I Don't Want to be a Hero - Second Year
Chapter Fifteen
Looking For Myrtle Tremble, Ghost
10 Oct 1992 - Evening
Harry was not a girl so he would not skip, but he was a boy - a very happy boy with brand new pewter frame eyeglasses in a pleasant oval shape and with lenses that made his vision much better. So, as soon as he and his father were through the heavy iron gates of Hogwarts he ran with abandon up the incline. He was met by his two best friends Hermione and Draco.
"Where were you, Harry?" asked Draco.
"You have new glasses!" commented Hermione with a grin. "You look wonderful in them."
"Thanks, Hermione," replied Harry. "Me and dad went to St. Mungos so he could take some medicine he was working on to the research lab. We then visited that prisoner from Azkaban."
"Sirius Black?" asked Draco in a hush. "I've heard he's a very Dark wizard and murdered a lot of Muggles. Is he a giant or a vampire?"
Harry chuckled. "Nahhhh! Black's just a wizard. Fred and George said he might not be guilty of murder, though."
Draco scoffed, "I doubt it. Black's whole family were a bunch of Dark Wizards."
"But Sirius was in Gryffindor!" protested Hermione.
Severus arrived just in time to hear the young witch's argument for Sirius Black being a good wizard. "A House does not make a witch or wizard Dark, Miss Granger. Or, do you think I and Mr. Malfoy are Dark simply because we are Slytherins?"
Hermione gaped at her teacher then shook her head strongly. "No, sir! I didn't mean that. I just meant that Sirius Black's whole family was evil but he broke away from them. I don't think he murdered those Muggles. He was friends with Harry's parents."
Severus was not convinced by her appeasing argument. He stepped past the witch, and into the castle. "Considering that that Gryffindor nearly killed me, Miss Granger, I am disinclined to believe protestations of his innocence."
St. Mungos: Sirius Black's Private Room
Healer Smethwyck arrived just before patient bedtime to administer Sirius Black's medication. Sirius, used to imbibing so many potions did not question this one until the very bad taste stayed on his tongue like melted Spell-O-Tape.
"What in Merlin's Bloody Toe is that?" demanded Sirius as he coughed, hacked, and tried to get the taste from his mouth.
"Aguamenti!" Healer Smethwyck filled a glass with water from his wand, and handed it to his patient. "I'm sorry I can only give you water, Sirius, but I was told this brew will react with any other liquid. At least…" He smirked as Sirius fell back on his bed, and began to snore heavily. "... it will put you to sleep." Smethwyck rearranged his patient, and then tucked him in. "If the Potions Master's work is as excellent as he claimed, then tomorrow you will be free to go home."
10 Oct 1992 - An Hour Before Curfew
Hermione, Harry, and Draco had found a place for themselves to relax together after their exploration of the in one of Hogwarts many curious rooms. Their attic was near Ravenclaw Tower and was adorned by slits or the more luridly named 'murder holes'. These unadorned windows gave the three sights over the main courtyard, the main gate, and Hogsmeade.
Collecting rugs, furniture, books, and various knick knacks that looked interesting Harry, Draco, and Hermione had made this place their own. Hermione had found a bookcase in one attic, and books in various attics just tossed away. Harry had found at least five different chairs that all had a different design ethic. Harry liked them for representing all the colours of the rainbow. He had also found their favourite piece of furniture that was a very large, flat cushion upholstered in yellow washed silk with heavy gold tassels at the corners. Draco had found several rugs with abstract patterns, and a magnificent tapestry of an old maze.
Light came from jars that held Hermione's specialty, a blue fire she could create with just concentration and a wave of her wand. Draco knew a Warming Spell and he used that to keep clothing and furniture warm as they sat together.
The best artifact in their attic was an Enchanted Window Harry had found when he was rummaging around for pieces of furniture. The window had an odd streak in the upper right corner but other than that flaw it worked well. Draco had programmed the Enchanted Window to show them the pretty view of Hogsmeade at night.
"It's an hour until curfew," commented Draco as he slid down in his chair until his bum was just at the edge. "Let's go do something."
"We could study for the Charms test on Monday," replied Hermione brightly where she lay upon her tummy on the yellow cushion.
"No studying," muttered Draco.
"We did study for the test Hermione. If we study anymore our brains are going to be asleep for the test," complained Harry. He had been tracing the tapestry maze, and had not found a solution to its many turns, and switchbacks.
"We can go looking for the ghost in the bathroom," said Draco suddenly sitting up.
"Moaning Myrtle," said Hermione. "She's in the second floor girl's bathroom."
"I asked dad about her," interjected Harry. "He said she's called Moaning Myrtle because she always crying or throwing a tantrum."
"Did Professor Snape know what Myrtle died of?" asked Hermione.
"Dad told me that he believed it was Tom Riddle who killed her by drowning her in one of the toilets," replied Harry.
"Tom Riddle?!" Draco leapt to his feet. "Do you know who he was?" Both Hermione and Harry shook their heads. "He was Voldy. My father told me about him. He got Hagrid expelled and hexed a lot of the Muggle-born students for fun."
"That's cruel!" cried Hermione.
Draco nodded, "He was the Dark Lord, Hermione. I'd say cruelty was his bailiwick." He grimaced thinking of his Aunt Bellatrix who had nearly killed Harry. He hoped his insane aunt was freezing to death on an ice floe in Siberia.
"Tom Riddle and Voldy and whatever," muttered Harry walking to the door of their attic. "Let's go find Myrtle and talk to her." Harry disappeared through the door. A moment later Draco and then Hermione were scrambling to follow.
The second floor girls bathroom had long since not been used because it was clearly haunted. Not that anyone was afraid of the ghost - there were so many around Hogwarts one got used to them - Myrtle Tremble, also known as Moaning Myrtle was a ghost that many found to be plain annoying.
Myrtle whined, cried, threw temper tantrums and many of those temper tantrums wound up flooding the bathroom. She would burst toilets, break sinks, and explode the plumbing. House elves, those clever creatures, often fixed what could be fixed magically, and Filch the castellan would mop the water that flooded the floor.
That evening Myrtle was in a rare good mood and she was swinging about the girls bathroom, zipping between the stalls, and primping before the mirrors when three curious students walked carefully into her bathroom.
"This is my bathroom!" declared Myrtle as she floated right up into Draco's face. He yelped and scrambled backwards so fast that he bumped right into Hermione.
"We don't mean to intrude," began Hermione as she pushed Draco off of her.
"We just wanted to visit," said Harry.
"No one ever wants to visits me," she pouted.
"We do," glowered Draco already thinking that maybe this idea to visit a ghost had been a stupid one.
Myrtle drew up aggressively before Harry and Draco, "This is a girls bathroom! You're both boys."
"Please, Myrtle," Hermione tried to appease the ghost. None of them wanted to start her wailing. "We really did want to visit and since girls never use this bathroom anymore its all right if Harry and Draco visit."
"Oooh, Harry Potter," she cooed.
Harry's eyes rolled, "I'm not famous, you know," he sighed. "And, I'm Harry Snape."
Draco added unhelpfully, "Harry Potter Snape if he's in trouble."
"Shut up, Dragon," Harry smirked. Draco stuck out his tongue quickly at his best friend.
"I'm Hermione. How do you know about Harry?"
Myrtle floated up to the ceiling, sung a little tune, then floated down in front of Harry, "Nicholas talks about you," she smiled coyly. To Harry's discomfort she batted her eyelashes and drew up so close he could feel her disturbing, ghostly coldness. "He told everyone that you killed Tom Riddle and Quirinus Quirrell."
Harry backed away when her arm brushed his. He rubbed his upper arm with his other hand. "I didn't kill Voldy," he grated. "My parents and my father did that. And, Quirrell was an accident. I didn't know he was going to burn when I touched him."
"Ooooooh touchy, aren't you?" Myrtle tittered and floated upward and all around the ceiling. She then darted down before Draco and now flirted with him. "I know you, too, Draco Malfoy. You're daddy speaks to the Bloody Baron alllllll the time."
"So?" Myrtle floated back and forth so close in front of Draco that he took a few steps backwards, again. "My father's a Slytherin and everyone knows the Bloody Baron only talks to Slytherins."
Myrtle turned so quickly and pushed an angry face right into Draco's that he fell backwards. She growled, "Well the Baron talks to me, dim dim ferret face, and I'm a Ravenclaw."
Harry ducked just as a faucet popped off like a champagne cork and hit a mirror near Hermione. She dove aside just as it shattered. As the pipe where the faucet was burst Harry was showered with cold water.
Just as quickly as Myrtle's anger faded she swept around the bathroom and began to weep. "I'm a ghost, though," she moaned, "and he has to speak to me. Nobody living ever wants to talk to me!"
She wailed and with a swing she flew up to the ceiling. Hermione was not going to deal with a weepy ghost that had mood swings. "Myrtle, we want to talk to you. That's why we're here. Please… would you talk to us? It would be ever so marvelous if you did."
Myrtle floated down in front of Hermione and studied the young witch. Her ghostly, silver eyes regarded Hermione's large brown eyes curiously. "Do you really want to talk just to me? Nicholas has so many interesting stories. The Baron would talk to you, Draco, and he's very interesting, too."
Harry piped up, "But you're the only ghost that was exorcised, Myrtle." Myrtle glared warningly at Harry so he quickly added, "That's makes you more interesting than any ghost in the castle."
Myrtle smiled very brightly as she swept up, and very nearly next to Harry. "Really? Harry, do you think I'm interesting?"
Harry nodded, "Oh yes. I've been reading all about you and how that awful Olive Hornby had you exorcised to Hogwarts so you could never leave."
"That was really terrible," agreed Draco.
"Olive laughed at me," Myrtle sniffled angrily.
Hermione then added her own bit of knowledge, "Olive Hornby was a mean girl, Myrtle. I found her detention records and her OWL and NEWT scores."
"You did?" asked Draco.
"I really did. Did you know she came very close to failing her OWLs and her parents paid for her to re-take them. Then, she just barely passed her NEWTs. The worst job Olive Hornby has at the Ministry is that of a Licensing Clerk," continued Hermione with a touch of scorn for the witch she'd never met.
Myrtle giggled. "Olive Hornby was a lazy bint… and she was awfully, terr… rrr...ibly mean. She made me cry ever so much!" Myrtle suddenly wailed, "and then she exorcised me!"
"See? Wretched witch!" declared Harry with sympathy that appeared to soothe the upset ghost.
"Hephaestus told me that if Olive Hornby ever came to Hogwarts he'd bite her just for me!" delighted Myrtle giggled and flew up and across the ceiling.
"The God of Fire?" Draco asked in puzzlement.
"Oh no, silly! That's the monster's name," corrected Myrtle. "He's ever so sorry he killed me, and I told Hephaestus not to worry over it because he really is such a nice fellow."
"I thought Tom Riddle…" Hermione could not bring herself to say 'killed'.
"That awful boy!" spat Myrtle. "I told him several times to get out of the girls bathroom but he wouldn't listen, and then…" as if imparting a secret she sidled down towards Draco, "you know what that awful boy did?"
Draco shook his head as Harry and Hermione stepped closer so they could hear. "He… called… Hephaestus… and…" Myrtle shocked them all as she screeched, "He killed me!"
Toilets suddenly burst and water spewed forth like waterfalls from each of the stalls. With a wail Myrtle dove into one of the toilet waterfalls and vanished.
"This is awful!" Hermione cried as she glared at the water across the floor.
Harry had fallen against an octagonal grouping of sinks that all were filled up, spilling over, and turning into waterfalls. He tried to pull himself up, slipped, and then pulled himself up again. In doing so he faced one set of faucets over one of the sinks. One faucet had been forged into the shape of some fierce looking animal.
"A snake!" declared Harry.
Harry's discovery, unfortunately, paled in comparison to the flood that was currently turning the second floor girls bathroom into a large bath. Hermione was busy muttering about the mess, and Harry was slipping. Draco, with a sense of self-preservation, grabbed his friends by the hands and dragged them out of the bathroom.
"It's nearly curfew," Draco informed them. "I'm going to my common room. G'night!"
Draco turned away from his friends with a wave, and then he headed for the stairs to get down to the dungeons.
Hermione yawned, "I'm getting tired. Let's go." Hermione walked away towards Gryffindor tower. For a moment Harry watched her leave. He then glanced back at the door to the second floor girls bathroom and down at the floor. Water was leaking under the door. With that he forgot about his interesting discovery and ran to catch up with Hermione.