[32] The Weight of Secrets

"Amazing magic," Hall murmured. "No wonder he's one of the founders of Hogwarts."

This trip had been incredibly fruitful. He'd need to write everything down and develop it properly. So many discoveries — it would be a waste not to share them.

Hall felt a pang of regret.

"Since we can go directly wherever we want, why not go back to our dorm?" Ron scratched his red hair.

"Then you'd give yourself away." Hall told him earnestly not to reveal anything.

Everything at Hogwarts eventually reached the Headmaster. If they appeared somewhere they shouldn't be, they'd be questioned. And the issue with Ron's blood would definitely be discovered.

Since they were going to see the Headmaster, they couldn't bring Helena. Hall went back to the dorm first, tucked her in, and told her not to wander off — or he'd make snake soup for dinner.

She didn't know what snake soup was, but she sensed it was something terrible. She nodded sadly and hid under his pillow.

Hall turned around. Harry and Ron were gawking at the Slytherin common room like country bumpkins.

He'd told them to wait at the door. They insisted on coming in.

Five Gryffindors to a room meant every morning was a battlefield. The Slytherin quarters must have looked like a palace to them.

Hall gave them a brief tour, then headed for the Headmaster's office.

Hall knew they could not keep what they had found a secret. They made their way to Dumbledore's office.

The Room of Requirement.

"I heard Harry and Ron saying You-Know-Who appeared at the school." George stirred the cauldron while Fred chopped ingredients.

"How come I didn't hear that?"

"I was in a hurry to the toilet and went through the secret passage. They thought no one was around."

"You can't just say things like that." If You-Know-Who was really at Hogwarts, they'd all be in danger.

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"From what they said, they overheard Dumbledore and McGonagall talking. McGonagall said it wasn't true."

"See? Even she said it wasn't."

"Come on, Fred. If Dumbledore thinks it's true, it probably is." George ladled the potion into a bottle. "Go try it on Scabbers."

He handed it to Fred. "Henry's generous with ingredients. Most generous Slytherin I've met."

"Because we paid him."

Fred took the bottle. "Where's Scabbers? George, did you put the cage away?"

"I locked it."

They stared at the empty observation box.

The Headmaster listened in contemplative silence, then conjured tea as the fire crackled.

Dumbledore conjured three tea cakes. Hall's cup was clearly different — swimming in honey.

He went to fetch the other professors through the fireplace. Hall guessed he'd gone to check the passage.

Ron and Harry watched with grim expressions as Hall drank his tea.

He downed it in one gulp.

"Good heavens, why do you all like sweet things?" Ron muttered. "Hall's the same. It makes my teeth ache watching him drink tea."

Harry thought Ron was missing his brother. He'd heard Ron mention Hall a lot lately. If Harry didn't know Hall actually existed, he'd think Ron was talking about Henry.

"Sweets are the most wonderful invention in the world," Hall said. "You don't understand."

Back home, Ron always looked at him with disdain when he ate desserts.

Hall picked up a fork and worked through the cakes. Harry and Ron took one bite each and passed the rest to him.

He finished all three before Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape returned.

"The entrance is in the girls' washroom on the second floor," Harry said.

"We already checked," McGonagall said.

Nothing at Hogwarts escaped the Headmaster's notice. The portraits had told Dumbledore everything.

"Do you know how dangerous this was?" McGonagall's voice was tight. "Why didn't you inform a professor?"

"I thought we could—" Ron started.

"Yes, I'm sure Mr. William thought so too," Snape sneered.

Hall wanted to roll his eyes. The man could make any concern sound infuriating.

"I suppose you three don't know either — that's the basilisk's dwelling down there?"

They grinned foolishly. Nothing about Helena.

Hall wasn't worried. Dumbledore wouldn't use Legilimency on them. It was dangerous — could damage the brain. Even Quirrell had puzzled Dumbledore without the man resorting to it. He wouldn't use it on eleven-year-old children.

"How did you get up?" Dumbledore asked.

Myrtle had seen them on a broomstick anyway.

"The Summoning Charm," Hall said. "We summoned a broomstick and flew up."

"A good idea."

"It's almost dinnertime. Are we starving these three first-years?" Snape offered to take them away.

Hall touched the Philosopher's Stone in his pocket. He'd considered using it to prove his innocence. But he couldn't mention Helena, and handing over the Stone would be an admission of theft.

He'd return it from the safest possible place — Dumbledore's own chambers.

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