O.W.L. Steamroller

After breakfast, Albert and the other three headed for the Potions classroom in the basement with their schoolbags on their backs. Honestly, having Potions immediately after eating was not good for digesting the food in their stomachs.

"The door's locked." Fred reached out and pushed the door, then raised his eyebrows slightly when he found it locked. It was rare for the Potions professor not to open it in advance.

"Did we get it wrong?"

"Let's wait." Albert stopped them from opening the door themselves.

Before long, more and more students gathered in the corridor. Everyone waited outside the Potions classroom for Snape to come and unlock the door.

A few minutes later, the Gryffindor girls arrived as well. Looking at Albert, they teased, "You actually didn't bring your prefect badge?"

"I forgot."

"You forget things too?"

Albert knew they were not teasing him, but rather the Ravenclaw prefect wearing his badge.

"I think you should wear it all day. It'd look more impressive, like Percy, who's terrified people might not know he's Head Boy." Fred had no qualms about badmouthing Percy. They had clearly all noticed that Selwyn of Ravenclaw was the only one here wearing a prefect badge.

Selwyn's expression turned rather unpleasant. He turned around and discreetly removed the badge pinned to his chest, stuffing it into his pocket.

Noticing Albert's gaze, Aaliyah shrugged. "Didn't you see how arrogantly he was strutting around just now?"

The murmurs around them suddenly vanished, and an eerie silence fell over the corridor. Snape was walking toward them, his face so dark it looked ready to drip water. Snape took a key from his pocket and unlocked the Potions classroom.

"Before we begin, I must remind you of something."

Snape strode to the front of the classroom, turned around, and swept