George set down his napkin, ignoring Malfoy and the others, and strode out of the Great Hall without another glance.
As he left, scattered applause began to ripple through the hall—first tentative, then growing louder, whether out of genuine admiration or simply to stir the pot.
It wasn't just the Slytherin upper-years clapping. Students from all three other houses joined in, too.
Losing the House Cup last year had been a blow to the older Slytherins, but George's words had neatly shifted the blame entirely onto the second-years. That was something they could get behind.
As for the rest of the school? Slytherin's internal strife was pure entertainment. A little extra applause only added fuel to the fire.
A handful of more earnest students, though, watched George's retreating figure with stars in their eyes, their applause wholly sincere.
George knew exactly what was happening.
Whether genuine or not, his goal had been achieved.
"Harry, I'm not gonna lie—that was kind of cool. Even though he's a Slytherin and just vowed to steal the House Cup from us… I don't even hate him for it."
Ron leaned across the Gryffindor table, grinning.
"Did you see Malfoy's face? Even when we won last year, he didn't look that miserable."
If anyone despised Malfoy more than Harry, it was Ron—especially after their fathers had brawled in Diagon Alley.
Harry nodded.
"George isn't like Malfoy. But that doesn't mean we're handing over the Cup."
Hermione, no longer fuming over their reckless flying car stunt, chimed in, back to her usual self.
"Exactly. Like George said—it's healthy competition. We'll just have to work harder."
"We will!"
Ginny and Colin, sitting nearby, turned eager eyes on Harry, waiting for his response.
Harry sighed but obliged.
"…Go for it."
Ron snorted.
"At this rate, they'll start a Harry Potter Fan Club before lunch."
Meanwhile, at the Slytherin table, Malfoy's expression was stormier than a Dementor's wedding.
The louder the applause had grown, the harder the slap to his pride.
He knew the older Slytherins resented last year's losses—both in Quidditch and the House Cup. Only his family name had shielded him from outright criticism.
Before his year, Slytherin had dominated for six straight years. That meant the upper six grades had always been stronger than the other houses.
Then came his year.
Hermione outshining everyone academically. Harry stealing the Quidditch victory.
The blame landed squarely on him.
If he had topped Hermione in grades, outplayed Harry in Quidditch, earned more points—even with Gryffindor's last-minute surge, Slytherin might have held on.
"We will win the Cup back. But not because of him. Because of me—Draco Malfoy."
Pansy, though equally furious, remained confident.
"Relax. He's a joke. Time will prove you're Slytherin's true leader."
Unless George was unbelievably exceptional, his grand speech would backfire spectacularly.
The outcome was already set.
"Well, you walked right into that one."
Leaving the Great Hall, George continued his exploration of the first floor.
As a Slytherin without family backing, the fastest way to gain influence was to stand out—aggressively. No hiding his talents.
Would Dumbledore suspect another Tom Riddle? Unlikely. He'd openly befriended Harry, Ron, and Hermione—hardly the mark of a pure-blood supremacist.
Malfoy's provocation had been the perfect opportunity to establish his stance. Otherwise, declaring his views so boldly would've seemed odd.
Not that he needed to engage with Malfoy. The boy was harmless. But the theatrics served a purpose.
Beyond the Great Hall and the antechamber where the Sorting had taken place, the first floor housed:
The staff room
Filch's office
Transfiguration classrooms
Miscellaneous unused rooms
Next, he ascended the marble staircase to the second floor:
History of Magic classroom (his afternoon class)
Gryffindor Head of House's office
The hospital wing, overseen by Madam Pomfrey
A girls' lavatory
The third floor featured:
The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's office
Moaning Myrtle's bathroom (entrance to the Chamber of Secrets)
George didn't enter, merely observing from outside.
On the fourth floor:
Charms classroom
Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom
Trophy Room
The Armory Corridor
Here, enchanted suits of armor occasionally brawled—like the two currently wrestling over one's "unbearably off-key singing."
The magic behind these sentient armors fascinated him. If applied at the X-Mansion, they'd make excellent security.
Also on this floor:
The Hogwarts Library—home to thousands of books, including restricted sections filled with forbidden knowledge. (Closed by 8 PM nightly.)
The fifth floor held abandoned classrooms and a unisex lavatory.
The sixth floor: more disused rooms and the Prefects' Bathroom.
The seventh floor: vacant offices and a boys' lavatory.
The eighth floor was a hub:
Ravenclaw Head of House's office
Entrance to Gryffindor Tower
Access to North Tower (Divination)
Passage to Ravenclaw Tower
Stairs to the West Tower
The path to the Headmaster's office
The Room of Requirement
George knew how to enter but refrained.
With Dumbledore likely monitoring the castle, suddenly accessing a hidden room would raise eyebrows.
Besides, he had no immediate use for it—or the Horcrux hidden inside.
After touring the castle, he circled the grounds:
Herbology greenhouses
Flying lesson fields
Quidditch pitch
By the time he finished, it was noon. He skipped Hagrid's hut and the Forbidden Forest, returning to the Great Hall for lunch.
This time, he was no longer invisible.
Whispers followed him—admiring, jealous, scornful, even gleefully anticipating his downfall.
George paid them no mind.
He spotted Harry's group arriving after their morning classes.
Hermione proudly showed off a button she'd Transfigured from a beetle. Ron was sulking—Harry explained he'd received a Howler from Mrs. Weasley.
That afternoon, George carried his History of Magic textbook to his very first class at Hogwarts.
===
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