A Strange Question

For the next few weeks, although life was peaceful enough, Malfoy kept feeling inexplicable gazes on him.

This was awful.

That was what Malfoy thought.

He wondered if he had missed something, but even after reading the group messages, he still couldn't figure out what had happened. He couldn't find that thing called "The Great Snake-Lion War" either, so he had no idea what it was about.

He was more curious about "Overbearing Draco Falls in Love with Me." Our ! had not deleted the file, so Draco, trying to figure out what had happened that day, read the strangely named... novel from beginning to end with the expression of an old man squinting at a phone on the subway.

For days afterward, strange remarks kept lingering in his mind. And he still hadn't figured out what had happened that day.

Although it didn't affect his life, he kept feeling as if a thorn were lodged in his heart, pricking and irritating him.

And Blaise refused to tell him?!

"Take my advice. You're better off not knowing."

Those were Blaise's exact words.

Malfoy frowned in irritation and focused on the homework in front of him, but the messages flooding the group chat made it impossible to concentrate.

Has someone put some kind of spell on this thing to make it addictive the moment you look at it?! Malfoy grumbled inwardly as he picked up his phone.

In the main group chat:

Harry Marries Draco: ? I feel like I missed out on a hundred million.

Grindelwald's Runaway Obscurus: It feels like so much has happened these past few days.

Harry Marries Draco: Wait, I'm back from reading the chat history. Holy crap, what Draco/Harry fanbook?!! Damn it!! I actually missed it!! (sobbing)

In front of the screen, a barrage of frantic comments raced through Malfoy's mind, including but not limited to What on earth is a Draco/Harry fanbook? What's with that name?!! Harry Marries Draco?! and Ha, bet you didn't expect that, Potter. My name still comes before yours!

Looking perfectly calm and composed, Malfoy took a deep breath, switched off his phone, and decided to get back to studying.

He had been careless before, actually forgetting that if he went to a professor to snitch, he would also be one of those breaking school rules by sneaking around at night. Although all he had to do was go to his head of house, those despicable Weasleys would definitely tell on him!

If Father found out he had lost Slytherin that many points, he would surely have a rough time when he got home.

I'll let you off this time! Damn you, Potter!

Blaise, sitting on his bed and playing on his phone, saw the young master grow angry one moment and sneer the next. He couldn't help looking slightly disgusted and silently edged backward.

But seriously, spare that poor Potions homework. The head of house will take points off for neatness when he sees it.

Blaise thought sincerely.

There was good news and bad news. One was that Easter was approaching, and they would have another three-day holiday to enjoy.

The bad news was that final exams were approaching too. The professors had each pulled out all the stops and assigned heaps of homework, all for one last push before the finals.

Of course, the people at Hogwarts weren't the only ones facing final exams.

Stepmother Literature: Happy weekend (lies flat in peace). More than ten test papers. Our teacher's gone mad (kicks open coffin lid) (crawls in agony) (zombie enters the scene)

Stepmother Literature: It's only March!!! March!!!! (screams in agony) (bends backward)

Unresolved Regrets in Harry Potter: Ha ha, our school started assigning mock exams today.

The Niffler Didn't Steal the Marriage Certificate: I know. They call it getting an early start.

Magpie: ...Our school's tradition is to squeeze the students dry in the last month, hahahaha!

Grindelwald-Brand Niffler: Oh no, school's driven this kid silly.

Bug Ming: Ahaha, what university student doesn't go crazy? (roars) (tears up thesis) (creates new folder)

Draco's Runaway Hair: I'm so jealous of university students who don't have test papers to do.

Draco's Runaway Cornea: You're wrong. University students have other things to torment them.

Proprietress Number Two (I was wrong, please don't ban me): Like endless stupid fucking meetings that aren't useful for shit.

Bug Ming: Like endless group assignments.

Kerun: I'm busy and muddled all day long. Last time we were on holiday at home, our teacher even supervised us remotely while we did our PS assignments, ahahaha!

I Raise the Banner for Draco and Harry: It's all for the credits, sob sob sob (huddles together crying).

Oh My Mother: (haggard) It's not much easier abroad.

Oh My Mother: Teachers love timing our essay assignments to coincide with the three-day Easter holiday. Three essays per subject, and the topics aren't even fucking specified!!! I hate assignments without set topics the most!!

Shengjiang Who Loves Orange Peel Green Tea: Hard to disagree, because I have no idea what kind of topic to pick.

[Admin] Yan: Give up and lie flat! Lie flat in a way that defies definition!

The Green Apple in Draco's Mouth: [Image: Study hard and pass your classes, marry Draco tomorrow.jpg]

The Green Apple in Draco's Mouth: My emotional support (palms pressed together).

Tangyuan Jiang Tiantian: Takes a deep breath of handsome Little Dragon! All right, I'm motivated to study again!

Professor Snape's Baby's Breath: Looking at Professor Snape's photo every day feels like he's urging me to study in person (sheds tears).

What's Wrong with Eating More?: [Terrified Ron meme.jpg]

Ron, who was slacking off from studying in front of the screen, was stunned by the conversation in the group. Malfoy? Him? Emotional support?

Shocked as he was, he was used to it by now. After all, even Snape had fans, so it wasn't that strange for Malfoy to have them too. Having convinced himself of that, Ron looked back at his Herbology textbook, which might as well have been written in gibberish.

"I'm starting to wonder if I actually went to class." Ron slumped in his chair. The fire in the Gryffindor Common Room was burning brightly, and Harry, sitting beside him, was also struggling to puzzle out a Transfiguration spell.

Just then, Hermione hurried in from outside, carrying a stack of reference books, each as thick as two fingers stacked together.

Ron couldn't help swallowing. "Hermione, the professors only assigned the homework today. How come you..." She looked determined to finish it all tonight.

Hermione came over with the reference books and set them down on an empty spot on the table. The table trembled as soon as the books landed, and Harry tried to pull his astonished gaze away.

Hermione looked anxious. "There are less than three months until the exams! I have to give it everything I've got! What if I don't do well?! Because of that phone, we've completely neglected our studies!"

"Hermione, maybe you could try relaxing a little..." Harry tried to persuade Hermione not to be so tense. After all, if Hermione could do badly, then Snape could give him an O in Potions.

But Hermione picked up the reference books again and walked back to the dormitory.

Only after Hermione had gone did Ron dare whisper in Harry's ear, "I heard she locked her phone away and put two Protective Charms on it to stop herself from getting distracted by it."

Distracted by it?

Harry silently looked at his essay assignment, on which he had only written the title, and let out a quiet sigh toward the ceiling.

Of all their subjects, the easiest homework was actually that Lockhart's Defense Against the Dark Arts assignment...

As long as they praised him in their homework, they could basically get full marks, right?

It wasn't just Harry and Ron. Most people thought the same way, and the not-so-popular Professor Lockhart unexpectedly won the students' approval when it came to final assignments.

Professor McGonagall was in her office marking the homework the students had handed in last time. She needed to use it to assess their current progress and prepare the questions for June's final exam.

But there really weren't many assignments that satisfied her.

Professor McGonagall felt a slight headache coming on.

Hermione Granger's work was excellent as always, and Professor McGonagall picked up her pen and gave it an O.

But when she looked at a few other students' work... McGonagall took a deep breath. It looked as though some students would need extra tutoring or a little extra reinforcement over Easter.

Feeling tired, McGonagall picked up her phone and glanced at the group messages. The children in the group amused her somewhat. So even in the future, things like final exams still wouldn't leave students alone?

Besides that, she also saw a few people who seemed to be students from her Gryffindor House complaining that there was too much homework to finish.

My Younger Brother Isn't as Handsome as Me: Our professors must be going mad. The Easter holiday is only three days long!!

My Younger Brother Isn't as Handsome as Me: [Clutching chest in agony meme.jpg]

Baize Moran: You even get a holiday? (dazed)

Azkaban's Pride of a Generation: I think some countries abroad do have an Easter holiday.

Oh My Mother: Actually, it's just a change of location while homework continues to torment us (dazed from writing essays).

Bug Ming: ! Teacher Oh My Mother, wake up!

My Younger Brother Isn't as Handsome as Me: There are still more than two months until finals!

Sanqing Longyue: In Hermione's words, there are less than three months left, lol.

What's Wrong with Eating More?: How do you know Hermione said that? (This message has been recalled)

[What's Wrong with Eating More? recalled a message]

Kerun: What was that just now?

My Older Brother Is Farting: ? Ah, it was nothing. Must've been a typo.

Gryffindor with Many Points: It was recalled too quickly. I didn't see anything.

What's Wrong with Eating More?: Ah, yes, it was a typo.

Wants to Make Friends: [Harry-style fear.jpg]

What Respectable Person Writes a Diary?: Anyway, having a holiday is nice.

[Admin] !: Whatever happens, you still need to study hard!!

Mrs. Malfoy Number Two: Exactly! Good good study, day day up!

The Muggle of the Wu-Style Orphanage: Wow, now that's what you call Chinglish.

Gryffindor Has Arrived: I'm terrible at English, but somehow I understood that.

Bug Ming: As expected of IELTS and TOEFL.

James-Brand Shampoo: I'm dying. That left both the people who know English and the ones who don't speechless.

Stepmother Literature: I'm dying, help.

Oh My Mother: This group is practically a break room for postgraduate entrance exam prep (at peace).

Good good study? Day day up?

What did that mean?

Professor McGonagall, whose native language was English, froze for a moment in front of her screen. They were such simple words, so how had they been put together like that???

Cho, a little tired after reading all day, opened her phone to find that bewildering English sentence staring back at her. As a British person of Chinese descent, Cho did have some Chinese books at home.

So when Cho understood it, she fell silent.

Cho: ...?

Cho: It really is simple and easy to understand...

Cedric: ? What does that mean?

Honestly, Ced really couldn't work out what the sentence meant at first. Fred stroked his chin and kept thinking until Jesus created humanity, but still couldn't figure it out (?)

So Cho could only explain "study hard and make progress every day" with a proper translation.

Well, now everyone had fallen silent.

Professor McGonagall decided to stop looking, for fear her blood pressure would rise.

Damn Muggle: ...

Zabini: ?

My Younger Brother Isn't as Handsome as Me: So English can be learned like that.

[Admin] Yan: Help, I'm dying.

Mrs. Malfoy Number Two: Ahem, just kidding! That's an incorrect translation!!!

Dumbledore brewed himself a cup of black tea with plenty of sugar cubes in his office, sipping it as he happily read the group messages.

"A different kind of linguistic culture, like that ancient and mysterious country in the East."

Blaise was amazed by this move. Looking at Theodore reading on the next bed, he called out with a wicked sense of humor, "Hey, Theodore, remember to good good study, day day up!"

"?" Theodore poked his head out of the Arctic Ocean of revision. "Are you all right?"

The head of house didn't assign that much terrifying homework, did he? How has he studied himself silly already?

Malfoy, who had just finished an essay at his desk, threw Blaise a look and left him to figure it out.

In any case, the Easter holiday arrived as scheduled.

Few people ever chose to leave school during the three-day holiday, because it was the last one before final exams. There was always an unusual amount of homework, and anyone who wanted to hurry up and catch up on their studies had to use those three days to do it!

On the first day of the holiday, the library was already close to overflowing.

There were familiar faces in every corner.

Time for some silly little skits.

Silly little skit-13

Hermione: (earnestly trying to persuade Ron to study hard) Ron! We should enjoy studying! Just like the fans say! We need to learn to swim freely in the ocean of knowledge! Don't you think studying is a joyful thing?

Ron: ? Is this some new kind of joke?

Thanks for asking. Not only could I barely move, I drowned too.

Hermione: ...You can just sink to the bottom, then.

Silly little skit-14

The group members recommended an app that could look up homework problems they didn't know how to solve.

It was called Xiaomou Question Search.

Fred eagerly downloaded it, so he wouldn't have to rack his brains figuring out what to make up anymore.

But when Fred photographed a Potions question, his phone displayed a message saying the question bank had no questions of that kind.

"? What kind of thing doesn't even have Potions essays?"

Later, the staff managing Xiaomou Question Search looked at the question sent by the system and fell into deep thought.

System: I admit, my CPU nearly burned out at that moment.

So far, everyone has submitted a total of 182 IDs. You're all so enthusiastic (wipes sweat). One hundred and one IDs have appeared, and there are still eighty-one that haven't. There really are a lot, so those of you who haven't appeared yet really don't need to worry!!

Really!!!!

Everyone has a chance before this book ends!!!

(Whispers: I really love tormenting Little Dragon and my darling Fred~ I swear I really do love them!)