Chapter 10
Abraxus enjoyed his weekend with the Carmichaels meanwhile; and was looking forward to taking Myrtle to Diagon Alley on the Monday. He had a note, signed by Professor Dumbledore, giving him permission to be absent from school escorting a late comer to buy essential school equipment, in case of any officious interference. He felt on top of the world!
They were looked upon with curiosity in Diagon Alley of course; but as they appeared to be following the usual route from cauldron shop at one end to wands at the other, nobody asked any questions in the shops, only a business-robed man stopping them to ask sharply what their business might be.
Abraxus suppressed the urge to say 'shopping'.
"Miss Carmichael needs kit sir; I'm escorting her" he said.
"And WHY does she need kit in the middle of the school year?"
"That, sir, I should say, is a matter for the school and not for a wizard in the magical transport system department" said Abraxus shortly, recognising the robes. Myrtle looked narrowly at the wizard.
"Henry Beltane, anyone who had been wedgied and tied up upside-down in the girls' loo in his fourth year for officious interference, and who was moreover bested by a twelve-year-old has no right to carry on acting like a prefect when he's still not and never was" she said.
The wizard paled.
"How do you know about that?" he demanded.
"I know more than you do, that's how" said Myrtle. "Shall I tell him how you tried to impress the girls by boasting that you expected to get a prefect's badge in the fifth and you never even got it in the sixth because Professors Flitwick and Dumbledore had your number and knew what a hopeless twerp you were?"
"Y-young lady, don't you dare talk to a ministry official like that!" tried Beltane.
"Ministry official? You're inspecting the floo network outlets or something like that, they'd never make you an OFFICIAL" said Myrtle.
He gobbled helplessly in frustration and rage.
"Anyway, as we've answered your legitimate query, and established our right to be here, we'll be on our way" said Abraxus, pulling Myrtle along.
"OOW…. I was enjoying baiting that prize prune" said Myrtle.
"And the idea was to keep a low profile and not make an issue of putting you back together" said Abraxus. "Hello, is that Mary Shipton? Hello Madam Shipton!"
"And a nice polite boy you are, my lad" said the hag "Know my granddaughters I'll be bound…how are they doing?"
"Annis is a real ace at quidditch, Beth enjoys it but I can see Annis on the team on day" said Abraxus "From what I hear they're both doing well in lessons too, how are you?"
"Oh very well, dearie, very well; I was just going to tell that magical travel chappie that there's half a splinched wizard in our apartment drains. Blocking them he is; and it's the responsibility of the ministry to deal with splinching."
"Poor fellow!" said Abraxus, feeling slightly queasy "Quite dead, I take it?"
"Splinched right down the middle? Hardly likely to b anything else unless both halves splinched somewhere with trained personnel like Hogwarts or St Mungo's" said Mary. "Well, well, I bid you good day , Mr – if I guess right – Malfoy."
"And good day to you Madam Shipton" said Abraxus. The hag hurried off to catch up with Mr Beltane.
"And that will REALLY make his day – not" said Myrtle smugly. "I say, if it's an issue what happens if you're split when you die, would you say half a ghost was better than no dead?"
Abraxus aimed a gentle but determined rebuke to her rump; and Myrtle squealed happily.
After they had finished shopping, Myrtle was still entranced with her new wand; like Harry's, it was holly with a phoenix feather core.
"Holly indicates resurrection and the phoenix feather reinforces that" said Abraxus. "Harry of course spent time being a little bit dead to kill the horcrux; I guess that's appropriate. Voldemort's was Yew, which is a darker symbol of eternal life. And yet it's appropriate for Draco, because he had a rebirth into being on the right side, and the eternity thing could equally symbolise the life of his family line."
"I don't really care that much" said Myrtle candidly "I just love to be able to feel a wand in my hand again and know that it'll bring me all the magic I need. I say, is that your mum's shop? I've never met her."
Wendy was taken aback that Abrax was in town but was delighted to hear the reason why. He had written to her of course, explaining that he had a new hand, and Wendy demanded to see it.
"Remarkable" she said "You can't even tell the difference!"
Abraxus opened his mouth to disclaim indignantly; then remembered that his mother was a muggle, albeit a sensitive one. Presumably muggles could NOT see the difference. The Carmichaels had said nothing; but then perhaps they assumed that Professor Dumbledore had transfigured the marble hand into one that was flesh and blood. Wendy added,
"I'm a bit busy right now, my dears – and I am so pleased, Myrtle, to get to meet you at last, but I'm sure you'll understand – there's a couple of house elves whose families have died out and I'm giving them advice about setting up in business, to hire themselves out as short-term servants, when there's extra work for new babies say, or to run a party, or to clean a house thoroughly. Plenty of people would pay for house elf magic for a short time. It's heartened them no end but I'm finding them work right now – yes, I'm taking a commission for acting as their agent, don't frown at me Abraxus – because until they're known they won't get work. Molly is having them for Hermione and Ron's wedding, bless her and Narcissa in the summer for Draco and Grace, but that's only two affairs."
"Bribe us with ice cream money, mum and we'll go away" said Abrax.
Wendy laughed.
"Horrid child! I didn't mean it like that….have a few sickles anyway and spend it frivolously."
Abraxus kissed her and took Myrtle off.
"I like your mum; she's sort of scatty" said Myrtle.
"In a good way" said Abraxus.
By the time they had finished shopping and eating ice cream – another treat for Myrtle that she savoured – it was going to be too late to conveniently join in with lessons so they wandered around window shopping. The showman with the snakes and what he claimed was a magical pipe that played parseltongue to them was mildly amusing; especially as it was no such thing.
It amused the two young parselmouths – for of course Myrtle now also had the same powers as any other Blooded – to call the snakes over to them to pet them.
Besides, Abraxus wanted to check that they were being treated properly, as he told the furious snake handler.
"But they seem in good condition and you have them well trained; even if your pipe is a joke" the boy said.
The Showman seemed about to say something uncomplimentary, but Abrax stared at him hard; and the man noticed the scar and blenched.
"Beg your pardon young hero, I'm sure" he muttered.
"No offence taken and I hope none given" said Abrax "I like snakes; not everyone is as scrupulous in their care of them as you. But I'd get a pipe with a more sibilant tone; it'll fool your IGNORANT audience better. Here, this is all I have left, I only really had funds for an ice cream or two" and he gave the man the few coins he had left.
The man brightened and smiled at him, murmured thanks, nodded, and hurried off to try his luck in a different part of the alley.
"Poor devil probably has to make his way as best he might, may not even have gone to Hogwarts" said Abrax "You gotta have compassion for those without any OWLs; it's not always their fault, there's enough poverty in society that Francis and Ralph are well off compared to many, that their parents managed to put three boys through Hogwarts."
"Where are the slums in the wizarding wold?" asked Myrtle.
"There's a grim apartment down Knockturn Alley – and I'm not taking you there on our own – and I guess some live amongst muggles, Sev's old house isn't that big on the outside, though it's homey enough; and maybe there's areas they don't talk about. I'll ask Uncle Lucius" said Abrax "He's trying to find out who owns the apartment block too. I think we ought to get into the Leaky Cauldron now and take the Floo back to school."
"All right; just one thing first."
"What's that?"
That was a very thorough kissing.
It was lemon sherbet flavoured and Abrax enjoyed every minute of it. It left his knees almost as shaky as if he'd had the jelly-legs hex on them; but he was very happy as he took his girlfriend back to school!
The Marauders were delighted to see them back, and Myrtle received hugs all round. Krait joined them to hug her first friend at Hogwarts too, glad to be able to do it in the flesh.
"It's a special thing that Abrax and you did" she said "And you'll get a lot of fallout over it, not just from the ghosts; we're not going to make an issue of who you are, Myrtle, to keep it to a minimum. Sephara is saving a seat by her for you at supper, because we assume you'll want to return to Hufflepuff; especially as the Fat Friar has actually been supportive."
Myrtle thought.
"I've got lots of friends in Gryffindor but the more we spread out the more we do the job we're supposed to do of bringing people together, don't we?"
"Spoken like a true Hufflepuff of the best; striving hard for duty above glory" said Krait. "I guess if the hat disagrees you'll be in with the Gryffs; but wherever you are, we're glad to have you and we'll protect you as much as we can."
Professor Dumbledore announced that Myrtle Carmichael was welcome back to school; and that he was certain her classmates in the fourth would help her catch up from her prolonged indisposition; and that though she had been through the Hatting ceremony once, it was only fair to see if her experiences had changed her.
"He's hoping that because she learned to stand up not only for herself but for others that she'll be with us in Gryff" whispered Kinat.
"Well I hope she'll be where she'll be happy" said Abrax "And I reckon that's in Hufflepuff."
The Hat concurred; and the Huffers cheered happily, hoping privately that having two latecomers in the persons of Sephara and this girl Myrtle would not too much spoil their class average.
There were some comments about her name of course.
"Say, how could your parents go through Hogwarts and then name you after a ghost like Moaning Myrtle?" demanded Bethan Price, the part leshy.
"My parents never went to Hogwarts. I'm muggleborn" said Myrtle firmly "And I like my name; I think flower names for girls are pretty."
"Is it a flower name?" asked Bethan.
"Yes, it's an aromatic shrub" said Myrtle "My dad owns a nursery – a PLANT nursery" she added as Bethan looked confused " – for raising young plants to sell you know; and he likes myrtle, so that's what I was called. If I'd had a sister she'd have been Lavender. And my middle name is Erica which is the Latin name for one of the groups of heathers."
"There's more than one kind of heather?"
Myrtle sighed.
"Don't you DO herbology?"
"Well yes, but we only study magical plants."
"And plenty of mundane plants are used in potions, aren't they? And where do you think this delicate honey comes from?"
"Honey comes from bees."
"And bees get it from pollen and the flavour comes from what flowers they visit; this is from the local ling which is another kind of plant generalised as heather" Myrtle was not about to let the rather ebullient and nosy part-fey ask her too many questions; and by squashing her with knowledge hoped to make her back off.
It worked.
Bethan stopped asking questions in case she got another botany lecture.
It was when Abrax sat beside Myrtle for their transfiguration class next day that it dawned on Gilroy Derwent, Emil Porteous' crony.
"Hey – who did Abraxus Malfoy take to the ball and who's he sitting with? THAT'S MOANING MYRTLE!" he cried.
"You want to take a bet on who's going to be the one moaning when I get my wand on you?" said Myrtle, angrily.
"But it can't be" said Porteous "She's dead, you prat, that one's alive. And she doesn't look like Moaning Myrtle."
Myrtle had judiciously changed her hairstyle, cutting it short and spiky like the front of Willow's, more as a disguise than because she favoured the style; it could not be more different, after all, to the demure 1940's bob with bow.
"But it IS!" insisted Derwent "Surely you can see, it's not a coincidence, the name, and Abraxus and all that fuss, especially from the ghosts, and has anyone SEEN Moaning Myrtle since?"
Porteous was unconvinced. Such things were impossible. He said so.
"That's just not possible."
"And what, Mr Porteous, is not possible – besides, perrrhaps the likelihood of you ever achieving any kind of decent grrade in my class?" said Madam McGonagall's voice behind him.
Porteous spluttered and swallowed.
"Derwent says the new girl is Moaning Myrtle brought back from the dead."
"Indeed? And are you and Mr Derwent so skilled in the understanding of the nature of the mystery of death that ye'd wish t' debate it in my class?" demanded McGonagall.
"It is her, isn't it, Madam McGonagall?" asked Derwent "It's illegal, that's what it is; she's not supposed to be here, the Minsitry will have to kill her to make it right!"
"Anyone who wants to kill my girlfriend for any spurious reason – for any reason – gets to go through me first" said Abraxus.
"And us" said the rest of the Marauders and Ellie and Sephara in one voice.
"You can't kill someone if they're alive even if they've been dead, it's deatheater-y" put in Fish.
"Weel what a lot of fuss and rubbish you children do talk" said McGonagall "Are ye sure it's fourteen ye all are and no' four? Killing people indeed, Mr Derwent, fer shame; and the rest of you taking seriously such silliness! Noo then, get out yer hedgehogs and we'll see if ye can make a decent set of pincushions this time…."
McGonagall may not have entirely approved, but Abraxus was glad to notice she held a solid front in managing to avoid the question entirely by treating Derwent's revelation with ridicule!
Derwent knew he was right; he was more observant than his leader. He seethed and determined to pay everyone out by writing to the Ministry to get Myrtle punished for leaving her toilet.
The rest of the class were of divided opinion.
It did seem rather a coincidence that Abraxus should take the ghostly Myrtle to the Ball then have a girlfriend called Myrtle turn up in the flesh; but on the other hand the enormity of the alternative, that this was someone who had been dead was surely beyond the bounds of possibility?
The Hufflepuffs were certain of one thing.
Myrtle Carmichael may have missed a lot of schooling, but she was GOOD! Myrtle had overheard enough living children not to lose such knowledge as she had gained, and indeed had learned more; and with the MSHG she had learned a very great deal by watching, even though she had not had a wand to practice with. And the blood group had also given her perhaps more talent than she had originally had; though that had been quite sufficient to get her into the school when muggleborn students were much less common.
Having produced a nice patchwork pincushion that neither squealed nor wriggled when McGonagall stuck pins in it, and answered questions about the properties of unicorn blood and the immorality of taking it in Care of Magical Beasts – though Hagrid could not take his eyes of her, in undisguised wonder - she had then flown well enough in quiddich practice. And best of all she had neatly and silently jinxed Mourne and Parnassus with the asses-ears jinx when they made comments about Hufflepuff's low chances at the quidditch house shield. The Huffers thought her likely to be an asset to the house if she kept up being so good and decided that they cared less if her indisposition had involved fifty or more years of death.
As Sephara had also improved, their chances of getting house recognition in academic achievement had risen. The two girls were popular enough as a result! And the smaller Hufflepuffs adored them, for Sephara had already gone out of her way to protect her younger housemates from bullies; and Myrtle promptly joined her.
The Gryffindors meanwhile were inclined to follow the lead of those of the Bloodgroup in its midst; those who had supported Harry Potter were their heroes and could do no wrong. Plenty of Gryffindors just ACHED to ask questions, but if the marauders were silent on the subject, and David Fraser just laughed and said that stupid questions were just waiting to get stupid answers, and even Head of House Ginny Weasley could not be drawn to comment, why then, they must endure the curiosity stoically. Most Gryffindors believed that Myrtle was the late ghost Moaning Myrtle; because the group who supported Harry could do anything even defeat death – had they not all bounced the killing curse after all – and were ready to be belligerent about Abraxus' right to do all he could to cure his indisposed girlfriend and declare that THEY thought it romantic.
The sheer power and forces involved might scare the more knowledgeable; but then on the whole the more knowledgeable had been a part of it and knew how to manipulate the sheer power and forces involved too. The capabilities of the bloodgroup had certainly shocked Madam McGonagall; but she was always a sucker for young love; and the idea that love could conquer all was enough to move her to a position that was if not supportive at least not negative.
The Slytherin of the fourth were either marauders and friends of marauders; or out and out enemies of marauders. Derwent cared only for the reason that he could make mischief and get the marauders into trouble; although he was also clever enough to find the concept of the magical energies involved frightening. Having once taken the stand that it was impossible, Porteous refused to shift. Mourne and Parnassus viewed any kind of cauldron work as the production of inexplicable miracles by those who understood them and were fairly uninterested. Mourne said,
"Well, Voldemort got brought back from the dead didn't he? I guess it gave Malfoy the idea. After all he couldn't snog her as a ghost, could he?" which acceptance of Abraxus' skill was based more on total ignorance of potioneering than on appreciation of his abilities.
It has to be said that the Ravenclaw fourth year held a debate on the subject – 'this house believes that the rebirth of a ghost into a human body is impossible' – which duly carried unanimously. They could not explain how to do things of that nature, and therefore it was utterly unreasonable that a mere Gryffindor should be able to do so. The alternative was to accept that there were magics out there of which they had no comprehension; and that, to most Ravenclaws was unacceptable.
The name was a co-incidence. Abraxus Malfoy had befriended the girl because he had taken Moaning Myrtle to the ball through being sorry for her and had taken a liking to a girl with the same name.
They did not quite stamp their feet and say "meh" but one had the impression of that.
It was a few days later as the fourth fairly boiled out of a potions lesson, laughing good-naturedly over Fish's efforts – his floating ointment had worked too well and in the wrong way and Professor Snape had been forced to retrieve his cauldron from where it gently floated near the ceiling by the embedded cauldron from the previous year – when Professor Dumbledore, who was standing by an acidulated looking wizard, called Myrtle over.
Naturally her friends came too.
"A plurality of people answering to the name Myrtle Carmichael I see" murmured Dumbledore gently "Myrtle, my dear, this gentleman wishes you to come into an empty classroom where he can cast the revellaspell on you and ask you some questions; it is why he wanted you to come over."
"Why sir, is he a pervert?" demanded Myrtle.
"He almost has to be doesn't he?" said Sephara.
"Thank you Miss Yaxley, your input is not required….a valid question, Miss Carmichael: ARE you a pervert, inspector?"
The wizard already looked a little frazzled – whatever he wanted, it looked as though Dumbledore had already given him a hard time – and now he went purple.
"No of course not!" he yelped.
"He's scary" said Myrtle "I'm not being in a room alone with him."
"You will not be; I am in loco parentis and I shall be there" said Dumbledore.
"So shall I" said Abrax.
"And who do you think you are, young man?" demanded the visitor.
Abraxus drew himself up and looked down his nose with generations of Malfoys almost visibly ranging themselves at his back.
"I am Abraxus Malfoy, old boy" he said "And this is the girl I'm going to marry."
The name – and the scar – had the wizard quailing slightly; and he muttered something but raised no further objection.
"I'm still not going anywhere with him whoever's with me until I know he's not a pervert" said Myrtle stubbornly.
"Well now, I can't have my students upset; so I fear that unless you submit to legilimensy you will leave disappointed" said Dumbledore. "I assure you I am very competent; there will be no pain, and of course I shall respect your confidentiality over any other matters I should accidentally see."
The man ground his teeth.
"Oh very well" he said "Though I consider you place a ridiculous value on the hysterical fears of an alleged teenage witch."
"Perhaps THAT is why I have the responsible job of caring for teenage witches and wizards not you" said Dumbledore, smiling gently "Because I take their welfare, physical, moral, mental and educational, seriously. Legilimens!"
Abraxus knew the wily old wizard had no need of either wand nor word for legilimensy; but presumably he did not want this ministry lap dog to know that. Dumbledore's eyebrows rose once or twice and he muttered,
"Dear me…..well, well, WELL!...you didn't…..bless my soul!"
Abraxus knew he did it for effect and worked on not laughing as the ministry wizard cringed and clenched his jaw tighter and tighter. At last Dumbledore said,
"The inspector has no apparent paedophilic urges, Miss Carmichael, are you satisfied?"
"I suppose so; if YOU say he's safe Professor" said Myrtle demurely.
"With all due respect sir, what's he an inspector of?" asked Abraxus.
"Mr Witherspoon is a Spectre Inspector" said Dumbledore.
"A SPECTRE Inspector? Well what does he want with Myrtle?" demanded Abraxus, holding her hand tight.
"Apparently Mr Witherspoon is under the impression that Miss Carmichael has possessed the body of a muggle" said Dumbledore.
"Sir, do you want me to call St Mungo's to get someone to collect him and take him back to the Janus Thickey ward?" said Abraxus in a carefully clumsy whisper. Witherspoon went several colours. It was quite entertaining.
"Oh he is acting on information received" said Dumbledore "He assures me that even if someone wrote to the ministry claiming that Hogwarts had been transfigured into a giant hedgehog – the next silliest suggestion I could come up with on the spur of the moment – that the ministry would be bound to investigate, Mr Malfoy take that grin off your face I forbid you and your friends to start writing false claims to the ministry to make fools of them, they are quite capable of doing that by themselves."
"My body's all mine but if he wants to inspect that he IS a pervert" said Myrtle.
"I want to cast a revellaspell" said Witherspoon "If you have taken over the body of another I shall know."
Abrax tapped the side of his head and shrugged, smiling at Myrtle.
"Well do get on with it if you please" said Myrtle "It's jam duff tonight and I have no intention of missing it."
The inspector duly cast the spell. He cast it again. He looked baffled.
"Myrtle Carmichael, are you or are you not known as Moaning Myrtle?" he demanded.
"If anyone tried I'd give them a biff on the hooter, if Abrax didn't do it first" said Myrtle indignantly "There's no need to be insulting, Inspector. It makes me almost entitled to start calling you whinging Witherspoon or something equally er…"
"Apposite is the word you want" said Abraxus, having been exposed to Severus' vocabulary. "Why are you insulting my girlfriend, inspector? Be sure I shall write to my Uncle Lucius in his capacity as school Governor to complain about unnecessary ministry interference and risible attempts to denigrate the school and its students. Maybe they missed a deatheater or two when they went through the ministry."
Witherspoon paled at the thought of Lucius Malfoy on the warpath.
"I have to do my job" he said sulkily "And when a ghost called Moaning Myrtle, whose name in life was Carmichael, disappears, and a girl of the same age called Myrtle Carmichael appears, then I need to investigate. When were you born, young lady?"
"In March" said Myrtle "Seventeenth."
"What year?"
"I was always taught that a gentleman does not ask a lady her age" said Myrtle.
"Myrtle, I ask nicely that you tell the gentleman your age" said Dumbledore.
"Coming up fifteen" said Myrtle. "As you asked nicely, sir."
"Satisfied, Witherspoon?" asked Dumbledore "You have performed the revellaspell which will have told you that she is a perfectly normal young witch of pure human blood."
"There is something strange about her nonetheless that my wand cannot fully reveal and I do not understand."
"Try it on me then sir; maybe your wand is faulty" said Abraxus boldly.
The Inspector scowled; but did so; then peered at his wand, worried.
"The oddness seems to be in you too…."
"Then, sir, I suspect that either you have a faulty wand or it is detecting the fact that we are two who survived the killing curse" said Abraxus; for with the blood of all the sacrificial group Myrtle had been brought back sporting the scar too.
The inspector paled.
"She was at the battle for Hogwarts?" he demanded.
"She was indeed" said Dumbledore "And just as disobedient as her fellows over getting involved…"
"I think, sir, we have had enough of this man and his nonsense, don't you?" said Abraxus "We did not kill Voldemort and his deatheaters to have pusillanimous little fools following up the spite of a classmate who doesn't like to be continually beaten in lessons by girls from Hufflepuff; this is intolerable and as ridiculous as the inutile and inadequate edicts and provisions of both Fudge and Scrimgeour. If this is what the Ministry wastes its budget on I shall be writing not only to Uncle Lucius but also to Severin Prince and Harry Potter. WE are going about our lawful occasions; good DAY to you Mr Witherspoon."
"Good day Mr Witherspoon; repent of your sins and be cleansed" said Myrtle.
Anraxus had to hustle her out so he could break down in laughter.
"Repent of your sins and be cleansed?" he asked.
"Haven't you ever been troubled by some of the weirder evangelical types that call on the doorstep? They say things like that, it makes my dad frothingly incandescent with fury" said Myrtle "I hoped it would do the same to him. He was a horrid little boy too" she added meditatively.
"Good job you didn't say so….though there is nothing he can do" said Abraxus.
Indeed, they overheard what was said as Dumbledore escorted the Inspector out.
"I don't really care what you believe, Witherspoon; the girl is a living, breathing child. And as such beyond the jurisdiction of your office. And moreover, if you believe that a ritual has been performed to bring her back from the dead, I have yet to hear that there is ANY law against that action. As to your concerns to the safety of Miss Hornby, I should have thought she ought to be old enough to handle the ruderies of any teenage witch, especially as young Myrtle is bound, as all our youngsters are bound, to be forbidden to practise magic outside of school before the age of seventeen."
"Olive Hornby had been cursed frequently over the last few years; which is why we came to check if the boundaries still held Moaning Myrtle when it first started!"
"Oh I can answer that mystery for you" Dumbledore laughed "And shame on Olive Hornby for not looking for the obvious! Why it was no more than a young witch who was sorry for a juvenile and bullied ghost who purchased some jokes and tricks and hid them in Olive's house….reprehensible, I grant you, but not illegal; no magic was used and no theft occurred. Children will be children, you know!"
Witherspoon left in high dudgeon; and Dumbledore for one was certain that Olive Hornby was going to suffer for making a false complaint to take the edge of his anger.