The Girl Who Couldn't Speak
It was a cold, misty and surreal sunset in the Hogwarts Castle, but perhaps that wasn't so unpleasant, seeing as how it stood in stark contrast to that earlier scorching hot day. "Hmph! 'Haven't you ever heard of a fan?' she says! 'It's 1943' she says 'Maybe if your glasses weren't so ugly, someone would let you sit in the shade with them' she says!" The crying went on for nearly fifteen minutes before anyone even noticed. "Myrtle? Are you alright?" asked a voice of concern. "Oh Sophia! Thank goodness you're here! It's Olive Hornby! She teased me about my glasses again!" Myrtle yelled as she sobbed and sobbed. Sophia rubbed her back and gave a warm smile. "Don't worry about that girl. I think your glasses are smashing. So smashing that I would like to buy you a butterbeer to cheer you up!" Sophia said, shooting a smile at her, hoping that she would feel better.
"I guess... You're a really good friend, Sophia,"
"That's the spirit. Now why don't you go to the bathroom and wash your face, and then we'll go. And since Olive Hornby lost her Hogsmeade privileges this year, she won't be bothering you."
"That sounds wonderful. I'll be back in fifteen minutes."
With that, Myrtle wiped tears from her acne-ridden face and went off to leave Sophia for the longest fifteen minutes anyone has ever been gone. In fact, it was three whole hours before Sophia got tired of waiting, and decided to see what was going on. Ascending the stairs to the bathroom, night fell upon the ginger girl. Just at the top of the stair case, she was met by an unpleasant face. Duncan O'Connell. "Well if it isn't Sophia Black. Everyone's favourite blood-traitor. How is it for your parents? Y'know. Trying to 'fix' you?" Sophia narrowed her eyes just enough to give a threatening impression. "Out of the way, Duncan! I don't have time for your antics!" she yelled angrily, her Irish accent giving in to that hot-headed stereotype to it's fullest. "Oh come now, Sophia. We're both Irish. From one Irish pureblood to the other, how are things?" Duncan persisted. "MOVE! OUT OF THE WAY WITH YOU!" Sophia finally roared before physically pushing him aside. "In a hurry, eh? No worries! Valentine's is still a ways away! I'll see you around!" he called as Sophia darted off to the girls room. "Damn him..." she muttered as she entered the girls' bathroom. The very first thing she noticed is a giant scaly mass slithering beside her feet. Her steel blue eyes became large and full of fear as she looked at what was unmistakably the corpse of Myrtle spread eagle on the bathroom floor.
What came afterwards was the largest and loudest scream that Sophia ever uttered. If nobody thought someone was murdered before, they sure knew now. "Myrtle!" she cried. Terrified as Sophia was, she left the bathroom immediately. She headed right for Professor Dippet's office. "Professor Dippet!" she cried. "Yes, what is it, Miss Black?" he asked.
"Sir... I..."
"What's the matter? You look as if you've seen a ghost."
"MYRTLE IS DEAD!"
Silence fell. You could hear a pin drop and the the moment wouldn't have been any less unpleasant. It was five whole minutes before anyone said anything. "And what proof do you have of this? Or is this another prank?" asked Professor Dippet sternly. "I swear to god it's not a joke! She's dead on the bathroom floor and I saw a creature..." Sophia was unable to finish her sentence due to her intense sobbing. "Now now... Calm yourself, Miss Black. I'll have Miss Hornby check on things, and I'm sure this is nothing to worry about. Now, what I want you to do is calm down and wait in the hospital wing," Dippet said comfortingly. "Yes, sir..." and with that, Sophia walked in the other direction, her face looking completely white.
Not more than two floors down did she see a face that just protruded evil from the eyes. "Go away, Riddle. I am in no mood," Sophia said coldly. "Come on, you know you can call me Tom. I don't mind," Tom said with an almost sickening grin. "Did I hear screaming coming from the girls' lavatory?" Sophia didn't answer him. Instead, she swiftly tried to walk past him, only to be pulled back and pinned against the wall. There was not a change in expression, in fact, his smile became more twisted. "I feel sorry for whoever that was, because that person's life is going to be very short unless they can remember that Hagrid is responsible for that poor girl's death... After all, it would be a shame for anyone to die at thirteen after another girl died at fourteen..." Their faces were less than an inch away from each other. Toms fingers were firmly wrapped around the ginger's neck. Their matching steel blue eyes met, although each pair conveyed differed messages. Tom's conveyed coldness and evil, while Sophia's conveyed innocence and vulnerability. Tom narrowed his eyes just slightly more to seal the deal "Is that clear, little girl?" Sophia made a fist and decided she wasn't going to let Tom get away with this. He made it all too clear that he was responsible for Myrtle's death and was going to blame Sophia's closest friend, Rubeus Hagrid. She punched him firmly in the abdomen, forcing him to let go. "You leave Rubeus out of this!" Sophia called as she darted off for the half-giant.
Sophia, completely disregarding orders to go directly to the hospital wing, went to Rubeus' dorm immediately. "Rubeus! Oh boy am I glad to see you!" Sophia said, while completely out of breath. "What's-a matter, Sophie?" Rubeus asked. The boy was only thirteen at this point. "Tom killed Myrtle and he's trying to blame it on you!" Sophia said as her voice quivered in fear. "Now now for god'ness sake. Stop try'na blame everything under the sun on the guy. He's an orphan for cryin' out loud!" Rubeus said, dismissing what Sophia just said. "I'm sure Myrtle's just upset 'bout some'n. She'll come 'round."
Sophia's face went red in frustration. "You don't get it! I saw her-" before she could finish her sentence, she was zapped from the sparks of another students wand. "Obliviate!" Rubeus looked and saw a blank-faced Tom Riddle. "Tsk tsk, Hagrid, you sure are violent. First you use that spider to kill one girl and knock out another? What are we gonna do with you?" he said with a smug expression. "Aragog didn't do nothing!" Rubeus said defensively. "Oh come now, Hagrid. Any minute, poor Olive Hornby is going to find Myrtle's body. Why not just tell the truth?" Tom insisted. Rubeus felt sick. He couldn't help but think that he should have listened to her, and now only Myrtle knew the truth. But she was forced to be the girl that couldn't speak