How does one mask unpleasant memories?
The answer is to numb oneself with busy work, leaving no mental space to dwell on those things.
The Gryffindor team’s crushing three-game losing streak did not plunge Charlie, the Quidditch players, or even Gryffindor House into despair; the terrifying shadow of final exams quietly blanketed the entire school.
Students in their fifth and seventh years were hard at work preparing for their O.W.Ls and N.E.W.Ts, respectively. The vast majority of their free time was spent reviewing, and the tense examination atmosphere even spread throughout the school, affecting the students in other years as well.
Chapter 253