A/N: Welcome back! I hope everyone is having a wonderful week. Thank you for being so patient with me, I have another update for you!

Enjoy!

Armando Dippet sighed heavily as he fell into the chair behind his desk.

"These constant board meetings are becoming tiresome."

"I agree with you," Albus said as he sat in the chair across from him. "They don't provide any new information, all they do is bicker back and forth about what should be done."

"Exactly. At this point I don't even know what the correct decision is."

Professor Dippet massaged his temples. Albus could tell he was tired and more than likely developing a migraine. He sighed and got up to make them both tea.

"Here, Armando." Albus told him upon his return, holding out the cup for him to take.

The Headmaster's eyes lit up and he visibly relaxed, making Albus smirk.

"Ah, thank you my friend."

The two sat in a comfortable silence for a number of minutes before Armando spoke again.

"I rejected Tom Riddle's request to stay at Hogwarts over the summer holiday."

Albus's cup stopped halfway to his lips and his head jerked up to meet his eyes.

"What? You always allow him to stay at Hogwarts. Why would you deny him?"

Armando sighed, "Even though the Board of Governors is bickering now, if things get any worse they're going to have to close the school, Albus. The students leave in a week—I can't in good conscience allow any of the students to stay here over the holiday no matter how bleak their circumstances. Unfortunately, that includes Mr. Riddle. As much as I hate it, he'll probably be safer back at the orphanage."

Albus nodded, understanding his point. He hadn't trusted Tom Riddle in years; there was a darkness to the boy that Albus couldn't quite place, and it only seemed to get worse every year.

Still, he had to admit that he too felt a certain level of pity for Riddle's unfortunate circumstances.

"How did he take it?"

"Not well. I could tell he was angry, but he must have known trying to resist would have been pointless. He just… stormed off."

Albus couldn't say he was surprised by that. Riddle had a horrible temper but he was also smart enough to know which fights he would win and which ones he would lose. If he knew he couldn't win, he'd simply walk out.

"I see. I'm sure he's upset but he'll be alright, Armando. Don't worry about him."

"I certainly hope you're right." He sighed, taking another drink of his tea.

Myrtle Warren opened the door of the second floor bathroom so roughly it banged against the wall, but she paid no attention to it. She could still hear Olive Hornby laughing along with her friends, but thankfully the sound faded away when the door closed. Her eyes were overflowing with tears but she was determined not to let them fall until she was truly alone. She ran headlong into the furthest stall and slammed the door shut behind her, finally letting herself cry.

That dumb Olive! It's like she's never seen anyone wearing glasses before!

She attempted to wipe her tears away several times but they were only replaced by more, so Myrtle finally just gave up. She knew it was silly to be sobbing over some stupid girl making fun of her glasses, but she was so sick of Olive's tormenting. It'd been five years and still Olive couldn't find anything better to do with her time but make her miserable.

Thank Merlin it was already the thirteenth of June. In just a week the year would be over and she'd be able to go home again, free from the near-constant bullying for at least a few months. She didn't care what she had to do, she'd beg her parents for new glasses if needed. Even though she knew her parents would just tell her she shouldn't change herself for other people, she didn't care anymore.

Stupid Olive Hornby…

Rather than calm down Myrtle only cried harder, and she barely heard it when the door to the bathroom opened. For a second she was afraid it would be Olive again, and her breath hitched. When no one called out to her, she relaxed minutely and continued sniffling in her stall, determined to ignore whoever it was.

There were a few moments of silence—other than the sounds of Myrtle's crying—when suddenly she could hear the other person in the bathroom making strange hissing sounds. Myrtle looked up and wiped her eyes, confused. Did they make that up? Wait… that's a boy's voice!

The hissing continued and now Myrtle was sure it was a boy speaking. She rolled her eyes; she was not in the mood for anymore tricks.

"Go away." She sniffled, but her voice cracked and didn't come out nearly as forceful as she hoped.

There was a pause, but then the hissing went on as if whoever it was had completely ignored her.

Frustrated, Myrtle threw open the latch on the stall door.

"I said, go away!"

She opened the stall door and stepped out, facing the sinks where she'd heard the voice.

What she'd expected to see was a boy standing there, possibly laughing at her. Instead, all she managed to see was two large, menacing yellow eyes. She didn't get the chance to utter a scream or gasp in surprise. It was over the instant she looked into those eyes.

Myrtle didn't even feel her body hit the ground.

Olive Hornby grumbled to herself as she made her way up to the second floor. It was the middle of dinner time and she was hungry; the last thing she wanted to do right now was find Myrtle Warren. No one had seen her since earlier that afternoon, when Olive made some silly joke about Myrtle's glasses.

When Headmaster Dippet asked about her at dinner, one of Olive's big-mouthed friends told him she knew where Myrtle was. Of course he asked her to retrieve Myrtle, and Olive agreed even though she didn't want to.

What's worse, Olive wasn't even sure she knew where Myrtle was! Sure, she saw her go into the bathroom but that was hours ago and she'd left almost immediately afterward. The odds of her still being there were slim—meaning Olive would need to spend even more time searching for her. She always knew Myrtle was sensitive but really, disappearing for this long over some half-baked joke was just silly.

When she reached the door, Olive pushed it open lazily, rolling her eyes.

"Are you in here again, sulking, Myrtle?" She called out, voice filled with annoyance.

She leaned down to look under the closest stall door. She couldn't see any evidence of anyone hiding in any of the stalls she looked under.

"Because Professor Dippet asked me to—"

She moved to look under the stalls further down the bathroom, and that's when she discovered the body. Olive's face immediately went pale when she saw Myrtle Warren lying on the floor. Her mouth was open slightly and her eyes were wide open, as if she'd been surprised. It took Olive all of two-seconds to realize that she wasn't just unconscious; Myrtle was dead.

Olive screamed and spun on her heel, running out of the bathroom as fast as her feet would carry her.

I will always remember the day Myrtle Warren died as one of the longest of my life. Looking back, everything felt so normal that night at dinner. I knew that Armando had inquired about where she was and asked another student to go check on her. At the time I didn't think anything of it. The girl was gone for maybe twenty minutes, but the moment she stepped back into the Hall everything changed.

Olive Hornby looked like she was in shock. All the color had drained from her face. There were tears flowing down her cheeks and it was clear even from my position at the High Table that she was trembling.

The instant I looked at her my stomach flipped and I wanted to wretch. I could feel it—something terrible had happened.

Her eyes slowly lifted to find the Headmaster, but as soon as she opened her mouth to speak Armando stood so quickly his chair almost fell backward. He walked to the girl with the speed of someone much younger and gently led her out of the Great Hall. Whatever Olive was about to tell him, Armando did not want an audience.

That was over an hour ago and now myself and the other professors are standing by the stairs on the second floor, waiting for St. Mungo's healers to retrieve Myrtle Warren's body from the girl's bathroom.

I swallow again, trying in vain to get rid of the lump in my throat that's been there since Armando told us the news after dinner. It feels like we've been standing around for years, but when I see the group of people coming around the corner carrying the gurney covered with a sheet, I desperately wish it had been longer.

The somber mood around us only gets more tense as they pass each of us. I watch silently as many of my colleagues lose their composure, although they manage to do so quietly. As they pass me they shift the gurney to carry it down the stairs, and one of Myrtle's arms falls limply off of it and out from under the sheet. Her skin is deathly pale and even though I knew that the child was gone, seeing her makes my stomach fall. I have to cover my mouth with my hand quickly to keep myself quiet.

I look up to find Albus watching me, and I can tell from his eyes that he wishes he could comfort me, but this is hardly the time and there are far too many people around.

I step closer to the stairs as the healers slowly carry the gurney down to the first landing. I turn when I feel Rolanda squeeze my arm. Her eyes are shining with unshed tears, but she squeezes my arm again in an attempt to comfort me. I give her a small smile as thanks, squeezing her hand back before she steps away.

"Riddle?"

Albus's voice makes me turn back around. He's standing closest to the stairs, and I'm confused at first until I follow his eyes and see Tom Riddle standing at the bottom of the second flight of stairs. My brow furrows; why was he watching them take a body down the stairs?

Albus makes a motion for Tom to climb up the stairs toward him, "Come."

"Professor Dumbledore," The boy takes the cue and walks up the stairs until he is about a foot away from Albus.

I don't move any closer to the two of them, but I can hear their conversation from where I'm standing. I know Albus can sense me, but he doesn't give me any indication he wants me to move.

"It is not wise to be wandering around this late hour, Tom."

"Yes Professor. I suppose…" He hesitates. "I had to see for myself if the rumors were true."

I stifle a sigh. Of course there are already rumors circulating among the students.

If Albus is surprised he doesn't show it. "I'm afraid they are, Tom. They are true."

"About the school as well? I don't have a home to go to; they wouldn't really close Hogwarts would they, Professor?"

Now Riddle looks nervous, and despite my suspicions about the boy I feel my heart going out to him.

"I understand, Tom. But I'm afraid Headmaster Dippet may have no choice."

"Sir if it all stopped—if the person responsible was caught…" Riddle speaks quickly, but trails off when he realizes what he's saying.

My own eyes narrow hearing these words and I can't stop myself from stepping closer. From my position I see Albus lean back for a moment, suspicion and concern clear on his face before he leans closer.

"Is there something… you wish to tell me?"

"No, Sir. Nothing." It seems innocent enough, but something about the way he says it doesn't feel right to me.

Albus raises his eyebrows at him, saying nothing. We can both clearly see the way Tom swallows nervously, but Albus doesn't point it out.

"Very well then," He says finally, nodding his head. "Off you go."

"Goodnight Sir." Tom says politely, looking away from him as he walks up the stairs and past both Albus and I to walk down the hallway.

Albus and I both turn to watch him. When I turn back to look at Albus, his eyes meet mine. We say nothing, but I can tell that we both feel the same way—there is something increasingly unsettling about Tom Riddle's behavior.

After Myrtle's body was removed from the school, there wasn't much for the rest of us to do but go our separate ways. Pipsy was in my room when I came back from the second floor, and I knew she came to check on me even though she didn't say so. I knew sleep would be almost impossible so instead I decided to take a long walk around the castle to give myself something to do and try to alleviate my anxiety.

Pipsy was very uneasy about my plans for a late night walk. I felt a pang of guilt because I knew her unease came from the last time I was walking around the castle at night, and I'm sure the news of a student's death didn't help. She made me promise I would call her if I ran into any problems, which I did even though I didn't know what time I would be back.

It's now after one o'clock in the morning and I'm just walking back toward my room. I'm still not convinced I'll be getting much sleep tonight, but at least I feel better about trying. It isn't until I'm a few yards away from my portrait that I see someone standing outside of it. I falter in my steps for a second, confused. Who on earth would be standing outside my door at this hour?

I walk closer cautiously, reaching toward my wand just in case. I can feel my anxiety spike with each step, only to stop completely after another few feet.

"Albus?"

His head turns to look at me, and I take a deep breath.

"Sweet Merlin, you frightened me. I couldn't tell it was you for a second." I tell him. I move my hand away from my wand and step in front of him.

"I apologize, Minerva. I didn't mean to frighten you."

I shake my head. "No, it's okay. I'm just on edge I suppose."

I look up at him. He seems terribly exhausted and understandably distressed. "It's late, Albus. Why aren't you in bed?"

He gives me the ghost of a smile. "I could ask you the same thing my dear."

Fair enough. I sigh.

"I guess I just didn't think I'd be able to sleep after everything that happened tonight." I answer him honestly.

Albus nods but doesn't say anything else. I almost raise an eyebrow, because I know he must be here for a reason.

Perhaps he just wanted some company.

The thought comes out of nowhere but I feel a sudden unfamiliar rush of happiness at the prospect that out of everyone, I'm the one Albus sought out when he didn't want to be alone. I know immediately I can't simply turn him away, and I hide a small smile as I walk closer to him.

"Come on, Albus." I tell him gently, putting my hand on his arm to steer him toward my portrait. "I'll make us some tea."

He nods again but stays silent as I open the door. We both step through, but I pause when I see a second familiar face.

"Pipsy?" I look at her incredulously. "What are you doing here at this hour? You should be sleeping!"

Surprisingly Pipsy doesn't look the least bit upset by my slight admonishment. There was a time when almost anything I said to her could make her nervous and unsure, but we know each other well enough now that Pipsy has become much more comfortable and confident with me.

Pipsy just nods. "Yes, Mistress. Pipsy knew you would say that, but she wanted to make sure you came back safely. It's dark and the castle isn't safe right now."

I almost sigh, but honestly I should have known she'd be awake and stay here until I returned. With my tendency to get myself into trouble lately, I really shouldn't be surprised Pipsy's become more protective.

I smile at her instead. "I appreciate that, and of course you're right."

"Pipsy made some tea, Miss Minerva. She left it there for you." She gestures toward the table behind her.

I smile wider, feeling a rush of affection for the elf. "Thank you very much, Pipsy. You needn't worry, I won't be going anywhere else tonight. Please, go to bed and get some rest."

She nods, glancing at Albus before looking back at me. "Yes, Mistress. Please get some rest, too. Goodnight Miss Minerva, Mr. Dumbledore."

"Goodnight, Pipsy." Albus says.

"Goodnight, my dear."

Pipsy disappears with a snap of her fingers and a soft pop! I glance behind me at Albus.

"Well, I guess I don't need to make tea after all."

He smiles back a little, and with everything that's happened today I take it as a victory. I gesture for him to take a seat at the table while I make his tea the way he likes it. Pipsy seems to have had the foresight to put two teacups on the tray rather than one. She must have somehow known I'd be coming back with a guest.

I hand Albus his cup before sitting opposite him with mine. We both take a drink before I speak.

"What's going on, Albus?"

When he looks almost confused by the question, I explain. "Don't misunderstand me, you're more than welcome to my rooms whenever you wish, but this is unusual behavior for you at this hour."

Albus looks back down at his cup. For a moment I wonder if he's actually going to say anything at all, but then he sighs.

"I'm not even sure how to…"

I give him a gentle smile, "Don't worry, I can wait."

He swallows. "Minerva, the Board of Governors made their decision tonight."

The smile drops instantly and I just stare at him. I'm not quite sure what he means, but from the look on his face I know it can't be good news.

"They're closing Hogwarts."

My eyes widen. I should have known that's what this would be about; a girl just died, after all. The odds that the fate of Hogwarts would remain unaffected by something like that were impossible. Even knowing that, the news doesn't go down any easier and there's a sinking feeling in my stomach again.

"When?"

"The students leave in a few days, but I doubt they'll allow them to come back in September. Not unless they're able to discover the culprit, and…"

The words hang in the air when Albus doesn't elaborate. He doesn't really need to, because I know that at this point the chances of us finding whatever is behind this are not very promising.

The silence stretches on for a long time because I don't really know what to say in response. Finally, Albus looks at me and takes a deep breath.

"Armando is calling a meeting in the morning to tell the staff. I just… I wanted to talk to you first."

I nod, but it does make me realize something. Most of the news I hear comes directly from Albus instead of staff meetings. I wonder briefly why Albus often gives me advance notice, but I'm probably just reading too much into it. More than likely, he just needs someone to talk to and maybe it's easier for him to try telling one person bad news instead of starting with the entire staff.

"I appreciate you telling me, Albus."

"You're welcome. Do you…" He hesitates and I raise an eyebrow at him.

"What is it?"

"Where will you go? Once the school is closed, I mean."

My mouth opens, but I close it again when I realize I don't have an answer for that.

"Oh, um…"

Damn. I hadn't thought that far ahead. Of course, if the school is closed then the professors can't stay in the castle, and it's not as if I have another place to live.

"Well, that's a good question. I don't know, honestly. We both know I ended up here mostly by accident. I'm afraid I never looked into getting secondary living arrangements."

I'm sure Albus must have guessed that would be my answer, but he still looks upset. "I'm sorry, Minerva."

I shake my head, "No, don't be. None of this is your fault, Albus."

I lean forward to put my hand on top of his in an attempt to comfort him.

"Besides, it says more about my poor planning than anything else. You don't need to worry about me, I've always been resourceful. I'll figure something out."

My reassurances seem to help, but I can tell he still feels bad about it.

"Did you tell Miss Warren's family?" I ask after a few moments of silence.

Albus doesn't seem surprised by the question. At the very least it pulls the conversation away from me for the time being.

"Yes. I went with Armando to St. Mungo's but he elected to speak to her parents himself."

I'm surprised, but I suppose it does make sense since Professor Dippet is the Headmaster. Looking at Albus now, I can tell he's somewhat relieved that he didn't have to be there to tell them the news. I remember the way he reacted the last time he faced telling a student's parents about an attack, and I don't blame him for his relief. It can't be an easy thing for either of them to do.

"Have the St. Mungo's healers determined the cause of death, do you know? That information could help us find the one responsible."

"Yes, I thought of that too, but they don't have a cause as of yet. They seemed to be fairly at a loss, which doesn't bode well for our current situation. Though, there may be a small silver lining."

"Oh?" I raise an eyebrow at him. "What would that be?" I'm glad he thinks there's a glimmer of hope, but considering today's events I'm more than a little skeptical.

"We're going to speak to Myrtle tomorrow…see if she can tell us anything about what happened."

My teacup is halfway to my lips but I freeze as soon as I register what he just said. I nearly drop the cup completely.

I inhale sharply but end up choking on it, coughing violently. I quickly replace my cup on the table.

"Minerva?" I can see Albus lean forward in his chair out of the corner of my eye.

"Are you alright?" It's an almost urgent question, and I hold up a hand to stop him from getting up and moving closer.

"I—I'm sorry…what?" I sputter after a few moments, staring at Albus incredulously.

"What?" His brow furrows and he's clearly confused by my reaction.

"Y—You said you were going to talk to Myrtle?"

"Yes, of course."

"But…how? I don't—she's—"

Have I lost my mind? I know I didn't hallucinate everything that happened tonight! Myrtle Warren is dead, I'm sure of it. As much as I wish it were just some horrible dream, I know I saw the healers remove her body from the bathroom. Hell, I saw—

The image of Myrtle's limp arm hanging off of the gurney earlier replays in my mind, and for a moment I genuinely fear I'm going to be sick.

"Min! Minerva, wait, take a breath." Albus tells me gently.

I look up at him again. From the expression on his face I know he can tell I'm about to panic. At some point he must have grabbed my hand on the table, because I can feel him squeeze it tightly.

I manage to follow his instructions and take several deep breaths.

"I'm sorry, I—"

"No, no, don't apologize. Just breathe, please. I'll explain."

I do as he asks and when Albus is satisfied I've calmed down enough, he lets my hand go.

"Better?" I nod slowly.

Albus gives me a comforting smile. "Good. You frightened me for a moment there."

He says it almost like a joke, but I know he's telling the truth.

"I'm so—"

"No, Min. It's perfectly alright. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have just assumed you would know what I was talking about."

I nod again, waiting for him to continue.

"I did, in fact, say we would talk to Myrtle tomorrow. She's a ghost, Minerva."

"A ghost?"

Now my reaction feels rather silly, because it almost immediately makes more sense. Of course I know that ghosts exist here. Hogwarts has several of them roaming around, but I never thought to question why or how they became ghosts.

"Yes. From your reaction, I'm assuming that's something else you've forgotten?"

I just nod, because I can't very well tell him they don't exist in Oz. If they did, I have no doubt I would've been haunted repeatedly. The thought causes a shiver to run up my spine.

"All witches and wizards have the ability to come back as ghosts, unlike Muggles. However, it's not widely viewed as a good option, so few actually do it. They're essentially just an imprint of someone who has died, refused to move on and left a part of themselves behind."

"But then… why would someone choose that?"

"It could be any number of reasons, but basically it boils down to the fact that they had unfinished business of some sort."

"Unfinished business…" I mumble.

Like dying suddenly and alone on a bathroom floor for absolutely no reason at all.

"So you're telling me Myrtle Warren became a ghost after she died?"

Albus nods, "Yes. The healers saw her in the bathroom when they retrieved her body. As far as I know, she hasn't left since."

I close my eyes and rub at my temples, trying to wrap my head around this.

"Okay. Fine, so then if you talk to her, then maybe… Maybe we can figure out what killed her? And who's responsible?"

"In theory. Assuming she saw someone or remembers anything, yes. At any rate, it's the best lead we've got right now. The only real lead we've had since these infernal attacks started."

I nod, knowing he's right. As much as I hate that Myrtle's chosen to stay behind, perhaps Albus has a point.

I remain silent for a few minutes, staring at my teacup. When I finally look back at him, Albus is watching me closely.

I open my mouth to speak, but I hesitate and close it again.

"What is it, Minerva?"

"Could you… I'm sorry if this is an inappropriate request but…"

Albus gives me an encouraging smile, "Go ahead."

"I know this is going to be the last thing on your mind tomorrow, and I'm sorry to ask this but… After you talk to Myrtle, could you tell me what she says? I would…" I pause again.

"I'd like to know what happened to her."

Albus doesn't look the least bit surprised or upset by my request. In fact, he almost looks as though he was expecting it, and he gives me another gentle smile.

"Of course, Minerva." He reaches for my hand again and I give it to him.

"I know Armando will tell the rest of the staff anyway, but you have my word."

I release the breath I didn't realize I was holding. "Thank you." I tell him, feeling an almost absurd amount of relief.

Assuming the Headmaster and Albus are able to get answers from Myrtle Warren, maybe we can stop these attacks and prevent another innocent child's death.

If there was ever going to be a silver lining to this nightmare, that would be it. I just pray it happens before anyone else's life is ruined.

I didn't sleep much last night despite all my efforts, but it was no less than what I'd been expecting. I'm at least grateful there were no nightmares to interrupt the sleep I did manage to get. So, I decided I should quit while I was ahead and started my day rather early. It was just as well though, considering I needed to spend it searching for another place to live. I was never worried about the money because I've been saving the majority of my salary whilst at Hogwarts. My main issue was not knowing where to start. As he often does, Albus saved me by suggesting I look into the cottages they have in Hogsmeade before he left last night.

I did take his advice, of course, and this morning at breakfast I—foolishly perhaps—mentioned my plans for the day to Rolanda. She was rather subdued, as was everyone else, but she perked up a little when I said it. When she asked to come along I didn't have the heart to say no. I could tell she was desperate for a distraction and to be anywhere but the castle. Who was I to deny her?

It really didn't take that long to find a cottage I wanted in Hogsmeade, and as we walk back toward the castle just a few hours later, I breathe a sigh of relief. At least now I won't need to worry about being homeless at the end of the school year.

"I like the house you picked out, Min."

It takes me a moment to realize she said anything, but when I look up to find Rolanda staring at me I jump back into reality.

"Oh! Sorry, yes. I like it too and I found it quickly, which is a relief. It's not like I had much time to figure it out."

"True." She's quiet for a second. "I don't know why I didn't think about this earlier, otherwise I would have mentioned it."

I smile a little. "I know you would have, Ro. It's okay."

"They said it would take a little time before you'd be able to move into it, though. What are you going to do until then?"

I pause, thinking about it. It isn't a long time, but it does mean I'll need to find temporary lodging after the school is closed.

"Hmm, I don't know. I suppose I'll just stay at the Leaky Cauldron for now. It shouldn't be too long."

Rolanda stops suddenly, "What? Absolutely not!"

I stop too, looking at her in confusion. "Why not? It's not that bad, people stay there all the time."

"Sure, but mostly only as a last resort."

I almost laugh at her sudden blatant dislike for the hotel above the Leaky Cauldron. We've been there together a number of times and she never seemed to mind it before. Sure, it's fairly run down and perhaps not as clean as one would like it to be, but it's certainly better than the alternative.

I do manage a small laugh as I raise an eyebrow at her.

"Ro maybe you haven't realized, but this is my last resort. It's not as if I have anywhere else to go until my cottage is ready. I'll be fine."

I turn and continue walking down the path toward Hogwarts, not noticing that Rolanda isn't following until I hear her snap her fingers.

"But you do!"

I turn back around, "Do what?"

"Have another place to stay!" She says excitedly. "Come stay with me!"

My eyes widen immediately and my mouth drops open in shock.

"Rolanda, no—"

"Come on, stay with me! Why spend the money on the Leaky Cauldron when you have somewhere else?"

"I can't ask you to—"

"You're not asking, Minerva." She says, walking to stand in front of me. "I'm offering."

"But…" I pause, trying to think of something to say.

"But, Rolanda, it's not just me. I've got Pipsy as well and—"

"And?" Rolanda shrugs it off as if that information changes nothing. "She can come too, Minerva. I like Pipsy."

"Ro…"

"Come on, don't be so stubborn, just once! I'm your friend, Minerva, and if I can help you, I'm going to. I know you would do the same for me if our positions were reversed."

I can't deny that because of course, she's right. I absolutely would help her and arguably anyone else that needed it, but…

"Minerva."

I look back up at her, and she looks almost as determined as she was when she was trying to persuade me to fly with her.

"Listen, I have a cottage in Hogsmeade, too. It's only a few streets away from yours, so it's not far. Besides, you said it yourself—it's not going to be too long."

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"Completely. Besides, you should have seen this coming. You think any of us would have allowed you to stay in a hotel until you figured out a place to live? Please. Albus, Poppy and I were all going to offer our houses. I just happened to ask first."

She seems almost proud and somewhat smug that she beat our other friends to the punch, and it makes me laugh aloud. I suppose she has a point; I should have known this is how they would all respond.

"Fair enough." I smile at her. "Fine, I'll stay with you until my cottage is ready."

Rolanda actually punches the air above her in victory, "Yes!"

She smiles as she passes me to walk further down the path, and I watch the sudden spring in her step with confusion, but also happy that I've made her happy.

I shake my head, "Hey, Rolanda,"

She turns around to look at me, the smile still on her face.

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

Her eyes soften just a bit when she hears how genuine it is. "Anytime, Minerva."

"Now, come on!" She practically yells, waving her hand in a way that makes it clear she wants me to follow her. "Maybe we can still make lunch! I'm starving!"

Rolanda practically jogs down the path ahead of me, but I know she can hear my laughter anyway as I hurry after her.

"So, what happened? Were you able to talk to Myrtle?"

I look closely at Albus across from me. He still looks tired, but definitely better than he looked outside my portrait last night. At dinner he asked me to stop by his office later, and I knew immediately it was because of my request regarding Myrtle from last night. I'm beyond nervous to hear what he has to say, but I dare to let in a tiny sliver of hope that maybe, just maybe, there might be some new information we can use to end all of this.

"Yes, we were." Albus rubs his eyes for a second before looking at me again.

"What did she say?"

"She said she'd been in the bathroom because another classmate was teasing her, and she heard someone come in. She thinks it sounded like a boy, and according to her he was speaking what Myrtle called a made up language."

"A made up language?" I furrow my eyebrows, confused. "What does that mean?"

"I have no idea. She didn't recognize the voice, but when she realized it was a boy she opened the stall door to tell him to get out, and that was it. She just…"

"But, how…" How could an overall healthy fifteen year old girl just die out of nowhere like that?

"I don't understand. There's got to be something else. Did she see anything?"

"She said one thing, but it didn't make sense. She said that all she saw was a pair of big, yellow eyes."

I freeze the moment Albus's words reach my ears. The memory that pops into my head is entirely unbidden but there's nothing I can do to stop it.

A pair of yellow eyes?

That can't be right, because that… that sounds just like what I'd seen in my vision that night. The eyes and—and the sound of something heavy hitting the floor. A body.

Oh, sweet Oz… it was Myrtle!

The realization slams into me with full force. My mind goes blank and my body is suddenly numb. My vision tunnels and I vaguely hear Albus calling my name, but the sound is muffled and far away.

The vision was a warning.

I can't breathe. I stand from my seat without really realizing it and walk out of Albus's office without a word.

"Minerva!"

Albus stood, too. He didn't understand what happened; he told her what Myrtle said, and suddenly it's like Minerva's entire body just shut down. She didn't seem to hear him calling out to her at all. She walked out of the room almost as if she were on auto-pilot, saying nothing.

"Minerva, wait!"

Still she showed no sign of hearing him so he followed behind her, intending to physically stop her if need be.

"Minerva—"

"Ah, Albus, good you're not asleep yet…"

Armando blocked his path and stopped him. Albus could do nothing but watch helplessly as Minerva walked down the hallway and out of sight, barely even hearing the Headmaster talking to him at all.

It feels like an eternity before I get back to my rooms. My legs are so unsteady it's a miracle I didn't just collapse in the middle of the corridor. Each step feels harder to take than the last and I'm utterly exhausted by the time I reach my portrait.

How could I have let this happen?

I don't hear myself say the password, but the door opens for me regardless. The first thing I see is Pipsy looking at me strangely.

"Miss Minerva?"

The witch stepped through the portrait slowly and didn't make a move to close it behind her, so Pipsy stepped forward to do it instead. She seemed almost like she was in a trance but looked like she could collapse at any moment. It worried the elf and she readied her magic just in case.

"Miss Minerva, are you alright?"

I see Pipsy's lips moving and the concern on her face, but I can't hear what she's saying. I feel as though I'm underwater and I can't focus. I still can't breathe and yet I feel like I'm going to be sick. What did I do?

The vision was a warning. It was about Myrtle Warren, and I…

"Mistress, please—"

Suddenly Miss Minerva's eyes meet Pipsy's green ones. When she finally speaks, her voice is so quiet Pipsy almost doesn't hear what she says.

"It's my fault."

Pipsy's eyes widened. She's never heard Miss Minerva's voice sound like this.

"Mistress—"

The sound of Myrtle's body hitting the bathroom floor is all I can hear, and I close my eyes against the sudden sting, almost praying to let the tears fall and not caring at all whether or not I get burned.

"It's my fault."

A/N: Thank you so much for all of your support! It really means the world to me. I hope you enjoyed the new chapter! Please review!

Until next time..

~Neve