Exams!

[alt_ernie]

Exams are driving me mad!!! I haven't even written in here for ages because I've been revising. I started writing something last week because I know we have to keep these things updated about our lives and stuff, but I got part way through and then I couldn't find my herbology notes so I had to go and find them and I don't think it ever even showed up. I crossed it out now because its out of date.

Their going ok so far really I think. I've done loads of revision so I'm really glad to be able to get all that stuff out of my head and down on paper!

Charms was good and Defence against the dark Arts was ok, but I'm not sure about transfiguration - I have no idea what to expect!! How can we revise for it?!

I think I'm just going to read everything I've ever written about anything Professor Carrow's ever said ever. What's everyone else doing??

Comments

[alt_ron]

Good thing is that exams are half over now! After today there're only two to go, and you're right about Transfig--there's no way to study for it, so I'm not going to get fussed about it. Potions, though, I can never remember when you use Billywig stings and when you use nettles: I got stung by both, I think's the problem, so now I get mixed up which Potions have got which.

It looked like you had a lot to write this morning. I kinda ran out of stuff I could remember pretty quickly. I mean, the question about Goblin armour was dead easy, but the one about Treaties? Oi! I don't even remember when we went over that stuff.

[alt_neville]

I know what to expect with Transfiguration: that I'll bollux it up. I think Professor Carrow likes marking my exam papers just 'cause that way he gets to try out all his new insults. I hope Gran won't be too disappointed, but I've already told her not to expect high marks from me in that class.

It's a shame, cause Sally-Anne's been helping me. She never believes me when I say she really is a good teacher. It's true, though. When she's explaining it, it all seems clear as day. And then when I get into the Transfiguration classroom and see Professor Carrow--ugh. It all flies out of my brain. Just the way he looks at me makes me feel all stupid again.

I think I did a bit better with History of Magic than I expected I would, though.

[alt_ron]

On the History of Magic one about Grindelwald, what did you write? I put down some stuff I heard my father talk about, but I'm not really sure I remembered it right about which place the duel happened and how that Dumbledore chap won. Or did I get that wrong and it was somebody else that fought him?

[alt_neville]

No, you had it right. It was Dumbledore who beat him, but a lot of others went up against him first, and some of 'em even got killed.

It's strange, because you'd think since Dumbledore beat him that he'd be a big hero. I was thinking I'd do my spring term essay on him, back when I was looking for a good subject, and it was real odd: when I went looking for books about Dumbledore, I found 'em referenced in the card catalogue all right. And every single one of 'em have been taken out of the library collection. 'Removed for repair,' the note said on the card for each. I asked Madam Pince about it, and she got real shirty and said nobody's supposed to be able to read anything about him. Dunno why. If it's true, I wonder why Binns even mentioned him.

Your brother Fred was saying they heard there used to be a Chocolate Frog card about him--Dumbledore, I mean, not Grindelwald--but it hasn't been in circulation for ages, so they're real rare. I bet if you found one it'd be worth a lot of Galleons.

[alt_ron]

Huh. That is odd. I mean about the books being gone out of the library and all. Did you try looking up stuff on Grindelwald instead? Is it the whole thing about them fighting that nobody's supposed to read? I mean it seems like the book I used for my parchment on the Lord Protector said some stuff about that war and about how Grindelwald had ideas that he couldn't really put in practice because he couldn't get enough people to follow him, and it took another generation before progress really got started. And then it was here in England that it happened because, um, we were more forward looking than people in Europe or whatever. I don't know, I just wrote down whatever it said in that book, but now I think about it, I don't think it said a thing about that Dumbledore fellow at all.

How long since they stopped making that card? I'll have to ask Bill and Charlie if they have one somewhere. Or would it have been years longer ago than that?

[alt_neville]

I didn't look anything up on Grindelwald, since I knew there were a few other students already doing essays on him. I ended up doing the essay on Russell the Red and the Terrors of 1780 instead.

Don't know about Dumbledore's chocolate frog card. If you ask your brothers about it, let me know what they say. I'm sort of curious.

[alt_sally_anne]

Binns says all sorts of things he isn't supposed to.

Trying to spot the stuff he isn't supposed to be telling us is the only thing that keeps me awake in that class.

I suppose as he's a ghost they can't exactly fire him.

I wrote down that it was Dumbledore who beat him but I think I spelt it wrong. I wrote them down as Dumbeldore and Grindlewald instead of the other way round, all through the answer.

[alt_neville]

I expect Binns won't care. He can hardly complain when he never gets any of our names right either.

[alt_ron]

You know, you shouldn't worry about Transfig. Carrow just doesn't like us. You especially. But me, too, maybe 'cause of the twins--he's always muttering about them, isn't he? Anywiz, I don't think he likes Gryffindors at all, so it's not really our fault if he's going to ask us trick questions and then mark our answers as if we got stuff wrong even when we got it right. I mean, it's not like we can do anything about it. I bet your Gran will understand, and anyway, I've seen you turn your mouse into a wicked snuffbox, so that's all that counts, innit? That you can do it. That's what your Gran'll care about, I bet.

So maybe we could play some Snap tonight since we can't really do any good by revising. We'll have to do it upstairs, though, or Percy'll hex me.

[alt_neville]

I'd love to play some Snap, but maybe a little later. I want to go over my Transfig notes once more.

[alt_harry]

Reading the Transfig textbook alot doesnt really help. Just so you know.