Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Seventh Safeguard

Chapter 12 ~ In Godric's Hollow

The air was cold, cold, and my heart had turned to lead. This then, was the mysterious connection, this the dark secret, the shadow hanging over Harry Potter. Whole realms of darkness, as yet unrealized, moved on the borders of my conscious mind. The seventh safeguard. Not connected to them – one of them. Not a boy. A horcrux. A walking black-magic device, tying the sorcerer to the world. But still a boy, still a young, and wholesome, and sweet-natured boy. Just Harry.

"Surely ... surely you can't truly be serious." My voice was small in the vast echoing space of the entry-way.

"Oh, I am." replied Sherlock levelly. "Perfectly serious. My sense of humour may at times be bizarre, but I wouldn't jest about such as this."

"And you are certain?"

"Yes. Quite certain."

"Sherlock ... think what you are saying."

"I know perfectly well what I'm saying, thank-you!" said Sherlock, snapping suddenly. "I fancy I may understand exactly what it is that I am saying better than you do. But there cannot be the slightest uncertainty about the matter."

"Can't there?"

"No. ... John, I wish to God there was room for uncertainty!"

I flashed a glance at him. Rarely had I heard him speak with such feeling, but his appearance was composed.

"His fits," Sherlock continued after a moment, "can you tell me what's wrong with him?"

"No. No, I can't."

He shook his head.

"I didn't really expect that you could. ... I'm afraid I can. ... He has ... a tumour ... a graft ... an externally introduced element planted within him. Another man. ... Listen, John, if this theory we're operating under has any truth at all, and I am entirely convinced that does, there is no way out of this."

"Then tell me. Explain to me. I am all in darkness."

"My dear fellow, I fear that anything I can say will but draw you farther in." said Sherlock softly. He paused, and took a seat on the stairs before continuing.

"My suspicions were first aroused on the morning of the second. It is true that old wounds often cause problems – but not like that. It was unusual to say the least. And I thought that the presence of such unusual symptoms, combined with the fact the wound in question was clearly that which had been inflicted by Riddle, was disquieting. Then there was what Hermione said about a connection – a connection? The total effect upon my mind was ominous, and the suspicion was aroused ... but not then as a serious theory. The possibility of such a situation, and the horrific consequences which would result, had occurred to me the night before and I feared to let the swift juxtaposition of the introduction of an idea with an unusual incident cause me to see correlation in mere coincidence.

"So I determined to seek the real explanation of Harry's symptoms. ... I didn't waste all those hours spent rambling over the Devon countryside looking for the Lovegoods' place. Hermione Granger is a charmingly intelligent conversationalist, and was very communicative on the occasion. It was not at all difficult to probe her knowledge of the matter. ... Rather than quickly rendering my theory ridiculous and extraneous, as I had expected, everything she said served only to reveal further suggestive material and decimate my assumption that there was some other obvious, overarching explanation.

"There isn't. There is no plain and well established explanation of Harry's symptoms. From what Hermione, and Harry himself, have told me, the only person ever to offer the slightest comment by way of attempted explanation was that headmaster, Dumbledore. And he seemed to consider it an adequate explanation to say that the curse which had failed to kill Harry had somehow forged a connection between Harry and Riddle. But that is the phenomenon itself! Not an explanation of it. Obviously, there is a telepathic connection! ... I presume you do understand the connection I am referring to?"