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Putting down the napkin and ignoring Malfoy and the others, George turned and strode straight out of the Great Hall.
Just as he was about to exit, thunderous applause erupted.
Not only the older Slytherin students, but also wizards from the other three houses joined in the clapping.
Regardless of whether George had the actual strength, the mere act of speaking so boldly in the Great Hall earned him the admiration of many young wizards.
Not everyone dared to make such declarations in front of a crowd; failing to follow through could turn one into a complete joke.
Even Malfoy wouldn't risk such bravado. In fact, it seemed no one at Hogwarts had ever dared to do so.
"Harry, to be honest, I was kind of impressed just now. Even though he's a Slytherin and said he wants to take our House Cup, I actually don't find him annoying at all.
Did you see Malfoy's face? Even when we won the House Cup last year, he didn't look that miserable," Ron said to Harry, unable to contain his excitement.
When it came to his dislike for Malfoy, he was even more intense than Harry, especially after their encounter in Diagon Alley when his father had a run-in with Malfoy's.
Harry nodded in agreement: "George is different from Malfoy, but we still can't afford to lose the House Cup."
"Like George said, we should engage in healthy competition and all strive together," Hermione chimed in, no longer angry at Harry and Ron for their reckless behavior yesterday.
"We will do our best!"
Nearby, Ginny and Colin eagerly looked at Harry, waiting for his response.
With a resigned smile, Harry encouraged, "Go for it!"
"I can see them forming a Harry Potter fan club any moment now," Ron joked.
While they enjoyed their lighthearted banter, Malfoy's face was dark enough to rain. The louder the applause in the Great Hall, the more bruised his expression became.
The older Slytherins had been dissatisfied with losing last year's Quidditch matches and the House Cup, but due to Malfoy's family background, they had refrained from voicing their frustrations.
After all, Slytherin had won six years in a row before, which clearly demonstrated their superiority over the other houses.
Losing to Gryffindor last year, particularly due to Hermione and Harry's contributions, left Malfoy carrying the blame as their representative.
If he had outperformed Hermione and excelled over Harry in Quidditch, even if Gryffindor had scored more points in the end, Slytherin wouldn't have lost.
"We must reclaim the House Cup, but not because of him—because of me, Malfoy!"
"Don't worry, he's just a joke. Time will prove you are the true hope of Slytherin!"
Although Pansy's expression was grim, she remained unconcerned.
Unless George excelled far beyond expectations, even a decent performance wouldn't make up for his earlier bravado; the outcome was already predetermined.
"There's no other choice; you brought this on yourself," she mused.
After leaving the Great Hall, George continued to explore the first floor.
As a Slytherin without the backing of a family legacy, he knew that to gain recognition quickly, he had to stand out and showcase his talents.
As for whether his actions would lead Dumbledore to suspect him of being aligned with Voldemort, he doubted it. He had shown no signs of disdain for Muggle-born wizards and had openly acknowledged his friendships with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
So Malfoy's provocation provided a perfect opportunity for George to establish his stance and build his reputation—otherwise, it would be hard to express such sentiments openly.
In truth, if it weren't for this situation, George could have easily ignored Malfoy's provocation—after all, Malfoy couldn't do anything to him.
The first floor, besides the Great Hall and the waiting room for the Sorting Ceremony, contained many other rooms.
For instance, there were the staff lounge designated for the professors, Argus Filch's office, the Transfiguration classroom, and various other temporary classrooms.
After exploring the first floor, he ascended the marble staircase to the second floor.
The second floor primarily housed the History of Magic classroom where he would have classes that afternoon, the Gryffindor Head's office, and the hospital wing, managed by Madam Pomfrey, who was skilled in healing magic.
There was also a girls' restroom on this floor.
On the third floor, the most significant places were the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's office and Moaning Myrtle's restroom. This restroom connected to the Slytherin common room, but George didn't enter; he merely observed from the outside.
The fourth floor contained the Charms classroom, the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, the Trophy Room, and the Armor Corridor.
In the Armor Corridor, many animated suits of armor were present. As he passed, he was fortunate enough to witness two suits of armor squabbling, apparently sparked by one singing too off-key, which the other found intolerable.
He was very interested in the magic that could grant intelligence to inanimate objects. If applied at the school for mutants in the future, it could significantly enhance their defensive capabilities.
There was another important location on the fourth floor, perhaps the most important for him.
That was the Hogwarts Library, renowned for its collection of tens of thousands of magical books, including numerous restricted titles unavailable for purchase. It closed before eight o'clock each night.
The fifth floor mainly consisted of abandoned classrooms and a co-ed restroom.
The sixth floor had more abandoned classrooms and a restroom designated for the prefects.
The seventh floor featured some vacant offices and a boys' restroom.
The eighth floor included the Ravenclaw Head's office, the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, the entrance to the Divination classroom in the North Tower, the entrance to the 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 chose not to enter.
To him, Hogwarts Castle was likely under Dumbledore's watchful eye, and entering the Room of Requirement without good reason could raise suspicions.
Moreover, he didn't currently need anything from that room.
He also planned to avoid touching the Horcrux hidden within, as he wasn't ready for that yet.
After exploring the castle, he took a stroll around the grounds, checking out the Herbology greenhouses and gardens, the Quidditch pitch, and the area designated for flying lessons.
By the time he finished scouting, it was already noon. Instead of venturing further to Hagrid's hut or the Forbidden Forest, he returned to the Great Hall for lunch.
Upon entering this time, he was clearly no longer an unnoticed presence. Many young wizards were discreetly pointing at him—some with admiration, others with jealousy, a few with disdain, and a couple waiting maliciously for him to falter.
George paid them no mind.
He ran into Harry and the others, who had just finished their classes.
Hermione showed him a beautiful button she had transformed from a beetle in Transfiguration class, while Ron looked rather gloomy. Harry explained that it was because Ron had received a howler from his mother after George left that morning.
In the afternoon, George, carrying his History of Magic textbook, began his first class at Hogwarts.
(End of Chapter)