"I send you to someone, someone tells you where to go, I don't know if you'd have to wait for summer to go there but I'm guessing so."

"Sure."

"Tyche Trembley."

And he asks her for study help a few days later.

"I have NEWTs coming up, are you promoted ahead on anything that I wouldn't be rehashing stuff from two years ago?"

"Nothing in the curriculum, but that's not actually what I wanted to ask you about."

"My peppermint humbug recipe is secret."

"I was told I'd owe you quite a favor, yeah."

"Well, if you want to know how to make really great peppermint humbugs and owe me a favor, set aside some time - at least a weekend, maybe even summer, not everybody gets a family discount - and go visit my uncle George, I can tell him to expect you."

"Thanks so much. Good luck with N.E.W.T.s."

"Luck on OWLs too, Way."

He sits his exams. He takes thirty points off Slytherin for some misconduct by third-years that he'd normally have headed off instead of needing to punish. As soon as the exams are over Michael breaks up with his girlfriend via public duel in the Great Hall, with tearful accusations being slung around between spells on both sides. They both get detention. 

"Thank you for waiting until after exams."

"Of course. Dad said you're maybe not coming to China and wherever the hell else Minor's decided he wants to go?"

"I am maybe not coming to China and wherever the hell else Minor's decided he wants to go! We'll see."

He is top of his class in everything but Transfiguration and History of Magic and and very upset about this, though somewhat soothed by the plan for the summer tours of ancient institutions with lightning wards. He tells Karen all about them. "- and then three in Russia which has terrible Portkey laws but lets you carpet everywhere, we'll probably do that..."

Karen, who is beating him in Transfiguration and History, says, "I feel like it would be easier to fall off a carpet!"

"Yeah, but they're comfy and it's not that hard to make sure you land all right."

"I dislike falling even without the landing part. Makes me queasy."

"Does fast acceleration do that too, like when you're flying?"

"No."

"But falling's just acceleration!"

"Well, I don't like flying quickly down."

"....I guess that's fair. Well, maybe the carpets have some kind of grabbing charm. I'll write you."

"You'd better!"

"What're you doing over the summer?"