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Chapter Fifty‑Nine: Mrs. Figg
"How many times have I told you not to eavesdrop on the meeting?" Molly Weasley rushed over and pinched Fred and George's ears, but they dodged her easily. "If you're so curious, why don't you go and find the Dark Lord instead?!"
"Mom! We just wanted to help!" the twins replied in unison.
"Mrs. Weasley, we were just curious and wanted to do our part," Hermione added shyly.
"Oh, my darlings, I'm keeping this from you for your own good. Be good, alright?" Molly said gently, turning her head.
"Mrs. Weasley, I'm leaving now," Lockhart said, not intending to scold the Weasley children, and headed toward the door.
"Professor, wait!" Ginny called out. "I want to help protect Harry too!"
"Kids, what are you doing getting involved?" Lockhart asked without turning around. "You all should stay here and keep the house in order."
Ginny ran over and tugged at Lockhart's sleeve, pouting. "Professor~"
Lockhart sighed. "Ginny, I'm not going on a vacation. I can't even be seen by Harry. What can you realistically do there?"
"Protect Harry!" Ginny said firmly. "I'm willing to do anything to keep the Boy Who Lived safe!"
"Hmph," Lockhart snorted. "Ginny, you can't even beat me in class without a wand. How do you expect to protect Harry?"
"I can hit the professor without a wand now," Hermione timidly asked from the side. "Can I come too?"
"Nonsense!" Lockhart frowned, shaking off Ginny's hand and moving toward the door. But Ginny grabbed his waist. "Professor, take me with you! I promise I won't cause any trouble!"
"Alright, Gilderoy, you can take Ginny with you. She must be getting restless being cooped up here all these days," Molly pleaded. "I'm relieved she'll be in your hands."
"Since you put it that way," Lockhart said, a little exasperated, "very well."
"I want to go too!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Then let Hermione go too," Molly said softly. "She'll be bored staying here alone."
Lockhart: "..."
"We're going to protect Harry too!" the twins chimed in.
"I'm going too," Ron added, sulking.
"Go back upstairs and clean the house!" Molly grabbed a feather duster and shooed the three boys away.
"Professor, let's go!" Hermione ran up happily and grabbed Lockhart's arm. Ginny glanced at her, as if wondering whether she should grab Lockhart's other arm too.
"Hermione, stop clinging like that," Lockhart said, but it was no use.
To avoid attracting Harry's attention, the three of them took a Muggle taxi. Hermione and Lockhart behaved normally, but Ginny peppered the driver with questions. Fortunately, her charm kept him from getting annoyed.
"You are not allowed to meet Harry, you mustn't use magic indiscriminately, and you must be polite to Mrs. Figg. If you fail in any of this, you will be sent back. Understand?"
"Understood."
Lockhart stepped forward and knocked on the door. A woman with graying hair opened it.
"Hello, Mrs. Figg," Lockhart greeted politely.
"Oh, Mr. Lockhart, hello. I already know you're coming. And who are these two?" Mrs. Figg asked suspiciously, looking at Ginny and Hermione.
"A prospective member of the Order of the Phoenix, and a friend of Harry's," Lockhart explained.
"Oh? You already have prospective members? You're making quite the impression." Mrs. Figg smiled and stepped aside. "Come in."
Lockhart entered, immediately greeted by the strong smell of cabbage.
Hermione and Ginny followed, greeting Mrs. Figg, and were instantly drawn to her cat.
"Where's Mundungus?" Lockhart asked, looking around.
"He went out wandering," Mrs. Figg explained. "He said no one would attack Harry, and that's mostly correct. The number of protective spells here makes it nearly impossible for enemies to locate him."
"We can't let our guard down," Lockhart said with a frown. "Those spells aren't infallible—they only stop humans. Mundungus is indeed unreliable."
"It's wise to be cautious, Mr. Lockhart," Mrs. Figg said nervously. Being a Squib, she seemed especially uneasy around a renowned wizard like Lockhart. "I'm afraid you'll have to share a room with Mundungus. The other one is for the two young ladies."
"Thank you for your help," Lockhart nodded and went upstairs.
Pushing open the door, he found a messy room, with odds and ends scattered everywhere—and several adult magazines on the bed.
Lockhart frowned, waved his wand a few times, and muttered: "Fresh air, tidy up, everything in its place. Perfect." Satisfied, he walked to the window and looked outside.
In front of him stood Harry's house, quietly nestled there for over a decade. He couldn't see inside; the powerful enchantments made it impossible to investigate with magic.
Lockhart remembered something and cast a simple spell on the window, so it could only look out from the inside.
After watching for a while and seeing no unusual movement, he stepped away. A magical alert system would notify him and Mrs. Figg of any fluctuations, so constant vigilance wasn't necessary.
The two girls were busy tidying the room when Lockhart arrived. Ginny looked up at him pitifully. "Professor, we can't use magic—"
Lockhart nodded and waved his wand, tidying the room efficiently for them.
"We're not here to play. Don't wander around. Just stay in your rooms," he instructed.
"Oh," Ginny and Hermione replied obediently.
"Especially you, Ginny," Lockhart added. "We all know you like Harry, but don't be tempted. Understand?"
"Who said I like Harry?" Ginny blushed, but seeing Lockhart's serious expression, she whispered, "I know."
"You must have brought your books, right? Stay in your rooms and study. Preview next semester's courses. If anything is unclear, ask me. I'll provide full support. This is a proper, luxurious study trip," Lockhart said before turning to leave.
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