Chapter 33: Hogwarts Castle

After setting down his napkin and ignoring Malfoy and his gang, George turned and walked straight out of the Great Hall.

Just then, applause began to ripple through the hall, initially soft but growing louder and louder. Whether it was out of a sense of mischief or simply enjoying the spectacle, the applause became a roar.

It wasn't just the upper-year Slytherin students clapping—wizards from the other three houses joined in as well.

For the upper-year Slytherins, last year's loss of the House Cup still stung, and George's sharp words shifted the blame squarely onto the second-years. This resonated deeply with them.

As for the students of the other houses, Slytherin had always been rather unpopular. Watching them squabble internally was a rare treat, so they were all too happy to add fuel to the fire with their applause.

A handful of the younger students, though, seemed genuinely captivated by George's charisma, clapping with starry-eyed admiration.

George, of course, understood all this perfectly.

Whether the applause was genuine or sarcastic, he had achieved his goal.

"Harry, I'll admit it—I was kind of impressed," Ron said at the Gryffindor table, still chuckling. "Even though he's a Slytherin and said he wants to take the House Cup from us, I just can't bring myself to dislike him. Did you see Malfoy's face? I've never seen him look so sour—not even when we won the House Cup last year."

Harry nodded in agreement.

"George isn't like Malfoy at all," he said. "But that doesn't mean we're giving up the House Cup."

"Exactly," Hermione chimed in, her irritation from yesterday now forgotten. "Just like George said, we're going to have a fair competition. Let's all work hard together."

Ginny and Colin Creevey, seated nearby, nodded enthusiastically. They both looked expectantly at Harry, as if waiting for his encouragement.

"Right," Harry said, resigned but smiling. "Let's do our best."

"Honestly," Ron quipped, glancing at Ginny and Colin, "they should start a Harry Potter Fan Club."

Meanwhile, Malfoy sat at the Slytherin table, his face dark with anger. The louder the applause in the Great Hall, the harder it felt like he'd been slapped.

He knew full well that the upper-year Slytherins were still bitter about last year's loss of both the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup. If not for his family name and status, they would have voiced their discontent more openly.

Before last year, Slytherin had enjoyed a six-year winning streak, a testament to the strength of its older students. But last year, Gryffindor had won everything, and the blame fell squarely on the second-years—on him, Draco Malfoy, their supposed representative.

"If only I had outperformed Hermione in academics and Harry in Quidditch," Malfoy thought bitterly. "Even if Gryffindor earned those last-minute points, we wouldn't have lost."

"I'll win back the House Cup," he declared, clenching his fists. "Not because of him—because of me, Draco Malfoy!"

"Of course," Pansy Parkinson soothed, though her own mood was foul. "He's just a joke. You'll show everyone that you are the future of Slytherin."

After leaving the Great Hall, George resumed exploring the castle.

As a Slytherin without a powerful family backing him, he knew that the fastest way to gain attention and respect was to stand out boldly. Subtlety would only hold him back.

While he was aware his actions might catch the watchful eye of Dumbledore, George wasn't too concerned. He had made a point of openly declaring his friendships with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, without displaying any disdain for Muggle-borns.

Malfoy's provocation had actually provided the perfect opportunity to clarify his stance and establish his identity. Otherwise, it would've been more challenging to speak so directly.

The first floor housed several rooms aside from the Great Hall and the sorting ceremony's waiting room. There were the staff room, caretaker Filch's office, the Transfiguration classroom, and several temporary classrooms.

After finishing his tour of the first floor, George climbed the grand marble staircase to the second floor.

The second floor included the History of Magic classroom (where he had a class scheduled later), the office of the Gryffindor Head of House, the hospital wing run by Madam Pomfrey, and a girls-only lavatory.

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 the bathroom, merely observing it from the outside.

On the fourth floor, he found the Charms classroom, Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, trophy room, and the Hall of Armors. The enchanted armors there were quite lively—George even witnessed a pair fighting because one of them had been singing off-key.

He found the magical enchantments animating the armors particularly fascinating. Such spells could potentially serve as excellent defensive measures if implemented at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters in his own world.

The fourth floor also housed the library, a treasure trove of over ten thousand magical books, including many banned volumes unavailable elsewhere.

The fifth and sixth floors were mostly empty classrooms and lavatories, with the Prefects' bathroom located on the sixth floor.

The seventh floor featured unused offices, the boys' lavatory, and, of particular interest to George, the Room of Requirement.

Although George knew how to access the Room of Requirement, he refrained. He suspected that much of Hogwarts, especially areas like this, was under Dumbledore's scrutiny. Entering without a clear reason could raise suspicion.

By the time he finished exploring the castle's eight floors, including the various towers and classrooms, it was nearly noon. After a quick tour of the grounds—including the greenhouses for Herbology, the flying lessons field, and the Quidditch pitch—George returned to the Great Hall for lunch.

This time, he was no longer just a faceless first-year. Many students whispered about him, pointing discreetly. Some were impressed, others jealous, and a few clearly just waiting for him to fail.

George paid them no mind.

Before lunch began, he crossed paths with Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Colin again. Hermione proudly showed him the intricate button she had transfigured from a beetle in Transfiguration class. Ron, however, seemed dejected.

"His mom sent him a Howler this morning," Harry explained with a sigh.

After lunch, George attended his first Hogwarts class: History of Magic, carrying his textbook and a sharp determination to excel.