Rule 42. "42″ is not the answer to every question to the O.W.L.s.

It was mid-May and all the students at Hogwarts were stressed by the impending end of the year exams, the most stressed being the fifth and seventh years, who had crucial exams on which depended their future.

There were three kinds of students.

The first one was those who had already began to revise everything months ago (Hermione Granger being the most obvious one) but still stressed to forget something at the last minute and so spent every moment they had free to reread everything they had learnt again and again.

The second was those who really weren't worried about their exams and really preferred to spend their time outside, thriving in every small ray of sun and in the warmth unusually present for this time of the year, playing games and talking about everything but school. Ronald Weasley was one of those people. They would wait until the last moment to finally learn everything they could.

The third, and last, was the one of those who had learned their lessons lightly but seriously all year long, and now only had to revise a little. They knew they had done their best and would have no regrets if they failed a test, even if it wasn't in their plans. They had more free times and could spend it to do whatever they wanted. One such example was Harry Potter.

When he had learnt just how important it was to have good NEWTS, even for the Chosen One, Harry had decided that he would take this year seriously. After all, if he spent the year working, maybe he wouldn't have the time for any funny stuff and would finally have a normal year. To Hermione's greatest pride, he had at last decided to take his education seriously. Of course he wasn't about to become a genius like his bushy haired friend, but he refused to have regrets about his years at Hogwarts. He already had enough of those in his life.

Despite everything that had happened then because of Umbridge, the OWLS, Umbridge, the Ministry, Umbridge, Voldemort, Umbridge, Sirius, (oh, and had he mentioned Umbridge?) Harry had some fond memories of his fifth year. And since most of them were because of the DA and the fact that he had helped his friends to learn useful things, he had decided to help again the younger years, and especially the fifth who had their OWLS at the end of the month.

He had spent the year, helped mostly by Hermione and also by old members of the DA when they dropped by, giving them tips on how to learn, what was more important and showing them spells, like the Patronus who could give them bonus points. He had had much more fun with them than what he had experienced in his own fifth year, but maybe that was because the club was legal and there was no mental toad teacher after their hides.

But now, seeing them so worried about their marks when he was really sure they would all pass with honors, he couldn't help but feel his Marauders' inheritance awakening. He was almost sorry for the poor little students who would discover his new plan.

He summoned everyone in the Room of Requirements. After all, it was a very useful place for gathering several dozens of students at the same time. It could also be used as a room to simply relax in, something that was cruelly lacking at Hogwarts. Really, who had decreed that only the Prefects would have access to baths? It was just plain mean to tell everyone else that they would only have showers.

It could be used to play with friends, to meet with people from other Houses in secret… It was truly perfect.

However this day he would teach them something very different.

"Hello everyone! I see that you are all working by this fine day. How sad when the weather is so nice outside!" Harry cheerfully welcomed the younger students.

"We don't have the time. It's so hard with the exams so soon and all…" Harry wasn't able to notice who exactly said this as it was repeated by everyone from all sides. He waited for a while until they calmed down, but when he saw they weren't going to, he dropped the news he knew would make them react.

"If you want, I can tell you how to pass your OWLS."

"What do you mean, you can tell us how to pass them?" A young Hufflepuff witch asked.

"Exactly what I said. I can give you the answers you will need. With that, you'll no longer have to work as hard", Harry said amusedly.

He could see that they were interested, though some of the Slytherins and Ravenclaws didn't really look convinced.

"How can you know the answers?" That was one of the more skeptical ones.

"Don't you trust me?" Harry asked with a pout and twinkling eyes. He was having fun.

He couldn't answer no, because everyone knew that if he didn't trust the Gryffindor he wouldn't be here, but he couldn't say yes either for the opposite reason. And he knew it. So he didn't answer, and neither did the others.

"It's quite simple actually. All you have to say on every question, each time an examiner asks you something is 42." Harry was actually quite proud of this discovery. With this, he could keep them busy for a while. He'd mention to them that it wasn't true a few days before the beginning of the OWLS, but until then he would have fun watching them answering the teachers with 42 and watching the teachers perplexed about this new tendency.

"Why 42?", a timid Gryffindor asked.

"Because 42 is the answer of course! Now, go have fun with your friends!"

The puzzled young witches and wizards slowly exited the room. As they left, Harry added:

"And don't forget to tell everyone! And you could use some training, I'm sure the professors won't mind…"

Harry was left alone in the Room of Requirements, a diabolic smirk on his face.