The end of the week swung around and the engulfing happiness that came with being back at school had sadly vanished from Sybil's mood. Sybil had been allowed to remove her cast and sling on Thursday, after four days of keeping it on to allow her bones to fully heal. The bruises on Sybil's chest and arms had fully healed as well and it was as if the accident had never happened.

As for her friends, especially Alithea and Caroline, she hadn't spoken to them since she had gotten the letter from her aunt. Once Sybil had opened the letter, Caroline had immediately started asking dozens of questions about the content.

The letter had been rather vague and to the point-- only stating that Sybil's father's hearing had been moved up to Friday morning at nine, as opposed to the middle of the next week. It hadn't actually mentioned the word "hearing", but Sybil was certain that was what her aunt was referring to. That alone had been responsible for most of Sybil's nervousness, and the anticipation had been eating her alive for more than twenty-four hours.

She was on edge for most of Thursday, not speaking to her classmates and often fixating a certain spot and thinking. All throughout the day Sybil fidgeted with her hands and chewed her lips, not even opening her mouth to respond to a professor's prompt. She had a permanent spaced-out look for most of the time, with the exception of when she was thinking hard on any class work.

Sybil's friends tried to ask Sybil what made her act in this way, but she ignored them all and refused to say a word. They wondered how long Sybil would behave like this. She was grateful that the letter hadn't given away her family's situation to anyone. She was barely able to accept her father's actions herself, so how would she explain it to another person?

Thursday night, Sybil couldn't sleep. In a couple of hours the Wizengamot would put her father on trial and learn about what happened that made him break into the Department of Mysteries. She hoped her father would explain himself so that he wouldn't have to go to the horrid prison. But more than anything, Sybil wanted to finally understand if her father was innocent, because she wasn't sure she'd be able to forgive him if he wasn't.

She tossed and turned for hours, unable to rid her mind of her haunting thoughts. Her bed felt as stiff as a board and she could hear the leaves rustling down on the grounds below, and every single sound coming from the creaking beds in her dorm room.

Minutes seemed like hours and the night was like an eternity, but eventually Sybil shifted in her bed to notice the morning light peaking through her curtains. She tore the curtains wide open and let the light stream into the room. She then immediately threw her duvet off her body and sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Sybil shivered from the lack of covers and hugged her body, today was the day.

The girl took her uniform and robes from her armoire and sulked to the bathroom, ignoring Cho and Mayella who were waking up due to the blinding light and groaning to have someone close the blinds. It must've been about six in the morning but Sybil didn't care.

Sybil stood in the shower for a good half hour before grudgingly closing the tap and getting dressed.

"Trying to drown yourself are you?" Alithea stated dully from the sink next to Sybil. She had probably woken up early that day too. Alithea's voice sounded very bitter as she splashed water into her face. She had taken it very badly when Sybil had stopped speaking the them.

Sybil simply frowned and swooped around Alithea, it hurt her to ignore her friends so much.

Down in the Great Hall, there were barely anyone, it was the last day of classes before the first weekend of the year and it was seven o'clock. Sybil sat in a random empty seat, away from where she usually sat with Caroline and Alithea. She poured a medium bowl of porridge and started scooping small portions into her mouth. She had been starving before she ate, but as she became full, the ever growing pit of worry in her stomach became bigger and bigger, eventually causing her to stop eating completely. And so, Sybil sat in her seat staring at vast stone walls, with her cold porridge sitting in front of her. At seven-thirty students began to come in for breakfast and that's when Sybil got up to leave the Great Hall, wanting to avoid anyone who knew her.

For the first time in her life, Sybil skipped class. Her first class was Transfiguration at nine, but Sybil's nerves would have certainly prevented her from succeeding at anything in class. With guilt in her heart for skipping, Sybil instead walked at a very slow pace from the Great Hall to the Owlery. Sybil took her time, but wanted to be at the Owlery by nine-thirty, when the hearing started. Through the corridors she walked, dragging her feet and with a sullen, pale look on her face. The feeling in her stomach grew with every step, and the only thoughts running through her head were hoping for her father's innocence.

Outside, and near the Owlery, the atmosphere was warm and inviting, very contrasting to how Sybil was feeling at the moment. The wind blew in a gentle breeze, detaching rusty-colored leaves from tree branches, and making them dance in the wind. Sybil settled herself outside the Owlery on the steps to the upper level. She decided to wait there until an owl came to her with news. Her satchel lay against her side, and her elbows were perched on her knees as her chin lay in her hands, her eyes studying the Scottish landscape.

The watch on Sybil's wrist ticked to read nine-thirty. Her father's trial had just begun. She could imagine the scene unfolding from above. Her father being escorted into the large, high ceilinged room, that held the serious hearings on the bottom floor of the Ministry. When she was eight her father had brung her to work and showed her all around the Ministry, trying to convince her to work there when she was older. It seemed now that she would have to work at the Ministry when she graduated in two years time.

Sybil imagined her father in the horrible striped robes that were given to prisoners in Azkaban. After just five days in that awful place, Sturgis probably already looked battered. It was hard to imagine him in midst of all those other criminals. She knew he would try to act strong and pretend that he was okay even after a week in the worst place in the world.

Sturgis had a very hard look, with his chiseled jaw, crooked nose, and head that looked "thatched", he had steel gray eyes, which Sybil also had, and was very able-bodied. Large shoulders and heavily-massed bodies ran in he Podmore family, and though Sybil was very tall, she was more like her mother.

Her aunt no doubt would be leaning over the railings in concern. Sybil had shock-like shivers race through her body, as if it was cold outside, though it was merely fall.

Time creeped by even slower than it did during the night. The distress that had kept her lying in bed awake, was now worse than ever before.

So soon.

She couldn't wait.

Then, a graying barn owl swooped into the air around the Owlery. It had to be news from her aunt, no one else would be receiving letters at the moment, they were all in class. The owl flew directly to Sybil without a second thought.

Oh no, no, no, no. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. Thought Sybil. It was too soon. She thought it would've taken longer. Her eyes were so wide and her mouth pressed in a thin line.

The owl flapped in the air in front of Sybil, waiting for her to grab the letter from its leg. Her shaking white, pale hands slowly reached out and untied the parchment letter, the owl flew away in an instant.

Sybil debated opening the letter, if she didn't open it she would never know, and she would never know if something bad happened. She could remain blissfully ignorant. But then, ignorance was something she couldn't stand.

Who am I kidding? I can do this. Sybil forced herself to think.

Oh no, I'm doing it. She tore the top of the envelope open with her eyes closed. It was done. She had to read it now.

She took the single piece of parchment and dropped the envelope to the floor. Quavering fingers unfolded the paper. Her heart was beating a million miles a minute.

Sybil,
I don't know how to frase this, but your father was found guilty. I am so sorry. The full Wizengamot tried him a-and he didn't speak in his defense. I don't know what got into him, he refused to say anything to keep himself out of Azkaban. He didn't mention any of us or any of the Order. I don't understand how this could have happened. He was acting strange before this all happened, and now it's crazy. They gave him six months in Azkaban. Six months. Furthermore he declined the Ministry's offer to say goodbye to any family.

I can't say anything else. I understand if you don't want to respond, I know you'll read this anyway. Don't do anything rash. Please Sybil, the only thing that'll get me through this is knowing that you are okay. I trust you.

Love you forever,
Aunt Emmeline

Silence. Utter silence, at least in Sybil's mind. She was surprised, outraged, infuriated, sad, everything at once. She could not believe it. Her father, Sturgis Podmore, the loving, Hufflepuff father, put into Azkaban.

It was impossible. It made no sense. Why would he not speak in his defense? Why didn't he want to see his daughter? And most importantly why had he even broken into the Ministry in the first place? That question had been hanging in Sybil's brain the entire week.

Happy memories of her father flashed into her eyes. Reading Tales of Beedle the Bard before bed. Climbing trees with him and her mother when she was still alive. Opening her first case of books on Christmas Day. Sturgis trying to get Sybil to play Gobstones with him during Easter in her first year. Long letters talking about the development of cauldron making over the centuries and things happening at school. Even up until last March when her father surprised her in Hogsmeade to give her her new broom.

It seemed so strange to think that that man had just been sent to prison. The man who was the biggest part of her childhood, who had raised her even when his wife passed away. She didn't know his reasons and or explanations so she decided to treat the affair as she did many other un-explainable things. She would not bother to look for an answer until more information was given, she had already searched enough before leaving for Hogwarts anyway.

Above all, she decided she felt betrayed. Betrayed that her father would do something of such a terrible caliber that he was sent away. He had taught Sybil right from wrong at a young age, and what her father had done was very wrong, so she couldn't go against her strongest beliefs, to try and think the her dad was innocent, even after all of the evidence was against him.

It was all so confusing. To Sybil, the whole affair was confusing. How would she go on from now? Will her friends find out? Would her professors do something for the situation?

Tears didn't even well up in her eyes. She didn't feel sad, no she had gotten the sadness out of her when she had first found out a week ago. Now she simply felt empty, unsure.

Near her feet, a screech owl had started to peck at her satchel. Sybil bent down and waved her hand full of parchment to make it go away, snapping her back into reality.

Her arms drooped to her sides. She sighed. She had missed all of her morning classes, but she couldn't feel herself going to class now anyway, and her professors would find out about Sturgis eventually, and excuse her from missing the periods.

Sybil would have to speak to her friends eventually, they didn't deserve being shunned. She had refused to tell anyone because she didn't like having help, no matter how much she needed it. If she had told even just one person, they would have tried to help her and Sybil would've found it annoying.

She had started making her way back towards the looming castle, but wasn't sure where she would go. Back to class was a definite no. Lunch was occurring at the time, and Sybil was not in a mood to eat, even after having barely ate at breakfast. Her common room would be filled with students running in and out to get books and whatnot, so that was also a no. The corridors could have been an option, but too many people walked through them, and she had a better chance of being found by professors. The library seemed like the best option, no one would bother her, and she could hide away and out of sight so that she didn't have to communicate.

Thinking of books lifted Sybil's spirit a tiny bit above the abyss in which it was in. She needed a distraction, something else to think about.

Walking into the arched castle doorway, she came up with the perfect thing to research which would help her take her mind off of things. And for the first time in two days, Sybil smiled.

~~~~~
A/N: Sorry this has taken me so long to update!! I've been really busy with school and haven't had time and the right inspiration to write this chapter. Originally it was supposed to be longer, but otherwise it probably would've been 5,000 words long, and taken me a lot longer to publish. Don't be surprised if the next chapter takes a while too, I have the idea for it, I just haven't written it yet.

Please forgive any mistakes, I'm not perfect...

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and that you will enjoy what comes next!