Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

An Unexpected Development

The sound of birdsong and the crowing of the family rooster pulled me from sleep. Groaning, I turned and opened my eyes; blinding myself at the sight of the very pink side of the room that I share with Ginny. It took a while for my brain to remember how I had gotten here and everything that had happened before that. But when it did, any chances I had of drifting off again vanished. After a long interview with the Aurors that came to arrest Lockhart, Mum decided to pull me and only me from school. Despite me stating how much I wanted to stay with Fred and George.

"It's probably for the best", the Auror had said; the one who had kept asking the same questions over and over again. "She may be called to the ministry if we have any further questions. It would be easier if she wasn't at school". And that was without mentioning the chance of me having to testify before the Wizengamot.

Feeling an ache in the base of my neck, I sat up and rolled my head in an attempt to loosen the clenched muscle. The only good thing about this whole situation was that Lockhart was locked up in Azkaban awaiting trial. When rolling my head in circles didn't work, I gave up. Swing my legs over the side of the bed, I stood up; abandoning the comfort of my patchwork quilt. Dad had probably already left for work. Mum would have been up for hours. The eggs must have been collected by now. My feet felt heavy as I left my bedroom and trodded down the stairs.

Standing on the last step that led into the kitchen, I saw that two of my predictions were true. Mum stood at the stove scrambling eggs. While Dad sat at his usual place at the kitchen table with the paper spread out in front of him and a cup of coffee in hand. "You don't have to work today?" I asked as I slide into the seat on Dad's right.

Dad looked up when I had announced my presence but couldn't get a word in before Mum. "Holly", she said as she turned to face me. "You could have slept in longer. We didn't get in until after 2:00". Which is a testament to how concerned Mum was. With exception to illness, Mum was never in favor of lie-ins.

"I couldn't sleep any longer", came my honest answer. Mum sent a knowing look in my direction. What she knew about, I haven't the foggiest. She toward back around to her stove; leaving me to return my attention to Dad.

Dad smiled a small nervous smile. Like he didn't know what he should say to me. It reminded me that Dad hadn't come to Hogwarts last night with Mum. I had wondered about it at the time, but there was too much going on for me to properly ask. "I thought I'd take the day off today". Dad said softly as Mum walked over and placed a plate of scrambled eggs and toast in front of me. She returned to the stove without saying anything. Probably to get two more plates for her and Dad.

Dad's simple sentence sent warning bells ringing in my head. He never elected to miss work. Dad had to be contagious or there had to be a death in the family before he was willing to take a day of leave. Slowly, I picked up my fork. Mostly as an excuse to look away from Dad so he couldn't see my expression. They were scared and unsure about what they should do. I think. And if I was right, all signs pointed to this being another difficult day.

Mum joined us at the table. She placed one serving of breakfast at the spot on Dad's left and waited for Dad to pick up his newspaper before placing a plate in front of him. Taking a small forkful of eggs, I chewed slowly; waiting for Mum to sit before asking another question. "What's going to happen today?"

Dad rustled his paper and gripped her fork tighter than she usually would. A communitive glance passed between the two of them. Their unease was making my stomach churn. It was unlikely I would be able to finish my breakfast. "We can have an easy morning", Mum answered after a moment. "In the afternoon we have an appointment at St. Mungo's".

"St. Mungo's?" I sputtered. It came out sounding like a question. But I meant it as a protest. I dropped my fork; causing it to clang against the side of my plate. "But there's nothing wrong with me. Madam Pomfrey told you that I was fine".

Dad cleared his throat as if the topic pained him. And it probably did. After all, the conversation was referring to… something rather delicate. I kept my eyes focused on Mum; knowing that she would be the one to give me information. "We believe Madam Pomfrey", she assured me. "We trust that you are uninjured like you say. But you need to see a specialist at St. Mungo's for a more… a more thorough report to be sent to the department of magical law enforcement as they build their case against-" Mum cut herself off as her face darkened considerably. "Against that man", she forced herself to finish. I guess this meant she was no longer Lockhart's biggest fan.

I looked down and allowed my cheeks to puff up with air. Raising one hand I pushed some hair out of my face before covering my forehead. Oh, this was a bloody nightmare. And then, in a move that more suited for someone Holly's age than Jessie's, I pushed my plate away from me. "I'm not hungry", I said tiredly.

Leaning towards me, Dad reached out and placed his hand on top of mine. The one that wasn't currently supporting my head. He gave it one good squeeze. "We'll get this sorted, Holly girl. You're not alone". If only there was a solution that simple.

The tests at St. Mungo's were a lot less… invasive than they would have been if I had been in the muggle world. It was a lot of wand-waving as different diagnosis charms were cast over me. Mum held my hand the entire time. While Dad stood by the door; watching. He wanted to be supportive but also wanted to give me my privacy. I'm not sure why. Other than having low blood sugar, the healer could find nothing wrong with me. Still, but the time we got home at around 3:00 I felt like I had run the gauntlet. "Go lie down", Mum said as we moved away from the fireplace. "I'll put the kettle on".

I nodded as I started to move towards the sitting room. That sounded nice. But one step away from entering the sitting room, I became frozen in place due to a rather peculiar sight. One on the window sill, two on the back of the sofa. Two more on the mantle. One resting on the arm of Dad's favorite chair, and two on top of the bookshelf. Owls. Everywhere. Some I recognized. Like Ron's little scoop owl, Pigwideon, and the large grey owl belonging to the Puceys that Adrian seemed to favor. Though, I never learned its name. Others were owls I had never seen before. All of them had letters tied to their legs. Amongst all the hooting and rustling feathers was Errol; standing on his usual perch. He had his chest puffed out like he was proud of the company he was hosting. "Um", I vocalized as nine pairs of owl eyes focused on me; heads swiveling in my direction. It felt like I had walked in on a secret meeting of the court of owls. "Mum! Dad!" I called.

Having not been the one to put the kettle on, Dad reached me first. "Holly? What is it?" He asked as he came up behind me. But he didn't need me to say anything "Oh, my", he said at the small parliament of owls that had taken over our sitting room. "Molly!" Dad called.

"The tea won't be ready for a while longer", Mum replied from the kitchen. Probably annoyed at how impatient Dad and I sounded.

"It's not that, dear", Dad called back. "We've seen to have gotten quite a bit of post".

"Post?" Mum asked as she wandered over to us. "It's a bit late for the post". But when she saw what Dad and I were looking at, Mum had to change her train of thought. "I'm not sure if we have enough owl treats for them all".

We got to work freeing the owls of their letters. Three were addressed to me and the other four were addressed to Mum and Dad. But before we could start opening them, the kettle started to whistle in the background. "I'll get the tea", Mum decided as she started to leave the room. "And then, we'll start".

Except I didn't wait; tearing into an envelope that was addressed in very familiar handwriting. "Holly", Dad warned.

"It's from Fred and George", I answered; as if that made it okay for me to start without Mum. And, I mean… It kind of does. Besides, it was addressed to me. Not them.

Dear Jolly Holly,

We hope you are enjoying eating Mum's cooking and your break from school. We've spent the day attending lessons and fending off questions from our friends and other nosy individuals about where you are. It caused Fred to burn his hand on his cauldron during potions today. Not to worry though, Madam Pomfrey fixed it right up, and Snape didn't even notice. So, we didn't lose any house points.

I snorted just as Mum came back carrying a tray with three mugs and the tea kettle balance on top. This was Fred and George's way of telling me what they had done about Fred's hand without having to spell it out in case anyone else read this letter. "Holly, I wanted you to wait", Mum tutted as she placed the tray down on the coffee table. A medium-sized speckled owl hooted from its spot on the mantle as if it agreed with her.

"It's from Fred and George", I repeated my excuse as I returned to reading. The handwriting was slightly different in the next paragraph, which was the only clue I got that the writer had switched over to Fred.

Ginny and Percy are worried; even if they won't come out and say it. Ginny cornered us at lunch with her friends. You know, the twins that aren't as talented at being Identical as George and I am. She demanded to know if the rumors she was hearing about you being assaulted by Lockhart were true. Or rather, her twins interrogated us and Ginny stood in the back and listened intently. We told them all the rumors were true. Except for the one that favored you and Lockhart trying to elope. And don't ask us how everyone found out so fast. We hadn't told anyone. And the teachers have been tight-lipped all day.

Oh, and be ready for a lecture from Percy when you get back to school. We caught him practicing on Clearwater in the halls. He was going on about the buddy system and fast working defensive spells. Don't be surprised if he becomes insufferably clinging once you return. George and I have this long-standing theory, that each of us has a favorite younger sibling. Ginny is ours. We know you favor Ron. Although, we can't fathom why. You are clearly Percy's favorite. Probably because you're the only one who doesn't roll their eyes whenever he says something pompous. But it makes us wonder who favors us. What do you think? Bill or Charlie?

Anyway, all your stuff is safe. Angelina told us that your trunk and everything you left on your bed are still there. So, we don't think you'll be away long. Angelina pronounced to not let anyone go through your things. Your diary should be safe and in one piece when you return. Write back soon. And tell us about how much agony you're in due to being away from us.

Love,

Fred and George

And that was their way of telling me that they had the diary and they didn't think they'd be able to destroy it any time soon. Although the information they included about the rumors circulating school was alarming. Hopefully, everyone's interest would die down before I got back. "Fred and George are okay". I reported as I folded their letter and slipped it back into the envelope. "They said Percy and Ginny are worried though".

Mum took a sip of tea before answering. "We'll write them later. Perhaps tonight and keep them informed." I nodded. Knowing that there wasn't much we could do about it right now.

Dad cleared his throat as Pigwidgeon settled on his shoulder and started nuzzling himself against his cheek. "This one's from the Daily Prophet". He sounded irked.

Mum set her mug down and reached for an unopened letter. "The Daily Prophet?" She asked once Dad's words registered in her ears. "Why would they be writing to us? We paid them in full at the beginning of the month".

The wrinkles around his eyes and forehead became more prominent as he frowned at the letter he was holding. "They write to say that they're sorry they weren't able to reach in time for tomorrow's paper. And ask for our permission to interview Holly about her experiences with Lockhart".

"The nerve!" Mum exclaimed as she gripped the letter in her hand tight enough to cause it to wrinkle.

Dad cleared his throat again as he put the letter from the Daily Prophet away. "I think it's best to ignore that one for now". A pure black owl on the bookshelf let out an indignant hoot.

"This one is from Professor Dumbledore", Mum said. But I tuned out whatever she said that; distracting by the second letter that was addressed to me. This one was from Adrian.

Holly,

I hope you are doing better than the last time I saw you. I'm writing to you to give you a warning. Hopefully, my letter will reach you before the others. I have informed my parents about what transpired the other night. They would like to offer their support and plan on contacting your parents. Please encourage your parents to accept their help. I know you won't understand, but there are other cards in play here. Similar to the differences you observed at my family's new years' eve party. I know you'll have questions. I will try to answer them the next time we are able to spend some time together without others involving themselves. Please don't be stupid.

Adrian

Well… that was a rather unhelpful letter. And would it have killed him to sign off the letter with 'Love, Adrian'? Narrowing my eyes in suspicion, I folded Adrian's letter and placed it with the one from Fred and George. Based on what I just read, I'm guessing one of these owls is from Adrian's parents. I scanned the room, trying to guess which owl belonged to them. Adjusting my line of sight to Mum, I got ready to share my suspicions with her when I noticed how tightly she was arching her eyebrows and the wrinkling grip she had on the letter she was reading; Dumbledore's letter.

"I don't understand", she muttered to herself, but that didn't prevent Dad nor I from understanding.

"What, dear?" Dad asked scratched Pigwidgeon on his head.

Mum exhaled loudly through her nose before explaining the contents of the headmaster's letter. "He apologizes for any distress his choice of defense professor has caused our family. He assures us that Holly will have the full support of Hogwarts' staff when she is ready to return to school and their cooperation in any efforts to seek justice". Mum pauses; pressing her lips together.

Giving Dad the impression that she had finished. "Well, that sounds good…" Dad trailed off at the end; not understanding what about the letter had Mum confused. And I had to agree with him. Especially, if the contents of that letter helped me return to Hogwarts sooner rather than later.

But Mum continued. "And he asks that during this difficult time that we try to keep the ordeal a private matter". Mum's voice became rougher the last couple of words.

Dad shifted in his chair as he mulled over Dumbledore's words that were voiced by Mum. "That does sound a bit contradictory, doesn't it?"

"He goes on to say that a quiet resolution would be in Holly's best interests". Mum finished her report as she lowered the letter down to her lap and turned in Dad's direction; freezing me out of their exchange.

At that moment, I didn't mind. My mind was too busy trying to sort out feelings from thoughts. I wouldn't mind if all this just went away. Before being interviewed by Aurors and brought home, I had thought Lockhart getting arrested was the end of it. But after that trip to St. Mungo's and all these letters, that's evidently not the case. Would it be better for me if things were handled quietly? I think it would be. However, the fact that Dumbledore had written his advice in a letter… something just didn't feel right.

Whatever conversation, Dad and Mum were having with their eyes it was set aside when Dad cleared his throat. "Let's open the last of the letters".

There was one for each of us. The one I had was addressed to me. Upon opening it, I knew what it was for at once. Groaning out loud I let my head fall back. "Mine's from Professor McGonagall. And she writes about how I can keep up with my schoolwork while studying from home".

I expected some sort of response; empathy from Dad and maybe an eye roll from Mum. Instead, I got nothing. Both Mum and Dad were too invested in their own letters. At the sight of them scouring over the letters' contents, the suspicious feelings I had gotten from Adrian's letter returned.

"It's from Adrian's parents", Mum said a moment later. "They are offering their support and wish to arrange a time for us to meet. They have a friend of the family they wish to introduce us to. They're claiming that he will be able to help us protect Holly and her prospects". I have prospects? I don't think that's something a fourteen-year-old is supposed to have. "Adrian must have told them everything when he was interviewed by the Aurors", Mum reasoned. "The school would have to have notified them when the Aurors requested to speak to their son. I wonder why they think their friend could help us".

Dad cleared his throat. "I think I know". He waited until Mum was looking at him before going on. At this point, I might as well be invisible. This was definitely a matter that they didn't seem to want my input on. Dad held up the last letter. "This is from Lord Marius Flint, Esquire". I fought the urge to groan again. Adrian, you didn't. And here I had hoped that tempting Adrian with the chance of seeing some skin would be enough to dissuade him involving outsiders. "He is offering his professional services and asks if we would like to schedule a consultation".

"Why would we need a lawyer?" I broke in; needing to derail this train sooner rather than later. "Lockhart was caught. There were witnesses. And it's the department of magical law enforcement pressing charges, not us. So, the burden of proof doesn't lie on us, right?" I was trying to point out how… how useless it would be for us to hire a lawyer. It wasn't like we were seeking reparations. Now Dumbledore's advice to handle things quietly sounded very wise.

But Mum and Dad didn't seem to agree. They were back to having a private discussion through stares alone. I was on the edge of my seat as I waited for them to finish. There was no way they would agree to this, right? I mean, the expense of an attorney doesn't fit in the family budget.

Dad cleared his throat again; this time as he gently brushed Pigwidgeon off his shoulder and stood up. He held Lord Flint's letter in one hand and held out his other for the Pucey's letter that Mum was holding. "I'll write them back", Dad said evenly. It was stronger than his normal tone; the tone he usually uses when he's happy to let Mum have things her own way.

Mum nodded and released the letter to him. "You should tell them about the letter we received from the Daily Prophet too". My eyes widened. "And ask if they will be able to come for tea tomorrow at 1:00".

I stood up in a rush before knowing why I was on my feet. Dad walked out of the room; leaving me with only one parent to express my disagreement with. "You can't be serious!"

Mum's eyes turned towards me. They looked heavy, like a person in need of a nap. "It won't hurt to hear what advice they have to say".

"But Dumbledore said to-" I started to say; thinking about his letter. But Mum cut me off before I could finish.

"Dumbledore shouldn't be asking such a thing of us". She formed her words with uncertainty. As if she couldn't quite believe, she was saying them. I was surprised too. Mum trusted Dumbledore. Especially in the books that Jessie knew. In the books, she had trusted him enough to uproot her family to live in Grimmauld Place. We were still a way off from Ron's fifth year, but still…. What had changed? Climbing to her feet, Mum moved towards me until we were in touching distance. Reaching out, she cupped my left cheek. "This is something that your dad and I have to decide. And we're going to choose what is best for you".