Time again flew at a gallop. We trained, ate at Hogwarts, studied magic. When, after a month, the effects of the potions ended, Hermione suddenly remembered about the upcoming exams. She began to repeat the material she had covered with manic persistence. I repeated everything in a week, and I was in a rush to keep up with her. Not that I needed it, but she also shows unprecedented tenacity, catching up with me in the practical field of magic. I’m in the lead here. So we help each other – I am a practitioner, she is a theoretician. Each in our path we excelled at each other, and therefore we had to help each other regularly. Very convenient, I must say.

At Hogwarts itself, everything was quiet and smooth. Malfoy pestered Harry and Ron. The older guys just poured shit on each other in their own way. Often there were clashes in which no one involved the younger – an unspoken rule. Children up to the third year have their own sandbox and their own paddles. The rest have their own. Nobody paid any attention to Hermione and me. Neither ours nor the Slytherins. Sometimes I had the feeling that every year, there was such a Malfoy and Weasley, who over time were the catalyst for the hostility of the whole course among themselves. Well, in general, no other reason simply existed! Absolutely! We rarely crossed paths even in class and outside of them – almost never. The only exception is the Great Hall. ​​

And so time went on, until the time for exams came. For Gryffindor, the past month and a half have been unfortunate. Harry and Ron managed to lose more than 200 points in a week, getting involved in the story with the Hagrid’s dragon and pursuing Professor Snape. That’s who has nothing to do! I honestly don’t understand at all how Harry could defeat Voldemort? There is crazy luck! Absurdity, Power of Love, and “This is magic, Harry”! But I don’t give a damn about this Potter.

The students shuddered before the exams with terrible force. The five and seventh-year students had the most challenging time – do they have O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s or whatever? Didn’t bother to find out. But the first years were also worried – the first exams, how not to worry ?! I remember in a past life that I was also worried when I was faced with such a thing as exams at school. Phew, the teachers scared us then. I can’t remember without laughing.

However, the devil is not so terrible as he is painted, and I was once again convinced of this. The exams went on all week, one at a time every day, but they went off without a hitch. Hermione and I knew for sure that we got the highest marks in all subjects, without exception. Even Snape, twisting his face a little for appearance, will put his “O.” In fairness, it should be noted that he could take points for anything, but he always evaluated potions without bias – a kind of professionalism of a master potion maker.

And how could we cook something badly if we used his recipe and followed it exactly, monitoring the potion state? It is enough to be attentive, not too stupid, and not resemble the flock of sheep that the professor usually teaches.

For once, Hermione and I got out into the street and sat on the shore of the lake, having arranged a small kind of picnic. Typical Muggle jeans and T-shirts, fine summer day, warmth, cool breeze, a basket of sandwiches assembled by the house-elves, the final exam had just passed. Everything is fine.

“What do you think to do on vacation?” asked Hermione, examining now and then the tentacles of a giant squid peering out above the water, throwing stones dropped by the Weasley twins back at them.

“I do not know for sure. I will need to do assignments from an ordinary school, visit Sensei. Perhaps I will ask my relatives to go to France.”

“France?” Hermione looked at me with undisguised curiosity.

“Why not? It also has its own wizarding school, which means its own magical quarters, and other interesting things. I don’t know much about it, but it didn’t make it less interesting.”

Malfoy walked by in the company of his faithful companions – Crabbe and Goyle. He slightly grimaced when he saw us, but without saying a word, he walked on. I decided to ignore him. I decided so long ago and still adhere to this position. Looks like Lucius didn’t initiate him into his failure. Or, on the contrary, did he? Malfoy’s behavior can be attributed to both, but I don’t know the truth. Without the use of force, of course.

“You know, while we have a little time, we still need to finish off Protego,” Hermione drawled thoughtfully, squinting at the floating clouds.

“You know, yes!”

I quickly collected the rest of the provisions in a basket, and we went to the castle. I met Ron and Harry along the way. They looked agitated, hungry, and confused.

“Hold on, guys,” handed them the basket. “There are a couple of sandwiches.”

“Oh, cool!” the redhead was delighted, taking the basket. “Thank you. Let’s go have a bite, buddy! Heroic deeds are not done on an empty stomach!”

Potter nodded gratefully, and he was literally towed away by Ron.

“They’re so lazy,” I smiled.

“Like everyone else,” Hermione stated indifferently.