Chapter 59: The Freezing Charm

"It seems our Miss Hermione is truly well-suited for Gryffindor," George quipped, unable to resist teasing.

Hermione and Professor McGonagall were cut from the same cloth—on the surface, they appeared strict and rule-abiding, but deep down, they were more adventurous than anyone.

Eighty percent of Harry and Ron's rule-breaking escapades were inspired by Hermione.

George suspected that Hermione's anger at Harry and Ron at the start of the term wasn't because they had gotten into trouble, but because she hadn't been part of the adventure in the flying car.

Blushing slightly, Hermione didn't refute him. Instead, she asked, "It's a pity that I couldn't find the book Powerful Potions in the library. Without the recipe for Polyjuice Potion, we can't make it. George, have you seen that book in the library?"

"Powerful Potions... I think I've seen it in the Restricted Section," George replied after a moment of thought.

Hermione's expression turned to one of shock.

"The Restricted Section? You can access the Restricted Section?"

"Thanks to Professor Lockhart. If you praise his books a bit and make up a plausible reason, he'll write you a permission slip to access the Restricted Section. Next time I visit, I'll help you find Powerful Potions."

George winked at Hermione.

Since borrowing a book on tracking spells from the Restricted Section, he had visited a few more times. However, aware that Dumbledore was monitoring him, he had avoided any books on dark magic, instead focusing on advanced spellbooks.

Though he couldn't yet master those spells, it didn't hurt to take notes for future reference.

By helping Harry, Ron, and Hermione, George also intended to send a message to Dumbledore—that he was a friend of Harry and could assist him in the Restricted Section. This would hopefully dissuade Dumbledore from addressing the loophole that allowed George to use Lockhart's permission slips.

After all, as headmaster, Dumbledore could easily close this loophole with a single command, preventing George from freely accessing the Restricted Section. Befriending the trio had always been part of George's strategic plan.

"See? I told you Lockhart was a brainless fool," Ron commented, unsurprised. The incident with the Cornish Pixies had cemented his view of Lockhart.

However, Hermione was quick to refute, practically yelling, "He's not a brainless fool! I checked—the things he wrote about in his books are true!"

"Oh, please. You only say that because he called you the best second-year student," Ron retorted.

"Alright, I've agreed to help, but there's one condition," George interrupted their bickering.

"Hermione, I heard you froze an entire swarm of Cornish Pixies with a Freezing Charm in Defense Against the Dark Arts. I've been studying that spell lately—would you mind sharing your insights?"

The Freezing Charm, a wide-area binding spell, was effective against small creatures but ineffective on beings with greater strength, such as humans.

George's interest in the spell wasn't just for its binding capabilities. The Freezing Charm had a unique effect on modern technology—it could disable devices like alarms and surveillance cameras by freezing their components, causing them to malfunction.

It was a commonly used spell for wizards navigating the Muggle world.

George theorized that using the spell against Iron Man could potentially disrupt the Arc Reactor in his suit, rendering the armor inoperable.

"Of course! I'll teach you all the techniques for casting the Freezing Charm," Hermione said eagerly, her face lighting up with pride. She loved teaching, especially since George, unlike Ron, was always polite and appreciative.

"Freaks," Harry and Ron muttered under their breaths, exchanging a glance.

The Freezing Charm was one of the most challenging spells for second-years, typically taught in the second semester. Hermione had mastered it ahead of schedule, and George, a first-year, was already studying it.

The academic world of overachievers was incomprehensible to them.

The next day, George used one of Lockhart's permission slips to access the Restricted Section, retrieving Powerful Potions and handing it to Hermione.

Before doing so, however, he copied all the potion recipes in the book onto his computer in the Marvel universe for future use.

Even Dumbledore would find it hard to believe that George had managed to duplicate the entire book in the brief hours between borrowing it and passing it to Hermione.

With the Polyjuice Potion recipe in hand, the trio began gathering the rare ingredients needed. Under Hermione's guidance, they started the month-long brewing process.

Meanwhile, George returned to his intensive magical studies.

By late November, Hogwarts had entered one of the most anticipated times of the year—the annual Quidditch matches between the four houses.

The first match, Slytherin versus Gryffindor, was scheduled for a Saturday.

At breakfast, the atmosphere at Gryffindor's table was tense. They knew the upcoming match would be tough. Except for Harry's Nimbus 2000, all their brooms were significantly slower than Slytherin's Nimbus 2001s.

In contrast, Slytherin's table buzzed with excitement. They were confident about their chances, thanks in large part to George's performance during practice sessions.

"George, are we really going to do this?" Flint, the Slytherin team captain, asked hesitantly.

Sipping his pumpkin porridge, George replied, "I've already discussed this with Professor Snape, and he agrees. If we're certain to win, we must do so in a way that silences any criticism.

"We need to show everyone that Slytherin wins through sheer skill. That's the level of prestige we should aim for!"

"Alright, but if we lose, you'll take full responsibility," Flint said, gritting his teeth.

"Don't you trust my abilities?" George asked, fixing Flint with a steady gaze.

Flint froze, then quickly forced a smile. "Of course I do. I wouldn't dream of doubting you."

After all, George was Snape's favorite student. Flint couldn't afford to alienate him, especially since Slytherin's chances of winning future championships depended heavily on George.