I have learned I cause trust issues for a lot of people. And I mean a LOT of people.

As in the entire Wizengamot.

For some reason they think that I may pull, in their words "legal mumbo jumbo" to interfere in Lockhart's trial.

Which is ridiculous. Why WOULD I? The man used an unforgivable on my Aunt and tried repeatedly to kill me! I want him buried UNDER Azkaban!

But there seems to be a consensus that since I helped heal him, I might feel some responsibility for him. And I guess I kind of do, just not in the way they think.

If I hadn't healed him he wouldn't have been able to attack anyone. But seriously, they didn't put me in Ravenclaw for no reason at all. I am intelligent.

When I choose to be.

Lockhart was a… I don't know, I guess a bad man. I talked for a long time with Uncle Harry and Uncle Ron about him. They told me the whole story about his books that he claimed he had done all of this wonderful monster killing stuff. But he had never done any of it. He had just wiped the memories of witches and wizards after he got them to tell him their whole story.

He was a very selfish and vain man. Bright too, he was a Ravenclaw. But from what I learned he never wanted to do anything if he couldn't be the best of the best.

Even if he had to out and out lie.

I wanted to say he was just selfish, but that hardly covers his sins. He actually wiped people's memories!

He tried to kill me!

He messed with my Aunt, who just wanted to visit her mother. Or what was left of her mother, I was still processing that.

Selfish seems a little light handed for his crimes. He is in fact, a very, very bad man.

I wanted to speak to him, but Daddy absolutely forbade me to go anywhere near him. He even looked scandalized that I had suggested it.

"This is YOUR influence!" He glared at Mum. "Your bloody Gryffindor tendencies!"

Mum just went back to her knitting without so much as raising an eyebrow, although she did murmur "I believe compassion is a Hufflepuff trait, dearest." I did notice she did not look the tiniest bit sorry.

But back to the Wizengamot.

They insisted upon a trial immediately. As in the very next day.

But not a trial for his crimes against me oh no. His original trial for all of the memories he had wiped would resume. They had suspended it due to his memory loss, but now they could reopen it.

Which meant of course my testimony would not be needed.

The owl from the Ministry made it quite clear I would not be needed. It even gave the impression that I would not be welcome.

I showed the letter to Daddy and Mum who both laughed.

"I blame you for this as well, Alya." Daddy winked down at Mum.

"How in the name of Merlin's pointy hat could I be responsible for this one?" Mum asked, sounding vastly amused.

"Because Miranda went on public record she got the idea to hold up the entire Wizengamot from YOU." Daddy declared somewhat archly.

Mum waved her hands dismissively. "Oh, that. Pssshhh. At least I didn't walk out of the hearing making rude hand gestures."

Wrapping his arms around her Daddy kissed her forehead. "You were such an innocent little thing. Did you even know any rude hand gestures?"

Mum trailed her fingers up his chest. "One or two."

"Gross! Stop, just stop." Why oh why couldn't they behave themselves?!

They both just laughed at me. "Don't you have teenage stuff to be doing?" Daddy asked. "Somewhere that isn't here?"

"No, in fact I do not." I swear… "And I am staying right here to make sure you don't do anything… unsanitary… on the kitchen table."

"Spoil sport." Mum grumbled.

"Can't you two ever act like normal parents?" I whined. "You know, boring and not so handsy?"

"If you think we are bad you should see your Aunt Pansy and Aunt Daphne." Daddy laughed.

"No... just no." I will still trying to get the image out of my head the one time I walked into my bathroom and caught them "being handsy".

Mum laughed and hugged me. Daddy ruffled my hair. They both left the kitchen.

I did NOT follow.

I was determined to be at Lockhart's trial no matter what the Wizengamot had to say about it.

After all, they had no actually forbidden me to do so… they just made their preferences known. Due to my delicate condition it was felt the rigors of a trial would be too much for me.

I wanted to send a strongly worded owl about how my condition absolutely was NOT delicate but my parents forbade it.

"You never know when you will need someone to underestimate you." Daddy trying to sound wise was just creepy.

Mum nodded her agreement.

"Uggghhh! Slytherin." I shuddered.

They both nodded and said in unison "Guilty as charged." I have a feeling it is not the first time they have done this.

But… "I have exactly half an hour to dress and get down to the Ministry." I gasped.

Daddy raised an eyebrow "So you intend to go no matter what the Wizengamot says?"

I nodded happily.

"See? Absolutely YOUR influence." My father turned on Mum with an "I told you so" look.

Mum just laughed. "OK, you win, but let's hurry and get ready."

"Wait!" Daddy pouted. "Why do WE have to go? I had other plans."

"uggghhhhh…. Can we GO?!" I was not going through this again.

When we got to the Ministry it was absolute chaos. More chaos. There were women protesting and chanting to free Lockhart.

The press was eating it all up. They were trying to interview anyone and everyone who looked like they might be important.

Which is precisely why they zeroed in on us.

"Oh wonderful." Mum said wryly "NOW they want my opinion. I can't imagine why, they never have before."

"That is not true, sweetheart," Daddy tried to be reassuring. "They always want your advice on the economy. You are considered the finest financial mind in the industry."

Mum blushed. "Well, except for goblins."

"No one is as good as the goblins, but even they want you working for them." Daddy smiled at her tenderly.

"There she is!" One of the protesters shouted. "That girl who got dear Gilderoy in to this mess!"

Dear Gilderoy? I looked at Mum confused.

"He was quite popular before his little accident." She explained "It seems they may blame you a teensy bit for his current legal troubles."

"Teensy bit" was a gross understatement. Within a few short minutes we were descended on by rabid supporters of the once great Gilderoy Lockhart.

"How dare you show your face here?!" One shouted. "You are a disgrace. After all your family has done you dare look down your noses at anyone else?"

"You filthy blood supremists! You have no business here in polite society!" A woman clutching… a shampoo bottle? Shouted.

I looked at my father. He looked at me sadly. I grinned. After a moment, so did he.

"Your "hero" was a fraud who tried to kill me." I explained, still grinning.

The woman suddenly threw her shampoo bottle at my face. Before I could react, a small hand reached up and grabbed it. I looked in to the very furious face of Rose Weasley.

"No one throws things at my family, you obnoxious witch!" She shouted.

I was also pretty quickly shoved behind a large back.

"Viktor? Where have you been?" I clutched his sweater.

"Missed you too, love. I promise to explain, but maybe after saving you from a lynching." Right, priorities.

I looked around and noticed what seemed to be my entire family pointing wands at the protestors. Hell, I guess Mum was right, my actions in school bloody well could not have wrecked this family's reputation.

The Aurors quickly got everything under control, and per Daddy's request no one was arrested, he said it would only encourage more of the same.

Per daddy's orders I wasn't allowed to punch anyone either. Which is a shame, I was pretty sure NO ONE would be encouraged to get hit again.

Viktor looked down at me and rubbed a thumb over my cheek. "You are the worst trouble, woman." I could tell by his smile he wasn't really upset.

"You like trouble." I captured his hand.

.