[210] How Would He React

Fred and George had guessed Hall would be angry, but not this angry.

"Actually, Harry's okay. Ginny's at that age where she's interested in romance. It's not a bad thing."

Hall rolled his eyes. "What do you mean 'play around'? This isn't child's play. Ginny's still a child. Her values haven't even formed yet. What dating!"

The twins exchanged a glance. "Mum and Dad wouldn't care if they knew. Maybe they'd be happy?"

Hall thought about Arthur and Molly's possible reactions and became even angrier. "No, I need to have a serious talk with Ginny..."

Fred and George quickly interrupted him. "Hall, let's investigate the kitchen first! Maybe Ginny's just curious about dating. She'll lose interest after a while. You need to trust your sister and give her space."

Hall considered their words. Although his expression was still sour, they had a point. "Alright, let's see what happens." If it could wait another two or three years, he wouldn't mind. Second year was really not acceptable.

The twins quickly pulled him towards the kitchen.

"Wait a moment." Hall gestured for a pause. "I'm going back to my dorm to get a book." He'd been frequently flipping through 101 Magical Kitchen Tips, kept within easy reach by his bedside.

But as he stepped out of his dormitory, he saw the other three people who knew — Harry, Ron, and Ginny.

Hall didn't want to put Harry's name next to his sister's. Not even in his mind.

Harry guiltily looked away, avoiding Hall's gaze. He looked at the ceiling, the floor, anything but Hall.

"Heh." Hall let out a cold laugh.

Harry shuddered.

Ginny, smiling, took Harry's hand and winked at Hall. "Brother Hall, I'm just curious." Her smile was radiant.

What could Hall do? Should he really be the unpopular Queen Mother separating Romeo and Juliet?

"As long as you're happy." Hall stepped forward and gently patted Ginny's head. Then he gave Harry an icy look. "If he makes you unhappy, tell your brother. If he bullies you, remember to tell your brother too."

Hall chuckled again. Harry's heart skipped a beat.

"Okay, brother." Ginny tilted her head with a sweet smile.

Hall noticed Ron standing beside him, looking completely bewildered. He rolled his eyes at Ron.

"Hall, why are you glaring at me?"

Hall was too lazy to explain. "Half of your allowance for next year is going to Ginny." His sister needed money for dating, so she wouldn't be fooled by some black-haired brat.

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Ron nodded. That was right! Then: "Huh?"

"What are you guys doing?" Hall looked at the twins. "A Gryffindor special? Excluding me, a Slytherin?"

"Many hands make light work~" Fred grinned.

"That's too many people! Six of them!" Hall waved at Harry. "Go play with Ginny." Hopefully Ginny would start to dislike Harry sooner.

Hall pulled out a Galleon for Ron. "Let's find somewhere to spend it." Easily dealt with the three little ones.

Watching Hall effortlessly dispatch the three little ones, Fred and George gave him a thumbs up.

"Shall we go?"

"Let's go."

They borrowed Harry's Invisibility Cloak. Not planning to take him along, but they brought it along anyway. This thing was more useful than Harry himself.

What could Harry do? The twins and Hall were all Ginny's brothers. For a moment Harry, who had no family, truly felt he was dating a girl with a large family of brothers.

The three reached the kitchen without incident. They entered under the Invisibility Cloak, avoiding the attention of the house-elves.

"There are so many house-elves in the kitchen," Hall remarked, looking at the densely packed workers. About a hundred. A few more and they'd rival Hogwarts' student count.

"Where's the fireplace you mentioned?" Hall scanned the room. Three very conspicuous fireplaces, flames constantly burning inside — used for heating and as ovens for roasting food. One for meat, one for desserts, one currently empty.

"Look, it's over there."

The twins sandwiched Hall between them, turning him to face a wall lined with spices and ingredients. The setup looked perfectly natural. A half-shelf, a kitchen counter — nothing seemed out of place.

"There's a hidden fireplace here?" Hall looked at them again.

Fred and George nodded firmly. "Yes!"

He really hadn't noticed it.

"Shall we check it out?"

"Okay."

"Did you bring any Floo Powder?"

"Yes."

"I'm curious if this Floo Network actually works. Could there be problems?"

"Let's try it. Maybe we can get outside the school?"

"Forget it — the Ministry of Magic is unreliable as always. A registered Floo Network they haven't noticed... even if they investigate, they won't find anything."

"Let's try. I'll go first." Hall grabbed a handful of powder from the wooden box Fred handed him. He walked along the wall to where the twins said the fireplace was hidden.

It was amazing. His eyes couldn't see it, but by feeling inch by inch, he discovered there really was a fireplace. Sticking his head inside, he found it wasn't very dirty — as if someone cleaned it regularly.

"Light it."

Hall pulled out his wand and cast a simple fire spell.

Just then, Hall's back muscles tensed. He pulled Fred and George aside as a beam of white light brushed past them.

"What was that?!"

"Who!"

The twins turned in horror and anger. They saw Gilderoy Lockhart.

"Professor Lockhart?" Fred frowned. "You've been following us!"

George shielded Hall behind him, launching into a tirade.

Chaos erupted in the kitchen. House-elves screamed.

Lockhart paid no attention to any of it.

"Hall!" His gaze pierced through. "I knew it! I knew you must have a secret! You're definitely not going to settle for mediocrity!"

"You've got me."

Hall's face darkened instantly. Who would have thought this madman had been following him all along?

Lockhart noticed Hall's fury but didn't care. He'd gotten what he wanted — a mysterious journey! A huge topic! And it involved Hogwarts and the four founders! He could already imagine how much fame and attention he could gain by cracking this secret.

"If I can get the secret of this fireplace, I can have it all!"

"One of the best spells I've ever learned — a concealment spell!" Lockhart said proudly.

Hall nearly rolled his eyes. Wouldn't it be better to use that as an Auror? Instead he spent all his time scheming.

"What do you want?" Hall was furious, but kept his head. With Fred and George present and so many house-elves around, he couldn't use the Unforgivable Curses. Dark magic like Fiendfire was out of the question — it would scare the twins. They knew Hall was strong, but not the kind of strong that would send someone to Azkaban or Nurmengard.

Hearing Hall's question, Lockhart's face broke into a smug smile. "What do I want? This secret, of course!"

"But you three..." Lockhart gripped his wand, pointing it at them.

Fred and George puffed out their chests, using their towering figures to shield Hall behind them.

"You'll be in charge of scouting ahead for me," Lockhart declared, "and while you're at it, recording my imposing figure!"