"Although there is never a single best method or a perfectly correct answer in the world, there are always good approaches, and mistakes will always exist." Even though George told Harry and the others that there's no universal standard answer, they didn't take it as a license to say the world has no real right or wrong.
"When facing a giant monster, even the dumbest wizard doesn't just put on armor and charge in. You need to think, stay out of its line of sight. Kill it… or, if you can't find it, set traps. Solve the problem before it finds you," George said, using Harry's encounter with the giant as an example.
Harry, who had been present at the time, listened closely. Comparing George's story with the actual situation, he began to understand the practical wisdom behind George's words.
"There is an old Eastern saying: be like water. Water nourishes all things without striving. It adapts to circumstances and adjusts to what it encounters. The best defense is to reduce conflict, to minimize it from the start, and to resolve disputes efficiently," George concluded. Inspired, everyone began to reflect and try to internalize this lesson.
"In the real world, it's not a matter of fists versus fists, or spells versus spells," George continued, giving more examples.
Curses are powerful, magic is powerful—but humans are fragile, and life itself is delicate. A wizard takes eighteen years from birth to graduation.
Normally, they could easily live to a hundred or even two hundred, yet a single spell could end their life, no matter how much they've lived, learned, or achieved.
George's example was sobering, and the group fell silent for a moment.
After a pause, Hermione spoke again. Her intelligence shone through: "Compared to Snape and Quirrell, we're too weak. If we confront them directly, we'd likely be killed."
Her tone was heavy, and she clenched her fists. With George's guidance, this eleven-year-old girl finally faced the terrifying reality that the three of them had long been avoiding.
No matter how many beautiful things you see in stories or in reality, or how many fantasies you hear, eventually you must confront one basic truth: mistakes can be deadly, no matter how you try to avoid them.
This is fundamental reality. No matter how much people emphasize the goodness of the world, it cannot change this fact. And the crueler truth is that death isn't even the worst outcome; failure can bring death and disaster simultaneously.
Hermione continued, looking at Harry and Ron: "We can't confront Snape and Quirrell directly, so we can't just insert ourselves into their face-off."
Seeing Hermione apply these methods to protect herself, and begin to reason safely and rationally, George realized that his lesson had worked today.
Listening to Hermione's reasoning, Harry began to shift his perspective. Hermione had grasped the real meaning behind George's words—she would not yield easily.
"The best course is to hide, to avoid conflict. We cannot encourage them to tell Quirrell, nor Dumbledore, nor even Hagrid."
"We must first ensure our own safety. Until we find a secure solution, we stay in the dark and know nothing." Harry had already understood the key points and countermeasures for what lay ahead.
"There are so many professors at the school, and each of them is stronger than us. Dumbledore is still headmaster. These matters should be handled by them."
Prompted by Hermione and Harry, Ron began to express his own thoughts. He also glanced at George, who was far stronger and smarter than him. When action was required, George wouldn't make mistakes.
Seeing Ron's gaze, Hermione and Harry realized this too and immediately relaxed. No wonder George wasn't worried, and even Hagrid wasn't anxious.
"It's just the three of us being too tense!" Hermione said softly, turning to relax.
As George had said before, what they were doing now—learning, training, strengthening themselves—didn't require hiding or pretending ignorance. But unnecessary actions could lead to mistakes. George's advice was clear: advance steadily, but neither impatience nor avoidance is wise.
"Thank you, George. I feel much more relaxed now," Hermione said, stretching. Under George's guidance, she realized that her anxiety had returned a little. "Should I reduce training recently? We should review homework and prepare for exams," she added, looking at Harry and Ron.
Ron and Harry shared her anticipation. First-year students needed to pass their end-of-year exams to move to second year. This was crucial for every student. Even top-performing students couldn't afford to be careless.
The teachers agreed, assigning plenty of homework and review tasks. Likewise, fearing the mysterious man, the students couldn't neglect curse training, and their time was always occupied.
"No, spell training is more important than homework. I believe you'll pass the exams," George immediately countered. Of course, he wouldn't agree that homework mattered more. In critical moments, armor or illusion spells—these were the essential elements to keep them safe.
Seeing Harry and the others' expectant expressions, George felt a bit impatient. He continued: "The school is safe. If you discover anything, you can tell the teachers—or me."
But just as in the last incident with the giant, or the time Harry fainted while following Snape, accidents could always happen. At moments like these, only your wand and the spells you know can protect you.
George's expression grew serious: "At the very least, support yourself, and wait for help from others."
Hearing George use his own experience as an example, Harry felt embarrassed for a moment and immediately abandoned the idea of reducing training.
George clapped his hands and continued: "On the bright side, at least in dueling and studying, you've surpassed Malfoy. He can't use you to practice Leg-Locking Hexes like he did with Neville."
Neville had been knocked unconscious after fighting Crabbe and Goyle. Since he hadn't helped, Malfoy got roughed up by Ron. Though he had recovered and become braver, Malfoy was still far stronger, and bullying remained a risk.
Ron nodded slightly. With Hermione and George's help, his academic performance had already risen to the top of his year.
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