Fred stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence.
George followed his gaze and saw Percy carrying a stack of books coming down the stairs in the corner of the common room.
"What are you worried about?" George asked in a low voice.
Fred looked away and lowered his voice. "I'm worried some people will think we're competing with Headmaster Dumbledore for business."
George thought for a moment, then shook his head. "We'll do ours, and the principal will do his. At worst, we'll just copy the regular version."
"Those who can't get the animated version need somewhere to buy the regular version, right? We're not stealing or robbing; our prices are clearly marked, and we treat everyone fairly."
"That's true." Fred grinned. "But don't tell anyone yet, let's talk about it after the exam."
"Agree."
The two gave each other a high five, then parted ways without saying a word.
In the days that followed, a sight rarely seen before appeared in the corridors of Hogwarts.
During breaks, no one leans against the wall chatting anymore; instead, groups of two or three students quietly recite their lessons in the corners.
Breakfast time in the Great Hall was much quieter; the clinking of knives and forks against plates became clearly audible as most people ate their bread while flipping through their notes.
Even the Wizard's Chess in the common room was covered in dust, because no one had the time or inclination to play anymore.
Ron's chess set had been under the bed for two whole weeks.
He would get up at 6:30 every morning, sit in front of the fireplace in the common room with his thick book, " History of Magic," and stay there until the school bell rang.
Harry had never seen Ron work so hard.
To be honest, he initially thought Ron would give up in a couple of days, since Ron was always the kind of person who would only start studying three days before the exam.
But this time, Ron seems to be serious.
"How did you do that?" Harry couldn't help but ask him one night.
"What did you do?" Ron looked up from his book, his eyes showing obvious dark circles.
"Studying so hard."
Ron closed the book, leaned back in his chair, and sighed deeply. " Harry, do you know what my mom's face was when she got her report card last semester?"
"I don't know," Harry said honestly.
"The stew we ate that night had too much salt; it was so salty even the Gnome couldn't eat it," Ron said with a pained expression.
Harry didn't know what to say.
"I don't want to see that look again." Ron reopened the book. "Ahem, and besides, that [ Quidditch Pitch ] card is really nice."
Harry couldn't help but laugh.
Hermione sat opposite them, flipping through a book called " Advanced Transfiguration Theory " without looking up, her quill scratching incessantly on the parchment.
There were at least seven or eight books piled up on the table in front of her, each open to a different page, with labels indicating they were borrowed from the library on their spines.
" Hermione, are you tired?" Harry asked.
"I'm not tired." Hermione said without looking up. "Don't talk to me, I still have one chapter to review."
Harry and Ron exchanged a glance, then shrank back and continued reading their books.
Time passed day by day in this dull and tense atmosphere.
The countdown sign in the hallway is updated daily, displaying in red ink how many days are left until the final exams.
The number changed from a two-digit number to a single-digit number, and then from a single-digit number to "tomorrow".
On the night before the final exams, an odd silence filled the Gryffindor Common Room.
Everyone sat in their seats doing their final review; no one spoke, only the sound of turning pages and the occasional cough.
For once, Fred and George didn't play any pranks. They sat in the corner with the practical exam instructions for Charms spread out in front of them, quizzing each other on spells.
The next morning, the Great Hall was much quieter than usual.
No one was discussing Quidditch or cards as loudly as usual; everyone had their heads down, with notes spread out in front of them, still being flipped through in the last minute.
Breakfast was served as usual, but few people had an appetite.
Ron stuffed two pieces of toast into his mouth, then gulped down a mouthful of Pumpkin Juice, looking like he was about to burst.
"Why are you eating so much?" Harry asked.
"Consider your energy," Ron's voice was somewhat muffled. " The History of Magic will take several hours to write."
Harry looked down at his plate, then picked up a piece of toast and took a bite.
The first exam was on the Standard Book of Spells.
The written test was conducted in a large classroom, with desks and chairs arranged in neat rows, and each desk had a roll of parchment and a bottle of ink.
Professor Flitwick stood at the front of the class and announced the start of the exam in his high-pitched voice.
"Dear students, please place your books and notes on the podium. During the exam, no one is allowed to whisper, peek at other students' papers, or use any automatic writing devices."
He glanced around the room and added, "I'll say it again: no automatic writing tools allowed."
"Last time someone used that thing during the exam, Professor Snape punished him with a month of detention. I don't want you to make the same mistake on the Charms exam."
A low chuckle came from below, but it quickly faded away.
The pen nib scratched softly on the paper.
Harry looked at the test paper in front of him, took a deep breath, and began to answer the questions.
He had memorized the contents of Charms very well, because he was already quite good at this subject.
The questions ranged from the principles of the Levitation Charm to the conditions for casting the Shield Charm. He answered them all, occasionally pausing to think before continuing to write.
Time flies faster than I imagined.
By the time he finished writing the last question, Professor Flitwick had already begun collecting the papers.
"Time's up. Please put down your quills and pass your exam papers from back to front."
Harry handed the exam paper to the student in front of him, leaned back in his chair, and let out a long sigh.
The exam lasted for a whole week.
Every day there were different subjects, and after each exam, Ron would ask Hermione the same question, "Do you think I passed this one?"
Hermione would almost always roll her eyes and reply, "If you've studied hard, you should be able to pass."
On the last day, after the practical exam for Potions Class, the entire second-year student group felt as if they had been released from a cage.
Cheers filled the corridor, and someone threw a book into the air, almost hitting Peeves who was passing by.
" Merlin's beard is finally over!" Ron burst out of the Potions Classroom, his face looking like he had just woken up from a nightmare.
"How are you feeling?" Harry asked, catching up from behind.