Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters whose names can be found in the Harry Potter books.
"And we're FREE!" Fia exclaimed, as she burst into the common room where Sam was poring over a text book on magical creatures.
Sam's response to this was to glare icily at his friend before returning to the book at hand, thoughts and images rapidly assaulting his mind.
"Oh, yeah I forgot, YOU'RE not finished are you." Fia grinned as she flopped down on an armchair across from Sam's.
She got no comment, though that wasn't entirely unexpected.
"What cha doing?" Fia asked.
"Studying" was Sam's one word response
"Studying what?" Fia said in a sing song voice.
"Magical creatures."
"Interesting. Want me to test you?" Fia inquired.
"You're really bored aren't you?" Sam replied and Fia nodded vigorously as she reached out, indicating Sam should hand her the book.
Rolling his eyes the black haired boy handed over his text and was presently surprised that he knew most of the questions, but it wasn't until Fia asked him a question on one of the rarer creatures that Harry began to actually pay attention.
"Alright what creature will kill if you look it directly in the eye?" Fia questioned, long ago having thrown the text book on the floor and simply asking questions from what she knew.
"Basilisk," Sam responded in a bored tone.
"What happens if you don't look it in the eye."
"Um," Sam paused, looking at Fia strangely, "you don't die."
"Jeez, thank you Mr. Obvious." The nymph remarked sarcastically. "Actually if you look the basilisk in the eye, but not with your own eyes, you don't die, you just become petrified."
"Interesting," Sam remarked, uninterested until the statement actually caught up with his sluggish brain. "Wait, what?"
Fia looked at Sam strangely before repeating herself. "If you look the basilisk in the eye, but not with your own eyes, you become petrified."
"A basilisk is a giant snake isn't it?" Sam spoke rapidly, already getting out of his chair.
"Yeah," Fia replied "where are you going?" She yelled out as Sam ran from the room.
"Library!" He yelled back, before he disappeared around a corner.
"Sytherin's monster, of course it would be a snake and why have a little snake when you can have a great big one!" Sam pelted around corners, barely dodging students in his hurry to reach the library.
"Damn, I should have asked Fia if there is a basilisk here." He muttered to himself as he hurried through the maze of passage ways. Sam skidded to a halt right outside the library before hurrying inside.
While his "state of sight" allowed him to see most things, it didn't allow him to read signs and so Sam had to find the librarian to point him in the direction of books on basilisks, but as he absorbed the knowledge of the writer he grew more and more confident that the monster his brother was facing, was in fact a giant snake whose stare meant death. Shoving the book quickly back onto the shelves Sam took up his brisk walk once more, this time heading in the direction of his creatures professor's office.
"You want to what?" The magical creature professor exclaimed.
"I would like to take the exam early." Sam repeated, "today if possible."
Madam Gelduth looking questionably at the dragon hybrid "What has brought on this sudden inspiration?"
"I need to get home as quickly as possible," Harry replied. "I have reason to believe that my brother is in danger and this is my last exam."
The unicorn, for everyone knows that unicorns are most in touch with other creatures and thus make the perfect teacher for magical creatures, looked at Harry with understanding. "I will bring your exam forward, if you wish you may sit it right now. However I will have to inform Meric that you wish to leave and he will have the final say in whether you may leave early.
"I'd like to sit it now." Sam replied and Madam Gelduth led him into an empty classroom. She placed the exam, quill and ink in front of him, before taking a seat up the front of the classroom.
Within three hours Sam was standing in front of the portals, his suitcase in his hand, Aidan on his shoulder and Brod at his feet. The little griffin had wanted to accompany Sam back home, but it had been decided that it was better if he stay at the school, no one was quite sure what awaited Sam at home, but they had all thought that whatever it may be, it was not good for the easily excitable griffin chick. Fia, Heather and Toby had all turned up to say goodbye, but it was only fleeting, as they all felt Sam's urgency.
"I'll miss you." Brod sniffed, as Sam bent down to his level.
"I'll miss you too." Sam said, pulling Brod into a hug and standing back up with the griffin chick in his arms.
"You know, the most dramatic things always happen to you don't they?" Toby remarked, cocking his head to the side in amusement as Sam glared him down.
"Well at least life's not boring." Heather added.
Fia just snorted, as she stepped forward to collect Brod from Sam's arms.
"Take care of yourself." Fia said, giving Sam an awkward one armed hug, before stepping back and allowing Sam to also embrace Heather and high five Toby.
Sam nodded to his friends as he turned around to place the portal, over his shoulder he called "I'll see you guys next year!" Before the flames engulfed him and sent him spinning back to England.
Toby just shook his head, "that guy is such a nut."
Heather and Fia both laughed.
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Sam's feet hit the pavement of Knockturn Alley and he didn't even bother with walking, but instead launched himself straight into the air, not many people took much notice, strange things happened all the time in Knockturn Alley, but to avoid being seen Sam wrapped himself in concealment charms before gaining altitude quickly. The plan was quite simple, get to Kings Cross than follow the railway line to Hogwarts, but first he'd need to get his luggage out of the way.
"Reducio" Sam whispered and the luggage shrunk to the size a match box, and Sam slipped it into his pocket. This spell may be fourth year for Hogwarts, but for Flaeria it was a simple command spell, to be small, it was one of the first he'd learned in SCC, spell casting and creation.
Aidan flew next to him, matching pace with Sam easily as the pair soared over muggle London. It didn't take long for the pair to find Kings Cross and even shorter time before they were shooting along the path of the Hogwarts express.
"What exactly do you expect to find when we reach Hogwarts?" Aidan asked as they both accelerated through the county side.
"Honestly?" Sam asked, mentally having to restrain himself from going at maximum speed, it wouldn't help anything if he was exhausted when they arrived. "I'm not quite sure. I mean, Matt was convinced Malfoy was behind it, and I'm sure he'll know if it is by now, but if it is Malfoy I think I'd be sort of pleased, he's not really the "evil" type, he's just a play ground bully. But I mean DUMBLEDORE is there, so nothing REALLY bad can have happened."
Aidan nodded his agreement to this. "So why are we rushing then?" He asked.
Sam just looked over at his familiar "I'm not quite sure," he remarked. "I mean; Mum, Dad AND Dumbledore AND all the teachers are there. But I just have this feeling that they'll need some help."
The shadow phoenix seemed to except this answer and the two continued their journey in silence, both thinking about what coming back would mean.
CRASH!
The oak front doors of the castle burst open and all the students standing in the entrance hall drew back in shock and fear. In the doorway stood a man who looked to be halfway through an animagus transformation. Out of his back grew a pair of wings with a six foot wingspan, his hair was black and unruly but sticking out of the mop were metallic blue horns, slightly curved towards the top. He was dressed, not in robes like the other occupants of the room, but tattered jeans, with rips on the knees and his T-shirt was simple, just a red piece of fabric with rips in the back for his wings. On his shoulder was a black bird, it's features were sharp and streamline and it had small fangs protruding from its beak which succeeded in making the creature look very threatening, if not slightly odd.
Several students screamed at this man's appearance and most drew their wands, wary of this stranger that looked around the hall, as if in fascination.
"Has it changed much, Aidan?" Sam asked his familiar as the students pointed wands at him. He was unable to see the castle as he once had, but he could literally see the magic around him re-acting with his own. He thought that most of the students must have drawn their wands because he could feel a presence that seemed joined, yet not, to each individual and most of these presences were pointed at him.
"No, not at all" Aidan replied, "Though I must say, you are remarkably calm for being put at wand tip" Aidan's statement confirmed Sam's suspicions.
The dragon hybrid just shrugged, "To me, everyone is armed, because I can see the magic in all of them. It doesn't really bother me if it's pointed at me or not." Sam said and Aidan snorted.
"We seem to be gathering a crowd," Aidan remarked as more students peeked into the entrance hall, though none were brave enough to enter it appeared the teachers were coming to see what the problem was.
Sam snorted as he felt two, much more powerful forces enter the hall. "Which teachers are they?" He asked.
"McGonagall and Snape" Aidan replied and Sam smiled knowingly.
"They feel like them, McGonagall is very tight and in control of everything, and Snape feels slippery almost like he's hiding something." Harry informed Aidan before the two teachers stopped a short distance away, wands at the ready.
McGonagall drew her wand as she approached the stranger standing in the entrance hall, thoughts flew rapidly through her head, but the most prominent was to hope that this person was not here to start a fight.
"To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?" McGonagall said crisply, and Sam couldn't help but chuckle slightly, she really got to the point.
"Well, BOY!" Snape yelled and Sam turned his head to face his former teacher.
"There is no need to yell, I have not come as a threat." Sam said simply and everyone felt the atmosphere relax, through the teachers did not pocket their wands.
"Then why have you come?" McGonagall asked.
"I am looking for Matt Potter." Sam replied and the atmosphere tensed up again.
"Why, would you be looking for Mr Potter?" McGonagall questioned nervously.
"Yes indeed, why would you want the brat?" Snape added, though to his slight disappointment Sam didn't rise to the bait.
"I must inform him, of a pressing issue that has only just come to my notice." Sam bantered; he was enjoying this game of words.
"Well I'm sorry, but Mr Potter is unable to converse at the present time." McGonagall was being very careful in all the information she gave away.
"How so?" Sam asked, a slight urgency coming through in his tone.
McGonagall heard it and replied with some compassion for the 'stranger' "he has been petrified."
Sam didn't waste more than the second it took for his brain to comprehend the information he had been given. In one stride he was airborne, his magnificent wings taking him over the crowd and landing him on the marble staircase which he raced up, on his way to the hospital wing.
But his sudden movement caused both McGonagall and Snape to attack, they fired rapid stunning spells at his back which Sam dodged easily and kept running, the teachers hot on his tail.
Aidan flew next to him as Sam jumped up three stairs at a time, the teachers could not compete with the training he had gone though and soon were a whole flight of stairs behind him and losing ground quickly.
"Sam he'll be fine, he's only petrified." Aidan reminded his familiar as the pair raced along a corridor.
"I know," Sam replied, even at the speed he was going he didn't have any trouble talking. "But he's still my brother, and I have to be sure."
Rounding the last bend Sam burst into yet another room and was confronted with four presences, all whose wands were trained on him.
"Aidan, who is it." Harry asked desperately, feeling helpless not knowing who was in the room.
"Your Mum is on the right, then Sirius, your Dad, then the nurse." Aidan told his friend and Sam nodded his confirmation, storing the feeling of their presence, it was like meeting everyone again.
"WHO ARE YOU?!" James Potter bellowed, his wand trained on Sam in an attempt to defend his son, though the irony was that he was attacking the other.
"I am Samuel, but everyone calls me Sam."
"What do you want?" Sirius demanded, his eyes livid, though Sam could only feel his anger and slight amounts of fear, though of him or for Matt, Sam could not be sure.
"I came to talk to Matt, but it appears I was too late." Sam replied.
"How do you know my son?" James said, his voice tight.
"I have known him all my life, just as he has known me." Sam replied, his answers cryptic.
"Well, I've never heard of you, Sam." James spat out the name, his anger rising at the confusing answers.
Just then McGonagall rushed onto the scene, Snape hot on her heels. It took only a few seconds for McGonagall to take a huge gulp of air and point her wand at Sam, through she did not cast a spell. Snape however was not as lenient, he pointed his wand and yelled "STUPEFY!"
Aidan and Sam's reactions were instantaneous; Aidan disappeared in a burst of black flame and Sam curled his wings around him and rolled to the side to avoid the hex. This caused Sirius to throw up a hasty shield to avoid being hit by the spell. However Snape's attack indicated to the other occupants of the room the course of action they were going to take and Sirius and James stepped up to attack while Lilly, Poppy and McGonagall moved to defend the occupants of the hospital wing.
"STUPEFY!" James yelled, directing the red beam at Sam's body just as Sirius directed the same spell to the Sam's right and Snape directed his spell to the left, effetely removing the option of simply avoiding.
"Protego!" Sam cried and a golden shield burst into life in front of him, the spells simply being absorbed into it.
"I'm not here to cause trouble!" Sam yelled but all the occupants of the room ignored him.
James and Snape continued to fire rapid spells at the shield, but it did not fade and Sirius began to move around the side, hoping to find a weak point in the defence.
It was at this point that Aidan re-entered the scene, in a burst of jet black flame, the shadow phoenix gave an almighty screech and swooped on Sirius, claws extended.
"SIRIUS!" James yelled in warning and fired off a cutting hex at Aidan, who simply barrel rolled to avoid it, missing Sirius by inches.
This however enraged Sam, who let out an inhuman snarl, showing his fangs and dropping into an offensive crouch.
Aidan swooped through the shield to land on Sam's shoulder. "Why are they attacking?" Aidan asked, he could feel Sam's anger through the bond they shared.
"They think I'm going to hurt Matt." Sam snarled. "I told them I wasn't here to cause trouble and they just ignored me, then you swooped in and Dad attacked you."
Aidan nodded, "did you tell them you were Harry?"
"Do you think they'd believe me?" Sam asked just as a cutting jinx smashed into the shield.
"No," Aidan replied simply, "but it can't hurt to try."
"I'm NOT here to hurt Matt!" Sam yelled, and just as he was about to yell out his name Sirius hit the shield with a basting hex and it shattered.
Sam flung himself behind one of the beds, Aidan right behind him just as a hex flew past.
"Damn," Sam whispered hurriedly, "I didn't expect them to use such a high powered hex so soon."
"Are we fighting them?" Aidan asked.
Sam felt James, Sirius and Snape rapidly closing in on the bed, firing spells all the while. It was when, what could be a lethal hex flew just over their heads that Sam made the decision.
"They won't listen," He replied "if they attack then we fight", and with a snarl the dragon hybrid leapt out from behind the bed, launching twin jets of fire from his palms at the approaching enemy.
Snape and Sirius both threw up shields just in time to avoid being burned, James was slower by just a second and was forced to drop to the ground to avoid the brunt of the attack, however that second cost him and he came away with burns to his right forearm which he threw up in defence.
Wincing in pain James launched himself forward but Sam side stepped the clumsy move and shot another jet of fire. Unable to avoid it in the air, James was hit full on and his robes caught fire.
The head of the Potter house yelled in pain as the fire covered his body but Sam had no time to think about this as Snape was rapidly advancing, firing cutting, severing and blasting hexes with every step he took.
Without the time to throw up a shield that would hold Sam simply dodged the onslaught of spells as Lily rushed around to tend to her husband.
"STUPE-" Lily started to yell, directing her spell at Sam, but Aidan swooped upon her, grabbing her wand in his claws and tossing it away where it rolled under a bed.
"AH!" Sirius yelled in frustration as he attempted to subdue Aidan with spells, but every time he got close the shadow phoenix would simply disappear in a burst of flame.
Snape was fairing no better against Sam. Every curse he shot was dodged and he was losing strength rapidly. Suddenly Sam's head whipped to the door and before Snape could think what this meant his opponent had leapt over him and with one sweeping gesture both doors of the hospital wind slammed shut and from the sound, locked as well.
This slight distraction however was just what Snape needed and the potions master threw one of his numerous potions at Sam, whose back was turned.
Sam had just dodged a rather nasty curse when he felt other presences heading towards the hospital wing. In a split second decision he leapt over Snape, using his wings to give him the initial push and landing with his back to Snape, Sam threw his magic out to close and lock all entrances to the hospital wing.
The next second he felt a very slight presence, almost like a spell but not. Without a second to turn around Sam simply dropped to the floor and the potion vial Snape had thrown smashed just in front of him, its contents not hitting the dragon hybrid.
Whipping around Sam was privileged with a look of pure shock of the potions master's face.
With James unconscious, knocked out by Lily in order to help him deal with the pain. Sirius being occupied by Aidan and McGonagall and Poppy occupied with tending to James and protecting Matt, Sam allowed himself a smirk.
"How?" Snape hissed, the shocked look fading from his face to be replaced with malice.
"How what?" Sam asked back, showing his fangs.
"Your back was turned." Snape whispered in a hushed tone, dropping into an offensive crouch and Sam had to stop himself from laughing.
"It doesn't matter if my back is turned or not." Sam said, and seeing Snape was waiting for an answer he elaborated.
"You see," Sam continued. "I'm blind."
This time Sam did not miss his opportunity, when Snape dropped his guard momentarily in shock, the dragon hybrid stunned him, taking him out with one blow.
People were pounding on the hospital wing doors, but Sam ignored it and turned to face the remaining occupants of the room.
Sirius stood backed in a corner, his wand had been snapped and the pieces were scattered on the floor. His face, arms and hands were bloodied from scratches and he stood in the corner with his arms thrown up in defence in front of him.
McGonagall stood in front of Matt's bed, her wand alternating between pointing at Sam and Aidan. James was unconscious on a bed, Poppy standing over him, tending to him and Lily had retrieved her wand sometime during the fight and had joined McGonagall in front of Matt's bed; her wand drawn and pointing at Sam.
"I won't let you hurt my son!" Lily yelled, her voice breaking the silence.
At this Sam laughed. Not warm laughter after a good joke, but cold laughter only someone in a very ironic situation can achieve. Aidan let out a screech of laughter as well, disappearing from in front of Sirius and reappearing on Sam's shoulder.
Sirius hurried over to the group, asking Poppy if James was okay before joining Lily and McGonagall in front, the last line of defence.
"Don't worry I won't hurt your son," Sam paused for a second "Mother."
The room went deathly quiet.
"Who are you?" McGonagall was first to speak.
Sam laughed, "Don't you remember me Professor? I mean I know I've changed, but not so much that you can't even tell it's me. I was the short kid, black hair, green eyes."
"H-H-Harry." Lily stuttered, dropping her wand.
"Mum!" Sam cried with false enthusiasm, "how have you been?"
"You are not Harry!" Sirius yelled.
"Why not?" Sam asked, sounding quiet amused.
"Well for a start!" Sirius roared "you have freaking wings!"
Sam looked unimpressed but Sirius was not finished.
"And FANGS AND HORNS AND ON TOP OF ALL THAT!" Suddenly he went quiet. "The Harry I know would never attack his family."
At this Sam looked forlorn. "You're right on that point, but if you think about it. Who did all the attacking, who initiated the fight, WHO ATTACKED FIRST?!" Sam yelled the last bit, letting out all his anger and hurt.
Sirius took a step back at this but Sam wasn't done.
"I told you I wasn't here to cause trouble, but you ignored me and then you attacked my familiar."
At the word familiar everyone's eyes flew to Aidan, who pruned his feathers a bit.
"This is Aidan," Sam said, "my familiar and best friend; he's a shadow phoenix."
The eyes on Aidan grew wide with this news and McGonagall managed to get out "but they're extinct."
Aidan gave a screech of laughter, "that's what they think." He said simply to Sam.
"What did he say?" Lily asked, and Sam turned his attention to his mother.
"I forget you're human so you can't understand him. He said; that's what you think."
"What do you mean WE"RE HUMAN!" Sirius yelled. "YOU SAY IT LIKE YOU"RE NOT!"
"I'm not," Sam said simply.
"HA!" Exclaimed Sirius, "Then you can't be Harry! Harry was definitely human."
"I'm going to see if I can find out how the basilisk is moving around the school." Aidan said to Sam, "can you handle this by yourself?"
"Yes," Sam replied, "you go," and with those sentiments Aidan disappeared in black flames.
"Ask me something, something only I would know." Sam remarked, in hopes of proving his identity.
"What's my favourite colour?" Lily asked.
"Aw Lilies, that's easy it's GREEN!" Sirius exclaimed but Sam interrupted him.
"Gold."
"Huh," Sirius grunted.
"You're favourite colour in school was green but that was before the Avada Kadavra curse was used to try and kill your whole family. From that night your favourite colour became gold, because that was the colour Dad and Matt's eyes went when they were truly happy." Sam finished with a sigh and Lily could only stand there in shock.
"That doesn't prove ANYTHING!" Sirius said bluntly but Lily slapped him.
"I only ever told Harry that." She said, turning to Sam who smiled slightly.
"Are you really Harry?" Lily asked, fear and uncertainty in her voice.
"Yes and no," Sam replied and Sirius looked triumphant for a second and Lily relieved before Sam held up his hand.
"I was born on July 31st into the Potter family, my twin brother was born one minute earlier than me and named Matt. At age one my family was attacked by Lord Voldemort, no one knows how we survived. I spent most of my childhood at Potter manor and was considered a squib until I got my Hogwarts letter at age 11, I attended one year. That same year I met my familiar, Aidan. The next year I was then invited to attend a school in Australia, I went. Through the course of the year I discovered much about myself; one fact being that I while I am related to my parents by blood I inherited both my soul and magic from dragons."
"WHAT THE HELL!" Sirius yelled, but Sam held up his hand.
"You don't have to believe me; in fact I would be very surprised if you did." Sam said.
"How can you have inherited your magic and soul from anyone but James and I if you're our son?" Lily asked.
Sam looked slightly sad and confused at this question. "Not even I understand the technical side of it all. But it involved the dragons locking away their power that would lie dormant until one capable of containing the power was born and then the magic would become part of that person, giving them the soul and power of the dragons but the body of a human."
The occupants of the room looked highly confused but the knocking on the door was becoming much more insistent now and McGonagall looked over at the door before Sam nodded to her and she walked briskly across the room and was surprised when she found the door was open. Looking over her shoulder for only a split second McGonagall closed the door as she left to calm down the students and teachers outside.
"Suppose I did believe you, and I'm not saying I do mind you," Sirius said. "But if I did then how would you explain how the healers didn't pick up on your "dragon heritage"
"At birth, healers only look for physical problems; they don't expect a new born to have magical or spiritual defects." Sam replied simply and Sirius had to admit that this was true.
"How come if your dragon heritage is only in magic and spirit do you have physical characteristics?" Lily asked.
"Exactly, explain that one!" Sirius interrupted before Sam could speak.
"The nature of my magic is that it is very closely linked with my physical body, so much so that my natural form is not actually human, but dragon. In having this form my human form in influenced by my dragon form; giving me wings, horns and fangs."
"You haven't had them all your life though" Lily remarked.
"No," Sam replied, "they only started to influence my human form when I came into the age of dragon maturity."
"You, you really are Harry." Lily said shakily but Sam shook his head.
"I was born with the name Harry, since then I have changed my name to Sam."
"YOU CAN"T JUST CHANGE YOUR NAME!" Sirius exclaimed.
"Well I have," the dragon hybrid said simply.
"WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THE NAME YOUR PARENTS GAVE YOU!" Sirius roared.
"I don't exactly look like Harry anymore, do I? If you haven't noticed Uncle Sirius I'm very different, the only thing I kept was my black hair."
"And you're eyes!" Sirius exclaimed but Sam just shook his head, moving his hand to his eyes to remove the contacts he wore.
The occupants of the room gasped as colourless white eyes stared at them.
"What happened to you?" Lily asked in shock and Sam looked down sadly.
"I tried to channel my magic through my eyes, and it turns out that you shouldn't do that." He added the last part jokingly. "And I paid for my experiment with my sight, I am now blind."
"No," Lily whispered, both her hands covering her mouth. "Not my baby boy."
"It's okay Mum; I use a form of echolocation to see. I can see things through the reflections my magic gives me."
"Harry?" Sirius asked unsurely and Sam shook his head.
"No Padfoot," Sam said emphasising Sirius' nickname. "It's Sam," he said firmly and Sirius considered this for a second before nodding his head. "Sam," he agreed.
"Harry uh, Sam what are you doing here?" Lily asked at last, after a few moments of silence.
"I'm here because I thought Matt may be in trouble and I have figured out what is in the chamber of secrets."
Lily gave a sharp intake of breath while Sirius nodded. "A basilisk" he said and Sam nodded as well.
As if they had summoned him with their thoughts, Aidan returned with news of the very creature they were discussing.
"Pipes" Aidan said, "it's going through the pipes and guess what else; it hasn't eaten in 100 years."
Sam's face showed his surprise for only a second before it was overcome by determination and he crossed the room in two strides and before anyone could stop him, both boy and phoenix disappeared in a burst of black flame.
"NO!" Lily cried, running forward to where her youngest son had just disappeared from and dropping down onto the floor, tears flowing freely from her eyes.
"Lilies," Sirius whispered as he came up behind her, and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I can't lose him Sirius," Lily sobbed. "No more than I could lose James or Matt or you or Remus." At this Lily gave a hard sob, "but I think I lost him without even knowing it."
"He's not gone yet Lilies. You can see it in his face, he still cares."
"I know he still cares," Lily sobbed, "but does he know that I do?"
One second the pair was in the hospital wing, the next they were standing in a hallway, and in front of them, were the words written in blood.
"We'll have to get in by a bathroom." Sam said briskly, his tone showing how badly the confrontation had affected him, as he made his way towards Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.