Chapter 213: Why Is He So Exceptional??

The group didn't doubt George's explanation too much. In their eyes, dark wizards were inherently irrational individuals capable of any kind of bizarre behavior. Only Hermione glanced at George thoughtfully, as she had personally witnessed his magical prowess in Paris.

"George, I heard you received the Medal of Valor from the French Ministry of Magic?" Ginny asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

The others leaned in with interest. They had read about it in the Daily Prophet and heard bits of the story from Hermione earlier that morning. They were eager to know how George managed to defeat a notorious internationally wanted dark wizard.

"Just luck, pure luck. Most of the credit goes to the Aurors there—I merely helped a little," George replied modestly, waving his hand.

"But Hermione said you single-handedly dealt with several dark wizards and even saved her!"

The group clearly didn't buy George's downplayed version and began pressing him for more details.

Left with no choice, George briefly recounted the events of the battle: what spells he used and when, how he dodged attacks, and how he executed counterattacks. His explanations left Harry and the others completely spellbound.

Their understanding of magical duels was still limited to rudimentary back-and-forth exchanges with little practical experience, so George's strategic approach felt like a revelation.

As they chatted, they soon left the shadowy Knockturn Alley behind and returned to the bustling Diagon Alley.

"Let's buy the books first!" someone suggested.

Books were something everyone needed, unlike cauldrons and other supplies that could last beyond the first year if well-maintained. At Flourish and Blotts, they were surprised to find that several bookshelves had been replaced with a large iron cage housing over a hundred peculiar magical books.

These books seemed almost alive, fighting and wrestling with each other inside the cage—a rather fascinating sight.

"It's the textbook for Care of Magical Creatures, The Monster Book of Monsters!" Ron said after checking the school supply list.

Care of Magical Creatures was a third-year elective, so George, being in his second year, didn't need it yet. However, his interest in magical creatures prompted him to buy a copy anyway.

For George, learning about magical creatures was no longer about earning money but about studying the innate magic they possessed. Magical principles were often universal, and many spells in the wizarding world had their origins in the study of magical creatures. By understanding these creatures better, he believed he could gain valuable insights into creating and innovating new spells.

For instance, mastering the space-defying magic of a Zouwu would ensure he wouldn't be trapped by a space-locking spell in the future, making Apparition impossible.

"What? You want four copies of The Monster Book of Monsters?"

The shop assistant's face fell at their request, looking as if his world was crumbling.

"I'll never stock these again—never! What a disaster!

"Last time, we bought 200 copies of The Invisible Book of Invisibility for a fortune, and then we couldn't find a single one of them!

"I thought nothing could be worse, but I was wrong. Next time, I'm refusing to stock these books!"

Muttering complaints, he donned a pair of thick gloves, grabbed a rod covered in bite marks, and reluctantly approached the iron cage.

"Damn it, I should've used Fiendfyre to burn you lot to ashes!" he muttered under his breath.

As soon as he reached into the cage, a Monster Book grabbed the rod and tore it away. Another book bit into his glove, refusing to let go no matter how much he struggled.

"I'll do it myself," George sighed, stepping up to the cage.

He couldn't understand why the creators of these magical books thought it was a good idea to make them so aggressive. Were they not concerned about young wizards accidentally getting bitten? Then again, he mused, wizards were notoriously resilient—losing a limb could be reversed with magic, so a book bite was probably no big deal.

"Careful, these books are vicious!" the shop assistant warned as George reached into the cage.

Before the warning was even finished, George had already grabbed one of the books with lightning speed, quickly binding it with a rope. He repeated this effortlessly with the second, third, and fourth books, completing the task with remarkable precision.

The whole process was so smooth it was as if the books had offered no resistance at all. The shop assistant and the others could only stare in stunned silence.

For George, it was no challenge. With his current physical strength, these books couldn't harm him, and once in his grasp, they had no chance of escaping his iron grip.

"George, could you do me a favor? I'll give you all an 20% discount on today's purchases!" the shop assistant pleaded as George and the others were about to leave.

He didn't want to be bitten again. Although the bites weren't serious, they were excruciatingly painful. He still remembered how one of these books had bitten him in a rather sensitive area yesterday, leaving him nearly incapacitated.

"We're old friends—of course, I don't mind," George replied readily. To him, it was a simple favor.

This time, George didn't just reach into the cage. He removed the entire lid and stepped inside.

As soon as the books noticed someone entering the cage, they swarmed toward him. George's hands became a blur of motion, almost as if he had transformed into a multi-armed deity, swiftly binding the books one by one.

In just thirty seconds, all 100-plus books were subdued and neatly stacked on the side.

"Why is he always so amazing?" Ron couldn't help but exclaim in awe.

To him, George seemed to have no flaws—he excelled in everything.

"I wish I were as remarkable as he is," Harry added enviously.

Despite being the famous "Boy Who Lived," Harry felt that apart from his Quidditch skills, he was rather average.

"It's because he works hard. If you two spent half as much time studying as you do playing, you wouldn't need to copy my holiday homework," Hermione retorted, rolling her eyes.

The two boys constantly fooled around and spent barely a fraction of the time on studying that George did.

During her time in Paris, Hermione often visited George and saw firsthand how dedicated he was. Even during the summer break, George maintained a rigorous schedule of studying and practicing magic almost every waking hour.

It was something she genuinely admired about him.

Talent alone wasn't intimidating. What was truly terrifying was someone with extraordinary talent who worked far harder than anyone else—someone you could never hope to catch up to.