Chapter 100
Chapter 100
Suer had no interest in listening to Ron complain about his brothers.
Ron had included Fred and George in the tirade, so Suer parted from Hermione and the others at the next staircase.
He descended one step, then stopped. Ron’s voice receded until the corridor was silent.
Suer returned to Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom.
He swallowed, felt the wand inside his robes, and gently pushed open the door.
He stopped beside the stained basins. His blurred reflection stared back from the cloudy mirror as he searched carefully for any clue.
“Who are you?” said a female voice behind him. “What are you doing here?”
Suer spun round, wand already in hand.
It was Myrtle. He relaxed and put the wand away.
“These basins interest me. I wanted to study them,” he improvised.
“I remember you.” Myrtle peered at him. “You were one of those three boys.”
“Yes.” Suer turned back to his search.
Myrtle drifted close enough for him to feel her chill.
“What is there to study? All bathroom basins look the same.”
“But nobody has used this place for a long time, have they?” Suer shifted unobtrusively away.
“A very long time,” Myrtle said thoughtfully. “Decades. It was already abandoned when I was at school. I liked it here because nobody came to laugh at me.”
“They said I was fat and ugly and no good at lessons…”
“Do you stay here often? I mean, instead of roaming the castle like the other ghosts?”
“Of course. The other ghosts are horrible too.” Her voice began to tremble. “They pretend otherwise, but I know they gossip about me and say awful things. Horrible ghosts, all of them…”
As Myrtle lowered her head and prepared to howl, Suer interrupted loudly.
“They’re wrong, Myrtle.”
She froze.
“You aren’t truly ugly–not to my eyes. And from what I know of you, you’re a good person.”
Myrtle lifted her face. Tears still revolved in her translucent eyes.
“Really?”
“Really.” Suer nodded firmly. He had to keep her calm.
“Nobody has ever said that. Everyone hates me. I hear students laughing and calling me the most embarrassing ghost in the castle.”
“That isn’t true. I don’t know what happened when you became a ghost, but who would choose death when they could live?”
“Exactly. Who would want to die? It was horrible. I’ll never forget that day.” Myrtle finally smiled. “You’ve made me feel much better.”
“Would you tell me about it?” Suer asked gently. He wanted to know exactly how she had died.
“Nobody has ever asked. Nobody cared that I died here.” Her spirits sank again. “But I’ll tell you, because you’re kind.”
Suer had not expected the first person ever to call him a truly good man to be a ghost.
“Take your time.” He stopped searching and listened.
“It was so long ago,” Myrtle began. “And it was terrible.”
“It happened here. I died in that cubicle.” She pointed to the door at the end. “Olive Hornby had laughed at my glasses and called me a four-eyed dog. I was heartbroken and came here to be alone.”
“I locked the door and cried. Then someone came in. The words they spoke sounded ridiculous, but what angered me most was hearing a boy’s voice.”
“What happened next?”
“I opened the door and ran out to tell him to use the boys’ bathroom.”
“He was a very handsome boy. Extremely handsome.” Myrtle smiled, then grew despondent. “I never saw his face clearly, but I remember his thick hair…”
She fell silent.
Suer did not hurry her. Only the steady drip of water disturbed the bathroom.
At last Myrtle stirred.
“Sorry. I don’t remember anything after that, because I died. When I woke, I discovered I was already a ghost.”
She suddenly clapped.
“I remember! There was also a pair of enormous, brilliant yellow eyes.”
A basilisk. No doubt remained.
Myrtle giggled.
“You won’t believe this, but all I wanted was revenge on Olive Hornby. I frightened her terribly. She apologised over and over.”
“But why should I forgive her?” Myrtle puffed out her chest. “I followed her everywhere. Whenever she went to the bathroom, I appeared and watched.”
“Eventually she left the castle and never returned.”
“Excellent.” Suer gave her a thumbs-up and praised her against his better judgement. “Exactly what she deserved.”
“I thought so too. It made me happy for ages.” Myrtle sat on a basin, swinging her translucent feet.
“But after Olive left, I had nothing to do. Peeves is always tormenting me, so I stay here.”
“Have you ever noticed anything strange?”
“Strange?” Myrtle tilted her head. “Is this connected to what you’re studying?”
“Yes. Please think carefully.”
“All right, since you kept me company…”
The bathroom fell silent for a long time while Suer moved among the basins.
“Sorry,” Myrtle said at last. “I don’t know what counts as strange. I’ve visited every bathroom in the castle, and they all seem the same.”
“Although…” she drew out the word. “Perhaps a tap that never produces water is strange.”
Suer’s eyes brightened.
“Where is it?”
“Here.” Myrtle floated down and pointed to the right. “That one. It hasn’t worked since before I came to school.”
Suer hurried over and examined it from every angle, then twisted the green-stained tap.
“It’s useless,” Myrtle said. “Nothing makes water come out.”
Suer drew his wand. Light gathered at its tip.
At last, on the lower left side of the copper tap, he found a faded mark: a snake. It was so abstract that without foreknowledge he might have mistaken it for a crooked crack.
“Found it.” Suer smiled.
“Found what?” Myrtle asked.
“Something very interesting. Thank you, Myrtle. You’ve helped me enormously.”
She lowered her head, embarrassed.
“Could you do one more thing for me?”
“Of course.” She patted her chest. “If I can help…”
“It’s simple. If anyone else enters this bathroom, will you tell me? Anyone except me and my friends.”
“No matter who?”
“No matter who. I’m a Hufflepuff. If you notice anything, tell any Hufflepuff student to find me, and I’ll come as quickly as I can.”
“That’s easy.” Myrtle nodded happily. “I’m always here. You only have to visit and talk to me sometimes. I don’t mean anything by it–I’m simply bored.”
“You’re kind. You don’t laugh at me or bully me like the others.”
“Of course.” Suer gave her a sincere smile.