Chapter 31: A Bit of Hand-to-Hand Combat

Chapter 31: A Bit of Hand-to-Hand Combat

George closed the magical book in his hands and looked at the three with an amused expression:

"I'm afraid I can't oblige. I quite like this bed and don't want to give it up."

"You don't seem to understand the situation here?"

The three boys took a step forward, their faces showing clear signs of threat:

"You should know that while the school forbids us from using magic to attack, it doesn't say anything about using our fists."

In their eyes, George was both shorter and skinnier than them, and they had the advantage of numbers—three against one.

If George didn't understand the situation, they wouldn't mind teaching him a lesson.

"From what I know, the Slytherin tradition is that the most capable person becomes the leader. If, in the future, you prove to be more capable and achieve better grades than me, I'll gladly give up my bed.

How does that sound?"

George smiled as he made the suggestion.

If possible, he'd prefer not to resort to beating up children.

After all, he was now a proper wizard.

And what's most important for a wizard is elegance. Rolling up sleeves to throw punches is something a warrior would do, not a wizard.

"What's he saying? That a half-blood like him could outperform us three pure-bloods in academics? That's the funniest joke I've ever heard!"

The leader of the trio burst into laughter, and the other two quickly joined in.

"I'm ordering you now: take your luggage and that stupid pet, and get over to the bed at the far end. Otherwise, you'll regret it."

"Fine. Since you don't want to compete academically, I suppose I'll have to show you a bit of hand-to-hand combat."

Seeing that his new roommates were so lacking in self-awareness, George placed his book on the bedside table, stood up, and stretched his limbs.

Without using magic or any special abilities, relying purely on physical strength, he could easily take on not just these three but the entire first-year class if needed.

It wasn't that he had exceptional combat skills; it was simply that his strength and speed far surpassed those of the other students.

"Looks like you really need a lesson."

Seeing George stand up, the three boys didn't waste any more words. They rolled up their sleeves and lunged at him.

Two minutes later, George elegantly sat back down, picked up his book, and said while reading:

"I suggest you don't think about running to the teachers or the prefects to tattle. If word gets out that the three of you ganged up on me and still ended up like this, you'll be the laughingstock of the school for the next seven years..."

"We know! Don't get too cocky. You're just a bit stronger. If you're so tough, let's compete in academics and magic!"

The three boys, now lying on the floor with bruised faces and tear-streaked cheeks, stammered in response.

They had initially considered reporting George to the teachers to get him punished, but now they realized that doing so would only make them the butt of jokes.

So, they resorted to challenging him academically to save face.

"I suggested competing academically earlier, but you insisted on a fistfight. What a shame..."

George shook his head, and the three boys' expressions darkened further, clearly filled with regret.

---

The next morning.

While the three bruised boys were still sound asleep, George, having slept a full seven hours, opened his eyes precisely on time.

After a quick wash, he headed to the common room.

The prefect had mentioned that the week's timetable would be posted in the common room after six in the morning.

It was now 7:20. Since classes didn't start until nine, most students were still in bed.

Only a few highly diligent older students were in the common room, likely fifth-years preparing for their O.W.L. exams.

"Only one class today?"

Looking at the timetable, George noticed that on the first day of term, Slytherin first-years only had one class: History of Magic at two in the afternoon. The rest of the day was free.

However, the rest of the week wasn't as relaxed.

Tuesday had two Transfiguration classes in the morning and one Defense Against the Dark Arts class in the afternoon.

Wednesday had two Herbology classes in the morning and a free afternoon.

Thursday had Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts in the morning, Charms in the afternoon, and History of Magic in the evening.

Friday had two Potions classes in the morning, one Herbology class in the afternoon, and Astronomy in the evening.

There was also a note that Flying Lessons would start in the second week, scheduled after Charms on Thursday afternoons.

The timetable also indicated which houses would be sharing each class.

Due to limited teaching staff and small class sizes, Hogwarts typically had two houses sharing a class, with around twenty students per classroom.

For example, Potions and Flying Lessons were shared with Gryffindor first-years.

Charms and Transfiguration were shared with Hufflepuff.

Herbology, History of Magic, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Astronomy were shared with Ravenclaw.

The locations of each classroom were also marked.

"Too few Charms classes."

After memorizing the timetable, George frowned.

For him, the most important class was Charms, as it covered most of the fundamental principles of magic and basic spells.

But the timetable only had one Charms class per week, the same as Astronomy, which was practically useless.

However, it made sense.

This was the first year, and many students, especially those from Muggle families, knew nothing about magic. There was no rush to master so many spells; building a solid foundation was more important.

"Looks like I'll have to rely on myself."

The limited class time was insufficient for George. To master more magic, he'd need to spend extra time studying on his own.

Fortunately, unlike Knockturn Alley, Hogwarts offered a much more conducive environment for self-study.

If he had questions, he could always ask the teachers or consult the vast collection of free magical books in the library.

"Since there's only one class in the afternoon, I'll spend the morning exploring."

George didn't continue reading. Instead, he decided to wander around Hogwarts Castle.

He'd be studying here for the next seven years, so it was essential to familiarize himself with the layout. This would make things easier in the future, and he could also locate his classrooms in advance.

Leaving the Slytherin common room, he first explored the dungeons.

The dungeons beneath Hogwarts Castle were vast and labyrinthine. Just a quick tour took him nearly an hour.

He passed the boathouse, the dungeon storage room, the room where ghosts often held their Deathday parties, the Potions classroom, the Slytherin Head of House's office, the fifth underground classroom, the Hogwarts kitchen, and the Hufflepuff dormitory.

The kitchen door was closed, but he could hear the house-elves inside clattering away as they prepared breakfast with magic.

The entrance to the Hufflepuff dormitory was blocked by a stack of barrels, which required a specific tapping sequence to open. Since he didn't know the sequence, he didn't attempt to enter.

Instead, he headed up to the Great Hall for breakfast.

(End of Chapter)