"Well done, Harry."
Professor Lupin saw Harry and immediately ended his conversation with Sherlock, smiling as he said, "Perfect score."
Harry wasn't surprised at all to see Sherlock standing beside Professor Lupin.
Or rather, if Sherlock wasn't by Professor Lupin's side, that would have felt strange.
Having achieved a perfect score, Harry didn't rush to leave after finishing his exam. He stayed behind with Sherlock to watch the other students' tests.
While Sherlock and Lupin were interested in everyone's examination process, Harry's attention was mainly focused on Ron and Hermione.
Ron started off smoothly enough. But when he encountered the Hinkypunk, things went wrong.
Dealing with it directly like Sherlock did was impossible for him, and he couldn't ignore it like Harry had, successfully avoiding its interference.
Somehow accelerated, he ended up dazed in waist-deep swamp.
By the time he realized what had happened, it was too late—he was already deeply stuck.
Though he eventually struggled out, he had undoubtedly exceeded the time limit.
In the final task facing the Boggart, he also took much longer than Harry to overcome his fear and emerge.
Facing a giant spider inside a trunk felt different from facing one outdoors.
Compared to Harry's sunny face, Ron was pale as a sheet, clearly terrified by the spider the Boggart had transformed into.
But surprisingly, even so, he performed better than Hermione.
Because Hermione had done impeccably on the first few tasks, comparable to Harry without falling short.
But when she climbed to the trunk containing the Boggart, less than a minute passed before she screamed and rushed out.
"Hermione!" Lupin asked in surprise, "What happened?"
It was hard to believe what terrible thing the Boggart had transformed into to frighten Hermione so badly.
"Pro—Pro—Professor McGonagall!" Hermione pointed at the trunk, gasping for breath. "She—she said I failed all my exams, and also..."
At this point, she glanced at Sherlock, but refused to say the rest.
Professor Lupin couldn't help but laugh at this.
This excellent young witch's greatest fear was actually this?
As for the second half of her statement, he didn't pay much attention to it.
However, this meant Hermione's Defense Against the Dark Arts exam score would actually be lower than Ron's.
Although Ron had exceeded the time limit on two tasks, at least he had completed them.
Hermione had directly given up on the final round.
The impact of this incident on Hermione was considerable. It took the group quite a while to calm her down.
In the following time, other young wizards also completed their exams one after another.
Compared to the quartet, their performances could be described as uneven.
Some suffered in the first round, surrounded by Grindylows while overlooking the creatures' weak fingers.
Some couldn't defeat the many Red Caps in the second round, requiring Professor Lupin to come rescue them.
Some, like Ron, were lured into the swamp by the Hinkypunk in the third round, but unlike Ron, they couldn't get out on their own and needed Professor Lupin to rescue them.
Others, like Hermione, couldn't overcome their fear when facing the Boggart and ran out.
At this point, Hermione gradually regained her composure. She told Professor Lupin she wanted to retake the exam.
"I'm very sorry, Hermione, you only get one chance."
Though regretful, Hermione accepted this rule.
Before the four of them walked back to the castle together, Lupin suddenly said to Sherlock.
"Sherlock, good luck."
"Professor Lupin is so good to you!" Hermione couldn't help saying. "He only said that to you."
Sherlock smiled slightly without explaining.
Hermione had obviously misunderstood, thinking Professor Lupin was wishing him good results on his final exam.
In reality, Professor Lupin was referring to resolving his werewolf identity issue.
However, since Sherlock wasn't completely certain about this matter yet, he didn't plan to explain.
During lunch, Ron curiously asked Hermione about the exam.
"Hermione, you said the Boggart turned into Professor McGonagall saying you failed all your exams, and what else?"
Hermione immediately said irritably, "Is it fun to keep pestering me like this?"
"Huh?" Ron couldn't help but be stunned.
'I just casually asked, how did it become "pestering"?
This reaction seemed a bit excessive!'
However, seeing Hermione like this, Ron really had no way to continue asking.
Harry had originally been somewhat interested too, but seeing Hermione this way, he wisely gave up.
Only Hermione, when the two weren't paying attention, secretly glanced at Sherlock.
Unexpectedly, Sherlock happened to look at her at that moment.
Hermione immediately averted her gaze from Sherlock's.
He doesn't already know, does he?
Hermione felt incredibly guilty.
Because the Boggart-transformed Professor McGonagall had said something else besides telling her she failed all her exams.
"Hermione, Sherlock and Gemma Farley are getting married, and they're inviting you to be a bridesmaid."
How terrifying!
Just thinking about it made Hermione's scalp tingle.
That's why she had screamed and run out.
It was hard to say which was more frightening to Hermione—failing all her exams or Sherlock marrying Gemma.
But this matter absolutely could not be known by anyone else!
After lunch, it was time for the final exam.
Once again, there was a schedule conflict. Muggle Studies and Divination.
Harry followed Sherlock's advice and went with Ron to take Divination.
Sherlock and Hermione went to take Muggle Studies.
Actually, with the Time-Turner, Hermione could still attend the Divination exam, and she was confident she could score well.
However, she kept her word—if she said she'd drop Divination, she would drop Divination.
The four walked up the marble staircase together. Sherlock and Hermione parted ways with them on the second floor, while Harry and Ron had to climb all the way to the eighth floor.
"Actually, I'm planning to drop this course too," Hermione sighed on the way to Professor Burbage's classroom, speaking to Sherlock. "Have you thought it through?"
"Yes, I can't bear another year like this. If you and Gemma hadn't persuaded me, I probably would have given up after Easter. Once this year's exams are over, I'll return the Time-Turner to Professor McGonagall. Without Muggle Studies and Divination, I can have a normal schedule again."
"A wise choice, Hermione."
"What about you, Sherlock?"
"I'm still taking everything, but taking everything doesn't necessarily mean attending all classes." Sherlock said, "Percy and Gemma both got twelve certificates without using a Time-Turner, right?"
"Yes, Professor McGonagall said I was the first student to use it."
"Before Percy and Gemma, Tom Riddle and Bill Weasley also got twelve certificates. According to Professor McGonagall, they also didn't use a Time-Turner. Clearly, this item was never necessary."
"You're right, this term has been so exhausting... So, thank you, Sherlock."
"You should thank Gemma."
"I will."
Hearing Sherlock mention Gemma, Hermione once again thought of her situation facing the Boggart, her expression becoming somewhat unnatural.
The Muggle Studies exam, like the History of Magic exam, was completely theoretical.
Professor Charity Burbage was truly a kind person—her test paper even included several questions that were original questions from the first lesson's assessment of everyone's level.
[Which country invented Arabic numerals?]
[What animal are the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean named after?]
[What hair is used to make camel hair brushes?]
This was practically giving away points like Professor Hagrid!
Then some young wizards confidently wrote down their answers.
Arabic numerals were invented by Arabs.
The Canary Islands were named after canaries.
Camel hair brushes are made from camel hair.
"All wrong!"
After the exam ended, when the young wizards compared answers with top student Hermione, they were instantly petrified.
"Wh-what? How could such simple questions be wrong?"
Hearing Hermione's words, the originally confident young wizards couldn't help but freeze.
"Aren't the answers right there in the questions?"
"It's clear you didn't listen carefully in the first lesson. Arabic numerals were invented by ancient Indians. The Canary Islands were named after dogs. Camel hair brushes are mainly made from squirrel hair, or sheep wool or cattle hair—anything but camel hair!
Professor Burbage explained all these questions in detail in the first lesson, and you still don't know?"
Hermione put her hands on her hips, looking at them with a look of disappointment, speaking at an extremely fast pace.
"Wh-what?!"
"That's impossible!"
"This is clearly tricking us!"
The young lions and badgers who got the questions wrong all cried out, while a few young eagles carefully asked.
"Miss Granger, could you tell us why?"
Faced with knowledge-hungry Ravenclaws, Hermione was willing to answer questions—even though she was somewhat dissatisfied that they hadn't listened well in the first lesson.
"Arabic numerals were invented by ancient Indians and later transmitted to Europe by Arabs, which is why they're called Arabic numerals.
The Spanish name for the Canary Islands is Islas Canarias, originally derived from the Latin Canariae Insulae, meaning Dog Island.
According to legend, when the Romans first reached the islands, there were many Spanish Canary dogs (Canariae), so they named it Dog Island.
Later, this name was mistranslated in English as the Canary Islands.
As for camel hair brushes, when this type of brush first appeared, the squirrel hair used had a texture and appearance highly similar to the soft hair from a camel's belly.
Early users and merchants lacked fine material identification abilities and misjudged it as camel hair based solely on visual observation.
This misidentification gradually solidified through word of mouth, and camel hair became the conventional name.
Even after people later clarified the true material, this name was retained out of habit.
It's the same principle as the black box on airplanes, which is actually bright orange—unfortunately, Professor Burbage didn't include that question this time."
"If she had included that question, I definitely would have answered black."
"This is the significance of Muggle Studies, you people really..."
After comparing answers, Sherlock and Hermione returned to the Gryffindor common room.
Sherlock's gaze swept around, instantly understanding what had happened.
"Is Professor Trelawney taking so long?"
"You noticed—she saw each of us one by one, and spent at least twenty minutes on each person. I really don't know what she did to everyone. When each person came down from the silver ladder, people who hadn't taken the test yet would ask them what she said, but they all refused to tell."
Ron looked at Hermione with a helpless expression. "I'm starting to think you were right about her—she's just an old fraud."
Hermione smiled slightly. "That's common sense, my friend."
Ron: "..."
'You're enjoying impersonating Sherlock, aren't you!'
"Don't say that!" Neville nearby was startled.
He said mysteriously, "Professor Trelawney said the crystal ball told her that if I told, I'd face a great calamity!"
Hermione said contemptuously, "Ha, what a convenient excuse."
"Did no one say anything?" Sherlock asked.
"Parvati Patil did say something." Ron shrugged. "She said she saw many things through the crystal ball, and that the professor told her she possessed all the qualities of a true Seer."
Sherlock made no comment on this and continued asking. "What did she say to you?"
"She asked me to say what I saw through the crystal ball—you know, Sherlock, I couldn't see anything."
"So, you just made something up."
"Right!" Ron spread his hands. "But I don't think she believed it, and she also warned me not to tell anyone else, or there would be a great calamity."
"Oh my, Ron, you actually said it!" Neville looked at Ron in horror.
"Please, Neville, don't believe that old fraud." Ron said somewhat helplessly. "Sherlock's deductive method is who knows how much better than hers."
Hermione's words were even sharper. "I think comparing her divination to the deductive method is simply insulting to the deductive method."
Just then, Harry rushed into the common room like a gust of wind.
He found the common room almost empty, but Sherlock and Hermione were sitting in a corner.
A bit further away, Ron seemed to be trying hard to persuade Neville.
However, judging by Neville's continuous head-shaking, it seemed to have little effect.
"Your behavior tells me something unexpected happened in this exam."
Seeing Harry's breathless appearance, Sherlock immediately deduced something.
He supported his chin with his hands together, his gray eyes bright and piercing as he looked at his good friend.
"Dear Harry, quickly tell me, what exactly happened?"
"It's Professor Trelawney!" Harry had originally planned to share this with his best mates. Hearing this, he took a deep breath. "She just made a real prophecy to me!"
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