Author Note: This story takes place in an alternate universe. Hogwarts is simply a private boarding school. Harry's parents had willed that their son would attend. Moaning Myrtle was never teased. It is only a name Draco used to get Harry and Ron interested in the bet. They are roughly in their second year. Also note that the dialogue was done intentionally. I think it helps add to the mood. This is my entry for round 6 of The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition. I am the keeper for the Ballycastle Bats. My genre was supernatural. Final word count: 1247
"Harry, what are we doing here?""
"Oh come on, Ron. Don't tell me you're chickening out now."
"I just think it's pointless. The girls lavatory isn't haunted. And if we get caught, my mother will kill me."
"And if we don't do this, Malfoy is going to make the next 6 years living hell."
"But I bet it's still better than when you go home over summer. Your aunt and uncle aren't exactly a walk in the park. Imagine what they'll do if you get caught."
"But if we succeed, I won't have to worry about them anymore."
"I can't believe that you think a ghost is going to somehow make your life better."
"I'll take any chance I can get. I once had a dream where Hogwarts was a school for witches and wizards and I saved the world."
"Mate, that definitely had to be a dream because your scrawny arse couldn't save a fly."
"Shut it Ron! We're here."
The boys stopped outside an old door. The sign on it was faded, but still held the word "Ladies."
"Come on, Harry, let's just turn around and go back to bed before we get in trouble."
"Ron, I'm doing this. If you want to turn around, then go ahead and leave."
The redhead opened his mouth for a moment, scrunched up his face as if he was debating his possibilities, and sighed. Harry smirked, knowing he won the battle this time.
Together they pushed the door open, painfully slow, and cringed when the door squeaked. They stopped, holding their breath, and looked around for moment. When no one came down the hall, they pushed it open with all their might and ran in. The door slammed behind them, echoing through the empty and avoided girls lavatory. Harry's heart pounded in his chest as he leaned against the wall, waiting for a professor to come inspect the noise. He'd forgotten about the Ouija board in his arms until the planchette fell from his hand and clattered on the floor.
"Oi! We have to be quiet, don't go dropping stuff," Ron hissed, trying to not raise his voice.
Harry rolled his eyes as he picked up the small piece, keeping his comments to himself. He listened to his watch as it ticked the second away. It seemed like forever before he dated glance at his watch. 12:01.
"I think we're good," Harry whispered before heading to the stall with the leaning door.
Its paint was chipped, revealing rusted metal. Small holes riddled it and it was missing a hinge, which caused the door to lean against the other side of the frame. It was her stall. The reason they were there.
"Ron, get over here!"
Ron scurried over, whimpering a little.
"You aren't seriously scared are you? How can you be so afraid of something you don't believe is real?"
"Can we just get this over with please?"
Harry nodded and set the Ouija board on the ground as he sat on the cold, cracked tiles.
"One finger each on the planchette. And touch it lightly. We don't want to influence it."
Ron nodded as he followed Harry's lead.
They each place a single finger on the arrow and waited.
"Shouldn't we ask a question?"
"Right," Harry said and paused. What should they ask. He'd seen the movies, corrected as it was, he began, "Hello, is anybody there."
The planchette didn't budge.
"Nothing happened, let's go."
"No! We have to try again."
"We have come here to summon the spirit that inhabits this stall. Are you there?"
Harry held his breath, and suddenly the piece of wood with the magnifying glass stuttered and glided to different letters.
"H-e-l-l-o," Ron spelt out, "Harry, did you make it do that?"
"No."
They stared at each other.
"We should ask a question."
"What should we ask?"
"Who are you?"
The planchette stuttered to life a little faster this time, gliding with ease to the letters.
M-o-a-n-i-n-g M-y-r-t-l-e
"Moaning Myrtle?"
"That's the name Draco told us. Ask another question, Harry."
"No. It's your turn."
Ron whimpered for a moment before managing to stutter, "H-how di-did you die?"
The planchette remained in its spot.
"You try."
"How did you die."
The planchette sprang to life again.
M-u-r-d-e-r-e-d
"Harry, I don't like this. Can we please go now?"
"No, we have to see this through. When did you die?"
L-a-s-t y-e-a-r
"I don't remember anyone dying last year. Do you?"
"No."
"Who killed you? When?"
L-a-s-t s-u-m-m-e-r D-r-a-c-o s-t-a-b-b-e-d m-e b-e-f-o-r-e t-h-e y-e-a-r s-t-a-r-t-e-d a-n-d t-h-e s-c-h-o-o-l c-o-v-e-r-e-d i-t u-p
"Do you think he's going to kill us because we know?"
"I don't know what he's getting at."
"What do we ask now?"
"Why did he kill you?"
I f-o-u-n-d o-u-t h-i-s d-a-r-k-e-s-t s-e-c-r-e-t
"How?"
I s-a-w h-i-m w-h-e-n w-e s-h-o-o-k h-a-n-d-s I h-a-d a v-i-s-i-o-n
"Can you tell us what you saw?"
The planchette starting spinning around and Harry and and Ron quickly removed their fingers as it moved.
No
No
No
No
And just like that the planchette flew off the board and crashed into the wall.
Ron stood up slowly, shaking his head as he started at the small thing. "Harry, I can't do this anymore. Stay here and die for all I care. But I'm going back to our rooms."
Before Harry could respond, Ron had rushed out the door. Harry was left alone. He walked over to the planchette, ready to pick it up.
"You don't need that anymore."
Harry clenched it in his fist as he turned around. There before him was a girl. But he could see right through her. She had pigtails and big round glasses, similar to his own.
"I can't show you what I saw. It's not my gift to share."
"Okay."
"I heard you talking earlier. You seek a better life, am I right?"
"Yes."
"What if I could give you that, and a way to learn everybody's secrets?"
"You can do that?"
She nodded.
"Yes, please. I'd do anything."
"Anything?"
"Absolutely."
"Come here."
Harry quickly crossed the room to her.
"Lay your palms out, face up."
Harry did as he was instructed, the planchette rested in the center of his palm.
"Close your eyes and take a deep breath."
He did as he was told. He felt a cold breeze over his pals and a sharp pain in the back of his neck, but he suffered through it, knowing that there must be some pain in receiving an ability such as learning secrets.
"You can open your eyes."
"I don't feel any different."
"Neither did I."
The door burst open and Ron was back.
"There you are coward. You missed it. Maybe I can test it on you."
A teacher, Dumbledore, followed Ron in the bathroom.
"Oh god."
Their jaws dropped.
"Look, I know I'm out of bounds, but really professor, there's no reason to be so shocked."
"Mr. Malfoy, what have you done?"
"Malfoy isn't here, professor, are you feeling alright?"
"What did you do to Harry," Ron examined, his voice choked. Harry finally turned around and came face to face with a blood covered Draco Malfoy. As he looked down at the blood, Harry saw himself lying on the floor.
"What did you do, Myrtle."
"You said you'd do anything to be able to learn people's secrets. This was the only way."
"You made him do this?"
"No. I knew he was going to. That's why he sent you. I simply provided the distraction for him to kill you."
"So I'm dead? I'm a ghost?"
"Yes."
"What do I do now?"
"I haven't figured that out myself yet."