George had just reached the first floor when a voice called out from above.
"George! Long time no see!"
Turning his head, he saw Harry, Hermione, and Ron descending the marble staircase.
"Good morning, Harry, Hermione, and... you are?"
"Hi, I'm Ron. Harry told me you helped him escape from Knockturn Alley—that's so cool!"
Ron's voice was brimming with excitement.
Knockturn Alley—the infamous place his twin brothers dreamed of exploring.
"Not as cool as you and Harry, flying a magical car all the way from London to school, making the Daily Prophet, and crashing into the Whomping Willow," Hermione interjected with a sarcastic edge.
Ron stiffened.
"Come on, can you stop lecturing us? We didn't plan for that to happen."
Sometimes, Hermione reminded him of a miniature Professor McGonagall—always ready to scold them, even though she could be just as reckless.
Harry stepped forward, steering clear of Ron and Hermione's bickering.
"We missed the Sorting Ceremony yesterday. Which house did you get into?"
"Slytherin."
George pulled out the Slytherin badge from his pocket—the one he hadn't yet pinned to his robes.
Harry's face fell.
"Wish you'd been sorted into Gryffindor."
Deep down, he still held some prejudice against Slytherin, especially with Malfoy and his gang lurking around, not to mention Snape as Head of House.
George smiled.
"Any house is fine. As long as I'm studying at Hogwarts, I'm happy."
"Good morning, George!"
Another voice rang out from above. This time, Ginny, Colin, and Luna were coming down the stairs.
"You know each other?"
Harry and Ron blinked in surprise as Ginny greeted George.
"We shared a compartment on the train yesterday. George looked after us."
Ginny's voice instantly softened in Harry's presence, her demeanor turning noticeably more demure.
"Thanks for taking care of Ginny."
Ron, whose attitude toward George had cooled slightly upon learning he was in Slytherin, quickly warmed up again and even offered his thanks.
Compared to Harry, Ron harbored even deeper biases against Slytherin. Before coming to Hogwarts, he'd been convinced that all dark wizards came from that house.
"Um... could you take a picture of me and Mr. Harry Potter?"
Colin handed his camera to Ron, eyes shining as he stared at Harry.
"I'm Colin. I want to send a photo to my dad to prove I met you. He's a milkman, and no one in my family except me has ever—"
Ron sighed but took the camera. He hadn't been much better when he first met Harry.
After the photo, the group chatted as they made their way to the Great Hall.
By now, many students were already eating breakfast. The four long house tables were laden with food prepared by the house-elves—pumpkin porridge, pickled herring, bread, eggs, fresh meat, and more.
Since students from different houses rarely sat together, George headed to the Slytherin table, Luna to Ravenclaw, and Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Colin to Gryffindor.
"First-year. You seem awfully friendly with Harry Potter."
George had just sat down when Draco Malfoy, flanked by his usual shadows Crabbe and Goyle, took the seat across from him.
Thanks to Pansy's teasing yesterday, Malfoy remembered George. Seeing him chatting so amiably with his least favorite person had soured his mood instantly.
"You could say we're friends."
George scooped himself a bowl of pumpkin porridge and a plate of fresh meat, answering casually.
He knew getting close to Harry would inevitably provoke Malfoy. But even if he hadn't, he'd have clashed with him anyway.
He planned to be the top student at Hogwarts—maybe even join the Quidditch team. That alone would steal Malfoy's spotlight.
Not that it mattered. Little Malfoy was nothing compared to his father.
"Friends?" Malfoy sneered. "Slytherin and Gryffindor are enemies. They'll never be friends. Stay away from them, or I'll teach you what it really means to be a Slytherin."
His tone was laced with warning.
George set down his spoon and met Malfoy's glare.
"Who I befriend is my business. Worry about yourself."
Then, deliberately raising his voice so the entire table could hear:
"I heard last year's top student was Gryffindor's Hermione Granger. And after six years of winning the House Cup, Slytherin lost to Gryffindor. Pathetic, really."
The moment the words left his mouth, heads turned from every direction.
"WHAT did you just call me?"
Malfoy slammed his hands on the table, sending a tower of bread rolls tumbling.
"A waste of space," George clarified, unfazed. "Unless you've got the skills to prove otherwise?"
Malfoy's face twisted. "You—you filthy half-blood! What right do you have to call me pathetic?"
George arched a brow.
"Funny. Our Head of House is a half-blood too. Are you saying you look down on Professor Snape?"
Malfoy faltered.
Pure-bloods might privately scorn half-bloods, but saying it outright? Dangerous. Especially when Slytherin's upper years included many half-bloods—and Snape himself.
"T-that's different! The professor is—"
"A first-year with a big mouth," a sharp voice cut in.
Pansy Parkinson, seated with the second-years, strode over.
Though she'd teased Malfoy yesterday, she'd never side against him. The Malfoy name carried weight among pure-bloods, and marrying into the family someday would elevate her own status.
Seeing him humiliated, she stepped in.
"Slytherin values strength, not empty talk."
George wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood.
"You're absolutely right. Strength does matter. So let me clarify—I'm not just calling him pathetic."
He swept his gaze across the entire Slytherin table, his voice ringing clear.
"I'm saying every single one of you second-years is trash."
Gasps erupted.
"If you weren't, how could you lose the House Cup after six straight wins?"
He let the words sink in before continuing, louder.
"Mark my words—with me here, Slytherin will take first place again. I'll win back the House Cup from Gryffindor myself."
His tone sharpened.
"But unlike you, I won't let rivalry turn into blind hatred. Competition is one thing. Friendship is another."
He raised his chin.
"Whether it's Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, or Hufflepuff—I'll make friends where I please. Because true Slytherins don't need petty grudges to prove their worth."
A beat of stunned silence.
Then—
"We win with honor."
===
Give me all your power stones
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