"See, look, he's harmless," said Percy, even as Ron and Ginny clung to his arms. Well, it was Ron; Ginny was staring at the ghoul with a mixture of fascination and fear. "He mostly groans and bangs on the pipes. Right nuisance, he is."

"Does he talk?" asked Ginny, taking a step forward, her face brightening at the thought of a potential new friend.

"No, unless you can speak Ghoul," said Percy dryly, but the sarcasm was missed. Ginny bounced on her toes, and both of her brothers stared at her oddly.

"I'm gonna talk to him," she said determinedly. "I don't care if he can't understand me. He's lonely."

"You're mad," said Percy incredulously. "He's dimwitted, he's just going to moan at you."

"Exactly," said Ginny. "You said he's harmless, right? Maybe he bangs on the pipes because he's got no one to keep him company."

"Gin, he doesn't want —"

"How do you know?" she argued indignantly. "Not all of us can stay shut in our rooms all the time and be happy like you, Percy."

Ron let out a giggle, and Percy flushed. "Fine," he muttered, "talk to the bl — I mean, stay and talk to the ghoul if you must."

Several years later

Ginny couldn't sleep. It had been a few days since Harry, Ron, and Hermione had abruptly left the Burrow, a few days after Bill and Fleur's wedding had been overrun with Death Eaters. She hated being cooped up, hated knowing that everyone else was out there risking their lives, and she couldn't do anything about it.

But Mum had set the rules. No matter how much she wanted to fight, she was underage and at the most risk, because she had the least magical ability — which was stupid, really, because she could hold her own; she'd fought in the Department of Mysteries. She could take on anyone in her year and win. Mum was just basing it off that she was the youngest in the family, even though she was only a year younger than Ron.

She'd suspected that Ron hadn't left Mum much choice in the matter, considering that he was Harry's friend.

A persistent banging interrupted her thoughts. The ghoul. She hadn't visited him lately. Granted, the attic wasn't above her room, and she rarely heard him banging on the pipes and moaning — and granted, he was "ill" with "spattergroit". But with the Burrow quieter than ever, and her senses on alert, the bangs were seemingly louder.

After a moment, Ginny swung her legs out of bed and left her bedroom, trying to make as little noise as possible ascending the stairs — skipping the creaky steps — as to not awaken the others, especially Mum. She pushed open the trapdoor to the attic and clambered onto the floor, coughing at the dust lingering in the air.

The ghoul had his back to her, and he was on his side. From the back, clothed and red-haired as he was, he looked like Ron. He'd presumably stopped banging sometime while Ginny had been coming to the attic and now lay on his makeshift bed, trembling.

"I'm here," said Ginny, unsure of what else to say. "I'm still here. I didn't leave, because I can't. Mum's keeping an eye on me, like she knows I'm going to pull something, And I probably would have."

The ghoul didn't move.

"You're not alone," she continued. "I don't think you can still understand me, but I just wanted to let you know. No one's ever bothered to tell you."

She took a deep breath but paused as the ghoul turned around and stared at her emotionlessly. Whatever he was thinking, he was listening to her.

"I'm lonely, too," she said. "I thought I wasn't but in just a matter of a few weeks, I'm suddenly alone. You could say...it's just you and me now. I have Mum and Dad but that's it. Everyone's gone."

"Everyone thinks I'm mad, for talking to a ghoul, but…" She trailed off, decisively nodding. "It doesn't matter. I still care. I think I'm still that girl who just wanted to make friends with a ghoul."

Years later

"See, he's not so scary," James said to Albus and Lily, who clung to his arms. "Mum introduced me to him, and he doesn't do much."

Lily's mouth was slightly parted, staring at the ghoul with fascination. Albus was still stubbornly looking anywhere but at the ghoul.

"Do you think he likes tea?" asked Lily, tentatively stepping forward.

758 words

Assignment 6 - Healer Studies: Ailments - Task 5: Spattergroit: Write about a ghoul.