[43] The Thousand Faces

The school infirmary.

Draco sat on his bed, eating with theatrical enthusiasm. Loud, exaggerated. Across from him, Ron leaned against the headboard, glaring. Sipping a bitter potion. His only meal.

Ron had lost too much life force, then regained it too quickly. His body was weak. No solid food. Potions had to be sipped. Hunger gnawed at him.

And Malfoy chose this time to eat a feast.

Ron's mouth was bitter. His stomach was empty. His soul was ascending.

Draco's schadenfreude was immense. He'd always hated the red-haired Weasley. Every time they argued, Ron was about to lose, and then Henry would interfere.

Now Draco stuffed a huge spoonful of stewed potato into his mouth.

He choked.

"Hahahaha! Serves you right!"

Ron's glee died. Draco was staring at the doorway. Horrified. He shoved the table away, dived under the covers, and muttered about impossibilities.

Ron looked over. His view was blocked by a screen.

He scratched his head. Finished his potion.

"Hall!!!"

A familiar face. Ron tried to jump out of bed. His arms gave way.

Harry and Hall rushed over. Shoved Ron back onto the bed.

"Ron." Hall smiled.

"Were you worried about me?"

"No. I've been at Hogwarts the whole time."

"Huh?"

"I called myself Henry William for a while."

Hall grabbed a Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Bean from Harry's hand. Chewed. Made a disgusted face. "Snot."

Ron handed him water.

When Hall's expression returned to normal, Ron processed the words.

He laughed dryly. "Hall. How could you be Henry William? He's Slytherin."

Hall shook his robes. The green shimmered.

Ron's breath caught. His eyes went unfocused. He turned to Harry. "This is my brother Hall. First time meeting, isn't it?"

Harry shook his head frantically, mouth full of snacks.

Ron started rambling. Finding topics. Avoiding reality.

Hall scratched his forehead. What was there to avoid?

When Hall first arrived at Hogwarts, his biggest fear was Ron. Ron knew all his habits. His gestures. His tells. Hall had deliberately provoked Ron to keep distance.

But Ron didn't care.

"Ron. Look at me."

Hall wiped his face. When his hand dropped, Henry's face stared back.

"Henry William?!" Ron screamed. "Harry! Hermione! Did you see that?"

They nodded. Hermione frowned. "How can we not see him?"

Hall's back was to them. Only Ron saw the change.

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"Ron! Am I that scary?"

Ron swallowed. His neck creaked as he turned back. Hall was normal again.

"Henry William of Slytherin?"

"Hmm."

"The one who played violently in Quidditch?"

"Hmm."

"The one who called on me in Potions and lost me fifteen points?"

"Hmm."

"The one who stole all the Slytherin jewels?" Ron whispered that one.

"Yes. That Henry William."

Ron exploded. "Hall! Why?! Why didn't you tell me?! When did you get here?! How did you become Henry William?!"

His mind was a mess. He'd disliked Henry William. Now Hall was telling him they were the same person.

Why? Why had Hall done those things? Why pretend? Why not tell him?

"Hall, I'm not blaming you. I just—"

His head drooped.

"You didn't tell me anything. Are you disgusted with me?"

"I know I'm bad with words. I was never as smart as you."

"But I'm the older brother."

"I wanted to help you too."

Hall sighed and met Ron's questioning gaze. There was no avoiding this conversation.

Hall reached out and ruffled Ron's hair. "I didn't mean to hide it."

He shrugged. "I didn't tell anyone. Think about it — did I hide my habits? You just didn't notice."

"That's true!" Ron's eyes widened. Hall hadn't told him, but Ron could have noticed. He hadn't.

Would Hall be disappointed?

Ron suddenly felt like a terrible older brother. His own brother, right under his nose.

"If Hall turned into Malfoy one day, he'd still be Hall."

He imagined it and shuddered. Merlin, please don't let Hall look like Malfoy.

Hall watched Ron process everything. Ron was good at comforting himself. Saved Hall a headache.

Ron scratched his frizzy hair. "Back then, I thought Henry had so many habits just like yours. Ask Harry — I told him. If Hall weren't a Squib, I would've —"

He stopped. His eyes widened.

"Hall — you're not...?"

Hall raised an eyebrow. "Disguise Mage."

"How is that possible?!"

Ron mimicked the face-wiping gesture. Harry and Hermione leaned in, snacks still in hand.

"What's a Disguise Mage?" Harry asked.

Hermione had read about it. "Hall really is one?"

Hall sighed. To convince Molly and Arthur, he'd done a whole performance in the Headmaster's office. Four adults making him show off.

Now Ron wanted the same show.

Hall rubbed his face. Henry William. Then a red-haired Harry Potter. Then a red-haired Malfoy.

Harry and Hermione almost choked. Pansy and Blaise looked over from the opposite bed. Everyone covered their mouths.

"Merlin! Hall, you're amazing!"

"Turn into Snape!" Ron stared at the red-haired Draco in front of him. His nightmare had come true.

"This is incredible!" Hermione studied Hall curiously.

"Can we learn this?" Harry asked.

Hermione looked at Ron, hoping for a magical-world explanation. Ron was covering his face, looking pained. Useless.

Draco's voice came from the opposite bed. "Disguise Mage is a safer, more flexible form of shapeshifting than Animagus. You can transform into anyone without leaving a trace. Unfortunately, it's a natural ability. Bloodline inheritance."

Hall had returned to his original face.

Draco walked over and stared at him. "Henry William?"

His voice was tight. "Don't you have anything to say to me? I thought we were friends."

"Malfoy! You and Hall are not friends!"

"Shut up, Weasley! This is between Henry and me!"

"My surname is Weasley too." Hall stepped in front of Draco, blocking Ron.

"Huh? That's what you want to say?"

Hall extended his hand. Draco flinched and clutched his pocket. "Are you crazy? Still thinking about money?"

"I wanted to shake your hand. Reintroduce myself."

Draco pursed his lips and placed his hand in Hall's. Limp grip.

"Hall Weasley. Nice to meet you."

"You're sure no one will dare to be angry with you, aren't you?" Draco's teeth were clenched. He'd deceived everyone. No explanation. He thought he could just move on?

"I was me before. I'm me now. I'll be me forever. I haven't done anything wrong. Do you even know me? Need to investigate my family?"

The only people Hall felt guilty toward were family. No secrets between family. Everything else — Hall didn't see the problem.

Hall is Hall. Just because he was a Squib doesn't mean his family should be angry. They weren't.

As for the rest of the school — if they distanced themselves because he was a Weasley, Hall didn't care. Friendships like that weren't worth keeping.

Draco laughed bitterly. "That's not what I'm angry about!"

"If it weren't for Ron's accident — would you ever have told us?"

"Who are you?"

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