Voldemort's activity was becoming increasingly frequent. George couldn't expect Harry to follow a plan like a chess piece, nor could he rely on luck alone to defeat Voldemort. All he could do was hope that Harry would grow stronger, faster.
"This air-sucking spell looks familiar," Harry said after a moment's thought.
"Your observation is sharp," George praised him. He hadn't expected Harry to notice it with just one spell. "This is a spell I created based on the 'Cleaning Charm.' I specifically adapted it to extract air. As I said, never underestimate the spells you learn. Even if their power is limited, they're solid foundations."
"In both combat and experiments, a wizard must know how to apply imagination."
At the right moment, a levitation spell could defeat a troll. The right spell could have maximum effect, and improved basic spells could be used in many ways. George placed great emphasis on refining foundational spells. Every new basic spell carried enormous potential for development.
"Once you fully master a basic spell, you can start making modifications to it," George encouraged Harry to be more aggressive. Voldemort's actions had only just begun; Harry couldn't simply follow the school's pace.
Harry nodded thoughtfully. He didn't know what trials lay ahead, but he had been competitive since childhood.
"All right, the troll's heartbeat has stopped, and the air-sucking magic will last another five minutes. We should go find Neville," George said. With the troll problem solved, they didn't waste time—Harry continued the search for Neville.
"Neville, where are you?" Harry called as they moved through the corridors.
"I'm here." Neville's toad crawled out from a patch of low shrubs, pressed flat against the foliage.
Neville had been lucky—the monster hadn't been far when he spotted it, but he had quickly hidden in the shrubs, too scared to move.
The troll's poor vision meant it didn't find him. George and Harry arrived soon after. Hearing Harry's call, Neville realized the troll had been dealt with and quietly slipped out.
"All right, it's okay," Harry reassured the frightened Neville.
"Harry risked being killed by a troll just to find you," George said sternly. "You need to take care of your toad. If it causes trouble again, you get rid of it."
Neville looked at Harry in confusion, choking back tears. "I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I'm useless."
"It's okay, Neville. You need to be braver," Harry said, seeing himself reflected in Neville's timidity.
"Thank you for coming for me, Harry," Neville said, crying. Clumsy and always in trouble, Neville was disliked by almost everyone. Even his toad wanted to escape him, yet Harry had always helped him.
George glared at Neville, unable to speak. The troll had been drawn by Voldemort, who had been manipulating Professor Quirrell.
To distract the professors, some students were bound to be caught in the crossfire. Neville had been unlucky, but George didn't think he was blameless—and he had no love for toads.
"All right, you should head back to the dormitory. The professors should be coming too," George said, calculating the time. Harry and Ron went to notify the professors, who then escorted them back.
Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, and Professor Quirrell hurried along the corridor. Hermione and Ron hadn't followed—they were supposed to be returned to the dorm.
Quirrell glanced at the troll and kept his distance. McGonagall rushed forward to check if Harry was hurt, while Snape bent down to examine the troll.
Seeing that George and the others were unharmed, McGonagall's pale face relaxed slightly. She then looked at George. "What happened?"
"Harry didn't see Neville in the group heading back to the dorm. I asked around and found out Neville was here looking for his toad. I had Hermione and Ron notify you because I was worried Neville might be in danger. Go find him," George explained after a moment of thought.
Harry stood expressionless beside George, with Neville following behind him, bewildered.
"You should get rid of your toad," McGonagall said sternly to Neville. He always made mistakes and performed poorly, leaving little impression on his teachers.
Neville lowered his head, unsure where to place his hands and feet, and whispered, "I'm sorry… I'm sorry."
"Fortunately, none of you were hurt," McGonagall finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Luckily, you also knew how to alert the professors. But acting on your own is never ideal."
"As first-years, defeating a full-grown monster is no small feat. George and Harry, each of you earns 20 points for your house," McGonagall said after thinking. "Harry found Neville. Actually, I meant the missing student—5 points. George knew Hermione and Ron would tell the professors he didn't let Harry go, so that adds 10 points."
"As for Neville, he wandered the school and almost caused a disaster—10 points deducted," McGonagall added, then looked at Harry and Neville but did not deduct further points.
Harry was thrilled to have added 25 points to Gryffindor, only to hear Neville lose points. This, plus one more point, made Ravenclaw's score even worse.
"All right, now you should return to enjoy your Halloween feast," McGonagall said, eager to avoid further trouble and urging George and the others back to the dormitory.
The next day, after Halloween, the Great Hall at Watts returned to its usual state.
"There aren't any swarms of bats flying around. I feel much better now," Ron said as he ate his pie.
"I agree. You have to remember that bats and other flying creatures can generate lift while flying," Hermione added.
"Here you go again," Harry said, putting down his fork with a sigh, looking at Ron and Hermione.
"Yeah, yesterday you went off to fight the troll while we were too scared to leave the dorm," Hermione said, still concerned about what happened.
Ron nodded in agreement. "Yeah."
"I just followed George the whole way and did nothing—watched him casually take down the troll with two spells," Ron added. Since returning to the dorm yesterday, Ron and Hermione had been asked to come along to discuss it.
Harry had been left behind by the two, claiming he had gone off on his own adventure.
"Ah!" Though Harry had already said this yesterday, Ron and Hermione still gasped. They had followed George's instructions and notified Professor McGonagall. They had intended to return with her, but McGonagall had ordered them back to the dorm.
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