Chapter 84: George Frix
"Haha…" Hermione suddenly burst into laughter. George's expression broke the heavy, sorrowful mood."You even brought a towel…" she said, looking absolutely radiant.
"Handkerchiefs, tissues, a sun umbrella, sunscreen—these are all essentials for a gentleman," George said seriously, as if stating something obvious.
Hearing this, Hermione looked even more incredulous."You're a wizard, born into a wizarding family—so why are you more like a girl than I am? I don't even bring those things when I go out."
"Being born into a wizarding family just means you're a wizard. It's nothing special. And being born into a normal family doesn't mean you can't become one," George said, blinking at her.
"You wouldn't believe it—I once thought about not being a wizard at all. I wanted to live as an ordinary person. Go to America, chase opportunities, maybe work on Wall Street or in Hollywood. A normal life—comfortable and free—that would have been much easier for me."
"Ah!" Hermione's mouth fell open. Her expression alone showed her shock."George—a natural-born wizard—actually wanted to be an ordinary person?"
"You know I love reading. My family runs a bookstore. Books were my only companions growing up. Not just magical books, but many from the non-magical world as well," George explained.
Hearing this, Hermione's heart trembled. She knew George had grown up with only his grandmother. Books had been his only company, and behind those simple words lay countless untold stories.
"So when I was little, I just wanted to be normal. No worrying about magic, no explosions, no falling off broomsticks, no sudden appearances of dark wizards," George said, taking a sip of coffee and stirring it slowly.
"But in the end, I couldn't choose that path. If I had never known about the wizarding world, then maybe I could have lived quietly as an ordinary person. But once you know it exists, you can't escape it."
He paused briefly.
"If I turned my back on it now, what if Voldemort succeeds one day? What if someone else with ambition rises?"
George's voice was calm, not loud, but the weight of his words was shocking.
"What… would Voldemort do if he won?" Hermione hadn't really thought about it before. Voldemort had always felt distant—from her, and from the non-magical world.
Even during the Philosopher's Stone incident, Voldemort had been more like a name, a concept. He hadn't truly shown his terrifying side. Although he was feared in the wizarding world, it was still a small world. Even at the height of his terror, it hadn't really affected the normal world.
"What if he succeeds?" George continued."He might rule the wizarding world for a few years. But sooner or later, he would grow dissatisfied. He would spread fear and evil, and eventually attack the normal world. Maybe modern weapons could stop him—but maybe not. It could lead to war… even global domination."
George wasn't exaggerating. He didn't think Voldemort was guaranteed to defeat modern weapons—but even the possibility was terrifying.
"So even though I know I could live a simpler life… once I realized the wizarding world exists—and that Voldemort could return at any time—I had no choice."
George's eyes were steady, his tone firm.
Hermione was deeply shocked.
She had always known George was exceptional—his homework flawless, his performance unmatched. She had wanted to catch up to him, even surpass him.
She knew he spent most of his time in the library. She loved reading too—learning new things, exploring the unknown.
She knew George constantly sought to grow stronger. She herself was also quick to learn, easily mastering spells that could restrain others.
But their reasons were completely different.
Hermione learned out of passion. Learning felt enjoyable, natural, and fulfilling. She would never lose herself in it or sacrifice everything else.
But George…
It was as if a beast was chasing him.
Every step he took—every moment of studying, training, pushing forward—was driven by fear and pressure. That fear gave him incredible speed and motivation… but it also weighed heavily on him.
"It's not that bad, is it?" Hermione said, momentarily forgetting her plan to leave school. She just wanted George to relax."There's Dumbledore. There are professors. There's even the Ministry of Magic…"
She knew George carried a heavy burden, a secret, immense pressure. She felt sympathy for him and just wanted him to feel less alone.
"In the Philosopher's Stone incident, we realized something," George said calmly."Dumbledore had already begun to accept death. He's old, and he's preparing for the end. We discovered that together."
"Well… Dumbledore is old, but there are still other professors…" Hermione's voice grew weaker. She seemed unsure of her own words.
"Back then, we also saw how those professors think and act," George said with a faint, helpless smile.
"They're not reliable… they wouldn't even believe us," Hermione admitted, feeling discouraged. She remembered how the professors dismissed them as children, no matter how serious their warnings were.
"The Ministry of Magic has never stopped Voldemort," George said dismissively. He didn't even bother criticizing their loyalty or courage—their rigid structure and limited power were already enough to explain their failure.
"Then… what should we do?" Hermione was shaken by George's reasoning.
The possibility of Voldemort returning frightened her.
Dumbledore was old and nearing retirement.The professors were unreliable.The Ministry couldn't be trusted.
If Voldemort really returned… if he invaded the normal world…
What would happen to everyone?What would happen to the Muggles under his control?
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