AN (Please read this authors note in a sick persons voice) -
Hello, sorry this chapter is late. I've been ill and am still ill. Anyway give a big thankyou to the perfectly healthy Celran for betaing this chapter. And I will remind you all this story is now beginning to be written in French.
I love all your reviews to Sketter being tossed into the lake. Though atymer I do love your review. It seems very vindictive; i like it.
And also thanks for your comments on the Library. Its one of my favorite plot devices. I have some really important ideas for it. (Exited T.I.A)
Now onto the story.
Chapter 65
"Guys, can I ask you something?" Hermione asked, the door to the boy's dormitory.
Dean and Seamus were somewhere else. There was a story that they were out hunting Ginny Weasley; she had recently become very popular with the male population of the school. Of course this was kept from Ron and the twins as much as possible. No one really wanted to upset a Weasley; Any Weasley.
"You just did."
"Don't be an arse, Ronald." Hermione responded, coming in. "You're all boys, right?"
"Well I am but I'm not sure about those three." Harry grinned at the rest of the room.
"Now you're the one being an ass Sparks." Draco cut in pushing Harry so he almost fell of the edge of the bed.
Hermione rolled her eyes but perched on the edge of Ron's bed. "Viktor asked me to visit him in the summer."
"Okay?"
"Well." Hermione looked across at the room of boys. "You all know how boys think. Was he suggesting anything from it, do you think? Adult things, I mean?"
"Woah." Ron moved back not wanting part of this particular conversation.
"Ron grow up." Harry laughed. He then took a breath. "Maybe. But." Harry continued, quickly. "Maybe not. You're a powerful witch and a strong woman. You're also scarily smart." He wasn't actually sure what he was supposed to say to her.
"What should I do?"
"What did you say to him?" Draco asked.
"I said I'm not old enough to go without asking my parents first. Then he said he'll pay for them to come too."
"That's nice of him." Neville commented.
"Yeah, maybe he wants to get to know you better." Harry agreed. "But, anyway, it's your choice."
She looked down. "I just don't know if I should go or not."
"Hermione." Ron cut in. "Don't go."
"You can't make the decision for me what if I want to go?"
"Do you want to go?"
"Of course I want to go!" She glared at him.
"See? You want to go so go. You don't need our permission." Ron told her, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "You didn't even need to come here for that."
"Oh…" She looked up at Ron with a little anger. "You just reverse engineered me, didn't you?"
"I don't know what it's called." Ron admitted. "But dad does it to mum and the twins all the time."
Hermione broke into a laugh. "Thanks Ron."
"No problem, Kinny." Ron nudged her shoulder. "Now that's sorted who's up for a game of chess." In that second any tension left in the room was gone.
"I was heading down to see Myrtle. Need to thank her for yesterday."
"Want us to come with you?"
"No, I'll be fine on my own. Seriously." Harry gave a smile and pulled on his robes so that he could trek through the castle.
He made his way to Myrtles bathroom without trouble. He looked around, but found the whole room free of her ghostly presence.
"Myrtle!" He called out into the room. "Myrtle! Are you here?"
"Harry?" A head popped up out of the sink. "It is you?" She floated up to him. "You came to visit!"
"Hey. How are you? I couldn't exactly ask last time I saw you."
"Well, you were underwater." She smiled. "How did it go?"
"I'm second in the running now."
"That's great Harry. You should be in first though, I think." She grinned again. She really didn't get any visitors. "How is your Luna, anyway?"
"She's fine."
"Poor girl. Was she really okay being under there? Trapped by…." She moved angrily in the air. Myrtle hated mermaids; and merfolk in general but the females were the worst.
"She seems the same as she's always been." Harry smiled. "I was wondering." Harry moved to sit on a wall out crop. "Why do the mermaids hate you so much?"
"I don't know; they always seem to chase me. They never really explain it." She kicked her feet and thought a second. "I wonder if it's because I'm a ghost. Maybe they just hate all ghosts?" She shrugged. "It's okay though."
"Do you ever get lonely here, Myrtle?" Harry asked tilting his head. "You don't seem to talk to the other ghosts very often. Or anyone at all. Luna gets worried."
Myrtle smiled. "I have you and your friends to talk to me. You know it's funny." She looked away remembering. "Some of your friends say hi to me whenever I pass; or they pass." She sniggered. "It's funny to see everyone else's faces. When they say 'hi Myrtle' and I say hi back. The students and even some of the other ghosts look ever so surprised. Sir Nick looked like he was about to die all over again when I said hello to that Ron boy. He clutched his chest when I asked how classes were going."
Myrtle began to laugh at the memory.
"That does sound funny."
"I still cry sometimes so that when I smile and talk to students the ghosts seem extra surprised."
"You're evil, Myrtle." Harry smiled at her.
"They've always been mean to me. Ever since I- well I don't know how I appeared, but yes."
"How Has Peeves been lately, anyway?"
"He's been terrorising the other schools." Myrtle told him. "I've been left alone."
"Hey guys look at this." Pansy Parkinson said, pulling Blaise Zabini into the girl's bathroom.
"Talking to ghosts now are you Potter?"
"Well I'm glad you're fine, but I can't imagine the teachers are happy." Harry shook his head at the idea of Peeves.
"Oy, Potter were talking to you." Blaise moved to stand in front of Harry and Myrtle.
"Oh, Zabini, I didn't know you were here. In the girl's bathroom."
"I followed you Potter."
"Oh I'm flattered Blaise but I'm dating Luna." Myrtle fell off her sink in laughter.
"Ha, Ha." Blaise glared at him. "Yet here you are, talking to a ghost. Not even one of the attractive one's either."
"What in the world are you gabbling about?"
Pansy smiled. "I mean even you can see it. She's just plain ugly, you must only be hear out of pity for her-" Pansy was cut off short, as Myrtle knocked her over by a jet of water.
A very angry looking ghost was ready to wage a war. "GET OUT OF MY BATHROOM!" She shrieked and shot water at the pair once more.
They sent some very unsavoury words back as they ran out of the room.
"Myrtle, they don't know what they're talking about." Harry tried to sooth the ghost.
Myrtle turned to him with a sweet little smile. "I know."
"You are an evil little… that was amazing Myrtle."
"It's time for me to grow up Harry." She told him. "I've been moping for decades; I need to move on with my… well, my death."
"You've changed a lot, Myrtle."
"It's thanks to your Luna. She comes to see me almost every day. Sometimes it's only for a few minutes, but she's teaching me how to- she loves what makes her different. People are mean to her, but she ignores it completely. I need to start being a little more like Luna Lovegood." Myrtle floated up with a smile.
AN- And there is that chapter. Hopefully next chapter will be on time.
Thank you all for reading. I'll see you all next week. ~ T.I.A
