After the first day's O.W.L. Herbology written exam ended, Ron and Harry left the Great Hall and stretched together, both wearing relieved expressions.
However, after walking a few steps and meeting up with Hermione, they realized she looked completely different from them.
Hermione held One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi in her hands, her lips pressed tightly together and her brow furrowed in anxious worry.
"Hermione, you look like Professor McGonagall right now," Ron could not help asking. "What's wrong?"
Harry voiced his guess. "Was this exam difficult? Or did Fred prank you? Did you bring their Vanishing Ink and then find that all the writing on your exam paper had disappeared?"
"What? No!" Hermione immediately looked at Harry and explained earnestly, "It was ordinary ink. After I finished answering, all the writing was still there. It didn't disappear."
"Then why do you look like that? Like the world's ending next week," Ron said, scratching his head. "Did you mess up the exam? That can't be right, can it?"
"I just felt like there wasn't quite enough time..." Hermione sighed. "For the question on 'methods of collecting Bubotuber Pus,' I had only just finished writing down every collection method I could think of when the examiner called time."
"Methods of collecting Bubotuber Pus?" Ron's expression turned strange. "Don't you just squeeze its swellings? Was that question... really that hard?"
"Squeezing is only the most basic method!" Hermione raised her eyebrows. "I remember Neville mentioning in Hogwarts Voice..."
Before she could finish, the corner of her eye suddenly caught sight of someone. "Neville's over there! Come on, I'll go confirm the answer with him!"
Harry and Ron followed as well, spotting Neville walking with Wizet and Hannah.
Hermione was already talking with Neville, who said in an orderly manner, "I wrote