"Someone's tampered with the Bludger! It won't stop targeting Harry—it completely ignores everyone else!
It must be that Malfoy from the Slytherin team! He's probably used some despicable trick to catch the Golden Snitch!"
To protect Harry, all the Gryffindor players gathered around him on the ground, repeatedly batting the rogue Bludger away. Among them, the twins speculated angrily.
Chaser Alicia Spinnet turned to Captain Oliver Wood and suggested, "Oliver, you can't let Harry deal with that thing alone. Should we pause the match and request an investigation?"
Wood hesitated at her suggestion.
But Harry shouted in frustration, "If we stop now, we'll be disqualified! We can't lose to the Slytherin team because of a rogue Bludger—they're already 100 points ahead. The only way we win is if I catch the Golden Snitch!
Oliver, get them away from me! I can't even chase the Snitch with everyone clustered around!"
"You don't have to worry about disqualification if both teams jointly request an investigation," a familiar voice called from above.
It was George.
Noticing the situation on the Gryffindor side, most of the Slytherin team had taken the opportunity to enjoy the chaos. But George persuaded Captain Flint to agree to a joint request for an investigation.
His reasoning was simple: the Slytherin team was clearly poised to win. However, if they won due to the Bludger attacking Harry, others would assume they had rigged the match. That would taint their victory.
"George, you really are a good guy!"
Wood looked at George with heartfelt gratitude. Clearly, George was different from the usual Slytherins.
Madam Hooch, having noticed the commotion, quickly approached. With both teams requesting an investigation, the match was paused. Professors Snape and McGonagall examined the Bludger, confirming that it had indeed been tampered with using powerful magic.
It was clear this wasn't the work of any student at Hogwarts. To avoid alarming the public, the professors announced that the Bludger had a malfunction and replaced it with a new one.
Dumbledore himself was called in to oversee the match, ensuring no further disruptions.
With Dumbledore present, Dobby, hiding in the shadows, dared not interfere again. The game resumed, escalating into an intense showdown.
By 4 PM, after a grueling three-hour match, Harry finally outmaneuvered Malfoy and caught the Golden Snitch, earning Gryffindor 150 points and ending the game.
However, when he glanced at the scoreboard, Harry was dumbfounded.
The final score was:
Slytherin: 400, Gryffindor: 200.
Even with the 150 points from the Snitch, Gryffindor had still trailed by 350 points.
"Congratulations to Harry Potter for catching the Golden Snitch and scoring 150 points for Gryffindor. Unfortunately, today's winner is Slytherin, largely thanks to George, who single-handedly scored 30 goals!"
Commentator Lee Jordan announced the results with regret. As a Gryffindor, he had hoped for their victory, but George's performance had been overwhelming. Gryffindor simply couldn't stop him from scoring.
As the match ended, George returned to Hogwarts Castle surrounded by the ecstatic Slytherin students. Their victory was entirely due to George's presence; without him, Gryffindor's capture of the Snitch would have secured their win.
Later, after handling the post-game celebrations, George quietly slipped away to the Black Lake with his spellbook.
Winning the Quidditch match was only a means to boost his popularity and reputation, facilitating his future activities at school and paving the way for life after graduation.
But such achievements were merely auxiliary; they wouldn't make him truly powerful. He didn't want to end up like Lockhart—full of fame but powerless when real danger struck.
True strength lay in becoming like Dumbledore, Voldemort, or Grindelwald—that was his goal.
Unfortunately, George's peaceful study session by the Black Lake didn't last long.
A tall wizard with short blond hair and round, owl-like eyes approached him.
"Hello, George!"
"Hello... um, Mr. Pa—who are you?" George almost answered out of habit before catching himself.
"I'm Ludo Bagman, the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports at the Ministry of Magic," the wizard replied with a grin.
Hearing the name, George quickly recalled his memory of him.
This was the man infamous for his gambling addiction, who later went bankrupt and owed goblins a fortune, even swindling the Weasley twins in the process.
"What can I do for you, Mr. Bagman?" George asked cautiously.
"Madam Hooch recommended you to me. After watching your performance today, I'd like to invite you to join the England Quidditch team," Bagman said enthusiastically.
Bagman was certain George would eagerly accept the honor, as no young wizard could resist such a prestigious invitation.
But George's response left him stunned:
"Sorry, I'm not interested."
While joining the team would boost his fame, it would be a colossal waste of time. Training every weekend and traveling for matches worldwide wasn't worth it.
As George had said before, fame was just a side benefit—mastering magic was his true priority. Without hesitation, he declined.
"But your performance today was incredible! I could tell you were holding back to spare Gryffindor's pride. If you'd gone all out, you could've scored even more. Why refuse?
Are you worried your headmaster won't approve? Don't worry—I'll personally speak with Dumbledore. He'll make arrangements for your training and matches," Bagman assured him, growing anxious.
George's talent was undeniable, and Bagman knew he had to secure him for the team.
"Mr. Bagman, to be honest, Quidditch is my talent, but magic is my passion. I don't want to waste my limited study time on Quidditch, especially now when I'm only a first-year. This is the most critical time for my magical foundation."
Seeing Bagman's increasingly desperate expression, George paused, then continued:
"Of course, I'm still willing to contribute to our national Quidditch team, just as I've contributed to Slytherin.
So, I'll agree to join, but my training and matches will have to wait until my fourth year."