Chapter 155
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3/5/93
Dear Spencer
I don't know about murder victims being more likely to become a ghost, but my books say ghosts are usually people who feel like they have unfinished business in this world which stops them from leaving so it makes sense that most of them are more likely to have died a sudden death. Of the ghosts at Hogwarts 'Nearly Headless Nick' was beheaded by an axe but I'm not sure if that was murder or he was executed for a crime or during the French revolution or something and I haven't wanted to ask, the 'Bloody Baron' was clearly stabbed so he could have been murdered or perhaps died in battle or in a knife fight from multiple stab wounds, and I don't know how the 'Fat Friar and the 'Grey Lady' died, they don't have visible wounds. Professor Binns dies in his sleep and the rumour is that he just didn't notice he was dead and kept teaching but I'm sure he was told long ago, I don't know why he's still here. You also need magic to become a ghost just like you need magic to see ghosts. Or maybe there are non magical ghosts and nobody knows about them because nobody can see or hear them which would be really sad. But I guess if that were the case most of them would decide to cross over before very long. Maybe other ghosts could see them but Sir Nicholas says he's never seen one. He did admit though that he doesn't spend time in the nonmagical world, and suggested that I talk to the Fat Friar. I haven't yet though.
I've been trying to talk to Myrtle but she's become hard to find since Hermione started using her bathroom to brew the potion. The few times I've managed to get away and visit the toilet she hasn't been there. I think Ron or Hermione might have insulted her one time when they were there brewing without me. We should have asked her at the start, even if we didn't realise that she might have been murdered in that bathroom, she does spend most of her time there and she might have seen or heard what happened to Mrs Norris, Colin, Justin, Penelope or Hermione. She might be in hiding somewhere, all the ghosts are probably pretty frightened if they saw or heard what happened to Nearly-headless Nick. In my defence I would have expected the professors to think to question her too. Hermione should probably have asked her permission before deciding to brew potions in what is probably the closest thing to a home that Myrtle has, I hope she's found somewhere else she likes and that nothing has happened to her. Nearly-headless Nick was brought to the infirmary with Justin but there's nothing Madam Pomfrey could do for him so if Myrtle was petrified someone might have just stuck her in a cupboard or unused room somewhere, either to avoid more panic or by the perpetrator to avoid attracting attention to her or her bathroom.
I would have thought that Dumbledore should already know all about how she died if he was here as a professor when it happened. He was teaching transfiguration back when the Chamber was opened last so he would also have known the student who was killed then, so maybe it wasn't Myrtle. McGonagall obviously wasn't here then, unless she was a student which considering how much they tell students these days about what's actually going on doesn't mean she would know anything even if she was here then, though she should at least have been told about a student being killed and where it happened, and Snape isn't old enough but I'm not sure about Professor Flitwick. I don't know that he is fully human so it's impossible to know what age he is, or if he actually went to Hogwarts. But maybe Dumbledore did know, we know he knew about the Chamber of Secrets and that the students were being petrified because it had been opened. We knew that had to mean he must know what was doing it and we questioned why he wasn't trying to do anything to stop it way back when Colin was petrified in November. Remember he took one look in Colin's camera and claimed something about the film being destroyed was proof the chamber of secrets had been opened. How would he know that? That was a stupid question, wasn't it? Of course you would remember that if I'd told you but I'm not sure if I did or not.
But if he does know what's happening, I don't know why he wasn't doing more to stop it before he got kicked out or why he didn't use that knowledge to argue against being suspended.
The question then is, what did Dumbledore have to gain from all this? He was sacked and kicked out of the school and I'm pretty sure he has the power to have prevented it. How did that help him? Unless he knows that next time there's an attack someone will be killed and doesn't want to be here to be blamed or wants people to think that Colin, Justin, Hermione and Penny are still alive because he was here.
You were right about Fudge needing to make it public to be seen to be doing something. Hagrid's arrest was front page of the morning newspaper the next day. I'm sending you the page. Like all other news stories in 'The Daily Prophet' it was full of rumours and innuendo and decidedly lacking in facts. I don't know if this is enough to help Hagrid, especially since whatever makes the Prophet so believable to everyone seems to be in effect. Since there's always facts and details missing in the stories people might not even realise that Hagrid didn't get a trial. I thought Hagrid had lots of friends among the professors and the older students but Fred and George Weasley are the only two people helping me stick up for him. Even Ron is being suspiciously quiet on the subject and he was there to see the truth.
I kind of like the way Batman wears glasses to look normal, it's ridiculous that the author thought that was enough to hide who he is but it kind of gives us something in common.
Your friend always
Harry
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Please stay safe everyone.