Chapter 33: Hogwarts Castle

Chapter 33: Hogwarts Castle

After putting down the napkin and ignoring Malfoy and the others, George turned and walked straight out of the Great Hall.

By then, the classroom had begun to fill with applause. Whether it was out of genuine admiration or simply enjoying the drama, the applause grew louder and louder.

It wasn't just the older Slytherin students clapping; students from the other three houses joined in as well.

The loss of the House Cup last year was partly the fault of the older students, but George's words had shifted the blame entirely onto the second-years. This made it hard for the older students not to agree with him.

As for the students from the other three houses, they had always found Slytherin annoying. Seeing them fight among themselves was entertaining, and they were more than happy to fan the flames by clapping.

However, a small group of more naive students genuinely admired George and applauded sincerely.

George was well aware of this.

Whether the applause was genuine or not, his goal had been achieved.

"Harry, to be honest, I thought he was pretty cool just now. Even though he's a Slytherin and said he'd take the House Cup from us, I don't actually dislike him.

Did you see Malfoy's face? Even when we won the House Cup last year, he didn't look that bad."

At the Gryffindor table, Ron couldn't help but comment to Harry.

If anything, Ron disliked Malfoy even more than Harry did, especially after the fight between their fathers in Diagon Alley.

Harry nodded:

"George isn't like Malfoy, but we can't let him take the House Cup either."

"Like George said, it's healthy competition. Let's all do our best."

Hermione, no longer angry about Harry and Ron's dangerous stunt the day before, had returned to her usual self.

"We'll do our best!"

Ginny and Colin, sitting nearby, looked at Harry with eager eyes, waiting for his response.

Harry sighed and encouraged them:

"Good luck!"

"At this rate, they'll start a Harry Potter fan club soon."

Ron couldn't help but joke.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Great Hall, Malfoy's face was as dark as a thundercloud. The louder the applause had been, the more it had stung his pride.

He knew that the older Slytherin students had been unhappy about losing the Quidditch match and the House Cup last year, but out of respect for his family and status, they hadn't said much.

After all, Slytherin had won the House Cup for six consecutive years before last year, proving that the older students were stronger than those from the other houses.

But last year, they had lost to Gryffindor, largely because of Hermione, Harry, and the others in his year.

As the representative of his year in Slytherin, Malfoy had to bear the brunt of the blame.

If he had outperformed Hermione academically and surpassed Harry in Quidditch, earning more points for Slytherin, they might not have lost, even with Harry's extra points.

"We'll win the House Cup back, but not because of him. It'll be because of me, Draco Malfoy!"

"Don't worry, he's just a joke. Time will prove that you're the future of Slytherin."

Pansy, though also upset, wasn't worried.

Unless George turned out to be exceptionally talented, his bold declaration would backfire, and his fate was already sealed.

"Sorry, but you walked right into this."

After leaving the Great Hall, George continued exploring the first floor.

As a Slytherin without the backing of a prominent family, the fastest way to gain recognition and respect was to stand out and not hold back.

As for whether this would make Dumbledore think of Voldemort, it was unlikely. George hadn't shown any hatred toward Muggle-born wizards and had openly acknowledged his friendships with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

So, Malfoy's provocation had actually given him the perfect opportunity to clarify his stance and establish his image. Otherwise, it would have been hard for him to make such a bold statement.

If not for this, George could have easily ignored Malfoy's taunts, as there was little the other boy could do to him.

The first floor, aside from the Great Hall and the waiting room for the Sorting Ceremony, had many other rooms.

For example, there was the staff room for teachers, Filch's office, the Transfiguration classroom, and some other temporary classrooms.

After finishing the first floor, George headed up the marble staircase to the second floor.

The second floor housed the History of Magic classroom, where he would have his afternoon class, the Gryffindor Head of House's office, and the hospital wing, managed by Madam Pomfrey, who specialized in healing magic.

There was also a girls' bathroom.

The third floor was home to the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's office and Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, which connected to the Chamber of Secrets. George didn't enter but took a quick look from the outside.

The fourth floor had the Charms classroom, the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, the Trophy Room, and the Armory Corridor.

The Armory Corridor was filled with enchanted suits of armor. As George passed by, he even saw two suits of armor fighting, apparently because one found the other's singing unbearable.

George was fascinated by the magic that could bring inanimate objects to life. If he could apply this to the mutant school, it would add a significant layer of defense.

Another important location on the fourth floor, perhaps the most important for George, was the Hogwarts Library.

It was said to contain tens of thousands of magical books, including many forbidden ones that couldn't be found elsewhere. The library closed every night at eight.

The fifth floor was mostly abandoned classrooms and a unisex bathroom.

The sixth floor also had abandoned classrooms and a prefects' bathroom.

The seventh floor had empty offices and a boys' bathroom.

The eighth floor housed the Ravenclaw Head of House's office, the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, the entrance to the North Tower's Divination classroom, the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower, the entrance to the West Tower, the entrance to the Headmaster's office, and the Room of Requirement.

George knew how to access the Room of Requirement, but he didn't enter.

In his view, the entire Hogwarts Castle was likely under Dumbledore's surveillance. Entering the Room of Requirement out of the blue would raise suspicions.

Besides, he didn't need the Room of Requirement right now.

He also had no plans to deal with the Horcrux hidden inside.

After exploring the castle, George wandered around the grounds, visiting the greenhouses for Herbology, the Quidditch pitch, and the flying lesson area.

By the time he finished scouting, it was already noon. He didn't venture further to Hagrid's hut or the Forbidden Forest but returned to the Great Hall for lunch.

This time, when he entered the Great Hall, he was no longer an unknown figure. Many students pointed at him, some with admiration, others with jealousy, disdain, or even malicious anticipation of his downfall.

George paid no attention.

He ran into Harry and the others, who had just finished their morning classes.

Hermione proudly showed him the beautiful button she had transfigured from a beetle in class, while Ron was in a foul mood. Harry explained that Ron had received a Howler from his mother after George left that morning.

In the afternoon, George carried his History of Magic textbook to his first class at Hogwarts.

(End of Chapter)