Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Lord Marius Flint
I had never felt so uncomfortable in my own home before. In the sitting room, Lord Flint sat in Dad's favorite armchair while Mr. and Mrs. Pucey were stationed on the sofa. All three of them sat with stiff posture as they subtly scrutinized the room. They didn't want us to notice. Not when Mrs. Pucey eyed Mum's mismatched teacups. Not when Mr. Pucey's eyes were drawn to every chip, crack, and stain that he came across. And not when Flint senior wouldn't let his back touch the backrest of Dad's chair. But I noticed it all. And it was kind of pissing me off. Enough so that I found myself reverting to American slang. I wondered why I was noticing this now. Mr. and Mrs. Pucey had been in our home before. They had spent most of the time in our garden. Maybe that's why I hadn't noticed their discomfort. Adrian had also been there, and he's always good at distracting me from making observations.
"Can I get anyone anything else?" Mum asked. Her posture was stiff too, but for different reasons. Despite being surprisingly open-minded when I brought home a Slytherin boyfriend and Ginny was sorted into Slytherin, she wasn't used to having a gathering of them for tea.
"No. No thank you, Molly", Mrs. Pucey spoke up. "What you've already provided is perfect". At least her voice sounded genuine. And she was right too. Despite the short notice, Mum had made lemon squares for our guests. Mum's lemon squares always made you want more.
Mum nodded but she was clearly unsatisfied as she settled down next to Dad on the settee. If no one wanted anything else there was nothing that could put off this conversation any longer.
Lord Flint cleared his throat and set his teacup on the coffee table. "It would be prudent to start by stating the services I can provide". His voice was like gravel; like someone who enjoyed his firewhiskey and cigars.
"Sarcastic comments, unwanted opinions, headaches… a complex" I listed off; muttering under my breath. I was standing by the fireplace, leaning against the mantle. There was no way Mum could hear me from the other side of the room. But she's my mum and she automatically knows when I've done something rude.
"Holly", she snapped a warning without directing her attention away from Flint Senior.
I rolled my eyes but knew better than to open my mouth again. Lord Flint smiled at me. His teeth gleamed (not at all like his son's) and humor glinted in his eyes. "Of course, your daughter is not being charged with any criminal offense so you are not in need of true legal representation, but it would be advantageous to have legal representation during any interviews. Both for the aurors' investigation and as testimony during the trial. I, of course, will not be able to interject at trial but just knowing that your daughter has a lawyer that will sue if she is asked too many invasive questions should keep everyone in line".
Dad cleared his throat as he found the words to ask, "so, you think they'll make Holly testify?"
I waited for Lord Flint to answer Dad with a cutting remark like Snape would have done that implied Dad was stupid. But was surprised when the answer Flint Senior gave was a serious one. "Lockhart being a celebrity is going to make this a high-profile case. It will attract a lot of interest from the public. The Wizengamot is going to feel pressured to put on a show in fear of a backlash from Lockhart's fans".
Mr. and Mrs. Pucey nodded along as if all these thoughts had already occurred to them. But I was mostly focused on my parents; who were appearing more and more alarmed with every implication that left Lord Flint's mouth. I wanted to cry out, 'Nothing happened!' But knew I shouldn't.
"So, I'd say it would be safe to assume that your daughter will be required to testify". Lord Flint finished. Bloody hell, I thought as I bit my bottom lip; looking away from everyone in the room. "However, she is a minor. That will give us some control over how she participates with the proceedings". It was not lost to me that Lord Flint was talking like he already had the job.
Mrs. Pucey set her teacup and saucer down so properly that the action didn't even make a sound. "Marius, I'm concerned with the media coverage". Her eyes flashed to Mum and Dad, but the majority of her focus remained on Flint Senior. Right, because he was obviously the most important person in this conversation.
Lord Flint gave a deep nod. He laced his fingers together and balanced his elbows on his knees. I was having difficulty deciding if his actions were for show, or if they were genuine. "Yes. It's vital that we control the narrative".
Mum shifted; drawing attention to herself. "We received a letter from the Daily Prophet", she said. When The Puceys and Lord Flint turned their gazes to her, Mum reached towards the coffee table to rummage through the pile of the opened mail sitting on top of it. It doesn't take her long to find the one she was searching for and she handed it over to Lord Flint.
All the adults were silent, as Flint senior took out the letter and read over its contents. My patience for this whole ordeal was lessening with every second. Mum, Dad, and Mrs. Pucey were all staring at Flint Senior; waiting for him to finish. While Mr. Pucey was staring at… something. Tracking Mr. Pucey's line of sight, my eyes landed on the Furby sitting on the bookshelf. Dad had brought it home one day to study how it worked. Oh, dear Merlin.
Lord Flint made a closed-lipped vocalization to signal when he was done reading. "Have you responded?" He asked as he folded the letter and looked up at Mum and Dad.
"No", Dad answered quickly as he placed an arm in comfort over Mum's shoulders. "We weren't sure how to respond. But we don't want Holly talking to any reporters".
"Yes", Lord Flint agreed. "She shouldn't be giving any interviews. But a statement will need to be made. The last thing we want is to give them license to use their imaginations. I will handle this", Flint Senior declared as he pocketed the letter.
That was the moment that I reached the end of my rope. "Excuse me", I interjected; my voice sounding far from polite. "I thought this was a consultation. Why are you acting as if you've already got the job?" I kept my words directed only at Flint Senior.
"Holly", Mum called my name. This time it wasn't a warning. It was more like an attempt to soothe me from a distance. But she didn't do anything other than that.
My nostrils flared as Lord Flint looked at me with another gleaming smile. Like he found me more amusing than uninviting. A second later, he looked back at Mum and Dad. "Have you thought about pressing charges against the school? I'd say you have the grounds for a negligence case".
Both Mum and Dad opened their mouths. However, I beat both of them to it. "No", I stated firmly. Standing up straight, I took one step away from the mantle. "We're not suing the school!" I exclaimed like it was the most ludicrous thing I've ever heard; gesturing with my hands to get across how serious I was. "This is…." I trailed off as I tried to find the right word.
"Holly", Mum interjected again.
"Ridiculous", I finished my thought. "Nothing happened".
Lord Flint locked eyes with me. And like a chess master about to declare checkmate, he said, "So, Lockhart didn't single you out from your classmates?"
I clicked my tongue against the back of my teeth in annoyance. Yeah, that had happened… "That's not-"
"Lockhart never intimidated you or used his authority as leverage over you?" Flint Senior continued; not letting me argue.
"He did, but-"
"He didn't force you to enter his private rooms? And Dumbledore didn't do anything about Lockhart's advances until things had gotten this far?" Lord Flint drove his point home.
At this point, I was grinding my teeth. So hard that the next time I spoke, my words came out sounding like a growl. "But I didn't report anything". I left out the time Fred, George, and I went to Dumbledore to let him in on everything we knew. "So, how is the school at fault?"
Lord Flint leaned forward and adopted a shark-like trait to his smile. "You're a scared little girl who was threatened into compliance. Your teachers and Dumbledore are adults who failed to protect their students". Those two sentences had me fuming. Mostly, because I was struggling to figure out how I could pick apart Flint senior's statements. At my momentary silence, Lord Flint directed his next sentence to Mum, Dad, and the Puceys. "That is the narrative I would like to sell to the press".
"But they did help me", I blurted out before I really thought about my options. This is what I get for trying to handle things without talking with Fred and George first. Everyone except Mr. Pucey was staring at me. He was still distracted by the Furby. "Flitwick made me a teacher's assistant so I didn't have to go to Lockhart's class. Snape told McGonagall what he saw when he found Lockhart alone with me in his classroom. And McGonagall made sure I knew I could talk to her". I was trying to get everything out to make them realize that it wasn't as bad as Flint senior was making it out to be. But I was so focused on talking, that I didn't notice the pained and agitated faces of my parents. At least, not until I finished talking. Mrs. Pucey had her lips pressed together so hard that they were void of color. And Mr. Pucey finally tore his eyes away from the Furby in favor of studying me like I was a puppy at an animal shelter he was thinking about taking home. Quickly, I thought through everything I had just said. Did I say something wrong?
Lord Flint didn't seem to think so. Like I had just given him the last biscuit, he said, "So, it was just Headmaster Dumbledore who is incompetent".
I scowled and crossed my arms over my chest. Mum broke it before I could refute Lord Flint further. "We received a letter from Dumbledore as well", she said as she started digging through the pile of letters on the coffee table. I felt the color drained from my face as I watched Mum hand over another piece of mail to Flint Senior. What did I just do? I turned on my heel and marched out of the sitting room. I kept the same pace as I made it through the kitchen and out the back door into the garden; fighting the urge to run. No one called me back or came after me.
The next morning, the Daily Prophet's front-page article was titled, Gilderoy Lockhart's victim. Just that alone had my stomach-churning. Mum almost didn't let me read it. I almost didn't want her to let me. Who wants their child to be described as a victim? But like a train wreck, I was finding it impossible to look away.
Gilderoy Lockhart's Victim
By Rita Skeeter
This morning I bring you the latest information concerning the charges placed on Gilderoy Lockhart, wizard extraordinaire. And it is, dear readers, a scandal of truly disturbing accusations. As we all know, the talented and popular author accepted a teaching position at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Of course, everyone expected great things from Professor Lockhart as he guided our children towards bright futures. However; one student found Lockhart to be quite different from how he describes himself in his books.
Two nights prior, Gilderoy was brought from Hogwarts to Azkaban prison under the charges of abuse, and harassment towards a child to await trial. Lockhart's lawyers tried to get him out on bail before he had to sleep in the formidable prison. But the request was denied and the five-time winner of Witch Weekly's most charming smile award is still incarcerated. When approached for a statement, Lockhart's lawyers insisted that it was all an abysmal misunderstanding and that their client is innocent on all accounts.
At this point, some of you may be wondering who is Lockhart's supposed victim. It was a challenge to learn the identity of this student. On the same night of Lockhart's arrest, the student was pulled from Hogwarts by her concerned parents. The brave Aurors pursuing justice have refused to release the student's identity. It took some digging and loose lips, but after some hard work, I have a name for you; Holly Weasley. Some of my more diligent readers may remember Miss Holly Weasley from an article released last school year regarding the uncovering of Peter Pettigrew. Yes! She is the sister of the trio of Wonder Weasleys. Just what is this young lady doing while at school?
From the Department of Law Enforcement's report, students and teachers alike have witnessed Lockhart bullying Miss Weasley during his lessons, seeking her out when he knew she was alone, and dragging Miss Weasley unwillingly into his private rooms. We reached out to the Weasleys to ask for their daughter's side of events and Miss Weasley's legal representation, Lord Marius Flint, released a statement. "My client's family are working together to help her process this trauma. They are grateful for all the support and concern of the general public but ask that their privacy is respected as they work through this difficult time. As Miss Weasley is not being charged with any crimes, in this case, I am not at liberty to discuss any of the proceedings. That is something that is left solely to the discretion of Lockhart's lawyers and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. My presence in the proceedings is to ensure that Miss Weasley and her family are treated with dignity and sensitivity as the Wizengamot decides whether or not the Lockhart is guilty of his heinous acts against my client".
Now, it's no secret amongst our social circles that the Weasley family isn't a financially stable group. I am sure many of you are wondering how they can afford services from the esteemed Lord Marius Flint. But fear not, my dear readers. I will not leave you to speculate. When asked, Lord Flint shared, "Miss Weasley and I share some mutual friends. Friends that have stated a lifelong interest in Miss Weasley's wellbeing. When these mutual friends expressed their concerns to me I, of course, offered my services pro bono".
This is certainly shaping up to be the story of the year. I'm Rita Skeeter, and I will be your frontline source of information as this story continues to unfold. Farewell, dear readers.
"I think", I said slowly as I set down the paper on the table. "That I really hate this woman. At least she didn't have a stupid picture of me this time".
"Holly", Mum huffed from the other side of the table; half in humor and half in disapproval. It was the morning after the Puceys and Flint Senior's visit. And my new lawyer had wasted no time in acting. I was still struggling to believe that Mum and Dad had agreed to accept Lord Flint's offer. But after a long night of me arguing and them and Mum and Dad insisting that it was for the best, I knew it was a mote point to bring up my disagreement again.
Being a middle child and a multiple to boot, I had never gotten to experience what being an only child felt like. I didn't get to experience it when I was Jessie either because then I had a big brother who never left home. But that all changed when Mum decided to pull me from school. Dad returned to work this morning; leaving Mum and me to our own devices. Being a triplet and a big sister, I wasn't used to having Mum's undivided attention. And now that I have it, I don't know what to do with it.
"I thought after I finish the washing-up, we can spend the morning tending to the garden. Then in the afternoon you can work on some of the assignments your teachers owled you". Mum said as she started collecting all the breakfast plates; standing up and waiting for my response before she carried them over to the sink.
"Okay", I agreed a bit half-heartedly. Gardening wasn't my favorite chore. Which everyone would understand if they saw my Herbology mark. But at least gardening involved being outside. "But it's going to be hard to work on school work. I'll have to see what textbooks we have here".
Mum, satisfied with my response, moved over to the sink. She said over her shoulder, "We can ask Fred and George to send your books home".
I snorted a short laugh. "They would love that", I said as I stood up and moved to help with the dishes. Mum always washed them by magic. But the task still went faster if there were two pairs of hands helping to put them away. "If they send me our books, then they wouldn't have to do their work".
"We'll figure something out", Mum assured me as she handed me a scrubbed and dry frying pan. "But you three have been fine with sharing books up until now?" She asked. It was a question that she and Dad often asked Fred, George, and me. Budget-wise, it helped Dad and Mum out that we shared supplies. But they worried that we were…. I don't know, missing out when we had to share things like textbooks.
I shrugged to put Mum at ease. "We like it this way. George writes notes in the margins and that makes it easy to study. And when we need to use our books in class, Fred and George share and I share with Angelina or Adrian. It's never been a problem".
Appeased Mum moved on to put away one of her serving spoons. But a question popped into my mind not long after. "Mum, what do you think Lord Flint meant when he described the Puceys as having a lifelong interest in my wellbeing? I mean, that was weird right?"
Mum turned to me with a forced smile of assurance on her face. It was one that immediately put me on edge. "It's not something you need to worry about". Except I did worry. I worried quite a bit.