Chapter 58: The Basilisk Strikes

On October 31st, the eve of Halloween, George was greeted by the sweet and enticing aroma of roasted pumpkin as he walked into the castle's Great Hall in the morning.

Breakfast that day revolved entirely around pumpkin dishes, most likely made from Hagrid's extensive stockpile of ingredients.

To be fair, the house-elves' culinary skills were exceptional, explaining why Tonks often said she missed Hogwarts food. Even George, who wasn't particularly fond of Western cuisine, occasionally found himself delighted by their dishes.

One day, if the opportunity arose, he mused about acquiring a house-elf of his own to serve as his personal steward.

In the afternoon, as the final class of the day ended, the young wizards and witches gathered in groups, heading towards the Great Hall. George, as the star of Slytherin, was naturally surrounded by his peers as they walked.

"Did you hear? This year's Halloween feast will feature the Skeleton Dance Troupe!"

"Wow, is it the one entirely made up of skeletons?"

Amidst the excited chatter, George stepped into the Great Hall.

The space was decorated resplendently: a thousand live bats fluttered along the walls and ceiling, while another thousand formed low, dark clouds hovering above the dining tables.

Massive pumpkin lanterns floated overhead, each large enough to fit two or three young wizards inside.

These were crafted by Hagrid using an Engorgement Charm, a process George had witnessed firsthand.

Although uninterested in pumpkins themselves, George had been intrigued by the charm.

The Engorgement Charm could cause rapid inflation of objects or people, making them balloon up like bubbles. While impressive, it required careful control—overuse could lead to disastrous explosions.

George's interest stemmed from its potential applications. If he had known this spell during his escape from the base, he could have expanded the grenades he had controlled by several times, potentially obliterating the entire facility.

Still, the spell was complex, and even with Hagrid's guidance, he had yet to master it. His focus on other magical theories and spells took precedence, leaving less time for this one.

The Halloween feast didn't disappoint George. Between the delicious mountains of food crafted by the house-elves, the professors' dazzling and entertaining magic, and the Skeleton Dance Troupe's comical performance, the evening was a spectacle.

Being physically present made it far more enjoyable than merely watching a film or reading about it. Some experiences could only be fully appreciated firsthand.

After the feast, students began dispersing to their dormitories. The Slytherin students, George included, chattered animatedly as they made their way to the dungeons.

However, upon turning a corner, they froze in place.

Hanging by its tail from a torch bracket was Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris. Its body was rigid, its eyes lifeless and glassy. On the wall beside the torch, large, ominous words were scrawled:

The Chamber of Secrets has been opened.

Enemies of the Heir, beware!

Directly across from the scene stood a stunned Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Enemies of the Heir, beware! You're next, Mud–"

Before Draco Malfoy could finish his gloating remark, George placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Malfoy, this isn't the time for that. Go inform the professors and the Headmaster."

Seeing it was George, Malfoy hesitated but ultimately swallowed his words and dashed off toward the Great Hall.

Dumbledore, Snape, Lockhart, McGonagall, and the other professors soon arrived, along with Filch.

Upon seeing his beloved Mrs. Norris petrified, Filch erupted into furious accusations, insisting Harry had done it to retaliate against him.

It took Dumbledore's explanation—that such a curse was far beyond the capabilities of a second-year student, and that Mrs. Norris could be saved—to finally calm him down.

George chose not to reveal anything about the basilisk, despite the potential for praise and house points. He wasn't ready to involve himself in that chaos just yet.

After Dumbledore escorted Harry and his friends away, George and the other Slytherins returned to their common room.

While most of his peers debated the reopening of the Chamber of Secrets, George found a quiet corner to immerse himself in a magic book. This calm focus earned him silent admiration from those around him.

In the days following Halloween, the castle settled into an uneasy calm. Yet, discussions about the Chamber of Secrets persisted, with many students suspecting Harry to be the Heir of Slytherin.

One afternoon, George was approached by Harry, Ron, and Hermione while reading in the library.

"You suspect Malfoy is the Heir of Slytherin and plans to kill all Muggle-born students?" George asked.

"They're all Slytherins! He brags about it constantly," Harry insisted.

"I suspect they're descendants of Slytherin," Ron added. "His dad's evil enough. Malfoy must be the Heir."

Hermione nodded in agreement. "Who else would hate Muggle-borns so much? He called me a Mudblood just the other day!"

"Even if your guess is reasonable, how do you plan to prove it? Pure speculation won't hold up, especially when his father wields considerable influence in the Ministry," George replied with a smirk.

He knew Malfoy wasn't the Heir—Voldemort was—but he wasn't about to share that information.

"Which is why we need your help," Harry said, leaning in closer.

"We need hair from Crabbe, Goyle, and Millicent, and we also need you to tell us the password to your common room," Hermione added.

"That's not too difficult," George replied with feigned curiosity. "But what do you plan to do with it?"

Harry, trusting George, explained their plan.

"We're going to brew Polyjuice Potion, transform into them, and question Malfoy directly in the Slytherin common room."

"That's a clever idea," George admitted. "But you realize it'll break at least fifty school rules. Whose idea was this?"

Harry and Ron immediately pointed to Hermione, who blushed but held her ground.