Chapter 5

"You're not serious, are you?" Ron asked, dubiously.

Hari's deadpan expression as she sat cross-legged on the floor of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom was all the answer Ron and Hermione needed. They shared a look between them.

Hermione went first. "And you say the Deathly Hallows – all three of them—are with you?" she asked.

Hari nodded morosely, her chin propped on one hand. "I've tried everything short of Fiendfyre to get rid of them. They always return."

Ron made a noise. "Have you told anyone else?"

"Would anybody else believe me?" Hari asked. "You two are the only people in this school I trust more than myself. And well…" she hesitated, looking away.

Hermione patted her shoulder. "You think people would react badly, don't you?"

"The title Mistress of Death doesn't exactly convey the idea of sunshine and daisies," Hari responded dryly.

"Doesn't help that there are Death Eaters still on the loose," Ron added unhelpfully. "People will think you switched sides and decided to continue where You-Know-Who left off."

"Gee, Ron, d'you reckon that never crossed my mind?"

"I was just trying to make a point, mate. No need to go prickly on me."

"Alright you two, that's enough." Hermione shot them both a look. "We're here to try to get a good idea of what's going on, and how we're going to help Hari." She clapped her hand. "So. What do we know for sure?"

Ron ticked off the answers in his hand. "We know that Hari has the three Hallows. We know that she had a 'dream' where Death told her she's now Mistress of—by the way, what does Death look like?"

Hari closed her eyes and shuddered. "I don't think Death has a permanent face, if you get my meaning. He told me he takes the appearance of other people, when he needs to."

"Death doesn't have a face? Why?" Ron asked.

Hari answered without thinking. "Death takes many forms."

Ron stared at her. "Wicked."

"I don't know why I said that!" Hari replied quickly. She groaned and pulled at her hair. "I hate this."

"You'll be fine, Hari," Hermione consoled her. "Ronald, can we get back on topic, please?"

"Er—yeah, sure," Ron straightened at the cutting glare Hermione shot him. "So three Hallows are with Hari, Death called her his mistress, and ghosts are now avoiding Hari like the plague."

"Not…exactly," Hari cut in.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"I'll show you." Hari cleared her throat and called over her shoulder. "Come out, Myrtle."

The cubicle at the end of the room shook slightly. A small 'eep!' from under the toilet. Moaning Myrtle's head slowly peeked out from the cubicle door. She was shaking.

Hari sighed. "Come here, Myrtle. Please."

The ghost slowly floated over to them. She had her hands covering her face. "Y-yes, your Deathly Majesty?"

Ron and Hermione blinked, taken aback. They looked at Hari, who shrugged.

"I found her hiding in her toilet. She only came out when I asked her." She gestured with a hand. "She's been like this ever since."

Myrtle eeped again, but did not move. She was still covering her face with her hands.

"Myrtle," Hermione said gently, "why are you avoiding Hari?"

"Oh! Oh!" Myrtle moaned, shaking her head.

"Please answer her question, Myrtle," Hari said.

"Y-yes, your Imperial Deathness," Myrtle answered wobbly.

"And do please lower your hands, Myrtle," Hari said with great patience," It's a bit difficult to hold a conversation with just your hands." She paused. "And drop the titles."

Myrtle lowered her hands with trepidation. She avoided looking at Hari, instead fixing her eyes on the tiled floor.

"Myrtle?" Hermione prompted the ghost.

"I…I'm not avoiding anybody!" Myrtle squeaked. "Please don't send me on!"

"What?" Ron looked at Myrtle, confused. "What does that mean?"

"Did you think that Hari is going to banish you?" Hermione asked the poor ghost.

"I would never!" Hari exclaimed.

Myrtle was crying now. She bawled into her hands, shaking her head. Nothing Hermione said could calm her down.

"Please stop crying, Myrtle," Hari asked, scooting closer to the ghost without Myrtle realizing it. "Hey, I'm not going to banish anyone." And without really thinking about it, she raised a hand in a gesture meant to pat Myrtle's head.

If this was a normal situation, Hari's hand would just pass through Myrtle's head. But this was not a normal situation, and Hari was not just a normal witch.

Her hand landed on a head of hair. Myrtle froze.

Hermione and Ron stared.

Hari just patted Myrtle's head, wondering why Myrtle didn't feel as cold as she expected. "There, there," she hummed, an encouraging smile on her face. "I'm not going to hurt you. Really."

Myrtle nodded, her cries slowing down into barely audible hiccups. "Really?"

"Of course." Hari grinned.

"O-okay."

"Good girl," Hari praised. Myrtle preened at her words and settled into floating beside Hari with a small smile on her face.

"Um…Hari?"

"Yeah, 'Mione?"

Hermione licked her lips. "You just…you just touched Moaning Myrtle."

Hari blinked. "Yeah?"

"That's…living people can't touch ghosts," Hermione said unsurely. "How come…you can do it?"

Hermione and Ron waited with baited breath as Hari looked at them, then at her hand, then at Myrtle, who smiled.

"That's because Hari's Mistress of Death of course. Duh." The ghost rolled her eyes at Hermione and Ron.

Hari swallowed. She took a deep breath to stave off the moan of despair trying to claw its way out her throat. "Look. I don't know who told you that, Myrtle, but I'm not the Mistress of Death. I didn't accept the position."

"Oh we know," Myrtle replied off-handedly. "We can feel your connection to Death is weak—half-formed, I think?" She shrugged. "It only takes a matter of time."

I have all the time in the world to convince you. Mistress.

Hari gritted her teeth. "All the ghosts know?"

"In the castle and everywhere else," Myrtle responded happily. "And I'm so glad you're not going to banish me! But you can do Peeves of course, the annoying brute." Myrtle sniffed. "Nobody will miss him."

"Does this mean the whole castle knows?" Hermione asked.

Myrtle looked insulted. "Of course not! This doesn't concern the living, why should we tell them? Besides, it's forbidden."

"The living should not concern itself with matters of the dead, and the opposite also holds true," Hari said suddenly.

Ron looked at her strangely. "That's starting to become creepy."

"I don't know how to stop it!" Hari groaned. "It just happens."

"For now," Hermione interrupted them, "I think we need to focus on how to keep this a secret from everybody."

"Why?" Ron asked. "I mean, she's already got loads of titles, adding one more wouldn't make things worse, yeah?" Hari shot him a glare, but she kept quiet.

Hermione shook her head. "This is something altogether different. Remember, both Voldemort and Grindelwald studied the Deathly Hallows. Even if they had not believed in the legend of the Master of Death, they believed that the artifacts existed. I won't be surprised if other people are also on the hunt for them. Or," she lowered her voice as her brows furrowed, "there might even be groups…cults…who actually believe that owning the Hallows would gain them mastery over Death."

"Great," Hari raised her arms in the air. "More people who will want to kill me. How is this my life?"

Ron snorted. "Drama queen."

"You wouldn't say that if it was you everyone seems intent to maim or kill," Hari snapped.

"Will you two quit it?!" Hermione glared at them both. She sighed. "Hari, aside from the title, what else did Death tell you?"

Hari tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"Well, did something…change? Did he give you any sort of ability? A special sort of magic?"

"She already has the most powerful wand in the world, an invisibility cloak, and a stone that can summon spirits. What else could there be?" Ron asked.

Hari considered the question. "I…I remember he did something…" she shook her head. "But I don't understand what it means."

Myrtle, who had been floating and humming nearby, looked at Hari. "You can just ask."

"Ask Death?"

The ghost nodded.

"How?" Hari asked at the same time Ron said, "She can do what now?"

Myrtle shook her head. "Sorry, I have no idea. But I know you can, since you're already halfway to becoming Mistress of Death."

Hari ignored the last bit. "Thanks, Myrtle."

The ghost giggled. "A pleasure, your Death-ness."

Hari sighed. "I told you to stop that."

"Of course. Whatever you say, your..I mean, Hari."

"Thank you. And please let the other ghosts know that I'm not out to banish anyone in Hogwarts," Hari said firmly. "They shouldn't treat me any differently than before."

Myrtle bobbed her head. "I'll tell them."

"Thanks."

"So…" Myrtle floated closer. "Does that mean you won't banish Peeves?"

"Myrtle!"

The ghost sighed, disappointed. "It was only a suggestion."#

A/N: Feel free to review after reading. Updates every Wednesday.