Unexpectedly, Harry and Hermione were both sorted into Gryffindor. As usual, Harry and Ron also became close friends. After all, there were only a dozen or so new students in each house.
"Hey, George," Harry and Ron walked over, looking dejected.
"Judging by those bitter, resentful faces, did you just finish Potions class?" George asked.
"Snape definitely hates me. I could tell from the opening feast that he didn't like me. The way he looks at me is like I'm a monkey messing around in his study," Harry said gloomily.
George looked at Harry with sympathy. Everyone knew how Snape treated him.
George felt that Snape truly disliked Harry—not because of his relationship with Harry's father, nor because of lingering feelings for Harry's mother, but simply because Snape genuinely hated Harry.
"Snape is always targeting Harry—anyone can see that. He's extremely biased toward Slytherin. His classes are always uncomfortable, and that annoying Malfoy is constantly whispering beside him," Ron added angrily. Ron's hatred for Malfoy was no less than Harry's. Malfoy often mocked Ron's family whenever he got the chance.
"Oh, sorry to hear that," George said understandingly. "But you know, Potions is a compulsory subject—and there will be even more advanced Potions classes later on."
"Oh…"At those words, both Harry and Ron wore expressions as if all hope had died.
Snape would willingly give his life to protect Harry, out of guilt and responsibility toward Harry's parents. But that didn't stop him from making Harry feel miserable.
It was a deeply contradictory feeling—both responsibility and resentment. Much like some parents, who on one hand protect their children, yet on the other hand bind and threaten them.
Snape cared deeply about whether Harry was alive, but he didn't mind suppressing or criticizing him, nor did he care if Harry felt uncomfortable forever. Just like Dumbledore, who always hid behind Snape—they only cared whether Harry survived and whether he could continue opposing Voldemort.
As for whether an eleven-year-old child could bear all this… as for what Harry—who had grown up abused and neglected—was truly feeling inside, they didn't really care. Perhaps they did, but like all stubborn old men, they believed that suffering forged strength.
George hated this approach. Because of that, he refused to become someone who hid behind schemes and manipulation like those he despised. Instead, he chose to actively help Harry, becoming friends with Harry, Hermione, and Ron, rather than acting as a behind-the-scenes puppet master like Snape had learned to be under Dumbledore.
"Alright, cheer up. Let's stop talking about Potions. You've been doing well in your other classes lately," George said, having skipped Potions himself, trying to encourage them.
"Yeah! I didn't expect to be able to keep up—and my grades are actually pretty good," Harry said excitedly. Before enrolling, he had been very worried. Even after George reassured him on the train, he still had doubts. After school started, George asked Hermione to tutor Harry and Ron intensively for a while, and Harry soon found everything much easier.
"I never thought my grades would be near the top. At least I won't get scolded when I go home," Ron said honestly. As the sixth child in his family, with five outstanding older brothers, the pressure on him had always been enormous.
School was, after all, a place for learning. Grades mattered to every student. Good grades earned teachers' favor, lightened one's mood, and made school life far more enjoyable.
In the original story, Harry and Ron struggled from the very beginning. Once they fell behind, the gap only widened, making it harder and harder to catch up—a terrible start that led to misfortune after misfortune.
Under George's early arrangements, Hermione began tutoring Harry and Ron from the start. As a result, they didn't fall behind academically, and every aspect of their lives improved significantly.
George understood why people hated studying. You know you should study harder, but you can't control yourself. Your mind wanders, anxiety builds from early setbacks, and everything becomes harder.
People often say, "A good beginning is half the battle." There's real wisdom in that. It's not that a good start guarantees success, but that all human activities need feedback and motivation. Positive feedback makes actions smoother and easier to continue.
Learning is a slow process. In the short term, results are barely visible, while laziness provides immediate gratification. If someone fails to build a connection between effort and reward early on, their future achievements will suffer greatly.
People aren't machines. Without feedback, dull and monotonous tasks can't be sustained for long.
In his previous life, George had endured many hardships. As a child, he could focus intensely on studying. As long as there was feedback, he could stay fully engaged—forty-minute classes felt effortless.
But later, when the material became too easy, his progress stagnated. He developed the habit of zoning out in class and gradually lost the ability to concentrate.
In the final stages of his education, clear feedback disappeared, and the positive learning cycle collapsed. Studying became a burden, anxiety became constant, and distractions became irresistible.
Once someone falls behind, they face ridicule from classmates, criticism from teachers, and scolding or even punishment from family. The longer this continues, the worse it gets—like a snowball rolling downhill, growing larger until it completely changes a person's fate.
Once this chain is formed, breaking it through traditional education becomes nearly impossible.
In the original story, despite all their adventures, despite being intelligent and favored by fate, Harry and Ron never broke through academically. That's why their grades always remained average.
In this story, thanks to George's help and Hermione's early tutoring, Harry and Ron start from a much stronger position. Their school lives—and their relationships—become far more harmonious.
"Everyone, be sure to give this story a Powerstone! Also, 30 advanced chapters of this story are uploaded on my Patreon—you can go there and read them.
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for 30 advanced chapter, visit my patreon
'patreon.com/fatimasoomro123'
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