Chapter 57: The Studious George

On the other side, George had once again immersed himself in the rhythm of studying and researching magic.

Over at Tony Stark's end, Wolverine was keeping watch, so there wasn't much to worry about.

Besides, Tony Stark wasn't foolish; it wouldn't be easy for Obadiah to eliminate him.

Even if something unexpected did happen and Stark got taken out, it couldn't be helped. At most, the stocks would plummet, and he'd lose some money. But with greater power in the future, there would naturally be other ways to earn it back.

For George, establishing a relationship with Tony Stark would indeed benefit his future development. However, not making that move wouldn't mean he was out of options.

Money, after all, is merely a medium of exchange. It only has value when spent; otherwise, it's just wastepaper.

Even if Stark Industries' stocks plummeted, the company's sheer size meant the stocks would still be worth a significant amount—enough to sustain them for seven or eight years.

By that time, George would have already mastered the Muggle-Repelling Charm and the Fidelius Charm, eliminating any concerns about security at Hogwarts.

Therefore, devoting his energy to magic was paramount; everything else was secondary.

In Hogwarts Castle, during a Charms class, Professor Flitwick was instructing the students on the intricacies of the Levitation Charm.

"Never forget the subtle wrist movement we've been practicing—swish and flick. Remember, swish and flick.

"Pronouncing the incantation correctly is also crucial. Don't forget the example of the wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and ended up flat on the ground with a buffalo standing on his chest."

'Well, that's not too bad. At least he'd never run out of beef,' George thought to himself, silently making a joke.

In truth, he was only joking. With the magical knowledge he had acquired, he knew that buffalo didn't just appear out of nowhere. They were either transfigured from something nearby or summoned through similar spells.

Magic, while wondrous, followed its own rules and wasn't omnipotent.

For instance, conjuring food and water out of thin air was impossible.

Many summoning spells for animals—cows, snakes, horses, birds, or even flowers—were essentially extensions of Transfiguration or transportation magic.

If it were transportation magic, and no cows were nearby, there would be nothing to transport. For example, if you were in a desert, saying 's' instead of 'f' a hundred times wouldn't make a cow appear.

If it were Transfiguration, the cow would revert to its original form or disappear once the spell's effect ended.

Thus, acquiring unlimited free beef to fill your stomach wasn't feasible—it would only serve as a temporary taste.

Magic had many such rules. Without diligent study and an understanding of its limitations, one might inadvertently cause trouble for themselves.

Luna's mother, for example, had died while experimenting with and modifying spells.

"Now, everyone, begin practicing!"

After explaining the theoretical basis of the Levitation Charm, Professor Flitwick instructed the students to practice using feathers.

At that moment, George, as usual, didn't hold back. He casually raised his wand and cast the Levitation Charm on a nearby desk.

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

As the incantation echoed, the desk floated into the air above the classroom, leaving the young wizards who were still struggling with levitating feathers dumbfounded.

"Excellent, George. Five points to Slytherin!"

Despite zoning out a bit during class, George made sure to earn some house points.

After class, Professor Flitwick picked up his textbook and was about to leave the classroom, but George, faster than a rabbit, blocked his way at the door.

"Looks like my lunch will have to wait," Professor Flitwick said helplessly. Clearly, this wasn't the first time this had happened. While exasperated, he also seemed somewhat pleased.

With a broad smile, George said, "Professor, I've been studying the Muggle-Repelling Charm recently, but there are a few aspects I don't understand. I'm sure you wouldn't mind sparing a little time to enlighten your eager student."

He had no other choice. The professors had their hands full with classes, and their weekends were busy with personal affairs. If George didn't catch them after class, he'd struggle to get their guidance.

Not all professors were like Snape, willing to spend private time mentoring students in magic.

An hour later, a satisfied George finally let Professor Flitwick go and headed to the Great Hall for lunch.

Two days remained until Halloween, but the weather hadn't improved. It had been raining for a week and showed no signs of stopping.

Despite the gloomy weather, George was in a good mood, having resolved his magical queries.

"Harry, Ron, Hermione, you haven't eaten yet either?"

As George entered the Great Hall, he spotted the trio sitting at the Gryffindor table.

At this hour, the Great Hall was usually nearly empty, making the trio's presence particularly noticeable.

"George, we were discussing the Deathday Party," Harry explained with a bitter face, recounting how he had been invited to Nearly Headless Nick's party.

Apparently, the previous day, Harry had dirtied the castle floor after Quidditch practice and was caught by Filch. Nearly Headless Nick had stepped in to help, and in return, Harry promised to attend Nick's 500th Deathday Party in the dungeons on Halloween night.

"Don't feel so down. Halloween feasts happen every year, but ghostly Deathday parties might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I think it'll be fascinating. I'll go with you," Hermione said enthusiastically.

Ron, however, disagreed: "Why would anyone celebrate the day they died? It's creepy!"

"Harry already gave his word to Nick. He can't go back on it," Hermione said sternly, glaring at Ron with an air of authority.

Frightened, Ron quickly relented, "You're right. Harry, as your best mate, I'll come too!"

"Thank you," Harry said, looking slightly less miserable. Then he turned to George with a hopeful expression. "George, would you like to join us?"

"I'll pass. I wouldn't want to miss my first Halloween at Hogwarts," George replied with a smile, politely declining Harry's invitation.

If his memory served him correctly, the basilisk's first attack occurred on Halloween, petrifying Filch's cat.

He wasn't ready to face the basilisk or Voldemort just yet, and he was genuinely interested in experiencing Hogwarts' Halloween feast.

"A friendly tip: according to The Book of Ghosts, ghosts can't eat normal food. They can only experience sensations by inhaling extremely pungent smells.

"So, I'd wager the food at the ghost party will likely be long-rotted and spoiled. You'd better bring some snacks, or you might go hungry."

"Oh, Merlin, I shouldn't have agreed to Nick's invitation," Harry groaned in despair, while Hermione eagerly asked George, "The Book of Ghosts? Is that in the library? Why haven't I seen it?"

"It's on the top shelf of the third-to-last bookshelf in the back. There's only one copy in the entire library, so it's not surprising you missed it. I only found it because I was specifically looking for books on ghosts."

As George began eating the food magically delivered by the house-elves, he continued chatting with Hermione.

His interest in ghost-related books wasn't just out of curiosity. He was also exploring the possibility of transforming into a ghost if his lifespan ran out or if he was killed, giving himself more time to find a way to revive.