Squee part two - I really did appreciate Watson's scientific mind, tainted with the mores of his day. The passage in which he recounted the heated, almost flirtatious argument between Severus and Harry, finishing with the observation that had this been a man and a woman, the argument would have ended with a kiss, was so perfect. Especially since he admitted that if he had observed such a thing, he had no idea what affect it would have had on him. It spoke of his open mind and powers of observation, and respect for the possible values of a future culture. I likewise appreciated Draco's development as a person, and seeing all the ancestors in action - the Prewetts, Malfoys, and Encantadora. Holmes was showing his Slytherin tendencies left and right, especially in his last act to shove Snape into revealing his feelings for Harry. Did we ever find out in what Slytherin location Holmes wanted to meet everyone for luncheon? I think after that, Watson was taken so we never found out, but you tickled my brain with that comment. Ugh! There are too many terrific points to address here! Did you have Jeremy Brett in mind as Holmes? I don't want to assume. This was just SO CLEVER all around. You tackled so many plot points, some of which were terrifically twisty, yet dead-ends. The brothel of young men was a fantastic idea, especially the traitorous Jess. Just because he was queer and a cross-dresser didn't add or detract from the possibility that he could be evil, it just was. And it was so positively correct that the butcher's boy fell to temptation and stole the watch. That he wasn't a very bad youth, and was able to be reasoned back to the right side of morality was exactly the kind of thing you'd expect from a Holmes mystery. Holmes preying on and counting on human weakness.... End of rave. Again. *G*