.I.m.going.to.bed.too...
He.passed.Seamus.on.the.way.to.the.door.leading.to.the.dormitories,.but.did.not.look.at.him..Harry.had.a.fleeting.impression.that.Seamus.had.opened.his.mouth.to.speak,.but.he.sped.up.and.reached.the.soothing.peace.of.the.stone.spiral.staircase.without.having.to.endure.any.more.provocation..
*.
The.following.day.dawned.just.as.leaden.and.rainy.as.the.previous.one..Hagrid.was.still.absent.from.the.staff.table.at.breakfast..
.But.on.the.plus.side,.no.Snape.today..said.Ron.bracingly..
Hermione.yawned.widely.and.poured.herself.some.coffee..She.looked.mildly.pleased.about.something,.and.when.Ron.asked.her.what.she.had.to.be.so.happy.about,.she.simply.said,.The.hats.have.gone..Seems.the.house‐elves.do.want.freedom.after.all...
.1.wouldn.t.bet.on.it,..Ron.told.her.cuttingly..They.might.not.count.as.clothes.
.They.didn.t.look.anything.like.hats.to.me,.more.like.woolly.bladders...
Hermione.did.not.speak.to.him.all.morning..
Double.Charms.was.succeeded.by.double.Transfiguration..Professor.Flitwick.and.Professor.McGonagall.both.spent.the.first.fifteen.minutes.of.their.lessons.lecturing.the.class.on.the.iportance.of.OWLs..
.What.you.must.remember,..said.little.Professor.Flitwick.squeakily.perched.as.ever.on.a.pile.of.books.so.that.he.could.see.over.the.top.of.his.desk,..is.that.these.examinations.may.influence.your.futures.for.many.years.to.come!.If.you.have.not.already.given.serious.thought.to.your.careers,.now.is.the.time.to.do.so..And.in.the.meantime,.I.m.afraid,.we.shall.be.working.harder.than.ever.to.ensure.that.you.all.do.yourselves.justice!..
They.then.spent.over.an.hour.revising.Summoning.Charms,.which.according.to.Professor.Flitwick.were.bound.to.come.up.in.their.OWL,.and.he.rounded.off.the.lesson.by.setting.them.their.largest.ever.amount.of.Charms.homework..
It.was.the.same,.if.not.worse,.in.Transfiguration..
.You.cannot.pass.an.OWL,..said.Professor.McGonagall.grimly,..without.serious.application,.practice.and.study..I.see.no.reason.why.everybody.in.this.class.
should.not.achieve.an.OWL.in.Transfiguration.as.long.as.they.put.in.the.work..
.Neville.made.a.sad.little.disbelieving.noise...Yes,.you.too,.Longbottom,..said.Professor.McGonagall..There.s.nothing.wrong.with.your.work.except.lack.of.confidence..So….today.we.are.starting.Vanishing.Spells..These.are.easier.than.Conjuring.Spells,.which.you.would.not.usually.attempt.until.NEWT.level,.but.they.are.still.among.the.most.difficult.magic.you.will.be.tested.on.in.your.OWL...
She.was.quite.right;.Harry.found.the.Vanishing.Spells.horribly.difficult..By.the.end.of.a.double.period.neither.he.nor.Ron.had.managed.to.vanish.the.snails.on.which.they.were.practising,.though.Ron.said.hopefully.he.thought.his.looked.a.bit.paler..Hermione,.on.the.other.hand,.successfully.vanished.her.snail.on.the.third.attempt,.earning.her.a.ten‐point.bonus.for.Gryffindor.from.Professor.McGonagall..She.was.the.only.person.not.given.homework;.everybody.else.was.told.to.practise.the.spell.overnight,.ready.for.a.fresh.attempt.on.their.snails.the.following.afternoon..