Hermione Granger and the Order of the Phoenix

Chapter 25 - Exams

It took them several days to break the news to Ron. Not only because they didn't really want to, but because Hermione was fairly certain that he wouldn't hear them if they did. He was still high on the euphoria of the match. Despite the OWLs coming up fast, he was spending his days recounting the match to eager younger Gryffindors and joining in with many a hearty rendition of 'Weasley is our King'

Finally, on the Tuesday, they managed to persuade him to go outside - where there were less people to overhear - so that they could 'revise'. They settled down under an old elm tree and spread their books on the ground around them. Ron was, once again, retelling the start of the match
"Well, I mean, I'd already let in that one of Davies's, so I wasn't feeling all that confident, but I dunno, when Bradley came towards me, just out of nowhere, I thought - you can do this! And I had about a second to decide which way to fly, you know, because he looked like he was aiming for the right goalhoop - my right, obviously, his left - but I had a funny feeling that he was feinting, and so I took the chance and flew left - his right, I mean - and - well - you saw what happened" he ran his hands through his hair so it looked, probably in his opinion, charmingly windswept "And then, when Chambers came at me about five minutes later - What?" he glanced at Harry "Why are you grinning?"
"I'm not" said Harry, although he had been wearing an odd sort of reminiscent smile on his face "I'm just glad we won, that's all"

"Yeah" said Ron, smiling "we won. Did you see the look on Chang's face when Ginny got the Snitch right out from under her nose?"
"I suppose she cried, did she?" said Harry bitterly
"Well, yeah - more out of temper than anything, though..." Ron frowned "But you saw her chuck her broom away when she got back to the ground, didn't you?"
"Er-" said Harry
"Well, actually... no, Ron" Hermione sighed, putting down her book "As a matter of fact, the only bit of the match Harry and I saw was Davies's first goal"
Ron's face fell "You didn't watch?" he said quietly "You didn't see me make any of those saves?"
"Well - no" said Hermione "But Ron, we didn't want to leave - we had to!"
"Yeah?" said Ron, anger starting in his voice "How come?"
"It was Hagrid" said Harry quickly "He decided to tell us why he's been covered in injuries ever since he got back from the giants. He wanted us to go into the Forest with him, we had no choice, you know how he gets. Anyway..."

As Harry told the story, Ron's anger was quickly replaced with disbelief
"He brought one back and hid it in the Forest?" he said incredulously when Harry had finished
"Yep" said Harry
"No" said Ron, looking between the two of them as if they were telling a joke "No, he can't have"
"Well, he has" said Hermione "Grawp's about sixteen feet tall, enjoys ripping up twenty- foot pine trees, and knows me" she snorted "as Hermy"
Ron gave a nervous laugh
"And Hagrid wants us to...?"
"Teach him English, yeah" said Harry
"He's lost his mind," said Ron, sounding stunned
"Yes" said Hermione, snapping her Transfiguration book shut "Yes, I'm starting to think he has. But, unfortunately, he made Harry and me promise"
"Well, you're just going to have to break your promise, that's all" said Ron "I mean, come on... we've got exams and we're about that far-" he held his thumb and forefinger as close as they could be without touching "-from being chucked out as it is. And anyway... remember Norbert? Remember Aragog? Have we ever come off better for mixing with any of Hagrid's monster mates?"
"I know, it's just that - we promised" said Hermione quietly
Ron slouched down the tree
"Well" he sighed "Hagrid hasn't been sacked yet, has he? He's hung on this long, maybe he'll hang on till the end of term and we won't have to go near Grawp at all"

The whole school seemed to have been so preoccupied with Quidditch to realise that the days of May were running down fast. But now the league was over, and very suddenly June was upon them, and with that brought exams. Ron and Harry were finally revising properly now, as was everyone else in their year. Several people were developing rather odd habits, possibly due to a lack of sleep. Ernie Macmillan was harassing anyone he could about revision
"How many hours d'you think you're doing a day?" he asked Ron outside Herbology
"I dunno" said Ron "A few."
"More or less than eight?" he demanded
"Less, I s'pose" said Ron, looking alarmed
"I'm doing eight" said Ernie "Eight or nine. I'm getting an hour in before breakfast every day. Eights my average. I can do ten on a good weekend day. I did nine and a half on Monday. Not so good on Tuesday - only seven and a quarter. Then on Wednesday-"
Thankfully Professor Sprout called them into lessons before he could continue his lecture