Percy is taking his English exam on the last day of the winter semester at Goode High School, in the auditorium with his other classmates, writing an essay on A Tale of Two Cities. Mrs. O'Leary, Percy's pet hellhound, bursts onto the stage, barking, and disturbing the exam. All the mortals see her as a poodle, thanks to the Mist, and Dr. Boring insists that the dog is removed from the exam hall. It may seem unbelievable at first that his name is Dr. Boring, but Percy swears it is his real last name, though his first name is never mentioned in the series.