As rumors about George's wealth spread, students of all grades reacted differently—whether it was the younger students who loved sweets and toys, or the older ones facing graduation and career pressures.
Harry shone like a dazzling star, just stepping onto campus, entering the real world.
Fortunately, it was only a school, and everyone was busy with their own matters.
He felt a twinge of nostalgia for the internet in the real world. The internet was far more efficient than searching through books one by one in the library. Unfortunately, at Watts, electronic devices, phones, and computers were completely unusable.
On his way, George also saw Malfoy and his two cronies. This time, Malfoy didn't ignore him; instead, he gave a distant greeting, which George acknowledged with a nod.
Since borrowing a thousand Galleons from the Mutual Aid Club, Malfoy had been living comfortably and even paid less attention to Harry. Whether in the heavily guarded confines of the academy or locked in a secure prison, suddenly acquiring a large sum of money made life much more pleasant.
Malfoy had recently become the center of attention, and his voice at Slytherin was growing louder.
It wasn't just his reputation anymore. Ever since he got a huge sum of money from George, he had been lavishly generous, spending freely and ensuring those around him benefited. Even Crabbe and Goyle had become more complacent and indulgent than before.
As George had noticed early in the morning, a child's allowance could be the most cost-effective investment in the world. Some delicious snacks and small, exquisite gifts quickly made Malfoy extremely popular among the lower-year Slytherin students.
Truly wealthy and willing to spend, no matter the time or place, could easily make friends and become the center of attention.
George even heard that Malfoy was trying to persuade older students to join the Quidditch school team, just like Harry.
Hearing these rumors, George's opinion of Malfoy improved slightly. While Malfoy was still arrogant and self-important, he was always "right" in front of Harry. However, without George's intervention, Malfoy often had the upper hand.
Yet, whenever George thought about Malfoy's recent extravagant spending, he couldn't help but look forward to the day Malfoy would run out of money. Draco's collection seemed to be calling him from afar.
George still greeted Mrs. Pince, the librarian, before quietly entering the library.
He didn't expect special treatment from her, but politeness, friendliness, and showing goodwill were never wrong.
Most importantly, he would be at Watts for several years, and the library was crucial. Leaving a good impression on Mrs. Pince was always wise, even if it didn't complicate things.
Without conflicts of interest, George didn't mind spending a little time on formalities to minimize potential issues—whether with Mrs. Pince or Malfoy.
Perhaps being slightly more annoying or hostile toward Malfoy would help him, Harry, and Ron understand each other better. But if it was only to vent anger or make an enemy, George was unwilling to take that path.
"Unless you can eliminate the opponent, avoid making enemies." If necessary, George wouldn't hesitate to take down Lucius—or even Malfoy. But if it was clearly impossible, he preferred to weaken the enemy or ignore Malfoy, even if it meant sacrificing Harry and Ron's interests.
There were a few other people in the library. Even in the wizarding world, not everyone enjoyed reading. George himself longed for endless wilderness, constant battles, and the beauty of elves in adventure stories.
But as a student now, George could only gain knowledge and strength from books. Especially the free books in the library—while perhaps not the most effective learning method, they were safe, simple, and free.
George followed the reading order he had been using and picked up chapters he hadn't finished. He glanced at the remaining shelves—there weren't many books left.
He had been spending months in the library, reading at a rapid pace, and recently obtained reading magic from Kate. These history and travel notes would be finished quickly.
George looked toward the restricted section, the most valuable part of the entire library. Even Watts, his current objective, considered it priceless. Yet, it was heavily guarded, and every book was cursed—reading them without permission was impossible.
"Watson personally experienced Voldemort's teachings, and Voldemort grew up in the restricted section. Since then, the management has become stricter, with no loopholes," George thought, standing before a treasure he couldn't access, slightly frustrated.
"At least, once Voldemort's threat appears, the restricted section might overlook smaller threats in favor of greater ones."
Despite some annoyance, George had his ways to quickly dispel negative emotions and focus on the books in his hands. There weren't many left, which made him a bit compulsive—he had to finish them all to avoid missing important information.
Christmas was approaching—a major holiday in the wizarding world, even if wizards didn't know exactly whom they were celebrating.
Wizards would proudly claim that according to magical historical records, they celebrated Christmas long before Muggles, though no one could say for certain who actually celebrated it.
But who cared? The important part for everyone was vacation, reunion, celebration, and revelry.
Who cares if it commemorates a man who died centuries or even millennia ago?
What people needed in their heavy and monotonous lives was a reason to celebrate and revel on a particular day. Perhaps in the first year or two, people quietly remembered someone after the festivities. But soon, the holiday was just joy and celebration.
If you insisted on attending only to emphasize that a man died thousands of years ago, and told everyone not to celebrate but mourn instead—you'd certainly be seen as unpleasant and friendless.
At this time, Watts had transformed into an icy fortress, covered everywhere with thick snow.
"Everyone, be sure to give this story a Powerstone! Also, 30 advanced chapters of this story are uploaded on my Patreon—you can go there and read them.
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