Chapter Forty-Nine: Rescuing the Demon
Harry's generosity deeply moved George, but he was thinking about a relatively safe place in the school. He had just killed Voldemort, who had once possessed Quirrell again, and that victory greatly boosted his confidence in his own abilities. For the time being, he decided he should continue using the Invisibility Cloak to protect Harry.
"I didn't realize you were so strong," Harry said, feeling a bit puzzled. He knew George was powerful, even stronger than some of his older classmates. But Harry himself had been powerless against Quirrell, while George had effortlessly defeated him—Quirrell who, after all, was possessed by Voldemort.
"It's not as powerful as you think," George said, expressionless but with excitement and joy glinting in his eyes. "The Invisibility Cloak is incredible. I told you before, against a troll, no wizard could protect themselves with armor. I charged in, facing the wizard, and we just had to find the perfect moment to strike."
George paced back and forth, waving his hands, unable to contain his excitement as he recounted the situation. "I hid to the side, no heartbeat, no breathing, and they didn't notice me at all. I stood right beside them, thinking of a way. There were many options, but I didn't dare act directly."
He turned to Harry and patted him on the shoulder. "Before you drew their attention, I followed the plan and quickly slit Quirrell's throat. He couldn't cast a spell, couldn't breathe properly—fragile like any ordinary person. No matter how powerful a wizard is, in that moment, he was just a normal human."
"Just as Voldemort said, he was nothing but shadow and steam, and I burned it all away in a single fire."
"Good!" George extended his hand. "Harry, you worked well with me."
Harry, still processing, instinctively reached out, and George grabbed his hand. "Half the credit for killing Voldemort goes to you."
"No matter how powerful a wizard is, once they're unprepared, they're just a normal person," Harry muttered. Voldemort's terror was evident, and the wizarding world still feared him. But George had just told him that Voldemort had died through their cooperation. Harry could hardly believe he had played such a role, and he was shaken by how vulnerable a wizard could be when caught off guard.
For George, today was a monumental day. Not just because he had killed Voldemort and protected the Philosopher's Stone, but because he finally understood his own position and could stop worrying for the day.
Voldemort had been far weaker than he had imagined. This time, it wasn't just Harry facing fear—George had fully overcome years of pressure. From as far back as he could remember, he had vowed to resist Voldemort, the demon who had once terrorized the entire wizarding world.
Even facing him now, George didn't relax his guard. Over the years, his strength had grown considerably, far beyond his initial expectations. But how strong he truly was remained unknown.
Before regaining full strength, George had been in a dilemma. He neither wanted to confront Voldemort directly nor could he leave everything to eleven-year-olds Harry, Hermione, and Ron. This time, he personally destroyed a fragment of Voldemort's soul. Finally, he exhaled deeply, having eradicated the greatest evil Voldemort had represented.
Now, he could rest easy, no longer fearing sudden Death Eaters, resurrected opportunists, or the return of the Dark Lord. With the experience of destroying Voldemort's soul today, George had firmly established himself in the wizarding world. From this day forward, he could face any powerful wizard with calm confidence.
Meanwhile, Voldemort's weakness, amplified by the Invisibility Cloak, had put George on high alert. He never treated ordinary people, Muggles, or unprepared wizards as Voldemort or the ignorant wizarding world did. He knew that a defenseless wizard couldn't withstand a bullet, yet years of magical training had given him extraordinary power.
Now, a Hogwarts professor had been possessed by Voldemort, becoming a villain. This adversary, once the source of George's fear and worry, was defeated effortlessly. Even without seeing his opponent's shadow, he could be killed just like slaying a giant troll.
This made him wary of wizards' weaknesses. If Voldemort was so weak, why shouldn't others be?
"The Philosopher's Stone was destroyed?" Hermione's expression was incredulous. How could that happen? They had all invested so much effort.
"What a pity," Ron said, clutching his chest, frustrated. He had watched countless gold coins slip from his hands, and his dream of buying the Quidditch team was shattered. "If you want me to say you really wanted to destroy it, you'd better earn a fortune first."
"Dumbledore said so—I'm not sure—but I think destroying the Stone is such a waste," George said. After killing a fragment of Voldemort's soul, he had also conquered his own inner demons. No longer worried about Voldemort, if possible, he would have kept the Stone for himself, without fearing Voldemort's return.
"Unfortunately, the Stone isn't ours; we can't control it," Harry said. Though he had personally held it, he hadn't felt its special power, and Dumbledore had urged him to return.
"I should've used the Invisibility Cloak to hide myself and the Stone," George admitted, slightly regretful. While he was speaking with Harry, Dumbledore had suddenly appeared, and he hadn't even touched the Stone.
"The Stone belongs to Nicolas Flamel. Dumbledore has no right to decide its fate; hiding it is useless," Hermione noted. She felt that George's words were interrupted the moment Dumbledore appeared—there was simply no time to hide.
"Sometimes I envy Voldemort too. Whatever he wants, he gets. I, on the other hand, can't buy half the things I desire," George gritted his teeth. His greatest frustration wasn't that he didn't have the Stone, but that it had been wasted. Standing at the edge of the abyss, with nothing in hand, he was furious.
"Huh, the voice of the hero who defeated Voldemort sounds different. I'm not afraid of the Ministry of Magic," Hermione noted, seeing that George seemed more relaxed than before.
"Harry, are you still afraid of Voldemort?" George asked, smiling lightly at him.
"Of course not. I'm not afraid of Voldemort. I'll leave the next Voldemort for him to kill," Harry said, mimicking George's boldness, waving his hand confidently.
"What are you talking about? The next Voldemort? What did I miss? What did the headmaster tell you?" Ron asked, looking completely confused. He felt like he had missed something important.
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