READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Hello, Harry!
Three days later, George successfully retrieved a book titled A Guide to Gestural Magic from the clerk at Flourish and Blotts.
Ten days after that, George stood in the courtyard, pointing his wand at a locked chest as he cast:
"Alohomora!"
A blue beam of magic shot out from the tip of his wand, hitting the chest precisely.
Most spells released visible light beams when cast, especially offensive or targeted spells, such as unlocking spells, disarming spells, or the Killing Curse.
However, some spells were silent and subtle, with no obvious signs, like summoning charms, repair charms, or levitation spells.
Click.
The crisp sound of the lock disengaging echoed as the latch popped open.
"Finally succeeded," George said, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
After ten days of tireless effort and occasional tips from Tonks, who sometimes dropped by for a free meal, he had finally mastered the Unlocking Charm.
Through this intense period of study, George realized he was not some prodigious magical genius.
True geniuses were like Hermione, who, despite no prior exposure and limited guidance, managed to grasp several spells with ease even before starting at Hogwarts.
Even more exceptional were individuals like Snape, who created powerful spells during his school years.
And then there were Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and Voldemort—beings who transcended the concept of genius entirely.
Still, George had his own unique advantages.
Although it had taken him ten days, it could also be considered twenty days of practice.
Because when this body needed rest, his main body in the Marvel universe took over.
Magic mastery required talent first and foremost, but effort came next. While George lacked exceptional talent, he compensated with sheer diligence.
In the experimental facility, his main body had plenty of free time outside of training. Using a wand-like stick, he practiced gestures to improve his spellcasting technique.
Constant practice and reflection allowed him to accelerate his magical learning.
If his main body gained freedom, his magical progress would further increase since he effectively had double the time to study compared to others.
To be fair, even without "cheating," learning a spell in ten days would still qualify him as talented among wizards.
Most young wizards struggled to master a handful of spells after an entire year, and some learned even fewer.
"Next, I'll practice gestural casting until I can successfully perform it without a wand. Then I'll move on to the next spell."
After ensuring he had fully mastered the Unlocking Charm, George set his wand aside and began practicing the spell with hand gestures, following the instructions in A Guide to Gestural Magic.
Eight days later, after relentless practice in both his main body and this one, George finally succeeded in casting the Unlocking Charm without a wand.
However, compared to wand casting, which took only one or two seconds, gestural casting required around seven or eight seconds. Even with further practice, it might take five or six seconds.
In a duel, five or six seconds would give an opponent time to cast three or four spells. No wonder this method was abandoned.
"August 21st. Today is the day Gilderoy Lockhart holds his book signing at Flourish and Blotts."
Over breakfast, George glanced at the magical calendar and began planning.
He had no interest in Lockhart, the notorious fraud. What intrigued him was that today was likely the day Harry Potter and the Weasleys would visit Diagon Alley to prepare for the new school year.
Harry, after finishing his first year at Hogwarts, returned to his unpleasant relatives for the summer. Following an incident involving the house-elf Dobby, his uncle had locked him up, forbidding his return to school.
But his friend Ron and the Weasley twins rescued him in their father's flying car, bringing him to the Burrow.
"Let's go make an introduction."
After some thought, George decided to approach them.
Compared to Voldemort, who wouldn't fully return for years, associating with Harry and his friends seemed more immediately beneficial.
After breakfast, George refrained from his usual spell research. Instead, he observed the street from the apothecary's window.
About an hour later, a well-dressed, blond father and son pair entered Borgin and Burkes across the street.
"That should be the Malfoys. If they're here, Harry must already be in the shop."
It wasn't hard to deduce their identities: the fine wizarding robes, aristocratic demeanor, and timing all matched.
As expected, about ten minutes later, a scrawny, bespectacled boy covered in soot stumbled out of the shop in a panic.
"Where am I?"
Harry stood in the narrow, shadowy alley, unnerved by the eerie shops around him. One window displayed a row of shrunken heads, while a nearby cage held giant black spiders.
From a dark doorway, two shabby wizards whispered as they eyed him.
I need to get out of here—fast.
His first attempt with Floo Powder had gone disastrously wrong. Instead of Diagon Alley, he had ended up in a creepy shop and accidentally witnessed a shady transaction between Malfoy and Borgin.
"Are you lost?"
A calm yet youthful voice spoke from behind him. Harry turned to see a boy as scrawny as himself, but with a resolute expression, holding a magic book.
"This is Knockturn Alley—a gathering place for dark wizards. It's not safe for someone alone," the boy continued.
"Hello, I'm Harry. I ended up here by accident using Floo Powder. I was trying to get to Diagon Alley," Harry explained, sensing kindness from the boy.
With a smile, George replied, "Nice to meet you, Harry. I'm George. You probably mispronounced Diagon Alley as Knockturn Alley.
No worries—they're connected. I'll help you get out of here."