Chapter 117: Misunderstanding (Part 4)

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"To think you were able to create such a complex spell in your first year, that's truly impressive!"

Dumbledore, who had always been somewhat cautious of George, couldn't help but feel a deep sense of admiration.

He believed that if George stayed on the right path, his magical talents could very well place him among the most elite wizards in the future.

"Our Slytherin students are always excellent!"

Snape, who had remained silent until now, allowed a small smile to appear on his face. He saw a lot of himself in George. As his close disciple, not only had George quickly mastered the "Sectumsempra" curse, but he had also created his own spell.

"However, George, creating new spells is a very dangerous endeavor. You must be more cautious next time. If you're ever uncertain, be sure to consult me first."

Many wizards had died while attempting to create new magic. Luna's mother, for instance, had tragically perished due to such an accident.

So, while Snape felt proud of George for creating a new spell in his first year, he still gave him a stern warning.

"Thank you, Professor. I'll come to you for guidance when needed."

George, naturally, agreed with a heart full of gratitude.

If Snape was willing to devote more time to teaching him, George was certain he could improve his magical abilities more quickly and learn even more advanced spells.

There were so many more spells to master: the Invisibility Charm, Apparition, Transfiguration, the Patronus Charm, various alchemy and dark magic techniques... the list went on.

"Now that everything is clear, Severus, Minerva, please escort them back to the common room. I need to meet with the Board of Governors to discuss the next steps."

Once Dumbledore had gathered all the necessary information, he waved his hand, signaling Snape and McGonagall to escort George and Hermione out of the office.

"Hermione, this is just an accident. With your intelligence, I'm sure you'll create your own spell in the future," George said as they left the Headmaster's office. He noticed Hermione seemed a bit off and, thinking it was a blow to her pride, tried to comfort her kindly.

Hermione was a top student, but her belief in book knowledge sometimes hindered her creativity, something that wizards like Snape had an advantage in.

But of course, her talent still far outshone that of the average wizard, unlike George, who had simply "leveled up" with his skills.

"Huh? Oh... right, yes, I'll work hard at it," Hermione said, her face turning briefly red before she hurriedly nodded, looking a bit flustered.

She wasn't actually thinking about what George had just said.

The entire exchange, including George and Hermione's expressions and conversation, didn't escape the watchful eyes of Snape and McGonagall. Both looked at each other in surprise.

Soon, McGonagall's normally stern expression softened into an almost maternal smile.

She hadn't expected that her brightest Gryffindor student would develop such a special fondness for a little Slytherin wizard.

However, as the Head of Gryffindor, she didn't feel any animosity.

After all, George was a student she greatly admired, and he had just saved Hermione from the basilisk.

It felt like something straight out of a romance novel she used to read when she was young.

As long as it didn't affect their grades, she had no problem with young witches and wizards falling in love. Hogwarts was very open-minded about such things.

After all, this was the same school that had approved the Valentine's Day event proposed by Gilderoy Lockhart.

In any normal Muggle school, if a teacher encouraged students to date and write love letters—even with the help of potions—he would likely be fired and possibly arrested.

As for Snape, his expression was far more complicated.

At first, he frowned, then seemed to remember something, his expression turning distant as he fell into a certain memory.

Finally, a fleeting, unfamiliar smile appeared on his face—a smile that had never been seen before.

"I'll head back first," Hermione said, her voice a little flustered as she quickly greeted George and then walked toward the Gryffindor entrance with Professor McGonagall.

"Alright. Say hello to Harry and Ron for me," George replied.

George nodded with a smile and continued toward the staircase.

The Gryffindor common room was on the eighth floor, just a few turns away, while the Slytherin common room was in the castle's basement, requiring a descent down the stairs to the hall before heading further underground.

Was Hermione scared?

George didn't think much of Hermione's strange behavior earlier. His mind was still occupied with the dark magic he had seen in the restricted section of the library.

After returning with the typically silent Snape to the entrance of the Slytherin common room, George was about to use the password to enter when Snape suddenly said something that left him a little puzzled.

"George, don't always get so caught up in magic. You should spend more time with her too, especially with the distance between the houses—it's just not as easy as being in the same house. If you happen to say something hurtful, make sure to clear it up..."

Snape didn't wait for George's response before turning and leaving.

George stood there, completely bewildered.

Could he be talking about Hermione?

With all the talk about "her" and the difficulty of being from different houses, it was hard not to think of Hermione, whom he had just parted ways with.

Wait... does he think Hermione and I are in a relationship?

He blinked a few times, and slowly, the pieces started to fall into place.

He realized that Snape might have seen some resemblance between him and Lily—Snape's deceased love—in George and Hermione's relationship.

Now that he thought about it, there were indeed some similarities.

Snape, a talented Slytherin, was like him, and Hermione, just like Lily, was an exceptional Gryffindor.

Snape, a half-blood wizard, was like him, while Lily was a Muggle-born witch—just like Hermione.

Lily had a "Potter" around at the same time, and Hermione had a "Potter" around too, someone with whom she shared a strong bond.

No wonder Snape had said those things—he probably didn't want George to repeat his own mistakes.

But this misunderstanding was far too big. George liked Hermione, but how could he, a mere thirteen-year-old boy, have romantic feelings?

He treated Harry, Ron, Colin, as well as Hermione, Ginny, and Luna all the same—as children. There wasn't the slightest hint of anything else in his mind.

Shaking his head, he decided to let it go. Misunderstanding or not, there was no point in clarifying it, and it wouldn't affect his plans.

"Highborn!"

He spoke the password for the week aloud and pushed the door open to enter the Slytherin common room.

As soon as he stepped inside, a group of young wizards surrounded him, bombarding him with questions about what had happened.

Since Dumbledore and Snape hadn't mentioned confidentiality, George repeated the story he had told in the Headmaster's office.

When the others learned that the creature in the Chamber of Secrets was a terrifying basilisk, many of the young wizards were shocked.

However, some, like young Malfoy, were more extreme and believed that the basilisk wouldn't attack Slytherins, only Muggle-born wizards.

The most astounding part was when George revealed that he had created a flying spell. Everyone was left speechless, especially when George demonstrated the spell right there in the common room.

(End of Chapter)