lit up instantly. She grabbed Tom's arm tightly, so hard that Tom winced in pain. "Sherlock Holmes! There's actually a Sherlock Holmes in this world?"

Tom said nonchalantly, "What detective? I've never heard of that name."

In his mind, the only famous figures in the wizarding world were Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and the ancestors of those pure-blood families. In the Muggle world, only those with high positions and power could attract his attention, and detectives were clearly not among them.

"Of course you haven't heard of it!" Lux shook off his hand, rushed to the long table in three strides, and sat down opposite Holmes without any politeness. Her sudden approach made Holmes' eyes flash with a hint of vigilance, but it was quickly replaced by scrutiny. He looked Lux ​​up and down, at her mud-stained school uniform, and at the wicker basket at her waist that made a "pop" sound from time to time.

"Two kids..." His gaze swept over the robes Lux and Tom wore, which clearly did not belong to the Muggle world.

"You actually dare to lure children? Now, you'd better show me what your so-called magic is all about, or simply admit that this is a club where you hide here and play your cheap tricks. If you can't do either..."

Holmes drew a well-maintained Webberly revolver from his waist and placed it on the table. He then picked up the glass of whiskey, swirled it gently, but did not drink it. "Forgive my frankness, but I would say there is a serious mass hysteria here. I have a duty and obligation to report my findings to the London police. After all, a medieval club that claims to have magic is itself suspicious."

Tom's brows furrowed instantly, his face revealing undisguised contempt and a hint of cold killing intent. How dare a Muggle barge into the magical world so arrogantly question and even threaten them?

Tom gave the bar owner a cold look: Why not just give him a Forgetfulness Charm and throw him out?

Bar owner Carter shrugged helplessly. "No way. According to the Ministry of Magic's regulations, any proactive magical activity we take before the Aurors arrive will be considered a violation of the Statute of Secrecy. This old man has already attracted attention, and an Auror will be here in 10 minutes at most."