Chapter 60: Gentleman George

By eleven o'clock, the entire school began heading to the Quidditch pitch.

As George passed by the Gryffindor team, he spoke to Harry: "Don't worry too much. To ensure fairness, I've already suggested to our head of house that, except for Malfoy using his Nimbus 2001, the rest of us will stick to our previous brooms."

Indeed, that was precisely the topic of Flint's earlier discussion with him.

For George, winning with the Nimbus 2001 would only make people attribute the victory to superior equipment, undermining his plan to enhance his personal reputation. To others, however, he appeared magnanimous and principled—a man of high character.

In reality, compared to Flint, George was far more cunning and calculating. He made this decision with absolute confidence in his ability to win.

It wasn't just his physical prowess or unmatched broom control; more importantly, he could subtly influence the Golden Snitch with his abilities.

Until the Slytherin team was ahead by at least 150 points, the Snitch wouldn't land in anyone's hands—unless George allowed it.

While Flint and Malfoy's approach embodied overt villainy, the kind easily recognized by all as characteristic of Slytherin, George presented himself as a noble figure. But beneath the surface, he was just as ruthless in achieving his goals.

In this regard, one might say George bore a resemblance to a young Voldemort, though George wasn't as extreme. Influenced by the morals and values from his previous life, he still adhered to a semblance of a moral baseline despite his Machiavellian tendencies.

He even jokingly considered adopting the nickname "Gentleman George."

After all, he believed that in a world with few purely good or evil people, it was better to lean slightly toward the "bad" side if it meant thriving.

"Thank you, George!"

Hearing George's words, Harry's spirits lifted immediately. The Gryffindor team members, especially Wood, were even more ecstatic, their faces glowing with admiration.

If, before, most Gryffindors only regarded George neutrally—aside from Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and Colin—now, their attitudes had warmed significantly.

"Fairness is the most important thing in any match," George said with a straight face, not a hint of guilt.

Technically, he wasn't cheating. After all, the rules only prohibited magic, not superhuman abilities.

At the Quidditch pitch, the stands were packed with students, teachers, and even some wizards from Hogsmeade. Among the crowd was Ludovic "Ludo" Bagman, the current Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports at the Ministry of Magic.

"Is this first-year George as talented as you say?" Ludo asked skeptically.

Madam Hooch had invited him, insisting that Hogwarts had found a prodigy capable of revitalizing the British Quidditch team. Although doubtful, Ludo had come to see for himself.

"Just watch, Ludo," Madam Hooch said confidently as she strode down to the field. Having observed Slytherin's practices, she had absolute faith in George's abilities.

As the captains shook hands amidst the applause, the match officially began.

"Wait a minute, am I seeing things? Except for Malfoy, the entire Slytherin team isn't using Nimbus 2001s!" exclaimed Lee Jordan, the commentator.

Slytherin's all-Nimbus-2001 lineup had previously caused quite a stir at Hogwarts.

"This isn't like your team's usual style, Snape," McGonagall said, glancing at the Potions Master, who had uncharacteristically joined her in the stands.

"This was George's idea. He felt that if we're going to win, we should do so openly and fairly," Snape replied without looking up.

McGonagall, surprised, allowed herself a rare smile.

"Well, for such a fair-minded suggestion, I'll award Slytherin ten points," she said.

Overhearing their conversation, Lee Jordan eagerly relayed it into the microphone: "So it was Slytherin's George who suggested a fairer match! Maybe not all Slytherins are fond of cheating and fouling after all—"

His commentary was abruptly cut short by two simultaneous head smacks, courtesy of McGonagall and Snape.

The game quickly turned into a spectacle of George's unparalleled skills.

"Oh, George has scored again! This time, he dodged every Gryffindor player with a breathtaking maneuver!"

"And another goal! Did you see that? George hung upside down from his broom and scored with a kick!"

"Yet another one! George is now standing on his broom, launching the Quaffle in a perfect arc!"

The crowd erupted as George scored again and again, leaving the Gryffindor players dumbfounded. On the Slytherin side, cheers grew hoarse from nonstop shouting.

'120 to 20. Just 50 more points to go, and this game is mine,' George thought, glancing at the scoreboard.

Remarkably, he had played fairly so far, only using his broom control. He had even gone easy on Gryffindor twice to prevent an embarrassing blowout.

But just as George prepared for another goal, the unexpected happened.

One of the black Bludgers began acting erratically, as if bewitched, relentlessly targeting Harry.

'Dobby's meddling, isn't it?' George muttered to himself.

He recognized this moment—the Malfoys' house-elf, Dobby, was behind the rogue Bludger. It was an attempt to force Harry back home and away from danger, particularly the looming threat of the Basilisk.

...

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