I found myself feeling sorry for Miserable Myrtle the other day. What fate to live a public toilet in all your death! So, I decided to her give part of the Harry Potter books a more satisfactory ending…
Harry twisted and turned where he lay in bed. It was Christmas Eve, and he was all alone. As usual Ron had asked him to spend the holiday at his place, but Harry had nicely declined. He didn't even know why. Ron and his family always made him feel welcome, almost like he belonged. But it was too late now. He kicked off the blanket and looked around in the dark room. There were usually a few other Gryffindors who stayed at Hogwarts during Christmas, but this year he was all alone in his room. And Hedwig's cage stood empty at his nightstand. What was she doing now? Catching mice maybe? He sat up, put on his glasses and swept the invisibility cloak around him. Perhaps a little walk could calm his nerves.
The woman in the painting was sleeping so he closed the door silently. He walked down the many stairs and through the long corridors. Christmas nights at Hogwarts were always so silent, all that could be heard was the faint creaking of his feet over the floor. His heart skipped a beat when he saw a cat standing just meters away. It was Mrs. Norris. Her suspicious eyes looked his way, and he held his breath. He wasn't supposed to sneak around the school at night. But Mrs. Norris suddenly decided she was deluding herself and so she walked on. Harry sighed with relief and continued to walk the opposite way.
When he passed the girl's toilets the silence was abruptly drowned. Miserable Myrtle was crying as always. Like everyone else Harry was fed up with hearing her wailing. He had had a hard life too, but instead of feeling sorry for himself, he chose to be happy. Nothing was stopping her from leaving the school altogether and starting a new life somewhere. Or a new death perhaps.
Usually he would just walk past the toilets, but something made him walk down the stairs and through the open door. Myrtle sat on the floor with her face in her hands. Her whole body was shaking with grief. Now that he saw her, he couldn't help but feeling sorry for her. At least he had friends, and Christmas presents too from Ron and Hermione. Myrtle had nothing at all.
Still, there was nothing he could do. He turned away. But one of his feet treaded on the invisibility cloak and to his great dismay he felt it slide off of him. Myrtle looked up as she heard the cloak drop to the floor. Harry cursed in his head.
"Harry, what are you doing here?" She said, teary eyed.
"I'm just... Looking around."
"You do know this is the girl's toilets?" She was almost looking amused now.
Harry blushed, "I was just leaving..."
"No! I mean... please stay for a bit."
Harry looked around, as if there could be anyone there to help him.
"I'm sorry I called you my boyfriend," she said, not looking as sorry as she had for just a while ago. Harry felt confused for a moment, then he remembered. Before the Christmas holiday Myrtle had been spreading a rumour that she and he was a couple. No one actually believed it but he was still being teased about it. Anyway, he couldn't be mad at her now.
"It's alright," he said.
Myrtle smiled,"you can kiss me if you like. I won't tell anyone."
"That's very kind, Myrtle."
There was a painfully long silence. Harry cleared his throat, "I should be going now."
Myrtle's smile disappeared, then she nodded. Clearly she didn't want him to go, but she understood. Harry walked out the door and gave out a little "phew!" to himself. Then he heard how she started sobbing again and his heart sank like a stone. How foolish he had been to go there in the first place. He couldn't leave now. Reluctantly he entered the girl's toilets again and Myrtle's crying stopped. She looked at him surprised.
"Do you want to go to my room?" He asked, realising it sounded a bit more intimate than he had intended. "Uhm, not like that", he then added quickly. But Myrtle didn't seem to notice the awkwardness. She sprung to her feet and jumped at him, and at first she seemed a little surprised to be going straight through him. Then she started jumping about again.
"Oh Harry! I love you!" she cried. Harry wondered what he had gotten himself into, but at the same time he was helplessly smitten by her joy.
A few minutes later they were both sitting in Harry's bed. Harry had saved some of the sweets he'd bought in Hogsmeade and now he shared them with Myrtle. She was a lot easier to talk to then he had expected. She didn't go on about her being bullied when she lived or how horrible everything was. They talked about other things, like the tasty food at Hogwarts and all of the teachers. Both Dumbledore and Mrs. McGonagall had been working in the school even when Myrtle lived.
"Oh," Myrtle said," I wish it could be like this forever."
"You could always move out of the toilets, I think that would do a lot."
"Maybe, but what I meant was being with you," said Myrtle and put her hand on his arm. Harry harshly repressed the urge of pulling away.
"But you hate the toilets," he insisted.
"Mm... I guess."
"Can't you move away from there then?"
"I don't know. I've lived in the girl's toilets for fifty years- it's all I know."
"But still..."
She thought hard.
"I'll do it if you help me find a new place," she said suddenly.
Oh no. Why had he said anything? He liked Myrtle but he didn't want to have an actual friendship with her, since she had a way of creeping him out.
"Maybe..." He said.
Myrtle shone up: "Great!"
The next day, after breakfast, Harry went to the girl's toilets as promised. He stopped by the door. Myrtle stood in front of the mirror, braiding her hair into two separate plats whilst she smiled vainly at her reflection.
"Mrs. Potter", she said to herself," Mrs. Myrtle Potter."
Harry shuddered of discomfort, then took a deep breath. He knocked at the side of the door and Myrtle turned to look at him. She covered her mouth in a giggle.
"Harry! I didn't see you there... How long have you been here?" Her surprise seemed slightly exaggerated and Harry had a feeling she'd known he was there all along.
"I just came," he lied.
The few other pupils in the school had already returned to their rooms so Harry and Myrtle were all alone in the corridors. Neither of them said anything. Myrtle tried to hold his hand a few times, forgetting that she only slipped right through him.
First they went to the library. The librarian looked strangely at them as they passed her desk, walking side by side. Then they continued to the old library, the one they actually weren't allowed to visit. It was a big and murky room and all of the ancient books gave it a strange smell of dead leaves and vanilla.
"What do you think?" Harry said.
Myrtle dragged a finger along a bookcase with a wrinkled nose.
"It's a little dusty."
Better than the girl's toilets, Harry thought, but he didn't say anything. They carried on to the owlery, where Harry saw Hedwig perched up among her friends. She looked back at him and greeted him with a little screech.
"I can't live here," Myrtle said.
"I'll have to agree with you," said Harry.
They walked all morning round the castle, but nothing seemed like a good place for Myrtle to live. It had to be a place people didn't use too much, and at the same time it obviously had to be better than the girl's toilets. They had really looked everywhere, in the great hall, the east wing, the north tower and even in the green houses. It was quite hopeless.
Whilst walking along the corridor Myrtle suddenly sat down on the floor with her back against the wall.
"Maybe I could just sleep in your room," she said with a cheeky smile," we could share bed."
"I'm afraid not, Myrtle."
"Well, look at you turtledoves!" A voice called from the other side of the corridor. Harry looked up but couldn't see anyone. Then he realised it was Madame Portobello, a woman in one of the many paintings of Hogwarts. She was a very chubby woman with a happy mouth and two sparkling eyes. She loved teasing people who were passing by, and she was great at it.
Myrtle looked to see Harry's reaction.
"Did you hear what she said Harry?"
"Yes. Very funny Madame!"
Suddenly he had an idea, and he walked up to the Madame. Myrtle followed him closely.
"Do you see yourself living here Myrtle?"
"Hey! If you're thinking what I'm thinking you're thinking, I'm the first one you should be asking," Madame Portobello said. Harry and Myrtle ignored her.
"I don't know," Myrtle said," It looks a little small, don't you think?"
"There's more than what's shown on the picture, but that's not the big issue, is it?" Said Madame.
Myrtle looked at Harry.
"If I move," she said," will you visit me Harry?"
Harry thought for a while, then he raised his shoulders.
"I walk past these corridors every day."
"Stop talking as if I'm not here!" Madame screamed.
Myrtle smiled at Harry.
"Sorry Madame," she said, "may I move in with you?"
Madame could not stay cross for long.
"Take a bath and I'll consider it. You smell like a sewer."
"I think that's the closest you'll come to a yes," Harry said.
"Me too, and thank you Harry. I have a good feeling about this." She reached forward to kiss him. She was going for his mouth and Harry quickly turned his head so the kiss landed on his cheek instead. He flinched, it felt like having an ice cube pressed against his skin.
Myrtle then placed her hand against the painting and on the opposite side Madame put her hand against Myrtle's.
"Come in, child," she said and the moment after Myrtle was inside the frame next to her.
"Have a good one;" Madame said to Harry, "Myrtle and I are having a grand breakfast at my house now." Harry saw a white little cottage beside the lake in the painting. It looked rather cosy, and he guessed that was where Madame lived.
"I don't need to eat," Myrtle said.
"Neither do I, puppet. But that doesn't stop me."
Myrtle smiled, "Merry Christmas, Harry."
She looked happy and Harry knew now, she was going to be alright.