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 about it," Luna said.

"You were only twelve," Neville added.

"Yeah, but still. What was Jane doing?"

"Trying to do spells in English. Recently, her mate 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."

Jane sat with the other Hufflepuffs, in the great hall. She listened to the sorting hat song.

In times of old, when I was new,
And Hogwarts barely started,
The founders of our noble school
Thought never to be parted.

United by a common goal,
They had the selfsame yearning
To make the world's best magic school
And pass along their learning.

"Together we will build and teach"
The four good friends decided.
And never did they dream that they
Might some day be divided.

For were there such friends anywhere
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?
Unless it was the second pair
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw,

So how could it have gone so wrong?
How could such friendships fail?
Why, I was there, so I can tell
The whole sad, sorry tale.

Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those
Whose ancestry's purest."
Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose
Intelligence is surest."

Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those
With brave deeds to their name."
Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot
And treat them just the same."

Jane was a bit confused by this song. No house had just one trait. Maybe in times of old they did, All the founders seemed stuck up, except for Hufflepuff. Also, this song seemed anti-sorting, so far, which was weird because it was being sung by the sorting hat.

These differences caused little strife
When first they came to light.
For each of the four founders had
A house in which they might

Take only those they wanted, so,
For instance,

Slytherin
Took only pure-blood wizards
Of great cunning just like him.

And only those of sharpest mind
Were taught by

Ravenclaw
While the bravest and the boldest
Went to daring Gryffindor .

Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest
and taught them all she knew,
Thus, the houses and their founders
Maintained friendships firm and true.

Jane knew, from the Hogwarts history book, that Helga Hufflepuff had originally taken the rest, but that wasn't the case anymore.

So Hogwarts worked in harmony
For several happy years,
But then discord crept among us
Feeding on our faults and fears.

The Houses that, like pillars four
Had once held up our school
Now turned upon each other and
Divided, sought to rule.

And for a while it seemed the school
Must meet an early end.
What with duelling and with fighting
And the clash of friend on friend.

And at last there came a morning
When old Slytherin departed
And though the fighting then died out
He left us quite downhearted.

And never since the founders four
Were whittled down to three
Have the Houses been united
As they once were meant to be.

And now the Sorting Hat is here
And you all know the score:
I sort you into Houses
Because that is what I'm for.

But this year I'll go further,
Listen closely to my song:
Though condemned I am to split you
Still I worry that it's wrong,

Though I must fulfill my duty
And must quarter every year
Still, I wonder whether sorting
May not bring the end I fear.

Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
The warning history shows,
For our Hogwarts is in danger

From external, deadly foes.

And we must unite inside her
Or we'll crumble from within
I have told you, I have warned you…
Let the Sorting now begin.

Jane liked the warning of the song, but at the same time, it would be horrible for the first years who heard that right before getting sorted.