Secrets Only Trouble Knows - George Weasley

62 - Those Damn Dogs

At last, the time of year I and the rest of the students at Hogwarts had been dreading was finally upon us. Exam week began and an unnatural hush fell over the castle.

After heading to bed early on Sunday night, I woke up Monday morning and headed off to breakfast with my friends. None of the fifth-years talked very much. Everyone was too lost in their own heads and overcome with nerves for Theory of Charm, our first exam. Flora, for one, was practicing incantations under her breath and many people were frantically rereading their notes, forgetting to eat in the process.

Once breakfast was over, the fifth and seventh years milled around in the entrance hall while other students went off to lessons. Then, at half-past nine, we were called forward class by class to reenter the Great Hall.

The four House tables had been removed and replaced instead with many desks for one, all facing the staff table at the end of the hall. I found an empty seat at a desk next to George who gave my hand a comforting squeeze as we sat down. Once all students were settled, we were given the go ahead to start.

My heart beat fast in my chest the entire time as I did my best to remember five year's worth of Charms, but when I emerged from the hall several hours later with my friends, I didn't feel like I'd done too bad on the test at all.

I ate lunch with the other fifth-years and then we trooped off to a small chamber beside the Great Hall where we were to wait until we were called for our practical. Students were brought into the room in small groups while everyone else stayed behind, agonizing over when their own name would be announced.

Eventually I was called forward with my brother (which made me feel a lot better). Together we followed after the other students whose last names started with the letter 'P.'

When I entered the room, I was assigned an examiner who was particularly strict-looking and had a permanent frown etched on her face. I tried not to let her appearance and occasional grunts of distaste dissuade me throughout my exam. However, there was one time she looked up from her parchment and made unnaturally intense eye contact with me. I'd gotten so nervous from her excruciating, judgmental stare that I'd accidentally mixed up one incantation with another. But, as a whole, I felt like I'd done better than most in the room by the time the exam ended.

Soon enough, I was back in the common room after dinner where I and my fellow students submerged ourselves in studying for what was to come the next day.

On Tuesday I had Transfiguration. This was one of the subjects whose exams I felt the most prepared for. When I'd finished both of them, I was sure I'd aced them. I'd always been particularly fond of Transfiguration.

Herbology on Wednesday wasn't too much trouble for me either. Although, I did find myself forgetting a few questions on the written portion of the test.

On Thursday I had Defense Against the Dark Arts. In the morning, I sat for my written exam which definitely had a couple of challenging questions, but as a whole I found it to be pretty easy.

When I went into lunch, I felt pretty good about the rest of the day, but then I got some worrisome news once I'd caught up with my friends. Harry informed the trio and I that he'd heard from the Minister of Magic—who he'd ran into today—that Buckbeak's appeal was scheduled for this afternoon at 2:00.

Hearing that proved to be a bit of a distraction for me as I left lunch and headed off to my practical. It remained in the back of my head the whole time, partially disrupting my focus. However, somehow I'd still managed to perfectly perform all my counterjinxes and defensive spells.