Percy, Fred, George, and Bill Weasley did some investigating and incriminated Gilderoy Lockheart. Percy had kept Hermione up to date on this, by writing letters and having Hermes deliver them.
Percy often joked around, in a way that he didn't use to. When Hermione commented about this, Percy blamed this on spending more time with Fred and Geoge, and the fact that they were friends again, and claimed that he'd been realizing what really mattered.
Hermione had wanted to go to the trial. She stayed with the Weasleys for a few weeks, late in the summer, so she could go.
At the trial, she heard a lot of awful stuff about the man she had once admired. It was awful, but she felt like she had to know it.
Hermione had enjoyed spending time with the Weasleys, especially Percy and Ron. Ron was a lot different now, but he still seemed to recognize Hermione.
After meeting with the other new prefects, Hermione walked along and looked through the windows until she saw Jane, Neville, and Luna.
She opened the door, to hear Jane saying something in parseltongue, and see her making a sheet of paper float with her wand.
"Parseltongue again," Neville said, with a sad look on his face, before looking up. "Hi, Hermione. How was the trial?"
Hermione walked in. "It was all right. That man wrecked many people's lives, just to make a name for himself. I can't believe I once read his books and thought he was great."
"Don't beat yourself up about it," Luna said.
"You were only twelve," Neville added.
"Trying to do spells in English. Recently, her friend Mrs. Snake, the python at the zoo, died. Since then she's been unable to speak English, but she can speak parseltongue."
"Why?"
"I don't know if parseltongue is easier, or if it's because Mrs. Snake was the only one she ever really spoke parseltongue with. Jane, maybe you should whisper it. Then, hopefully, when you do it in class most students won't really notice it."
Jane pointed her wand at the paper again. She whispered a word in parseltongue, and the paper floated into the air.
"What's that?" Hermione asked, pointing to the potted plant in Neville's lap.
"It's a mimbulus mimbletonia," Neville answered. "I got it for my birthday."