Zhang Xiao said goodbye to the others, emerged from the corner, and squeezed past the worried young wizards discussing wild guesses to reach the Gryffindor students.
"Fred, George!"
The twins, who had been whispering about whether to seize this opportunity to bring laughter back to everyone-by selling prank gadgets-jumped.
They looked back and spoke in unison.
"Zhang?"
Zhang Xiao draped his arms around their shoulders and steered them into another secluded corner.
"Guys, do me a favor. Let me borrow the Marauder's Map."
Identical expressions of astonishment appeared on the twins' faces, their eyebrows shooting up and their eyes going round.
"Zhang, how do you know we have that treasure?"
"We've never told anyone."
"Never mind that. Just lend it to me first. I need it."
The twins exchanged a glance, shrugged, and furtively pulled the folded map out from inside their robes.
"Here-you know how to use it, right?"
Zhang Xiao tucked the map away and nodded.
The brothers grew even more curious.
"How do you know how to use it? Unless you know..."
"Prongs? Padfoot? Moony? Wormtail?"
This was precisely why he had never rushed to see the map. Explaining it would be too much trouble.
Once or twice, he could get away without an explanation, but any more than that and people would grow afraid, wondering how he knew secrets they had hidden so well.
If he wanted to keep living a normal life, he could not make himself too strange or stray beyond what others could understand.
"It's a long story, and we're short on time. I'll take care of the important business first, but there's one more thing I need your help with.
"Do you know if there are any secret passages leading out of the Great Hall?"
The brothers froze, then gave him matching,