Chapter 37: The Star of Slytherin

Chapter 37: The Star of Slytherin

Wednesday morning, Herbology class.

As expected, George once again earned ten points for Slytherin.

Thanks to his years of experience selling potions with the old wizard, he already had a solid understanding of herbs and potions. Combined with his original body's computer-assisted learning, first-year material was no challenge for him.

In the afternoon, George left the castle alone, following a path toward the Forbidden Forest, heading toward Hagrid's hut.

It was early July, the perfect time of year—neither too hot nor too cold. The path outside the castle was lined with wildflowers, and the lush green grass stretched all the way to the edge of the Black Lake.

If he wandered a bit closer to the lake, he might even spot a few older students sneaking off for some private time.

Children in the wizarding world matured early, and Hogwarts students were no exception. Many started dating as early as their second or third year. Students like Ron and Harry, who didn't start showing interest until their fourth or fifth year, were the exception.

Not wanting to disturb the young couples, George continued on his way, passing the Quidditch pitch and crossing a long stone bridge.

Finally, at the edge of the vast forest, he spotted a wooden hut two or three times the size of a normal house, surrounded by giant pumpkins.

"Woof! Woof!"

As he approached the hut, a large black dog suddenly jumped out from the side, barking aggressively at him.

George locked eyes with the dog and activated his telepathic abilities. The dog paused, then began wagging its tail.

"Fang, stop!"

At that moment, the door to the hut opened, and Hagrid's massive frame appeared.

"It's you, little boss! Welcome! I just made some rock cakes. You can have some with this young friend here."

"That's quite an honor."

George looked surprised. He hadn't expected Hagrid to have another guest today.

"Ginny, what are you doing here? Don't you have classes this afternoon?"

Entering the hut, he saw Ginny sitting on a stool taller than himself.

As far as he knew, Gryffindor only had Friday afternoons off. Today was Wednesday.

"George, you're right. I need to get ready for class."

Ginny jumped off the stool in a panic and hurried out of the hut.

Hagrid placed the freshly baked rock cakes on the table and chuckled.

"The little girl wanted to ask me when Harry usually visits, but you scared her off. Guess you'll have to finish her share."

"Mm, these rock cakes smell amazing. Too bad I just had a big lunch in the Great Hall. What a shame."

George patted his round belly and regretfully pushed the rock cakes back.

Hagrid's rock cakes were made for his own iron stomach and were hard enough to be used as bricks. George wasn't about to risk breaking a tooth.

Seeing George's full stomach, Hagrid sighed in disappointment and devoured the rock cakes in a few bites.

"Next time, save some room for my rock cakes."

"Hagrid, I'm really interested in magical creatures. I've read some books on the subject and have a few questions for you."

George quickly changed the subject.

His ability to communicate with magical creatures didn't guarantee he could tame them. It just gave him an advantage over most wizards.

Take Newt Scamander, for example. He was said to have a natural ability to communicate with magical creatures.

But Newt's success in taming so many powerful creatures came from his deep understanding of their habits and needs.

"You're interested in magical creatures? That's fantastic! I'll tell you everything I know."

Hagrid, being the simple and kind soul he was, immediately launched into an enthusiastic lecture.

As George listened, his original body took notes on the other side.

Learning about magical creatures served two purposes: taming powerful creatures for his own use and tapping into the resources of the Forbidden Forest.

Many rare magical creatures were treasure troves of valuable materials for crafting magical items and potions, and the Forbidden Forest was home to plenty of them.

For example, the venom of an Acromantula was worth 100 Galleons per pint, and there were at least a hundred Acromantulas in the forest.

When it came to making money, even the most successful potion masters couldn't compare to magical creature experts.

However, most magical creature experts cared deeply for their creatures and didn't exploit them for profit. Plus, becoming a magical creature expert wasn't easy—without sufficient skill, you could easily end up as a creature's lunch.

Newt had a natural ability to communicate with creatures, and Hagrid had his giant heritage.

But it wasn't just about money. Some things couldn't be bought with gold but could be traded for rare magical creatures. They were valuable resources in their own right.

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

George earned another forty points for Slytherin, pushing the house's score far ahead of the others and solidifying his reputation as the "Star of Slytherin," a rising star in the house.

In truth, Slytherin had always been strong in overall points, and with Snape's favoritism, they often won the House Cup.

But last year, Hermione's relentless point-gathering, despite Harry and Ron's antics and Snape's point deductions, kept the gap small. Dumbledore's last-minute points for the Philosopher's Stone incident sealed the deal.

This year, George was even more of a point-gathering machine than Hermione. He excelled in every subject, including History of Magic, and without Snape's point deductions, even Dumbledore's favoritism couldn't justify closing a gap of hundreds of points.

Snape, the Slytherin head of house, shared this sentiment.

"Can anyone tell me the ingredients for a Boil-Cure Potion? George, you answer."

During Friday morning's Potions class, George stood up for the fifth time to answer a question, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Dried nettles, crushed snake fangs, and porcupine quills, Professor."

"At least not everyone here is a complete dunderhead. Five points to Slytherin."

Snape scanned the room, and all the other students lowered their heads.

"Now, let's attempt to brew this potion. Try not to be completely incompetent."

As George followed the steps to brew the potion, he couldn't help but notice how different Snape was from Professor McGonagall.

The questions Snape asked were slightly beyond the curriculum. Only someone like George, who could reference his Herbology and Potions textbooks at any time, could answer them.

You could argue that Snape was biased, but since only George could answer the questions, even Dumbledore couldn't complain.

But George was sure Snape wanted him to rack up points. Otherwise, he wouldn't have called on him five times in one class. And when George finished his potion first, Snape swooped over like a bat.

"An excellent potion. Five points to Slytherin."

(End of Chapter)