.Expecto.patronum!.
His.silver.stag.erupted.from.the.end.of.his.wand.and.cantered.the.length.of.the.Hall..All.of.the.examiners.looked.around.to.watch.its.progress.and.when.it.dissolved.into.silver.mist.Professor.Tofty.clapped.his.vened.and.knotted.hands.enthusiastically..
.Excellent!..he.said...Very.well,.Potter,.you.may.go!..
As.Harry.passed.Umbridge.beside.the.door,.their.eyes.met..There.was.a.nasty.smile.playing.around.her.wide,.slack.mouth,.but.he.did.not.care..Unless.he.was.very.much.mistaken.(and.he.was.not.planning.on.telling.anybody,.in.case.he.was),.he.had.just.achieved.an..Outstanding..OWL..
On.Friday,.Harry.and.Ron.had.a.day.off.while.Hermione.sat.her.Ancient.Runes.exam,.and.as.they.had.the.whole.weekend.in.front.of.them.they.permitted.themselves.a.break.from.revision..They.stretched.and.yawned.beside.the.open.window,.through.which.warm.summer.air.was.wafting.as.they.played.wizard.chess..Harry.could.see.Hagnd.in.the.distance,.teaching.a.class.on.the.edge.of.the.Forest..He.was.trying.to.guess.what.creatures.they.were.examining.‐.he.thought.it.must.be.unicorns,.because.the.boys.seemed.to.be.standing.back.a.little.‐.when.
the.portrait.hole.opened.and.Hermione.clambered.in,.looking.thoroughly.bad‐
tempered..
.How.were.the.Runes?..said.Ron,.yawning.and.stretching..
.I.mis‐translated.ehwaz,..said.Hermione.furiously...It.means.partnership,.not.defence;.I.mixed.it.up.with.eihwaz...
.Ah.well,..said.Ron.lazily,..that.s.only.one.mistake,.isn.t.it,.you.ll.still.get.‐..
.Oh,.shut.up!..said.Hermione.angrily...It.could.be.the.one.mistake.that.makes.the.difference.between.a.pass.and.a.fail..And.what.s.more,.someone.s.put.another.Niffler.in.Umbridge.s.office..I.don.t.know.how.they.got.it.through.that.new.door,
.but.I.just.walked.past.there.and.Umbridge.is.shrieking.her.head.off.‐.by.the.sound.of.it,.it.tried.to.take.a.chunk.out.of.her.leg.‐..
.Good,..said.Harry.and.Ron.together..
.It.is.not.good!..said.Hermione.hotly...She.thinks.it.s.Hagrid.doing.it,.remember?
.And.we.do.not.want.Hagrid.chucked.out!..
.He.s.teaching.at.the.moment;.she.can.t.blame.him,..said.Harry,.gesturing.out.of.the.window..
.Oh,.you.re.so.naive.sometimes,.Harry..You.really.think.Umbridge.will.wait.for.proof?..said.Hermione,.who.seemed.determined.to.be.in.a.towering.temper,.and.she.swept.off.towards.the.girls..dormitories,.banging.the.door.behind.her..
.Such.a.lovely,.sweet‐tempered.girl,..said.Ron,.very.quietly,.prodding.his.queen.forward.to.beat.up.one.of.Harry.s.knights..
Hermione.s.bad.mood.persisted.for.most.of.the.weekend,.though.Harry.and.Ron.found.it.quite.easy.to.ignore.as.they.spent.most.of.Saturday.and.Sunday.revising.for.Potions.on.Monday,.the.exam.which.Harry.had.been.looking.forward.to.least.‐.and.which.he.was.sure.would.be.the.downfall.of.his.ambitions.to.become.an.Auror..Sure.enough,.he.found.the.written.paper.difficult,.though.he.thought.he.might.have.got.full.marks.on.the.question.about.Polyjuice.Potion;.he.could.describe.its.effects.accurately,.having.taken.it.illegally.in.his.second.year..