Ron happily regales Harry and Hermione with details of the Quidditch match; they admit they missed most of it and tell Ron about Grawp. The fifth-year students are frantically preparing for their imminent O.W.L. exams. Harry’s first exam is Charms, for which the students write a theoretical paper in the morning and take a practical test in the afternoon. The next day, Harry has his Transfiguration tests and then the following day, his Defense Against the Dark Arts tests, which he feels the most confident in; he summons an impressive Patronus at the request of his examiner. Hermione is bad-tempered after making a mistake on her Ancient Runes exam. Harry is pleased with his performance in his Potions exams, reflecting that it was easier to achieve the outcomes without Snape’s presence. He gives Hagrid a thumbs-up after performing well in his Care of Magical Creatures class. Ron and Harry do poorly in their Divination exam, and neither is surprised by this outcome.

Harry and Ron sketch star charts in the evening for their Astronomy exam. The students are distracted by a loud scene on the grounds below: A group of witches and wizards, including Umbridge, travel quietly to Hagrid’s cabin and try to arrest him.