Christmas was almost over. Morgane had seen Harry having a really good time. As she left him, a tiny voice told her to go to him. But she couldn't, Harry was pushing her away. All those years in darkness had clouded her judgment, her interactions with people. She opened her eyes. She was sitting near the lake.
She sighed. Of course she would end up here; after all, it was near. Her thoughts were wandering. She moved forward to the water but couldn't see her reflection. She was not part of this world anymore. She bite hers lips. She felt bad. She shouldn't have left Harry alone, she should have pushed. But he seemed so happy. Maybe, deep in her, she wanted to see if an alternative was possible. But she felt it. It was growing inside him. At some point, it would explode. But she needed him to explode. She was being so selfish.
"So, how is it going?"
She turned her head. Myrtle was floating near her. She seemed suspicious.
"Do you have a change of hearts?
-Always darling. It was always my problem, even when I was alive. Avoiding problem but at the same time doing everything to have what I wanted. It cost me, a lot.
-Your life?
-More than that."
She rose and looked at the castle.
"I never went to Hogwarts. It was never mandatory but almost all of the youngest went there. I never did. I wish my family did. Maybe my fate would have been different."
She smiled and looked away. Her feeling was returning as so as her memories. It was painful but necessary. And anger was growing in her. She wanted to hurt anyone; her resent was finally reaching her. She wondered if she could restrain it but she didn't want to. However, she shouldn't throw it at anybody. But... why now?
"Have you ever wanted to hurt somebody, my dear?
-Yes. My comrades. They always made fun of me. I didn't have such a great time at Hogwarts.
-I see.
-But I haunted one of them, until she pressed charged against me so I had to stop. But after that… everyone thinks ghosts are part of the decoration. They try to do things so their state has a sense but…
-It doesn't even compare, your "heart" may feel but since you don't have a body, it is incomplete, frustrating."
Myrtle nodded. Ghosts had told her she would get used to but she didn't want to. She didn't remember having a choice. Now that she noticed, wizards were as old as time so… why the eldest ghost seemed to be from Middle Age and not before? She took a look at Morgan who was still in her thoughts.
"Why now? Where have you been before?"
Myrtle gasped. For a moment, Morgane seemed complete, not transparent anymore. Morgane was shaking.
"Are you all right?"
Morgane put her hand over her mouth like she was going to throw away. She fell on her knees, and screamed
"My head!"
Everything came back; it hit her like a tsunami. She ran away towards the forest.
Myrtle stayed put. She was shaking of fear. Something was in the air but she had no idea what. What to do? She decided to follow her. There was something she could sense, like an aura. She then saw Morgane who was standing proudly. There was something different about her. She laughed very hard.
"I can feel it, all of it. It was brief but I felt! It was so good! My powers are coming back! Ah, it won't last long but I'll enjoy every bit of it! Of course! I knew it! My theory was real! Put all the right ingredients at the right moments and your result will be perfect!"
A twisted smile appeared. Myrtle couldn't believe it. Morgane was in flesh and blood.
"Oh it won't last my dear, don't worry."
She then looked at Myrtle.
"If you are still frustrated, do you want to come with me? There is a wizard I want to converse with."
She offered her hand. Myrtle hesitated for an instant but took it. It's not like someone would notice she was gone. She was aspired. Though she had nothing to fear, she closed her eyes.
"Here we are my dear."
Myrtle opened her eyes. There were in front of an old fortress.
"Where are we?
-Nurmengard, prison of Gellert Grindelwad.
-Grindelwald? I heard that name before. That's it! Professor Dumbledore beat him! Do you know him?
-No, but he is a thief and a deplorable wizard as far as I am concerned.
-What? But he killed…
-Even muggles kill, my dear. Even today a lot of people think the more you kill, the greatest you are. But it's wrong. Just like that Voldemort."
Myrtle looked at her. The only ones who dared say this name, as far as she knew, were Dumbledore and Harry but never…. In that tone. It was despised. Not knowing what to do, she followed as curiosity arose. It had been decades since she felt it.
"You are saying my murderer was pathetic? He was powerful!
-He was powerful but still pathetic. You can be both you know. I'll show it to you some time."
Morgane was climbing the stairs; no guards were to be noticed. Myrtle didn't know what to think.
"Are you... alive?"
Morgane turned to her, her smile had faded away.
"My dear, the dead don't come back.
-But, you...
-I'm not dead. I'll explain after. I promise."
They walked along the corridors. The wind moved the few curtains that were left. The dust was rising and fading away. Silence was ruling in this place. Morgane wasn't making any noise, which struck as weird for Myrtle. She wasn't dead but if her body was real, she should walk and make noise. She looked down. Her feet were covered by her large dress and yet she didn't give the impression of walking but floating.
"Here we are."
Myrtle looked up. A big door was in front of them.
"So he is in here?
-Yes, let's not be rude, I'll knock."
With grace, her hand hit the door very gently. Nothing came from in. Morgane's smile grew larger. She knocked a second time?
"Who is it?" asked an old voice.
"Can you come in?
-I can. Do you want me?
-… Yes, I guess."
Myrtle thought if she still did have a heart it will be pounding very fast. She remembered old classes telling them that some dark creatures needed permission in order to come in.
The door opened with a creaking. Myrtle didn't need to get use to darkness so she saw right away… And old man, dirty who was trying to get up. He blinked several times. He probably didn't expect a woman and a ghost to visit him. His eyes looked at the embroideries of Morgane's dress. Myrtle followed his gaze. She wondered what was so special about this symbol. Was it Grindelwald? But Morgane had called him a thief, was that the he had stolen?
"Are you one of my followers?"
Morgane slapped him so fiercely that he collapsed against the wall.
"Me? One of your followers? Don't make me laugh! You little piece of shit!"
She hit him again with her hand. Myrtle was shocked.
"He is and old man!
-He murdered hundreds of people and some of them were old. That didn't stop him! No the youngest either.
-I am in prison! Am I not being punished already?
-Prison my dear Gellert it to calm the living. For the dead, you have not begun your punishment yet.
-The dead? How can you know what they want?
-Because I can hear them."
Grindelwad shivered. He looked at her very closely.
"Who are you?
-I am one of the true heirs of the Deadly Hallows. You know, those relics you tried to stole to make it your own!"
She sat next to him. Myrtle had no idea what they were talking about but Grindelwad didn't seem to be at ease.
"That symbol, she pointed it on her dress, was the emblem of powerful wizards. The one who guided the dead, oh yes, she said as a surprised Grindelwad was about to speak. It has nothing to do with power, conquering the world or whatsoever. No it was about paying respect to the dead. Some wizards tended to see the dead, the angry spirit. They created the stone to invoke them so they could rest at peace. But then, they decided to use it for knowledge. Can you imagine? No matter how much people try to destroy you, your soul will still be here and you could be summoned. So they made sure that the spirit could only speak the truth. At first it was well used but then some people didn't saw it well. Could you imagine? Murder someone and his soul is invoked so that you would face justice. So, again, plot, jealousy so a witch decided to hide and yet to continue her quest to appease the soul. She created the cloak in order to avoid her enemies. But when fight was inevitable, she used her wand against them. A wand that was made for her only. With, yes an unusual ingredient but still. She was an excellent witch but a lot of people said it was of her wand. It was like any wand, it wasn't special unless you make it."
She grinned when she saw the look on Grindelwald. It was like something was collapsing inside him.
"Damn right my dear, the wand was not so special, didn't you hear it? The wand choose the wizards, it chose her, none of the morons who possessed it after. Because she faith on her ability. But you, were you so afraid that you would go nowhere without it? Shame, you had potential. Should I go on with my story?
The witch grew older of course so she managed to find someone with the same power that could continue her work. That's when the symbol was created. It was filled with nobility, meaning. It was a secret symbol. Only those who followed could know what it meant. But time passed and men forgot. Then came those three brothers. How did they manage to get those relics? I am not sure. None of them had the ability to use the stone well. They created a legend around them to have mark in history. They said they defied Death. Two of them died because of their foolishness. The third was afraid and lead a quiet life. Although I gave them this, they managed to keep the truth. No matter what, how powerful you are, death is our last journey. So enjoy living while you can. And then you came along, stealing a wand trying to find the stone so you can bring back the dead in order to have an army and reveal our very existence to the world. You have no idea how much it piss me off!"
She slapped him again. Myrtle though she was going to kill him.
"Are you the witch of your story? Grindelwald asked as he cleaned his lips.
-I wish. I wasn't that powerful. The one who are linked to the dead, they always made other people scared. Wizards and muggles alike. That's why we were hiding. And yet we helped the dead no matter what. But of course, there are others things I can do but not going to tell you. I have spoken, now tell me, why this whim over the relics?
-I don't know. Albus and I were obsessed with them. We were sick of hiding; I wanted to be free, to do magic without worrying about muggles, to love him.
-Oh? Forbidden love? Don't tell me it was Dumbledore.
-…. And Albus had his sister, Arianne…
-Ah yes, she died right? I can tell with your look. You did it?
-We… don't know who did it. I was fighting with Aberforth, he was a fool! He didn't understand. He was getting in the way so I tried…
-To kill him? Ah! Even if Arianne didn't die that day, do you think Albus Dumbledore would have followed you after murdering his brother? Let me guess, during the fight between you three she tried to stop you and then a spell hit her. Am I wrong? No, I am not. You are an idiot, had you accepted that wizards needed to stay a secret you would have been able to live with him.
-What would have it change if Muggles knew? War?
-Yes for a first and wizards would have lost it.
-Why? What do you mean?
-Faith is more powerful than you can imagine. It makes people do things they couldn't imagine.
-What?
-I'm going to give you homework my dear. Think about what I just said. There is a difference between acknowledging the old wizard of the village and a whole community. I'll come back to see if you understood. Dumbledore did at some point. Your punishment won't end with your life, when you died, the dead will come for you."
She smiled at him. Myrtle looked at the man. His was bending towards the floor. They left as the door slammed. Everything became blur and there were in the forest again.
"What happened?
-Oh, he's probably counting all the people he killed. I forgot to tell him he should take account of those who died because of him, silly me. My time is almost up so I took us back.
-That story you said, where do you fit in? How do you know all those? Why do you have a body?"
Morgane stayed silent. She took a deep breath and said:
"Oh, my dear. I know those because I was told. Where do I fit? Well, the brother who had the cape was my father.
-Your what now?
-I know right. He and my uncles were so afraid of because they didn't know everything about these power, not having it. He rejected me at some point and adopted a boy who was a wizard born amongst muggles.
Harry and I share the same power and a bond because of that. But Harry had rejected it. I thought it was still inside him but I was wrong. He put a large party away and this power need a receptacle and the only one who was fitting was mine. It followed my soul until my body and ran into it. Oh it won't last like this; you'll be able to see the flaws later. I'll need Harry to pass the rest to me. All these years trapped and I wanted to move on, oh had I knew! I would have acted differently!
-But why today? Are you alive? What power is it?
-My dear, faith is the strongest magic. On this Christmas day, everyone is jolly, a lot of muggle children believe in magic this particular day and it creates a sort of cloud of magic. As for the second question, I thought I was dead. He wanted me to think like that. Oh that bastard is lucky to be dead!
-Are you talking about your father?
-No, the man who put me in this state. A dark wizard. A lot people still think like him, I shall take my revenge on them! Harry will help us, after all they are also his enemies! As for my power, aside to invoke the dead..."
She leant forward Myrtle, with a sadistic smile:
"I think even you will shake about it."
The day was ending. Morgane stepped away from Myrtle.
"Now my dear, you shall see how my body really looks like."
The sunbeams were fading away. As darkness spread, her body transformed. Myrtle saw the transformation, her eyes grew larger.
"That's…. impossible!"
Morgane was transparent again. She put herself next to Myrtle who couldn't take her eyes off the body.
"That's right my dear, my body is right in front of you. You know, dementors were human to begin with."
